TR: Barnaul/Tver, Russia

[TwoBitBandit]

Perhaps you would prefer that nobody ever write anything in any thread. Only the OP should ever post in his thread. 

I think it would better if people approached these threads with a little more diplomacy.  Really think about what you're saying.  IMHO, the personal nature of a trip report warrants a little extra tact and consideration.  The clue bat is a great tool, and there's some situations (even in the trip reports section) when its use is clearly appropriate.  I just don't think this trip report fits into that category.

Some of the posts in this thread are making assumptions about Jerry or his action that are not based on evidence.  Y'all can speculate, but you really don't know what happened, you weren't there, and you don't really even know exactly what Jerry is looking for or what all his life curcumstances are.

There's something to be said about the quality of speculation - if a guy posts he met a girl online, and is asking if RWD members would recommend a church, chapel, or civil ceremony - I would speculate that some disappointment
is in store.

Exactly my point.  There is a time and place for the clue bat, but this thread isn't it.

[Admin]

On the topic of TR's with, or without, comments and responses from the membership - I should point out that we have a specific subforum designed for our members who wish to post a TR with no external comments allowed.

We established that forum for a couple of reasons, but the principal reason is that we wanted to give members the choice. If they are concerned about 'comments from the peanut gallery' (or Monday morning quarterbacks - pick your preferred metaphor), they can post in the "sans Responses" subforum.

If they are prepared for the comments/challenges/questions that often accompany publication of a TR, they can choose to post in the main TR forum.

Notably, the only person to ever use the "sans Responses" subforum used it for publishing a TR that may have tainted its application, but that is another story.

Anyway - Jerry - hang in there. I, for one, appreciate your willingness to be open and to share your experience, and to address the questions and challenges that have ensued. It is not always easy, but it does, in fact, help the newbies in ways those of us with experience (code for 'Old Married Bastards') can only imagine now.

- Dan

[Misha]

Some of the posts in this thread are making assumptions about Jerry or his action that are not based on evidence.  Y'all can speculate, but you really don't know what happened, you weren't there, and you don't really even know exactly what Jerry is looking for or what all his life curcumstances are.

That is the nature of the beast. On forums, people speculate, in real life people gossip. 

[av8or1]

That is the nature of the beast. On forums, people speculate, in real life people gossip. 

Hey Misha, et. al.

Yeah that's true.  Generally speaking I welcome speculation.  Y'all haven't offended me in the least.  I mean heck like Vaughn I don't really care what anyone else thinks, so it would be impossible to take to much offense, especially from those who don't have the experience that I do.  I would have to say however that it's the quality of speculation in this thread that was/is lacking.  Nit-picking is beginner's stuff; I've batted down every shot y'all have taken, so if ya got more bring it on!    RWD is not unfamiliar to me, so I knew when I wrote this TR (and others) that the peanut gallery would take their best shot.  If that's all y'all got, well...

Seriously, I was and am just trying to help by sharing experience.  'Broad shoulders these that I have, so no worries.  And thanks Dan, it's good to know that maybe, just maybe, I can help one of the newbies someday.

Best,

Jerry

ps-Hey Vaughn I feel for ya; just this past December (beginning of the month) I went on two dates with a local woman.  Inevitably you speak about your previous lives and when asked if I had ever been engaged, I said "yes."  A few questions later I had to tell her (if I was gonna speak truth) that my ex-fiancee was Russian.  Boy did that light her up!  I was subsequently called every name in the book, from "moronic idiot" (boy was THAT rich!) to "the greatest loser of all time."  Funny, but she kept calling me.  When I told her that I wasn't interested in her any longer and that she needed to find someone else, she took screaming to a whole new level.  Fortunately I didn't tell her where I live and didn't answer any subsequent calls from her.  Nor emails.  Nor SMSs.  "I might could give it a chance with you" she would say.  Sheesh.  People are strange sometimes...just thought I'd share a story you might find particularly funny.  A friend of mine here in Austin called it "dysfunctional"...uh yeah, that's gotta be my choice for understatement-of-2008, but I digress...funny story...

[Misha]

I went on two dates with a local woman.  Inevitably you speak about your previous lives and when asked if I had ever been engaged, I said "yes."  A few questions later I had to tell her (if I was gonna speak truth) that my ex-fiancee was Russian.

God, being grilled as to previous relationships by the 2nd date.  That would be tough.

"I might could give it a chance with you" she would say.

Words that every man wants to hear to feel wanted and appreciated by a woman that he was dating 

[Admin]

Words that every man wants to hear to feel wanted and appreciated by a woman that he was dating 

I was kind of fixated on the "might could" combination. Stuff straight out of the 'Jerry Springer' show and his trailer park 'guests' (if you can call them that).

