Taking it up a notch…BAM

[Ryan]

[This message has been edited by Ryan]

Tonight while I was chatting with my girlfriend in Russia I was talking about my family newsletter that had been a tradition in my family for over 8 years.  In this news letter he share with each other what is happening in our families and just our life in general.  My family is spread out all over the country so this is how we stay together.  It really is cool.  Four times a year we all look forward to this paper.   Anyway my family has been asking me about my girlfriend in Russia and I have been trying to tell them all everything.  Many of you know how hard it is with all the stigmatism about the MOB scene and all.  As well as just trying to explain the obvious.  Then I came up with the idea.  I asked my girlfriend to write about everything she could about her family and life in Russia. About her family and fathers father, etc.. Then she told me it would be wonderful to also write about my family.      
 Our personal experiences just everything and any anything about our lives.  We are now going to write this in a letter and share this with each of your families.  Russians to Americans and Americans to Russians.   I think if done right it is going to go a long way to bringing us together…  We are talking this whole love of ours and kicking it up a notch…   Just wanted to share this so that others might get similar ideas...  It's all about the love...

[wsbill]

... in response to Taking it up a notch…BAM, posted by Ryan on Feb 24, 2004

http://www.agriukraine.com/galery.jsp?lan=3

[AllenB]

... in response to Taking it up a notch…BAM, posted by Ryan on Feb 24, 2004

Excellent!!!  When I knew I met the girl of my life I sent an email to may family in Microsoft word that started...    "I met a very nice girl that I really love...

Picture of Anna

...  and I think she would be a really great daughter/sister-in-law so....

Picture of us together being married

...  we decided to make everybodies wish come true...

Picture of her family, friends and me celebrating!!!

After the initial shock everybody called to congratulate us and now 3/29 we are expecting our first baby boy, we are so excited and the whole family is so completely into this.

If you guys are interested in our story I will be happy to post but I don't want to bore anybody, just try to help where I can.

Allen

[AJ277]

... in response to Re: Taking it up a notch…BAM, posted by AllenB on Feb 25, 2004

I'd like to hear it, as i'm sure so would others..

[Jack]

... in response to Re: allen, posted by AJ277 on Feb 26, 2004

daaa Allen, many of us here are always interested in hearing of the success stories. Your success might help others. How did you meet her, how long did you correspond?

[AllenB]

... in response to Re: Re: allen, posted by Jack on Feb 26, 2004

Part II,  Sorry for the delay.

Anyhow, Anna and I found a nice cafe and talked with the help of a translation dictionary and a lot of sign language.  She put her hand on my heart and said "heresho".  I didn't know what this meant but had an idea but I gave her the dictionary and showed me good.  I should explain that while we were with Natasha, it was explained to Anna that I had a little boy at home with Cerebral Palsey.  I had excused myself for a moment to call Alex and both Natasha and Anna wanted to come with me to say hello to him also but unfortunately his mother had taken him with her somewhere that day so we could not talk.  I was not happy that I couldn't talk with Alex and I guess that showed.  Next Anna found the words in the dictionary to roughly tell me that she thinks Alex has a wonderful father and she would like to be part of our lives.  I reached across the table for her face and kissed her gently and said one of the few Russian words I knew at the time, "Da".  It was a very romantic evening that I will never forget.  Eventually I took Anna back to Natasha's father's flat where they were both staying while in Kiev and I returned to my hotel to leave the next day.

Anna, to my surprise, met me at Borispol and saw me off on my plan back to Chicago.  I felt a very close connection with her and knew I wanted to know more so I asked for her telephone number, which she gave me, and her email address which she didn't understand.  Luckily a girl at the Ukraine International ticketing counter spoke English so she translated for me.  Anna had no email address but the woman at the counter said many girls register with dating services and we could correspond that way.  I gave Anna one of my business cards which has my email address on it and asked the lady to tell her to register with a dating service in Krivoy Rog and write me asap.  Anya agreed and we had a tender moment before I left for Chicago.

