Paying for things online in Belarus during this conflict?

[Dolmetscher007]

I have been able to send flowers to Belarus, because the flower company I found online happens to have it's home office in the UK... so I'm paying a UK account, but the flowers are prepared and delivered in Minsk.

I wanted to buy a gift card online for a Spa in Minsk, so I could give this gift to a lady I've been communicating with there. The Spa, sent me (via Telegram) their Belarusian Bank Account information for me to send payment. I have no idea how to send payments like this. In the US, we have things like Cash App, Apple Pay, and Venmo, for sending money to someone's account easily.

I started looking around online, and it appears that there is no way, at this time, for a USA bank account to send money to a Belarus Bank account. I was wondering if anyone on here knew more about this. After a while it kind of starts to feel like I might be poking around in something more dramatic. Like... I would HATE to get pinched for something like... Attempting to Violate an International Sanction... or... Supporting a Terrorist Organization... or some goofy shit like that. Just trying to send a massage to a lady in Minsk.

[Hammer2722]

My suggestion to you is to get on a damn plane and go meet this woman. Apply for a tourist visa using a hotel or I know a guy on you tube who helps people get tourist visas, apartments etc. His name is Andrei from Minsk and he's legit. If anyone can help you he will. His you tube channel is Minsk Guide.

[krimster2]

I don’t know why you’re stressing out over this…
you can do an on-line visa to Russia in under 10 minutes (pic of 1st page)

I’m sure it’s not too different for Belarus
have your passport and credit card in front of you
answer a simple 4 page questionnaire (page 1 shown)
follow instructions, 10 min later, YOU’RE DONE!
it’s REALLY NOT hard

use one of the airlines I told you
DON’T BRING CANNABIS PRODUCTS!!!

have your friend find you a place to stay that’ll take dollars in cash
bring upto $10,000 in cash hidden in money belts

and you’re almost there
seriously, it's NOT hard to do
and if you behave properly, you'll be safer there than in ANY major US city!

[Dolmetscher007]

I don't mean to be a real ding-dong here. But... I read you guys loud and clear about the whole "just get on a plane" thing. And... I'm so new to this whole idea, I appreciate any and all advice. So... don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to say, "Yeah yeah yeah..." or anything. I believe you. :-)

But... I think a metric shit-ton of things have changed since most of you guys were "getting into the game," so-to-speak. This whole war thing changes everything. The geopolitical... everything... is different. And... it doesn't look like it's going to go away any time soon. So... when I ask about how to buy things online in Belarus... this is why I am asking.

I like to buy flowers for a lady, or... buy her a gift card for a Massage Spa day. I don't hand these things out like candy at a parade... but... for birthdays or... Women's Day... or something like that.  So... I would really like to figure out a way to make online purchases from the US on Belarusian websites that is legal, and reliable.  The girl may change, but this problem with international purchases isn't.

For example... Just to give you guys some breaking news... Ha ha ha... The lady I was communicating with, told me last night that she no longer wants to communicate. Her reasons were all kooky, and they had to do with how she cannot imagine how things could work out between us since I am so far away, and she wants a man who is there... beside her... now. blah blah. I asked her why she would sign up for a website where all the men are from other countries, if she knew she wasn't up for that kind of process. And she just said... "I know. I've thought about that. And I am sorry. I thought I was... but... " blah blah blah.

So... needless to say, I am not trying to buy this Massage Spa gift card for THIS girl in Minsk. But... there will be a new lady coming along soon... and... YES... I promise... I will "just get on a plane" asap!!! But... even if I "get on a plane,"  I'm going to need to figure out SOME kind of International financial plan other than... "just stuff your undies with cash."

[krimster2]

look, if this is too much for you to handle...
then a 100X better choice than Tiblisi, would be San Jose, Costa Rica!

I can fly there from Houston in less time than flying to New York City
no visas for either of you, just passports and plane tickets
all your money transfer options will work 100% there
no visas mean, that as soon as you both have plane tickets you can go!

you should arrive FIRST to setup hotel room then go pick her up at the airport when she arrives
I've done this LOTS of times when I was your age
it blows FSU gal's minds, being in an "exotic country" with an equally exotic man
if you can't get pooty-tang in this circumstance
then you AIN'T NEVER gonna get any
and you should give-up and be GAY!!

Tiblisi is more run down than Minsk
don't think you'll have as good a time as in Costa Rica


everything is cheap
tropical rain forest, beautiful beaches on both coasts
low violence
learn simple Spanish, but you'll find gazillions of English Speakers
hiring a driver/translator would be a good move for you
and there's gazillions of these people, they're easy to find, though usually they find you first!


PS
<rant>
To show that I know WTF I am talking about in regards to FSU visas
here’s the cover letter I was instructed to write by MY IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
as part of a “complete package to get my wife’s sister who lives “IN RUSSIA” a US tourist visa

success!
</rant>

if yur gonna try costa rica
and if your friend has any interest in nature, then you’ll want to stay at one of the “eco-lodges” also near the ocean, which are probably on average $100/day
I prefer the tree-house in rain forest type!!!
when I stay in Costa Rica, I feed the wild parrots fruit and they’ll eat it out of my hand!

otherwise look at the south west coast from San Jose
and check out one of the numerous ocean side hotels for under $150/day

[ML]

USA visa folks do NOT want USA folks supporting tourist visitors to USA.

They want visitors to bring their own (new) money and spend it to support USA economy.

From all I have heard and read previously, USA visa folks do NOT want to read letters from USA folks regarding tourist visa applications.

Now, of course, it is completely the opposite for those applying for Fiancee visas.

