Topic: Ukraine- Cherkassy

[c-dub]

I'll be going to St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2011. I was born there and moved to the U.S. when I was only a year old. This will be my first time back to Russia in 35 years. I'll be there for 2 weeks and I'm going to take pictures like it's going out of style. I can still speak some Russian so I think I'm gonna try to hook up with some hot Russian chicks while I'm there.

[MyTwoSense]

I'll be going to St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2011. I was born there and moved to the U.S. when I was only a year old. This will be my first time back to Russia in 35 years. I'll be there for 2 weeks and I'm going to take pictures like it's going out of style. I can still speak some Russian so I think I'm gonna try to hook up with some hot Russian chicks while I'm there.

xopow bac  ( I think I spelled that right)

[KJP]

David, yes the architecture was not very pleasant. There was some nice buildings, especially the newer structures and older structures. Eastern Europe and America have that in common. Their cities were destroyed in World War II and the Soviets rebuilt them with some ugly commie-block buildings and other government-built ugliness. We destroyed our cities by building commie-block buildings and private-sector copycats in the name of urban renewal.

Yes, I was shocked at the lack of "lawns" and other landscaping. Lana has seen many pictures of Cleveland and remarked at how beautiful our architecture is and was surprised at how many lawns we have at our parks and in front of houses and buildings. The things we take for granted....

I'll be going to St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2011. I was born there and moved to the U.S. when I was only a year old. This will be my first time back to Russia in 35 years. I'll be there for 2 weeks and I'm going to take pictures like it's going out of style. I can still speak some Russian so I think I'm gonna try to hook up with some hot Russian chicks while I'm there.

That's a much better time of the year to be heading over there than what I did!

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures. You will probably be ID'd as an American by passers by as I was. Lana said I dressed and carried myself as an American, and smiled in public. If there are some Russian chicks looking to marry western men, they may well find you! And if you want to really impress the heck out of them, be a true gentleman and treat them like queens (not like objects as many of their men do). But if a lady wants you to buy a lot of stuff for them, go find another lady -- it's quite possible she is interested in you only as a cash machine. There is a lot of that going on among Eastern Bloc ladies because those types think western men are rich.

[MyTwoSense]

I'll be going to St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2011. I was born there and moved to the U.S. when I was only a year old. This will be my first time back to Russia in 35 years. I'll be there for 2 weeks and I'm going to take pictures like it's going out of style. I can still speak some Russian so I think I'm gonna try to hook up with some hot Russian chicks while I'm there.

That's a much better time of the year to be heading over there than what I did!

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures. You will probably be ID'd as an American by passers by as I was. Lana said I dressed and carried myself as an American, and smiled in public. If there are some Russian chicks looking to marry western men, they may well find you! And if you want to really impress the heck out of them, be a true gentleman and treat them like queens (not like objects as many of their men do). But if a lady wants you to buy a lot of stuff for them, go find another lady -- it's quite possible she is interested in you only as a cash machine. There is a lot of that going on among Eastern Bloc ladies because those types think western men are rich.

Thats a European thing.  Outside of Paris and maybe Barcelona, people don't smile and look you in the eye like we do.

KJP - that isn't limited to just the ladies.

[KJP]

Thats a European thing.  Outside of Paris and maybe Barcelona, people don't smile and look you in the eye like we do.

KJP - that isn't limited to just the ladies.

That's an eastern European thing. I've been in many western European cities including Paris, Brussels, Cologne, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Munich and too many UK cities to list. They dress a little differently than we do but they do smile and laugh in public and look people in the eyes. After visiting more of Europe, I realize England and American are incredibly similar for obvious reasons. But we've stayed similar over 200+ years.

[TBideon]

Hey KJP, did you get a feel for how ukranians match up to Americans weight wise. 

[KJP]

The women are mostly thin -- some are skinny/tiny. The men seem to be in decent shape until their 40s or so. More fat men than fat women.

FYI, there are high incidences of cancers in the northern parts of the country thanks to Chernobyl. Many do not live beyond their 60s.

[eastvillagedon]

Outside of Paris and maybe Barcelona, people don't smile and look you in the eye like we do.

like you do in New York?? You're really asking for trouble. Maybe that's what you're looking for--lol. 

[c-dub]

I'll be going to St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2011. I was born there and moved to the U.S. when I was only a year old. This will be my first time back to Russia in 35 years. I'll be there for 2 weeks and I'm going to take pictures like it's going out of style. I can still speak some Russian so I think I'm gonna try to hook up with some hot Russian chicks while I'm there.

xopow bac  ( I think I spelled that right)

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say. Sorry.

