A letter from a friend in Siberia

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Happy New Year Everyone.

This letter was written by a friend of mine who is a missionary in Siberia. Some parts of the letter I didn't include as it didn't have anything to do with y2k.

"We didn't know what to expect with y2k. The American Embassy has sent out several Warden's Notices to us (we've been here 6 years and had only received one other Warden's Notice, now in the last month, we've had 4 or 5) advising us to leave Russia because of y2k and Terroist Attacks. We really prayed about it and decided to stay.

The last 2 days have been really something, brown-out with electricity and water pressure dropped. Russia switched over to manual for the New Year.

And, I guess you heard that President Yeltsin has resigned. Everyone was in total shock. So, we didn't know what to expect with y2k.

However, this morning we still have all utilities. The American Embassy is saying that by the 8th of January, we will begin to feel the effects of y2k here."

-- kallie (kallie125@hotmail.com), January 01, 2000

Answers

If this is true... and I say that only because there have been a lot of specious troll posts lately... The State Departent of the United States of America (you know the government) seems to think that it is not over yet. Very pleased to see that things have gone smoothly enough for the media to be able to ignore the 'glitches' He said with cynical tongue couched well into cheek.

-- Michael Erskine (Osiris@urbanna.net), January 01, 2000.

Thanks, kallie!

Your letter could help explain a lot.

Even the "liberal" press (ABC) had stories this morning that "Its not over, just beginning". A "consultant" specifically stated to Sam Donaldson that 90% of Y2K possible problems are yet to occur, within the next 6 months was her time frame.

To bad a few more here aren't even as aware as the mass media (unlike ART in a great thread below).

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), January 01, 2000.


"The last 2 days have been really something, brown-out with electricity and water pressure dropped. Russia switched over to manual for the New Year."

Makes sense to do this. I wonder how many other utilities, throughout the world, have done the same thing? Also wonder how long they can maintain operation this way?

We shall see what we shall see.

-- (4@5.6), January 01, 2000.


Again, he said/she said... I could say things like this, any one can! We just witnessed hundreds of power companies around the globe, thousands of switches and other equipment/Software virtually roll into 2000 without a hitch?

I do not want to appear unrealistic here, however at this point rumor or other stories from people are just that and believe at your own risk.

It's time to report with documentation of some sort, stories are just that. Again no offense to the people posting what they heard from a friend, but at this point I question much that is coming out of this thread.

-- LALA (LaLALAND@aol.com), January 01, 2000.


LaLa,

You are right. I know of absolutely no way I can verify this and shouldn't have posted it. For that matter, I don't even know what a "Warden's Notice" is. Is there any way of verifying this information?

-- kallie (kallie125@hotmail.com), January 01, 2000.



The verb tenses in the letter from your friend and I have to assume it was a letter on paper and not an email, right? In any case your friend cannot report on the New Year unless it was an email. A letter from Siberia would take at least two weeks to get to you. I had letters from central Russia consistently take two MONTHS to get to me.

Was your letter an email? If not this is a bogus post. I don't recall missionaries taking laptops with them to Russia. Chances are pretty good they would be stolen or taken by customs UNLESS they got connections at a local university or similar scenario to use their PC's.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), January 01, 2000.


Guy - you took the words right out of my mouth. My wife is Russian and I speak from experience. This post is BOGUS.

-- Y2KGardener (govegan@aloha.net), January 01, 2000.

I have a friend in Russia, and receive emails on a more or less regular basis. Have also met Russian participants in BBS postings. I don't see anything odd about a missionary having a computer. My friend in Kiev uses his computer to send out emails to his supporters.

That the Russians aren't overly concerned about the rollover should come as no surprise. So many things work so unreliably there that they are used to putting up with it. They will roll with the punches just as they have been used to doing for generations.

regards,

gene

-- gene (ekbaker@essex1.com), January 02, 2000.


Yep, it was an email. Nope my post is not bogus..just not verified.

-- kallie (kallie125@hotmail.com), January 03, 2000.

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