Two tasks down….too many to go – Moscow Expat Life Update #3

Getting a Phone

My assistant teacher helped me out once again tonight by going to the phone company with me. I wasn’t able to get internet on my phone unless I had wifi and for some reason not my apartment wifi, only my school’s wifi. Also wasn’t able to use normal calling, only apps. I was really hesitant to do much exploring without having my phone map or anyway to contact someone or use an app to look up information. Traveling always was always like that I guess.

Before the time of smart phones I studied abroad in Spain and I am here to tell the tale. Last summer in Scandinavia I did it without my phone. It is the language thing, adds a whole other thick layer of difficulty. With my AT’s translation, going to two separate store locations and about 45 minutes of confusion one guy was able to figure out that I simply had to tap one different option on my phone. Even with my personal translator it was difficult because the phone people couldn’t read my English phone and know where anything was. End of story my phone works now!

Banking

I decided to tackle another task tonight. I am finding that many tasks here seem unnecessarily difficult. For example to get online banking for my Russian Bank I had to sign up at an ATM or a bank branch. It didn’t work at the ATM so I ventured to the bank ALONE. It only took going to the ATM with assistance about 10 times and five different people helping me to get a login and password to sign up for banking online. One of the people helping to translate was a customer.

There is hardly anyone that speaks English in my neighborhood! I need to learn Russian asap. 

Continue following along with the next Moscow Expat Life Update.