Beginning the quest

[UomoCristiano1234]

Hello everyone!

I have been looking at the information on this site for a week or so, and it seems to be just what I am looking for, so here goes my intro:

I am a Western European man with rather classical views and values and like so many here found it very hard to find compatible women. About one year ago I started noticing the descriptions of ladies from the FSU and they immediately captivated my attention. These ladies, it is argued, are brought up to be ladylike, feminine, appreciative of traditional family views and are unfamiliar with feminism and other Western ideas. Oh, I forgot: And terribly pretty too!

My quest now is to find out the truth about these ladies - are they for real or just too good to be true? I don't mind taking some chances and maybe end up disappointed. I just need to know. It's better than staying out for fear of getting

cheated and missing out on what could be the great chance of a lifetime.

So I'll be extremely grateful for any advice I can gather here. Obviously I'll start reading the many threads you have on the site. But I hope also to get some personal advice from some of the more experienced people here on the forum.

In short my experience so far is this:
I've had a nasty newbie 'visit one woman only without a backup plan' experience last September in Odessa, which left some scars and left me wondering what was going on. I now wish I had been on this forum before I went so naively...my experience seems to be a common pattern.

Anyway, my plan now is to go on a Romance Tour to meet more women. Probably with AFA, since I hear they have a good reputation. I'm thinking the Odessa Tour in July. But anything I learn here or elsewhere could change that plan in the meantime. For instance, one of the other newcomers was warned about the same plan from one of the seasoned members that it might be hard to find sincere women in Odessa. Should I rather go on some other tour? Kiev or St. Petersburg? The thing is, I am having a good correspondence with an Odessa lady at the moment, so this city has priority at the moment.

As you may see, I am probably a typical newbie here and have tons of these questions. I look forward to being part of this forum! 

[I/O]

The last time I was in Odessa, about 3 years back, there was a large market style hall in the central area somewhere, can't remember exactly, but it sold every different type of meat and sausage imaginable. Kinda struck me as being much like a romance tour actually.

I/O

[Lily]

Uomo,

as to their authencity, there is no better way than to ask them questions and watch their words and behaviors.

Do romantic tours comprise the so called socials? I don't think that women who respect themselves would show up there.

[William3rd]

AFA?!?!?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Waste of your time and money my friend.

Imagine a room full of gold diggers waiting to pick your pocket. Working girls plying their trade openly.

A success rate that is almost non detectable using modern technology.

I am in contact with several of their current and former employees. Believe me, you are better served by using a smaller agency or Jacks group.

Lily is right on target with her respect issue. . . . . 

If you want to know more, after spending eight years working with those unethical and immoral reptiles, I have got lots to say

[Enot]

Welcome to the forum UomoCristiano1.  Yes these women are real but maybe not as perfect as you discribe or sense.  They have been westernize a bit and they have very strong personalities and opinions.  But overall they out class all other women I've ever dated.

I woudn't go the "tour" route or Odessa.  I know a guy that has had 2 failed attempts with women from Odessa.  He wasted a lot time and money there.  I would use on online service.  There are a few free ones like www.freepersonals.ru.  Don't use services where you pay for each letter.  A one time pay site is www.elenasmodels.com.  Many guys have had good luck with this site.

Tours are very expensive and a crap shoot in my opinion.  Tours are usually sponcered by dating services that charge a per letter price.  Why not increase your odds and get to know a woman for 3-4 months before you meet her using an on line service.  

This process is hard on you physically, mentally, and financially.  Good luck with your adventure.  

[Nando]

Man just forget that idea of romance tour and the like.
If you want to find a honest and family oriented woman it is going to be much more difficult then you think.
In the cities I know, which are Odessa and Nikolaev you can see lots of girls hanging around during work time in shops and cafes. Many don't seem to me very family oriented I would say more "fun oriented"
I spent more then one year to find a very good girl, after being a member of some 3 or 4 agencies/sights, like freepersonals and Elena models, sending some hundreds of letters, talking with I don't know how much girls on the phone, and meeting some 6 or 7 in the first trip to Odessa
You also can prepare your cash reserves because you are going to need it and even more after finding a good woman.

If I was going to begin this endeavour again I would have do things in a different way. Just choose one or two cities near and speed dating some 10 or 12 women while there and choosing the most interesting for a second and third meeting.
There lots of way of doing this process and all are expensive of course.

