Once Upon A Time...

[myrddin]

   “They Ditched Me!”
   or, “Is It Really Only Day 3?”

Here I am back in my apartment, left to my own devices.  Yikes!  I’ve got a few hours since none of the ladies will be free until after work.  I’d like to see some of the city but it may take a few hours to calm my nerves before seeing a lady a second time, and at this point exploring is only going to add to my stress.

So I’m hanging around thinking and writing, and suddenly someone’s pounding at the door.  Doesn’t sound like Taz, and I think he’s left already anyway.  Like a fool, I answer.  There’s a middle-aged woman with a clipboard yelling at me in Russian, and it’s quick to see she doesn’t speak any English at all.  Has anyone noticed Russian can sound like a very angry language?  She does not break the foaming river of words once, apparently assuming that if she speaks loudly enough and long enough, I will understand.

I infer that she’s got something to do with the apartment rental (which I know have to extend but I have lost the details of that plan).  I have to bug Taz, who must be dealing with ten other things at once.  He’s disappointed that I opened the door and I can feel something like exasperation even as I mentally kick myself repeatedly.  I hand her the phone and he straightens it out.  She calms down a lot when she’s convinced she will get her money and I finally recognize “horosho”.  She leaves.

I don’t really want to stay in the apartment, especially after that incident.  I am feeling pretty stupid for awhile as I watch the clock, write a little more, and consider what to do now.  I keep re-calculating when I need to leave to get to the agency with time to spare, and I don’t know what type of safety factor to include for the fact that I probably will get lost....   If I know the way, it’s 10 minutes by xootr and 20 by foot.  As I would later confess to Taz, I spent all of about 19 minutes on the xootr before leaving for Ukraine...so I am not too comfortable with it yet.  And if I don’t know where I’m going, what’s the point in getting there faster?  So I’ll leave now and walk.  I’ll get there 2 hours early, but at least I’ll be waiting for *her*, not the other way around.

Surprisingly, I manage to find the place.  The agency owner R sends me to that same little room where I can go online to feed my internet addiction.  I told her Lady E was my first priority, but it turns out she’s pushing Lady C at me.    Actually, I’m told it’s easier for Lady C to get off work early and I should be able to meet Lady E tomorrow.  (I thought Lady A had a full time and a part time job, but from the sound of things she might be closer to two full time gigs.)
   
Part of me is thinking I might need a tune up before meeting Lady E again anyway, and quite frankly it’s been a while since I’ve had a second date.  Another part of me thinks that “tune up” crack is sort of cruel.

Given some of the awkwardness at the first meeting, though, I am actually surprised Lady C wants to see me.  I could see how great she was, but the date just didn’t feel like it went quite as well as some of the others.

I have time to get flowers, but R says it is too soon.  It’s not hard for me to agree with that, since I am not certain what type to get.  I don’t want to give the wrong impression by going too far, I just want to get to know her better.

Lady C comes straight from work, looking really good.  I call it “quiet hot”: not flashy, but very feminine.  And she moves with an easy grace that belong to a screen siren from a different era.

R translates for a bit.  She asks if we need a terp, suggesting we can already communicate pretty well.  While I’m not sure if I’m ready, I am willing to give it a go, but clearly Lady C is uncomfortable at the notion.  R tells me quickly she’ll call in an hour to help me get rid of the terp.

This is a different terp (turns out to be the same one who accompanied SK and his lady on their first meeting).  She’s about a half hour late because she had to wait for someone to take care of her son.  That's not the problem, though.  I realize that after spending more than 20 hours with the other terp, we had established a rhythm.  This terp is different, not worse, but she doesn’t suit my “style”.  Sometimes she’d answer my question instead of passing it on, perhaps not realizing that I wanted to see Lady C’s reaction and body language as much as get the answer.  Also, it would turn out that she cannot take a hint and she simply would not leave.  I did not push, though, because Lady C is a bit shy and, even though I am certain she understands a lot more English than she lets on, she is not ready to lose the interpreter.  Never got that call from R (I don’t know if R tried to get through, nothing showed up on my phone).

