Wednesday evening:
I just spoke with my fiancee, Luba, who showed up at the Moscow embassy for her October 18th interview. We both knew about the closure, but decided to follow through with the scheduled time, fully prepared, just in case they re-opened. Unfortunately, they haven't-- but, she spoke with a police officer there who said the 'inside word' is they are going to reopen on the 24th (next Wednesday.) His understanding was the missed interviews will be rescheduled to occur in two weeks from reopening. (I assume this means the interviews scheduled to occur when they reopen will stay on track, and only the missed ones will be rescheduled???) If this is true, Luba's October 18th date will occur sometime in early November.
So, there is no sense in her staying in Moscow for so long. She will return to Kazan and await word from the embassy. It's been a disappointing (and costly) seven days since she initially arrived in Moscow, but at least she got the medical exam out of the way. Looks like another long train ride or two before the visa is in her hands. F*****G terrorists.....
Anyway, that's the latest word from outside the gate. Still unsubstantiated, but it seems reasonable. Hope this helps a little for those who are, like us, feeling left out in the cold.
Optimistic still,
~Ralph
Petaluma, CA
