Why I go to Russia!

[dokrog]

You know what? You people need to have more fun. So here's a fun thread you can all pick apart.

Why do you go to russia? I mean really. Your wife could go if your married to an FSU but you go with her or your on your 4th trip and not married but still going. So why go? I will tell you why I go.

I go because I like to drink. I like to drink socially. I like to look at very pretty girls. Hell yes I'm married but I can still look at the darn menu. I'm married not dead! I like the way the pretty girls flirt with the older guys taunting them. It's hilarious.

I like to meet people and talk and share experiences. I also get a thrill from being out alone exploring a strange city in a different country. I like to hang out in villages and I love the once a week coed banya. ooops. Hope the wife won't read this.

First and foremost though. There's not a lot to do there. So your forced to socialize. Which suits me just fine. I like that human contact. I like watching the kids play and striking up a conversation with complete strangers and an hour later your best friends.

I like the fact that if I want to add a junglegym and second slide to the little playground behind our 4 square of apartment highrises I simply CAN. I can buy it and have it delivered and no one says anything about zoning. I can put a sandbox in with toys and people rejoice not complain. That's why I go.

[dokrog]

They have the best bread and butter in the world. My god their butter is sweet! I used to be a home brewer back when I had time and their beer is almost like the nectar of the gods.

I can catch a bus to a village I've never been to before and within an hour I'm friends with many. Playing chess with the old men and being begged to stay the night instead of hiking out so I can join the mushroom hunt in the morning.

You think this is abnormal? Nope. Not even slightly. It's typical Russia.

In moscow I have to worry about gangs. In Kirov I have to worry about getting out of a bar before my wife kills me because I can play the piano and they simply WON'T LET ME LEAVE.

In Russia I can go to my mama's (my wifes mother) and the two of us can go to my wifes fathers grave, talk to him for awhile to catch him up on our lives and give him a sip or two of vodka (pouring over the soil) while we drink half the rest of the bottle and I can let her cry on my shoulder because she misses him so much and damn him for leaving her 15 years ago.

They take all of this seriously. I love it there.

Why do you go?

[Sculpto]

awesome words.  thank you, I really enjoyed what you wrote and how you see the world. 

[dokrog]

I was in Darovskoy in 2004 when the chechnya's killed all those people in Belsan. There were guns walking all over the place. Who said the soviet people were unarmed? Common people toting guns talking with police and militia like it was commonplace and everyone respecting everyone else. Their only goal. Protect the innocent! Protect their people! Can you do that in America? In Britain or Germany? Good Luck. Perhaps Texas though.

In America, people ralley to a common crises. Say a building collaspes on a contruction site. a couple hundred people show up. Certainly no more than that. In Russia? Everyone shows up. The entire damn city. Willing to help. No questions asked.

You see pretty girls on the streets walking around in pretty clothes. Did you realise that is probably a quarter of their wardrobe? That at home they walk around in bra and panties because they don't want to ruin their things? Not all but many let me tell you gentlemen.

They humble me. That's why I go. I respect them greatly.

[dokrog]

Thank you Sculpto;

I have read many of your posts and see you as wisdom for many of these new people desiring RW companionship. I also see that you don't stoop to the level of those looking to start fights on here but use sound reasoning and judgement. I respect you for that.

Russia is simply a pretty cool place if you like people. It's that simple. Strong people I might add. You respect them, they respect you I've found.

Take care.

[Lily]

  That at home they walk around in bra and panties because they don't want to ruin their things? Not all but many let me tell you gentlemen.

 

Nice habit, isn't it?

The reason may rather be that it is too warm in the summer, and apartments do not have the air conditioning.

[dokrog]

You take an apartment in just about any city and once the neighbors realize someone new has moved in it's like America in the 1960's or earlier. People start showing up with gifts and food and drink. Nothing asked in return. Just glad your there and happy wishes.

