The Culture Gap

[Slumba]

What an insult to the likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Katherine Jenkins (Welsh) and Kate Beckinsale, Gemma Arterton, Rachel Weisz, Jenna-Louise Coleman and Keira Knightley (amongst millions of others!).
 
Slumba, you've obviously been totally asleep for too long!  Even though these ones may be unattainable, I'm sure there would have to be at least ONE female in the British Isles who could get your motor running rather quicker.

Catherine Zeta-Jones - had plastic surgery to get her lovely nose;

Kate Beckinsale - eighth-Burmese or something like that (though, she did study Russian at school ) ;

Weisz - Wiki says "Weisz was born in Westminster, London, and grew up in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Her father, George Weisz, was an inventor from Hungary. Her mother, Edith Ruth (née Teich), is a teacher-turned-psychotherapist from Vienna, Austria..... Her mother's ancestry includes Austrian Jewish, "Catholic Viennese" and Italian ... so I wouldn't class her as Welsh or English ...

The others I don't know very well , sorry... oooh, you left off Emma Watson 

Remember, we are talking about pics of women who have the possibility of your man Slumba, possibly attaining.  I don't look at pics of Elena Korikova or Yulia Snigir and use them as a basis of comparison for FSUW...

[ML]

Hey, let's get back to the Cultural Gap that the OP introduced.
There have been plenty of threads about the looks idea.

I will say there is a big difference in the business cultural/ethical  aspects of FSU and USA.  I won't be so rude as to describe these, as others have already done that also.   And most of the FSU folks here except for Raneta will readily admit the truths about this.

Now, as to the 'outside business' cultural situation, I haven't really encountered that much in the way of differences.  Now this is excepting the extreme rudeness of shop workers, etc., which is some mix of business and personal attitude.  Oh yes, there is the driving situation also.

I have been with dozens of FSUW in their homes and my homes, and have never encountered the eating alone or sitting with me while I eat situation that OP wrote about.  So I think his gal is an anomaly in that respect.

One difference I have noted (but which doesn't really affect me) is the idea that FSU folks care about what their family (even extended family) think about actions they take.

For instance:  Ochka has a male cousin who divorced a very good (according to her)  woman, and later married a woman that the majority of the family didn't exactly like.

Ochka gave this new wife somewhat of a 'cold shoulder' at family events.

Her cousin approached her and asked what he could do that would influence Ochka to accept this woman with open arms.

When Ochka told me this story, I said to her . . . do you know what would happen in USA in this case?

The cousin would have told her and all others to go fock themselves!

These type of things are different between our cultures.

But on a day to day living basis; we experience none of this 'so called' cultural gap.

On an unrelated note:  Last night we went to a touring Broadway  production of Les Miserables.  As always, fantastic music.

[LAman]

What an insult to the likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Katherine Jenkins (Welsh) and Kate Beckinsale, Gemma Arterton, Rachel Weisz, Jenna-Louise Coleman and Keira Knightley (amongst millions of others!).
 
Slumba, you've obviously been totally asleep for too long!  Even though these ones may be unattainable, I'm sure there would have to be at least ONE female in the British Isles who could get your motor running rather quicker.

Let's not forget the best looking Welsh.......Raquel Welsh!!!

[jdatbs77]

This has been an interesting discussion, and it has opened my eyes. Maybe the "challenges" aren't all ethnic. I guess that I made the assumption that the differences between my wife and every other woman I've ever had a relationship with were due to her being eastern Euro. Maybe it's just her, not all, but some. I really want to thank all of you who spent your time posting here. You guys are great!
Jim

[Anotherkiwi]

Let's not forget the best looking Welsh.......Raquel Welsh!!!

I think that we're just too old if we remember her in this context! 

[Faux Pas]

This has been an interesting discussion, and it has opened my eyes. Maybe the "challenges" aren't all ethnic. I guess that I made the assumption that the differences between my wife and every other woman I've ever had a relationship with were due to her being eastern Euro. Maybe it's just her, not all, but some. I really want to thank all of you who spent your time posting here. You guys are great!
Jim

Jim,
At the end of the day, nothing you've mentioned as far as cultural, is cultural at all. Also, what you've mentioned is relatively minor personal preferences and it appears both hers and yours. Nuances and preferences.

You've made a mistake that many WM make and attribute behavior to cultural (some behavior us, but most is not). It would appear in your case to be some basic insignificant behavior. Others who have made that mistake were not so lucky.

[Ranetka]

It is actually quite obvious, at least some of the time. 