[c-dub]

David, yes the architecture was not very pleasant. There was some nice buildings, especially the newer structures and older structures. Eastern Europe and America have that in common. Their cities were destroyed in World War II and the Soviets rebuilt them with some ugly commie-block buildings and other government-built ugliness. We destroyed our cities by building commie-block buildings and private-sector copycats in the name of urban renewal.

Yes, I was shocked at the lack of "lawns" and other landscaping. Lana has seen many pictures of Cleveland and remarked at how beautiful our architecture is and was surprised at how many lawns we have at our parks and in front of houses and buildings. The things we take for granted....

I'll be going to St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2011. I was born there and moved to the U.S. when I was only a year old. This will be my first time back to Russia in 35 years. I'll be there for 2 weeks and I'm going to take pictures like it's going out of style. I can still speak some Russian so I think I'm gonna try to hook up with some hot Russian chicks while I'm there.

That's a much better time of the year to be heading over there than what I did!

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures. You will probably be ID'd as an American by passers by as I was. Lana said I dressed and carried myself as an American, and smiled in public. If there are some Russian chicks looking to marry western men, they may well find you! And if you want to really impress the heck out of them, be a true gentleman and treat them like queens (not like objects as many of their men do). But if a lady wants you to buy a lot of stuff for them, go find another lady -- it's quite possible she is interested in you only as a cash machine. There is a lot of that going on among Eastern Bloc ladies because those types think western men are rich.

I wanted to go this time of the year because I wanted to experience the white nights. St. Petersburg is filled with so much beautiful architecture and rich history like the Hermitage Museum and many of the Czars summer palaces. I'm so excited to go. I do have some distant relatives there that might introduce me to a few good catches if you know what I mean. You never know, I might just find myself a wife while I'm there.

[MyTwoSense]

I'll be going to St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2011. I was born there and moved to the U.S. when I was only a year old. This will be my first time back to Russia in 35 years. I'll be there for 2 weeks and I'm going to take pictures like it's going out of style. I can still speak some Russian so I think I'm gonna try to hook up with some hot Russian chicks while I'm there.

xopow bac  ( I think I spelled that right)

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say. Sorry.

I was trying to say "Good for you".  I only know a few Russian phrases.

[c-dub]

I'll be going to St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2011. I was born there and moved to the U.S. when I was only a year old. This will be my first time back to Russia in 35 years. I'll be there for 2 weeks and I'm going to take pictures like it's going out of style. I can still speak some Russian so I think I'm gonna try to hook up with some hot Russian chicks while I'm there.

xopow bac  ( I think I spelled that right)

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say. Sorry.

I was trying to say "Good for you".  I only know a few Russian phrases.

Thank you. I'm pretty excited about the trip.

[Robert Pence]

There's an interesting thread of photos from various parts of Ukraine on SSC.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=803254

[David]

Hey KJP, did you get a feel for how ukranians match up to Americans weight wise. 

Lol I'm so not surprised to hear KJP say they're skinnier over there. Everyone I've ever met in Ohio from Eastern Europe is in much better shape. They're probably not on a bunch of anti-depressants and eat real food as opposed to the cheap, processed stuff Americans eat here. It seems like every time someone I know goes abroad, no matter where they go, they always come back with stories about how everyone is skinny and in good shape, compared to Americans.

Outside of Paris and maybe Barcelona, people don't smile and look you in the eye like we do.

like you do in New York?? You're really asking for trouble. Maybe that's what you're looking for--lol. 

Haha! I noticed that. There's too many d@mn people in NYC, especially Manhattan. People don't really mean anything. A single person hardly even caught my eye, even as a tourist. Everyone is too preoccupied with going about their business. 

[c-dub]

I know this thread is going all kinds of places but I just wanted to share an interesting fact about my new puppy. Just a few days ago I adopted a new Samoyed puppy (he was $1100 if you wanna actually call it adoption). Anyway, here's the connection to this thread. The Samoyed's (pronounced Sam-eh-yed) origin comes from NW Russia. Of course St. Petersburg is in NW Russia which is where I'm from and where I'm going. Anyway, I named him Mishka Bear which in Russian means cub bear or little bear. Here's a picture.

[David]

He does look like a little bear. Cool dog.

[c-dub]

Thank you. I'm really starting to bond with the little sh*thead. He is a handful.

[rockandroller]

I worked with Russian chicks; all the time, they would talk about how spoiled American woman are. They iron their husbands clothes, cook and clean on top of working!

