I can sum up the night I tried to teach my wife pool, in the bar, in one phrase I repeated over and over...

"NO HIT THE WHITE BALL !!"

Here's the happy couple in a bronze replica of Catherine The Great's carriage in Jeffrey's old stomping grounds, Kazan. I'm told it's a popular prop for wedding pics.

Kirk, you are making me second home sick!

Would you believe Alla & I have never had a photo taken together on that carriage? Probably becasue we walked by it, seriously, over 100 times!

Hey, love Nadya's jacket and matching shoes!

I cant see the picture mox!!!

Hmm...maybe Flickr was down for maintenance this morning? Can you see it now?

Really cool photos, everyone.

I guess I'm going to have to create a flicker account since my VJ pictures are filled up. (Or I could just delete that White Castle photo that I've had on here for the past three years.)

I'm thinking a trip to Russia soon to gather some new fodder for this forum is in order.

It's why I posted 'em!


Really?!?! It's just such a cool photo prop, we couldn't pass the opportunity up.


Aren't those cute? She bought the shoes about a year after she bought the jacket, and they're both the exact same color. Strange. I can't find two sets of black socks the exact same color.

Meanie!

I've had my photo taken alone on the carriage (there is actually a funny story why) and we've taken a photo of Alla's son on it. But never us together.

You have to love our girls matching ensembles. Alla did the same thing once. One or two years later finds a perfect colour match.

I think I'll leave you alone about the two unmatched black socks.

Maybe, I'll have to post some more photos in the near future...

Looking at all the photos was interesting. Flickr or Photobucket works well for posting photos. I have the $19 / year Flickr Pro account. I like it because it automatically sizes the photos correctly for posting and there is no limit to the photos you can store on your account. You can give friends and family links so they can view your photo sets from their computers.

My wife has been wanting us to take a trip to meet my inlaws in Russia. I've never met them. The problem is that they live so far away in the middle of nowhere. I really doubt the 3 weeks vacation time I can take from work would be sufficient to make the trip worthwhile.

My wife was born and raised in the small village of Maleta in southern Russian Siberia. The closest landmarks that most maps show of the general area is that it is east of Lake Baikal and southwest of the city of Chita. My wife lived in Byelorussia (Belarus) for 17 years and is a Belarusian citizen.

I have no idea how many days it would take to get to and from there from Houston, TX or even the best route to take. From what I see it would be a major journey. Lots of plane, train, and bus travel to get to and from there.

Anyway, it probably won't happen this year. My wife's Belarusian passport is expired and we have her US citizenship application pending. Those two items need to be taken care of first. It would be best for her to travel with both passports.

It shouldnt be bad, from houston to atlanta 1.5 hours on Delta, atlanta to moscow 10.5 hours on Delta arriving at Sheremetyevo, Moscow to Irkutsk on Aeroflot 6 hours then bus to final destination (about 325 miles or 10 hours). it would probably take you about 2 days worth of travel.

I didnt see any better route than that, you could fly into Chita, but that makes for a longer bus ride. Maleta is much closer to Irkutsk than it is to Chita.

No, I cant, but it may be some kinda firewall bs that my computer has when I am at work. I will check when I am at home and let you know. But right now, I cant see a link or a photo or nutin! I wanna see this matching ensemble! I have problems finding colors that match too. I wore a pair of "brown" socks for about 3 years when I got gussied up. I "Thought" they matched my "brown" pants perfectly. Turns out the pants were an olive green and the socks were hunter green. So, not only did I clash remarkably, the colors were not even what I thought they were. Color blindness strikes again!

Now when people tell me I clash or that I am wearing a pink shirt that I thought was white, I tell them I only see "what the doctors describe as" black and white. It tends to deflect the discussion away from my ineptitude at dressing myself while at the same time garnering me the sympathy "oh my god, are you kidding?" which makes them feel like an a$$ for bringing up my handicap I am handy capable damnit!!

LOL.

Okay, I might as well just post the link to my collection of many of the photos I took in August. For reasons I don't want to fully get into, I need to break the link up so as not to be googled. (sorry...mean people suck. It's why we can't have nice things.)