There are differences in the naso-labial fold, ratio between width of jaw and of neck (sometimes), what I assume is more of either Tatar or Finn in Russians than in Ukrainian and Belorussian, etc. 

I find both Welsh and English to be ugly, so I haven't been looking at their pics 

En-masse, yes of course. There are genetic differences between these nations and they manifest itself in how people look. However the visual differences are not big enough to correctly guess about an individual. I'd say seeing 5000 of people your 68% may well be right; seeing picture of 10 women - no way of telling.


Say you mention Tatar or Finns - completely different looks, and yet you think you can guess Russian looks...Hmmm.

[GQBlues]

Let's not forget the best looking Welsh.......Raquel Welsh!!!

Whodat?

If Raquel Welch - I thought's she's a hybrid being her Dad was from Bolivia or somewhere from SA?

[LAman]

Whodat?

If Raquel Welch - I thought's she's a hybrid being her Dad was from Bolivia or somewhere from SA?

Quite right GQ....just making a play with names.....but this gave me thoughts of becoming a caveman!!!!

 

[Anotherkiwi]

Whodat?

If Raquel Welch - I thought's she's a hybrid being her Dad was from Bolivia or somewhere from SA?

True - Dad was born in La Paz.  She's one of the very few actresses that I know of who has used their real name as her stage name - born Jo Raquel Tejada, she married James Welch in 1959, becoming Raquel Welch for real and using that name forever after (even though she's had three other husbands  ).  Still going strong at 72, she has quite a way to go to match her mother, who died at age 91.
 
(I knew some of this, but thanks to Wikipedia for filling in the gaps).

[ksf]

If you listen to each others hearts and less with your mind you will find many differences become trivial... If that fails chocolate and flowers are a good fall back *grin*

[Slumba]

En-masse, yes of course. There are genetic differences between these nations and they manifest itself in how people look. However the visual differences are not big enough to correctly guess about an individual. I'd say seeing 5000 of people your 68% may well be right; seeing picture of 10 women - no way of telling.


Say you mention Tatar or Finns - completely different looks, and yet you think you can guess Russian looks...Hmmm.

It has been a while, I think, it was 50 pictures.  Yes, Tatar and Finn are different looks - but either is more likely to be present in Russian and not Ukrainian ladies.

[Gator]

Yes, Tatar and Finn are different looks - but either is more likely to be present in Russian and not Ukrainian ladies.

Disagree with you here.
 
1.  I am not a historian, yet Ukraine's geographic location meant that for many centuries it was a trade and migration crossroad  between the East and West (e. g., Golden Gates of Kiev).   Consequently, I would expect Ukraine to have a more diverse gene pool than Russia (albeit with fewer Finn genes).
 
2.  Tatars have a long history in Ukraine, several centuries (Google Crimean Tatars). 

[TS]

In the Southern portion of Ukraine in the area between Sevestopol and Yalta you have a lot of different cultures there.  You have the tartars many who were forced to move under Stalin I believe and now are back.  You have the growing Jewish population who is buying secretly tens of thousands of acres of land up in the hills as they believe there is precious religious artificats.  These are Jewish people coming from Israel using local Jews in order to buy large amounts of land.  You have the Russian navy and their families.  Then the Ukrainians.  Reminds me of a big city in the USA with people from all over the world.  Also more and more Turkish and Nigerians living there.
In the summer time you have the vaction crowd.
Its a very interesting place but be warned hotels and resorts are not up to par and it can be pricey in vacation season.  But for history buffs it has thousands of years of it including historical battle fields you can walk and still find undiscovered artifcats easily. 
 
 

[OlgaH]

Greeks in Ukraine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeks_in_Ukraine

Turks in Ukraine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_in_Ukraine

Poles in Ukraine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poles_in_Ukraine

Crimean Tatars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_Tatars

History of the Jews in Ukraine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Ukraine

[noelscot]

Why does it seem FSUW's first impulse/preoccupation, and at times with some unexplainable urgency, is go out and find another man almost immediately after a break-up? Universally, as though everything else in life have little significance, something takes over their minds that they just cannot be alone...Heck, you see this example in this very board. It's like a drug addiction, man.

It just blows my mind everytime because this is so counter with me or with everyone I know, AM or AWs. There's that customary, sought-after 'cooling off' period everyone gets into. No rush jumping into one soon.

Because having two boyfriends is normal over there for a lot of women. Having none? Not so much.

[mendeleyev]

Depends on how serious is a dating relationship. Generally they're like everywhere else, dating freely until they begin to narrow down choices. One of the complaints of many RW is men who play the field while pretending to be serious.