I had to take this bait.  I am far from alone in being an American woman who works full-time, cooks dinner regularly, shops for all the groceries, does laundry and cleaning and ironing regularly, etc.  Maybe they're getting their opinions of American women from TV or something, not reality.

[David]

I worked with Russian chicks; all the time, they would talk about how spoiled American woman are. They iron their husbands clothes, cook and clean on top of working!

I had to take this bait.  I am far from alone in being an American woman who works full-time, cooks dinner regularly, shops for all the groceries, does laundry and cleaning and ironing regularly, etc.  Maybe they're getting their opinions of American women from TV or something, not reality.

Yeah but you're exceptional. 

I think I kinda agree with them, just based on my own experiences with women girls. I'm only 24 so maybe it has a little bit to do with age but the few women I've been involved with were spoiled princesses who think they're God's gift to men and the rest of the world. Self-centered. I look at relationships other people have and overall, I think American women have their men whipped. I really wish I wasn't wired to go after women with good looks. I'm really not trying to bait but it seems like there's a fairly strong correlation between a woman's physical attractiveness and them acting like a spoiled, entitled princess. I've been lowering my standards in the looks dept. for that very reason. They take, take, take but shouldn't have to give. "Reciprocity, what's that!?  " Why should they have to? There's tons of other guys swarming around them, willing to put up with their bs if you don't. I'm not going to lie, it disturbs me how much power women have over men just because of their physical beauty alone. I think a lot of guys are attracted to these women abroad because they're much more humbled.

[jmecklenborg]

^David, that's why you need to find girls that don't know they're hot.  They're out there. 

C-dub, that puppy is a babe magnet.  I knew a guy who was hopeless with the ladies despite earning millions in the early 90's off domain names but he had one of those.  It got him constant attention from the ladies but they figured out he was lame pretty quickly. 

[MyTwoSense]

I know this thread is going all kinds of places but I just wanted to share an interesting fact about my new puppy. Just a few days ago I adopted a new Samoyed puppy (he was $1100 if you wanna actually call it adoption). Anyway, here's the connection to this thread. The Samoyed's (pronounced Sam-eh-yed) origin comes from NW Russia. Of course St. Petersburg is in NW Russia which is where I'm from and where I'm going. Anyway, I named him Mishka Bear which in Russian means cub bear or little bear. Here's a picture.

AS mrnyc would say SUPER CUTE! 

[rockandroller]

Yeah but you're exceptional. 

...the few women I've been involved with were spoiled princesses who think they're God's gift to men and the rest of the world...overall, I think American women have their men whipped...it seems like there's a fairly strong correlation between a woman's physical attractiveness and them acting like a spoiled, entitled princess. I've been lowering my standards in the looks dept. for that very reason.

I actually DO think I'm God's gift to men. I'm pretty attractive if I do say so myself. I've been proposed to by 10 different men including Mr. RNR and said yes to 3 of them besides my husband so I was engaged 4 times before I actually got married, so I don't think I'm any slouch in the looks department.  I'm the whole package - looks, housework, gets along with people's families, etc.  In that respect, I guess I would say most of the men I've been with have been a little "whipped" as you describe it, as well they should be - this is a good package, you'd be lucky to have it, and you better work to obtain and keep it.  But yeah, I know what you mean about the princesses. I've never been accused of that type of behavior.

As for lowering your standards in the looks department, I highly recommend it.  Some of the best, most loving, wonderful men I was involved with were not anyone you'd see on the cover of a magazine, and some were downright homely by some people's measure. My husband is not what anyone would consider conventionally attractive in a George Clooney sense but he's very attractive to me.  You have to broaden your horizons. I mean, it's like looking for a job with a specific title in a tiny geographic area. If you don't find it, you have to broaden what you'd be willing to accept in order to get what you want - a job. And you keep broadening that circle til you find what you want.  Hell, KJP has broadened his circle across the globe!

[KJP]

Wow, this thread sure has taken an interesting turn.

I have noticed that women who learn I am shopping for women overseas respond in one of two ways:  they are supportive/happy for me or they are personally offended.

The latter seem to take it as a rejection of all American women, including themselves. They seem to think I am looking for a maid, which I am not. I am looking for an intelligent, kind, career-minded woman, of which America has plenty. But I am also looking for something else and which is difficult to put into words. Probably the best way to describe it is that they have no anger or chips on their shoulders. They have a sweetness that I find intoxicating. I still believe in princesses, romance, the purity and depth of a woman's eyes and ever-lasting love. Perhaps I am hopelessly hopeful or innocently stupid. But I am late into the game and want to try this before I get too much older and lose the last bits of energy to raise children. So that's why I am expanding my search to far-off lands.

