Making the Journey

[BT]

I will soon be headed to the FSU to meet for the first time. I am interested in hearing some (short) amusing situations that others may have gone through. Not just bad ones, but good ones too. I am especially concerned about language/communication challenges. So here's your chance to clue in the clueless

[JR]

KEWL...another Keyboard Romeo earns his wings!!!

Well my a$$hole...I mean advice is this: never be afraid to pull the plug on a bad situation.

Always have a back up plan, even if it's just playing tourist.

Never be afraid to approach a pretty woman on the street, you don't need to know the language...just carry a club to knock em on the head with so you can drag em back to your flat

Remember it's your journey, it should be about you.

[Jumper]

good luck! 
it will be fun ,,just approach it with an open mind


honestly, nothing can really prepare you
be open to new things and challenges!!
Lots of funny things are bound to happen (if you let them amuse you )

I think a guys  attitude going in, will certainly set the tone of how they  ultimately  perceive thier trip

[UTRO]

Amusing? Like when I lost my Passport in SVO II? That was a story.................

[swede]

.....or my VISA problem when my flight from Volgograd to moscow was 7 hours late and I missed my last and only flight to Copenhagen.   

I had 2 hours to take whatever flight going to EU. If not, I would be illegally in the country (and if this happened I would have even more problem to leave the country). Had to take a flight to Oslo and sleep in the airport. The day after i finally came home.

Lesson learned?  Have some margins with the visa. Have more days on the visa than your actually stay. Then I at least could wait for the next morning to get a new direct flight.

[JR]

Good advice about the visa swede!

I'll second what AJ said about attitude...positive, Positive, POSITIVE!!! Approach it as an adventure, because it is! If anyone starts to rain on your parade politely show them the door. Laught at everything, even or especially your own mistakes.

Be light-hearted and be the leader. Don't know your way around? State what you want to do "I want to see a ballet, will you accompany me?" Then let her figure it out.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Sometimes it's more about what you don't want than what you do want. Don't let the pressures of time and expence put you into a position of accepting a so-so situation. And never, EVER kid yourself about what you're feeling. Got the hots for a young girl? Admit it and own it. Don't justify....

Oh yeah, and have FUN!!!

[XMan]

This is strictly my opinion based upon my experiences.  Your mileage may vary.  I like to prevent problems if possible. 

1) Don't believe anyone (even if you hear it 5 different times, as I did) who tells you that "your luggage will be checked through to your final destination" (unless your destination is the city with the international airport, like Kiev or Moscow).  I was on my way to Sochi, my first trip.  Delta said, yes, your luggage will be checked through to the final destination when I bought my tickets.  I called the day before I left, and heard the same thing.  I checked at the counter in the Cincinnati airport, because I was still paranoid (with good reason).  I checked when I got to JFK.  I checked in Amsterdam.  And guess what.  I get to Moscow, change airports and.... No, I was supposed to have picked up my luggage and recheck it at SVO 1.  But I found this out after it was too late and got stranded in Moscow, where I had fun trying to find a hotel, paid triple what I should have had to, etc.  Good times. 

2) Fold some toilet tissue and stuff it in your back pocket.  If you have room, cram a roll in your carry on.  I can't tell you how many times (in 6 trips) I walked into bathrooms with zero. 

3) Don't panic.  No matter what happens.  You can always find a way out of whatever the situation is. 

4) An electronic translator saved my behind on several occasions.  If you use it once in a challenging situation, it pays for itself.  Frankly, mine was worth it's weight in gold.  I'm sure others have a very different opinion.

5) Don't know where you are headed.  If it happens to be Moscow first, Taxi's will try to charge you up to $200 for a $20 cab ride.  I knew this going in and still paid too much my first trip.  Later, with some more (though very limited) Russian language, I got a reasonable price.  3rd trip I took the shuttle and saved myself the rubles.

6) The rate is not the best in the airport, but change some dollars for rubles as soon as you arrive. 

7) Avoid the men in black with pointy shoes. 

I took a $40 universal transformer/adapter because I needed one.  Quite handy.

9) Don't know about other folks but jet lag on the way over was tough.  I was useless for 36 hours first trip.  Coming back, for whatever reason, never bothered me.  I adjusted immediately. 

