Presented below is my so called Alien Registration card – also known as “green”, although in reality it is white. It is dated, as you can detect, 02/04/1992 – the day I arrived to JFK, and indicates my nationality as “Stateless”.
Why is that, you’d ask? Because my native country, formerly known as USSR, stripped me of its citizenship as automatic good-luck gesture as soon as I applied to OVIR for exit visa. And if you think it was just a gesture, think again: I was made to pay for the privilege, if I remember correctly, the sum was 500 rbl per applicant – or was it in $? Anyway, it was preposterously high – for comparison, my monthly engineer’s salary was 125rbl and my then-husband’s – 200rbl. But I was and am glad: I no longer owe them anything. The bill is paid.
Хорошая дата! Очко. Поздравляю!
Удивилась, что тогда ещё лишали гражданства. Нас не лишали, а мы уехали на неделю позже, тем ты.
Мы в ожидании сидели примерно 1.5г. Где-то посреди этого срока – уже с визой/без денег/без паспортов и уволенные с работы.
Спасибо!
Да, я уже потом догадалась, что в отказе могли долго сидеть.
Ну, технически нам не отказывали, но игра на нервах продолжалась довольно долго.
Yes. The bill is paid. And us redneck uncivilized louts ’round these parts are glad you’re here.
You don’t know how glad I am to hear you are.
[and don't give me that false modesty!]
Well, I gotta tell ya, contrasting myself – a natural born citizen who was just lucky in the lottery of life – to someone like yourself – who suffered all kinds of upheaval, discord, and stress just to be here – well, that contrast is quite illuminating to me.
All I had to do was just be born to be here, along with millions who really don’t appreciate what they have. OTOH, you and yours fought to be here. That alone makes what you have to say valuable, AFAIC.
I wouldn’t say it does, no. If degree of effort to get here would give additional weight to whatever one might say – then we have to pay respectful attention to all kinds of African voodoo doctors and islamic nonsense.
The fact of fighting for what one wants, in itself, doesn’t give one any wisdom. I am sure everyone, at one time or another, does that. And life is inherently a difficult enterprise, so one person’s efforts to get to a different country might be on par with another’s trying to overcome a debilitating illness – while he never left his small town in his entire life.
I’m for thinking that your experience with a totalitarian government gives your opinion weight, and the struggles you endured to get here and your appreciation of this country’s benefits gives me pause about how I take it all for granted.
I know, Jeff, and appreciate it – but seriously, much of it was my having no other choice – that or exposing my child to harms’ way. And you know, when cubs are at stake, there is nothing to stop mama-bear.
Thank you for the sentiment. Really, I am grateful for what you said.
О, какая дата! Поздравляю!
Как совершенно справедливо заметили выше: Очко!
Приезжай, отметим
>> But I was and am glad: I no longer owe them anything. The bill is paid. <<
Exactly. Ну их кудa пoдaльше с их грaждaнствoм.
Oднoгo жaлкo – время быстрo летит. :(
С одной стороны – да, с другой – “и горько жалуюсь, и горько слёзы лью, но строк печальных не стираю”. Это моя жизнь.
Поздравляю Вас! Мои родные уехали в 1989- их лишили гражданства и квартиру пришлось сдать государству- тогда еще нельзя было продать
Ну разумеется, нельзя. Мы уезжалис 3 чемоданами и $600 на троих.
Они вчетвером и примерно также
Типичная картина.
Спасибо, что пришли в мой блог.