ML and Ukrainian Women.

[Muzh]

The testing never ends for my Gal. 

Before she could have spoken interaction with students as GTA (that's the official name here) she had to get a passing score on TSE (Test of Spoken English) or SPEAK test.

My, things have really, really, REALLY changed. 

[ML]

Small world.
Earlier this evening, Gal  and I went to a picnic thrown by a company I have done some consulting for.
As we were sitting BSing with several people at a picnic table, one guy told about his grandmother recently feeding him borscht and kasha.
This was before he even knew that my Gal was from Ukraine.
My Gal about fell off her bench as she had just made these two things yesterday.
Turns out his grandparents came from western Ukraine.

[Eduard]

People have been immigrating from Russia and Ukraine to the USA and Canada for centuries so it shouldn't come as a surprise to any one that somebody's grandparents or great-grandparents are from that part of the world. Some of the household names with Ukrainian/Russian/Belorussian roots are Silvester Stalone (grandpa from Odessa), Kirk Douglas (not his real name), George Gershwin, Ralph Lauren (not his real name) and many, many more.

[SANDRO43]

Some of the household names with Ukrainian/Russian/Belorussian roots are Silvester StalLone (grandpa from Odessa)

On his mother's side (25%) :

Stallone's father was born in Gioia del Colle, Apulia, Italy, and emigrated to the United States as a child. Stallone's mother is of half Russian Jewish and half French descent.

Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone: Stallone is Italian for "stallion".

[ML]

People have been immigrating from Russia and Ukraine to the USA and Canada for centuries so it shouldn't come as a surprise to any one that somebody's grandparents or great-grandparents are from that part of the world.

No, neither she nor I were surprised about meeting someone with that background.

It was more the hearing about Borscht and kasha that was sort of funny given that she had just made those same two dishes the day before.

[ML]

Gal was quite worried about starting graduate school . . . the difficulty of the course content.

She had said that most of the other students would be fresh off their studies, whereas her knowledge was from several years ago.  (She had sat in on two courses Spring semester and two more Summer semester).

I told her that was true,  but offsetting that would be fact she was probably a lot more serious than majority of the other new grad students.  I knew from her year in Intensive English that she would devote a lot of time to homework, etc.

Now, after two weeks into the first semester, she is feeling much better about her chances, and realizes I was right.

She is a leader in answering questions posed by professors, presenting solved problems on the board, etc.  Other classmates are turning to her for help, etc.

[ML]

Another good happenstance . . .

Gal really wanted to enter the masters program, but kept repeating that she would look so odd in a class of 20 somethings, since she was 40 something.

I told her that, unlike Ukraine, USA has a rich tradition of older folks getting university degrees of all levels.  And she has noticed a few students in her classes who appear to be older than 20s.

This week, we went to a party at one of my friend's home.

There we met a woman who just finished her PhD at age 63.
She gave Gal a big pep talk, and Gal was really beaming about this situation which has calmed her down a lot about this.

[Muzh]

My wife just received her Masters in Science from Albany Medical School. She was the second oldest (45) and couldn't care less.

[Gator]

My wife just received her Masters in Science from Albany Medical School.

 
 
 

[Muzh]

Thank you very much. Very proud of her. 

[ML]

Graduate math courses.

Modern Algebra.  Sounds like an updated course for 7th graders; right?

Well let me tell you this stuff is 10 floors over my head.

Graph Theory.  Sounds like fun in a drawing course; right?

Holy Sheet.

And Real Analysis.  There is nothing real about it.  It is totally unreal.

[ML]

My Gal has been telling me for a month or so that she was going to take me out to most expensive restaurant in town (and pay herself) when she got her first paycheck.  Some sort of a tradition as I understood it.

Finally, we got around to it a couple of days ago.

As we were about ready to leave, she was  on Skype talking to her parents.

I came up behind her and asked her to stand so they could see us together 'all dressed up.'

I asked her if she had told them the 'arrangement.'

She said she had told them about us going to restaurant.

I said, no I mean about you paying.

So she told them.

The father frowned and said:  The man must pay.

The mother said:  No, she must pay . . . then she added . . . and you must buy him a very expensive gift also.

I got a big kick out of it;  the role reversal idea and that the mother was pushing for the 'big' expenditure and the father was not.

Anyway, I told my Gal to forget about buying me a gift, expensive or not.

I really have everything I need, and no one can ever seem to buy me what I like, even when I need something.

[CDW]

People have been immigrating from Russia and Ukraine to the USA and Canada for centuries so it shouldn't come as a surprise to any one that somebody's grandparents or great-grandparents are from that part of the world. Some of the household names with Ukrainian/Russian/Belorussian roots are Silvester Stalone (grandpa from Odessa), Kirk Douglas (not his real name), George Gershwin, Ralph Lauren (not his real name) and many, many more.

Are you sure it is Silvester Stallone not Arnold Schwarzenegger?  There is a wax museum in Odessa (been there) including Arnold Schwarzenegger because of his grandparents coming from Odessa,

Kirk Douglas' real name is: Issur Danielovitch - whose parents came from Gomel, Belarus

Ralph Lifschitz is Ralph Lauren's real name - a Jewish immigrants from Belarus

[CDW]

My wife just received her Masters in Science from Albany Medical School. She was the second oldest (45) and couldn't care less.

