She's here!

[1HappyGuy 45]

Frankly, I'm surprised your wives aren't telling you about how bad coffee is for you and asking you to drink tea. My wife has a tea for almost every ailment known to man. Before her, I only drank tea with Chinese food, except for an occasional Long Island Ice Tea.

I married a city girl too, from Kiev. I was just responding to Baron555's comment about our village girls. However, my city girl loves our little town away from the city, the crowds, the pollution, the high crime, etc.

Since my wife is not a big coffee drinker, we don't have any of those Ukrainian coffee contraptions. From an earlier description it sounded like the old percolators. I would still get some filters and place it over the coffee cup before pouring in the brew. I don't like to chew my coffee. I will say that my wife has learned to like brewed coffee, especially a special blend I am given from time to time from clients from Colombia. It is their own blend, so it comes ground in a resealable package. We keep it in the freezer until I have a slow morning and want to brew up a batch.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Frankly, I'm surprised your wives aren't telling you about how bad coffee is for you and asking you to drink tea. My wife has a tea for almost every ailment known to man. Before her, I only drank tea with Chinese food, except for an occasional Long Island Ice Tea.

I married a city girl too, from Kiev. I was just responding to Baron555's comment about our village girls. However, my city girl loves our little town away from the city, the crowds, the pollution, the high crime, etc.

Since my wife is not a big coffee drinker, we don't have any of those Ukrainian coffee contraptions. From an earlier description it sounded like the old percolators. I would still get some filters and place it over the coffee cup before pouring in the brew. I don't like to chew my coffee. I will say that my wife has learned to like brewed coffee, especially a special blend I am given from time to time from clients from Colombia. It is their own blend, so it comes ground in a resealable package. We keep it in the freezer until I have a slow morning and want to brew up a batch.

Alla drinks coffee in the morning and tea the rest of the time. Yes, she has all sorts of teas and makes all sorts of nasty drinks. One from what is (I am certain) alfalfa. I KNOW the smell of alfalfa hay! She takes a couple days to soak and strain this stuff (just a type of grass, really) and then makes a nasty green drink out of it and this is supposed to prevent kidney stones. I have had kidney stones (Alla had one right after arriving) and I prefer passing a stone!

I have come to the conclusion that our wives are part witch doctor. I am expecting to find "eye of newt" in the cabinet at any moment now.

[AKguy 1]

What's with going to bed at 3 or 4 in the morning? I feel like I've been up all night partying by the time I drag my ####### into work.

"Damn man, you go out drinking?" No! I was cooking! Or cleaning! Or shopping for cars online. "You think we can call and look at it?" At 2 am? No, no I don't think that would be a good idea baby.

[Brad and Vika 129]

What's with going to bed at 3 or 4 in the morning? I feel like I've been up all night partying by the time I drag my ####### into work.

"Damn man, you go out drinking?" No! I was cooking! Or cleaning! Or shopping for cars online. "You think we can call and look at it?" At 2 am? No, no I don't think that would be a good idea baby.

I get that occasionally, usually when Vika has down time and is bored. Since she will sleep 'till lunch, I get sucked into the "let's compare the price of that on the internet" discussion at 11:00 sometimes. The busier she is, the better I sleep

One thing I read here and talk about with vjers sometimes is the tendency of their SO or spouse to try to stay on Ukraine time (or PI time, China time, etc.) to communicate with friends and relatives there. Vika doesn't do that, but it sounds like another syptom of don't-have-enough-to-do syndrome.

[AKguy 1]

Our discussions usually kick up around 11pm. Doesn't help that her sister is with us and is job hunting and my 2 kids are with us as well for another week. I think the syndrome we're suffering from is too-much-to-doism. wedding, car, job, kids, parents coming, cooking, shopping, curtains. Hard to fit beer time in an appropriate spot. Seems drinking in the shower isn't ok in Russia either. (yes I'm kidding) ...(last time I did that I had soap in my eyes and tried chugging a bottle of Sauve)

I'm looking forward to couple of months down the road when it'll be just her and I and a little more peace and quiet. And I don't mean to sound like I'm b*tching about anything, just color commentating!