Your girl takes you to meet someone new and the two of you are invited in then the most amazing commotion occurs. Fine Linens are put on the tables. Vases are brought out. The fine china materializes and a feast of vegatables, fruits, cheeses and meats is prepared before your eyes. All in honor of YOU! only YOU!

Do they have anything to gain by treating you so nice? Nope! Quite the opposite. You might be eating all the meat they have that week.

They are an extremely social people. They love their culture and their people and yes... you. I did not say they love the state.

Don't worry about taxi's. 5 km from your apartment and need to get home? Hold out your hand. Someone will stop and give you a ride within seconds. It is customary to give them a few rubles for their trouble though. Try that one in america. Good luck!

That's why I go. Why do you?

[dokrog]

Hi again Lily,

When you caught me in faux pas in my initial welcome post I acknowledged it. Since then I reviewed many of your posts. Your quite fond of taking a very small part of what someone says and commenting on it arent you. Sighs. Did you happen by chance to read my signature?

Anyways. You are again correct in a small way. There is no airconditioning unless you install your own and pray to god the electric can handle it. so most don't. Sometimes there's a fan sometimes not. Depends on how much money they have and if the one they had recently broke or not. But what I said was also the exact truth for a majority of Russians. FACT! I doubt you'll even try to deny that. Or they wear smocks. Shapeless garments or a sleeveless tunic and shorts. But if their planning on going out anytime soon then it's bra and panties for most. And I'm right of course and Lily knows it. Question Lily. Why do you start comments like this? I'm just curious.

There are many people in the world with many skills. My skill has always been in finding the right people I need to find for whatever purpose I need them for. That is my skill and it's part of why I'm so successful in business. You should understand this.

[dokrog]

By the way. Hush Lily. Your interrupting my flow here.

[Lily]

  Question Lily. Why do you start comments like this? I'm just curious.

 

I didn't quite get it what d' you mean by 'comments like this'. what in particularly?

Sure I read your signature

With that comment I just wanted to confirm your observation that we really walk in underwear at home, but of different reasons

Okay, I shut up and read you in silence

[dokrog]

LOL. Spasiba Lily,

[dokrog]

I was in Izmailovo Market in Moscow year before last picking up a few things for friends. It's the quickest place to find gifts of all sorts. I noticed a couple militia trailing me about oh maybe 50 meters away but they stopped when I stopped. Knowing my papers were in order I approached them. I was curious. Seems they recognized me as a foreigner and didn't want anything happening to me on their watch. Needless to say. I bought both of them several beers throughout the day and gifts for their wives/gf's. And yes I still have their address and have seen them once since.

This year you can go to almost any of the smaller cities and buy a whole fried chicken with a loaf of bread and sweet butter, salad and 2 liters of beer for around 200 Rubles at the most. Many places less. Feeds 4 easily.

You walk down a village street (defining village as 3500 or less in population) and see an old man sitting at a small table out front near the house maybe 5 meters from the road. He's sitting in his finery. You approach say good day and ask if he would like to play chess. They all play chess. He goes in gets a board and your playing. His wife serves you tea or vodka and within 20 minutes you have 30 people there watching you and trying to talk to you if the opportunity presents itself.

That's why I go to Russia. Why do you?

[dokrog]

The list is very long and I"m done for the moment. I would like to hear what all of you have to say on the subject.

[Sculpto]

I say only.. keep going, give us more!  I could do the same thing for Mexico but people here are more interested in Russia.  MORE MORE MORE! 

[Daveman]

Okay, I'm gonna have a little fun picking apart your thread... 

You know what? You people need to have more fun. So here's a fun thread you can all pick apart.

Hi again Lily,

...Your quite fond of taking a very small part of what someone says and commenting on it arent you.

That's exactly what you invited everyone to do. Relax, have another shot..  If there were ever a woman in the world without much of an agenda (other than one we all have - finding/meeting her mate) that would be Lily..

Why do you start comments like this? I'm just curious.

Giving the Venus perspective, of course... quite a few intelligent RW here who'll do that.  Okay enough messing with you...