[TBideon]

KJP, you are definitely making the right choice here.  I have noticed that a surprising number of (single) women in the US, or maybe it's just localized to the Midwest, often have a chip on their shoulder.  Of course this doesn't apply to all single women, perhaps not even a majority of them, but there is a kind of anger or suspicion towards men that my Midwesterner male friends and I have noticed and talked about.   

Come to think of it, I think this is actually a Midwesterner issue - I'd love to see a sociologist do a study and explore if it's a real problem, if it's regional, the root causes, yadda yadda.  Regardless, I think it's awesome that you've taking these steps and who knows, maybe these kinds of relationships will start becoming trendy and popular. 

[KJP]

OK, one more picture. This was taken by the translator of Lana and me. Lana just sent this photo to me today....

[rockandroller]

What's that blue building? That looks interesting.  It's a funny picture - you look like you're freezing and she looks totally comfortable   Wear boots next time! Those white tennies just add to the "Americans don't know how to dress" thing

[jmecklenborg]

The impression I get of the eastern European countries is that there aren't a lot of ways to "get ahead" without being from a prominent family, being involved in organized crime, or positioning oneself to benefit from government corruption, so women can't really expect many men to be making big money and be prominent in the community.  But you definitely can make the big money in the United States even if you're of no-name origins, so there is greater pressure on American men and women who do or don't love them to not to accept an anonymous existence. 

[KJP]

What's that blue building? That looks interesting.  It's a funny picture - you look like you're freezing and she looks totally comfortable   Wear boots next time! Those white tennies just add to the "Americans don't know how to dress" thing

I forget the name/purpose of the building, and while it's one of the few buildings in Cherkassy to survive WWII, it's not that old for Ukraine. For some reason I remember it being a theater.

Dear freezebaby, I'm not comfortable looking because my picture is being taken. I hate having my photo taken! I was not cold at all while I was there. I never wear boots, hat or gloves and seldom wear a heavy coat here in Cleveland either.

[rockandroller]

LOL. Good to know (and amazing, you are lucky!).  However, just a tip from a lady, lose the white tennies. You'll cut a much more appealing figure in some other type of shoe. Maybe MTS could help you pick something out? I"m being serious. I want you to succeed here.

[KJP]

I brought black shoes (and black socks) with me but never wore them. I think they always look good against dark jeans and a white, button-down shirt but I wore the white tennis shoes because I was lazy and often get stuck in routines.

Thanks for your wishes of success. She is interested in coming here but understandably nervous. Her biggest worry is not knowing having any other friends or family here.

[rockandroller]

She will have lots of friends here, just not as many native speakers initially.  I'd be happy to learn a little Ukranian to at least have some words to exchange with her so maybe she'd feel more at home.  Does she know any English at all?

I was also wondering if she drinks or not - and how you plan to handle that if she does? I was going to suggest a little UO get together over drinks. If there was a translator, or at least if a couple of people had pen and paper (to draw pictures of what you mean) and a dictionary, we'd stumble through it.  I mean, hell, if I muddled through several "deaf nights" at bars, knowing little more than the alphabet and a few basic ASL signs (took 1 year of sign in college a million years ago), it could work.

[KJP]

I have bought and continue to buy English tutorials and lessons for her.

She drinks socially. I am able to be around drinkers, including heavy drinkers at bars. No problem. It doesn't tempt me at all.

[rockandroller]

Awesome. Well, I'll butt out. Let us know how/if we can help or if you want to bounce any ideas off me.

[Kot]

What's that blue building? That looks interesting.

I forget the name/purpose of the building, and while it's one of the few buildings in Cherkassy to survive WWII, it's not that old for Ukraine. For some reason I remember it being a theater.

It's a former building of the Slovyanskyi Hotel. It's a bank now.

KJP - thank you for pics and all informations about Cherkassy. I'm from Poland and I'm very interesting in Ukrainian history. Wish you good luck and all best in the New Year.

[KJP]

It's a former building of the Slovyanskyi Hotel. It's a bank now.

KJP - thank you for pics and all informations about Cherkassy. I'm from Poland and I'm very interesting in Ukrainian history. Wish you good luck and all best in the New Year.

Thanks for the info and for the best wishes! Happy new year to you.

I visited Warsaw last year and met a Russian lady there.

EDIT: I just realized I never posted my pictures from that trip! Ooops!!