While we’re waiting, I admit to Lady C that I cannot seem to find the list of Ukrainian authors she gave me so we get a new one.  And apparently, someone spilled the beans about the taxi the night before, because she insists that I get two written copies of my apartment’s address, each in Cyrllic and in English characters, which she checks carefully.

Finally we’re ready to leave the agency.  Lady C’s not hungry, so we go to cultural center.  She knows a lot about the town’s history and she really enjoys the place, it’s contagious.  The conversation does not lag and things are going very well.

For pics, she’s got her arm around me before I can get mine around her, sort of like she can’t wait to touch me.  Could be my imagination.  [I will miss those pictures.]

I have no idea how long we’re at the park.  I can’t say we are “ambling” through it, because that would involve moving a lot faster!  At one point I’m thinking that if Lady B was too energetic for me, I may be too energetic for Lady C.  But I don’t have to be anywhere, I’m just used to moving quickly.  It’s actually one of my own habits that annoys me. 

Lady C is an ocean of calm in a world of chaos.  As I’m thinking things like, “this woman would be a wonderful influence on me,” and, “I need a better line that the cliche, ‘Stop and smell the roses.’”, she literally stops to pick a flower and examine it.  This lady could teach a Zen master a few things.  She blows the petals off, but doesn’t say anything about making a wish.  I’m fascinated by how she moves between strangers in the park. Lady C can interact wih anyone and put them at ease.

Eventually, the sun is setting and I ask about dinner again, having skipped lunch.  She doesn’t want Celentano’s, which is admittedly pretty far (I think!), but there’s a restaurant she’s heard about fairly close.  It’s nice, not a fast food place at all, and there’s hardly anyone else there.  Lady C absorbs herself in the menu, “protecting” me from mushrooms and seafood.  We both end up with pizzas.

The terp says we make a very cute couple.  Lady C is sweet as can be and I don’t recall ever having a woman take such a deep interest in my needs.  It’s hard not to think about how amazing it would be to have that all the time.  I believe that, in 60 or 70 years, when some of the physical stuff may have faded just a tad, she would still take wonderful care of me.  I don’t know if I could ever do as much for her, but she’s got me thinking about the future.

The food is good, but the service is so slow we probably spend an hour more there than is necessary.  Again, not that we had any place else to go, but we’re stuck trying to get the bill out of these people when a live duet starts playing.  The music’s not bad, but we seem to be near a speaker, and it’s difficult to hear anything at all, much less actually communicate.

Finally I can take care of the bill and we escape.  It’s a beautiful night, and we make our way slowly back towards city center, where my apartment is.  At one point she seems to think I’m about to step into one of those chasm-like Ukrainian potholes and she takes my arm to stop me.  She doesn’t let go until the end of the night. 

She’s showing me the city, not any tourist sites, but the real city.  When she does speak English, she makes the words “bread factory” sound like a Mae West come hither line.

My personal tour goes on for an hour or more.  It’s late, she has to go to work early tomorrow, and she wants to make sure I get back to my apartment.  Apparently we’ve been heading that direction.  Once we find my door, she stands at the other side of the hallway with the terp, and they talk to each other.  We agree to meet again, but not on any specifics.  They say they are both okay to get home.  The terp stands there smiling as we say goodnight.  They leave.

I certainly have not forgotten about Lady E (or Lady A), but Lady C is moving up my list.  I’m guessing a lot of my interpretation could be my overactive ego, but this lady is very good for the ego. 

I’m back in my apartment, exhausted.  At some point, Taz calls to tell me they made it to Crimea okay and to see how things are going for me.  I knew that changing a schedule for work could be difficult, but apparently it’s a bigger deal than I thought. 