When I arrived back in Chicago she would have been on the train from Kiev to Krivoy Rog so I couldn't call her but I really wanted to tell her that she occupied my every thought.  The following day I called her at noon but made sure I knew how to ask for her in Russian.  Good thing, her mother answered the telephone and got Anya for me immediately.  She suprised me very much because she had gone to a bookstore before she boarded the train that evening and bought an English book.  I could only say a few things to her like Priviet, Kak Dla?  But she shocked me and said, Allen, I miss you.  My heart melted.  Two days later I receive an email from her translated into English.  Her letter spoke to me as if we had known each other all of our lives and I knew that this girl was very special.  We began, after this point, to send each other letters at least once each day and I called her on the weekends.  This lasted 3 weeks and I could not take it anymore so I told her I was coming back to be with her.  She was very happy about this and I made all of the arrangements.  I booked a king room at the Premier Palace and had a Limo pick her up at the train station to take her to the hotel and then to Borispol to pick me up.  Not to be cocky but in my line of work, when I have to travel the companies that hire me always provide these luxury items so I had considered them a normal part of travel.  I think I made a good impression because I received the biggest kiss and hug I have ever had in my life and the tears kept streaming down her face but I couldn't get the smile off of her face.  Needless to say we had a wonderful time together in Kiev but I needed to get back stateside for my work but Anna insisted that I must extend my stay and come to Krivoy Rog to met her mother.  At this point I did not know that the mother was the big deal as it always is the father here.  I agree and we took the comfortable, efficient, etc. train to Krivoy Rog along with this huge stuffed lion I bought for her from Tsum.  Jessie, her dog immediately jumped up to me and wagged her tail and Anya announced to her mother, I love my Allen.  I stayed with them for one week and have never felt more at home in my own house.  I brought up the subject of marriage to Anya and I thought that I had made a mistake because I received very little reaction from her.  Turns out she thought that I was saying to her that I was married.  When that was cleared up we laughed and thankfully she said she would love to marry me.  I had to get back to the U.S. again so the next day we took the comfy train back to Kiev and she saw me off at Borispol once again.

From that time on was probably one of the most expensive periods of my life because I spent two weeks of each month in the U.S. calling Anya at least once to twice a day and writing every day to spending the other two weeks with her in Kiev.  By the way, her employer, Zhenya, is a saint who I will never forget because he always gave her the time to meet with me.  One time he asked her to take some diamonds to Kharkov by herself and she said she had to check with me because she wouldn't be able to correspond with me and she didn't want to worry me.  When I said no because I was worried about her he agreed and never pushed the matter.  To this day he is my best Ukrainian friend.

Well, February was closing in on us and I had been traveling to UKR for many months now and the frequent flyer miles where off the charts so I told Anya that I wanted to see her for St. Valentine's day.  I flew into Borispol on 2/13 and we privately stated our vows to each other in Petchersky Lavra on 2/14.  On 2/17 we took my favorite train to Krivoy Rog and went through the nightmare of paying off every official in sight to be sure we would be married before I had to leave again on the 24th.  On February 22, 2003 we married in ZAGS and February 24 I flew back to Chicago.

Time to get to bed so I will finish the saga later...

[Jack]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: allen, posted by AllenB on Mar 1, 2004

Wonderful story Allen.

Sounds like you meet a wonderful, good, woman.

Have been to the Chicago Club but not the part where they have the strip club. There is another section, as you go upstairs and to the left, that is an ok club.

So, now your married. How long before Anna will be in the states?

[AllenB]

... in response to wonderful story Allen, posted by Jack on Mar 1, 2004

Funny you should ask Jack because that would be part III

As soon as I returned home I began scheduling everything for my work so I could stay away for an extended period.  April 22 I left for Kiev where Anna stayed in our usual room at the Premier Palace (I highly recommend it) and then we went to the U.S. Consulate to file a DCF.  After that we took my favorite train (you realize I am being facicious) to Simferopol and then a taxi to Yalta where we spent two weeks and then to Krivoy Rog for two weeks. Unfortunately I received a telephone call from my mother that my father had suffered a severe double stroke so I urged the embassy to give us an earlier interview date to no avail. After we received our invitation to Warsaw we traveled the train I so enjoy to the final interview.  We were delayed on our interview date because of President Bush's expected visit which went to Krakow and not Warsaw so we saw all of Warsaw for about a week and a half and then the surprise from United Airlines.  When we arrived at Warsaw airport to fly to Frankfurt and then home we were informed that our tickets would no longer be honored.  Yep, United decided that if your return flight is longer than 30 days from the departing flight they will no longer honor that ticket.  When I spoke with UAL Premier they said that since I am a Premier member they would reissue the tickets for me at the UAL counter.  Problem?  Yes, this was June 6, 2004 and they closed thier Warsaw counter 5/31 so they offered to sell me new tickets at $3600 each.  I offered to fax them proof that it was an embassy delay but they said they could do nothing for me.  Now I only fly United to use up my airline miles and will never use them again.

Thankfully the nice people at Lufthansa were sympathetic to our plight and offered to fly us home for $500 each.  When we boarded our flight they were so very nice.  The moved us to business class and gave us gifts and could not have been nicer or more sympathetic.  I took out a Lufthansa card and will use them from now on.  Anyway, Anna and I have been here in America together very happily since June 6 and in about three weeks we will have a new addition to our family, our little baby boy Anders.

For all of you gentlemen sincerely looking for a great wife you are looking in the right place but as with looking for tomatos (for wsbill) there are always a few rotten ones in the bunch so you just keep looking.

I try to post to the board when I feel I can be helpful and stay out of the way when not but I am always happy to answer any questions I can to all members of this board.

Best luck to all!

Allen

[Bobby Orr]

... in response to Re: wonderful story Allen, posted by AllenB on Mar 2, 2004

That was a beautiful, well written story with a happy ending.  I have been very impressed with both Austrian Air and Luftansa when I have previously flown with them.  Austrian is especially nice to stay over in Vienna.