- Dan

[Vaughn]

Words that every man wants to hear to feel wanted and appreciated by a woman that he was dating

I agree, Misha... I had exchanged only two e-mails with a seemingly well-adjusted woman years ago. Her
second reply included a question: "Do you agree, Blake?"  I was amused at the slip - and thought little of it
really - but in my subsequent reply jokingly asked, "By the way, who is Blake?" I was writing to six or seven ladies at
the time, and figured they were also corresponding with others. No big deal.

Her reply was astoundingly defensive, and laced with apology. Obviously distraught,  she blamed some translator
for the "error", and then almost as a plea for absolution - attached what she called a "funny" photo of
herself, with an open blouse baring quite a bit of skin. Like Jerry, I had to cut her loose. I wasn't seeking a
lady whose emotions ran so high about non-issues.

[catzenmouse]

This is a forum, when exactly is there no speculation  :evil: Between Ken's "mental midgets" and TwoBits inferring that some of us are "idiots" I am beginning to wonder why anybody should ever post.  Still trying to decide whether I was counted among the mental midgets or the idiots 

Sorry, guess I should have used the more politically correct term "Synapse Challenged Little Person"...  

I wasn't referring to you Misha but if the "Midget Little Person" fits...  

Jerry's a big boy who knows what he wants and knows his way around the FSU so when folks (with little to no experience) who, from their responses, obviously don't know anything about him or what he's done and had happen along the way start giving him relationship and personal coaching advice they put themselves into the SCLP category IMO.

There's something to be said about the quality of speculation - if a guy posts he met a girl online, and is asking if RWD members would recommend a church, chapel, or civil ceremony - I would speculate that some disappointment is in store.

Train's a comin'...

I missed Ken's "mental midget" post. Don't feel badly for long, or at all for that matter. Just days ago I was referred to as a "sicko"...  early on in my discussion board life, I was deemed an "imbecile."

If you're an imbecilic sicko I'd be honored to join you in that club. Let me know when the meetings start.

As long as my wife loves me, they can call me the Devil Incarnate and I really don't give a flip.

Absolutely true Vaw-Gun! Absolutely true.

[Daveman]

If you're an imbecilic sicko I'd be honored to join you in that club. Let me know when the meetings start.

Hey now, this is a topic in which I really have the most experience on the board. When I'm elected President of the Imbecilic Sicko Foundation, I will enact measures to increase awareness of our group, and then we shall take over the world.

Sorry guys, Devil Incarnate is already taken... I dated her... she has many faces and tries to blend with the crowd, but I think we've all come in contact with her at some point.

"Woe be unto thee who hath mingled with the fruits of idiocy for thine soul shall be confined to the Eternal Lake of Vodka..."  2 Daveman 3:22

[GoodOlBoy]

Stuff straight out of the 'Jerry Springer' show and his trailer park 'guests' (if you can call them that).
- Dan

Hey Dan, glad to meet another "member" of the Jerry Springer fan club. 


GOB

BTW...There use to be a TV show on one of the Dish Network Russian Channels (I think HTB). I can't remember the name of it, but they took it off the air early last year. Anyway the host was a man with shoulder length dark hair and strange sunglasses on top of his head. He would call out his guests from the back and they would come out and sit on stage (on nice couches). The audience would sit and listen to their story (in Russian of course). Then somebody from the back would be "invited" out to confront the story tellers. Well I watched some pretty good fist fights evolve from these confrontations. Kinda' reminded me of the "old" Jerry Springer Shows from the 90's. You know,"let the bodies hit the floor".

Sadly, this show was removed from the HTB lineup. I guess Putin didn't like it.  :evil:

[catzenmouse]

Hey now, this is a topic in which I really have the most experience on the board. When I'm elected President of the Imbecilic Sicko Foundation, I will enact measures to increase awareness of our group, and then we shall take over the world.

As long as I get a Cabinet Position (Minister of Adult Beverage Quality mabye?) you've got my vote! 

[av8or1]

Words that every man wants to hear to feel wanted and appreciated by a woman that he was dating 

Yup, precisely.  Like everyone else, I am not perfect.  She pushed her point of view so much in the second date and just wouldn't let it die.  So in one of my lesser moments, I allowed myself to say this to her: "...Look, there is a reason that men go abroad to find a woman and you are that reason, so just shut your noise, ok?  I am trying to pay the check ASAP so we can both leave this disaster."  She sat in mystifying silence for about two minutes.  Then said "well, I do like strong men."   Oh dear can you say ffff'ed up?  I felt kinda badly about it afterward, though allowing myself to get only one jab in did feel kinda good, but the gentleman in me wishes I had just kept silent and walked away.  Oh well, like I said, I'm not perfect.

