Tashkent.....Finally!

[JR]

I started planning to go to Tashkent last year hoping to meet K and spend a lot of time getting to know each other. That was “The Plan.” Life had other ideas….she lost her job in December and we discussed what that meant. I understood that she was looking for a new job but figured it would be a good time to visit, we were going to get busy at work and if I didn’t get the OK now for the time off it probably wouldn’t happen in the near future. If she didn’t secure new employment we could spend most of our time together. If she did then she said she’d only be able to give me a few hours each day.  She had asked me to delay our meeting until May when she would have her birthday and therefore time off in the event she got a new job. I told her I would make the trip anyways because it would only take an hour or two to decide if we wanted to see each other again and that there is only so much time in our lives. Besides that who knows what life will throw at us between now and then I ask. Tick-tock, Tick-tock, there goes life hurry up and catch it! Who promises you tomorrow? No one, go now! Originally I had tentative plans to go to Tashkent instead of Donetsk. Or something like that. Anyway, my point was “ENOUGH ALREADY” time to stop talking and time to start walking. Nuff Said, Good God, Good Riddance, Good Bye are you f+++ing back yet? Starting to get my picture? Out of the eleven hundred plus women I have written to (God I am sick to death of writing letters) it was high time to meet this ONE! The decision is made, I’m going and we’ll spend a day together. The rest of the week I’ll visit with her family. Something like that….

[Donhollio]

 Wow, thought I did some crazy trip planning... glad I'm not the only guy!    So if you visit her for 1 day ,are you seriously going to spend the remainder with her family ?   Any plan B  ?  Long way to Asia to sip tea with strangers, no ?
 Have you really written to 1100+ girls ?      Maybe a drastic 180* is in order ?  When do you plan on going, and whats the flight route you'll be taking?

[Daveman]

I think he just got back. 

Well JR ole Pal, you sure take the road less traveled! 

Welcome home... looking forward to hearing more about this trip.

[Shadow]

I was beginning to think that JR has settled down to wait until some young nurses would take care of him. Sounds like something interesting will come out.

[rjd400]

I'm very interested in your report JR....as you know, I may be making the trek there in May/June...

[RussianWind]

I'm very interested in your report JR....as you know, I may be making the trek there in May/June...

To the same family? 

[JR]

I start making plans, bought non-refundable tickets, refuse the travelers insurance, (what could go wrong right?) send my passport off to the agency, search for new bills, buy an unlocked phone (which never worked GRRRR), etc, etc. About a week and a half  before I am to leave she tells me she got a great new job but it would require her to travel to Dushanbe, Tajikistan and then to various smaller towns around the country. She would be gone for three months. Her date of departure would be the day after I arrive. Bummer but I thought “Heck, it’s a first meeting” I’ll know in five minutes if the chemistry is there and in one day if I want to pour more of my life into it.” Besides that my visa would expire before her return or shortly thereafter. I say, “I’m coming anyways.”

Hehe rjd400, we might, MIGHT be there at the same time )))

[Seeker]

I start making plans, bought non-refundable tickets, refuse the travelers insurance, (what could go wrong right?) send my passport off to the agency, search for new bills, buy an unlocked phone (which never worked GRRRR), etc, etc. About a week and a half  before I am to leave she tells me she got a great new job but it would require her to travel to Dushanbe, Tajikistan and then to various smaller towns around the country. She would be gone for three months. Her date of departure would be the day after I arrive. Bummer but I thought “Heck, it’s a first meeting” I’ll know in five minutes if the chemistry is there and in one day if I want to pour more of my life into it.” Besides that my visa would expire before her return or shortly thereafter. I say, “I’m coming anyways.”

Hehe rjd400, we might, MIGHT be there at the same time )))

So I am assuming that one day went well.   

[Donhollio]

The decision is made, I’m going and we’ll spend a day together. The rest of the week I’ll visit with her family. Something like that….

  I'm not a regular here, guess I missed something. If you don't want to answer any of my questions thats fine.

[JR]

Wow, thought I did some crazy trip planning... glad I'm not the only guy!    So if you visit her for 1 day ,are you seriously going to spend the remainder with her family ?   Any plan B  ?  Long way to Asia to sip tea with strangers, no ?
 Have you really written to 1100+ girls ?      Maybe a drastic 180* is in order ?  When do you plan on going, and whats the flight route you'll be taking?

