erm... hi

[DevilDog]

Hello. I'm just another curious RWG poster who's decided to stop in for a little bit and see what's going on. And while I'm here, I might as well ask a few questions I've been wondering about.

1) I've decided to limit my search to Ukraine only, for various reasons. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any travel agencies online who can get me a flight from Okinawa (or even Tokyo, since those flights are rather cheap) to Ukraine (or practically anywhere else in Eastern Europe). Can anyone recommend anything?

2) In some places in the world, even today, a lot of myths and stereotypes about American servicemebers (Marines in particular) abound, and most of them involve some rather gruesome things. During my time here in Okinawa, I've had Japanese women as me if:

A) I had to kill a family member to get my stripe
B) I eat the bodies of the people we kill to gain their strength
C) I eat babies alive

And this is after over sixty years of living side-by-side, with hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans marrying Okinawan women every year!

Do UW, and Ukranians in general, have these same ideas about U.S. Marines? Or do I have to prove that my siblings and parents weren't chopped up and thrown into a cookpot upon my promotion?

3) I consider myself a bit of a traditionalist (though the fact that I'm looking for a Ukranian wife sorts contradicts this), and plan on asking my future wife's parents for their permission and blessing to marry. I know in the US, being in the military carries a high level of prestiege (except in some small places) and my current job field (Information Technology) will ensure that I'll be able to find a good job after leaving the Marines. How will my current job and future prospects (still haven't decided on leaving once my contract is up or being a lifer) look to the average Ukranian?

I know this is a bit much for just a first post, so I'll go ahead and thank everyone who responds right now for taking a crack at some rather unusual questions.

[jb]

Devil Dog,

Welcome.

I believe there are regularly scheduled flights to Russia from your area, via Tokyo, Seoul Korea, and into Vladivostok, Ru.   It might save you many hours of flight time to consider that route. 

And there are many nice girls living in Vlad.

I think to answer your questions about how American service men are viewed by Russians in general would be kinda hard.  Russians tend to judge individuals only after they have met them.  And no one thinks the Marines eat babies.

[DevilDog]

Devil Dog,

Welcome.

I believe there are regularly scheduled flights to Russia from your area, via Tokyo, Seoul Korea, and into Vladivostok, Ru.   It might save you many hours of flight time to consider that route. 

And there are many nice girls living in Vlad.

I think to answer your questions about how American service men are viewed by Russians in general would be kinda hard.  Russians tend to judge individuals only after they have met them.  And no one thinks the Marines eat babies.

I have my reasons for choosing Ukraine over Russia.

[jb]

I have my reasons for choosing Ukraine over Russia.

Since most of the women you are apt to meet in Ukraine are going to be ethnic Russian, I'm curious about that, would you care to elaborate.

[DevilDog]

I have my reasons for choosing Ukraine over Russia.

Since most of the women you are apt to meet in Ukraine are going to be ethnic Russian, I'm curious about that, would you care to elaborate.
[/quote]
I was speaking to a Russian friend of mine (who had just gotten back from visiting family in Vladivostok) a little while ago about possibly traveling to Russia later in the year on vacation and was warned against it, due to the fact that we make nice big targets for police officials who haven't quite caught on to the fact that the Cold War is over. Granted, it's not an official State Department travel advisory, but I really don't want to have to look over my shoulder as I go by every street cop I see.

[Ste]

I got some stories about British Marines, including....

1. Inserting ring pulls down their japs-eye - makes me wince thinking about that one.....

2. Licking each others grolly (trans: loogies? thick spit?) off the train window for a bet....

3. Playing 'freckles', a 'game' involving sitting around a table with some girls, picking up two beer mats, trip to the bathroom returning with what can only be described as a beermat and shït sandwich, putting it on the table, bashing it with a fist and counting the 'freckles' on the ladies dresses.......

Makes me glad I never joined the SAS and became and Accountant instead.

Ste

[jb]

I see.  While I won't try to dispute your friend, I will only say I've been there, to Russia, more than 20 times and I've never once been stopped or questioned, or even asked to produce my passport outside the airports.

Of course I don't speak English loudly in crowded places, I speak only Russian in public, and I act like I know WTF I'm doing.  Often Russians approach me asking for directions, so I must look the part to some extent.

