TR to Moscow

[SANDRO43]

I will know for sure
if my heart has achieved a cure
when the words flow
my eyes glow
and I will not feel lonely anymore

Tsk, tsk, very haphazard meter, Sculpto. How about:

I will know for sure
if my heart has a cure
when my words will just say
what my eyes yet betray:
I'm not lonely any more!

[OlgaH]

CHALLENGE TO OLGA
Just to prove that it wasn't a fluke,
Fron now on you must write like a book!
Only iambic verse,
Fully rhymed and terse
Will be accepted. If not, back to cook!
 

Sandro, I have sent you PM 

[Sculpto]

THEY DON'T?  I didn't realize people can sink this low.

Take your time.  Long distance relationships are frustrating, uncertain and frightening at times, nobody said it was easy.  If you can't move, visit.  I am thinking what I would do if my husband proposed to me right after we met.  I'd probably laugh for a few days which would be interpreted as a display of my cheerful optimistic life-assuring personality  .  Good luck to you, I have a feeling, given proper time everything will be great!  

I have slowed down and accepted the fact that I need to let her be ready without giving her pressure.  I have the feeling that after meeting her family things will move faster anyway.  

[Sculpto]

Sculpto, did I miss something in your posts? If you are going to make proposal... maybe Sandro will help me with a book in iambic verse  Sandro, just let me have my first cup of coffee 

Olga I don't think you missed anything specific.  I mean, my goal is to find my wife and the lady I have gone to visit and will visit again in Feb is awesome.  Somehow though, with her I doubt there will be a traditional proposal.. though it would be awesome if there was since i have never in my life had that experience.

[Sculpto]

It's nice to know that foreigners actually visit this hellhole, even if it's out of necessity..

Hell hole????  I have seen plenty of photos of Tomsk and except for the brutal winter I do not see what is so hellish about it.  The center looks clean, there are lots of awesome wooden houses and in summer there are beautiful rivers and forests to visit..

[Sculpto]

Tsk, tsk, very haphazard meter, Sculpto. How about:

I will know for sure
if my heart has a cure
when my words will just say
what my eyes yet betray:
I'm not lonely any more!

meter??  I don't need no stinkin meter!  LOL.. point taken and I haven't had my coffee yet..

[possum]

Hell hole????  I have seen plenty of photos of Tomsk and except for the brutal winter I do not see what is so hellish about it.  The center looks clean, there are lots of awesome wooden houses and in summer there are beautiful rivers and forests to visit..

Yes, the center and the two most important streets are nice and clean, but take a few steps off the 'main drag' and you're in Half Life 2, my friend.. I was in Tomsk just the other day, clothes shopping and walking around the city on the first snow day of the season, and I couldn't believe how different the 'regular' parts of the city were from the picturesque center.. It was like going from Europe to Cambodia in just a few seconds, I almost couldn't stand it after a couple of hours.. There's a huge rusty pipe running along the main drag (Lenina prospekt) that you can't see because of the houses on the river side of the street.. you have to step into the real world in order to see it, and it's not a pretty sight.. You really have to watch where you're going if you are determined to leave with a favorable impression of the city..

[Sculpto]

I get your point.  I just don't really like the bias of such comments.  I mean, the inner cities of America are no picnic.  If you were stuck in the center of Detroit for example would your view of America be in any way positive?  Is Detroit somehow less of a hell hole?

Most of the world is not the generic suburbs most Americans live in.  Things aren't brand new and are often in disrepair.  No biggie.. at least we aren't living in trees.

[OlgaH]

People see what they are able to see... very often through their own attitude...

Sculpto, most likely you with your artistic vision will see the peculiarities of Tomsk that deserve attention of artists 

[possum]

I don't think it's fair to compare Tomsk to Detroit as Detroit is a major metropolitan area where most people live in the suburbs, which I imagine are quite nice, while Tomsk is a mid-sized city in the middle of Siberia where the bulk of the population is concentrated in and around the 'center'.. There is no Greater Tomsk or suburbs as such, and the outskirts of the city consist of old brown wooden homes/shacks.. Not to mention, it's located literally in the middle of nowhere.. the closest major city, I think, is Novosibirsk which is 250 kilometers away.. There's a small town (pop. 27K, yes that is considered a small town around here ) about 300 km north of here where most people live in dilapidated wooden homes, some of which are two- and three-story houses.. they all look remarkably the same, and that's very depressing..

