I don't have HIV!

So the saga begins.

I go into the office of St. Petersburg State University on last Thursday because I needed to extend my visa. They tell me that the person who I needed to talk to was not there and I needed to come back on Friday and talk to Natasha.

I talked to Natasha on Friday. She took down my information and told me to come back on Monday.

On Monday I came, she told me to come back on Tuesday.

On Tuesday I came, and she asked me why I hadn't taken care of this before! She also told me that I needed to fill out some forms, bring 600 rubles, and also have new "document-type" photos taken and get a new certificate saying that I didn't have HIV.

So I was planning on doing stuff after school on Tuesday, but instead I go to the nice, non-sketchy laboratory where I got my first HIV test taken. I went there, and asked somebody in the hall where to go to get my blood drawn.

She said to go to a poliklinika.

But I didn't want to go to a poliklinika.

But I went there anyway, and the front desk was taking a 20 minute break at the time. Everything else in the poliklinika was working, but the front desk wasn't. So I went back to the laboratory where I got it done the first time, and asked again. Same response.

Then I call our resident director, who came to my aid there. It turns out that the nice laboratory no longer performs those types of services.

So I had to go to a poliklinika.

And wait in lots of lines.

With all of the other sick Russians.

But it turned out fine.

And then I went back today and picked up my certificate and I don't have HIV!