Ain't life grand, an evening in Kiev.

[Mir]

The author is Michael Bulgakov, who wrote 'Master and Margareta' one of the most famous book of modern Russian literature that has a cult following in Russia/Ukraine.
He also wrote many other books.
The photo in my avatar has the door of the said house/museum in the background (13 Andreyevaksy Spusk).
Jack's photo above the gramophone one shows 'Richard's Castle'  at no. 15, named after Richard I from Ivanhoe.
Further down at 2B is 'Museum of One Street' well worth a visit as it gives a history of this street through artifacts of those who lived there.
Yes no doubt the most enchanting street in Kiev

[wxman]

Mir,

Thank you! That's the author!

[Mir]

wzman

You are wellcome, and do read the book. It is available free online.
It is quite funny and enjoyable, certainly a good read.

[viking]

I had forgotten the name of the street, but yeah, a great place to find some very interesting things to bring home.

[WmGO]

Ken

I am not forcing anything on anyone.

Jack

WRONG!  Don't you know that by merely *mentioning* something that you are ipso facto trying to *force* it ?   

Oh yeah, nice photos Jack.

And re: Dnepropetrovsk, the D is virtually silent.

[Jack]

knee pa per trosk.   Your right Wmgo. I have heard many people pronounce it without the D, simply knee pa per trosk.  But have heard some locals pronounce with a slight d,   duh knee pa per trosk.  Ok, thanks for the always appreciated lessons.


So, just got back from a little stroll on Khershatyk.  (kerr shat tic)


But before I show a few photos, couple of tidbit's of information.


Cost of a vanilla milk shake at Baskins Robbins, any guesses?

Remember I mentioned the MacDonald's at Independence Square had no chairs, tables or umbrellas?  Today for the first time this year chairs and tables were set. No umbrellas but are probably coming. My guess is Mac balked, city officials saw this and probably reached a compromise. After all no one else could really use the space in front of MacDonald's but MacDonald's.

Most the year, and last year, the grivna has pretty much leveled at 5.02 to the dollar (502 grivnas per hundred dollar).  Recently the Ukraine government has come out with a new currency, had one a few days ago (but it went quick) and it's a new 500 grivna note, or 100 dollars. Previous high currency was the 200 note, or $40.

Cost of a vanilla milk shake at Baskins Robbins,..............$6.

[Jack]

 

[Mir]

WRONG!  Don't you know that by merely *mentioning* something that you are ipso facto trying to *force* it ?   

If meant as a joke it is funny, if a serious comment then it is crap

[Jack]

 

[Jack]

 

[Jack]

 

[Jack]

 

[Jack]

 

[Jack]

 

[Jack]

whoaaaa, was the site down in America as well?  The RWD was down on this side of the ocean for about 45 minutes, were you down in the states as well?



Ok, here are some photos of a couple of women who got my attention.

[Jack]

 

[Jack]

 

[Jack]

After these ladies were through playing in the fountain as they were leaving they walked to within about 2-3 feet of me. I had to say something. So when they were as close as they were going to get I said, "Thanks for the many nice photos" to which the red head in almost perfect English said "your welcome".

[Jack]

 

[Jack]

This lady was a little interesting.  She saw me taking photos of various ladies, just as she saw me taking a photo of her.  I think she was almost posing for me. I took many more photos of her than what I have posted here as she would look at me, then change her stance and look this way, then that way.

She stood there for about 7-8 minutes, and like I say she would see me taking photos of various other ladies as well.  Finally she decided to move from this location and she walked right in front of me, about 3-4 feet and I smiled big at her as she walked by and she smiled big at me.  I wasn't going to take her photo from behind, as she had seen me taking photos of other ladies from behind as well, but I thought, what the heck, why not. So as she was about 10 feet from me and walking away, as I put my photo up about to take her photo she turned around and looked at me for just a split second, long enough to see I was going to take her photo, and she had a big smile on her face. I think she was glad to see that she  qualified for a photo from behind as she saw me only taking photos of select ladies.  I know it sounds crazy but I think it made her day.

[Jack]

 

[DKMM]

What's up with the ho train Jack?  hehe just kidding. 

I was going to say that these women are all unattractive until I saw that last one. 

[macman]

I would have said something similar; however, more appropriate would have been - Hey Jack, these women look like American women. 

Actually, they are "all" beautiful!

