During this whole time I had been calling Diana 3 times per week for about 26 minutes per call (phone card). I would call Katya every Sunday for same amount of time. It was a VERY tough choice for me but I opted for Diana first. She told me she would be taking finals during my visit & if I could go another time if possible, if not she would give up school because I was THAT important to her. Having been scammed before & seen too many things to list here & decided to try her. I know it sounds selfish but I had to. I could NOT change my dates so if she didn't see me it would be Katya then. If not...well there was no plan C. Diana said fine & told me they had a room ready for me.
I left & was greeted at the airport by Diana & her father. I did not see her & I heard her call me. I turned around & was stunned by her in person. WOW!!!!Even PRETTIER in person than in the pics. She presented me with a yellow rose. Very nice touch. It's a long story but yellow roses have a VERY special & sentimental value to me (has to do with my now deceased mother). I liked that. Her dad gave me a hug & took my bags & we headed to Radomyshl. She was not shy at all & talked quite a bit. Asked me a lOT of questions on the way home. The trip took about 1 1/2 hours perhaps 2. By the time we got home it was dark. Her family was there ready to greet me & had dinner prepared. VERY nice people. I mean REALLY nice humble people. They went all out for me. AFter dinner me & Diana sat around & talked. During one point here I looked at her & I KNEW she was going to be my next wife. I knew it then. Just like I did with my first wife...well that's another story. In any case I told her my intentions & told her I was serious & looking for a wife NOT a pen pal & not a long courship. I was serious. She was glad & said she felt the same. We BOTH grilled each other with questions about EVERYTHING!! Family, religeon, pets, past failures, career, children, home, etc. It ALL got covered here. We already knew each other fairly well so it was a little strange as it seemed like old friends getting together not like when I had met Marina or Alina. Diana later told me her mother liked me right off the bat & asked Diana if she wanted to marry me. Diana said she did like me but was not sure I felt the same. Her mother said she better get on the ball! LOL!! I thought that was funny. Living with them was an experience.
They are middle class by Ukrainian standards. THey have a semi large home, a car, TV, VCR etc. Very nice. However due to the small town & the location NO running water. I had to shower outside & the toilet was LITERALLY an out house. I think many Americans would freak out with this but being Hispanic & having spent quite some time with poor people in Mexico it did NOT phase me at all. I quickly fell in love with her mothers cooking as well as with Diana.
I proposed to her 2 days after arriving. She said yes immediately & we started planning for our future. All in all I spent 9 days at their house. In this period of time I got to meet her whole family. EVeryone came to visit as their mother called them over & others we went to their house. In either case there was a lot of food & a LOT of vodka, champagne, beer, & wine. Even moonshine!!! YIKES!!! Her grandmother makes a MEAN moonshine!! LOL!!
As I had previously stated I went to Ukraine with $240. A friend of mine who had been to Ukraine had some hryvnas left over from & trip & sent me about 150 of them wroth about $30. Diana is VERY VERY frugal. THe $30 lasted me till 3 days before I left. AT which point I exchanged another $25. So tickets & visa aside my trip cost me a whopping unbelievable sum of $55. Which is the cost on 1 month worth of piano or guitar lessons with me. Not bad. The US govt ought to hire Diana for some fiscal dept. She is a wizard!!! Unlike other girls who went through money like water Diana agonized over every single kopek & hryvna. Something I reALLY liked about her. Eventually I left when the time came & gave her $100 & the remainder of my money.
I retured to US & started planning for our future.

... in response to Re: Trip report part 3, posted by conquistador on Nov 29, 2003

Gee Conquistador...couldn't be the pot calling the kettle black now could it?  My squeeze is also very good with English, as well as French and some German, and of course Russian, Ukrainian and Polish.  Some have a preference for brown girls, like you, some like black, some yellow, some red, some white.  Each to their own.  Some of your seachers looking in Central or South America are probably not fluent in Spanish, and some girls won't be fluent in English.  So what.

Oh, and some of us probably think that FSU girls are also "drop-dead georgeous."  Different countries, different girls....same game!

... in response to Re: Trip report part 3, posted by conquistador on Nov 29, 2003

My wife is fluent in English.

... in response to Trip report part 3, posted by Frank O on Nov 28, 2003

Sounds very nice for you and Diana. I wish you and yours all the best of life and love.

... in response to Trip report part 3, posted by Frank O on Nov 28, 2003

Its been quite a little journey for you and I do hope all works out well.  Many would scathe you for her age...19, I think.  But,  in relationships ya just never know.  It sounds like you have quite a nice young lady there and you would be a fool to not take the chance.  No risk...no gain. And her risk is bigger than yours.

Musik biz?  Contracts buddy.  You got to be very careful.  I know the biz too well and you got to be careful and get a contract.  Black ink on white paper.  A legally enforcable document.  Lotta shyster manager types in the musak biz.

Muzak biz?  As one guy said,  " Its alotta people with no talent lookin' for people with talent---to make money for them."  Good luck & keep posting.

... in response to music biz...lesson VERY WELL learned!! N..., posted by Frank O on Nov 29, 2003

And posted the URL to your message. If she's any kind of a decent person she'll send you a check our atleast respond to your wishes.

... in response to Re: I'm curious, with your limited incom..., posted by wsbill on Nov 28, 2003

Well I do make about $36K a year...however how much of THAT I have reported....let's just say I will need an attorney for getting me in this mess. The minimum income needed is $15K I'm WELL above that but like I said us musicians....