IM freaking out mannnn!!!

[Steamer]

.....and if you happen to live in a city smaller than say Chicago, get ready for her to call it a village.

[Boethius]

http://tapor.ualberta.ca/heritagevillage/menu1.php
Here is the website and it is both in English and Ukrainian. It is an interesting view.

People can interpret what they want. I am not going to hijack this thread. I see village with 30 buildings and it is called a village, you see only three homes and majority of them from homesteads. I see many traditional styled Ukrainian homes, you see western homes.



BTW Boogalter is бухгалтер = Russian for accountant.

German is close Buchhalter (looked up)

You obviously have not been there.  I suspect the only other person on this forum who may have been there is Misha.


cranehead, listen carefully, really listen, to what she wants.  Everything will work out in the end.

[cranehand]

Man this thread has kind of taken off,  I like it. 
thanks everyone for all the input. The experience here is priceless

And yes most of all I will do my best to make her feel like my queen.  I will have a friend come by the house and arrange a nice welcome home surprise for her,  I can not wait to see the look on her face when she walks through the door for the first time.

I know she is scared and she will be on edge here for some time.  She has only once been outside of Ukraine and that was our trip to Egypt.  This is a GIANT leape of faith on her part.  I love her very much and want us to accomplish all of our dreams of family and success together. 

It will be a bit rough at first, but I am confident in our abillity to overcome all issues together.  She has put her heart and trust in me to do as I say.  I will NOT drop that ball.

7 days and I will be holding her in my arms, and this time I will not leave Ukraine without her I can see the light at the end of this first tunnell

[ECOCKS]

You're going to be fine bud.

[cranehand]

Ok I was just thinking about her going away party. 


I need some good toast's, Please.......
 last time I was a little surprised that everyone looked at me to start the toast. I was at a loss for words:(  I better make it memorable ) this time. 

[ECOCKS]

Unlike our culture the toast is taken a bit more seriously and you shouldn't think they will excuse you for a quick one if it gets them to the vodka sooner.

Mention health, wealth and happiness, the dreams you both have and you'll be hit!

Oh, and maybe line up a trusted family member to translate for you.

[LEGAL]

nazdarovya

[Boogalter]

You obviously have not been there.  I suspect the only other person on this forum who may have been there is Misha.


cranehead, listen carefully, really listen, to what she wants.  Everything will work out in the end.

Listen, I live in Alberta, I was raised in Alberta and lived in almost every corner of this province except the Hat region, my heritage is from this province, and my parents are only 45 minutes away from there. I have been there more times than you.

[acctBill]

Ok I was just thinking about her going away party. 


I need some good toast's, Please.......
 last time I was a little surprised that everyone looked at me to start the toast. I was at a loss for words:(  I better make it memorable ) this time. 

A couple of good and appropriate toasts:
 
To love
За любовь - za lyoo-bov

To happiness 
За счастье - za schast-ye

[Boethius]

Listen, I live in Alberta, I was raised in Alberta and lived in almost every corner of this province except the Hat region, my heritage is from this province, and my parents are only 45 minutes away from there. I have been there more times than you.

Right.  Which is why your first post here was in barely literate English.

I live in Alberta as well, and my heritage is from this province too.  If you'd been there, you would know that not one of the houses there is in a "village" setting.

[I/O]

B and B, sort this out somewhere else, nobody is interested for goodness sakes.

[cranehand]

Perfect !!!!!
TY bill and legal exactly what i needed.  Those are easy for me even with my very limited Russian:)

And TY I/O

I realized last time I was there Ed that they were looking to me to say something interesting as we raised our glasses.  I felt a sudden sence of responsibility on my part to speak of good things to come.  I was later told that it is my job to raise my glass first and toast and all at the table will wait until I do. I know now.  I figured after the 3rd of forth time of meeting this group of people that the new car smell would have worn off me but I guess not. Is it going to be this way always?  I feel very special when im there, kinda like a new puppy. LOL I love it

[OlgaH]

cranehand,

I hope you remember a toast for your future mother in law 

Here is one funny toast. We love humor. 

"A man asked a marriage agency to find him a lady that would be beautiful like in paintings by great artists. After a few days the marriage agency organized a date for him... The disappointed man burst into the agency: " What did you palm off?!". The agency's owner looked at him and said: "I'm sorry, I did not know that you don't like Picasso"

I respect Picasso's work, but I raise my glass to my beautiful reality! To reality!"

[cranehand]

LOL that is good Olga .  My fieance(e) and my future Ukrainian family are big jokers,  I think we will get a good laugh together.

3 days to go :hipdude:

[DKMM]

I hope this guy's okay.  Hey crane don't be taken aback if she doesn't act as excited as you are about coming.  That's normal, just get her here and don't freak out.  She will call your city a village (a nice joke would be to say "welcome to your new village") and probably will spend the first few days mostly ignoring you because of all the other things going thru her head.  A lot of ups and downs are coming your way but eventually it settles into the best life you can ever imagine.

