Ukraine saying?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Please notice when I was talking about buildings and slave labor I said european buildings, meaning central and western europe where most american tourists go on vacation. I did not say eastern european.

The flights I checked where the ticket had Odessa as the final destination was only $100 more round trip.

If she were to meet at the airport I would end up losing days with her because I would have to arrive on a weekend.

When I checked airfare to go to Moscow (niece fror xmas) from Kiev the train was $110 per person one way. That is $440 for the round trip for both. I checked airfare and it was $320 round trip for both of us.

The suggestions I was looking for was coping when I am here and she is there.

She is anxious for me to go to Ukraine and see her. So anxious she at times wants me to come ASAP instead of the planned holiday trip (I am still waiting for my passport). I think later she would regret it if I came sooner rather than later were I am to meet her niece and family over xmas in Moscow.

If everything goes well, the 6 months will be a long time during the K-1. I will probably have to make at least one more trip. I wish I could stay most of that time, but it is beyond my control to stay more than 25 days at a time.

I have been in a few foreign countries. I do not need to be entertained. Besides she has a small remodel job I might want to get involved in. I also have a notebook with text to speech. Type english and it speaks russian. I am not worried about anything. Any place I go will be by cab. I have heard you have to agree on price before you actually sit in the cab.

Jake

Where did you get the train fares? we made several Moscow-Kiev trips this year, second class, and it was under $40 per person. Maybe you are quoting first class prices? First class is much more expensive but not so much better, in my opinion, and yes the first class prices rival airfare, which is why so few people use first class. You will need a Russian visa to travel to Mosocw, it can be had, just don't be thinking you can jump on the train and go to Moscow though. She can, but you cannot. Unless you know someone in Moscow, contact a travel agent for a visa.

as for what to do here, sorry I missed that. Well, I had an old house to remodel, plus my normal work and that made the time go by fast. Without that, I am not sure what I would have done.

yes you do negotiate cab prices before riding, and I suggest you find a couple of local "private drivers" rather than cabs. Your fiancee will know the names of some. Private drivers will be 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of cabs.

Edited October 25, 2009 by Gary and Alla

[Brad and Vika 129]

I don't advise it. You will pay more for flights to Odessa, plus have layovers, plus it is near impossible to get back to the USA from Odessa without an overnight layover, unless you go through Istanbul. Flights to Kiev are the cheapest by far and there is a bus there that will take you right over to the train station. My guess is you will arrive in Nikoleav about the same time but wil save money. Send her a few bucks for the train to Kiev and you can meet her at the airport and train it bck with her.

It depends on the time of year for both price and layover. Vika flew to Kiev in-season (9/16), and I flew to Odessa out-of-season (10/1) for the same $950 or so. I did have a Chicago overnight on the way back - slept like a stone.

Chicago also has the largest population of Ukrainians of any city in the US. tehre is a whole Ukrainian neighborhood on the north side

And, that neighborhood is called Ukrainian Village. It's on Chicago's NW side.

Vika was hugely disappointed by the Ukrainian village. Very few Ukrainians about, and most seemed to be Western Ukrainians. Even the churches are Roman Catholic (she is Orthodox).

She is anxious for me to go to Ukraine and see her. So anxious she at times wants me to come ASAP instead of the planned holiday trip (I am still waiting for my passport). I think later she would regret it if I came sooner rather than later were I am to meet her niece and family over xmas in Moscow.

If everything goes well, the 6 months will be a long time during the K-1. I will probably have to make at least one more trip. I wish I could stay most of that time, but it is beyond my control to stay more than 25 days at a time.

I have been in a few foreign countries. I do not need to be entertained. Besides she has a small remodel job I might want to get involved in. I also have a notebook with text to speech. Type english and it speaks russian. I am not worried about anything. Any place I go will be by cab. I have heard you have to agree on price before you actually sit in the cab.

Jake

Good for you Jake! Take as many trips as you need and can afford. She will appreciate it. 25 days sounds great too. I wish I had that much time to spend there. Gary is spot on about the Russian visa though, and you need an invitation and schedule before you go I think. You will want to take care of that from here most likely, and the visa application is downloadable here

yes you do negotiate cab prices before riding, and I suggest you find a couple of local "private drivers" rather than cabs. Your fiancee will know the names of some. Private drivers will be 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of cabs.

I also agree that flying is better than the hot, nasty, Russian trains. Just my opinion. Have your lady negotiate the cab fares for you too. Trust me, don't speak or be seen if you can help it until she is finished. Once you develop a relationship with a driver it will be OK for you to call or hop in yourself.

And Gary - jeez! You are killin' me with the 800 pages of serial post

And here is the link to the apartment company I mentioned earlier Odessa Executive Suites

[jake61 0]

The train fare to Moscow she got off the internet. She did not say if it was first class or not.