I miss Crimea.  It’s not that I regret staying in Mari, I regret that I couldn’t do both.  I’ve gotten greedy fast! 

Day 3 ends with the thought: if my other meetings go anything like this, decisions are going to get harder, not easier.

[KenC]

myrddin,
I am lovin your report, dude!  Thanks for taking the time to share it with us!
KenC

[myrddin]

Day 4 Begins

   Got A Road Map of Jupiter (But I’m in Ukraine!)

The next morning I wake up feeling pretty good, and beginning to forget how I was thinking just a week ago – seriously considering simply giving up the search altogether, FSU or otherwise.  It’s way too early in the morning, but the sun is up and I can’t sleep anymore.

I quickly discover there is no hot water.  For some reason, I’m certain this is just a fluke.  I grab a snack for breakfast and turn on the weather report.  I don’t know why I am rarely as hungry in Ukraine as I am in the US.  Maybe the ladies are feeding my soul and that goes a long way     But later there’s still no hot water.  Okay, I can still wash up (just can’t wash my hair) and make myself presentable for the day. 

R calls to confirm I will meet Lady E tonight, the woman for whom I wish I had canceled most of my Sunday.  If I want I can go to the agency early to use the internet.  Someone may have noticed my little addiction.

When I’m done there’s plenty of morning left.  I will explore the city a bit on my own, being careful to maintain reference points since I still have no useful mental map of any part of this town.

Nonetheless, it seems like I have some idea where I am as I pass the market on Prospekt Lenin.  At one of the outdoor stalls at the market, for about six bucks, I pick up a pair of sunglasses that look very similar to the very expensive ones Lady E liked.  My communication is restricted largely to numbers, but I manage this transaction without assistance and with no English.  Probably could have haggled more, though

Even walking around in the morning, there is no shortage of sights to see.  I still regret missing the night club, but it’s easy to imagine many of these ladies there.  And the lighting is no doubt better now.  I am certain I must be imagining the looks I’m getting.  I’d like to think I’m not “gawking”, but I do feel free to appreciate beauty.  There is no air of aloofness or even resentment I sometimes feel in America (my guess is that happens there because those ladies want someone “better” than me to appreciate them).  And if I am gawking, so what?  Everything is smiles and goodness.

After a couple hours exploring and sight seeing, I decide to head back to the apartment.  There are many hours left, but again it seems like a good idea to be the one waiting for her.

It takes me an extra 45 minutes to get back to my apartment - I don’t want to say I’m exactly “lost”, but there are some issues.  Actually, the secret to finding it again involves giving up and following my instincts...and a particularly fine example of the smokin’ hotkova phenomenon...before wandering almost to my building’s door.  (Never got a chance to thank her )  So I survive that ordeal and there’s hours to spare.  I wash up, clean my shoes again, and get ready to head out.

Alas, I have, um, a little difficulty finding the agency this time.  I’m pissed [American usage!] at myself since I actually found it just the day before.  There are probably two reasons for my trouble: one is overconfidence.  I am aware of my normal direct sense and its limitations, but even so, once I find a place, even if it’s difficult, I assume I can find it a second time.  Which often leads to more difficulty.  The other issue is that I somehow get 90 degrees off track.  I can handle 180, and could have corrected it sooner, but 90 degrees confuses what reference points I do have, and I am wondering if this place functions on non-Euclidean geometry   

After...a while, I finally call Taz for help.  And of course, a minute or two later, I discover that I am right by that Georgian restaurant he pointed out, where I went with Lady C that first day.  I am only a block or so from the agency.  I hadn’t gotten there directly, but I was close anyway.  The important thing is that I managed to avoid keeping this all to myself by calling for help just before I saw that.....

[SANDRO43]

I will explore the city a bit on my own, being careful to maintain reference points since I still have no useful mental map of any part of this town.

Just out of curiosity, aren't city maps available for Mari ?

[myrddin]

Just out of curiosity, aren't city maps available for Mari ?