Good luck but please don't go in those big romance tours of Anastasia or AFA it is really a waste of time nowadays.

[Shadow]

Welcome uomo,
As fellow European let me tell you that there is a lot of hype about the ladies. Women are women, but that does not mean you will not be able to find a compatible partner in the FSU.
Tours seem to me a waste of time. My fiancee would got an offer once before she met me, checked out the building and went right back home. She would never be in a meat market.
As Sweden has some good connection, and you do not have a problem in jet lag, I advise the following tactic:
First of all make up your mind about who you are and what you want from life.
Find a dating method close to your personal character and ideas, and try to find women that will fit in to the life you lead and you want to lead as a family. Decide on accepting women with children or not. Decide what character traits in a woman are important for you.

Next get on to free sites or sites that will ask a fixed payment as member. Read as many profiles as you can. Do not go for the sexiest picture, but try to actually read what is written. Start to write those who you have interest in.
Soon you will e corresponding with 5-10 women. Some of them may be scammers, you will understand by them not answering your questions. Some will be pro-daters. Harder to find, but constant hints on their poor life and bad situation might give them away.
Once you are writing one month, you can select those you have the most interest in.
Now make a short trip. Leave on Friday, go back on Sunday evening or Monday. You will have two days to 'test the water', long enough to know if you want to see the woman more, short enough not to get dragged in to a lot of trouble or bad feelings if there is no connection. Repeat this until you find someone that you want to see more.
It will not cost the world, take up a lot of holidays or leave you stranded with nothing to do, instead you will be able to meet a woman that you can give full attention and see her surroundings.

[Gator]

Welcome Uomo!

Forget tours.  You have already been once and do not need your hand held as you cross the street!

The Elena's Models site works well.  The site gives information on when the woman last logged on, the percentage of times that she answered men's mail, etc.  And you can "wink" at women to see if they find you interesting.  If so, you can commence direct correspondence and soon telephone calls.  From there the sky is the limit.

You need to talk with the fellow RWD member Sort. He is from Denmark and also had a problem with a woman from Odessa.   However, he has now returned to Odessa and is happy with her. 

[Turboguy]

If you are set on doing a tour I would recommend going on one of Jack's tours (www.firstdreams.com) way before AFA.   I think Jack also goes to Odessa but it is also not a city I would recommend. 

I have been on three big agency tours (mine were through European Connections before they quit doing tours)   The ones I were on were of the same type as AFA does and they are a great source to meet scammers because they invite ladies off the street who know there will be a roomfull of newbies (the word newbies and suckers can be used interchangeably in my sentence)    I did one of Jack's tours and it is night and day different. 

Since you have made one trip you might want to forget the whole tour thing and just go with the help of some good local agencies (not AFA)  There are a lot of good ones in that local such as the Cindy agency, Kherson Girls and others.   I would also agree in recommending Elena's models which is where I met my wife.

[ScottinCrimea]

I will jump on the bandwagon and suggest Odessa might not be the best choice of cities.  While never having visited the city myself, I have heard enough that it woiuld be way down on my list.  I have heard more negative stories come out of Odessa than any other city in Ukraine, particularly with dating stories.  My Ukrainian sife calls it the "lyingest city n Ukraine.  Now I have met many wonderful people from Odessa and some here have been vrery successful in finding wives or fiancees from there, so forgive me if I have offended.  I'm just relating what I have read and heard in my experience.  I also agree with those who say the tours are not such a great idea.  The good women I know in Ukraine would not attend such functions.  I guess the closest comparison would be to troll the bars for wife material.

[Thor]

Hello everyone!

I have been looking at the information on this site for a week or so, and it seems to be just what I am looking for, so here goes my intro:

I am a Western European man with rather classical views and values and like so many here found it very hard to find compatible women. About one year ago I started noticing the descriptions of ladies from the FSU and they immediately captivated my attention. These ladies, it is argued, are brought up to be ladylike, feminine, appreciative of traditional family views and are unfamiliar with feminism and other Western ideas. Oh, I forgot: And terribly pretty too!

My quest now is to find out the truth about these ladies - are they for real or just too good to be true? I don't mind taking some chances and maybe end up disappointed. I just need to know. It's better than staying out for fear of getting

cheated and missing out on what could be the great chance of a lifetime.

