Best, Worst, Most unexpected thing about FSU

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Yeah, I had a lot of problems finding someone in the US too. But like you said having different backgrounds while sharing the same goals and values makes everything all the more interesting.

Totally agree. It's what you share that's most important, not where your SO is from (although understandably a lot of us are cheerleaders for different cultures). Until very recently, my entire adult relationship experience (by which I mean post-college) was with British men and I swore I could never, EVER find an American man attractive or with the same sorts of interests as me. Well, I was wrong.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Totally agree. It's what you share that's most important, not where your SO is from (although understandably a lot of us are cheerleaders for different cultures). Until very recently, my entire adult relationship experience (by which I mean post-college) was with British men and I swore I could never, EVER find an American man attractive or with the same sorts of interests as me. Well, I was wrong.

Lucky guy. I would never have imagined you could be wrong. I was mistaken.

Whats with the latent homosexual comments recently? I think it's a badas$ truck behind the featured one in the picture. I'm not so much into perfect restorations as I am into rods, but I can at least appreciate the skill and talent needed to pull it off.

I think it is ghey. Maybe with a gun rack and a Winchester M1886 in the window. Otherwise, just ghey.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I think it is ghey. Maybe with a gun rack and a Winchester M1886 in the window. Otherwise, just ghey.

Are you even allowed to have a gun on a gunrack in your car anymore? Last I had heard about that was when they restricted it in Texas. I guess I just figured that if Texas was going to ban it, there was nowhere left.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Lucky guy. I would never have imagined you could be wrong. I was mistaken.

I'm not afraid to admit I'm occasionally wrong about things.

[Captain Hammer 113]

Are you even allowed to have a gun on a gunrack in your car anymore? Last I had heard about that was when they restricted it in Texas. I guess I just figured that if Texas was going to ban it, there was nowhere left.

Is this really germane to the topic? Come on man, let it go. Please.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Is this really germane to the topic? Come on man, let it go. Please.

I was addressing a tangential topic that was brought up in this thread. I thought it was on topic.

Here is something that will go to the original theme of the thread. I have only been to Russia, once, and it wasn't for a long enough time to get any real exposure to the country. I have always wanted to go back, but the costs for flights that I have looked up on the various U.S. commercial sites seem quite expensive. I was told by someone that you have to take local carriers to get any decent price. First of all, is that true? If so, what are the best airlines to use?

Secondly, I have read many threads in this forum over the years, and most people seem to suggest that bribes and "unofficial business" are a sort of norm in FSU states still. Is this true, and to what extent?

Finally, my Russian co-worker, who refuses to even passingly talk about Russia suggested that Lithuania was probably the best vacation destination for someone to visit. Well, for someone with a very limited experience in the region, and unable to speak the language.

Any comments or suggestions about these would be greatly appreciated.

[james&olya 1,121]

I was addressing a tangential topic that was brought up in this thread. I thought it was on topic.

Here is something that will go to the original theme of the thread. I have only been to Russia, once, and it wasn't for a long enough time to get any real exposure to the country. I have always wanted to go back, but the costs for flights that I have looked up on the various U.S. commercial sites seem quite expensive. I was told by someone that you have to take local carriers to get any decent price. First of all, is that true? If so, what are the best airlines to use?

Secondly, I have read many threads in this forum over the years, and most people seem to suggest that bribes and "unofficial business" are a sort of norm in FSU states still. Is this true, and to what extent?

Finally, my Russian co-worker, who refuses to even passingly talk about Russia suggested that Lithuania was probably the best vacation destination for someone to visit. Well, for someone with a very limited experience in the region, and unable to speak the language.

Any comments or suggestions about these would be greatly appreciated.

My first trip to the FSU was June last year. Seeing Ukraine and then Russia on subsequent visits in the company of a beautiful woman I was getting to know in person after an online correspondence was an experience beyond compare! I don't know if seeing these places just as a tourist, especially if a big language barrier were present, would be as memorable but I would still highly recommend it. I began this thread largely from exactly this sense of amazement at the experiences I have had there and also because of all that I have found I can learn on this forum. I think it a shame that we have so little understanding in our country of this part of the world. We share so much that you might not at first expect, and then there are some huge differences that make the experience being there so unforgettable. I had never heard of Kazan. But it is a very beautiful city, better, imo, than any city here in the US! I have seen Kyiv, Poltava, Kharkov, and Moscow as well. I look forward to many future trips exploring other cities and places.

[Captain Hammer 113]

My first trip to the FSU was June last year. Seeing Ukraine and then Russia on subsequent visits in the company of a beautiful woman I was getting to know in person after an online correspondence was an experience beyond compare! I don't know if seeing these places just as a tourist, especially if a big language barrier were present, would be as memorable but I would still highly recommend it. I began this thread largely from exactly this sense of amazement at the experiences I have had there and also because of all that I have found I can learn on this forum. I think it a shame that we have so little understanding in our country of this part of the world. We share so much that you might not at first expect, and then there are some huge differences that make the experience being there so unforgettable. I had never heard of Kazan. But it is a very beautiful city, better, imo, than any city here in the US! I have seen Kyiv, Poltava, Kharkov, and Moscow as well. I look forward to many future trips exploring other cities and places.

