Turbo - Keep us Posted . . .

[Turboguy]

I wanted to keep everyone informed on how things are going.   VWRW arrived in the USA last Friday the 12th. 

She was comfortable coming to JFK alone but we decided that I would meet here at JFK and help her get her bags from Aeroflot's terminal to the JetBlue terminal for her flight to Pittsburgh.  She had 80+ pounds of bags with her a big part of which were about 20 pounds of chocolate her mother so kindly sent along as a gift. 

I flew to JFK early on Friday.   I did not want to take any chances of anything going wrong and not being there to meet her.   I took a morning flight arriving at noon.   Viking met me at the airport and gave me a little tour of his city and his very nice house and then we had lunch and arrived back at the airport a little before her flight was to arrive.

If you have ever stood in baggage claim and watched all the bags pop out, except yours, then the machine shuts off and you look around and you are the only one left.    That is a little how I felt meeting VWRW.   All the passangers from the Moscow flight came out of the arrivals area, then the ones from Rome, and then the ones from Paris and still no VWRW.   Finally when I was in deep thought about if there was a customs (lost people) equivalent of a lost baggage office she appeared with a smile on her face and a happiness in her voice.   

The 8:55 Pittsburgh flight which seemed more than enough for the 3:50 arrival from Moscow now gave us just enough time for Viking, VWRW and I to drink some coffee and get to the other terminal.  We had time but not the hours to burn I expected. 

We arrived in Pittsburgh on time, we got my car and headed home.   VWRW got her first look at her new home and seemed to like it.   I had spent a few days cleaning but really needed more time.   Her comment the first night was that it seemed clean.   Of course that was with tired eyes and so-so lighting.   In the morning she decided I am a normal slob like most guys.  I am not sure why we even bother cleaning because no matter how much we clean they will always find more to clean.

VWRW wasted little time making her new home, hers.   She has done an amazing transformation in a few days.  I am sure I now have the cleanest, most organized home in my little town.   The first thing she wanted was for me to get rid of the Russian things I had in the house which were just a few souvenirs from my travels.  Mostly it has been clean and reorganize.   

VWRW's impression of the Customs office at JFK was not really good.  She felt they were trying to make fun of people, particularly Russian fiancee's.   When they brought her K-1 packet in they laughed that the K-1 girls are very beautiful for men to go half way around the world to marry them.   They asked her if she spoke English.  She said, "Yes, but not well"   VWRW says they laughed and talked about one word every 15 seconds " Why............you..............come....................America?   In his mind she felt not very well meant almost none where she is basically fluent.     They grilled her fairly completely at JFK, maybe even more questions than in Moscow.   

I think the trip through JFK could have left her with a feeling Americans are rude and unfriendly.   I sort of enjoyed being at WalMart the next day when VWRW got more of a view of friendly Americans.   We were in the grocery section looking at Yogurt and trying to decide what kind she wanted from the very large selection there.  An older lady came up and was smiling and put her arm around VWRW and said, get this one.   It is wonderful and has the best taste of any yogurt I have ever eaten.   I think it was a nice display of American friendliness.   

I was planning on some clothes shopping over the weekend but we were too busy working on the house and hope to do that soon.   She likes my town.   She commented that she could not understand why some here would think it would be a place people would not want to live.   

As much as she has worked to do a makeover on my house the biggest project is the makeover on me.  Of course I am a bigger fix-em-up project than the house.   Her current effort is to teach me to eat like a proper Russian.   That of course is with the knife and fork reversed from the way we do it here and so far there have only been three trips to the emergency room to have the fork removed from my eye. 

We have only eaten one meal out which was a Chinese buffet which she liked a lot.  I did notice that on our first trip through we did not have a single thing on our plates that was the same as the other.   I guess it shows that opposites attract. 

There is not a lot to report at this time.   We both seem to be enjoying our time together and to be very content.  Things have been smooth and happy.   I expect it to say that way but of course if there are problems it will likely be when the novelty wears off and the humdrum of day to day live begins.   I really think we were together enough during the summer that if it was going to happen it would have but I will just say that so far things are wonderful. 

[BillyB]

Sounds great TG. Have you told VWRW that it's normal for New Yorker's to be rude? I can understand why VWRW wants you to throw away previous souvenirs from other trips. It's like a new woman in your life wanting you to throw away the bed that the previous wife slept in.