The url is http:// blog [dot] rafferty [dot] org / xyzzy /

Just remove all the spaces and change the [dot]'s to real dots. Enjoy!

I tried that too, and I think it is a firewall thing. The page comes up but none of the preview photos show up, and when I click on the space where a photo should be, it just comes up blank. I will try at home.

Bah. Dangit, sorry. Corporate fun-limiting firewalls suck.

Tell me about it, they blocked our youtube and streaming audio Jan 1st and we are all going crazy now.

Thank you for the compliments everybody. Cool thread......... seeing all the photos is an enjoyable break from waiting. Billiards was a lot fun and I learned a few things.

Buck

Great photos mox, I finally got it to work!

I like to tell them I'm dressing "Euro" today. "Yeah, all the guys over in Moscow were wearing $#!t like this when I was over there. I can't sport the man purse, but I'll rock the green shirt with the orange shorts all day. The ladies really like that look, it's very fashionable. All the guys are doing it. I can't believe it hasn't really caught on here yet. But I don't care because the ladies know what's up."


Luckily now I have a fashion filter, "You look like bumzh. You not will be walk together whis me if you looks like this. You must change this horrible ugly foo... Here. Wear this shirt together whis this pants and yes of course you must wear fashionable shoes." (I get all dolled-up...) "YOU EVEN NOT IRON THIS $#!T??? You are original bumzh! Primitive man and not fashionable guy." (She irons and tosses it back to me... I get dressed and then we head out....) All the ladies, "OOOhhh. You look really nice tonight." The wife, "Yes, he look nice only because I must make for him fashionable costume and so he not looks like original bumzh."

At least I can match my colors, right? Everyone knows green is green, regardless of what shade it is. Right?

It's actually been really fun trying to win the "fashion fight." She's burned a pair of my slippers already because they were too old and my favorite T-shirt isn't too far behind. I try to tell her that as long as it still fits and works for it's intended purpose it's still fashionable. She's not buying it. But, I have more old clothes than bonfires, so as long as we stay away from the fire pit, we should be good. We'll see what happens this spring. There are several boxes out in the garage marked, "Old clothes."

I know what you mean, Slim. When my wife arrived, the clothes KGB cleaned out all my good work clothes. You know, the jeans and shirts with holes, grease stains, and paint. I don't know what she expects me to wear working on the car or painting the house. The clothes I now consider "work clothes" are immediately taken from me after every days project and are hidden somewhere and laundered much later......or destroyed.

Hehe.

In other news today, Amnesty International filed a complaint with the United Nations alleging mass "disappearances" of numerous items of clothing. The Domestic Politburo has sternly denied all allegations of mass clothing destruction. Secretary General Svetlana said in a brief press conference that "situation is 'nee-armal.' We have no record of a pair of 'favorite Levi's,' a 'green work shirt,' and 'that Hawaiian shirt I got from that one place that one time.' This is yet another fabrication of Capitalist Western media."

This reminds me of a story last year in Kazan'. I had a very old comfortable stretched out t-shirt with a few small holes in it. I gave it to Alla to wear to bed, saying. Here, sweetie, I thought you might like this. Sometimes ladies like to wear an old t-shirt that their man used to wear. Sort of to feel him with you. She looked at it and replied, "Yes, I like it. I will wear it often when you return to America, I will feel you!" She then commenced to get out her sewing kit and work on it. I said, Sweetie, it's only for bed. She quickly retorted, "Jeffery! I will not wear rag with holes! I will make repair!" I fell on the floor laughing. Although it took her a little longer to see my humour!

Quick... the clothing KGB arrives in 2 months. Where do I hide my old work clothes, hole-ridden T-shirts, and other bum-like clothing?

*looks around nervously*
*sees one of the ladies checking the forums*

Comrade, I don't know what you're talking about. There are no old work clothes, or clothing with holes in them. Our ladies are here to take care of us and make sure we look our very best at all times! Long live the laundry proletariat!

OK...... so its the Gulag then. I will remember this when Nadya comes.

Look at our avatar photo. As you can see, she is putting the Vulcan nerve pinch on me. I can already feel it...........

