my trip from the ukraine

[snowwego]

Getting there is a grueling long trip. 26 hours one way for me. the taxi drivers are crazy. they drive like the are jeff gorden in a demo derby. If you travel there and ar ein a big city becareful where you speak. try not to speak english in a taxi, Many of them have mofia connections. while there really absorb what you see and understand where they come from and how they live. It is a very romantic type of life even though the conditions are poor. The family values are understood there they try to always help each other eventhough they haven't got much. It is also bad manners to talk money when around firends of your girl. If you do talk money people will be your girls friend in a hurry. While Iwas there i went to the theater. The thearter did not have all those special effects like wew have so you get a chance to see real acting at its best. To see little kids come up to the stage at the end and give flowers to the actors is really breath taking. when you order pizza there, it  is not going to look like or taste like american pizza. I also went ice skating there that was a treat. I got to see many styles of arcitecture and to see the tastes of the poeple first  hand. Despite all the adversities they have I enjoyed my stay there for the sole reason that they appreciate life better than most of us. Thats all for now

[Johninm]

... in response to my trip from the ukraine, posted by snowwego on Dec 21, 2001

Snowyeeee, there is a good old russian saying : tishye yedyesh dalsye budyesh ( quietly you go..further you`ll be ) Use your head wisely ( righy Head ). It`s worse in Colombia..I mean ,taxi driving. Mafia/taxi connection is exegerated ..Real mafia crooks " deal " on different levels..diffrent "areas". Chernomyrdyn, (e.i. ex-priminister of Russia, present  ambasador to Ukraine is supposed to be worth few hundred million $$$ ). Taxisty ( some of them) are some semi-organize bandits chain. It`s wise to use Radiotaxi, if avalable,..better yet, your own network of drivers. Johny

[wsbill]

... in response to my trip from the ukraine, posted by snowwego on Dec 21, 2001

Where have you been... So watch out what you say on the message board!

[Dan]

... in response to my trip from the ukraine, posted by snowwego on Dec 21, 2001

How did you discover that??

Did they actually come out and say "Hey, you know - I have mafia connections!"

Maybe they have some sort of stamp on their forheads or they scowl in a particular way - or something. What was it that clued you in???

How does one "talk money"? Is it sort of like - "Well, you know, I brought a hundred thousand bucks with me to Ukraine!" - or something more subtle??

BTW - did you know that the citizens of Ukraine dropped the "The" a long time ago??

- Dan

[cherokee]

... in response to Many Taxi Drivers Have Mafia Connections..., posted by Dan on Dec 21, 2001

dfg

[Ramblin]

... in response to my trip from the ukraine, posted by snowwego on Dec 21, 2001

What about the ladies???

[snowwego]

... in response to aren't you forgetting something?, posted by Ramblin on Dec 21, 2001

I did not mean to say that all taxi drivers are like that but, I was just repeating what I was told by girl.  I had to be careful not to speak english In a taxi for they might have a connection and a american becomes a target for crime. She was just protecting my well being. To answer the ? what are the ladies like that all depends on the individual. I fell in love with her the first time I visited her. I became sick very sick from somthing I ate. I think it was the smoked fish personally. I had a fever of about 103. She was the nicest and most considerate person I ever met. She gave me asprin and tea all night and kept my body cool bye rubbing vinegar on my arms and forehead all night. That was care that could have only been given by somebody that has compassion for others and the ability to love with out selfishness. I found the people I met there were nice. Now  if you can find someone that nice you are in luck but on the whole you will probably find many girls there with those values. The money thing was that I was trying to tell her friends that I would take good care of her and that I have a business that is doing well. I was trying to explain how I charge for jobs so they could understand america business a little.  She told me that was the not good way to speak in her view I should have just said that I had a business and that she would be in good hands. The way I met her was through a mail site and I started to write her through them then we side barred and that was the end of that and the rest is history.