[Turboguy]

She says she doesn't care about that part Billy, it just did not fit our decor and made it seem like a Ukrainian villiage house.

[viking]

I was a pleasure to meet up with you and try to keep the angst from growing as you waited for VWRW to show up. When I first saw her greeting you, with those great green eyes smiling, I wondered if I will ever have that pleasure of a RW looking at me as she gets off the plane. She seemed very nice and calm, considering the long trip, very happy to be with you and she really has a super personality. Her english was much better than I expected.

I wish you both good luck although I dont know if it is necessary as I felt a high level of comfort between you. I think you have finally found the right person for you.

[Bruce]

Now for something completely different........................

Congratulations and good luck.

The BCINS doesn't even know what any of its hands are doing.

[Gator]

Welcome VWRW!

Not to be unkind, but I think Turbo could use a makeover.   

[wiz]

Turbo

Congradulations and good luck.........

They are all the same when it comes to the house been clean and changed.....

Mine has seen photos of my flat and she already is planning what to do before she even arrived here........for Xmas in December....

I take the easy way out.....do whatever you like.....clean wash change furniture around but don't touch my wardrove with my books and other thinks and of course my PC.

[Turboguy]

Thanks Viking.   I appreciate the nice comments.   I think we both feel an unusual comfort with each other that almost seems like we have lived together for years.   I think it will make things much easier for us.   I agree about VWRW's English.   I am not even sure if she really knows how well she does, but she does great.

Thanks Bruce,   I agree, I think the more I see how some government agencies work it makes me wonder how the country survives.

Gator,  I agree with you totally and enjoyed your comment.   I am sure she will do that as capably as she does everything else. 

Thanks Wiz,   I am sure when she is there if you blink you will think you are in the wrong house.   I never saw anyone as efficient and organized as the RW I have been with here this week. 

[LiveFromUkraine]

Congrats Turbo.  All the best.


Thomas

[Son of Clyde]

Welcome to the US VWRW and best of luck to you.
Now I also thought the people at JFK were rather rude but you need to consider how many people they deal with in one day.
Turbo, my wife was the last one out at JFK because of a tie up with the puppy she brought here. I was at the airport at 1:30 and she got through customs around 6:30. JFK is not the most comfortable place to be for 6 hours.
I found the people at the information desk to be very friendly.
I know many New Yorkers and Viking is one of the nicest.
It is more the lifestyle of a huge city that causes some New Yorkers to speak and move faster than say a person from North Carolina.
A funny story.
I was in Huntsville, AL a few weeks ago scoping out the place for the future. The people are extremely laid back.
I had a problem with one saleslady in Walmart. She told me not to bother her while she was on break and I only wanted to know where the restroom was located.

[catzenmouse]

VWRW,

 Congratulations on surviving the trip and welcome! Elena also found the JFK people to be the worst of the worst. Chicago comes in a close second.

 You have a very big project on your hands in Ray but I'm sure that eventually you'll get him close to functional! 

 Let us know about your impressions and how you are doing.

Ken

P. S. I'll bet a certain Turbo character is mighty happy and relieved that you are finally here!

[Turboguy]

Thanks Thomas,  I appreciate it.

SOC,   VWRW thanks you for the kind welcome.   Yes, people down that was sorta do need to work up to everything by contemplating about it for a few hours.   Just think, here you are just considered a good worker, once you move you will be considered a real motivated go getter, a superhuman dynamo. 

Ken,  I am sure she is up to the big project.   After watching what wonders she has done on my house in just a few days, a total redo of me should not take her much more than 20-30 years.

[Zadan]

Congrats Turbo.

What kind of questions did they ask VWRW? 

[KenC]

Turbo & VWRW,
I wish the two of you all the best.
KenC

[I/O]

Turbo and VWRW: Finally...!!! I can assure you guys we know just how the waiting feels.  All the best.

I/O

[Mir]

a total redo of me should not take her much more than 20-30 years.

After eating 20 pounds of chocolate and gaining 25 kg in wight you sure will look like a new man in no time at all

Best wishes for VWRW who can be renamed as NWWAW (not watching and waiting anylonger) and TG (new name Turbo Moshe) as they start their new life together.

[Blues Fairy]

Turbo, it's good to hear all's well!  I'm happy for you guys!
I agree that VWRW underestimates her fluency.