And when you wake up, all your comfortable clothes will have been replaced.

Edit: Why do we even bother labeling threads anymore?

Our little Russki group always makes my day!

Hide them under the stack of monthly bills you have laying around that she'll never bother to look at. Something about a monthly budget is beyond most of the Russian women that I've met. They understand the need to save at times (and they definitely understand the need to spend!) but as far as actually making sure the rent and utilities get paid, and ON TIME!, you're probably going to be pulling most of the weight in that department.

If you keep your "good clothes" in a drawer of your file cabinet or desk or closet in your office or something like that, she'll probably never even see them, except when you wear them to dinner!

My wife likes to make sure I make my payments on time. I actually try to hide the monthly bills That being said, she is very good with money. You would think she was Jewish or something. (ok I didn't say that!!! I'm waiting for the PC police now...)

Where are the pictures? Nine pages of thread and hardly any photos!

Oh Slim! Far from my Alla. She is a regular little bookkeeper. Every year she goes out and buys a fresh ledger and tracks each and every transaction! I tested her once last spring. Sweeties, how much money do we have right now? After about two minutes of thinking, looking at the ledger, and adding in the previous days bus fares, she guessed within a few rubles! "Jeffery, it is important that family counts money every day!"

I've found the best place to hide things is... no where!



Photos? What? Ohhh, I thought "pictures" was loosely translated to "stories". My VJ personal space is gone. So, I will have to upload some to my site some time next week. Then, I can contribute to the official thread.

The day before I left Russia last year, Natasha asked for the shirt I was wearing. She uses it now as part of her 'indoor' clothes, and as a PJ top. I didn't know that was a Russian thing!

Sure is. My girl does the same thing every time I visit.

Our ladies call those "home" clothes. They use them to do chores and sleep in. It's the clothing American women here feel so free to walk around in at the grocery store. You know, those clothes our women would never be caught dead wearing in public!

hahaha..... true. "Home clothes" are for home and definitely not wearing in public. During Natalia's visit to the USA, she was a little shocked what USA women wore to the store...... and this was in a very upscale neighborhood.

It's just that we have different priorities and values here. Most people measure "wealth or success" not by the clothes they wear but rather by the home they own and its location followed by the car they drive and concluding with the places they go on vacation and at what restaurants they eat at. Wearing comfortable clothes that aren't in style has never been a big deal. Plenty of affluent gals do that.
Russians on the other hand, generally can only "show off" via their clothes, because their cars are non-existent and apartments mostly look like lack crap. Trust me your lady will be wearing home clothes in public in no time. Just give her a few years to adjust to what is valued here.

Be sure to not wear your "street clothes" on the bed or couch either. They're "dirty!" (Not as bad as shoes, but still bad.)

We live near the university so there are a lot of young girls wearing PJs to the supermarket. It only took a few times for "Miss Hollywood" to be walking through the aisles and garnering all that unwanted attention for her to adjust to the local threads. Plus, it's just easier. Amazing how easy overcomes everything in time.

Satellite is spot-on with his "wealth assesments" on the street and the difference between here and the RF/FSU. Give it time, your girl will adjust. I use adjust loosely though.....

Friday night I went out with a friend from work. A woman he used to work with was visiting the area. She's originally from Uzbekistan, is 33 years old, and has been in the States for 13 years. She was wearing...horrors!!...a sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers. He was teasing her because he'd never seen her wear sneakers or a sweatshirt, and she said after being in the states for 13 years she finally just gave in.

Was really hoping to get some language pointers from her, but she was completely disinterested and I didn't push.

Maybe it's because I was also raised with this notion of indoor/outdoor clothes, or maybe i have just spent too much time in Russia, but whenever i see girls wearing uggs/flip flops and sweatpants outside of their house i just feel like they're lazy to get dressed and don't care at all about the image they present to the world. I personally could never leave the house looking like that. It seems so dirty. Jeans and sneakers are one thing, and a lot of russian girls under twenty five or so wear jeans and sneakers just as often as their american counterparts, but please, change out of your pajamas before you leave the house! I don't think all your women will lose their practice of wanting to look nice in public. It also saves a lot of time and wear on your clothes because you don't have to launder your nice clothes as often because you'll only wear them for a couple of hours instead of all day.