Of course, I just left them behind in my overconfidence and my mental map got crumpled. 
I *said* I made mistakes.  Maybe someone will learn from them, but I'll be d*mned if it's me! 

(I still think someone was trying to build a Moebius strip or an Escher drawing somewhere....)

[myrddin]

   What Does THIS mean?

When I enter the agency, there is a lady who looks a lot like Lady F sitting next the owner’s desk, talking to R.  I have no idea what it’s about, their demeanor says it’s some type of business.  I am not sure it’s Lady F and I rather hope that it is someone else.  That small room is occupied so I sit by another computer in the first room.  I’m told I can use that for e-mail and so on.  It only takes a few minutes to turn it on, and an employee to help me get it on the net 

After a half hour or so, Lady F finishes whatever they were doing and she comes over to talk to me (which is when I was finally sure it was actually Lady F).  I am not certain what to make of this, if it means she is still interested in me or if she is just being polite.  I try to be polite and not unfriendly, but to not lead her on even a little.  I remain seated the whole time, not wanting to give any false impressions.  She seems happier now than she was during our meeting, she even smiles most of the time. I have no idea what to make of this.  Eventually, she says it was nice to talk again and leaves.

I’m still wondering if I’m misinterpreting what went on with her as I continue to catch up on e-mail. 

R mentions that there is another American there and she calls into that small room in English.  Perhaps she thinks simply being American is enough in common to meet.

Well, I guess she’s right.  Of course, we also share an appreciation of FSUW.      “John” from the West Coast is a little over 50.  He’s been to Mari a few times.  He’s passing through, though he’s considered staying in Mari longer.  We’ve both got some time.  He asks me about my experiences so far and he’s very encouraging. 

He seems very talkative and nervous because he’s got some history here.  Apparently he dated a lady long enough to know her family and think about filing paperwork.  But things soured, at one point she had gotten engaged to someone else and he found out about it secondhand.  It’s hard to imagine something like that.  I sometimes say things like, “Whatever happens, it's better than where I was,” but I wonder how I would handle that sort of thing.

John reports that he stopped by to look at profiles, as this all happened a fair bit of time ago.  He thought his lady was already in the US.  But when he arrived, R told him that she had broken it off with the other guy - and she was still in town.  When R offered to call the lady, John couldn’t resist (even though he hadn’t expected any meetings that day and wasn’t dressed for it).  That must have been a tough few minutes, waiting for R to talk to her to find out if the lady even wanted to meet him again.  And no doubt wondering if he really wanted to see her after all that. 

She was due at the same time Lady E was.

[steviej]

Myrddin, it seems we're getting this realtime, and not after the fact? Wow, this is great. I can see from your writing that you have more than what it takes to succeed with these ladies. They definitely like a man with an intellect. And like everyone else here ... I'm waiting for lady EEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!! and how it all goes down. But you never know in advance, do we?

[myrddin]

Thanks, steviej   

I wrote every day, hoping to maintain that feel you noticed if I did a T/R. And I wasn't sure I would do it until after I got back.  I knew I would go on and on and on and on.... 

[myrddin]

     This Place is a Magic Kingdom!

Many ladies come and go while we are at that desk talking.  It’s even better than the sight-seeing on the street. 

With about 45 minutes to go an incredibly hot girl comes in with her equally hot friend and an older lady – a photographer for their profiles.  We get shuffled out of the way, back to that small room.

At one point, I’m admitting to John that R has been telling me to relax since the first day I met her.  I know I have a problem with that, but John’s nerves are approaching levels similar to mine, which are already in an exponential progression in anticipation of seeing Lady E again, and I thought I could help him.  If only by setting a worse example. 
   
Without warning Lady G comes through the door.  I am trying to be polite, but again wondering why she’s there and how I should act.  We actually have an entire conversation in Russian (well, Russian 101, and early in the course! - the most complex phrase is, “Kak dela?”). 

