Natural Crimea

[Faux Pas]

Good luck on your visa journey there friend and congrats! Keep the MIL close, I really enjoy mine as she is just a wonderful person. It helps in the transition process as well, both being comfortable and no added stress. Again congrats. More proof good things happen to good folk

[Ade]

A little update. I got all my papers ready and sent it off to her, have no idea how long it will take. But last time, with her visa application, it went pretty quickly.
 
But the powers that be don't maske it easy. See, she have to make her application for the fiancee visa through an official Application Portal. We did that together while on Skype. She didn't manage to navigate and some of the questions are pretty difficult to answer and/or comprehend, but we did it together as I got her password and at the end she had to send a request to me so that I could confirm I knew about and approved of the application. And the sweet sum to pay for the application is a cool $ 600. And that's just for submitting the application and not knowing the result.
 
Then it appeared that she cannot get an appoinment to submit the documents to the embassy before July 4. So if we knew that, we didn't have to stress with all the documents and I could have brought it with me. I knew it sounded too easy the first time. Well, we are positive and will jump through all the hoops they want.

I tend to forget the real PITA it was to do all the paperwork and all the stress of not knowing if we'd made any mistakes or had enough to satisfy them. But the money is not so much when you think about it; she'll get free language/naturalisation courses which would cost a lot more than that if you were unlucky enough to be an EU dude just living here under EEC rules like some guys I know - of course, their application would free. 

I'm going to her on May 21 and will stay with her for a little over 3 weeks. I land in Kiev and she will meet me at the airport and then we will go to an apartment we have rented for the night before taking the train to Crimea. We haven't decided yet if to go directly to her home city of Kerch or perhaps staying a couple of nights in Sevastopol. We've also been talking about spending some days at a sea resort by the Azov sea. We're looking into different possibilities for rent and she's making calls to get more info.

Believe it or not, but I also want to bring my future MIL on this 4 or 5 days holiday trip outside Kerch, by the Azov sea, or other places if we decide. My girl is very close to her mother and I like her too even though we cannot communicate directly. She's on a very low fixed income and I will be very pleased to do something special for her. What we're looking at is of course renting separate rooms or in the latter case, cottages. My girl know what I'm looking for, which is an apartment/cottage with seperate kitchen and... very important... a balcony to enjoy the sunshine. My girl likes the beach a lot and me too, but I also look forward to quiet moments just soaking up the sunshine with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other and my girl close to me.
 
I will keep you informed and perhaps a few photos as last summer.

My MIL has visited us at least 3 times over the past 3 years now I think. She loves it here and she's great to have around for a few weeks. A bonus is that she loves gardening. 

[The Natural]

And you call yourself "The Natural?"    At least give up smoking, then you can have your girl in the other hand instead of just being "close to me." 
 
Putting that aside, I wish you the very best for your future - especially with the MIL!

Yeah, haha I do plan to quit smoking, in the fall.

[The Natural]

Good luck on your visa journey there friend and congrats! Keep the MIL close, I really enjoy mine as she is just a wonderful person. It helps in the transition process as well, both being comfortable and no added stress. Again congrats. More proof good things happen to good folk

Thanks a lot my friend.

[The Natural]

I tend to forget the real PITA it was to do all the paperwork and all the stress of not knowing if we'd made any mistakes or had enough to satisfy them. But the money is not so much when you think about it; she'll get free language/naturalisation courses which would cost a lot more than that if you were unlucky enough to be an EU dude just living here under EEC rules like some guys I know - of course, their application would free. 

I guess as a whole it's not much money, but it took us by surprise, the sum, when we were completing the online form. I suppose the application will go through, but these days you never know, do you?.....

My MIL has visited us at least 3 times over the past 3 years now I think. She loves it here and she's great to have around for a few weeks. A bonus is that she loves gardening. 

Didn't someone say "Keep your girl close, but keep your MIL closer"? 

[Gator]

I wish you the best as your visa petition advances past the bureaucratic hurdles.   
 
This could be a trying time for your woman.   I am not talking about concerns with the immigration visa.   What was once a dream is fast becoming a reality.  Although filled with excitement and celebration about a brand new life, there is the part about leaving her country, family, friends and culture.  While you do not live as far away as Americans,  it is a major move nevertheless. 