[possum]

Tomsk

[Faux Pas]

Sculpto

Possum sounds as if he might be of a much younger generation and from Tomsk. I know from having two children, the place they like the least is their own. His comment doesn't sound biased to me but more factual. I have been to Tomsk and seen it first hand and it is much as he describes. The grand old wooden houses don't seem to be cherished as much by the locals as they are in pictures and to foreigners. Most are dilapidated and the occupants considered the lower class. Very few are refurbished, most are left to collapse which I seen several of those as well. I did see some that was replicated (completely new).

The appearance of Tomsk is pretty much as Possum describes. Its there and no denying it, much of the city is decay. Yes there are some lovely picturesque places and history galore. I had some wonderful times in Tomsk and expect to be having plenty more but there is much more to it than the pictures you saw.

[OlgaH]

Tomsk 

[OlgaH]

Photos of Tomsk

http://tomfoto.city.tomsk.net/Walk/walk_en.html

http://tpi-pme83.ru/TPhoto.php

http://oskolkov.city.tomsk.net/Night/fotonight.htm

http://fotomsk.by.ru/ylizi.html

http://fotomsk.by.ru/architektura.html

[OlgaH]

Tomsk

[youtube=425,350]KH4zb-P5HOk&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube=425,350]7t9iJvzAuYw&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube=425,350]8g7TbtHYXro[/youtube]

[possum]

The grand old wooden houses don't seem to be cherished as much by the locals as they are in pictures and to foreigners. Most are dilapidated and the occupants considered the lower class. Very few are refurbished, most are left to collapse which I seen several of those as well.

Have you seen the one the gypsies live in?. the three story wooden house that's tilted at like a 20 degree angle.. Talk about living in trees, that house is probably propped up by one! 

[Sculpto]

All of that might be true.. no suburbs.. wooden houses in disrepair... gypsys living in shacks.. However, as a seasoned traveller I take such things with great interest in the understanding of the differences in how people live.  I have spent time and stayed with peasants in Mexico who have never experienced running water, electricity, walls, finished floors or any other "luxury" most of us could never live without. 

[UTRO]

Well... if you bring with you some equipment on a 37-pages ATA carnet, and have to write the translated list of items straight there... then YES, clearing customs in that case can take 2 hours, indeed!

I think you're mixing up two diferent control types: PASSPORT CONTROL (where there are long lines quite often, indeed!) - which inserts your data in the system, and really stamps your visa & Immigration card - and CUSTOMS CONTROL, which deals ONLY with the luggage.

Cash over $10K (or equivalent sum in any other currency) has to be declared as well.

Not customs, but security control. This is the demand of the American side (after 9\11).

Just goes to show there's way too much Control in Russia!!   

[Sculpto]

Actually the entry was easy.  Passport control was over in less than ten minutes.  Customs itself was non-existent.. I just went through the green line and that was that. 

On the way out there was more scrutiny and they did open all my bags and do a manual search of everything, even opening up the sock in which I had stashed my small bottle of massage oil, though I attribute that to security more than anything else.

They did not even check if I had registered nor asked to see the registration papers.. which was good because I never did manage to register.  I have some fear that may come back to haunt me later, but, as "A" said.. "this Russia.. why you worried.. no one care such things"

[UTRO]

They did not even check if I had registered nor asked to see the registration papers.. which was good because I never did manage to register.  I have some fear that may come back to haunt me later, but, as "A" said.. "this Russia.. why you worried.. no one care such things"