She’s dressed much the same as for our first meeting, but somehow looks even hotter.  She’s making my brain sweat, and suddenly I’m very, very worried about making hasty decisions.  I’m ready to take her somewhere right then, but Lady E is due in ten minutes!  I can’t risk even talking to Lady G now, in case Lady E shows up early.  The only reason I didn’t ask to see Lady G again was because I thought things went even better with several other ladies.  And there certainly was something tremendous with Lady G.  But alas, I am at a loss as to how to handle this exactly and I’m not coming up with any ideas in the moment. 

She leaves.  There is silence.  I’m sitting there lamenting the bad timing that often afflicts me, not to mention my own total lack of smoothness, and I’m wondering if I somehow did Lady G wrong.  I know I could have handled every single thing for the last few days much better than I have, I just don’t know how.  And in my entire life, I had never thought about how to deal with more than one woman at a time.  Lacking that particular skill had previously had no significant effect on my existence.

Without a word, John and I both go back into that main room.  John waits in the small kitchen trying to calm his nerves.  I’m sitting by the owner’s desk as she tells me to relax for the thousandth time.  R informs me that Lady E is very worried because she has to come straight from work and will not be able to make herself up properly.  Still feels weird to think that she’s so concerned about *me*.

Both of our meetings arrive. 

John’s lady is a tall beauty who looks to me like she’s in her late 30s, though this is FSU and she could be 45.  There is no awkwardness there and it looks like things are going well.  When they leave, she’s hanging off his shoulders and playfully pushing him out the door. 

I think there might be a future for those crazy kids.

[Jet]

She was due at the same time Lady E was.

Which was about 2 DAYS AGO! My god man, have some mercy on us!
I know you're busy with life and all, but ya can't just keep letting us dangle for days on end!   

If nothing else, I see a promising career writing soap operas in your future 

[TwoBitBandit]

Again, not that we had any place else to go, but we’re stuck trying to get the bill out of these people when a live duet starts playing.  The music isn't not bad, but we seem to be near a speaker, and it’s difficult to hear anything at all, much less actually communicate.

You have my sympathy, man.  That's happened to me so many times in the FSU.  You're just sitting there trying to have a great conversation and some band with an overpowered amp starts blasting away.  If I know the city I'm in at all, I'll allways steer my meetings to restaurants where I know there is no music.

On my last trip, I was just having tea with this lady and the band started to play.  The lady and I agreed to go somewhere quieter, so we ordered the check.  Surprisingly, there was a surcharge on the bill for the band.  I explained that we were leaving *because* of the band, but the waitress wouldn't have any of it.  I just paid it and we left.   

[OlgaH]

I explained that we were leaving *because* of the band, but the waitress wouldn't have any of it.  I just paid it and we left.   

Typical Russian way to make money 

[steviej]

Myrddin, your TR is changing my whole life perspective .. aaarrrgghhhh!! Now I'm thinkin' that I need to get to that place (wherever you are), and start working on my harem. Really. I can't stand it. You its a funny thing about my wife, and that traditional FSUW mentality. My wife considers it quite natural that a man feels like he would want a few ladies. She calls me her "rooster" and says that all roosters "want their chickens." Isn't that cute? And conversely, she believes that the woman should be completely loyal to her one man. And in that magical way of the East, these views do not conflict in her mind at all. To her it is nature, that's all. Nothing to sweat about. Russians are people of the earth. Now everyone's wondering, ... Steve ... really ... would you try to get a second wife ?? No, I wouldn't. Even though my wife thinks that its natural for men to have those desires, it would make her very unhappy if I made her feel I ever wanted to do it. And , I don't. I wouldn't ever do anything that would make her unhappy. But your TR isn't helping !! LOL

[myrddin]

Which was about 2 DAYS AGO! My god man, have some mercy on us!
I know you're busy with life and all, but ya can't just keep letting us dangle for days on end!   