I have witnessed much of what you've said -- from the underwear parades (of course, Lily killed my fantasy -- I thought it was my supreme male magnetism which caused this phenomenon), to the makeshift taxis, to the feasts in honor of ME and only ME...  I love to interact with the people in general.  I speak Russian just enough to make a complete fool of myself in conversation, but no one over there seems to care... try to communicate, and especially if you say a couple of words in Russian, they warm up very quickly and start throwing every English word they know at you as well as patiently listening and deciphering what it is you are trying to say. 

Of course, my first priority is to find someone special... BUT, the other aspects cause me to love being over there on a much larger scale... It's an experience like no other.

My experience is more in Ukraine than Russia, but it certainly isn't much different than you described. 

Throw some more out there... looking forward to it..

[dokrog]

Thank you Daveman,

Actually I quite enjoy Lily. I am so glad she became part of the thread. I would prefer that she talked more. 
Hmmm. Russian women can be hard to understand. They do not show much emotion until they warm to you. In most respects they don't show a lot of emotion in public period except the new breed. The teens now and the very young adults. They do of course. Western influence I think.
Your comments on the language are wonderful. They match mine. I am not fluent, even after all this time. But I can follow pretty much all conversations and I can make them understand me. I am lazy i guess. That and russian is a really hard language to learn. I know enough to get by and be understood.
Dave. You will meet your woman there if you try hard enough. It's an experience like none other. Whether in Russia or the Ukraine.

Here in this thread I'm trying to present what Russia is all about. Why I love it there and why it works for ME.

Yes I want everyone to pick this apart. I want discussion. I want reality. Does that make sense? The hardest thing, I think, men need to realize with RW is that the language barrier is a bit**. That's what creates most arguments in relationships between RW and AM. Misunderstandings. Men need to take them for who they are and understand them and adjust. There is a lot of history there. They are a strong people.

Throwing a couple more pics out there. The first is my daughter Larissa. I named her. The second is a great aunt. A babuska.

[UTRO]

This year you can go to almost any of the smaller cities and buy a whole fried chicken with a loaf of bread and sweet butter, salad and 2 liters of beer for around 200 Rubles at the most. Many places less. Feeds 4 easily.

200R? You haven't been to Globus in a a while have you dokrog?!?    At least not the Globus Supermarkets...... for sure the Globus Cafes though

[Simoni]

I speak Russian just enough to make a complete fool of myself in conversation, but no one over there seems to care... try to communicate, and especially if you say a couple of words in Russian, they warm up very quickly and start throwing every English word they know at you as well as patiently listening and deciphering what it is you are trying to say. 

Thanks for sharing this, Dave.  Two things:

 1 ) as you say, the important thing is that you "try" to speak their language.  They will love the respect you are showing them, and they help you learn even more.  2) I cringe when someone gives the advice "learn Russian," (as in becoming fluent).  The reality is that second language learning is very difficult, and language learning ability varies from person to person.  For most of us, at least initially, that means you'll be able to acquire a hundred words or phrases or so that will get you by, but fluency will only come through immersion in the language, and not simply studying it.

But I can follow pretty much all conversations and I can make them understand me. I am lazy i guess. That and russian is a really hard language to learn.

Now that a child has come into our lives, and my wife is speaking to our daughter in Russian, my comprehension of the language is picking up.  Other dad's with Ukrainian wife's tell me the same thing.  Listening to meaningful discourse is the way we learn.  But in all of our cases, it means we understand more language than we can speak.

[Misha]

200R? You haven't been to Globus in a a while have you dokrog?!? 

Yes, my wife and I were comparing prices for food in Russia and in Canada when she came back a month ago. The price for food in Russia was pretty much the same there as here. Bread was a bit cheaper, the rest at best a bit less, but not by much.

[SANDRO43]

Utro, what's the meaning of those 'garters' that the girls in your photos wear over their jeans?