10) I picked up a phone with an Estonian phone number, of all things, and it works in 150+ countries.  It was expensive to call out of Ukraine and Russia, but was handy in emergencies.  I picked up a phone when I got there fairly cheaply.  But the backup phone worked everywhere, including Amsterdam, Paris, etc.  Great in that regard. 

Now that I got the "Warning! Warning!" stuff out of the way....

Even with the inevitable things that go wrong on an adventure, I enjoyed my trips more than anything else than I can imagine.  I went with high expectations.  I made some great friends, some of which I am in regular contact with now.  I had amazing food, toured Stalin's dacha, hiked in the Red Valley, took a ski lift to a top of mountain and stood in snow on the 23rd of June, met truly wonderful women (and a few questionable ones), went running in Riviera Park, almost got thrown out of an Armenian restaurant over a complete misunderstanding, rode with the CRAZIEST taxi driver ever to climb behind a wheel on planet Earth, walked more than any other time in my life (and enjoyed it), actually managed to give someone else directions in Kharkov, in Russian, when they asked me (not knowing I was American at first -- my proudest moment, but it was fairly simple or I could never have done it).  The wonderful thing is not knowing what the heck might happen next.  I got stuck in an elevator, alone, at night, and it was actually quite funny and resolved rather quickly.  One thing I never quite understood was the near universal reluctance, and often annoyance, of folks who did not like to give change (with the exception of restaurants).  I carried virtually every size bill and pocket full of change, both in Russia and Ukraine. 

My girl in Sochi was quite a find, and I wish things had worked out.  My second trip I was up for 31 hours on the way there.  Couldn't sleep on the plane, waited 11 hours in SVO 1 before I finally got my flight.  I don't even remember what time I got there.  But it didn't matter because I was so excited about the trip.  Next day was my girl's birthday, and she really wanted to go to this club.  Of course I agreed.  For some reason she, and the entire crowd there, found that Russian men in drag lipsynching to Russian pop music was the funniest thing in the history of mankind.  I didn't get it, but, she really enjoyed it and it was worth every ruble and minute. 

So, be open to whatever.

[Dave13]

If you take cash, make sure the bills are like new! 

[Faux Pas]

If you take cash, make sure the bills are like new! 

reaffirm

no creases, no folded corners, no tears and no ink marks whatsoever. Some banks will take some slightly less than new bills but will royally screw you on the exchange rate.

[Vaughn]

One thing I never quite understood was the near universal reluctance, and often annoyance, of folks who did not like to give change (with the exception of restaurants).

 

That is choice. I find myself frequently inventorying bills in my wallet, spending strategically
so as not to run completely out of the smaller denominations.

Try buying a 3p item at a kiosk with a 500p note - and watch the reaction...

[BT]

Thank you, I am taking notes

[Gator]

Enjoy yourself, relax, observe, take it in, don't be dismayed if it is different from how its done back home.

Communication:

-  Speak slowly to the woman/women you meet.  She will accelerate the pace if you go too slowly.  If they do not understand you, they may not say anything, so be sure to ask if they understand important points (e. g., where and when to meet).

-  Learn the Cyrillic alphabet - especially needed to read street names if you walk around a city by yourself.  Seeing the words on a menu will help reinforce.  

-  Learn a few Russian words before you go:  beer, hello, thank you, please, you're welcome (same as please), numbers.  Try some phrases if you believe your pronunciation is close.  

-  I second the prior recommendation for an electronic translator if your woman/women speak only basic  English.  


If the metro is crowded, keep your hand around your money clip.  RM keep their wallet in the interior breast pocket of their jacket.  I was trying to be polite in a crowded metro and never noticed someone taking my money.

Are you meeting the parents?

[BT]

Gator, thanks for your comments. Yes, I will be meeting her parents, and her grandmother.

[Dave13]

BT, Before you meet them purchase some flowers for her Mother and Grandmother, make sure the arrangement has a odd number of flowers. Ask your lady about bringing a good bottle of wine. Maybe some small  unique gifts from your area of the country.

Best of Luck!

Dave

[Mars]

Some things that might be unusual for you:

Try to get an immigration form and customs form on the airplane before you land.  They usually hand them out on plane, but if not, ask for them.

Be prepared for the locals to clap when the wheels touch down on the runway and then jump out of their seats and start opening the storage bins, ignoring the flight attendants pleas to sit down.