If nothing else, I see a promising career writing soap operas in your future 

2 days is days on end?  Yikes!  I have to say no one has ever before connected me to soap operas     I'd prefer to write sci fi or epic fantasy, but all stories have to be ultimately about people.

steviej, all I can say is from all I've seen, isn't one RW enough to handle?   

I think I'll (eventually! Sorry, Jet ) get to most of the topics people have touched on. 

[myrddin]

   Belle of the Ball

But I’d gather all that about John and his lady from quick glances – I have eyes only for Lady E.

As I stand to greet her, things seem to move in slow motion.  I can see she is not done up like she was two days ago, but she still looks incredible.  I’ve gotten a peek at her “everyday” look and I like it a lot.  I’m feeling very good, maybe even relaxing just an iota.  The very first thing she says is an apology for wearing comfortable shoes.  Which I barely noticed.    

We sit at the owner’s desk and talk for a bit.  R translates a little and asks if we need a terp.  I am all for no interpreter, but Lady E definitely feels she needs one.  R says this is our last meeting with the terp.  I’m not arguing with R.  She offers to call in an hour or so to see if we still need the interpreter.

Lady E is ready for dinner so we’re off to a restaurant she likes.  It’s got a Greek name, but I’m assured it has authentic Ukrainian food (not that I’ve got anything against Greek food, but when in Ukraine…). 

The cab stops in front of a fancy-looking place and I’m wondering if it’s pricey.  Though even if it is, I’d step it up for this date at home. 

It’s actually very nice inside, coat check and all.  The only reason I didn’t choose the place is because I barely know anything in this town.  But if I had, I would have chosen a place like this for a special date.  There’s no way to avoid the coat check, though, and I’m not prepared for tipping.  Usually when I know I’ll need tip money I keep some small bills in an accessible pocket, but here small bills are precious.  Also, I don’t go to places this fancy that often.  Something in me doesn’t feel like tipping for taking a coat I’d rather hang up myself.  It’s not like carrying heavy luggage or waiting tables. 

Hm.  Or maybe I really am “greedy” 

As I am about to hand the coat over, I reach for my camera in one of the pockets. 

It is not there. 

I think, “Odd.  I am absolutely certain I remember it in my death grip walking down the street earlier today.  Did I leave it at the agency?  Maybe I’ve gone insane and I left it at the apartment.”

Lady E asks me what’s wrong and I stifle my internal frustration to the point where I think I am dealing with it reasonably well.  At this point I’m thinking that I won’t get pics from this one night.  It’s bad, but it’s not unbearable.  I tell her I think I might have left the camera at the agency.  Thus begins what can only be called the Tragedy of the Camera, or at least my awareness of it….

We head upstairs for a nice dinner.

[Jet]

2 days is days on end?  Yikes!  I have to say no one has ever before connected me to soap operas     

Well, at nearly a month to get to the evening of the 4th day....

Just a subtle way to let you know we're all still very interested in your story, no malice intended at all  :hipdude: rock on dude! Get to it when you can get to it...

[myrddin]

Well, at nearly a month to get to the evening of the 4th day....

Hm.  It does sound bad if you put it that way... 
But it's not like I was wasting that time: I now know at least 20 words in Russian!   

Just a subtle way to let you know we're all still very interested in your story, no malice intended at all  :hipdude: rock on dude! Get to it when you can get to it...

I know you're not a malicious guy     And I *am* working on it!   

[myrddin]

    Falling Hard

Dinner is great, her smile is infectious, everything is going very, very well.  While I’m with her, I am drinking in every moment, enjoying whatever it is between us that is so amazing.  Heck, I’m not even analyzing it much! 

And I like her more by the minute.  Which, considering how much I liked her in the first place is, quite frankly, a little bit scary. 