[Maxx2]

Make sure to hang some rugs on the walls and get one of those electric water heater pots.

[2tallbill]

NOTE: I am reviving an oldie but goodie thread about how to make your home hospitable for
your FSUW. I will add my own things.

Before she leaves
Have her send a box or more of her stuff via mail a month or two in advance.
That way she can have a few things when she arrives. If you live in a cold place
tell her to buy some packages of her favorite pantyhose. She is not used to
Legg's that fall apart in days, yet still let her legs freeze.
If she has any preferred cold, stomach, or other over the counter medications. 
It could be difficult to find an exact duplicate in the USA.
I used to tell people to bring several bottles of antibiotics, but they aren't available
over the counter in Russia anymore.

9 days to go and I will jump that big ol silver bird and fly.  I have cleaned and cleaned all the clothes are on hangers, new shower curtains in place, the dust bunnies are in the dyson and I have put food in the freezer.  Momma she is coming home .  K1 docs all accounted for, I dare the IO to ask for something. LOL.......... people I am so ready for this.  The heat there ( Kherson) has been comparable to the south Texas July weather so she is getting conditioned to the heat and humidity, she is a very sweet woman I hope she does not melt, guess I better change the filter on the AC

Any other suggestions?

Ecocks lists some good ones. I bolded two of them.

Things to while away your time.....

1. Main showerhead replacement with a handheld spray head on flextubing.
2. Bench in the foyer to change and store shoes.
3. Water filter.
4. Generous selection of teas, green and black.
5. An espresso machine for the kitchen or main bedroom.
6. Be sure the central AC vent doesn't blow on her side of the bed, maybe consider a deflector.
7. New mats at front, back and garage doors for wiping feet.
8. Some flower vases strategically located (kitchen, dining table, den and bedroom) and filled by a trusted buddy the morning before you arrive back home.
9. Ibuprofen in your pocket for the trip, taken by both of you just before plane lands and you begin the baggage, Customs and drive home scenario.
10. Where you taking her for your first American dinner OR what are you planning on cooking? (Hints: * Salmon, whether you cook it over a fire or take her to Outback works pretty well. * Also, don't overwhelm her with a welcome party or family and friends the first evening.)

Good luck!

Get her into bed so she can sleep. Let her wake up on her own.
Don't overload her with breakfast her first day.
A cheese omelet, some fruit, juice, cottage cheese things like that.
If you prepare her steak and eggs or biscuits and gravy you will
probably throw her system into shock. 

Make sure you have an electric kettle for tea. You should already know
what types of tea she likes.
Buy some of those charcoal tablets for her stomach.

Things to buy together after she arrives
1. Sim card for her smartphone. I bought phones for them on our first day. Smartphones
were not as commonplace in the FSU +10 years ago, their phones were ancient tech that had
Flintstone hamster wheels as a power source. She will know if she needs chargers or something
else.
2. A new mattress and sheets (now you have a virgin bed and she knows it).

Everyone will want to meet her, but don't overwhelm her too soon.
Plan on spending additional time at home, helping her adjust.
I took Angel Eyes and Smiley girl to the zoo on our first weekend off.
Our zoo's are ten thousand times better than theirs, (no need to point that out).
We packed a picnic ice chest for the day (and every road trip since).

Let her help with the plans. Almost anything nature related is loved by many FSUW.
Most FSUW are professional shoppers, she will want to explore and familiarize
herself. Angel Eyes and Smiley Girl walked down isles as if they were
going to be tested later on where everything was and what everything
was and it's relative cost. They would have received excellent grades.

I left them to explore and to text me if they needed help or to come in
and pay for everything.

[ML]

Not bragging or some such; just telling it like it is:

My now wife adapted on day one.

No need for any preparations.

Very minimal explanations needed from me as to what various items were in grocery store, etc.

I have no inhibitions, so didn't hesitate at all in describing the various types of feminine sanitary napkins on the shelves.   Most guys avoid those aisles like the plague.

- - - - - -

Even as an 18 year old, I bought feminine sanitary napkins for various Japanese and Filipina girlfriends at the US Military base store.

[krimster2]

my experience of 'stuff ya gotta do

all paper pushing - greencard/citizenship process, social security card, yada, yada
teaching how to drive
English coach

the main thing was to help my wife 'find her path' in the USA based on what 'she decided she wanted to do'
so I helped her get through school (I freakin wrote her damned final thesis) and start a business

speakin of 'tampons'
you noobs need to listen UP!!
if you see a nekkid woman with a tiny white string danglin outta her 'VJJ"
DO...NOT...PULL...THE...STRING!!!!!