[ML]

Depends on how serious is a dating relationship. Generally they're like everywhere else, dating freely until they begin to narrow down choices. One of the complaints of many RW is men who play the field while pretending to be serious.

Not quite sure your antecedent here Jim but . . .

The 'playing the field' behavior is a necessary part of the screening process for a man (or woman) who is temporarily away from their home base.

i.e. The person can't travel thousands of miles to date only one person; then travel back home only to get on plane and go back to date a second person, etc.

The valid complaint is against those who don't understand this and 'force' the other person to proclaim seriousness in order to allow the relationship to continue on to the point where both parties can actually come to a rational, logical and considered conclusion as to the viability of the relationship.

Premature seriousness and the premature expectation of seriousness is a very real problem for those seeking a compatible loving partner.

[Gator]

Because having two boyfriends is normal over there for a lot of women. Having none? Not so much.

I have watched my own stepdaughter, gorgeous 24-yo.  She has never dated two men concurrently.  If she has a boyfriend, she will not meet other men.  For as long as the relationship progresses, she stays.   If she determines the relationship will not develop into something more serious, she abandons him. 
 
If she has broken up with a boyfriend, she starts looking again but not with a sense of urgency.  She will meet someone new, and if he warrants a second date, she will not accept proposals to meet other new men.
 
I gather from my discussions with RW friends and dates that many if not most RW tend to operate this way.  However, you can be sure that some RW are seeing more than one man concurrently. 

[mendeleyev]

 

The person can't travel thousands of miles to date only one person; then travel back home only to get on plane and go back to date a second person, etc.

The valid complaint is against those who don't understand this and 'force' the other person to proclaim seriousness in order to allow the relationship to continue on to the point where both parties can actually come to a rational, logical and considered conclusion as to the viability of the relationship.

ML, I don't think that we're in disagreement.

Depends on how serious is a dating relationship. Generally they're like everywhere else, dating freely until they begin to narrow down choices. One of the complaints of many RW is men who play the field while pretending to be serious.

What I wanted to clarify is that not every RW/UW is a two-timer with two or more guys on the hook, each pretending to be exclusive.

[Doll]

Because having two boyfriends is normal over there for a lot of women. Having none? Not so much.

No, it is not.

[noelscot]

What I wanted to clarify is that not every RW/UW is a two-timer with two or more guys on the hook, each pretending to be exclusive.

Of course, not every woman is promiscuous in the FSU, but here is a prevalent attitude with which you are probably familiar.
 
Adultery is not a big deal, unless the man loves the woman or creates a scandal.
 
This Pravda article is a bit dated, but worth mention:

Adultery is rather a social problem than a moral issue in Russia.  According to the 1998 opinion poll, almost 40% of the Russians believed that an act of adultery was either “never a mistake” or “sometimes a mistake,” compared to 6% of the Americans who shared the viewpoint. Moscow psychologists say that an affair appears rather inevitable for those Russians who have to share their two-room apartments with in-laws. The number of Russians living in such deplorable conditions is high.

 
The prevalent extramarital affairs with in-laws are a whole other topic altogether.
 
More:
 

No nationwide survey of sexual practices has ever been conducted in Russia. However, the 1996 opinion poll found out that more than a half of Russian males and a quarter of women had admitted to cheating on their spouses. To some extent, money can offset the emotional pain caused by adultery once it comes to light. According to female respondents, an infidel spouse would typically buy a fur coat for his wife or pay for her vacation at a sea resort in Turkey.
 

So as the OP said, "There IS a difference between your average American woman and your average eastern European."
 
Such as, vast ethical differences. The bad behaviour of RM that we read about was not created in a vacuum.

[mendeleyev]

The bad behaviour of RM that we read about is just as often based in myth as in reality.

[Gator]

 
The prevalent extramarital affairs with in-laws are a whole other topic altogether.

Affairs with in-laws?!      Were the affairs with in-laws, or were the spouses living with  their in-laws in need of some excitement.   
 

According to the 1998 opinion poll, almost 40% of the Russians believed that an act of adultery was either “never a mistake” or “sometimes a mistake,” compared to 6% of the Americans who shared the viewpoint.

This deduces to 94% of Americans feel that affairs are "always a mistake."  If this poll were scientific, I can conclude only that  Americans are more hypocritical than Russians. 
 

[noelscot]

The bad behaviour of RM that we read about is just as often based in myth as in reality.

What about the long list of misogynistic Russian proverbs? Did those come from thin air? Or the ubiquitous violence against women in Russia and a system where women generally have no legal recourse? Is that based in myth too?