We live in Florida. Flip flops are appropriate in most circumstances. Otherwise, no shoes at all. Most other clothing is optional as well, particularly on the boat.

Yeah..... I am sure that many russian women become "americanized" after a period in the USA. However, I also agree that it also has to do with the age and outlook of the particular russian woman. All I know, is that my gal will be wearing her high heels and nice clothes to the grocery store and the only way to get her high heels off will be to pry them off her cold dead feet.

By that you mean she was sober?

(OH SNAP!)

Even in Florida i don't wear them and am always fully dressed, although i suppose it depends on your area of Florida in terms of what is appropriate and not appropriate. my sister gets yelled at every time she tries to wear her flipflops in a context other than going to the pool or the beach, and she's lived in Florida all eight years of her life. But then again I'm sitting here in my "home outfit' and tapochki...

My point was just that Russian women won't necessarily succumb to the American trend of not taking pride in their outfit and appearance because not even all American women have (although we're a rare breed..). In the New York area you see plenty of Russian women, young and old, who still dress the same way they did in Russia and raising their daughters to do the same.

O, my God, let me to be kind to that man!
Hi ! My name is Natalia and I will be honest- I was very patient of many posts wich you wrote here.
I can't undertand what You are doing here - if your opinion about russian women ( people) is not so well - try to find american woman and be happy! Where is problem here? Or you already tryed and was kick to the ### and comen here in the hope to find russian woman wich more kind to your blah blah blah?
"...just that we have different priorities and values here. Most people measure "wealth or success" not by the clothes they wear but rather by the home they own and its location followed by the car they drive and concluding with the places they go on vacation and at what restaurants they eat at..... "

How long you will be think that russian are so poor and can't to have good cars , houses,restaurants and good vacantions everywhere:
LOOK statistic:
"The Russian capital Moscow now boasts more billionaires than any other city in the world, according to a survey by Forbes magazine"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3710977.stm
It is NEWS from BBC - not mine!
Moscow now is the most expansive city in the world - I mean prises on everything here.

SO let us doing step by step - MAY be compare ?

1. Vacantions: God will not let me to lie - I have been in Creece, Cyprus, Italy, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, US, Hungary, Czech republic, Slovakiya - what about you, Guy?
2. Apartments: I can disput with you that my apartments much better looking than yours. Because it is really look nice!
about money - for example :I leave in Omsk -city ( 1.7 million poeple population - so just 1metre of apartment cost hear 43000 rubles or 1755.2 $) and much more cost houses and VIP proparty) probably same is in the same size city in US ( i red your US's real estate magazine) Property in Moscow cost much more.
3. " Russians on the other hand, generally can only "show off" via their clothes, ....."
Russians really has much to show ( not just clothes, wich really most from Italy and France- and cost so much money wich you have never spended for yours)
Russian had great culture and education, music and arts, traditions.
and RUSSIANS HAS RESPECT to poeple.
4. I even will not try to compare your educations and my - no doubts, or if I am even wrong- sorry- but your maners tells about that;
5. About cars - come to us at noon - and will stay on the traffic about 2 hours, my Legal Company is situated in the center of the city and my staff is not happy with that, couse spends much time at the way.
6. I even will not tell about russian restaurants - I can compary with many - (Italy, France, Germany...) - here - good food , good show, nice dancing.

And now about russian women and clothes.
YES it is 100% true that russian women likes and try looking very nice and their clothes is perfect!
When I was little girl my Mom always told me: " Nata, even at home you must looking nice,I even does not tell about outside, it is mostly - for you and for husband wich will be look on your with pleasure in his eyes and will be proud of you". MY Mom now is 65 years old, my Dad still loves her very much and Buck could to see that, she had few terrible years of Chemical therapy and radiation therapy( cancer), she has not breast now but each day she begining with care of her face, make up, hair and clothes. And my Dad stil really proud of her.
Russian people often tells: " we meet everyone on clothes, but accompany on a mind" .
Russian women has nice mind - so why they can't to have nice clothes?
Russian great writer Chehov said " In a person evering must to be perfect - face, thoughs, clothes,".... SO russian women still agree with that words!