Lady E is “protecting” me from mushrooms and seafood as she pores over the menu.  She recommends some kind of Ukrainian dish whose name I simply can’t remember.  I’m told it’s kind of like cottage cheese – doesn’t really seem that way to me, but it’s cheese-related alright, and very good.  I snarf a lot of that bread, too.  She said she was very hungry and she’s not afraid to eat in front of me, though she’s satiated by healthy-sized portions.  I’m eating more than I really need, but I’m not as bad as I have been in the past.

She knows English considerably better than she let on, and the terp does a great job - staying out of it when necessary and clarifying things quickly when needed.  Sometimes it almost feels like we have an audience, but I don’t care.  It’s never been so easy and right to be around anyone, and I’m not thinking about anything other than this incredible woman.  Everything is firing on all cylinders and we are both having a great time.

At one point, she asks if I like the music video on the nearby TV, and I remind myself not to pretend (when I’ve heard little questions like that in America, there is usually a *right* and a *wrong* answer, or worse yet a trap coming).  But here, honesty works, and it turns out she does not like it either, so we make them turn the volume down.

The prices look a bit hefty in gryvna, but food for 3 is about $30.  And the service here would stand out even in the US, it’s a tremendous contrast to my other restaurant experiences.  I notice that they bring Wrigley gum with the bill, which is slightly annoying since I brought some from Chicago as a gift.

I’m looking forward to more time with her and pretty sure we can ditch the terp soon.  But Lady E tells me she has to be up at 5 tomorrow.  She is not merely tired, but dead on her feet.  She doesn’t want it to end, either, though, so I will walk her home.

I can’t convey how amazing everything really is, only suggest it.  The walk is great, the conversation continues, and the only problem is that the time with her is too brief.  The topics range from street dogs to dark humor to fate.  It’s sad to see the street dogs, but they don’t look as unhealthy as the ones I saw in Athens a few years ago.  They seem to want to approach her, which I consider a very good sign because dogs are excellent judges of character.  She’s impressed that many people try to help strays in the US.

She seems shocked that I didn’t know my grandfather came from Ukraine until he passed away (actually I was told “Russia”, and I was young enough that it didn’t occur to me to question my parents’ knowledge of geography until I eventually looked up the cities…  I miss all the stories that never got told.).  How do I explain McCarthyism and the Red Scare to someone who was 9 years old when the Soviet Union fell?  I try and we move on, and I learn that her only remaining family is her mother.

I’ve heard I should keep some of my sense of humor back, since it’s dark (often twisted), but Lady E appreciates similar things.  When she brings up the movie Dogma, I mention that I find religion interesting but I do not believe in any.  I know it’s taking a risk but I have to know.  The terp looks hesitant but I nod and she translates – and it turns out we’re on the same page.  The terp’s compelled to say that it’s very unusual.

We are near her building and she really needs to get home but is worried about me getting back to my place.  Saying a quick goodbye on the street is not quite what I envisioned, but while the kiss is too brief, it is as good as can be.  I mention the gum again and give it to her.  Even though it’s not new to her, she’s happy about it and it merits another kiss.  I think I might turn into a compulsive gift-giver.   

I start to miss her even as she’s walking away, but she remains in sight for awhile and I get to watch her walk away, which is a treat in itself. 

The terp calls a taxi.  This terp has been with the agency four years and seen many couples, and she says Lady E and I could be the best match she’s seen.  I can’t help but mention that even the “bad” topics were okay, and we’re very similar in so many ways.  She also tells me Lady E is very sincere.

At my building, I want to pay the terp’s fare home (she lives pretty far away) but as always my problem is denominations – the driver has no change.  These 200-gryvna notes might as well be Confederate money!  I tell her she can pay me back at the agency, but she refuses more than once.  We’ll settle later, but with me paying her, not the way I planned.

In the apartment, I close the door and I’m walking on air.  I’d say this is “one of those dates where you get home and you have to just lean against the door”, but that’s never happened to me.  Before.

This woman is unbelievable.  This experience is unbelievable.  I am living a lost dream.

