Hello Again

[DanM]

Maybe some of the oldtimers here will recognize me as a very active poster back in 2001. That is when I was interested in meeting a nice girl from Eastern Europe. I believe I stopped posting sometime in the fall of 2001.

Well a lot has happened to me since that time. I met a wonderful girl from Moscow and we are now married. I moved back home to Lousisana and we are having a great time.

For those of you who are still looking, I can say this discussion forum was a huge help for me. Not only did I receive excellent advice from some of the more experienced people such as Jack and Dan, but I also gained the confidence to travel to Russia without the aid of an agency. Without going into all the details, I will just say that I probably would not have been able to meet my wife if I had not stumbled on this place one day in early 2001.

I have started reading the posts on this forum again and I will write when time permits.

Best wishes to all.

[Robert D]

... in response to Hello Again, posted by DanM on Mar 7, 2003

great news.   Glad you are happy.  I too am from Louisiana, and wonder how is she adjusting to the food here. (hot?)  Not to mention the weather in summer.

Robert D.

[DanM]

... in response to Re: Hello Again, posted by Robert D on Mar 10, 2003

She likes hot, spicy foods so she really likes the cajun spiced foods here. My parents gave her parents some cajun seasoning and they loved it too. In general, her family always used a lot of peppers and tabasco when flavoring foods so it wasn't that big of an adjustment.

The weather was not too big of an adjustment, but the insects are a different story. She calls them little monsters. : ) Luckily we have a good exterminator.

The biggest benefit of moving back home was proximity to my family. They all love her and she cannot get enough of them either. I can't tell you how good I feel when I see the love between my wife and family.

What part of Lousiana do you live in?

[Robert D]

... in response to Re: Re: Hello Again, posted by DanM on Mar 10, 2003

New Orleans here.  And You? Glad you are doing well and things have worked out with your family and new wife.   That is normally an adjustment anywhere so with the cultural differences well, you are lucky.  

It is nice to hear success stories.

Robert D.

[DanM]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Hello Again, posted by Robert D on Mar 10, 2003

My wife and I are in Shreveport. I know that would not be very exciting to a lot of people, but we really like it.

I feel so lucky that she is close to my family. It really does help a lot on the adjustment to a new culture if you have a strong support group. My parents treat her just like she is another daughter. I suppose I have a lot of reasons to feel lucky, but Ira is my number one reason.

I also agree that its good to hear a few success stories and thats why I wanted to share my story. Often we are more likely to hear about the train wrecks and I think that can create a distorted image for the guys who are searching for their special girl. Don't get me wrong, its not all easy. I have taken my tough shots too. But if someone is willing to stick with it and learn from their mistakes, this process can have a very happy ending.

Too all, keep the faith.

[Robert D]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Hello Again, posted by DanM on Mar 10, 2003

Well I can tell you New Orleans is nice, but your town is probably a better place to bring up kids.  Also, I would love to know how your lady finds small town America.    I also was in your town about a year or more ago on business and went to dinner at a nice place in one of the casinos.  There was a very pretty young Russian hostess there. She was very nice and polite.   Was that your wife by chance.

Robert D.

[Alfred]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hello Again, posted by Robert D on Mar 11, 2003

Somehow, I don't picture Shreveport as a "small town".  Maybe I just don't know enough about it.

Try this for small town America: Ripon Wisconsin. Population 7,000, give or take.  20 miles to Osh Kosh and Fon Du Lac, both about 50,000.  70 miles to Milwaukee (1 million plus), Madison and Green Bay 750,000 plus each.

Or, Evansville Indiana, population 100,000. 3 hours to Louisville Kentucky, 5 hours to Indianapolis Indiana, 5 plus hours to Chicago, St. Louis or Atlanta.  Not small, but "in the middle of nowhere".

[DanM]

... in response to Re: Shreveport = small town America?, posted by Alfred on Mar 11, 2003

Shreveport could be considered small town because it really is in the middle of no where. I agree with you, however, when you say it is really not a small town. When coming from a place like Miami, Dallas or New Orleans, however, it is a different pace of life.

[Alfred]

... in response to Re: Re: Shreveport = small town America?, posted by DanM on Mar 11, 2003

From looking on a map, I never really got the idea that Shreveport is in the middle of nowhere.

[DanM]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Shreveport = small town Amer..., posted by Alfred on Mar 11, 2003

4 hours from Dallas. 5 Hours from Houston. 4-5 hours from New Orleans.

[DanM]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hello Again, posted by Robert D on Mar 11, 2003

Thanks for the compliments about Shreveport. I also think its a great place to raise a family. New Orleans is a lot of fun, but it may be a little more than I can handle at times. : )

Ira does not mind Shreveport at all. Its a small city of about 300K so its not exactly like she is in Hooterville or something. : ) We have plenty of resturants, lot of good places for shopping, etc.

For both of us, the big thing was to come back closer to my family and to get me in a job that allowed me to consistently come home before 8:30 PM. Now that we have covered both of these points, we couldn't be happier.

I am sorry, but it was not my wife whom you met last year. She did not move to the states until last July and we did not move back to Shreveport until this past January. I have heard, however, that we have between 40 and 50 Russian/American couples in Shreveport. They hold a monthly meeting somewhere and we plan to go sometime. That being said, it does not surprise me that you met a Russian girl in Shreveport.

We filed our I-485 in January so I will probably be coming down to New Orleans in about a year. When the time gets closer, maybe you can recommend a good place to stay.

[Robert D]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hello Again, posted by DanM on Mar 11, 2003

I can suggest a place to stay and good places to eat with no prob.   I use to be in the biz so I know a lot about that stuff here.  

let me know your price range and likes and dislikes.  there are several places in the quarter, but I suspect you will be doing business in downtown, so let me know what building your business is in and I can perhaps give you some idea of what is walking distance from their and possibly the river and the quarter.  

Robert D.

[Dan]

... in response to Hello Again, posted by DanM on Mar 7, 2003

Yes, I remember you here. Been wondering how things turned out for you. Glad to learn you are happy.

A few of the old timers are still around. Jack and I - KenC, LP, WmGO, Charles, greg (aka thesearch) and numerous others I have probably forgotten.

Stay around and pitch in once in a while.

- Dan

[DanM]

... in response to Congratulations . . ., posted by Dan on Mar 7, 2003

Great to hear from you Dan! I just want to thank you for all the good advice and moral support you offered during my search. I will probably never be able to express how much that help meant to me. While a lot of people were a big help, you and Jack were the two who stand out. I don't mean to get too sentimental here, but I just want to reinforce the point that this site can make a very positive difference for people.

As for my motives for coming back, they are split. First, I just enjoyed posting here. Second, I would definitely like to pitch in and offer constructive advice when I can be of help. I do not think I am in the same league as you or Jack, but you never know when you might have a chance to help someone.

Its also good to hear about all the people who are still here. By the way, there is someone I wanted to ask you about. He was a really active poster back when I was here before. I do not remember his handle, but I remember he was studying to be a nurse. I think he was originally from Texas, but living in Philadelphia at the time. Do you rememeber who that was?

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Re: Congratulations . . ., posted by DanM on Mar 10, 2003

I'll try this again, since somehow my post "didn't take."

The person you refer to was MarkH.

He was banned after an online fight with Jack.

Jack was eventually allowed back on, but MarkH never was. No explanation for that was ever given, so I don't know why.

MarkH is back in Texas, and if you would like his information, please contact me at: markjoel60@hotmail.com