Humiliations Galore...well a few

Today I took Mushroom (the cat) to the vet, so she could get fixed and we would no longer have to deal with unwanted kittens. Unfortunately, no one who could speak Russian fluently was able to come with me, so I was on my own. So I wrapped Mushroom up in one of my beach towels and brought along my plastic tote to carry her home after the procedure. So we get to the bus stop and I get on the marshruka holding the wrapped cat in my arm, carrying the tote and trying to hand the driver my money. Well he steps on the gas and some guy who was taking the tote from me trying to help flew back into the seats, Mushroom got scared and tried to get away, and I am trying to hold on to the cat so she doesn’t get loose on the bus and have no free hands to hold on the bar so I am trying to keep my balance and not go flying backwards like the guy. Needless to say it was a very comic moment and everyone on the marshruka laughed. Getting off the marshruka was much easier, and I eventually made my way to the vet. When I went in, I saw the lady who helped us earlier this week. We had brought Mushroom in to get checked out for worms and set up an appointment for her surgery. I had said in my broken Russian and gestures, that we had an appt at 10 for the cat to be fixed. Though she looked at me like I had said nothing at all, (maybe I didn’t), and said something that I did not understand, and continued to repeat it a few more times just as fast and as stern as before and all I could do was just smile and shake my head- meaning: “I have no idea what you’re saying”. I don’t think she was too pleased about my lack of ability to communicate. So she picked up their appt book and read our phone # and Tanya’s name and I said “da”- that means ‘yes’. So she took the cat and the three doctors went into the back room with Mushroom. Meanwhile a man came in with a dog and asked where the vets were and I said in the room. At least I’m pretty sure that is what he asked. Then another man came in with a dog and a couple came in with some small animals that were in baskets, I think they were puppies, and then another lady came in with a small dog. So it was a full room. All the people were talking and then the lady with the small dog said something to me, but I didn’t realize she was talking to me at first, but before I could say anything, the first guy said that I didn’t understand Russian, and then there were some comments made. Then the vet came out and asked me for something, she said it very fast and I did not even have a chance to compute what she said when she repeated herself and all I could do was offer what I had brought for Mushroom- the towel and the tote. But that was not what she wanted. Once again she looked very irritated that I had no idea what she wanted, but she wasn’t that helpful in helping me understand her either. So there I was looking like a complete idiot in front of a waiting room of people, who once again began talking about me not understanding anything. It is interesting that when people see that you can’t communicate they think that you know nothing, but really I knew they were talking about me and understood some of it. Word to the wise, people understand more than they can speak! Anyhow, they eventually brought Mushroom out in a body bandage which is really pathetically cute. I paid the women and then I was on my way home and thus the frustration and humiliation at the vets was over.