Satellite - do you think that I spended so long time here for teach you to be more kind and wise? Not really,to late))

I want tell all you - GUYS!!!

I red most of all your posts, some was very fun. I do not remember who wrote post about rings - about russian girl wich cryed because american man given to her ring with 2 cr diamont, and she scarred to wear becouse of crime situation in the city - what is the strange story?
1. May be she cryed because would like to have 4 cr diamont?
What do you think that russian women did not see such things????? O my God! It is history of Russia- russian women always had so many jewellery - we wear that each day- at work time, evening, everywhere. I have never seen so many jewellery in any coutry like on russian women.- perls, diamont, any stone!!!
BUT If your girl cryed that she just was happy to have ring from you andbe your wife - my congraduation - She loves you!!!!

Stop to think that here you can meet bear everywhere and crime person!!!
I can walk at night time alone in my city - DO YOU???? I worked in crime police and tax police - I know what about I am telling very well!
Some time we jokeв - In my city on each one sitizen - is one more policeman. Police is work good now - much better than at terrible Perestroyka time.


WELL COME!!! LOOK! TRY TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND RUSSIA! TRY TO KNOW HISTORY AND CULTURE! TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT RUSSIAN WOMEN ARE SO STRONG! EDUCATED! AND LIKE TO CARE ABOUT MAN AND CHILDREN- BUT SHE LIKE TO HAVE GOOD JOB ALSO AND GROW FAST IN THAT! SHE WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING WHAT YOU NEED, BUT SHE WILL ASK ABOUT SAME! IF YOU ARE NOT READY - LEAVE THAT IDEA TO BE HER HUSBAND! With all your feminism in USA you can't even imagine HOW strong russian woman!

I love my Buck very much and I respect him- he knows me very well and knows my "russian soul".

GUYS ,I CAN GARANT THAT EVEN SHE AND YOU LOVE EACH OTHER WILL BE LIGHT TIME AND DARK TIME ALSO, BUT I CAN GARANT IF YOU REALLY LOVE HER- SHE WLL NEVER LEAVE YOU AT BAD TIME AND ALWAYS WILL HELP.

AND please do not think that russian women want to be wife of american man for relocate to USA because there is PARADISE. I HOPE YOUR WOMAN LOVE YOU VERY MUCH! And Paradise is just near God. BUT we are- man and woman can build Paradise in own small family. Love is great job, hard job - but so happy result you can have. And it is not so important -she is russian or american or you are american or russian, or from France or Germany.

Аnd plsssss boys, do not write more that your wife is terrible because she want you care about cat's #### box, and you will not do that becaouse cat just eat and ####, so look how is nice your russian woman if after your words she still did not wear that box on your head.

BOYS! WITH ALL MY HEART I WISH YOU TO BE HAPPY WITH YOUR RUSSIAN WOMAN, I WISH YOU MILLION WARM,LIGHT YEARS TOGETHER WITH PEACE AND REST IN YOUR SOUL.
NATALIA.
I am sorry about my english, but it is all what I have now

Ooooooooooo.... I see that somebody has unleashed my beloved Siberian Tigress.

HAHAHA... good post.

I don't have time to really go over it (at work). Of course, you really don't understand Satellite, so I'll let him speak for himself, if he wants.

But other then that, it would be a good wake up call to most people in other forums, but I think most people in here have been married a while, or are well into their relationship. They already understand what you say (for the most part). Maybe you mis-interpret what people are trying to convey here. Yes, that guy who wrote to post about crying over the diamond ring DID know that it was about getting married, and not about diamonds. Almost all of us have been to Russia (or we wouldn't be in this forum) and know excatly how much jewelry women wear in Russia, and what kinds.

And I do walk alone at night in my city, which you will be coming to soon

I really wish more Russian women would post here. Welcome Natalia!

Well, I really doubt my Lioness will post when she gets her. She sees these talks as silly, mostly because she isn't into this sort of communication (as in internet based). But if we were all together in a room. Well... I think it could get very interesting!

Love the head gear Jeffery!