Well Sculpto not so fast I have a wee story related to Registering.... hot off the wire.
Svet got a call from the Ministry of Evil (Internal Affairs) last Thursday asking her to come to their offices regarding a matter that, "wasn't discussable over the phone". Needless to say she was pretty stressed as was I! She arrived there and was directed to a, "kind of Police Station with 4 guys in a room". Anyhow, she was questioned for about 20 minutes. Of course it had to do with me.... What happened was that when Svet Registered me at the Post Office, they gave her a bunch of paperwork including a stamped Receipt which I carried around during my visit. We mistakenly thought that I needed to bring this with me on my trip back home, in case Passport Control asked for proof of Registration. As it turns out, I should have given this Receipt back to Svet the day I was leaving and she in turn was to have brought it to the Ministry within 24 hours of my departure. She was told that Passport Control doesn't deal or care about this receipt. So, these "guys" were actually quite friendly, helpful and sympathetic to Svet. They were in all in agreement that we did the right thing to Register and that the Post Office never remembers to tell people about having to send the receipt back Svet than asked them what kind of "consequences" we were facing and they told her she'd be, Immediately, "deported to Canada". Her reply was, "how soon can you do this?!"  What it boils down to is a Fine of somewhere between 2000 and 4000R. She was assured that this was a Kirov matter and nyet Moscow. It Will Not affect my eligibility to obtain Visas in the future. In fact they didn't even question her about me. Just once asking if I was a relative or a friend.
Svet returned to the Ministry today to find out what the fine would be. Unfortunately there is no decision yet.... but the lady she talked to was nice and told her that it's her boss who will make the final decision. Quick thinking Svet asked for the Boss' name. Clever Svet called her Dad. Dad formerly worked for the government. Dad knows this guy. Dad made a phone call... We'll find out sometime tomorrow what if any fine is levied!
Oh and by the way, all Russian citizens are 'legally' supposed to Register themselves when travelling around Russia too. Of course nobody does.... But, Svet saw a few dozen angry 'Fellow Countrymen' lined up in front and behind her at the Ministry who were there to pay Fines for failing to do so! :-E Must be trying to make up for lost Oil Revenues
I've attached a pamphlet explaining the basic rules of  Registering:) Sculpto, someone in Russia does "care such things"

[Sculpto]

Actually I am not suprised to hear this story and I was afraid something of the sort might happen.  However, when I did inquire at the Metropol Hotel they told me that only the person or organization who issues the voucher can register the traveller.  The voucher was issued by my travel agent here in SF.  When I bought the tickets they told me I could register with their affiliate in Moscow.  At the time I did not know where I would be staying but they said it would be no problem for the registration.  Later when I rejected their offer for an apartment, simply because they found the same apartments I could find on any Moscow apartment web site and then added $200 to the price, they told me I would not be able to register with their Moscow office.  So, I suppose if there are any repurcussions it would be with that travel agent.  Well, based on what you have told anyway.  The Tomsk visit should be handled differently.

So, that leads to the question... should I ask my girl to send a letter of invitation for me?

[UTRO]

Sculpto, it's a major pain in the ass! 'A' has to go to the Ministry of the Interior for the Forms, get a letter from work saying how much she makes, proof of residency, get these letters notarized, then return to the Ministry. They in turn have to send the paperwork to Moscow. Three weeks later, if lucky, Moscow sends the Invitation to the Ministry in Tomsk where 'A' will have to pick it up. She then has to send you the Original Invitation. Not a Copy, Not a Fax. What would that cost via Fedex.... $100? So you are in to quite a bit of wait time.

[Sculpto]

So in other words I am much better off doing it on my own through an agency that does the visa service... so it would seem.

[Ade]

So in other words I am much better off doing it on my own through an agency that does the visa service... so it would seem.

Dude, basically, that's a yes. Just been through this with my girlfriend and all in all it's much easier to get an agency to issue the invitation - there are many about, they are inexpensive and you can usually get the invitation the same day if you're willing to receive it by email and print it yourself.

[UTRO]

Dude, basically, that's a yes. Just been through this with my girlfriend and all in all it's much easier to get an agency to issue the invitation - there are many about, they are inexpensive and you can usually get the invitation the same day if you're willing to receive it by email and print it yourself.

Exactly SJ!
Now Sculpto, if you think you'll be visiting Russia 3 or more times within a period of 365 days, it may well be worth your while to get a One Year Multiple Entry Business Visa. What this allows you to do is go to Russia whenever you want for a period of One Year. Why would this be an advantage to you? Well, say A's Dad passes away, there is no way that you will ever get a Visa in time to attend the funeral to provide her the comfort and support she'll need. As of June this year, Emergency One Day Visas are only provided to Relatives of the Family, not Friends, not Boyfriends. With a Business Visa you can hop on a plane at a moments notice whenever you feel like it. Even for a quick spontaneous weekend to see A in Moscow
If you're interested, contact Lee08 on this Site. He's American and he just got one. He'll be able to fill you in on the details.