As the old Russian proverb says, "It's the nail sticking up that gets hammered", don't stand out in a crowd and you won't be bothered.

[BC]

I would think being in the military could complicate and confuse things even more both sides of the aisle. 

I'd wait until after you make that career choice you mentioned..  Lots of competition, choices and cheap outsourcing in IT work.

Yeah Ste.. our favorite passtime at Redstone Arsenal was watching how crazy  Marines could get.. Watching them catch skunks barehanded in the drainage ditches was a riot.  Us Air Force guys stayed well upwind drinking beer and relieving ourselves in the ditch.. upstream of course.  HuRahh!

[Bruno]

1) I've decided to limit my search to Ukraine only, for various reasons. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any travel agencies online who can get me a flight from Okinawa (or even Tokyo, since those flights are rather cheap) to Ukraine (or practically anywhere else in Eastern Europe). Can anyone recommend anything?

Let go... mainly, all the flight are with two stop when the departure is Okinawa... From the DNA ( okinawa ), you have no flight but from OKA ( okinawa ), all the flight go via Tokyo...

From Tokyo,

- you can use Aeroflot to Moscow and from Moscow to Kiev

- you can use Japan airline to Istanbul and from Istanbul to Kiev

.... and a lot of more flight...

Go to http://www.tq3direct.be/ca/c/bqk/ ... for departure airport, type "OKA", for arrival airport, type "IEV", choose you date... and click "search"... i have find more that 10 different flight for one day... 

[KenC]

Devildog,

Welcome to RWD.  I really don't think you will be treated much differently in Ukraine than you would in Russia.  That being said, you might reconsider Vladivostok as jb suggested.  Not only would it be a much shorter trip for you, but it is an area that doesn't get much action from AM because it is usually a travel hassle due to location.  You could turn your current location into a benifit.  I would think the idea of unspoiled women and convenient travel would make Vlad a very appealing destination.  Just remember that the less time you spend traveling, the more time you have to spend with your honey.

KenC

[ronin308]

Not to mention that it would be cheaper to travel to Vlad regularly during any courtship process.

As to flights, there are many however most of the connections from eastern locations are via Aerosvit which isn't connected to any of the American Travel sites.

Also arrival destination should be KBP which is the international airport in Kiev not IEV which is the domestic airport.

If you get to the med it's possible to connect to many of the outlying cities in Ukraine via Aerosvit or Ukraine International but to do so you need to visit there websites or find a travel agent familiar with them.

 

[Albert]

I agree with some others.  It makes no good sense to try to get to Ukraine from where you are, when Vlad is so close, relatively.

I have been to both Ukraine and Russia several times.  No problems in either country for USA citizens.  It is a bit more of a hassle to get Russian visa.  But the relative lack of hassle to get into Ukraine (no visa required) will be greatly outweighed by the hassle and time it takes you to get to Ukraine from your location.

[BC]

Yep.. it's something like Coke and Pepsi.. go for the real thing.. :D

[Oosik]

Go to vlad, or better yet, since you are in the 'hood anyway, Khabarovsk(sp?), it is a short hop or train trip from Vlad, and hopefully is a bit less mob controlled. You could also pick among many decent smaller cities in the region. You could fly aeroflot from Vlad to many, many cities very cheaply.

Your cost savings would be huge, but then you have to get a visa, but still, being able to fly over so cheaply would make it worth it.

[Jack]

Hey DevilDog, welcome as well.

One thing about Russian ladies in the far east, Vladivostock, Habarovsk, is that they do not see the great number of foreign men that Russian ladies in western Russia see.

The difference between Russian women and Ukraine women? Very little in my opinion. Now ladies from the big cities, from Moscow, Kiev, Odessa, St. Pete are probably going to be a bit different from ladies from Krivoy Rog, Ufa, Nikolaev, Kazan. The ladies from the bigger cities are becoming more westernized than ladies not from the bigger cities. Their are many tourist going to Kiev and Moscow, not so many to Vladivostock, Novosibirsk.