She said she would take care of my Russian visa. If I remember corectly you have to have an invite and they also have to say you will be lodging there.

Of the several pictures I have seen of Ukraine and Russian kitchens not one of them had a microwave or a dishwasher. And very little counter space.

About a week after we first met online I sent here flowers. 7 roses. That fits with your advise. I do not think any of her other past suitors had ever sent her flowers. She was quite surprised even though I had told her. When you order them from the US, Ukrainian flowers are expensive.

I have already sent her a couple of things. One was a 4 CD audio english flashcard course. I also sent her an simple to use inexpensive digital camera. It took 17 days to get there. I was going to send her something else but she said to buy her a coat or sweater instead. I told her it was not an either or thing, she could have both. I am not sure she understood.

I have never seen a woman that did not like flowers or something to make them warmer in bed.

I offered to bring her an electric mattress pad. If you have not used one they are like an electric blanket only the heat is from underneath you. My deceased wife would turn it on in the winter time about 30 minutes before she went to bed, then turn it off when she got into bed. Made the bed toasty for her cold feet.

In the translation she thought it was for me. She said she did not want me to bring thick luggage and she would go to bed first to warm it up for me. That was one nice gesture! Only it was supposed to be for her. We have gotten to the point of just saying "bad translation" and letting it go at that on some things.

When I go I am going to take a DVD player with some DVDs so she can hear more english. Her TV will accept an NTSC signal.

Whatever I send or take her I have to be mindful that it will be left behind if she comes to the US.

Jake

Edited October 25, 2009 by jake61

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I also agree that flying is better than the hot, nasty, Russian trains. Just my opinion. Have your lady negotiate the cab fares for you too. Trust me, don't speak or be seen if you can help it until she is finished. Once you develop a relationship with a driver it will be OK for you to call or hop in yourself.

And Gary - jeez! You are killin' me with the 800 pages of serial post

And here is the link to the apartment company I mentioned earlier Odessa Executive Suites <----- Brad

Where is your sense of adventure? Besides, if the train is hot...just open the windows!!!!!!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The train fare to Moscow she got off the internet. She did not say if it was first class or not.

She said she would take care of my Russian visa. If I remember corectly you have to have an invite and they also have to say you will be lodging there.

Of the several pictures I have seen of Ukraine and Russian kitchens not one of them had a microwave or a dishwasher. And very little counter space.

About a week after we first met online I sent here flowers. 7 roses. That fits with your advise. I do not think any of her other past suitors had ever sent her flowers. She was quite surprised even though I had told her. When you order them from the US, Ukrainian flowers are expensive.

I have already sent her a couple of things. One was a 4 CD audio english flashcard course. I also sent her an simple to use inexpensive digital camera. It took 17 days to get there. I was going to send her something else but she said to buy her a coat or sweater instead. I told her it was not an either or thing, she could have both. I am not sure she understood.

I have never seen a woman that did not like flowers or something to make them warmer in bed.

I offered to bring her an electric mattress pad. If you have not used one they are like an electric blanket only the heat is from underneath you. My deceased wife would turn it on in the winter time about 30 minutes before she went to bed, then turn it off when she got into bed. Made the bed toasty for her cold feet.

In the translation she thought it was for me. She said she did not want me to bring thick luggage and she would go to bed first to warm it up for me. That was one nice gesture! Only it was supposed to be for her. We have gotten to the point of just saying "bad translation" and letting it go at that on some things.

When I go I am going to take a DVD player with some DVDs so she can hear more english. Her TV will accept an NTSC signal.

Whatever I send or take her I have to be mindful that it will be left behind if she comes to the US.

Jake

The electric mattress pad is not a bad idea, we have one and Alla loves it, BUT nothing you buy here will work with the 220v. Ukrainian electricty, even with an adaptor it will just burn up when you try to use it (not a good place for an electrical fire). Items with transformers built in, like computers, will work with an adapter. The DVD player MAY work, check the voltage requirements on the label. If it says 110-220v input, you are good to go. Most electronics have built in transformers as they are sold worldwide.

We have a microwave in our flat in Donetsk, but yes, we have no dishwasher and very small counter space. Dishwashers are fairly rare in Ukraine, clothes washers are more common but still not in everyone's flat. Clothes dryers are very rare.

There is no reason to leave anything behind. On my many trips to Ukraine I always brought an empty suitcase and lugged back things of Alla's we also shipped several boxes of things before she arrived and have brought back more on each trip over. With the exception of electrical appliances anything can come. There is no restriction on what she brings as it is her own property. But of course, you may decide some things are not worth the trouble.

[Brad and Vika 129]

The train fare to Moscow she got off the internet. She did not say if it was first class or not.

She said she would take care of my Russian visa. If I remember corectly you have to have an invite and they also have to say you will be lodging there.