Kazan *is* beautiful! I spent a short week in Kazan because my wife (girlfriend at the time) was on a business trip there, and I thought it would be fun to see some of Russia, as I was living in Ukraine at the time and had some vacation to burn. I payed a tour guide about $40 to show me around the city while my sweety worked, and really had a great time playing tourist. The Kremlin is cool, and the mosque on the Kremlin grounds is amazing. It's really refreshing to see a city where two major religions co-habitate without any real problems. Great thing about Kazan is that it's really off the beaten trail, but still a major city. Highly recommended to anyone that's tired of Moscow or Kyiv.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I was on a diverted plane that landed in Moskow about a decade ago. The airline had a smaller plane that was flying out of Moskow to Munich the next morning for the important people. The rest of us plebes were relegated to waiting. Two days I got to spend in Moskow, with no preparation or resources to research, I literally was just walking around blindly. I would like to go back and visit some day, but I get the impression, and I think you two have just confirmed for me that it would be best to visit with someone who is knowledgeable about the area.

How pervassive is bribery there? I have visited countries where there was obvious solicitations of a bribe, but you could get around without paying it. It seems like from what I have read here that you really need to if you want to get things done.

[eekee 182]

I've never paid a bribe. But i'm a girl.

I don't think what carrier you take makes a difference in terms of cost. I think time of year matters. Winter? Cheap. Summer? Expensive.

When did your coworker emigrate? Lots of people who left in the 90s have bad memories of Russia and see only the negatives, in my experience. I mean, what is there to do in Lithuania?

[ONA 133]

How pervassive is bribery there? I have visited countries where there was obvious solicitations of a bribe, but you could get around without paying it. It seems like from what I have read here that you really need to if you want to get things done.

I've never bribed anyone. From my experience it's possible to have things done with no bribery, but it takes more time and effort. So, if you're lazy and/or you're in a rush, bribery is the way to go, I guess. There's always a choice

[The_Dude 1,142]

I've never paid a bribe. But i'm a girl.

I don't think what carrier you take makes a difference in terms of cost. I think time of year matters. Winter? Cheap. Summer? Expensive.

When did your coworker emigrate? Lots of people who left in the 90s have bad memories of Russia and see only the negatives, in my experience. I mean, what is there to do in Lithuania?

LOL, of course women don't have to pay bribes. Here, they don't pay bribes (also known as cover charge at a bar or club) either.

My co-worker emigrated in 1999 to the U.S., then got a job in Lithuania for 10 months working for a U.S. company. My co-worker is under the delusion that I am a 24 year old guy who is only interested in beaches and nightclubs. That may well have been true, when I was 24 From the pictures I've seen, it looks like a great place.

I've never bribed anyone. From my experience it's possible to have things done with no bribery, but it takes more time and effort. So, if you're lazy and/or you're in a rush, bribery is the way to go, I guess. There's always a choice

Hmmm, well, I am lazy, but I detest paying for nothing. It is very good to know that you don't have to pay bribes to get around. Thank you for dispelling a few rumours.

[dogspot 90]

I was on a diverted plane that landed in Moskow about a decade ago. The airline had a smaller plane that was flying out of Moskow to Munich the next morning for the important people. The rest of us plebes were relegated to waiting. Two days I got to spend in Moskow, with no preparation or resources to research, I literally was just walking around blindly.

Just curious - where were flying from that you were diverted to Moscow? And how in the world did you get through passport control without a visa?

Edited March 9, 2011 by dogspot

[james&olya 1,121]

How pervassive is bribery there? I have visited countries where there was obvious solicitations of a bribe, but you could get around without paying it. It seems like from what I have read here that you really need to if you want to get things done.

I never paid a bribe or was solicited for one, either in Ukraine or Russia. The woman I was seeing in Poltava got stopped twice for speeding, going 160 km/hr in a 90 km zone. A smile and a '20' ($2.50) took care of it both times. She told me to stay quiet so the cop would not know she was with an American! Might have gotten more expensive! I think bribery is an option to make problems go away or speed up slow bureaucratic processes. It also can help obtain credentials like driving licenses without taking tests, etc.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Just curious - where were flying from that you were diverted to Moscow? And how in the world did you get through passport control without a visa?

Long story short, I did have a visa to go to Russia. I was on a 2 month trip with a group of friends and we had planned on going to Moskow for a couple of days before heading to Istambul. Things got crazy in Germany and Poland and we decided to go to Bucharest instead of Moskow as we had wasted too much time elsewhere.