Back to the news...I made time today to download the photos from my laptop.  In the interest of helping folk, I am including these photos so that you can get a feel for what Barnaul is like.  If you go, Hotel Barnaul is an acceptable place to stay.  Just avoid Russian Pearls agency.  There are others in town, Lavender being the most well-known, but as I didn't have any experience with them I cannot comment.  Probably the best approach would be to follow Turbo's paradigm and find a woman there who you cannot live without.  Other than that, there's really not much reason to make the haul all the way to Siberia.  It is my opinion you can find the same "caliber" woman closer to Moscow and save yourself some time and money...

Hope these help, y'all take care!

Best,

Jerry

[av8or1]

More photos.......

[acrzybear]

Jerry

Glad to see you're representing Texas-"Hook 'em horns" :hipdude:

[av8or1]

Jerry

Glad to see you're representing Texas-"Hook 'em horns" :hipdude:

Ya know it baby!

Actually it is kinda funny trying to explain to a RW exactly what a Longhorn is.  Finally I gave up and decided to use photos as illustrators, which works immediately.  Below are a couple of examples that I have on my laptop to help explain.  My fave is the last one of course!  Starting 'em out on a positive note!

Y'all take care!

Best,

Jerry

[wendaaaal]

  She sat in mystifying silence for about two minutes.  Then said "well, I do like strong men."  

So what you're telling me, is that what she really needs is a strong Russian man, kinda like this guy:
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0utRxd_tjrk[/youtube]

Just call your local kiosk, and have them call him over for her.
Jerry, BTW that Lubov looks pretty hot!!
Cheers, Wendell in Austin

[Daveman]

Nice photos Jerry, thanks for sharing...

Yeah, I can see how "Longhorn" would be a difficult term to explain without visual aids.     I guess pointing at a steak wouldn't help much over there.     You and Lubov make a handsome couple together.  Good luck with the continuation of that communication, wherever it naturally leads.

Dave

[AnastassiaAsh]

It seems she is sincere. She likes to lean her head on people she loves.  We rarely see that.

[Simoni]

Well, should we have a committee to define what is nonsense and not or do you prefer to nominate yourself and the keeper of the truth and the defender of the truth from the "mental midgets" 

Well, I'm with catz.  Those guys and girl who criticize Jerry for not being in a rush don't get the full picture, and are in fact mental midgets when it comes to relationships.  Cut him some slack and stop knocking him for being selective.

[Misha]

Well, I'm with catz.  Those guys and girl who criticize Jerry for not being in a rush don't get the full picture, and are in fact mental midgets when it comes to relationships.  Cut him some slack and stop knocking him for being selective.

Fine, I will ignore this thread and all other trip reports.

[Simoni]

Fine, I will ignore this thread and all other trip reports.

Misha, it's not a matter of ignoring trip reports.  It's more of a matter of understanding history, as many of us long-term posters have with Jerry. 

We know more because we tracked him through several trip reports.  Thus, in my view, it's fine for us to point out that Jerry is not deserving of some of the off the cuff criticisms he was hit with here.

And, as Ken noted, his comment was not aimed at you.

[Simoni]

Fine, I will ignore this thread and all other trip reports.

Also, you have to know Catz to know he has one of the most keen senses of humor around.  Literal interpretation does not equate with satire...

[SMS60]

And, as Ken noted, his comment was not aimed at you.

Nice pictures Jerry.

Misha, I believe the above was directed at me. Not you.

This is to be expected being new, ect. I probally wont sleep tonight but I will survive.

[Misha]

Also, you have to know Catz to know he has one of the most keen senses of humor around.  Literal interpretation does not equate with satire...

I personally wouldn't care what Ken (Catz) thinks of me. However, I find it annoying when people start saying that we should not post here, or there. This is a discussion forum to the best of my knowledge. Dan can correct me if I am mistaken 

Have you ever been to a forum where people don't post any replies? They are deathly dull IMHO. Personally, if I were an OP, I would prefer to have people posting even if occasionally off-topic than to have dull monologue.

[groovlstk]

As far as the fixed flexability no one could be more open minded than I was.   I had gals that I had interest in who were 4'10 and ones who were 6'6'. 

Damn. I'd love to see a photo of TG and one of these amazons, side-by-side. Even if he doesn't have her permission to post it here.