Dealing with Russian bureaucracy is a lot like being mauled by a shark. It’s awful, messy, painful and terrifying – but if you survive, at least you have a cool story/scar to tell people about at cocktail parties.

I say this on the eve of my attempts to get:

1. Paid for my job.
2. A Russian tourist VISA for the summer.
3. A Chinese VISA for the summer as well.

Wish me luck.

8/19/2015 — I think what I learned from this experience is that Russians are Vogons. Bureaucracry.