Of the several pictures I have seen of Ukraine and Russian kitchens not one of them had a microwave or a dishwasher. And very little counter space.

About a week after we first met online I sent here flowers. 7 roses. That fits with your advise. I do not think any of her other past suitors had ever sent her flowers. She was quite surprised even though I had told her. When you order them from the US, Ukrainian flowers are expensive.

I have already sent her a couple of things. One was a 4 CD audio english flashcard course. I also sent her an simple to use inexpensive digital camera. It took 17 days to get there. I was going to send her something else but she said to buy her a coat or sweater instead. I told her it was not an either or thing, she could have both. I am not sure she understood.

I have never seen a woman that did not like flowers or something to make them warmer in bed.

I offered to bring her an electric mattress pad. If you have not used one they are like an electric blanket only the heat is from underneath you. My deceased wife would turn it on in the winter time about 30 minutes before she went to bed, then turn it off when she got into bed. Made the bed toasty for her cold feet.

In the translation she thought it was for me. She said she did not want me to bring thick luggage and she would go to bed first to warm it up for me. That was one nice gesture! Only it was supposed to be for her. We have gotten to the point of just saying "bad translation" and letting it go at that on some things.

When I go I am going to take a DVD player with some DVDs so she can hear more english. Her TV will accept an NTSC signal.

Whatever I send or take her I have to be mindful that it will be left behind if she comes to the US.

Jake

Big roses in Ukraine cost about a dollar apiece, except in Kiev. Once you locate a few flower shops in Nikolaev you can easily grab some up when she is at work. Even with no Russian, if you want to buy something and they want to sell it - things get worked out. Honestly my wife likes flowers more than almost anything else that I could surprise her with. I have charged phones and cameras with an adaptor, but never tried anything like what you describe.

I also agree that flying is better than the hot, nasty, Russian trains. Just my opinion. Have your lady negotiate the cab fares for you too. Trust me, don't speak or be seen if you can help it until she is finished. Once you develop a relationship with a driver it will be OK for you to call or hop in yourself.

And Gary - jeez! You are killin' me with the 800 pages of serial post

And here is the link to the apartment company I mentioned earlier Odessa Executive Suites <----- Brad

Where is your sense of adventure? Besides, if the train is hot...just open the windows!!!!!!

For the uninitiated, Gary is poking fun because he knows the windows are sealed on those trains. This guarantees that it will be hot year-round, since Eastern Europeans usually believe that any sort of ventilation may cause air (God forbid cold air) to blow across you - giving you triple-polio and soon killing you.

Edited October 25, 2009 by Brad and Vika

[jake61 0]

Where you may be running in to problems is in what you said. There are adapters and there are converters. Adapters just change the plug from theirs to ours. Converters not only change the plug, but also drop the voltage down to our 110v.

Those electric mattress pads can be good for aching joints sometimes.

The 7 roses I had delivered to her were $59. By the time you paid high prices for the roses there was also a delivery fee, and then some other fee. It was $59. And they were the cheapest ones I could find on the internet! Some of the florists on the internet wanted a couple hundred dollars to deliver a dozen roses.

I am not to sure how far she lives from the bus station. I was hoping to get a cab and have him stop by a florist on the way to her place and by a single rose.

She has told me and hinted at her preferences in men. She does not prefer the laid back man or the aaggressive man. She likes the confident take charge man. She told me one man from England came over and was slow, laid back but deliberate. She said he kissed her on the check and she felt like his daughter even though he was only 2 years older.

At one time before she told me this, I suggested since I was the guest in her country and her apartment I would let her make the first move, being the considerate fellow that I am. I got the distinct impression that did not go over to well. Then this story came out.

I may be a man and an idiot (for the women reading this), but I told her the englishman was an idiot. I told her when I meet her I would take her face in my hands and kiss her on the lips. That she liked.

The englishman was an idiot. Kissing a woman that you are interested in on the check is like the kiss of death in the mafia.

It is amazing how many men do not have the faintist clue of anything about women.

I will tell you something that will shock you. I think men marry for love more than women!

Men are goal minded. Thats also why we are described as narrow minded. We have goals and we take the shortest route toward the goal. We have blinders on until we get to that goal. We tend to not notice things that are not part of the plan to the goal. Sound familar? Now you know why men do not notice things like the wife making a small change to her hair.

Women on the other hand are shorter term thinkers. They think about everything at the same time in the here and now. That is why they are better at multitasking jobs like raising kids or telephone operators (proven fact). They can do more things at once then men.

I have never met a man that got married just to be married or for convience. It has always been love. I have seen men be absolute jerks and run out on women after the woman worked to put him through college. But they were not married. He never loved her.

But I have seen women marry for reasons other than love. It was several years after I was married to my now deceased wife that she told me she thought I was a hunk and liked me when we got married, but didn't love me until after we were married for a while (I told you I had lived it).

