Hello...

[Sppaacceedd]

Hello All,

Just wanted to introduce myself here.

I'm Sppaacceedd, but you can just call me Sppaacceedd 

I actually started looking 2 years ago now...and as I type this, I'm sitting in an empty hotel room in Odessa, feeling sorry for myself, and wishing that I had seen this forum 2 years ago....

...I guess that this is just one reason that prompts a person to find such a forum like this.

Not that it matters, but I'm 30 years of age, single, unmarried, no children and have a basic (yet limited) understanding of Russian language, a pretty good idea of history and of Russian and Ukrainian culture.

[Hammer2722]

Welcome Sppaacceedd, if it would help, maybe you can tell us a little bit about what brought you to Odessa. It sounds like you had a bad experience. My first trip to Ukraine was to Odessa and it was a bad one too so don't beat yourself up.  Perhaps talking about it and trying to learn from this experiance will help you for the next time. I too did not find this forum until after my first trip.
 
I have since learned a lot and am now in the process of brining my gal over to USA on a K1 Visa.

[Vaughn]

Welcome, Sppaacceedd. Damn, you should shorten your name here.
 
So how did you wind up in an empty hotel room? And when are you
scheduled to go home?

[viking]

Well,get off your butt and go visit some clubs and at least enjoy yourself. And see if there are any agencies around and introduce yourself and see what happens.Never know? At least you will have some company.

[Shadow]

Why is the hotel room empty? Who stole the bed ? 
And did you get that understanding before or after arriving ?

Welcome, but do not get addicted yet. As you are on the ground its is time to make  good use of whatever time you have left.
Remeber that in Ukraine women do not smile without reason.

[Jumper]

welcome,
sorry you;re having a bad trip..


if sitting there feeling sorry for yourself , i'd suggest trying to salvage it, by getting in touch with  members here that live in the area like Stirlitz, who could help you with translations or introductions perhaps?
 or members like  Jack, who have staff or good contacts in many FSU cities.


Or simply get out and about in the city, hit on the cute flower shop attendent , anything to boost your spirits.


Good Luck!

[GoodOlBoy]

Hey guy, welcome to RWD. 
 
When you leave your hotel next time, head on over to MickeyD's. 
 
According to previous trip reports posted on RWD, they are crawling with RW:
 
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&q=mcdonalds+in+odessa+ukraine&fb=1&gl=us&hq=mcdonalds&hnear=0x40c6318a0b864c43:0x129f8fe28cf2176c,Odesa,+Odes'ka+oblast,+Ukraine&ei=5rRsUNjyLYfO9ATzr4CIBQ&ved=0CIoBELYD
 
Good Luck!
 
GOB

[Jumper]

GOB, i've not reported that..
 
but certainly noticed the McD's in the FSU are normally very very busy!!
mostly young people, high school to college..
or parents taking their littles ones there.


I'm no fan of the golden arches anywhere, and generally avoid eating there in any country.....
but i did find that they  charge for ketchup packets amusing.

[GoodOlBoy]

Well, at least the OP is only 30 Jumper?
 
There was another older member here on RWD who posted about going there (McD's) and questioning some of the pretty young ladies about their Mom's availability. 
 
GOB

PS... Maybe he doesn't want to go to bars and discos looking for a wife?

[GoodOlBoy]

I'm no fan of the golden arches anywhere, and generally avoid eating there in any country.....
but i did find that they  charge for ketchup packets amusing.

Yeah, it's not healthy food.
But the RW sure love their ice cream. 
 
GOB

[Jumper]

Yeah, it's not healthy food.
But the RW sure love their ice cream. 
 
GOB

yeap


and as far as the OP, getting out wouldnt do him any harm..


i'm no fan of Mcd's or the diskotek!  lol
 and wouldn't suggest its a great place to find a woman to marry.
 
but it would beat sitting around in some hotel room ?


i'd be out and about,
 the weathers nice, he's a young guy,
go to the beach, the park , the marinas, the cafe's ,
in his shoes i'd hit on whomever caught my fancy and appeared available.
 