So I'll be extremely grateful for any advice I can gather here. Obviously I'll start reading the many threads you have on the site. But I hope also to get some personal advice from some of the more experienced people here on the forum.

In short my experience so far is this:
I've had a nasty newbie 'visit one woman only without a backup plan' experience last September in Odessa, which left some scars and left me wondering what was going on. I now wish I had been on this forum before I went so naively...my experience seems to be a common pattern.

Anyway, my plan now is to go on a Romance Tour to meet more women. Probably with AFA, since I hear they have a good reputation. I'm thinking the Odessa Tour in July. But anything I learn here or elsewhere could change that plan in the meantime. For instance, one of the other newcomers was warned about the same plan from one of the seasoned members that it might be hard to find sincere women in Odessa. Should I rather go on some other tour? Kiev or St. Petersburg? The thing is, I am having a good correspondence with an Odessa lady at the moment, so this city has priority at the moment.

As you may see, I am probably a typical newbie here and have tons of these questions. I look forward to being part of this forum! 

Hei grabben hur maar ni?

I am a Norwegian married to a Ukrainian girl. Have been to Ukraina 17 times now . Would say that I know the country very well. Have some knowledgde of how to find a sincere girls and where to find them. I have said it before and I would say it again, to go to FSU without a back up plan is not a very good plan. This because very often when you meet face to face the chemistry you had in the letters are gone.....Then what to do??? And if you have fallen in love with this girl even before you have meet her so are you in troubbel.....To have a back up plan costs very littel and you dont need to vaiste time when the meeting was not a succes...

I see that some members here recommend some agencys here, I would also highly recommend newspapers ads in Ukraine. I meet my girl when my friend in Kharkov Slava runned ads for me in 5 differendt papers in Kharkov and the surronding villages of Kharkov. Very funny and it cost very littel to.

I have said it before and I would like to repete this: Odessa is a very funny city to go for fun, and there is a lot of hot girls there, the same goes for Kiev. But I truly belive that this citys are not good places to go to find sincere girls. Better go to Eastern Ukraine. Even Jack Bragg one of the guys who know most about dating in Ukraine says the same....The girls in the east seems to me to be more down to earth...

Anyway the FSU girls are the best in the world and you have done right by seeking a girl here...

[Kuna]

Welcome uomo,
As fellow European let me tell you that there is a lot of hype about the ladies. Women are women, but that does not mean you will not be able to find a compatible partner in the FSU.
Tours seem to me a waste of time. My fiancee would got an offer once before she met me, checked out the building and went right back home. She would never be in a meat market.
As Sweden has some good connection, and you do not have a problem in jet lag, I advise the following tactic:
First of all make up your mind about who you are and what you want from life.
Find a dating method close to your personal character and ideas, and try to find women that will fit in to the life you lead and you want to lead as a family. Decide on accepting women with children or not. Decide what character traits in a woman are important for you.

Next get on to free sites or sites that will ask a fixed payment as member. Read as many profiles as you can. Do not go for the sexiest picture, but try to actually read what is written. Start to write those who you have interest in.
Soon you will e corresponding with 5-10 women. Some of them may be scammers, you will understand by them not answering your questions. Some will be pro-daters. Harder to find, but constant hints on their poor life and bad situation might give them away.
Once you are writing one month, you can select those you have the most interest in.
Now make a short trip. Leave on Friday, go back on Sunday evening or Monday. You will have two days to 'test the water', long enough to know if you want to see the woman more, short enough not to get dragged in to a lot of trouble or bad feelings if there is no connection. Repeat this until you find someone that you want to see more.
It will not cost the world, take up a lot of holidays or leave you stranded with nothing to do, instead you will be able to meet a woman that you can give full attention and see her surroundings.

GOLD!



Uomo,

Use one of your greatest strengths - your lose proximity to FSU...

Any of us that live MUCH further away would love the oppotunity to visit often....  God, the thought of a weekend here and there would be perfect.

Forget the tours...  be logical, sensible and avoid falling for the fantasy...  Just enjoy the dating!

[UomoCristiano1234]

But anything I learn here or elsewhere could change that plan in the meantime.

I think that just happened! 

First of all, thanks a ton, everyone! I have been looking enough on this site to know that you guys are just the ones I wanted to hear from. I am honoured! Thank you also for the very elaborate and consistent answers, I am very grateful, realizing that I just got a golden chance to save myself a lot of futile effort, money and feelings!

