MANY OF YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE MANY IMPORTANT HISTORICAL SITES OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS. I PLAN TO SHARE WITH YOU PHOTOS I HAVE TAKEN OF THEM AS WELL AS PHOTOS I HAVE TAKEN OF SPECIAL MEETING LOCATIONS THAT I HAVE VISITED.
Alcohol consumption in Russia. Below is an interesting link about this issue here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_consumption_in_Russia
What is interesting is the challenge of working with a translator. First, I may speak for say 30-seconds. Often, not always but quite often, my various translators will take several minutes to then translate what I have just said.
This is especially true for the Serenity Prayer. It takes me about 15-seconds to quietly say it. It will take the assembled multitude of Russian members maybe a minute to say the same prayer.
Back to the lag in time from when I stop speaking and my translator begins.
I can lose-my-train-of-thought during a normal conversation. Then here I am, standing before a meeting, silent, not knowing what my translator is saying, all the while having to remember where I left off so I can resume talking about the same thing.
My mind can, and does, wander.
"Let's see. What was I saying?"
Then the real issue : Is what I said being transmitted to the members?
I have actually had this happen.
I'll not forget it. It was about the Fourth Tradition. I was asked if a member in a meeting who was obviously drinking, should be allowed to remain in the meeting.
I said that in Tradition 4 a group has a right to take a group conscience and, as a group, decide how to handle this issue.
I went on to say no member should ever be allowed to totally disrupt a meeting.
In the group, there was a member who speaks English. I expressed my above opinion. My translator translated what I said.
The English speaking member said aloud : "That is NOT what he said!"
My translator got up and almost walked out she was so upset at having been taken-to-task over her translation.
Bottom Line : It remains one grand adventure.
Here in Irkutsk, Russian Siberia, the members have established a most pleasant 'Alano Club' / Central Office.
Note that I put the words 'Alano Club' in quotation marks. This is simply because, at least in my experience, they do not have or use the term Alano Club as we do in the U.S.
Below are a few photos to show you a most special venue to me and all who attend meetings here.
Below you see a rather nondescript apartment building.
Now (in the above photo) walk to, and past, the left of the above apartment building. Then, looking back, you see the below entrance to the building's basement.
Opening the above door, you very carefully negotiate the below steps down into the club.
In the dead of winter, they are very tricky because they are somewhat icy.
Now we are inside. I've been told that the basement area they were given was a very difficult and great challenge, taking a lot of time and effort by a lot of members, to get cleaned up and organized into the club that currently exists.
The first thing you see when you enter, is a very nice snack bar.
Then you pass the office of the club manager and the Central Office.
Below is the main meeting room of the club.
On occasion, members from afar or in crisis, may desperately need a place to briefly settle. This is limited to one overnight stay. It is also known as the Fifth Step Room.
Below are photos of several other rooms in the club.
The room below is a multi use room that is often used for meetings after the meetings. You can see it is equipped for snacks or even pot luck dinners.
One very nice and extremely workable club and Central Office.
One that holds a lot of positive memories for all.