[AJ277]

... in response to wonderful story Allen, posted by Jack on Mar 1, 2004

Allen-
Thanks for sharing a great story!

and being currently living in Chicago-
its funny that i never nmade it to the Chicago Club in Kiev..lol but hey i walked by the Cowboy Club a couple of dozen times and never stopped in either *shrugs*

and most of my time in Ukraine  was spent in Dnepropetrovsk.

Jack-
I would think Allens wife  would already be here?
He was married in  Feb 2003 unless it was a typo

but not sure if he filed DCF or what....
but i would assume so.

FWIW- It was about 90 days from the time I DCF
filed the I-130 petition for alien relative in Kiev,until Tatyana's interview date in Warsaw.
fileed Sept 4 03,, interview Jan 5th 04
fairly quick? =)
(would have been a vbout a mionth faster if i filed directly in Warsaw)
and I know two other men that married in Ukraine in
October, also one that married in Belarus in November,
and all three of thier wives where interviewed mid to late January and here by early Febuary.

DCF, in countries where availible, is pretty fast!

usually processes "packet 3 and 4  wise" faster than your wife can get the police report,medical exam, changed passport to new  surname ,  and other needed things put together ,,

[AllenB]

... in response to Re: Re: allen, posted by Jack on Feb 26, 2004

It all was really kind of by coincidence that it happened which really made Anna and I feel that this was meant to be.

I am in finance and after a very nasty divorce to a terrible AW who refused to quit drinking and smoking when she became pregnant (caused our little boy to be born with Cerebral Palsey) I had to go on a business trip to L.A.  I sat next to this beautiful woman who was just going through a divorce from her husband and she mentioned that she lived in Phoenix, which I travel to often for meetings.  It just so happened that her office was next to the hotel that I say in in Phoenix when there on business so we sort of became pals but nothing more.  Every trip I would make to Phoenix I would give her a call and we would have dinner and that was that.  One day she called to tell me she quit her job and joined the army.  This shocked me because she had a great job and making very good money, but she felt an obligation after 9/11.  Her first assignment was at Darmsteadt army base in Germany and she was afraid because she never had been out of the country before.  She knew from our conversations that most of my family lives in Denmark and that I have traveled throughout Europe since I was a little boy so she asked if I would accompany her.  I was bored and lonely so I decided a little time away from Chicago would do me good and we met at O'Hare airport on our way to Frankfurt.  The first day was uneventfull.  We sat around the base for awhile trying to get her situated but what a mess that was.  I took us to dinner in Frankfurt where I was staying at the Marriott.  After I put her in a Taxi, I went to the bar to have a drink and noticed this beautiful girl sitting at one of the tables with what turns out to be her parents.  After her parents left I went over to introduce myself.  I can be a bit shy but I figured, what the heck.  Her name was Natasha and she was staying with her parents at the hotel while her father was there on business.  We went on excursions together etc and had a good time but my army friend was stuck on base so everything worked out well.  A few days later Natasha had to leave with her parents and my friend could not get off base because of some stupid incident that somebody pulled and I left the next day for Chicago.  Natasha and I corresponded for about 1 1/2 months and talked on the telephone often and we liked each other enought that I said I would meet her in Kiev if she would travel there from Donetsk to meet me.  What a learning experience that was.  I had traveled extensively throughout Europe but never the FSU and it was quite the surprise.  First, I arrived at Borispol and passport control told me that I wasn't supposed to be there for another two days.  I never bothered to check the visa dates but the Ukraine embassy in Chicago made a mistake.  Well a telephone call to Natasha's cell and $20 fixed the problem quickly.  Natasha and I had fun in Kiev but there really wasn't the spark I was looking for and I think she felt that also.  On the fifth day of my trip Natasha said we had to meet some friends of hers at Vokzal.  Natasha introduced me to the most beautiful blond haired, green eyed girl I had ever seen.  We locked eyes and that was it I was hooked.  I didn't want to be a bad guest so I didn't overly pursue Anna because I was supposed to be there with Natasha even though I knew it was a lost cause.

On my last day we decided to go to a club.  Would you believe the Chicago club on the west side of the Dniper?  Anna and I always talked together but we needed Natasha's help because Anna spoke little English and I spoke little Russian.  I guess Natasha decided it was time to make it clear that she was not interested in me because within the Chicago club is a strip joint that she wanted to check out.  I sat between Natasha and Anna and Natasha signaled for a stripper to come over and dance for her.  Anna was very embarrassed as was I because I really liked Anna and I was embarrassed to be in this situation with her there.  Anyway, Natasha enjoyed the female dancer so Anna and I decided to leave and talk elsewhere.

Dinner Time...  I'll finish this novel in about an hour or so.

[that guy]

... in response to Taking it up a notch…BAM, posted by Ryan on Feb 24, 2004

You are very lucky to have such a family and I wish you all the love and luck in the world.

[ChrisNJ]

... in response to Taking it up a notch…BAM, posted by Ryan on Feb 24, 2004

n/t