Feeling thus relieved, I cannot help but feeling slightly demotivated and disoriented just now. I think I'll have to digest all your wise words and regroup my thoughts for a while now... 

Anyway, feeling very confident about being on this forum!

P.S.: BTW., my one trip was not with a Romance Tour, just on my own to see a young lady I had been corresponding with for 10 weeks through AFA. And yes, I did commit the sin of falling in love with her before I met her...what can I say, she looked like an angel and I wanted to believe she was one...sigh! 

[UomoCristiano1234]

Hei grabben hur maar ni?

I am a Norwegian married to a Ukrainian girl. Have been to Ukraina 17 times now . Would say that I know the country very well. Have some knowledgde of how to find a sincere girls and where to find them. I have said it before and I would say it again, to go to FSU without a back up plan is not a very good plan. This because very often when you meet face to face the chemistry you had in the letters are gone.....Then what to do??? And if you have fallen in love with this girl even before you have meet her so are you in troubbel.....To have a back up plan costs very littel and you dont need to vaiste time when the meeting was not a succes...

I see that some members here recommend some agencys here, I would also highly recommend newspapers ads in Ukraine. I meet my girl when my friend in Kharkov Slava runned ads for me in 5 differendt papers in Kharkov and the surronding villages of Kharkov. Very funny and it cost very littel to.

I have said it before and I would like to repete this: Odessa is a very funny city to go for fun, and there is a lot of hot girls there, the same goes for Kiev. But I truly belive that this citys are not good places to go to find sincere girls. Better go to Eastern Ukraine. Even Jack Bragg one of the guys who know most about dating in Ukraine says the same....The girls in the east seems to me to be more down to earth...

Anyway the FSU girls are the best in the world and you have done right by seeking a girl here...

Hej Thor! Tak, hvordan har du det selv?

Actually I am a tricky combination (just in case you were wondering about my not-so-Swedish looks): Half Danish, half Italian, but living in Malmö, in the ever expanding Øresunds-region (where Denmark meets Sweden). So I think the both of us would communicate better in his own language (Danish and Norwegian being somewhat closer than Swedish) rather than Swedish (of course I do speak a little).

When I read your story (happily married to a Ukrainian woman) and opinion about always having a backup plan when visiting, I knew I wanted to hear more about you. And any Scandinavian, of course, makes it even more interesting!

[Thor]

Hi Christiano,

Yes I know where Øresund is of course. Why live in Sweden when you can live in wounderfull Denmark? And yes Danish and Norwegian are fare more the same language (when written) than Swedish are.

Yes I was lucky and found a girl in Ukraine. I would say that it is not very difficult to find girls in Ukraine, the hard part is to find the honest and beautiful ones....The economical situation is improving and a lot of the hot Ukr girls have a lot more good and rich men to choose between than for some years ago (local men).

But if a guy consider a girl closer to his own age, a girl with a child or children so Will he be successfully Christiano. Be also carefull about some of the agency girls. Some of them, and very often the agency girls in Kiev and Odessa are not very nice girls. This goes especially with the beautiful agency girls. They are extremely spoiled and sometimes very rude.

But the good girls in FSU are very nice and familly minded girls, just the best in the world .

[Gator]

what can I say, she looked like an angel

They all do.  And all of them are strong on the inside.  They had to be strong to survive.  Don't forget it.

and I wanted to believe she was one...sigh!

Just saying that means you are a fast learner.  Your feeling of disorientation will not last long.

[New Yorker]

I believe that women are women and there is an equal chance to meet the love of your life anywhere in the world. True, that sometimes you have to go overseas, but there are lots of great women in America and Western Europe as well...

[Admin]

I believe that women are women and there is an equal chance to meet the love of your life anywhere in the world. True, that sometimes you have to go overseas, but there are lots of great women in America and Western Europe as well...

So what is YOUR story? What brings you to RWD?

Probably best to start your own introductory topic, so as to not disrupt this one.

- Dan

[I/O]

Feeling thus relieved, I cannot help but feeling slightly demotivated and disoriented just now. I think I'll have to digest all your wise words and regroup my thoughts for a while now... 

If you are strong enough to take the advice and have your ideas and or theories blown out of the water, you might just be strong enough to make it through this caper.

You have a huge advantage over many due to your proximity to Ukraine and Russia. I suggest you consider singling out one woman to visit and have a soild back up plan, perhaps a reliable agency.