A woman weighs the pros and cons and thinks about everything and then comes up with an answer. It may not be love but to them it is just as good a reason. It really gets strange in the really cold climates like Montana or Alaska. I have seen women move in with men that my dog would not sleep with just to have a warm place for the winter.

Now you know why men and women shake their heads at some of the things the other does. We are on two completely different wavelengths.

The reason women can remember, what seems like everything, is they are more emotional than men and tie their memories to their emotions. It has the effect of burning it into their memory.

You have seen people go through a bad experience and do a complete 180 degrees in their tolerance of something or their thinking. Same thing on a much greater scale.

The important thing to all of this is to celebrate the differences between men and women rather than be befuddled by it.

Sorry for all the babbling.

Jake

Edited October 25, 2009 by jake61

[CountingDays 0]

Jake-just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your posts.

My best friend here in Los Angeles is from Nikolaev- she was born and raised there :-)

How exciting for you to go meet your woman. :-)

[1HappyGuy 45]

Lots of good advice here for the taking, Jake. You might want to start a new post about suggestions when traveling to Ukraine. You have already mentioned the difficulty of time which is a big consideration. You need to consider how the traveling east will affect you. It might be a good idea to fly into Odessa and stay at a hotel for a night to get caught up on sleep. Then you will be more alert and refreshed for the bus trip to her town. Busses can be crowded and hot during the winter but will be interesting. Understand that everyone on the bus will know you are an American.

Also, if you are serious about traveling to Moscow, then you will probably need to get more information prior to your trip so you can apply for a Russian visa. There is no guarantee she will be able to obtain one for you while in Ukraine. She could be very disappointed.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The train fare to Moscow she got off the internet. She did not say if it was first class or not.

She said she would take care of my Russian visa. If I remember corectly you have to have an invite and they also have to say you will be lodging there.

Of the several pictures I have seen of Ukraine and Russian kitchens not one of them had a microwave or a dishwasher. And very little counter space.

About a week after we first met online I sent here flowers. 7 roses. That fits with your advise. I do not think any of her other past suitors had ever sent her flowers. She was quite surprised even though I had told her. When you order them from the US, Ukrainian flowers are expensive.

I have already sent her a couple of things. One was a 4 CD audio english flashcard course. I also sent her an simple to use inexpensive digital camera. It took 17 days to get there. I was going to send her something else but she said to buy her a coat or sweater instead. I told her it was not an either or thing, she could have both. I am not sure she understood.

I have never seen a woman that did not like flowers or something to make them warmer in bed.

I offered to bring her an electric mattress pad. If you have not used one they are like an electric blanket only the heat is from underneath you. My deceased wife would turn it on in the winter time about 30 minutes before she went to bed, then turn it off when she got into bed. Made the bed toasty for her cold feet.

In the translation she thought it was for me. She said she did not want me to bring thick luggage and she would go to bed first to warm it up for me. That was one nice gesture! Only it was supposed to be for her. We have gotten to the point of just saying "bad translation" and letting it go at that on some things.

When I go I am going to take a DVD player with some DVDs so she can hear more english. Her TV will accept an NTSC signal.

Whatever I send or take her I have to be mindful that it will be left behind if she comes to the US.

Jake

Big roses in Ukraine cost about a dollar apiece, except in Kiev. Once you locate a few flower shops in Nikolaev you can easily grab some up when she is at work. Even with no Russian, if you want to buy something and they want to sell it - things get worked out. Honestly my wife likes flowers more than almost anything else that I could surprise her with. I have charged phones and cameras with an adaptor, but never tried anything like what you describe.

I also agree that flying is better than the hot, nasty, Russian trains. Just my opinion. Have your lady negotiate the cab fares for you too. Trust me, don't speak or be seen if you can help it until she is finished. Once you develop a relationship with a driver it will be OK for you to call or hop in yourself.

And Gary - jeez! You are killin' me with the 800 pages of serial post

And here is the link to the apartment company I mentioned earlier Odessa Executive Suites <----- Brad

Where is your sense of adventure? Besides, if the train is hot...just open the windows!!!!!!

For the uninitiated, Gary is poking fun because he knows the windows are sealed on those trains. This guarantees that it will be hot year-round, since Eastern Europeans usually believe that any sort of ventilation may cause air (God forbid cold air) to blow across you - giving you triple-polio and soon killing you.

Yep, they live downwind from Cheyrnobl but will mug you if you open a window...bad for health!

[1HappyGuy 45]

Price of roses is great. I wish we could spend $12 here for a dozen roses. And the flowers are so full and vibrant. I really miss the flower markets over there. Last time I bought a dozen roses here it was over $75 and they died in about 4 days.

That's one of the great things about being in Ukraine is that you can shower women with flowers. And yes, I do know about the odd number of flowers. It seems that three or five are the best numbers.