[Sculpto]

Yes, my wife and I were comparing prices for food in Russia and in Canada when she came back a month ago. The price for food in Russia was pretty much the same there as here. Bread was a bit cheaper, the rest at best a bit less, but not by much.

bread and fish are cheaper.. produce, cheese, meat were the same or more expensive.. in Moscow anyway.  Beer is cheap, vodka is really cheap.. name brand American booze is ridiculously high.. tabac is cheap.. at the end of the day I was spending about the same as I would here for consumables.

Link posted a link to an article on some site about a woman that moved to what I assume is LaPaz Baja California.. the lady who wrote the article gets into a lot of detail about this topic which I thought was interesting, as well as her impressions about food in general.

[dokrog]

Well you got me there Utro, you sound almost exactly like my wife. When I asked my wife this morning on the prices for the chicken she threw her hands up in typical russian fashion and exclaimed that I have been exagerating prices in russia for 10 years. *shrugs* That also gave her the excuse to restart an old argument that I spend too much in Russia. LOL Then in typical russian male fashion I ignored her until she calmed down.

The fact is you can live for around 200/mo there, out of the major cities. In reality however we found we were spending around 500 to 1000 USD a month in consumables and transportation. We were buying for many people though.

What disappoints me is the high cost of many things even in kirov. We bought my wifes mother a washing machine last year and spent just as much as if we had bought it here. But she loves it.

[dokrog]

A few fun pictures to liven the day..

The first is my son sean and his dog. At least he claims it's his dog and not my wifes mothers. I'm still looking for the rooster chasing sean pic. Dang that was funny.

The second pic is of course one of russian womens favorite pasttimes. Shopping.
The third is my wife at our wedding. We had a traditional russian wedding btw. fun.
the 4th is my wife now. Her butt actually. howing up the ground to  plant potatoes. A main staple in the russian diet. Most plant and harvest food in the dacha's or family village homes and then distribute it throughout the family to help out because food is so expensive in the cities. She started out 5'1" and 98lbs and is now 106lbs but what the hey, two kids later and all that.
The 5th and 6th is more shopping of course. They love that stuff.

[UTRO]

Utro, what's the meaning of those 'garters' that the girls in your photos wear over their jeans?

Lol! Sandro, it was an 'accessory' that Sveta had her 'girls' wear for her Bridal Shower. She rented a limousine and brought her girlfriends around Kirov and put them up to many little tasks. Such as, begging for money and kissing and dancing with strangers
Apparently Bridal Showers aren't all that common in Russia? Especially Provincial cities like Kirov?? The girls had never experienced such an event before and had a great time
ps... I think Sveta had been watching too much Sex in the City!

[UTRO]

Well you got me there Utro, you sound almost exactly like my wife. When I asked my wife this morning on the prices for the chicken she threw her hands up in typical russian fashion and exclaimed that I have been exagerating prices in russia for 10 years. *shrugs* That also gave her the excuse to restart an old argument that I spend too much in Russia. LOL Then in typical russian male fashion I ignored her until she calmed down.

The fact is you can live for around 200/mo there, out of the major cities. In reality however we found we were spending around 500 to 1000 USD a month in consumables and transportation. We were buying for many people though.

What disappoints me is the high cost of many things even in kirov. We bought my wifes mother a washing machine last year and spent just as much as if we had bought it here. But she loves it.

It is on the cheap to live day to day, that's for sure Utilities, transportation, alcohol, cigarettes, food staples, etc.... But I find that when grocery shopping in Globus I end up spending just as much as I would here. Then again, my grocery list here doesn't include 250g of Caviar, a bottle of Vodka, 6 500ml of Baltika, 1L of wine and 2 bottles of Champagneski!
Rubble devaluation in the past year has really affected prices in the shops though. A lot of things have risen 25% to 40%. You are right on about the bigger ticket items. The cost there is the same as here pretty much. Problem is, most residents of Kirov bring home a much smaller salary than those Russians who live in the bigger cities.... and on average they make roughly 10Xs less than we do in the west.... especially women