Over the past couple of years Ukraine has made it much easier to travel to there country as opposed to Russia. Still need a visa for Russia, still have to register your visa/passport in Russia. I know this has certainly been a determining factor for some guys. But as far as the ladies are concerned, their is little difference. In central and eastern Ukraine for example about half of the Ukraine ladies (based on those I have talked to and got to know) consider themselves Russian girls. Many of these ladies have grand-parents or great grand-parents who were Russian. Stalin, in his attempt to Russianize Ukraine, forced millions of Russians to relocate to Ukraine. So today you have a great number of Russian women who live in Ukraine. My Natalia was born and raised in Odessa but considered herself a Russian woman and I believe many Ukraine women consider themselves Russian women. Well, maybe not so many in Western Ukraine.

[Todd]

Why limit yourself?  Why not look in both the Ukraine and Vlad?  One thing to check out if you are just starting is to write to women from both locations and see which ones you find the most compelling as a group.  For myself, I would expect that the Russian vs. Ukraine distinction is a bit of a bogey.  As has already been mentioned, urban vs. rural is a MUCH bigger difference.  Also, I would expect Asian Russian to be far different than European Russia.  I know several people here prefer one over the other.  As for myself, I corresponded with girls from all different areas, and I found the biggest determinants had nothing to do location.

[Turboguy]

I have to agree with the others that with your location I would not be that quick to write off Vladivostok.   There are lots of women and most guys look at the location and don't make the trip. 

I also agree about the differences in big city gals.   I think I am giving up big city gals, particularly Moscow ones after my trip to Moscow last week and having a dinner bill one night of $ 550.00 (my dinner was $ 50.00 and we split a bottle of cheap wine, she ate the rest. )  Then she wanted to go someplace with music and a $ 250.00 admission charge,+ drinks.    If our timing had not been wrong for the music place my date could have set me back close to a grand.   I think I am going to stay with gals from the boonies.   My dinner in Kharkov tonight cost me $ 5.00 and was home cooked,  Much better.

I will also add that we talked about the military tonight after dinner, both US and Ukrainian and I could detect no anamosity towards american service men or Marines but it was not what the real conversation was about.    Both were viewed favorably.

She did give me a nice explaination of why women there treasure men and try to please them.   After world war 2 about all the men of marriagable age were dead so you would have a village with 200 eligible women and 2 eligable men so they got in the habit of doting over the men trying to win their favor and to keep this short it has sort of carried on down through the years.  Sounds logical to me.

[Jack]

Turbo, some good information here and some things to comment on, but to comment I would be taking this off topic. Could you repost of your Kharkov/Moscow experience in a new thread. Thanks

[al-c]

I have been to Russia twice and have had absolutely no problems with the police.  One stopped me in the airport in Moscow for a spot check (possibly because I am an Arab), examined my U.S. passport, and sent me on my way.

If you go to Russia, even if it is a transit to Ukraine, yoo will need a visa.  Ukraine does not require one from U.S. citizens traveling on U.S. passports.

As for the world opinion on the U.S. military, Abu Girab sticks in the collective minds of the world.  Even though that was only 3 or 4 service persons, the world does not see the good you guys do, just things like Abu Girab.

 

[Elen]

Many of these ladies have grand-parents or great grand-parents who were Russian. Stalin, in his attempt to Russianize Ukraine, forced millions of Russians to relocate to Ukraine

Not only that Easten Ukraina ( industrial part of that country) was Russian territory as well as Crimea - wonder why you always forget to metion THAT

[Jack]

I thought ALL of Ukraine was Russian territory.

[Elen]

All Ukraina was a territory of Russian Empire - and those territories I spoke abour were exactly russian - you still can't get a difference

 As for attitude to " marrines" then it's rather attitude to "marrines" as military men but not to AMERICAN marrines Some girls like such type of males some don't at all ( afraiding that years spent in army did make "something" to your personality)

[KenC]

Well, I don't know about how far back you want to go.  One of the original capitals of 'Rus' was Keiv and for a while a city in Bulgaria.  I guess one could make the argument that Russia was orignally part of Ukraine or Bulgaria.

KenC

[TigerPaws]

[size="3"]I thought ALL of Ukraine was Russian territory.

[color="blue"][size="4"]The Russians seem to think so as well[/size][/color]
[/size]

[Jack]

I wonder if Elena knows where the word Russia comes from?