Q: Проводник, what's the time?
A: Да,
да, да.
(He runs to his compartment and brings back his watch to show us the time. No
comment on whether it is local time or Moscow time or his own time.)
Q: Проводник,
can we get off the train now? (desperate, after three hours of customs and
still cooped up in our compartment)
A: Да,
да, да. He gestures at our bare feet in maternal
distress and continues: Одивайтесь!
This is Сибир!
Q:
Проводник. Can I use the bathroom now? (Doing
the dance after 4 hours at Chinese customs)
A: Да,
да, да. (He walks the other way with two rolls of
toilet paper, bathroom still locked).
Q:
Проводник. Is the rest stop at the border 5 or 7 hours?
A: Да, да,
да.
Q: Проводник.
What are you cooking?
A: Да,
да, да. He
continues to trim the stems off the green beans into the toilet.
Q:
Проводник. May we ask you for fresh tea cups again?
A: Да, да,
да. He suspiciously runs to our compartment to
make sure we aren't hoarding any dirty dishes. They are decorated with emblems
celebrating 60 years Soviet Union,
1945-2005 and a really coveted souvenir. Flustered, Lydia concludes that he
simply reads different newspapers.
Q: Проводник.
We are sorry, but we think we broke the curtain rod.
A: Да,
да, да.
Q:
Проводник. Do you have a rag we could use to wipe our table?
A: Да,
да, да. He disappears for a moment and returns with
what looks like a strip of cotton torn from a "retired" T-shirt of
his. Very hygienic-looking…
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