[Brad and Vika 129]

Our discussions usually kick up around 11pm. Doesn't help that her sister is with us and is job hunting and my 2 kids are with us as well for another week. I think the syndrome we're suffering from is too-much-to-doism. wedding, car, job, kids, parents coming, cooking, shopping, curtains. Hard to fit beer time in an appropriate spot. Seems drinking in the shower isn't ok in Russia either. (yes I'm kidding) ...(last time I did that I had soap in my eyes and tried chugging a bottle of Sauve)

I'm looking forward to couple of months down the road when it'll be just her and I and a little more peace and quiet. And I don't mean to sound like I'm b*tching about anything, just color commentating!

Also commenting generally - not on your situation at all. And it doesn't sound at all like complaining, just life-stuff that comes along with the territory. Except for shampoo drinking

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

What's with going to bed at 3 or 4 in the morning? I feel like I've been up all night partying by the time I drag my ####### into work.

"Damn man, you go out drinking?" No! I was cooking! Or cleaning! Or shopping for cars online. "You think we can call and look at it?" At 2 am? No, no I don't think that would be a good idea baby.

Alla goes from 6-7 am until 2am every day. Non-stop. I have to be the last one to bed so I can put away all the milk, ice cream and meat left on the kitchen counter. I do not go to work before 10am. She has no concept of compartmentalization.

Not to say we do not have entertainment, we do, but that is just worked into it. She will announce at 11pm, "I want to go for a walk" which could be for 1-2 hours. Then come home and "study for while before I sleep"

Edited August 11, 2010 by Gary and Alla

[slim 1,519]

My wife has a tea for almost every ailment known to man.

On the seldom occasion where I happen to get an ailment, there's some kind of concoction all cooked up for me. "Here, drink. I make for you healsy stuff." I take a whiff and decide to ride out the cold instead. She'll scarff it down because "I not will be sick too! I drink healsy stuff and make immunitiet."

I am expecting to find "eye of newt" in the cabinet at any moment now.

I have about 243 spices and stuff in my cabinet. I'm not even sure what they all are but I'd bet "eye of newt" is one of them. She bought a sample of just about every spice at the store when she first got here and the best is when she comes home with a ziploc baggy full of "something" from the Russian shop. "Hey dear, uh, you know you probably shouldn't be riding around town with an unmarked baggy of powder."

"You so American. Don't worry about what I will be do. Worry about your business. Go buy for me diamond."

What's with going to bed at 3 or 4 in the morning?

When there's nothing to wake up for, why have a bed time?

Since she will sleep 'till lunch,

...... it sounds like another syptom of don't-have-enough-to-do syndrome.

Hard to get into a schedule when there's nothing to do.

She will announce at 11pm, "I want to go for a walk"

This used to really p!ss me off. I would just be laying it down to go to bed and she'd say, "Come on. We must take fresh air." Now, the way I look it, if I'm getting up out of bed - while I'm supposed to be in bed - there's going to be some more exercising to do on the bed when we come home. I'd go for the walk to "refresh her energy" and then come home and say, "allright... it's time to get into some

- I now can sleep so good because fresh air. Goodnight."

Needless to say I didn't go on many more walks.

My wife was much like many of yours when she first got here. She worked a full-time job for about 9 months and that absolutely killed her. Getting up at 5:30 or 6:00 AM (and going to bed before 10:00 the night before... FOOO!) was too much for her to handle. It seems the 40+ hour grind just isn't convenient for them and they won't do it. She's since returned to no set schedule what-so-ever, sleeping till noon or later and sometimes going to bed at 9:00 PM, sometimes not even coming home till 4:00 AM. There is no rhyme or reason to it. I don't even try to make sense of it anymore I just go on ahead with my business.

