More Russian Updates.....

Hi Peeps!!! You ARE still there!!!
OK ....I only have a computer for a few moments so I will try to give you Saturday's highlights.

I couldn't post since Friday because I never had full access to a computer. All I could do was text Tweets with my phone.

So .... we got up at 5:00 and go into a taxi at 5:20. Got to the airport, which is another whole blog post in itself. I will write more later but suffice it to say that the Russian airports suck. They were horrible experiences.

So, we made it to Petersburg and took a shuttle and the Metro to the city. We just happened to walk by our hotel (no clear idea of where it was) as we came out of the metro. So yay for that and yay for a great location.
We checked in, unloaded (loved the hotel room .... a king bed!!!) and then headed to one of the largest museum complexes in Europe .... the Hermitage.
It was beautiful .... and very, very large. We didn't see nearly half of it and were there several hours.
On the way there we stopped at a Subway for lunch. D1 was less than thrilled that we were eating American food ..... I was thrilled to be eating vegetables! And that sandwich was great.

We got back to the hotel (which was a good walking distance from the Hermitage) around 6:00 p.m. and ordered room service. It was very good.
D1 was asleep by 9:00 p.m. Even she is exhausted from this trip.
I think I was out by 9:30.

Signing off at 12:30 p.m. ..... for now.

OK .... that's all for now. I had to take a break and it is now 4:00 p.m.

Since I wrote the above entry I have been in financial hell! I have been waiting for some indication as to where and how much to pay for the dorm. I intended to use a credit card.
D1 told me this morning that we were supposed to go to the accounting office at the school today and pay, which was fine because she had a meeting to attend there.
When we got there we were told that they would only accept cash.
Ahhh .... a bit of a problem, as it turns out.
We went to the ATM to withdraw the rubles. I could only withdraw about 2/3 of the sum. It seems that Chase decided today was the day to limit my withdrawl amount. So I called them and asked them about using my Visa for a cash withdrawl, but had never done that so I needed to set up a pin number. The guy told me that would be fine and the pin would be effective immediately. Nice young man.
Dumb young man.
He tranferred me to the automated pin-set-up voice, which took me through the process and then iformed that I had been succesful. I would receive my pin in 7-10 working days.
Ummmmm .... that won't work.
So I called Chase back and talked to another person, this time a young woman, who informed me that it would, indeed, take that long to get a pin and that I had been mis-informed.
Nice.
Then she told me that I didn't need a pin number to get cash. I can walk into any bank in the world that accepts Visa, show them my Visa and my passport (or other i.d.) and get cash.
Evidently this young woman has never been to Moscow.
I was in a Citibank and they told me, in very clear English, that they would not do that. I would need a pin.
I called Chase again ..... at this point I was trying not to cry. Sheesh.
Chase told me that the bank was wrong and that they were supposed to follow these banking standards. Then he told me to try another bank.
Which I did.
And was told, in less clear English, that they would not do that. I still needed a pin, which is now winging it's way to me (in Texas) via snail mail. Great.
So I then called Chase to talk to the about my debit card and have them increase my limit.
The woman with whom I spoke was very happy to assist me. She asked all kinds of security questions (with multiple choice answers .... not sure how safe THAT makes me feel!) and I passed.
I told her that I was in Moscow and needed this to be done ASAP.
She then asked me when I would be leaving for Moscow and how long I'd be there.
Huh?
I explained that I had been here over a week now (and using my debit card frequently) and that I was leaving tomorrow.
Ahhhhhhh .... she said.
Then she told me they would gladly increase my limit and that it would be effective immediately. I asked her 3 (three) times if it really would be "effective immediately". She assured my that it would.
Evidently her definition and mine vary greatly.
After 20 to 30 it still wasn't working. So I called again (which brings to mind a heated discussion I had with AT&T Saturday night, which also brought me to tears, but I'll save that story for another post .... though you may have to remind me).
The man who answered this time informed me that a "hold" had been but on my account for a fraud check, since they see that I'm in Russia.
I think it took me a moment to be able to speak.
I told him that I was the one who called them and told them that I am in Russia ..... after a week. I told him that I was told that my limit would be increased and that I passed all of the mulitple choice questions with flying colors and that there didn't seem to be a problem. But because I had called and told them I was here they were NOW putting a hold on my account, when I needed money ASAP???!!!!
He said ....... "ummmmmmmm, yes".
He then gave me a 800-number to call ..... in an hour, when the NY office opened, so that I could answer the "fraud questions" and then hopefully get this cleard up.
It would seem that Chase doesn't care if its customers are somewhere else in the world and might possibly need help at times other than the standard 8-5 work day.
Un. Believable.
So .... we had to go back to the accounting office, humbly apologize for not having enough cash (without calling them names for not accepting credit cards). They sighed great Russian sighs (which are WAY bigger than American sighs .... these people have been through a lot!!) and said, "OK", cuz really .... what else could they say? I told them that I would keep trying to work with Chase and get them the rest of their money. They took the money that I had and agreed to wait for the rest until later today.
We then came back to the dorm and each started packing. I made my call to the fraud department of Chase, and told them I was frustrated with this whole thing because I was the one who told them I was in Russia .... after passing all of the security questions .... and THEN they do this to me????
He may have apologized, but I don't really think so ..... said ok, and then said I could get more money out in one minute.
So there you have it ...... the sun is shining, and this is how I have to spend my last day ..... making several phone calls and arguing with people.
Good grief ... I can do THAT at home!!!
I am now packed and D1 is mostly packed.
So now we have to venture forth and see if the Chase man (more specifically, the LAST Chase man) was telling the truth (somethin in short supply over here ..... more blog posts!) and I can indeed get cash, or find out that I will have to make a run for it and skip the country owing this school several hundred dollars.
Stay tuned ...... I think I'm doing a wonderful job of keeping you entertained!!!

Your thoughts?