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Just thought I would mention that I will be leaving for Odessa on February 22nd for 2 weeks!  I have my flat all arranged (3 minutes walk from the main street), fortunately flying free with my Skymiles and I am currently writing (emailing) and calling about 13-15 women (takes a real bite out of your evenings!!)  I have found all these women from the free sites so far.  I have have had to write to many women to weed through all the scammers but I have filtered it down to some really nice girls there.  
Jack has been very helpful.  He and I don't completely agree on the way to go about it over there (Been to Kiev before) but he has been very helpful.

Any of you who have been to Odessa and can recommend a great interpreter you really enjoyed, I'd love to get a good one set up..

And if anyone has any great restaurants they would like to recommend, I'm all ears (especially if it's not terribly expensive, with 15+ girls to feed!!) ;-)

Looking forward to it.. I will certainly give a report..

Best Regards,
Oscar

... in response to My trip to Odessa is all arranged! ;-), posted by Oscar on Jan 15, 2002

nt

... in response to My trip to Odessa is all arranged! ;-), posted by Oscar on Jan 15, 2002

check out  www.odessapost.com.ua
I think it is Canadian guy publishing new paper here?

... in response to My trip to Odessa is all arranged! ;-), posted by Oscar on Jan 15, 2002


looking forward to hearing your report when you return!

Peace,

-Deckard

... in response to My trip to Odessa is all arranged! ;-), posted by Oscar on Jan 15, 2002

Hey Oscar,

Have a great time and good luck in your search.

Yea, with 15 mouths to be feed, you can not be going to 60 dollar a plate places too often.

I do not know why it is that one has to take all these ladies out to lunch or dinner anyway. Here in the USA we just meet for a cup of tea or coffee. I, not uncommonly can tell in the first ten minutes if I will be interested or not - going through a long meal is a waste of time more than anything else.

Mark, in his recent trip to Kiev spent $115 for a meal with what he felt was a scammer (sounded like it also from his story)

... in response to good luck to you, posted by thesearch on Jan 15, 2002

Look, a lot of these ladies will virtually starve themselves in order to buy a dress or makeup in order to make a good impression on you.  The very least you can do is treat them to a nice (not necessarily lavish) meal.  They will usually scarf down everything in sight.  Don't begrudge them a decent meal...it's a small thing for you, but a big deal for many of them.

Besides, going out to a restaurant for some of these ladies may be the FIRST time they have ever done so.  When your wage is $30/month and the tab for a meal at a nice place is $50 to $75, going to a restaurant is just a fantasy.

Russia AIN'T the USA!

Stevo

... in response to Russia AIN'T the USA..., posted by Stevo on Jan 15, 2002

you can go to the best restaurants in town and pay much less than in Kiev, Moscow or Saint P. I stayed in Chernivtsi Ukraine & the meals in the best restaurants were about $10-15 a head.
So my suggestion is to get out to the country side and look for women from the smaller towns...aloha

... in response to in the smaller cities, posted by Stan B on Jan 16, 2002

I'm with you!!!   In Yoshkar-Ola, we had a 5 course meal(all I know it was fish and steak) delicious, a bottle of vodka and wine and it came to $22.00 for four. It was at a restaraunt called Karinnas and it was very posh also.

... in response to Russia AIN'T the USA..., posted by Stevo on Jan 15, 2002

... how are they going to fit into that dress that the starved themselves to get?

Just kidding.

Actually, if you look at profiles, you will see that one of the most common attributes an RW is looking for is: "Generous"

So... take her to McDonald's, guys, if you want to. But I don't think "Supersizing" the order is what she meant when she said she wanted a man who was Generous!

-M-

... in response to But if you buy them a big dinner..., posted by MarkInTx on Jan 15, 2002

Mark,
I always thought that if a RW listed "generous" as an attribute in the man she was looking for, it was a HUGE red flag.  No good RW would list such a thing.
KenC

... in response to "generous", posted by KenC on Jan 15, 2002

Ken,

I think that when an FSUW uses the word "generous"  they do not mean that they are looking for a man who will shower them with money and material gifts. What is usually meant by "generous" is "not greedy."  Sometimes they mean "noble." From what I have read, most FSUW do not like stingy or greedy people and their use of the word "generous" is a reflection of that.

Also, when an FSUW uses the phrase "well off" or "well to do" they do not mean monetarily wealthy. They mean belonging to the middle class - as in not poor. They do not want to leave their homeland to go live in poverty. They want financial security - which to them means something much different than it does to us. A decent home, three square meals a day, decent clothing and a little entertainment is what it means to them. For us it means to be rich.

I would invite the FSUW in the audience to comment on this.

Regards,

WmGO

... in response to Different Meanings?, posted by WmGo on Jan 16, 2002

I definitely misinterpreted that statement as meaning "I want a man to spend lots of money on me." I always took it as a potential red flag and never wrote those girls.  Darn, they were cute too.