Americans are transient.  Ukrainians are not.   Many of my woman's friends are people she knew when entering the first grade of school.  So you may want to talk with her and express your appreciation for what she is giving up. 

[The Natural]

I wish you the best as your visa petition advances past the bureaucratic hurdles.   
 
This could be a trying time for your woman.   I am not talking about concerns with the immigration visa.   What was once a dream is fast becoming a reality.  Although filled with excitement and celebration about a brand new life, there is the part about leaving her country, family, friends and culture.  While you do not live as far away as Americans,  it is a major move nevertheless. 

Americans are transient.  Ukrainians are not.   Many of my woman's friends are people she knew when entering the first grade of school.  So you may want to talk with her and express your appreciation for what she is giving up.

Yes, of course it's a big move to live in another country for her. But it might be easier for my girl than many others. Over the past several years she has lived and worked far away from her home town. Familywise, she only have the mother and a sister and is closest to her mother.
 
It will be a major change in her life, but I think she will cope just fine. She and I will go back to Kerch at least once a year, so that will help.

[The Natural]

It’s now just one week until I go back to her. The both of us are excited about it and have planned some of the aspects of how the time together this time shall be spent. I will fly from our local airport on Sunday, via Tromsř to Oslo. I will have to spend the night in a hotel and catch an early flight to Kiev, via Riga with Air Baltic. Will land in Kiev at the reasonable time of 1400 and it corresponds perfectly with my girl’s arrival by train to Kiev. We have reserved an apartment in Kiev and will take the train from Kiev to Sevastopol which goes at 1900 the next day. My girl have bought tickets, it’s the 4-bed coupe and I’m excited to see who we will share it with 
 
We have talked about spending a couple of days in Sevastopol, but she can’t get a confirmation just yet on the apartments she’s enquired about. Anyway, after that we go to Kerch and stay there for 3 days before going to a place by the Azov sea. My girl have found a cottage for us and made the reservation for 5 days. She knows what I want, a decent apartment/cottage with good standard, private kitchen and as secluded from others as possible and also a balcony or outdoor area with a view. She looked at many different resorts and found a place we both agree on is good…hopefully.
 
So now I must soon start making a list of things to remember and get packing. As she has been here with me before, I have asked her what she would like me to bring to her. First time I went to her, I brought some tinned fish which she likes very much and she also brought some when she went back. She want me to bring some sprat. She said they have it in Ukraine but that they are smaller and much more loose. She also like very much a pâté made of cod liver/eggs. Other things include raw salt, a brand called Real salt from America, potato chips and coconut fat which I use to fry with.
 
Just three more days of work, do some work around the house, pack my bags and take off…..
 
 

[calmissile]

The Natural
I am curious to where you will be staying at the Sea of Azov and what the price is.

[Krassie]

Usually people go to Berdyansk.

[The Natural]

The Natural
I am curious to where you will be staying at the Sea of Azov and what the price is.

Hi Doug. It's a hotel called Krasivoe Mesto hotel near a village called Zolotoe. We've reserved a cottage and it cost around 60 dollars a night.

[calmissile]

Natural,

OK, I found it.  You will be in Crimea, I will be on the north side of the Sea.  Either in Primorsk or Berdyansk.  Both have great resorts.

[The Natural]

On Sunday I went to our islands local airport and checked in for the first leg of my trip to Kerch.
Then a official came and announced that our plane had technical problems and could not come. The nearby airports had no available flights to Oslo, so my further travel plans were in danger of being seriously messed up. Fortunately they got another plane to come from further north, and a couple of hours delayed, I got to Tromso and connected with a flight to Oslo. Got a voucher for 30 euros, so that I had a free meal in Oslo airport before taking the shuttle bus to my hotel.


Next morning, checked in to Riga where I had a couple of hours to kill before connecting to the flight to Kiev. Went into a cafe where they have a smoking room to enjoy a couple of cigarettes with my huge cup of coffee. In the small smoking room a couple of Russian (Ukrainian) guys started to talk to me. I said I don't speak Russian of course, but one of the guys knew a little English. He told me he was going to Odessa. I said I was going to Kiev and then Kerch. He lit up and eagerly told me he was born and raised in Kerch and have a daughter and granddaughter living in Kerch.