Age is just a number when taking University course.  I am 44 years old, and am thinking of taking up 2nd Bachelor's degree next year - online course.

[Anotherkiwi]

Age is just a number when taking University course.  I am 44 years old, and am thinking of taking up 2nd Bachelor's degree next year - online course.

I wis you well, but the difference is that English is your first language.  Try getting your Masters degree in Russia (in Russian!) and then see how you feel.

[ML]

Another reason to be for Romney.

He proposes granting permanent residency to foreigners pursuing advanced degrees in math, science and engineering.

[Eduard]

Another reason to be for Romney.

He proposes granting permanent residency to foreigners pursuing advanced degrees in math, science and engineering.

+1

[ML]

I like to remain fairly anonymous here, but I decided 'what the heck,'
I would finally show you all what I look like in a video.

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ItXKGyO6cRA?rel=0

[Vaughn]

I would finally show you all what I look like in a video.

No WONDER you do so well - you've still got a full head of hair !!   

[ML]

In my comments in another thread about our Thanksgiving dinner, I forgot to mention a very important thing.

In mid-meal, my Gal looked me in eye with a very serious look on her face and said:

"I really am thankful to you for what you have done for me.  You have helped me to come to USA and do things that I never would have thought possible and make a very pleasant life for me this past year and a half."

I was quite touched and told her that this day was a good day to say and hear such words.  Not the traditional Thanksgiving thoughts, but very appropriate to the situation.

Am just wondering how many of the rest of the guys here have ever gotten a sincere thanks and words of appreciation!!

OK, enough of the web for awhile . . . the Michigan - Ohio State  game is already  underway.

[Vasilisa]

In my comments in another thread about our Thanksgiving dinner, I forgot to mention a very important thing.

In mid-meal, my Gal looked me in eye with a very serious look on her face and said:

"I really am thankful to you for what you have done for me.  You have helped me to come to USA and do things that I never would have thought possible and make a very pleasant life for me this past year and a half."I was quite touched and told her that this day was a good day to say and hear such words.  Not the traditional Thanksgiving thoughts, but very appropriate to the situation.

Am just wondering how many of the rest of the guys here have ever gotten a sincere thanks and words of appreciation!!

OK, enough of the web for awhile . . . the Michigan - Ohio State  game is already  underway.

That's interesting. Just an observation. In one of your miltiple threads about women-parasites you told that:
http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=14485.0

 "As most of you who have read my thread know, the Gal living with me obtained a large life insurance settlement from the death of her executive husband.  As such her existing behavior is completely different from the typical FSUW with respect to money (she needs and wants nothing from me of a financial nature); but without this money her behavior would probably be the same as a typical FSUW.]

So, did you bring her from Ukraine or she came with another American man from whom she obtained that large life insurance.
From what I know life insurance in the FSU haven't been that popular recently and what you can get is mostly about $3000-$5000 which is not that large sum on which the FSU woman can come in the US and be independent.

If she came with another AM what was she thanking you for?

[LAman]

 

In mid-meal, my Gal looked me in eye with a very serious look on her face and said:

"I really am thankful to you for what you have done for me.  You have helped me to come to USA and do things that I never would have thought possible and make a very pleasant life for me this past year and a half."

 

Just curious ML...what did you thank your gal for???
 
the fringe benefits??? 

[jone]

 

[calmissile]

In my comments in another thread about our Thanksgiving dinner, I forgot to mention a very important thing.

In mid-meal, my Gal looked me in eye with a very serious look on her face and said:

"I really am thankful to you for what you have done for me.  You have helped me to come to USA and do things that I never would have thought possible and make a very pleasant life for me this past year and a half."

I was quite touched and told her that this day was a good day to say and hear such words.  Not the traditional Thanksgiving thoughts, but very appropriate to the situation.

Am just wondering how many of the rest of the guys here have ever gotten a sincere thanks and words of appreciation!!
OK, enough of the web for awhile . . . the Michigan - Ohio State  game is already  underway.

In my experience it is very rare.  Just not part of their culture.  I should add that usually the thanks and appreciation is expressed in actions rather than words.  It is also rare to hear an apology.  Nevertheless, once you get to undestand the culture you can sense or see the appreciation in other ways.

You are very fortunate.  I seems that your gal has adopted much of the American culuture while she is here.

Visilisa........... I suspect that her ex husband was working for a multinational corporation with normal life insurance benefits rather than the customary Ukraine benefits.  ML can answer your question if he wishes.  But this is one explanation.

[Vaughn]

Am just wondering how many of the rest of the guys here have ever gotten a sincere thanks and words of appreciation!!

 
I can relate to this nice moment. Especially since we are now together over ten years. We landed at JFK on Thanksgiving weekend, 2002. The "changes" over that span of time have been profound for her. And while they do not come often, her occasional words of thanks are quite meaningful - and much appreciated. I, on the other hand, thank her more often for what she's brought into my life.