... in response to Different Meanings?, posted by WmGo on Jan 16, 2002

WmGO,
Of course it could mean "generous" with time and affection or just be an akward interpretation.  I still would keep a close eye on this area with a woman that listed "generous" or avoid her altogether.  (The "many fish theory.)
KenC

... in response to Re: Different Meanings?, posted by KenC on Jan 16, 2002

What does your wife say about the use of these phrases in a lady's bio?

... in response to Different Meanings?, posted by WmGo on Jan 16, 2002

If a man only lets his wife buy one dress a year, he's not generous.

... in response to Yeah, posted by Ramblin on Jan 16, 2002

What if that dress cost $2000 ?

Wouldn't it be better if he allowed her to buy 10 $200 dresses?

Would it be better to take a $10,000 romantic vacation every 2 years or to take $200 romantic day trips or other romantic activities every other weekend ?

It's relative.

-blm

... in response to Re: But..., posted by BarryM on Jan 16, 2002

MaYbe you know this but women score things differently than men, one good deed is one point for a woman, wheras for a man it is relative on how big of a deed it was.  Buying a lady a $2,000 dress or trip still only gets you one point in her mind even though it scores big in a man's mind.  So, yes, 10 dresses at $200 would give you 10 points and so you would be 10 times better off.  This is from Dr. Grey's Men are from Mars, women are from Venus book.

... in response to "generous", posted by KenC on Jan 15, 2002

It doesn't matter what word they use: Well-Off, Generous, Financial stable, prosperous... it's all the same thing.

And I think it's honest. It would be like me saying I want a sexy wife. Of course I do. Do I mention that in my profile... nope... makes me sound shallow...

Interestingly enough... once I was dating a very attractive lady who was quite something. She was from Argentina originally, spoke three languages, and was a year away from her Phd.

Very attractive... very bright.

Anyway... once we were discussing some bad service we got, and I mentioned that I was so upset I tipped lower than usual. And she said: "Yes, I noticed. It was only about 10%, and you usually tip 20."

I was stunned. "How did you know I usually tip 20%?"

"I looked," she said. "I always look. If a man stiffs a waitress, it tells you a lot about him."

I really don't have a problem with it...

... in response to Russia AIN'T the USA..., posted by Stevo on Jan 15, 2002

Ya know, a $30 meal for two in Moscow should be enough. It should compare to at least a $60 meal for two here in the states.

I consider it to be a waste of money to spend it on an expensive meal with a date who is probably a gamble in the first place. If I'm judged by them because I refuse to spend the equivalence of their months salary for a meal on them then I don't want to have anything to do with them. I would consider them frivolous and vain.

-blm

... in response to Too expensive..., posted by BarryM on Jan 15, 2002

Barry,

Moscow is not a cheap place to dine out - especially if you don't know the right places. I have been there twice. It is easy to spend $100 or more on dinner for two there. But if you know the right places, you can get a four course meal for two for $15.

Spending a few hours in a restaraunt is a good way to get to know someone. To the perceptive eye it is quite revealing. The really best women, the ones that are true ladies, will want you to order for them. They will not expect the most expensive item on the menu. They will not order alchoholic beverages other than perhaps a glass of wine (nighttime only). Watch how they treat the waiter or waitress. Do they always focus all attention on you, or do their eyes constantly wander? There are many other things to observe and draw conclusions from over a meal - here or there.

Moscow is balshoi.

Regards,

WmGO

... in response to Test time, posted by WmGo on Jan 16, 2002

I'm going to work on finding out some "dining out" guides for FSU cities if they exist. I prefer to a dinner date and I see your reasoning in that.

Thanks

-blm

... in response to Too expensive..., posted by BarryM on Jan 15, 2002

Barry,
First of all Moscow aint cheap.  Think NY City prices.  Secondly, it all depends on the circumstances.  If the woman traveled to see you, you owe her at least a dinner.  Think about what the woman had to spend (money & effort) to make your aquaintance.  I think that is what Stevo is trying to say.  Your obligation should be matching.  Your response not only sounds cheap, but thoughtless as well.
KenC

... in response to Re: Too expensive..., posted by KenC on Jan 15, 2002

on the situation. You're right in the fact that if they have to spend time and money for travel, say, from out of town, then I would feel obliged to entertain them in a more than matching way for a least a day.

If all they have to do is take the metro from their flat to a restaurant, then no, I don't feel it's necessary to spend lavishly on a meal.

I don't mean to sound thoughtless, just practical and down-to-earth. I guess I need to do some research on restaurants in various parts of the FSU and gather information such as prices, location, atmosphere, etc. before I make my judgements. If $75 is the norm, then I guess I'll have to step up to the table and lay my money down... so to speak.

-blm

... in response to Too expensive..., posted by BarryM on Jan 15, 2002

ggg

... in response to You miss the point entirely...it's about..., posted by Stevo on Jan 15, 2002

I know that I can get a very nice meal for two in the Houston area at a medium priced restaurant for around $60.