She's been talking more and more about getting a full-time job again. Hopefully that'll happen soon and we'll get on some kind of schedule around here. I guess when she gets back from vacation (Yes, she needed a vacation. Those 15 hours a week were wearing her out.) we'll talk about it more. I'm not working right now either (so the vacation for her was a REALLY SMART idea, financially!) so hopefully our schedules will line up and we'll have a nice little average American family.

But, I'm not holding my breath!

For those of you who haven't been married long or haven't worked out a schedule yet.... STOP TRYING! It'll only piss you off and cause undue stress on the relationship. She's not going to do it just because "that's how it's done here." It seems the only way she will do it is if that's what she was used to in FSU or she really wants to buy something. Or, maybe, just maybe, she'll finally come to understand the importance of working hard - and maintaining a work/rest schedule - and she'll jump on board to do it together with you.

Till that happens, just keep working and try to get some sleep!

[1HappyGuy 45]

Yeah, the concept of a 40 hour work week is very foreign to our wives for the most part. But then, we Americans are working fools.

My wife had a job for about a year but quit 1 1/2 years ago. I was okay with that, but now it would help to have her bringing in money instead of spending it. I'm still fighting the stereo type of "Rich American". If I'm rich, why am I still working?

But as so many others here have said, why have a normal time schedule when you have nothing to do all day except watch TV, talk on the phone (usually outside this country), spend the day doing one load of laundry and then make dinner. What I don't understand is why I end up eating alone so much? I come home from work about the regular time each day but lots of time the dinner is ready and I'm eating alone. She already ate and so did her son or he's off doing something with friends or maybe working.

Okay, that's my b#tch for the day.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Yeah, the concept of a 40 hour work week is very foreign to our wives for the most part. But then, we Americans are working fools.

My wife had a job for about a year but quit 1 1/2 years ago. I was okay with that, but now it would help to have her bringing in money instead of spending it. I'm still fighting the stereo type of "Rich American". If I'm rich, why am I still working?

But as so many others here have said, why have a normal time schedule when you have nothing to do all day except watch TV, talk on the phone (usually outside this country), spend the day doing one load of laundry and then make dinner. What I don't understand is why I end up eating alone so much? I come home from work about the regular time each day but lots of time the dinner is ready and I'm eating alone. She already ate and so did her son or he's off doing something with friends or maybe working.

Okay, that's my b#tch for the day.

Vika wanted to work some temp job her BFF suggested. I went to war over it because it was in one of the worst areas in the city and she had just started driving. I look forward to her starting school again after her next trip to Ukraine. There is something to be said for having something to occupy your time during the day.

As to eating, I often find myself the only one eating, primarily because she is dieting like crazy before the trip to Ukraine. If she wants to eat salty fish and garlic eggplant, it is better that I have my beef and potatoes later.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Yeah, the concept of a 40 hour work week is very foreign to our wives for the most part. But then, we Americans are working fools.

My wife had a job for about a year but quit 1 1/2 years ago. I was okay with that, but now it would help to have her bringing in money instead of spending it. I'm still fighting the stereo type of "Rich American". If I'm rich, why am I still working?

But as so many others here have said, why have a normal time schedule when you have nothing to do all day except watch TV, talk on the phone (usually outside this country), spend the day doing one load of laundry and then make dinner. What I don't understand is why I end up eating alone so much? I come home from work about the regular time each day but lots of time the dinner is ready and I'm eating alone. She already ate and so did her son or he's off doing something with friends or maybe working.

Okay, that's my b#tch for the day.