Thanks JackMan,

Macman

[Thor]

Hello guys, I will continue with follow-ups and a few opinions


First I would like to give my honest opinion as to Kiev.  I do not think their is a more vibrant, more exciting city in the world today than Kiev. Not so expensive by comparison to other major cities. The traffic is not nearly as bad as many other major cities of the world and when you take all these factors, and many more into play, combined with the night life, ease to get around, living conditions, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of beautiful women, their is not a more fun city in the world to live in today. I have heard it said many times that today's Kiev is often compared to Paris of 1947-53.   

Kiev see's many foreigners daily. The economy is busting. We all keep saying the real estate market is going to bust. This was said in 1999, and in 2001, and 2002, 03, 04, 05, 06 and it is even said today, the real estate market is going to bust.  Yea, was I a dummy.  The flat I stay in two months a year in Kiev I could have bought at one time for $90,000. But the market is going to bust and I will have over paid and it will take years for the economy to recover?  This is what I thought in 2000. But more importantly than the price was the uncertainty involved with a foreign person buying property in Kiev or Ukraine. I had heard many stories of foreigners buying a flat only to have lost everything when it was discovered the person they bought the flat from was not the original owner but it was really some old lady who lived with her daughter. The Ukraine courts were not going to rule against little old lady, the foreigner lost everything. And their were many such stories.

Over the last few years things have gotten to the point where the procedure and laws for foreigners buying property here have improved to the point where it's almost like buying a condo in the states. We cannot own the land the flat is sitting on, but we can own the flat. In the next year or two foreigners will be allowed to buy farm land and we think the pricing for land will sky rocket when this happens.  And oh, the cost of my flat today, 60 square meters, if I wanted to buy, $350,000.

Kiev girls see a lot of foreigners and lot's of rich foreigners who are coming for a single, not so good purpose.  Many Kiev girls are getting a bit spoiled. Life is not bad here or in Odessa. Ladies are not wanting to leave just to leave but will leave if the carrot dangled in front of them is big enough.  Now before we go any further I have to say my statements, my opinions are in general. Most everything I say and do today is based on percentages.

Today in my opinion it is very hard for most of our guys to find the type Ukraine/Russian woman they are looking for in Kiev. No it's not impossible, there are many fine, wonderful women here who would make great wife's, but it's taking more work, more effort and to a degree luck. In other cities, such as Krivoy Rog, Zaporozhye, Lugansk, Kherson, Nikolaev, Poltava as examples where things are a little more economically depressed we have a much better chance of finding the type Ukraine/Russian woman we are looking for. Many of these ladies in these cities are looking to leave, are looking for a better life. Ladies in these cities do not see a constant stream of foreigners. The chances, the percentages, of our clients finding good women in these cities are much higher than in Kiev or Odessa.

It's probably got by some people but we don't have parties during our spring or fall trips anymore in Kiev or Odessa. Have not had such parties in Kiev for well over a year and a half. Their is a reason for that. Now we do have a party in Kiev in late December, this year on the 27th, where we have many fine single and beautiful ladies attend our once a year Kiev party.  But this time of year Kiev is one big party.  From our party on the 27th most guys will find their New Years Eve date as well as several ladies they can date, see, party with during the most party time of the year for Kiev, from about Dec. 27th through January 9th.  The city is one long, big, never ending party.  Now even after saying all this we had two clients who found there Ukraine bride, from Kiev, on our December 28th 2006 party. So as I was saying it's not impossible to find a good wife in Kiev, but it will take work and/or maybe a little luck.

The very best purpose that Kiev and Odessa serve for our guys today is that these are wonderful places for the ladies of highest interest they met on tour to meet them again for 2-3-4 days at the end of each tour. Most of our guys have some extra days left at the end of each trip for just this purpose. So after visiting two-three-four cities and if Lesya from Kharkov, or Marina from Lugansk you had the greatest interest in, and they in the you, we arrange for the ladies to spend a few days with the man in either Odessa or Kiev, and it's usually Kiev as this is where most the men will be departing from.

Now for myself I try to reserve two weeks at the end of every tour in Kiev. A week before each tour in Kiev and two weeks at the end. The last guy who was part of our Ukraine tour left on Saturday. I started my partying on Sunday. The Finnish guy who joined me the other night was a client in town, on an individual tour, not part of the group tour. The last two weeks of each Ukraine tour I kind of reserve for my free time. I can assure you that I cannot stay out until 5am in Kharkov, or Zaporozhye or Nikolaev when I have guys to attend to each day. But the last two weeks, 10 days, after my tour clients have gone, it's my time and I enjoy it and live for these times of the year.

