leaving country

[LloydinVT 0]

Incredible food! You would hardly believe it is airline food! Lufthansa and CSA have excellent food and service also. Air France sucks. And on any of those three it seems as though they keep the "service" coming the entire flight. Other airlines throw a box lunch at you and leave you alone for 11 hours. KLM, Lufthansa and CSA keep coing with the drinks and snacks and if you want more just go back to the galley and ask, they will hand you soda, ice cream, snacks, whatever. Plus CSA has HOT Czech women stews!

Did I mention I LOVE PRAGUE!

Gary I also love Prague and can't wait to bring Irina there. She could never get the Shenghen Visa. I've read much of this thread and it was helpful. Once Irina has visa in hand (she just received letter from Embassy in Kiev so final steps are underway now) I'll book the reservations, stay in Kiev a night to catch the early flight out to Frankfurt and then on to JFK, then BTV. I was on a flight coming home from Ukraine once with a British guy with Ukrainian wife and he said the feeling of leaving Ukraine with her, headed for her new life, was profound. Just one man's experience I know but I imagine there must be some pretty strong feelings for the woman when she leaves. I'm preparing for both ends of the emotional spectrum.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Gary I also love Prague and can't wait to bring Irina there. She could never get the Shenghen Visa. I've read much of this thread and it was helpful. Once Irina has visa in hand (she just received letter from Embassy in Kiev so final steps are underway now) I'll book the reservations, stay in Kiev a night to catch the early flight out to Frankfurt and then on to JFK, then BTV. I was on a flight coming home from Ukraine once with a British guy with Ukrainian wife and he said the feeling of leaving Ukraine with her, headed for her new life, was profound. Just one man's experience I know but I imagine there must be some pretty strong feelings for the woman when she leaves. I'm preparing for both ends of the emotional spectrum.

Prague was my favorite city to visit when I lived there. "Sleep when you get home"

Your fiancee will have sad goodbyes but she will be back and Ukraine will lose its shine after a while...believe me. Alla considers Vermont her home now. She will be excited and happy to arrive and excited about the new country, seeing new things, etc.

Vermont is a beautiful, natural place. She will like that. Milton is a tiny village compared to Kiev and even Burlington is just an "improved village" Some homesickness will settle in. When she realizes she cannot hop a bus outside her door and go anywhere, she will be anting to learn to drive.

Take her to TJMaxx for clothes shopping, she will love it. Take her to the "Euro Market" on Williston Rd. just past LaQuinta hotel on the right. Lots of good Russian food there. Alla also likes "Ben and Bill's" deli in the Pricechopper on Shelburne Rd, right next to TJMaxx. Lots of good Russian delicacies there

I told Alla we would always be working on our house and she thought I was silly. But she really got into "homeowning" and loves selecting all the materials for our projects (and then vacating the house when I do the work) She burst into laughter when she first walked into the "toilet aisle" at Lowe's "Why do Americans need so many types of toilets?" There is a lot for her to discover. But Lowe's is one of her favorite stores and I am known there as "Alla's husband", she buys the stuff and sends me to "pick up later"

Life here is much different than Ukraine or Russia. It will take her some time to adjust, give it a year or so. You need to be prepared to deal with all sorts of emotions and just be her "rock". Don't be upset or angry. Warn your job and boss and be available for her all you can. Put the fehrenheit/celcius conversion notes around or take a run up to Montreal and get celcius knobs for your oven and a celcius thermostat.

In the end it all works out, if you do your part you will be her Prince!

Edited November 24, 2012 by Gary and Alla

[baron555 934]

Put the fehrenheit/celcius conversion notes around

In the end it all works out, if you do your part you will be her Prince!

Yep still have those sticky notes.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Yep still have those sticky notes.

I don't. They helped for a while. Alla finally learned that ...

1. We do not have air conditioning, so when it is hot it does no good to turn it all the way down

2. You can set it and leave it alone

3. Our new oven allows switching from celcius to fehrenheit and has a digital setting, so she can follow whatever recipe she wants.

We use celcius/metric in our conversations. She never really grasped what 82 degrees means, except that she may burst into flames at that temperature. So we just say "28". She does well enough with "Is it cold today?" She more or less ignores it otherwise...a package of meat is a package of meat, call it what you will. She buys the big one.