I’m getting ready to cancel everything else. 

[Bart]

Outstanding report!  But we want to hear the ending, man!

Sorry about your camera.  I have that fear too, but protect my pictures by downloading them to my Dell every evening.

Once again, good job!

[Taz]

There is NO ending. He plans to keep you in suspense until he gets married someday.

If this was real-time report we'd be done by now!   

Instead we have the slo-mo instant (or not so instant) replay. I keep bugging him to work on learning his Russian better so blame me. He is modest when he says he only knows 20 words. He is doing MUCH better than that. If I can only get him to break out of his mode of shyness when he speaks it.

[docmon]

great reports! keep the updates coming!   

[myrddin]

   Calling It Off

Before calling anyone, I look for that camera.  This place isn’t THAT big and I search every nook.  Sh!t, can’t find it. 

It’s starting to dawn on me that it might be Truly Gone, with all those precious pictures.  I’m feeling pretty stupid, on top of mounting anger and disappointment.  I can’t really absorb the fact of the loss, or even the possibility.

I just don’t lose stuff this way: cameras, keys, wallets.  It’s one of the few areas where my paranoia serves me well.  I know I had it with me after the apartment, but before the agency. 

I’m p*ssed because of the memories, not the money.  I had plenty of warnings, too.  I have extra SD cards I could have switched out so not EVERYTHING would be lost.  I have my laptop and I could have downloaded the pics each night!  It doesn’t get much dumber than this!!

Not being able to prove that I dated these ladies is the least of the many bad things going through my mind.  I had said I’d send that pic to Lady B, and I’ll be forced to break that promise.  And worst of all, I don’t have pictures of my first (or second!) meeting with Lady E.  Or Lady C.  Or Lady A.  It’s not just to show off, I think I’ll need to prove to myself that this trip really happened!  But the Lady E pics are the ones I’m missing most.

Tomorrow was possible lunch with Lady A (though nothing was settled).  The question is: could anything be better than this?  I’m already thinking, “how do I let Lady C off the hook?”.  I feel like a dog seeing two women, much less three.  There are no commitments, but this is a wondrous thing to stress about.
 
Even if it somehow doesn’t work out with Lady E someday, I can’t pursue anything else when she’s the first thing on my mind.  I am foolishly relieved to think that this “problem” is solved.

When R calls, I cancel all other meetings.  I also ask if the camera is by chance at the agency (which I doubt).  Unfortunately in my babbling, I wonder aloud if maybe it was stolen on the street.  She seems to think I’m accusing someone at the agency.  I desperately try to make her understand that I am NOT doing that, but just please tell me if it turns up.

R may or may not forgive the misunderstanding.  She asks if that means I really don’t want to continue with Lady C.  I always strive to be honest.  When it hurts, it probably means you’re doing the right thing.  If Lady C told me she had something better with another guy, all I could do would be to tell her, “Wow. Go for it.”  Even though it actually does not feel right, and it breaks my heart to call things off with Lady C, I have to say that Lady E stepped out of my dreams and into the agency.

I sleep for about 3 hours, then I’m up for the day.  I can’t help daydreaming and thinking and writing about Lady E, about my future.  Our future....

[sillyboy]

Myrddin,
It is my hope that we never do hear the ending... that would mean the end to this outstanding trip report!
I have been a "troll" on this site for some months now, but I must rear my ugly head from under this bridge to say that you have a gift for writing. The style is vivid and imaginative which draws the reader in, in such a way that it feels as though we are with you there in Ukraine. Keep up the excellent work. (You should write a book!)

[KenC]

myrddin,
Did you ever think to buy another camera there?

Great report, dude.  I can totally relate to being bitten by the love bug as you describe.
KenC

[myrddin]

Wow, back to back posts from a de-lurk (sillyboy, you were a lurker, not a troll    )and one of RWD's most active members.  Cool   

Time goes on....