Approaching women on the street and in shops

[biglen]

I am planning on going somewhere in Eastern Europe or the FSU this summer.  I want to meet some women there and I would like to know if they prefer a certain way of being approached.  I understand that it will be difficult due to language difficulties, but I want to give it a shot. 

When I went to Poland the best success I had with women (at the end of the trip) is when I started to ask them both if they had a boyfriend, and also look at their hand and ask why they weren't married.  The women would blush and have a good reaction with lots of smiles.  But that only worked with the women that spoke halfway decent English - which is the younger generation.

I have a slight disadvantage in that I am very tall ( 6'8" or around 205cm? ) and muscular (270 lbs ,122.7 kilos), and I understand that it can be intimidating to women.  My photo on profile was after not working out several month I weighed 250lbs.

[Serebro]

I am planning on going somewhere in Eastern Europe or the FSU this summer.  I want to meet some women there

use Hostel part I as the instruction

[Lily]

biglen,

I compliment your courage on approaching women in places like that.

Whether they would welcome it or not depends on the particular person, and on her mood at the very moment she is approached by stranger. On a general note, I guess the reaction might be similar to that of Poles. Those folks are historically closed to each other, so what is good for a Pole, may (not necessarily though) be also good for a Russian.

The main challlenge for you would be the language. If you chose to hunt on the streets and shops, you will be having a hard time determining which person can English. If you manage to get on places where the likelyhood on stopping around an English speaking local is higher, you may have some chances. However, sich places are not easy to identify, and if identified, not always easy to get in. Local expat communities may be of help.

Your physique may occasionally be intimidating, but IMHO it would be even more disadvantageous if you would be shorter than 5'6'' and thin. If given a choice between a man much bigger than average, or much more little than average, a bigger man would be preferred over a petite one.

Good luck!

[Gator]

A higher percentage of the women in Moscow, Kiev and St. Piter speak English than women elsewhere.  Many of them are involved in some part of international business.

So if your plan is just to talk it up with women on the street, go to the Big Three cities. 

For height, hang out at women's basketball and volleyball games.

[BillyB]

biglen,
  How's the weather up there? One thing you can do to strike up a conversation with RW walking down the streets is to say "Hello, I'm new in town and I was wondering where the best tourist places are?" If she seems eager and interested in talking to you, then ask her for directions and then let the conversation flow from there by asking her more questions about the sites places to eat and then about her. If she doesn't seem interested in talking to you even if she gives you an answer, say "Thanks" and move on.

St. Petersburg in the Spring is a great place to meet women with many single ladies walking down the streets or visiting museums and other attractions there. It's a romantic place with many women seeking romance. If I had to do this over again and choose one city, it would be St. Petersburg.

[BillyB]

biglen, you and 2tallBill here probably could see eye to eye but you tall guys shouldn't be discouraged. This tall man who's 56 yo, and would make you two look small, married a 5' 6" woman who's half his age. I'm not sure you guys want to wait till you're 56 before you marry though.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19727485/?GT1=10150

[mischief]

Choose the city to go to... then get online and chat with ladies ( and guys too) from this city using MSN, Yahoo or ISQ... Just start writing that you would like to learn about the city and russian culture and asking to recommend places to see, restaurants to eat in and clubs... I'm sure, at least a couple of girls would volunteer to show you around... it's better to have local company to meet more ladies... 
Whenever I travel I always meet people online from a place I'm planning to go... this way you get to really experience the city/country not just overpriced touristy stuff because you get to see the place from the local people prospective..

[Blues Fairy]

I am planning on going somewhere in Eastern Europe or the FSU this summer.  I want to meet some women there and I would like to know if they prefer a certain way of being approached. 

There is no uniform way FSU women prefer to be approached, but chances are many ladies will not appreciate being approached in the streets.  The problem is, girls are used to the fact that most guys trying to strike up a conversation in a subway or shop do turn out to be jerks, therefore there's a certain stigma on this type of acquaintance method.  I'd say your best bet is to sit (!) in a coffee place, wait till you see someone you like at the next table, observe what she is reading, and start the talk by making a comment about her book.  You'll find that many reading girls will actually read something in a foreign language. 

Another nice spot to find English-speaking girls in cities is the foreign books section of a book store.  A kind of pre-screening tactic, if you will.  

