... in response to For WsBill...Nice FREE Dating Site..., posted by RickM on May 16, 2003

That's what I was tell my ukraine girl friend when her little boy would act up.

"be nice, be nice"...  It resonated.

... in response to Man Can Not Live By Tomatoes Alone...N/T, posted by RickM on May 17, 2003

BUTTERCRUNCH, ROYAL RED AND ROMAINE.   .69 cents a head.
Go find a cheaper price at the grocery store. 100% pesticide free and high in calcium.

... in response to Whatever happened to her....?, posted by Cold Warrior on May 16, 2003

I wish I had never met her.  

I feel really bad about this, as I let this girl down along with her little boy.

You see, in the recent stock market I made alot of money really fast!  And didn't expect it to go down equally as fast and taking alot of my investment money with it.

Hence, I can't even afford to go over to Ukraine now, even at these reduce airfares rates.   Of course, I could easily write them, but I don't want to write someone and create any false hope in someone.

Right now I'm focused on rebuilding my savings (one tomatos at a time) and what I'd like to do is see all the great cities of the FSU, as well as the small ones as well.

I recall a feeling I got when I was walking down the street in Kiev to meet the girl near the Metro station with her kid.  I was actually kinda bummed out that I had met someone so nice so fast and that, darn.  I wanted to see more of the country/sights and not get bogged down with marriage life.

After that inital visit to Ukraine my stocks started to head south.  Hindsight is alway 20/20.  Even I ignored the signs the guy mention in the deflation books.  Not anymore.

... in response to Re: To put it bluntly, posted by wsbill on May 17, 2003

So I don't quite understand...if I'm comming from the wrong perspective then never mind. OK, you really like this woman? She likes you? If so you could write her and tell her what happened to your money. I realise the 'don't want to give false hope' angle and respect you for that. But she would probably feel better knowing there's a legimate financial problem on your end than thinking you just ditched her. If you're both still interested you could keep in touch and one day, when you've sold enough tomatoes, you could go back over and see what developes.

... in response to Re: Re:  I did write her and told her th..., posted by wsbill on May 17, 2003

Marina and I have seperated three times so far.  Each time is an ordeal, even though we will be reunited soon enough.  Every time we go to the airport for me to leave, Marina and I fight back the tears and try not depress each other.  After I'm finally gone, we both have a few days of general depression, before we buck up and get on with our respective lives.

The worst time was actually the first.  It was my first visit to Ukraine to meet my fiancée and her family.  Despite all the problems, headaches, and occasional arguments we had, Marina and I bonded exceptionally close during that time.  When I left, it just about killed both of us.  It's like finally gaining the part of your soul you've been missing all your life and then just as quickly tearing it violently out of you.  At least, that's how it felt to us.

Nowadays, while we are apart, we look forward to the end of July, when Marina comes home.  While she has no desire to come back to America, our need for each other overwhelms any cultural dislikes she has.  It's almost like fate or destiny. "And the two shall live as one..."

Bill, if she felt no emotion to you leaving, I might suggest that perhaps she at a minimum really isn't ready to accept you into her heart.  It may be for ulterior reasons, or it may simply be paranoia.  Russian/Ukrainian women are usually pretty suspicious and many of them have been played by men over the course of their lives.  Your "financial setback" to her might be interpreted as your "reason not to come back".  Under those circumstances I might tend to act a little squirrely as well.

I'm not saying there aren't red flags there.  There are indeed issues that seem suspicious.  Just don't write it off immediately as a bad/scamming woman.  Take some time and try to draw her out.  Try getting her to open up with how she feels and what she thinks.  You might find a surprise.  Or you might find the reason to finally move on.

Best of luck, no matter how it goes.