IMO, given your proximity, you shouldn't be getting involved in long letter writing campaigns, but rather travelling for meetings early and often. You are what, 3 - 4 hours by air away from anywhere in Ukraine? Man, you have the world at your feet.

I don't agree with the others who tend to condemn Odessa as IMO it is little better or worse than plenty of other FSU cities. If you hoe your own row, there is good and bad in every city. Sure Odessa is a port city with a healthy supply of women who are in the habit of servicing the sailors, BUT it is a large city with plenty of options. I rather enjoyed the place.

I/O

[Thor]

If you are strong enough to take the advice and have your ideas and or theories blown out of the water, you might just be strong enough to make it through this caper.

You have a huge advantage over many due to your proximity to Ukraine and Russia. I suggest you consider singling out one woman to visit and have a soild back up plan, perhaps a reliable agency.

IMO, given your proximity, you shouldn't be getting involved in long letter writing campaigns, but rather travelling for meetings early and often. You are what, 3 - 4 hours by air away from anywhere in Ukraine? Man, you have the world at your feet.

I don't agree with the others who tend to condemn Odessa as IMO it is little better or worse than plenty of other FSU cities. If you hoe your own row, there is good and bad in every city. Sure Odessa is a port city with a healthy supply of women who are in the habit of servicing the sailors, BUT it is a large city with plenty of options. I rather enjoyed the place.

I/O

I/O,

I like Odessa very mutch as a city to go for fun. Very cool and funny city with the mix of all kind of peoples, Jews, Russian, Ukrainians, Turkeys, Romainians, mm. Arcadia beach, Itacha ohh there are so many fun places in Odessa.

But the reasson I belive that Odessa is not a good place to meet sincere girls are that there seems to me to be so many forreign men in Odessa compered to the east of Ukraine. It seems easier to go to Odessa and it is not only US guys in Odessa but also a lot of European men there. Especialy Germans and Italians. So if a Odessa girl wants to meet a forreign guy so is it not very hard to find a forreigner.......This of course spoils the girls, and they becomme very demanding and they knows how to get a guy to pay all the fun...I agree that you can find this in all Ukraine, but it seems to me that Odessa and Kiev are the worst. Maybe I am wrong here, but I belive that Jack Bragg dont have sosials in Odessa and Kiev anymore..

Odessa is known inside Ukraine to have a differendt attitude....

[Bruce]

I have never been to Odessa, but I do know that it has the highest AIDS rate in the FSU.  Best to go East, or North...........listen to Thor.

[I/O]

Thor, I've no desire to break open an old argument, but I dislike your suggested approach for the following reasons.........

1) It reeks of saying, stay away from the competition (other guys). My view is if YOU (anyone) is good enough, it doesn't matter a damn about the competition. You'll win the best prize anyway.

2) The ones who are, as you say, spoiled, will become that way sooner or later anyway, whether they are now or not. That is a personality trait and IMO it is better to see that before you get too involved than after. If a woman has a propensity to be a spoiled type, she will quickly go that way once you have her in the promised land. Again, better to see it first.

3) Generally speaking, the girls from the more out of the way places are less worldly and as such IMO, will have a more difficult time adapting to a completely new situation. (Exceptions exist of course)

4) I never wanted to be and I urge others not to be "The first foreign passport" my woman of choice had seen. I much prefer someone who has seen and met a few people from outside her own location.

5) I think the negative traits which you describe have much more to do with the basic person than what/who they have been exposed to.

As for Arcadia, well I never actually made it there either time I was in Odessa, too many foreigners from what I have heard for my taste. I found much to do and see, not to mention a squillion nice people to meet in other parts of Odessa and surrounds. The so called, "High spots" are never my cup of tea anyway.

I/O

[Turboguy]

I tend to agree with Thor that Odessa has more scammers, serial daters, and high maintenance women than most anywhere else and  far fewer serious women. 

[Thor]

I/O,

I totally agree that there are many good things to say about Odessa and as I said I like Odessa very much . So I very much understand that you like Odessa.

I must admite that "High spots" are more my cup of tea .

[Thor]

I tend to agree with Thor that Odessa has more scammers, serial daters, and high maintenance women than most anywhere else and  far fewer serious women. 

Turboguy,

You know Jack Bragg right? Is it thrue or not that Jack dont do socials in Odessa and Kiev anymore?