[edu]

Sppaacceedd,My name is Omar.  I am currently in Odessa and have some free time if you wish to hang out and not be bored.  I do understand exactly how you feel.  My first trip to this city was just like yours is now.  I spent the first few days alone with nothing to do. 

I know some places you can go and relax.

Holla,
Omar

[ML]

but i did find that they  charge for ketchup packets amusing.

There are different business models.

1) Do not have a separate charge for condiments, bags at grocery stores, etc.

But, the stores must cover the cost of these items, so they charge everyone the same price . . . whether they use the items or not.

Also, many people pick up the packets; don't use; and throw away.

2) Charge by the item.  Those who use; pay for it.  Those who do not use; don't pay for it.

Which model is most fair to various consumers?
Which model leads to the least waste of natural resources, etc.?

[Jumper]

There are different business models.

1) Do not have a separate charge for condiments, bags at grocery stores, etc.

But, the stores must cover the cost of these items, so they charge everyone the same price . . . whether they use the items or not.

Also, many people pick up the packets; don't use; and throw away.

2) Charge by the item.  Those who use; pay for it.  Those who do not use; don't pay for it.

Which model is most fair to various consumers?
Which model leads to the least waste of natural resources, etc.?

ML-
I understand business models pretty well.
and even do various marketing for the company I work for and play with the various scenarios and business models and what the market place seems to wants at the time.

The end result is that generally customers like complexity.
just view JCpennys huge failure at the beginning of this year in
their trial of straight forward simplistic * no sales, because we are always cheap*
business model.
 one of the largest failures in marketing history

Humans beings in the cuirent western market place love to hear SALE SALE SALE, even if the sales price is simply a percent off some exactly proportional inflated retail.
Its what they are used to, and what they will purchase.


Now, as soon as you can routinely show that the *pay for condiments/packets* business model that charges for the items, actually on average doesnt have the same price for the other items , you'd have something.
(as far as fair to consumers, and where did fair come into play? entitlement syndrome? if the market place bears a given price for burgers and fries /condiments included , why is that not fair ti those who dont want them? is any combo meal /value meal fair then? lol)



Aldi's perhaps?
There are some other examples for sure of this business model that work.

but McD's?  common man..lol
we were  talking about FSU, don't insult my limited intelligence   
 by suggesting MCD's doesn't turn the same rate of return on the burger , and fries,
regardless  charging for ketchup

anyway it was not a big deal at all, just amusing to me.
I don't eat there , took a friends little niece.

[Slumba]

There are different business models.

1) Do not have a separate charge for condiments, bags at grocery stores, etc.

But, the stores must cover the cost of these items, so they charge everyone the same price . . . whether they use the items or not.

Also, many people pick up the packets; don't use; and throw away.

2) Charge by the item.  Those who use; pay for it.  Those who do not use; don't pay for it.

Which model is most fair to various consumers?
Which model leads to the least waste of natural resources, etc.?

It is a lot more complicated than that... what if the customer doesn't come back, because he didn't get the sauce and didn't like the taste - but he would have loved it if the sauce was on it? As just one example.

[Shadow]

It is not complicated at all. Coutries where people hamster anything that is free will pay for condiments. Countries where people use what they want only will not.

Dutch in  French McD: hey condiments are free, lets take some for our dinner tonight, our parents and while we are busy put a stock at home until we come back next year....

[Daveman]

Practice safe eating... always use condiments.






One thing different in Ukraine (Russia the same maybe?) that I really like is that one must pay a deposit to use a shopping cart.. return the cart, get your coin back.  .50 hrivna coins do the trick there.  Virtually everyone returns the carts.




Begin PetPeeveAlert


I wish they would institute that here. I swear I would love to put snipers on roofs and pick off any lazy ass who will not return the cart to the return area.  At the most, they'll sorta shove them in the general direction of the cart return. Or just leave them there in the lot right in the way.  A good wind comes up and carts are rolling wherever, and bumping into whatever. 


I assert that one or two freshly slain carcasses Mussolinied from the light posts will curtail the problem significantly.  An alternate solution would be to charge a reasonable deposit (Say $10) so these lazy lizard dicks will actually do the 'right' thing.


