arndt@lymph.DEC (04/24/85)
I had an interesting experience in my travels (by car) through the grand ole USSR that touches on this topic. My faithful companion Sergi, laughingly called an Intourist Guide, was quite upset when shortly after I crossed the border into the mother lode, er, land and picked him up I made the statement "Well, here we are at last in Russia." We were in Byelorussia! He made that plain in no uncertain terms - being a good Moscow boy. Not only that but he didn't like the people in good old Byelorussia - do you know they have a separate vote in the UN? - and they didn't like him! He came back to the van (a rented VW - great for camping) at a gas station all upset because when he tried to buy a beer the local yokels made like they didn't speak Russian! Needless to say ole Sergi and I had many interesting conversations. No doubt he had to file long reports on me at night. I used to hold up a sign to the sky with message for mom back in the states so the 'eyes' in the sky could read it and pass it on. He never saw the humor in that, strangely. When I got to go to a military reception in the Good Ole US Embassy in Moscow (another story) he didn't know what to make of me. When plane flew overhead I used to jump for his benefit and then relax and tell him I thought they might have been B52's. Had some great experiences as you might imagine. That was when Uncle Yuri, remember him?, was in charge of the KGB. Last thing we always used to say "Goodnight Uncle Yuri". But the people THERE sure know the difference between Russia and the USSR! Regards, Ken Arndt