If you help some old lady with her luggage on overhead rack on plane, don't be surprised when she then cuts you off and won't let you out of your seat on the plane.  FSU people often interpret kindness as weakness and laugh at you to their friends.

Be fairly aggressive in the customs, immigration lines or you will be the last one through.  FSU people don't stand in nice lines and they will cut in if any slight opening is left.

If you are going to go through the green lines at customs, even though you are carrying gifts that need to be declared; then look straight ahead, look a little mad, and walk fast.

Have a taxi arranged with a helper.  Have helper or driver hold up the largest sign they can make with your first name on it.

Upon arrival at your apartment go over the door codes and keys before anyone leaves you.  The door codes have to be pushed all at once together, not one after the other as on a phone.  Try all the keys yourself; there are usually two or more, some might be hard to work.

Be prepared for many problems and missing items in your apartment.  Eating utensils, pots, pans, towels, sheets, etc.  Try to determine as many of them as you can before anyone leaves you there by yourself.  Be prepared for house phone to not work at all.  If it does work, you can never punch the 8 to make a non-local call.  It will be disabled to avoid the owner being stuck with a big phone bill.  Bring a thermometer to set in your refrigerator; otherwise you will not know what setting will keep your items cold enough.  Be prepared that you might need to quickly buy a portable heater for your apartment.  Try hard to get an apartment with its own hot water heater vs a central system which often shuts down.  If there is cable or dsl line for internet, get your laptop to work on them before owner leaves.

Get apt owner or your helper to take you to nearest atm machine, grocery store, restaurant, metro stop, tram stop, etc.

Be prepared for a woman (women) to insist you come only to see her; and then reject you after 3 minutes.

[Gator]

Gator, thanks for your comments. Yes, I will be meeting her parents, and her grandmother.

Fantastic!  If the father likes you, be prepared for serious toasting with vodka.  Read the RWD archives about drinking vodka.  Follow the father's lead and eat what he eats between toasts.  Compose a couple of interesting toasts to use. 

Be prepared to see a lot of gold teeth.  Don't stare. 

Practice making what a Russian would term a genuine smile (not a silly American grin).

A good gift is a book with photos of your area.  Belgian chocolates are also a good gift (you can buy at duty free in the US).   

They would enjoy seeing photos of your family.  It will show that you are a stable family man.

Her parents were around in the cold war days.  They may ask your opinion.  They will probably ask you something about current politics.  Do not be surprised that they know a lot about politics, and subscribe to some interesting theories.  You should know something about Russian politics.

[Faux Pas]

 

Be prepared to see a lot of gold teeth.  Don't stare. 
 

 

This is the first time I've seen this mentioned on the forum. I was quite surprised at the number I saw on my first trip. I also noticed they seemed to be more popular by the older crowd. After several toasts and they are all sporting them around the table in wide smiles, it can get quite amusing and difficult not to stare.

[Kunstkammer]

 I was trying to be polite in a crowded metro and never noticed someone taking my money.

That was your downfall, being polite in the metro - instant mark.

[Al_C]

After having been there 4 times, I could write a novel.

Carry cash.  ATMs are problematic.  Some are not secure with your PIN, and sometimes your bank will think that someone in the Russian Mafia stole your card, so they will shut it down.  Call your bank before you leave and tell them you are going to be there to stop that from happening.  Mastercard and Visa are widely accepted, but usually only in cities and in larger establishments.  American Express acceptance is somewhat rare.

Do your currency exchange at a bank.  The hotel currency exchange will be more than happy to serve you, but that is because they make a profit on the deal.  Go to a bank instead.

English:  Fairly good in Moscow and some parts of St. Pete.  Gets scarce in other cities.  Hotel clerks will speak English, but good luck finding a cab driver who does.  Some restaurants have English speaking servers and bi-lingual menus, and they are twice the price of the ones that do not.

Don't try to chit chat with the customs officers.  They do not care if you do not speak a single word to them.  They are more interested in properly prepared immigration forms so they can get you through quickly.

Carry your passport and visa with you at all times on the street.  There is no search and seizure law in Russia.  The police can stop you at any time, for any reason, or even without a reason.  Usually, all they are interested in are your passport and visa, and you are on your way.

Don't drink the tap water.  It is poison to westerners.  Bottled water is readily available.