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[Slingerland]

I just came out of a staffing meeting where I discussed this some more with my management.  Here are some updates:

First, the legal department is not sure whether I will need a work visa or not.  The laws changed last summer, and there is gray area involved, since the project is a joint venture between a US company and a Russian company.  They are discussing it with the appropriate ministry (?) next week.

The kids are mixed opinions.  My oldest is married with her own life, and she supports the project.  My middle one is a junior in college and he's volunteered to watch my sailboat while I'm gone (it's a cabin cruiser.)  My youngest is in high school and he is unsure of this project. 

And my mother (lives next door) is also nervous.  She's in her upper 70s, very active, but I'm the only child.  Long story why she lives next door... in short, a doctor messed her up by over-prescribing meds.  I bought the house next door in case she should need a permanent place to live.  She recovered fully from the OD, and moved in to spend time with the grandkids.  This is not a nerd-with-mother situation; we have a 8 foot privacy fence between the houses and call before visiting each other.

I have nothing romantic going on now in my life.

Last, the language school would be two weeks and a weekend in total emmersion.  I think it's in California, may be Washington though.

I should know more late next week.

[GoodOlBoy]

This is not a nerd-with-mother situation; we have a 8 foot privacy fence between the houses and call before visiting each other.

Some friendly advice.
Build a TALLER fence. 
When you bring home your hot RW from the FSU, you will need it!! :evil:

GOB
(joking)

[Slingerland]

I thought Russian families were close, and single kids lived with their parents? 

[Boethius]

Does your youngest live with you?

[Chicagoguy]

Don't worry about the womens ages. It will all work itself out.

[Slingerland]

My youngest lives with the ex.  They live about 15 miles away form me, so my youngest spends a lot of weekends over here.

[Boethius]

How will your absences affect him, if at all? 

[Slingerland]

Well, my job has required me to travel before, and the ex and I are flexible about changing custody weekends when needed.  And in his case, he is in high school... he's busy all the time... so until summer I suspect it will just be hectic.

During summer, he spends half the holiday with me.  I'll work out the schedule so that he's with me when I'm home.  Also, he will be hanging out at my mother's house next door; he does yard work and simple handyman jobs for her.

[Boethius]

Why not get him a visa and let him travel with you for at least part of the summer?  It would be a great opportunity for a young man.

[SANDRO43]

Why not get him a visa and let him travel with you for at least part of the summer?  It would be a great opportunity for a young man.

Great idea, my 1st significant foreign experience was a fortnight in London at 18, and it was memorable.

[Lily]

     This is not a nerd-with-mother situation; we have a 8 foot privacy fence between the houses and call before visiting each other.
 

This should be perfectly normal situation for a RW. Russian families usually keep close together, especially when it comes to aged parents. Bringing an aged parent in a retirement home would be a shame for a number of Russians.

[Slingerland]

Why not get him a visa and let him travel with you for at least part of the summer?  It would be a great opportunity for a young man.

Because the project will be very hectic, and I suspect I'll be working some late nights over there.  I don't want to risk having an unsupervised teenager in a foreign city where he doesn't speak the language.  (Plus his mother wouldn't allow it anyway...)

[Boethius]

But if you were planning on taking time with him during part of the summer at home, why not stay in Russia and take your vacation time with him there?  You could visit St. Petersburg together too.  You could also possibly gauge how comfortable he is doing things on his own.  Moscow has a lot of sites, and excellent public transportation, plus you can always find someone on the street who speaks English.

I can't imagine why a mother wouldn't want her child to have this sort of experience, an exposure to a foreign culture.