Sorry don, didn't mean to dis you. The answer to your first question will be give in the course of the tale....

I had a plan B.

I have indeed written to about 1100 ladies. Give or take a few.

A 180? Why? I am doing something wrong?

Going? I have already returned. I took Aeroflot from LAX to SVO then to Tashkent. Returned the opposite. Quickest and easiest way.

More to come...

[BillyB]

I guess it's safe to say that you were not captured and taken across the border to Afghanistan and put on tv with a bag over your head, surrounded by a bunch of guys with machine guns and forced to say "America is the Great Satan." Welcome back JR.

[RussianWind]

So I am assuming that one day went well.   

That's the coolest adventure I've ever heard about. I will not be surprised if it works... 

[Jack]

Wow, thought I did some crazy trip planning... glad I'm not the only guy! 

Hello JR, and Donhollio.

JR, you are traveling, or you did travel, to Tashkent to visit this lady for one day!

Wow!    Yea, like Donhollio made reference to, and I thought I did some crazy planning, you must have really liked this girl.  I can hardly wait to hear the rest of your story. It does sound quite interesting.

[russianfront]

Hey Jollyrats can't wait to hear more! Its Russianfront also known as Matryoshkaman (that login doesn't work anymore!)

[JR]

The day of arrival! I finally get to meet K....Yay on me!!! I call her and call her and call her…no answer ((( I decide a shower is in order and perhaps I'll just show up at her apartment. But wouldn’t you know it, I’m all soaped up and the phone rings! It’s her!!! No, it’s not. It’s her best friend/sister-in-law apologizing like mad and telling me she is not here.
              .
                .
                  .
                    .
                      .
                        (Thats my mood going downhill rapidly)
They took her to the bus station early this morning. WHAT???? I absorb the story and what can I say? Her boss decided to put the new employees on a bus instead of the promised plane to save some money and therefore they had to leave a day earlier. Boo for me. Not her fault. After the tenth apology I tell her to please stop, I understand and I am not angry. Disappointed yes, but not angry. Life happens.

O tells me I should rest today and we’ll meet tomorrow. She has arranged a tour of the city and afterwards a dinner at her mother-in-laws apartment where I’ll meet the family. I protest a bit about not being tired and wanting to meet them today but then decide to go to plan B.

I have a few phone numbers and contemplate using them. I’m a bit upset and feeling like saying “To heck with it.” If I could have gotten on a plane home I would have. I was saying to myself “I gave up being with my daughter for this?” A tad bit of self pity there. I took a deep breath, exhaled, told myself to step back and look at the situation. I asked myself “Why are you here?” The answer was “To meet K.” I didn’t fly half way around the world to meet either of the two ladies I had the phone numbers of.

One I had spoken to several times on the phone but from that and her profile I just didn’t feel I’d be interested. She is prettier than K and has the body of a dancer because, well…she is one but I kept wrestling with the fact that I would not have flown half way around the world to meet her. So did I want to fill my time with pointless entertainment or put energy into what I felt might have a real future? I decided to chill and invest into what I had come there for.

[Jumper]

JR-
I understand the adventure possibly better than some will .it's something  silly like i would pull.

and if i knew i would meet her for the day ,,fine!! 
and if she made equal attempt to be sure we met ,, at least that day.
(understand i met my *ex* initailly only one day, as she was leaving to kiev to see another man the very next day, ,as this was planned long before i met her,and i understood i had *plopped* into her established life )

That said , some details might make it less blurry as far as the "hows and whys"
because part of this is odd from the outside looking in? 

K knows your flight and when you are coming to town , with a week trip planned,
and because of work assignment cut it to only one day , (understandibly)
but why not met you at the airport ?

the boss changes the travel plans from a flight to a early morning buss ,,
again ok !!
  **** happens  ,
but why have sister in law call  you *after* the fact?

she couldn't take 5 minutes to call you before leaving for the buss?
 or if she has a cell ,
while waiting it or on it?

sorry ,
having the sister in law call you after, she  has left ,
on the only one day she could have met with you ,seems a continuing story with K ..

hopefully there is a better explaination ,a phone is pretty easy to use.
and yes i feel she owned you a personal phone call and expalination of such change in plans.