[Jazzyclassy]

Better communicate with some women online and then meet them in reality, though while approaching to ladies on the street better not asking them why they are still not married, that is just dumb, find the other things to ask  like banal things : what time is it or where do I get to this Movie theatre or whatever

[Serebro]

 I would stop and speak.. but not with a man but with a stranger
not because I like this type of meetings but because I am curious and I don't see too many foreigners here

[BillyB]

I would stop and speak.. but not with a man but with a stranger
not because I like this type of meetings but because I am curious and I don't see too many foreigners here

It's interesting meeting strangers and most of us go out of our way to give them directions, especially if they're good looking and of the opposite sex. Now if a RM asked you where's the best places to go in town, you might think he's dumb since he should know better.

My ex Ukrainian wife told me that Ukrainian men would try to hit on women on the street by asking what time is it and didn't like when they did that because they should be able to see she's not wearing a watch! She also had a Ukrainian man trying to hit on her and was staring at her tits the whole conversation. Western men don't have a monopoly on perverts.

[biglen]

Is a person viewed as odd if they go to a coffee shop or cafe alone? 

A higher percentage of the women in Moscow, Kiev and St. Piter speak English than women elsewhere.  Many of them are involved in some part of international business.

Gator, how is the crime rate in those cities?  I have been told bad things about murders in Moscow.  As long as tourists are not killed, I would compare crime to any big city. 



Lenny

[BillyB]

Is a person viewed as odd if they go to a coffee shop or cafe alone? 


Gator, how is the crime rate in those cities?  I have been told bad things about murders in Moscow.  As long as tourists are not killed, I would compare crime to any big city. 



Lenny

Lenny, you're sweating the small stuff. Of course it's best to go into a coffee shop or cafe alone if you're trying to mingle with the ladies. I think all us men understand how much more difficult it is to decide to approach a lady surrounded by a bunch of her friends compared to when she's alone.

Big city crime is probably not much different from the crime in NY. biglen, you are not the ideal target for thugs since you're big. They prefer easy prey like my fiancee who got her phone stolen from her in a St. Petersburg's metro station.

I posted some youtube videos in this thread on how bad violence can get in the FSU.

http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=6345.0

[Gator]

Lenny,

Don't worry about crime.  In what amounts to about 300 days in Russia and Ukraine, I have never felt physically threatened.  Then again,  I rarely stayed out past midnight and never frequented the strip joints.

There was crime - my woman had the radio stolen from her car twice.  During the middle of the day on a busy street in St. Piter, I saw a man throw a brick through a parked car and steal the cell phone in the driver's seat.  One time when I was riding a crowded metro I had my pocket pick - never felt a thing.

A couple of RWD men who have lived in the FSU were struck from behind on the back of the head and robbed.

Another thing about talking to strange women on the street or in clubs and shops, most are probably not interested in ever moving.  Yet, most RW believe in destiny -so if you see a woman drop something, rush to help her as if it were destiny.

[Serebro]

Is a person viewed as odd if they go to a coffee shop or cafe alone? 

why is that, I often go there alone, sometimes with my friends, but I am busier last months so I often go there alone.

I would say more, sometimes I go to the theatre or to the cinema alone(that's considered to be odd, I think)

But if you approach a woman sitting alone in a cafe make sure she is not waiting for her bf/husband who is ordering something in a buffet-type cafes, very often you can observe girls sitting alone without having anything on the table in front of them, but this can mean the reason mentioned above: they are just waiting for their men to bring them something to eat

[2tallbill]

I doubt that your size will be a problem. If you are friendly and polite I doubt that anyone will feel intimidated by your size. As for walking up and talking to
someone that your interested in I have done it many times both here and in
the FSU.

Udachi (good luck)

Bill

[Eduard]

When I was a teen, living in Moscow that was the only way to meet women. I used to meet them riding public transportation, or even just walking on the street (that's how i met my first love
when I immigrated to the US it was a culture shock in that regard. When I tried the same technique with women in NYC they acted like I was a maniac!
Things changed a lot in Russia now and people's attitude in a big city like Moscow is very similar to NYC. So nowdays if I were single I personally wouldn't just come up to a woman on the street and strike up a conversation like I used to do. I could still do it if the situation was right and it seemed natural. But the language barrier is going to be a problem for you. you might get lucky and bump into somebody who speaks English but will she meet all other criteria?
If I were single and wanted to meet some women, I would definitely find single women on line first (most single RW are on line nowdays) get to know them a bit that way first, then set up dates and spend time getting to know them in person.
You being big and tall is only a plus. I think that across cultures women prefer tall men. I never heard of it being a negative other then in a combat situation

[Simoni]

You being big and tall is only a plus. I think that across cultures women prefer tall men. I never heard of it being a negative other then in a combat situation

Duck!   Hit the dirt!  LOL