This morning's early observation. Went to bed early last night, woke up early this morning and went out to see the city as it was awakening. At 6-7am the city is so quite, peaceful and beautiful. Kiev is the cleanest of all the big FSU cities I have ever visited. In the early hours of the morning the underground passages are watered down with hoses. It's strange to be walking here still at 8am and seeing puddles of water. A few days ago a lady of about 45-50 slipped and fell right in front of me. I helped her up as she dusted off her white dress. I don't think she was hurt, mostly embarrassed. She feel from one of these small puddle of waters that had not evaporated. In the states the lady could have sued the city for a million dollars. Here you slip on a puddle of water sprayed by the city, or you break an ankle due to the 8 inch hole in the middle of the sidewalk, well that's just to bad here, that's life.

I noticed this morning a couple of really fine, fine ladies buying flowers in one of the underground places that sell flowers. As I was looking at this one fine blonde I wanted to tell her I would be happy to buy those flowers for her. But I was just curious as to why I was seeing these fine ladies buying flowers and I realized that maybe one of their girlfriends might be having a birthday today or something like that. 

Several days ago I went to one of these places and bought 7 red roses for a lady I was meeting for dinner, price 27.5 grivnas.  A few days ago went to the same place but different lady, again asked for 7 red roses, price was 40 grivnas. Sure the lady pocketed the extra money. I am a foreigner and how would I know any different. I was in a hurry and didn't feel like going to another place so paid her price.

Used to be a few years ago I could stand in front of the main metro station next to MacDonald's on Khershaytk and see thousands of beautiful ladies pouring out the main doors in the morning. Now it seems an almost equal number of women are coming out of the metro station located under Independence Square and so I do not have the same great number of beauties to photograph from the one main source, now it appears equally divided between the two.

Something else I noticed was the number of beauties coming from the metros and going to work in the morning were a much smaller percent of the short mini-skirts I see as compared to the ladies coming out of the metro after about 11am. The percentage of ladies coming to the center wearing the short mini-skirts is higher in the early afternoon as compared to the early morning work crowd. Just makes common sense I agree but this is not the case in what I was seeing 3-4-5 years ago as there were many ladies leaving the main metro subway at 8:45-9:30 wearing the short mini-skirts. But things have changed.  Also I notice this spring, unlike anytime in the past, more and more ladies are wearing the short-shorts, not skirts but short-shorts. Got a few of those shots yesterday afternoon.

The city government here has gotten a little greedy with many of the vendors and food providers. Outside places that were here in the fall, and last spring, our not here today. One good example many of you can relate to is the MacDonald's at Independence Square. You recall how you have always seen chairs, tables and umbrellas out front? Not today. No chairs, no tables, no umbrellas in front of MacDonald's at Independence Square. Why?  The city wanted more money for Mac to occupy this space.  The large green Tent place you could buy beer, food last spring and fall just in front of the Globe on Independence Square? Not there this year, why, the city raised it's price so much the owners said forget it. And their are several other places like this in the center that are not here today.

Someone asked earlier about the name of a couple of nice night clubs with not so many, if any, working girls.  I did not mention the name of the club I went to the other night where I saw the nice blonde smiling at me because I did not want to give an impression this club was bad.  I do not think this club is bad and I think all clubs can and may have a few working girls. But the percentages could be like less than 5%, some real small figure. I will mention the name of this club because I do think it is a nice night club and the one working girl that was noticed should not be a factor when considering nice night clubs.  The name of this club was the Caribbean Club.  Some nights I do not like the music here but other nights, usually on the weekends, it's got the strong Euro beat and type dancing.  And like another of the posters wrote, in America I NEVER go dancing. Once you have seen and been exposed to clubs in Ukraine or Russia, when you see and are exposed to the ladies who are in these clubs and their exciteness to dance with you, what we have in the states is absolutely no comparison. Not even close.

I totaly agree with you Jack when it comes to Odessa and Kiev. It is much harder to find girl in this 2 beautiful citys who are looking for a forreign man. I have said this since last year, but every time some other members at this board has said that I am wrong. But I am happy that you who maybe are the most exsperienced at this board has seen the same as me..Kiev and Odessa are cool citys and I totaly adore Kiev, but it is very hard to find sincere girls in this citys. I belive that you told me in 2005 that Odessa was "out fished")

[START2]

Thor, cracks me up. I think you Jack meant fished out. lol.
  Wow Jack my imagination is running wild. in pics 1915d and e.  What could this girl be doing. Wish that was a film clip!!!!