New member from U.S. had a great time!!

[kievstar]

I find if you adapt to the local environment very easy to get the service you expect. British English, American English, Australian English and Indian English are all different.  So communication issues will happen if people are not clear with each other especially with people who may travel a lot but really are not experienced internationally. 

Clear communication upfront prevents problems. 

[JR]

btw.. I am actually working.. not just sitting on the web all day.. listening to the Cure.. drafting.. pondering how to cram all this stuff the client wants into a kitchen that is 30% too small

Just make everything 30% smaller! Sheesh, do I have to do all the thinking around here?

And I say PROXY!

[JR]

I still beleive CCs biggest beef is the fact that Mila put his age in the ad. But what about Milas credibility to the woman she knows and the women who respond to the ad? These women take time of from work, travel some distance and for what? To meet a man that is 25 years older that they would never consider? Maybe if Mila wasnt honest with these women the next time she calls them to meet a man they might tell her to forget it, remembering the wanna be 50 year old who was 64.

If I remember correctly CC said he was adamant about no age in the ad but she could tell them his age should they ask during the phone interview. I see nothing wrong with CC making this request. It is his life, his decision and most importantly his money. If the contractor has an issue with it they should discuss it with him, then abide by his wishes or tell him to take his money elsewhere.

And I agree with DaveMan, we do have the ability to set the level of expectations with this sort of service.

[Sculpto]

, we do have the ability to set the level of expectations with this sort of service.

agree, but the devil is in the details.. after what i went through using agencies I could never advise anyone to do anything that wasn't triple checked and verified if they are using someone elses services.  Its too far to go to leave things to chance or assurances of "everything will be fine".  Everything will be fine right up until it isn't, and then what?  And, even when things are triple checked and double verified there are always unexpected variations.. its just part of life.. can't control everything.

[lovelyannie]

Hi lovelyannie, Of course I agree with this post as do many here at RWD.  I've found that a common language does not eliminate *all* misunderstandings, which can become, well, rather interesting at times, but really I tried that relations without a common language scenario once and that was more than enough for me.  At the time I thought of the possibilities, in hindsight I clearly recognize the complete absurdity of the situation. 

Looking forward to more of your posts from your experiences and best of luck with your future..
Dave

Yes, you are absolutely right David,
common language is a base of good relationship - the couple is what its conversations are.
And, on the other hand, i could say that psychologists claim, that all people can be divied into 3 main groups on the main respurse they  comprehend the information: visualists, audialists and cinestetics - the first comprehend mostly through eyesight, the second - through word and the third  - through touches and movements (they are the most rare ones). So, if you are a visualist or a cinestetic and you are lucky to find a fiance with the same type of personlaity, you  might have a happy marriage even without  a common language
But for me, as well as for my fiance, word is the base of communication. Even when the phone connection is poor and i cant hear properly what he says, i feel annoyed. So it would be impissible for me to live next to a person, who says something that i wouldn't understand.
But if you are an audialist,  your marriage without the common language is determined to failure....

[Jesterjohn]

Hello Everybody,
Sorry I haven't been around.This site is blocked at work and I didn't have internet at home till now. Let me fill you in a little about my trip to Kharkov. I was going to Kharkov because I was going to meet a lady that I met on line. She was with UFMA. I was suppose to met her on Saturday but she couldn't met till Monday. So I had to scramble to find someone to help me out with shopping and some site seeing. I found Mila on my search in the internet. That was 2 days before I would arrive in Kharkov. We got together on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday she asked me what brought me to Kharkov. So I told her about the lady I was going to meet. She then told me about a lot of scams happening around there. So she offered her services to meet with the lady I was going to meet with. I called UFMA and told them that I had an interpreter I was bringing. They told me that I had to use them for the first meeting.So I told them I would pay for there service and interperter fee but still would like to bring Mila with me.They said No. I didn't meet the lady I was going there to meet but Mila said she had some friends and offered for me to meet them.I met with one of her friends and found her to be quite nice.
To answer some of the other posts.No Mila didn't Tell me what to write.She did give me the address for this site.I just wrote about my experience and feelings about Mila. I also didn't give you personal names to that site(UFMA)because they don't deserve to be recognized.I was not happy with there service and I don't want to bad mouth anyone. Yes I will be going back to Kharkov,next year and will be using Mila again.I'm also going back to school in the fall,to learn Russian.Thanks for your time.Jester John

[JR]

Your entire post is about Mila. Why not tell us about your trip instead....