On the flight from Riga to Kiev, I talked with the woman sitting besides me. She was a German flying to Kiev on business. She had been many times to Ukraine on business, also to Dnepropetrovsk. In the row behind me were a young man and a young woman. In the beginning they were speaking in English but they soon found out they both know Norwegian. He is a Norwegian national and was on his way to Ukraine, Odessa and other places, travelling alone which he said he preferred. He had been to Ukraine before, being a couch-surfer he showed us the area of blocks where he crashed with an Ukrainian couch-surfer, as we flew over the city of Kiev. The Ukrainian couch-surfer had also been to his home in Norway. This guy is apparently well-travelled, having even been on vacation in North-Korea and living these days in Afganistan! Being previously with the Norwegian military forces, now involved in rebuilding.


The girl is an Ukrainian who met a Norwegian man on the Internet and they live in the city of Stavanger, as she told us, and was going back to Ukraine to start studying phsycology which means she goes back to Ukraine several times a year. She has a very extrovert personality, talks a lot and laught a lot. And she spoke great Norwegian.


On the ground we took the tarmac bus and stood in line for passport control. I choose the booth where there were a smiling young lady sitting. I gave her my passport but then she asked for a living address. I hadn't written down my girl's address in Kerch, so I gave her the details of the apartment I had booked for one night in Kiev. That satisfied her, and I went for my checked in bag and was waived by another young (and pretty) girl to put my baggage in the x/ray machine. I had all kinds of things in my bag, potato chips and 5-6 pounds of canned fish, but no problem.


Took my bags and went out to the meeting hall where my girl was waiting for me with a taxi outside ready. YES, all is well and more later.....

[Hammer2722]

Great to see that you were able to make it back to your lady on time. Lokking forward to reading more. 

[The Natural]

Thanks a lot Hammer2722, appreciate it 


Once outside the airport we jumped into the taxi and headed to the train station where we put my big bag in storage. Then we took the Metro and found the office where the owners of our reserved apartment was. My girl was in contact with them by telephone as it wasn't exactly easy to find the entrance, but we did and was greeted by two young girls who spoke exellent English. They asked for my passport and made a copy of it. I was a bit puzzled as to why they needed that as I paid by card and was told it was because an American once rented an apartment and paid by American Express but that the company later took the money back claiming he never used their service.


Key to the apartment in hand, we decided to walk the 10-15 minutes we were told it would take to reach the apartment. Of course it took way more than that and it got to be pretty exhausting to walk the streets in the hot and sunny weather with two small bags. But I guess my girl didn't get the directions all the way and had to ask along the way. But finally we arrived at the apartment and it had the promised hight standard. Apartment with a balcony, kitchen and nice bathroom. The TV didn't work as the microhead on the dish was gone, but that didn't bother us as the bed was big and comfortable!


Once settled in the apartment, we went out and shopped some food and then went for a drink at a restaurant just below our apartment, to celebrate my birthday. Next day we waited for the cleaning lady and she was there exactly at noon and we gave her the key and checked out.


My girl called a taxi and we went to the train station to put our two small bags into storage. My girl said it's cheaper to order a taxi by phone rather than stopping one in the street and the fare was very reasonable at just between 30-34 grivnas for the two rides we took and they were both for pretty long distances.


Then we took the Metro to the river station and walked by the river of Dnieper a little but then all of a sudden got hungry. I saw a McDonalds and we went there, but there was so many people in line that my girl wanted out. We walked a street and came to a nice looking restaurant where we entered. To my surprise we were greeted by English speaking personell and we ordered our food. It was an Argentine restaurant and when we had finished our meal which was very elegant and good tasting, the owner came to talk to us. He was a very jovial man and during the conversation we found that he is Argentinian but according to my girl spoke good Russian. He was very happy when I offered a few words in Spanish that I know from a spanish adventure of mine years ago and he asked us to please come back again.


Later on we went to the train station and checked in for our overnight ride. It was very hot as we waited for the train to start moving, but once it did, it got much more comfortable as the air condition kicked in. We shared the 4-bed compartment with a young lady and it was a very nice ride and I slept well. During the night it actually got quite chilly, so we had to use the blanket.


We arrived in Simferopol in the morning and my girl went to buy bus tickets while I waited in a cafe. We then took the bus to Kerch, a 4 1/2 hour ride. When we arrived at the bus station in Kerch, my girl's brother-in-law picked us up and drove us to her apartment. We were pretty beat by then. It's tiring to travel for hours, just sitting still, as you all know...