[Dolmetscher007]

Okay. I 100% hear what all of you are saying. And, I agree with it all 150%. I think that the disconnect that I'm having is that we are all talking about the same thing... except we have different end-goals.

With my hand placed calmly but firmly on a stack of Bibles... I swear... the absolute last thing I want... is any woman who would be blown away by exotic countries with an exotic man... and... all that. Now, don't get me wrong. I hear you brother! I really do. In my mind's eye, I can absolutely imagine a fantasy land where I'm sitting by a swimming pool with a 23 year old bikini model from St. Petersburg, that I've been having porn style sex with for a week, who is trying to explain to me how much she loves our hotel... through broken English. That sounds... great.

BUT... I want to meet a woman who...

• is over and past the night club and bar scene
• wants to be a mother and raise a family
• has interests and hobbies that she wants to pursue and that living in the US would make more possible for her
• reads books and knows who Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Solzhenitsyn, and Pushkin are, and why they're great.

Please don't think I've got my nose up in the air, thinking that your version of FSU ladies is somehow "shallow" or not-as-cool as my fantasy. I am only trying to say that I know what I want... and I'm not going to go after anything but what I want.

I really do appreciate everyone's contributions though. You guys really are a cool bunch!

Now... does anyone know how I can buy something online in Belarus from the US?

[krimster2]

you want a Chinese card like unionpay whilch will work in usa/belarus/russia

http://www.eastwestbank.com/en/personal-banking/unionpay-prepaid-card

[Dolmetscher007]

you want a Chinese card like unionpay whilch will work in usa/belarus/russia

http://www.eastwestbank.com/en/personal-banking/unionpay-prepaid-card

Wow... this is AWESOME!!! Thank you so much man.

It still won't work for me... because as I was trying to get the card... I found out that, because I live in South Carolina... I can't get this card. It is only available at the moment for Permanent Residents of 19 states... SC not being one of them.

[Trenchcoat]

BUT... I want to meet a woman who...

• is over and past the night club and bar scene
• wants to be a mother and raise a family
• has interests and hobbies that she wants to pursue and that living in the US would make more possible for her
• reads books and knows who Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Solzhenitsyn, and Pushkin are, and why they're great.

Please don't think I've got my nose up in the air, thinking that your version of FSU ladies is somehow "shallow" or not-as-cool as my fantasy. I am only trying to say that I know what I want... and I'm not going to go after anything but what I want.

I really do appreciate everyone's contributions though. You guys really are a cool bunch!

Now... does anyone know how I can buy something online in Belarus from the US?

What you ask for is likely easily obtainable (the type of women I mean) a girl in her late twenties and very often thirties will likely fit the bill although there might be a girl with a geeky edge even younger. I've met a few on Fdate, etc where they are what you would call educated. Not my bag these days, I've done all the education stuff and the thought of someone rambling on about it at great length bores me. I enjoy a good period drama type of thing on TV now and again but lengthy talk on it, well I've pretty much heard it all.

I've seen War & Peace on TV and what can I say, Gillian Anderson made it Seriously though once seen I get it, it wasn't all that deep for me to want to watch it again unless it's over the festive season and I'm drinking in the lounge and have little else to do.

Last girl I was talking to in Ukraine before the war broke out was banging on about the Kievan Rus and why Russia thought Ukraine belonged to them but it was all bs. I'm like, 'ok that's interesting but in my mind I don't really want a lengthy in depth discussion on it' it's just not what I'm up for these days. I didn't say that to her but yeah you're generally looking for an everyday looking girl or less in the looks department. Most pretty girls won't have time for all that talk, you might once in a blue moon get one but many will be preoccupied with their social lives, clothes, possibly clubbing, etc.

The theatre girls still pop up a fair bit even though it's on the wave a little now out in the FSU from what it was, even before COVID hit. If that interests you it will likely only be so long before you come across one on Fdate. Every big city out in the FSU has a theatre pretty much so it's still a fairly big part of their lives out there.

In general I would say sometimes the photos can give a hint, say if the girl looks like she is in a theatre type of building or a museum/grand house. Aside from any dress wearing for theatre occasions often a girl who is dress fairly mundane might point to a more educated sort of girl. So yeah I would message a fair few on Fdate or wherever as I'm pretty sure by doing that you'll find one close to the mark and hit it off.

As far as buying stuff for a girl before you meet I wouldn't bother, it's keyboard Romeo stuff as you're trying to romance the girl before you've even met. Instead romance her when you are there. Take some Roses (odd number) for when you meet and a present that seems most applicable and go with that. All this trying to get leverage before you've even met isn't necessary as it's only on meeting that counts. I would say the same as Krim in terms of meeting in her home city, Belarus is doable, not as easy as it was before all the furore over that journalist rubbish but it's still doable. So yeah just go meet and if she's worth it and you want to, then buy her the stuff you want her to have when there. All the stranger buying a girl flowers & chocolates, etc went out with the PPL days. If it's International Woman's Day it's ok but I try to avoid that as it can be wasting money on a woman I might not have any chemistry with. It's pretty much a must for those in a long term relationship but not really needed if not.

So yeah I would pretty much arrange a visit to meet now if I were you and go meet. If £5k is too much then it may likely always be too much in which case would consider somewhere cheaper for a US guy like South America if I were you. Otherwise you're just playing at romance from a distance almost knowing you'll never likely to meet. My guess is that some FSU who have been involved in International Dating a while probably know a guy sending gifts can be a bad sign as in he wants an online girlfriend as he's sending a gift as it's more possible for him than sending himself.