Job Discussion Forums

[Confederate]

When I got home from work this afternoon I found out that a policeman had come to visit me. Needless to say, I was a little frighten as to why a policeman from the Moscow Police would want to see me. So I called somebody I knew who could find out for me just why this policeman wanted to see me. Turns out he wanted to give me a piece of paper from the Russian Military telling me I needed to register for military service in the Russian military. Pretty funny considering not only am I a US citizen, with an English name, but I am also 48 years old, my military days are long over. But I had a good laugh about it, I guess I have been living here in Moscow for so long, the Russian government now consider me a Russian citizen. I know that I have always felt at home here in Moscow, but that is getting a little too homely. I just was wondering how many ESL teachers from the US have had the local police come to register them for the country they are working in, military service, not too many I bet. I always knew that Russia was a friendly country. Happy New Year everybody from Russia.
JD

[coledavis]

Well, I hope they don't mean it. Conscripts get treated brutally in the Russian army, although maybe they'd be ok with a staryk (old man).

[expatella_girl]

Good one, Confederate. You don't suppose the Russian bureaucracy made a mistake do you?

[Confederate]

It seems like the visa and residency department forgot to tell the military that I was not a Russian citizen, but American. Nothing like being lost in the system, too bad Alfred Hitchcock is dead, sounds like one of his movies, an American working in another country is mistakenly taken as being a citizen of that country or maybe this would be more like a Cheech and Chong movie.

Any way it is all straighten out now, the Russian military no longer wants me. Looks like governments are the same all over the world, I guess the Russian government has picked up a lot of bad habits from the US besides reality TV and rap music.
JD

[Seeker of truth]

Confederate,
If you want the possibility of international attention, you oughta try reporting this story at the AP Network News office. They should have an office in Moscow.

Your experience makes a great story.

[Confederate]

I have been here in Moscow for over two years now and one thing I have learned when dealing with the government, either here in Moscow or in the US, it is always better not to cause waves, especially here, being an American, I do not have the rights that a native Russian has, make the wrong people mad and I'll either have to leave or my residency permit will be not renewed for another five years if I choose to stay another five years. It's one thing to kid around and tell people like fellow teachers here, but the media, I do not think that would be a good idea. I'm on very good terms with a lot of people in the government here, I want to stay on good terms with them, they have done me a lot of favors and helped me in many ways like finding good paying clients that pay a very good price for learning English. So I would rather not rock the boat over a silly mistake
JD

[adavidwatson]

Yeah pissing off the Russian authorities is a bad idea.