[Chicagoguy]

Pretty grueling trip. At least it would be for me. Glad you arrived safe and on time   

[The Natural]

Pretty grueling trip. At least it would be for me. Glad you arrived safe and on time   

Yes, but the trip from my northern parts unknown to Oslo was a breeze because I had a hotel room close to the airport and same from Oslo to Kiev as we had this apartment waiting for us. And the train ride was actually very comfortable as we could stretch out and sleep all the way to Simferopol. The hardest part was actually the 4+ hour bus ride from Simferopol to Kerch. At some point my upper back got real tired. What's more, when we entered the bus and checked our bags into the body of the bus, the driver told us to keep an eye on our bags when we stopped in Feodosia, which we of course forgot and only remembered as we left the bus station. But I kid you not, I prayed to God that our bags were not stolen and was peaceful afterwards and when we arrived in Kerch, nothing was missing!

[Hammer2722]

I can definitely sympathize with you about those bus rides. I have taken the Lviv to Kovel and back  5 hour bus ride twice now. Worse than being uncomfortable is the horrible road conditions with the driver going hell bent for leather!!!!! you feel like beans in a marraca!!!!

[calmissile]

Yes, but the trip from my northern parts unknown to Oslo was a breeze because I had a hotel room close to the airport and same from Oslo to Kiev as we had this apartment waiting for us. And the train ride was actually very comfortable as we could stretch out and sleep all the way to Simferopol. The hardest part was actually the 4+ hour bus ride from Simferopol to Kerch. At some point my upper back got real tired. What's more, when we entered the bus and checked our bags into the body of the bus, the driver told us to keep an eye on our bags when we stopped in Feodosia, which we of course forgot and only remembered as we left the bus station. But I kid you not, I prayed to God that our bags were not stolen and was peaceful afterwards and when we arrived in Kerch, nothing was missing!

Glad to hear you enjoyed the train ride.  Same experiences for me.  Good point about watching your bags on the bus.  I had forgotten about that.  Yes, they sometimes mysteriously dissapear at some stop prior to your destination.  I have noticed people get off the bus at each stop and watch as people claim their bags.  Probably not a bad idea.

[The Natural]

I can definitely sympathize with you about those bus rides. I have taken the Lviv to Kovel and back  5 hour bus ride twice now. Worse than being uncomfortable is the horrible road conditions with the driver going hell bent for leather!!!!! you feel like beans in a marraca!!!!

Yeah, the roads are terrible. I thought we have bad roads back home, but it's in mint condition compared to the ones in Ukraine. And the taxi drivers and the bus drivers drive like crazy. I'm surprised that their vehicles stay in one piece, hehe.

[The Natural]

We were supposed to go to a place by the Azov sea today, but because the weather hasn't been the best, we have postponed it and will go on Saturday and stay here for 5 days:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5o7N6QjT7QI

[The Natural]

We arrived at my girl's apartment but she declined the offer of her family to get together the same evening as we were tired and instead get together the next day. Her brother-in-law came in the evening and picked us up with his car. He and his wife, the sister of my girl, work and live in Moscow and are now in their home town of Kerch on a holiday. I greeted him and his son and we drove to their apartment where his wife and my girl's mother was. The mother (my future mother-in-law) lives in their apartment while they work in Moscow and she takes care of their soon to be 15-year old kid. Great kid, by the way. Knows a little english and is keen to learn more.


We stayed in their apartment for a while having some food and chatting. Me mostly listening, not understanding much, hehe. The husband of my girl's sister owns a clothes business in Moscow and makes some decent money from that, so they have modernized their apartment and it looks very good, totally up to western standards.


Then her sister, husband, Babykova and I jumped into the car and went to pick up his sister and then drove to a bowling hall. Later their son joined us. I've only played bowling once before and did not do very well the first round. The husband of my sister won that one, which I chalked up to him not be a drinking man anymore as they all had no great experience with bowling before. Next round I did a little better, but I still knew I could do better and was struggling to find the right ball for me. By the third round I had found the perfect ball, number 14! And it actually did good to my game that one can drink and smoke in the bowling alley as my game was much better now in our third and final round. I ordered Black Russian for everybody except the husband and son and took the ball, turned to my Russian crowd and said: "Bond. James Bond". Then I rolled the ball and I kid you not... STRIKE. I'm sure I cannot pull that stunt one more time in a... several years.