I'm silly enough to travel around the world for someone , for a one day meeting ,,
 if things continually shift ,
I would be understanding of lifes circumstances  ,things do happen ,at the worst times afterall..
 
but if  they can't  even manage a call themselves to explain it ?

waiting for the rest of the story  with relatives!!
 
but  this oversight seems more than too much to swallow without some dang good explanation
.
where you still on the plane?
(still seems quite  a lapse of time from airport to flat ,to shower ,and no attempt to call? )
 where there no plans to meet you at the airport?
you mentioned the phone you had wasnt working ,  part of the problem?

 





 

[JR]

I agree AJ. K called and left three voice mails from the time I left LA until I arrived in Tashkent. She had to go to her brother's house to do so. Her phone would not call internationally.

In the first VM she said she was looking forward to meeting even if it was for only one day.

The next one was an attempt to warn me not to come because she would have to leave on Sunday instead of Monday.

The third was telling me her family would meet with me (I guess she understood I had not recieved her other VMs). My plane arrived at 0300 in the morning. I didn't really expect them to meet me at the airport. Besides they had to take K to the bus station early (I don't know what time).

She also sent an email with the same info. She tried, but I was out of touch until I got to the apartment and called her number from the land line there. Her sis called me back because she saw five missed calls from the same number and figured it had to be me.

The way I see it, it's just life happening. I can't expect her to give up employment to meet a stranger from the internet. I wouldn't.

We shall see what the future holds.

[SMS60]

Be calm JR...Dont allow yourself to make irrational decisions because of those silly emotions.

Go have a shot of Vodka.

[Rina_G]

Hi JR!
Sorry about my nex words but I can't be silence already

Please be ready -
nobody waits you there
nobody will meet you in airport
nobody will answer on your calling

I don't know what also she has to say you for your understanding - she doesn't want to meet you in real
you live now just in your illusion and don't want to look at the reality
Move to Tashkent!

[Dave13]

Where's the fun with a reality check!

[Boethius]

I was waiting for the rest of the story.  You didn't meet her at all, JR?  Sorry, but this woman is not for you.

[Chicagoguy]

JR - if you had the time and the money I see nothing wrong with what happened. Just an adventure. But I suspect many others would consider it a disaster.

[Jumper]

Chicagoguy, I actually agree ,
and stated i would do something as silly.
  The difference is i did met "her" , went home, she called (I came home to a message on my  home phone, that SHE researched and called and several on my mobile as soon as i turned it on)
 kept in contact and eventualy we got together over several more trips and extended time.


JR-
Ok it makes more sense.
Kind of. lol

She did try to get  a hold of you ,and yes * life* happens.

She doesn't have  cell? (or more acuurately one to call internationally) thats ok..
but man you guys seems to  not make any contingencies for  travel "screw ups"  with either your side or hers?
especially with this *one day* window in a time zone " almost a day" out?
So she likely dint know the flat, or its number.. or the cell you brought  number, since you would be getting  a SIMS card there..?

I can see , how it could happen ,
but what  a cluster..

20/20 hindsight ,but couldn't you have given her the flat owners number , or she make an attempt to contact the owner of the flat you were renting?

The sister in law  decides after numerous calls it must be you? duh.
You know the details we dont, but i'd hope she would be trying every way ,to contact you not waiting to just notice some unknown number calling 5 times on a day you are going to be in town and K had left unexpectedly early!!

Has K called or emailed you during her trip? wiether rhee or at home
in USA?
 sis in law could have gotten your " new" cell number to her , yes? hey have phones the world around.. even Dushanbe?

sorry It just all *sounds* bad man .
 ugh!

So did you,meet the family afterall?
lets hear about that!!!!!!
 
sounds like it must have been decent or at least entertaining

[Durk]

Well as a new guy here. I learned something from this. GO EARLY!!!!!! Been
real funny if you would have been at the bus station talking to her on your
cell face to face and it did not take right away. Be interested to here how
mama was. She might put a good word in for ya.   D

[JR]

The next day K’s sister-in-law O shows up and off we go. She had arranged a car and guide. Once we pick up the guide O has to go back to work and I’m in the hands of the driver and guide. We see the sights, blah, blah, blah and on and on it goes. The sun is setting, it’s raining, I’m slipping and falling on the wet marble walk-ways and suddenly O is back...asks me if we can go straight to K's apartment. Seems we're pressed for time.