End PetPeeveAlert

[Shadow]

One thing different in Ukraine (Russia the same maybe?) that I really like is that one must pay a deposit to use a shopping cart.. return the cart, get your coin back.  .50 hrivna coins do the trick there.  Virtually everyone returns the carts.

A Belgian supermarket advertises on their carts that they do not put the usual coin deposit lock, which saves $20 per cart used to give lower prices.
Most carts are returned.

A Dutch cheap supermarket used to have carts that only used the Eur 2 piece instead of the 50c that is usual. Their reasoning: Our carts are expensive but our goods are cheap.

I remember a long time before the deposit got in to favour a supermarket would give stamps for any returned cart. A full card meant a cash reward. Collecting carts was a favourite pastime for most children on Saturday, getting some pocket money.

Unfortunately with the changed society this no longer works here.... in some places carts are getting a chip built in as they are worth more in scrap metal as the deposit...

[GoodOlBoy]

Begin PetPeeveAlert

Yeah, wifey has the war wounds (scratches/dimples) on her Honda from shopping carts all over Miami. 

I wish they would institute that here.

They have Daveman!

It's a grocery chain called ALDI's:

http://aldi.us/us/html/offers/weekly_offers_ENU_HTML.htm
 
Put a quarter in the shopping cart slot and the cart is yours!
 
Believe it or not there are always some homeless guys hanging around the parking lot waiting to swoop in and return the cart for you.
 
It only costs you 25 cents for their services. 
 
GOB

PS... Some will even help your wife unload her groceries into the car.

 

[GQBlues]

...Begin PetPeeveAlert


I wish they would institute that here. I swear I would love to put snipers on roofs and pick off any lazy ass who will not return the cart to the return area.  At the most, they'll sorta shove them in the general direction of the cart return. Or just leave them there in the lot right in the way.  A good wind comes up and carts are rolling wherever, and bumping into whatever....

Yeah, well, you folks got it easy. In some pockets in rural LA, you'll see carts from different merchants, mostly supermarkets, on the streets, alleyways, front yards, etc...sometimes a mile away from the original point.

People who doesn't own cars shop and cart away their groceries and goods all the way to their homes then simply discard the carts when done. LOL. Probably shopped with food stamps no less...

[Anotherkiwi]

Yeah, well, you folks got it easy. In some pockets in rural LA, you'll see carts from different merchants, mostly supermarkets, on the streets, alleyways, front yards, etc...sometimes a mile away from the original point.

People who doesn't own cars shop and cart away their groceries and goods all the way to their homes then simply discard the carts when done. LOL. Probably shopped with food stamps no less...

I've honestly never heard of a deposit for a shopping cart/trolley before now - the supermarket I used in Odessa certainly didn't charge me.  Our airports don't even charge for luggage trolleys, although Australia does ($4 at Brisbane - ripoff!).  Yes, we also see some supermarket trolleys around the neighbourhood, but normally not that far away.  People here are also generally pretty good about putting them back in the return areas in the supermarket carparks.

[Jumper]

Practice safe eating... always use condiments.






One thing different in Ukraine (Russia the same maybe?) that I really like is that one must pay a deposit to use a shopping cart.. return the cart, get your coin back.  .50 hrivna coins do the trick there.  Virtually everyone returns the carts.




Begin PetPeeveAlert


I wish they would institute that here. I swear I would love to put snipers on roofs and pick off any lazy ass who will not return the cart to the return area.  At the most, they'll sorta shove them in the general direction of the cart return. Or just leave them there in the lot right in the way.  A good wind comes up and carts are rolling wherever, and bumping into whatever. 


I assert that one or two freshly slain carcasses Mussolinied from the light posts will curtail the problem significantly.  An alternate solution would be to charge a reasonable deposit (Say $10) so these lazy lizard dicks will actually do the 'right' thing.


End PetPeeveAlert

Dave,  the Aldi's chain i referred to prior, does exactly that with shopping carts (in the USA)


there are no bags, you need tp provide those as well (sound like UA's Billa?)