Next day her sister and husband invited us to drive to Mitridad and watch Kerch by night. Her brother-in-law was a very careful driver (his own car) and we quietly drove zig-zag up the bumpy road and got out and walked around the site, looked at the beautiful view of Kerch and the Black sea and took some photos. Afterwards we drove down to the center and walked into a restaurant. We ordered drinks and all of us had to go to the restroom, if only to experience the best facility we've ever seen (even in the west).  Extremely clean and private restroom, no awful odor and even a flat TV screen playing music!!! I know I'm going to invite my girl and her mother for dinner in this restaurant before I go back home.


As we were sitting by the table and watching life on the walking-only street, a small woman came by and looked at me, begging for money... just a few kopeks. At first, I said as I do when other Russians ask me something: "I don't speak Russian". But it soon dawned on me that she was dirt poor and was asking for a little handout. I looked at my girl and she shaked her head and the boyfriend of her sister gave her a few coins. I was torn as to what was the proper etiquette in town and what was the right thing to do. Anyway, she moved along after thanking for the money and I thought of her later....


Next day her sister and husband went back to Moscow. My girl and me bought cake, chocolate, wine and went to her mother's and the son of her sister, and watched the Eurovision song contest until very late at night before taking a taxi home.


The next days went by very quickly. Lazy to get out of bed and coffeee the first order of the day followed by a shave (for me) and shower before we went to the centre with the mashrutka. Always someting to buy or tickets to get and then stopping by an outdoor restaurant/cafe for food and drinks.
I since saw this young female beggar several times while in town, this time I noticed she had a limp.


Today we stopped again at the Carlsberg restaurant and I wanted french fries and hamburger. Only that they sold that fast food only at the cafe very close by, but we were allowed to order our drinks and take this food to the restaurant for a few grivnas in addition.


The few days since I arrived has been pretty gloomy weather-wise, but today it was warm (not hot) and nice. We sat down at this restaurant by the walking street for several hours, looking at people passing by.


I enjoy people watching, especially in an, for me, exotic country. They were all, except for a group of elder people my girl said were tourists from abroad, ordinary Kerchians. All kinds and shapes. I have to admit I kept an eager eye for nice looking women. And boy was there an overwhelming number of hot bodies walking by. Lean, but many too young and too small popas in my opinion. What is also my observation is that the girls/women in Ukraine may have great bodies, but few have the face to match it. There were a few who had both. I noticed to my girl this nice looking woman walking by with a man with an Am-looking belly and she replied that maybe this man was very good inside :-)


As I was sitting there minding my own business, the aforementioned poor girl came by. I had a few coins in my shirt pocket that I gave to her as well as a 20 grivna bill. Then my girl came back from a visit to the restroom and I was happy to know that she was agreeing on giving this poor girl a little help. It's amazing how happy she was to get this small amount of money and my girl said she probably never before get this much money at once. Such a small price to pay to make me feel good and a little better about having so much when there are people having so little. It's pathetic. When I see her again, I'm going to give her more. A little later a guy with a backpack came by and asked for money for food. Again I said I don't speak Russian and this time he answered me back in english even though I didn't get mush of it because of background noises. But this time I looked at my girl who with body language strongly disapproved. He didn't linger and afterwards my girl said to me not to give money to him because he's a young and strong man who can work for food!

[Hammer2722]

Everytime I'm in Ukraine and walk by the lottile old Babushkas sitting there with there tin cups out, I just have to give them a few grivnas. Usually whatever change I have in my pockets as I know how small their pensions are. Definitely makes you feel good about yourself.....

[Gator]

I ordered Black Russian for everybody except the husband and son and took the ball, turned to my Russian crowd and said: "Bond. James Bond". Then I rolled the ball and I kid you not... STRIKE. I'm sure I cannot pull that stunt one more time in a... several years.

Good one!     And don't try it again.  Let it stand, and the event will remain forever as part of your legend.

[Faux Pas]

You're a good man Roy, with a good heart. 

It never hurts to help somebody when you can. It doesn't matter where or when you are but, when you're on vacation and have some expendable cash in your pocket is as good time as any. Although, it's good to help all the time, of course as you can. Kudos