[Jesterjohn]

Hey Jollyrats,
You say that I only write about Mila.Well I didn't do anything without Mila or her husband.I don't know any Russian.When I did go for a walk,people tried to talk to me.I felt very uncomfortable because I could not communicate with them.Plus when you try and tell them your American,most stop talking right away. Thats why I'm going to school in the fall to learn Russian.Thanks Jesterjohn

[Sculpto]

UFMA.. no names.. no address.. on Jims white list.. blah!

Interesting they didn't want you to bring your own translator.  Harder to pull the scam that way.  You dodged a bullet.

Would love to hear more about the ladies you met with Mila.  I find it odd people stopped talking to you when you mentioned being American.. my experience was always the exact opposite.

GREAT IDEA to go study Russian.  Get a cd or something before hand.. you will get more out of it.  Best of luck!

[Jesterjohn]

Hey Sculpto,
Yes I got lucky not to get scammed.It was the people on the streets at the markets,when I was out walking by myself,that stopped talking to me.Not the lady that I met with Mila.I only met one of Mila's lady friends.She was a very nice and friendly lady.We saw each other for 3 dates.Thanks Jesterjohn

[Sculpto]

yeah John I understood it was people on the street.. were they trying to speak to you in English and stopped.. or they realized you didn't speak Russian and stopped?

[JR]

Hey Jollyrats,
You say that I only write about Mila.Well I didn't do anything without Mila or her husband.I don't know any Russian.When I did go for a walk,people tried to talk to me.I felt very uncomfortable because I could not communicate with them.Plus when you try and tell them your American,most stop talking right away. Thats why I'm going to school in the fall to learn Russian.Thanks Jesterjohn

So you didn't meet any ladies, you only met Mila? Come on tell us about the friend she set you up with...

[Jesterjohn]

Sculpto,
They stopped when I said (het)No Russian American.The only person that did try to talk to me was a little old lady selling painted eggs and dolls.She kept talking to me in Russian and showing me her items for sale.Otherwise I just got sluffed off.Not in a rude way.Just because we could'nt communicate.Thanks Jesterjohn

[Sculpto]

Thats a pity John.. one of the best conversations I had in all four of my trips was  in Donetsk with a veteran of the Great Patriotic War.. me, no Russian, him, not a word of English.. but that little phrase book and dictionary let us communicate for almost three hours.  I love talking to really old people.

[Jesterjohn]

Sculpo,
I plan on going back next May,so I know it will be even a better trip.From what I saw and did.I really liked it there.Thanks Jesterjohn

[dokrog]

*dokrog jumps up and down in agitation*

I realise I'm the new guy here but I broke in rwd way back in 2000. Just trying to decide if all these new taxes i'm going to be hit with will cripple my businesses so badly moving to Russia will sound good. Just kidding...

Jester, Uhm...after numerous requests you still haven't provided any details of your trip other than the virtues of mila? keeping you out of trouble. Ahhhh. The only reason I ask is because I am always on the lookout for a good interpreter in cities I'm thinking of acquiring property in. To be brutally honest I'm getting suspicious that this is a Mila ad. Did I miss something? I read 3 pages of Mila. Tell me I'm wrong. * blinks *

[dokrog]

Oh christ! This is also rwd but you guys know what I mean anyways.

[Chris59]

After reading this thread, I don't feel so guilty writing that humungous trip report back in the other Introduction section. If I knew I was going to Kharkov, I'd try to learn at least a few phrases. I was lucky, I had someone in St. Petersburg to assist me, but I learned as much of the language as I could before going. Sometimes it can be quite handy if you at least know how to say: "Где - туалет?"