[Anotherkiwi]

Apart from having the ugliest building that I've seen in Russia (the "Stellar Bank," believe it or not), I found Rostov to be a beautiful city when I was there a few months ago.  I was also very impressed by the ladies - not as many as Moscow, of course, but still VERY beautiful!  There are plenty of parks, a couple of beautful cathedrals, and the CBD has everything you need.  It's also on the River Don, and there is a wonderful esplanade which stretches for a long way beside the water.  You can take river cruises for an hour or two, or for the evening, or you can go on the river to other cities further inland as a change from car or other public transport.  If you're interested in horse racing there's a track with racing every week - it's one of only a handful in Russia with gallopers (thoroughbreds) rather than trotters.

With 1.3 million people it's a LOT bigger than Little Rock.

...I don't want to risk having an unsupervised teenager in a foreign city where he doesn't speak the language.  (Plus his mother wouldn't allow it anyway...)

  And if you just happen to find that one in a billion - and you hear from the next room: "Dad, you promised to take me to McDonald's tonight!"

Seriously, as a single guy (although not with your background) I would jump at the chance - I wouldn't think about it for more than a nano-second before saying YES!  Try to negotiate longer spells than two weeks after you see how it's working out, but otherwise, what are you waiting for?

Good luck!

[Slingerland]

An update: according to my HR department, the work visa was denied.  I don't know why, but I know it is not a criminal issue: I don't have any arrests or convictions.  I'm wondering if politics is starting to rear its ugly head in this joint venture...

Should know more next week.

[Jumper]

acquiring a work visa might be some headache,
but really a short term one should NOT be, same with a business visa for short periods of time.


*residency* or longer terms entirely another matter and very complex.


short term i just cant see the issue, at all, and most everything is *possible*.
(read: knowing the right people to bribe)


good luck.

[Slingerland]

As of this morning, my company has been asked for a complete list of all contracts I have ever been on... my role... the nature of the contract, etc.  Our HR and Legal departments are scratching their heads over it.  Getting work permits for the other American staff was not a problem.  Just mine.

The water cooler has an interesting theory.  Perhaps a Russian competitor of the company we've partnered with is trying to kill the project.  Industrial espionage is a contact sport over there.

[Slingerland]

Update...

My work permit for Russia has been denied.  My company's legal dept thinks they know what has happened. 

I hold a few patents for data encryption and compression.  One of them... my first... has direct applications within the Dept of Defense and other government agencies.  Yeah... who says the cold war is over... sigh...

So I can't work over there.  And I'm not sure about getting a visitor's visa either, now that my name has been flagged in a few computers.

Now what the frell do I do?   

[Faux Pas]

Update...

My work permit for Russia has been denied.  My company's legal dept thinks they know what has happened. 

I hold a few patents for data encryption and compression.  One of them... my first... has direct applications within the Dept of Defense and other government agencies.  Yeah... who says the cold war is over... sigh...

So I can't work over there.  And I'm not sure about getting a visitor's visa either, now that my name has been flagged in a few computers.

Now what the frell do I do?   

Tough luck guy. Sounds like it would have been one hell of an opportunity. Apply for a 30 day tourist visa and go on a vacation. Chances are they won't deny it.

[JR]

I wante to say "hi" to the group.  I'm a long-time lurker (both here and Planet Love) and my life is making an interesting turn.  I was married to a Korean-American for 15 years, and while I don't speak the language, I am comfortable with the customs.  I was thinking about looking in Korea for an Asian bride, but an interesting job opportunity has arisen.

My employer is starting a new project, based in both the US and in Russia (primarily Rostov on Don but there is some other travel within the RF.)  They have asked me to head up the technical operation for a year, alternating between the countries.  I would spend two weeks in Russia, two in the US, etc.  The money being offered is very tempting, along with the future career opportunities.

I have never been to Russia.  I do not speak the language.  I took German in college (almost 30 years ago!) and I've forgotten it all.  (I know Korean foul language becuase my ex-MIL used it on me. )  The company is offering a 2 week language bootcamp before leaving, and daily tutoring while at the Rostov offices.  The office operates in English.

So now I'm starting to wonder whether to expand my horizons away from Korea and the Philippines. 

Stop wondering and start going