It is not exactly the same here. Alla IS busy. She took 14 credit hours of classes during the summer and still had a month in Ukraine! She is still studying every day. She does tutoring 2 days per week (volunteer as part of her Master's program) does translations and interpreting work several times per week. IF she has a day "off" she will sleep until 10, but that is almost never. Then she cleans the house and cooks also. She is not "working" per se, not a regular job with regular hours. She does bring in income which she stashes for the vacation fund. But it is not regular or a fixed amount. She is always collecting a check from somewhere for something. She has several different organizations ad clients that pay her for translations and interpretations. This afternoon she is at the library, then she will come home for pizza (Sergeys choice to celebrate his drivers license) then we will go shopping this evening then for a walk downtown then come back to watch "a film" then "make love" then go to sleep at 2am or so...after I go downstairs and make sure all the food is covered and put away, then she has to wake up at 7 am tomorrow to tutor a student, then we will take the ferry to New York and go to Ausable Chasm for "a walk", then come back, go to dinner and a movie, get home about 10 pm and she will "study" until 2am or so, make love and go to sleep. (YES, the average Russkie does not take a dump without a plan) And this is our summer schedule when she is "off" from school. She cooked and cleaned house this morning. She cooks several days worth of food at a time. She has a three week "break" until her fall classes start.

Today and tomorrow were the last days that Sergey will have "off" his job until he goes back, so I took the days off to spend with the family, get his drivers lisence, etc.

I'm tired, I need a rest.

Edited August 11, 2010 by Gary and Alla

[WARREN-IRINA 1]

What is wrong with BUCKWHEAT, tomatoes, cucumbers and little green onions for breakfast? I enjoyed it. Sure beats the 3 weeks of nothing but spam and rice 3 times a day (thanks to the red cross)we had while TDY on a typhoon disaster mission to Sipan in 1968.

Irina is a good cook and even though it may have made me wonder about what she put into some meals and where it came from it was good food. (I was on the FFA meat judging team in HS so I knew what she bought.)One of the soups she and her brother cooked even had to have the kitchen sink in it but it came out of a cook book Slava had and was wonderful. One thing for sure it was not 50% salt like American caned soup. Only problem was finding she ate 5 times a day and I only eat 2 times. Being a graduate of the Ft Lee Va Army cook school I found it interesting to see the type of food they had in Russia. Much more appetizing than I found in most Japanese food I saw in Okinawa. (To much chance of finding the stray cat or dog you saw on the street during the last visit on your plate.)

Irina worries I work to much and do not sleep enough. Maybe when she gets here she will change her mind as even though I work on projects I also sluff a lot too. (I use my late wife's father to patern my life and he is 99 +1 month and a day young.) I will have to remind her I noticed she was sewing mending and such while watching TV.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

What is wrong with BUCKWHEAT, tomatoes, cucumbers and little green onions for breakfast? I enjoyed it. Sure beats the 3 weeks of nothing but spam and rice 3 times a day (thanks to the red cross)we had while TDY on a typhoon disaster mission to Sipan in 1968.

Irina is a good cook and even though it may have made me wonder about what she put into some meals and where it came from it was good food. (I was on the FFA meat judging team in HS so I knew what she bought.)One of the soups she and her brother cooked even had to have the kitchen sink in it but it came out of a cook book Slava had and was wonderful. One thing for sure it was not 50% salt like American caned soup. Only problem was finding she ate 5 times a day and I only eat 2 times. Being a graduate of the Ft Lee Va Army cook school I found it interesting to see the type of food they had in Russia. Much more appetizing than I found in most Japanese food I saw in Okinawa. (To much chance of finding the stray cat or dog you saw on the street during the last visit on your plate.)

Irina worries I work to much and do not sleep enough. Maybe when she gets here she will change her mind as even though I work on projects I also sluff a lot too. (I use my late wife's father to patern my life and he is 99 +1 month and a day young.) I will have to remind her I noticed she was sewing mending and such while watching TV.

I actually like Spam. I do not compare buckwheat with the worst food I ever ate, I compare it with other foods available in this house. It doesn't hold a candle to an omelet, or fresh waffles or pancakes with butter and real maple syrup (I am diabetic but some things just have to be real, I have extra insulin). Ukrainians eat omeltes also and if you think maple syrup doesn;t sound Ukrainian...give some to a Ukrainian and see what they think!

[slim 1,519]

Spam rocks!