[Gator]

Turbo,

You have an interesting story to tell, one that is not adequately covered elsewhere.  Namely, the story of a RW who is more interested in accomplishing something outside the home.  There are many such RW and I can not find much to read about them.

I read about JB's wife who had the education to become a college professor.  or a medical physician becoming a nurse while studying for her examinations.  However, i do not read much about RW going into a business other than helping at her husband's business.

My Moscow woman will be spending much of her time for the next few years as a mother, yet when the children become older she definitely wants to accomplish something.    Her 4-year plan is a period of adjustment, some specialized education, and dabbling here and there until she finds her niche, about the time the children can take care of themselves for the most part.

VWRW will be preceding her by a few years, not just because she is here a year earlier but also because VWRW has no children.   So I am keenly interested in VWRW’s plans and progress. 

[Turboguy]

Thanks Gator,   I will try to keep you and everyone updated.   There is still a lot to be decided since America is so different than Russia so she has some learning to do about business.   

The plan is to see what her degree there can evaluate to here and then for her to get a few years of schooling while she fine tunes her English (which is already amazing)   I have hopes she can get a masters degree.

She also plans to work a little in my business which should be a good learning experience for her.   In a big business you are a very small part of a very small specialized part of whatever business you are working for.   My business is small enough that she can get a view of all aspects of business operations and it may help to find her best area of interest and help her learn more about how a business functions.

[KenC]

Turbo,
You might want to look into a creative writing class at the local university for VWRW.  Nothing helped Lena more with her English than that particular class.  Now I ask her how to spell words or to check my writing.
KenC

[Simoni]

Turbo,

You have an interesting story to tell, one that is not adequately covered elsewhere.  Namely, the story of a RW who is more interested in accomplishing something outside the home.  There are many such RW and I can not find much to read about them.

I read about JB's wife who had the education to become a college professor.  or a medical physician becoming a nurse while studying for her examinations.  However, i do not read much about RW going into a business other than helping at her husband's business.

My Moscow woman will be spending much of her time for the next few years as a mother, yet when the children become older she definitely wants to accomplish something.    Her 4-year plan is a period of adjustment, some specialized education, and dabbling here and there until she finds her niche, about the time the children can take care of themselves for the most part.

VWRW will be preceding her by a few years, not just because she is here a year earlier but also because VWRW has no children.   So I am keenly interested in VWRW’s plans and progress. 

Good post, Gator.  I think it is a good thing when RW want to do more that just be a housewife.  Frankly, I'd be happy if Marina would just assist me in my business.   We don't need her to work  from a  financial sense.  But she eventually wants a career, so she is getting a second degree here in the US.  So for now, advanced university courses are "her job."

[KenC]

Turbo,
You metioned a "night and day" difference between VWRW and Luda upon arrival.  Please give us some examples.
KenC

[Turboguy]

Ken, I don't have a lot of time right now but I will see if I can answer this.

For one thing the level of enthusiasm is very different.

One of the things I really noticed and this was probably what was in my mind more than anything was that Luda cleaned my house in her free time where VWRW has tried to make it her own.   Things are very changed.   VWRW acts like it is her house which it is and how I want her to feel.  She has made it clean, organized and efficient.   

You can just see in the way VWRW acts that she is accepting me and her life here as what her life is now.

Something else that popped into my mind was that for me, when Luda came I expected it to be perminant and acted that way.   Luda was confused about where she wanted her life to go and I think after she returned to Russia she decided it was the biggest mistake of her life.

Where I am going with this, I know of 4 couples where the guy was committed and happy and the girl came with an "I want to check things out first" mentality.   All 4 went back to Russia.   I will add as a side note that Luda of course is one of those and P/G's Larisa is another.

Personally I think everyone should keep in mind the K-1 is not a trial thing and when  they use it as a trial it seems to automatically be failure.  I think when you add in trying to make life decisions with adapting to life here it is just too much and they go home.  I hope anyone who finds themselves in this situation will keep what I have said in mind.

[KenC]

Turbo,
With the ability to look back with 20/20 hindsite, could you now see the warning signs with Luda?
KenC

[BC]

I must say it is a bit refreshing to see the discussions tending toward phase II.. -The chase over and real work beginning with a hint of reflection regarding the past.

I'm looking forward to follow-up in the married section within the next 90 days.