Since I don't drink coffee, I guess I won't have to worry about paying $15 a cup in the FSU. I'll settle for an inexpensive cup of chai.

-blm

... in response to Re: Hmm... I don't know, but..., posted by BarryM on Jan 15, 2002

you couldn't get a decent meal for two in Moscow for $60, or even less (or that you should need to).  My point was that you should feed the lady, not just buy her a cup of coffee or tea as TheSearch suggested would be appropriate here in the USA.  That's fine for here when first meeting a lady, but over there it is just plain rude.  It isn't about how much you spend for the meal...it's whether you buy her a meal at all.

Stevo

... in response to I never suggested that..., posted by Stevo on Jan 15, 2002

I generally agree. It depends on the circumstances.

If the man has corresponded with the lady before the meeting, taking her to lunch or dinner is appropriate - and I think a man would be very strange, as well as a sorry cheapskate (sp?), if he did not. This is a dating situation after all. Getting to know each other while sightseeing and eating is what it is all about - here or there.

If the man simply goes over, goes to an agency, looks at some photo albums, and pays the agency to set up a meeting with a woman he has never written to or spoken with, it is entirely appropriate that the first meeting be a short one over coffee or tea and cake. If the woman automatically expects an expensive meal, it would be a red flag. Here is a good testing opportunity. Does this lady - or the one you have been corresponding with, take you straight to the most expensive restaraunt in town? I have had women do this. And then there is the real gems - they are not comfortable going to an expensive restaraunt, or really any restaraunt,  and will make sure that if you do eat out it is one of the good food for a bargain (from our perspective) establishments.

If the man travels directly to the lady's home town, as opposed to meeting the lady in a major hub city, expect her and her momma to have a BIG meal prepared for *you* upon your arrival - at momma's house of course, which is of course where the lady also resides.

My two kopecs.

WmGO

... in response to It depends, posted by WmGo on Jan 16, 2002

Especially about the women taking you to the most lavish restaurant in town.

Êîíå÷íî íåò!

I'd prefer to pick the restaurant in that case... that is if the lady hasn't decided to take a hike.
It is good to discuss proper etiquette and protocols concerning meeting and dating RW/UW.

-blm

... in response to I never suggested that..., posted by Stevo on Jan 15, 2002

I guess I need to do some research on dining out in the FSU.
Of course I would treat a nice lady to a fine meal. I'd enjoy it as much as she. Personally, I don't to do the coffee bar thing... I prefer a dinner date.

Thanks, Stevo, for the clarification.

-blm

... in response to Russia AIN'T the USA..., posted by Stevo on Jan 15, 2002

n/t

... in response to My trip to Odessa is all arranged! ;-), posted by Oscar on Jan 15, 2002

Hi Oscar:

You're in luck. I know an excellent interpretor in Odessa. His name is Andrei Poesoehov - phone# 038-0482-56-99-58 [038 is Ukraine, 0482 is Odessa and the rest is his home number]. He's worked for me several times in Odessa. His English is excellent, he's honest, intelligent and cultured - about 30 years old. My Lena telephoned him tonight. [she's from Odessa, now she's with me - lucky me!]. She tells me it's best to call him between 8PM and 10:30PM, [if his mom answers, she doesn't speak English... ask for Andrei - "Please Andrei"]. Hourly rates would be up to the two of you to discuss; but I think he'd probably say $5/hour. I understand that's much better than the agency rates, though I have no basis for comparison. Anyway, I highly recommend Andrei. Today, I consider him a friend. If you use him, treat him well - he's a good man.

Good luck in Odessa...

Sean

... in response to I Know An Excellent Interpreter In Odess..., posted by Sean T on Jan 15, 2002

I am going to Odessa in February and would like to pick you brain a bit..

sos@aros.net

Thanks,
Oscar

... in response to I Know An Excellent Interpreter In Odess..., posted by Sean T on Jan 15, 2002

Does your interpreter friend have an e-mail address?  I may need his services in May.

... in response to Re: I Know An Excellent Interpreter In O..., posted by Ramblin on Jan 16, 2002

Hi Ramblin:

No, he doesn't have email. Lena tells me he doesn't know how to use the internet. I told her tonight to tell him he should learn - it would be good for helping him find interpreter work. Your best bet would be to telephone him directly, (email would be better, but...). Not being able to  email is a hassle; but, he's good and his rates are way better than the bandits at agencies. Odessa should be nice in May. Lena and I went to Yalta in August... that was great.

Gotta go...

Sean.

... in response to My trip to Odessa is all arranged! ;-), posted by Oscar on Jan 15, 2002


I take it you are flying into Kiev, and then taking the train?

Just wondering...

... in response to What airline will you be flying on?, posted by MarkInTx on Jan 15, 2002

Yes, I am flying Delta and their partner, Air France, into Kiev and taking the overnight train..  Kind of a pain getting to Odessa but I think the size of the city is better for me than Kiev..

Later,
Oscar