CityCat

Congratulations!!!

Sorry, I had a very busy day at work, but I will reply to your PM a little later today, ok?

I am very happy for you!

Have a great flight to US!

у - prefix, often meaning away, or an aspect variation

стакан - glass

или - past tense, plural

сь - reflexive (acting on itself)

Care to try that with another one?

УКОЛБАСИЛИСЬ

Great word! I have a good combination too:

Сопритюхнуться и вздребезнуться.

Variants, anybody?

I'm still surprised I have a Russian wife. When I was little, Red Dawn had just come out and of course, every time my friends and I played "army" in the back yard, we were fighting the Russkies. Even when I first joined the Air Force, our big practice missions were set up against a mock enemy that looked a lot like the Soviet Army and the Eastern Bloc forces or Warsaw Pact nations. Every time I encountered (simulated) enemy forces, they were armed with Kalashnikovs and RPGs - Russian weapons.

To this day, most "grown ups" are going to remember our arch-rivals as the Russians. The amazing thing to me is how similar we really are and how it really was a propaganda battle on both sides.

Maybe I am just younger, but I really don't remember anything like this. I was born 1983 and I started taking my English lessons when I was 5, which wasn't really the most stable period in the countries' relations, right? But I don't recall any hostility towards Americans neither from my parents (and my dad served in the Soviet Air Force as Senior Lieutenant) nor from grandparents. And when I was playing war with my cousins on my granny's farm our enemies were Germans. I really don't know why but that's how the Cold War and Propaganda worked (really didn't!) for my family.

Yeah, you're right. But, when you're already in double digits in inches.... it's not really necessary to convert over to metric anyway.

Oh, I am sure YOU don't need it!

Thanks again )

You are more than welcome!

???

Locals, like local folk, or anything local.

Yes, it means sorted out, got fixed or fixed itself.

Some of the machinery I work on at my job is made in Germany or Japan and the settings are all metric. There's a running joke about "length and girth" always being given in metric terms because of the higher value of centimeters versus inches.

Think how much more it'll be in millimeters!

I personally found that detrimental to my former relationship. My ex-wife more easily believed the opinions about life here from fellow Russians, even when they told her totally incorrect things about life here, such as:

- how to cheat on driver's license exams (and various other regulations in this country that Russians try to get around, as that is often a normal way of life back home)

- numerous incorrect things about the immigration and citizenship processes

- everyday life issues (banking, employment, etc.)

- value of her Russian degree

I have been lied about it by my own very American hubster! But you are right, misinformation is often one of the signs of such communities, not only Russian but any immigration groups. It is sad, actually, when people don't know their rights as little of those rights as they have.

It's gonna be more like 90s!

Miami is great, definitely go for it! Don't be afraid of rain, it rains in FL pretty much every day in summer for 20 minutes and than it's sunny again. No major hurricanes are supposed to hit the coast this season so don't worry!

Have a great time!

For some reason Russian immigrant communities make me sad... There is something heart-breaking in the way Russian people try to preserve the peculiarities of their culture and blend in with the local one at the same time... The strange generation, making millions on broken English and not understanding their teenage kids on cell-phones...

Before being eaten alive here for it - it is a first-hand observation of mine of a particular community with a whole set of facts to back it up.

Sasha's English is so good that most people can't tell she's Russian. In fact, she sometimes has just a bit of an English accent. do you think this will actually hurt her chances? Perhaps she shouldn't speak such proper English at her interview?? Sometimes she corrects my English. crazy.

No, it all good for K1, so don't worry.

Cool! Thanks all. I figured it was no harm. Just wanted some more input.

Traveling to Russia so often is not gonna raise any American flags. But if I were you I'd think what the Russian side might suspect... I know it's not Cold War times any more but the guys watching Russian homeland safety only changed their name, not the matter of their job. I don't know though, maybe three times is not enough... Just an idea...

My fiancee just went through the interview process. Her take:

All the girls went through the Clinical exam the day before and were given packets. At the entrance to the embassy, they all recognized each other because they all had the same packet.

The person conducting the interview was a young American man. He was flanked by two women in the fiancee interview windows. The interview is is across a window like buying tickets to a movie.

She said he was struggling to speak Russian.

First question: Who is "rentvent"

"How did we meet?"

"do you have any evidence of meeting Rentvent? ""Phone bills, E-mail, photos, etc."

She gave officer entire packet and said that there are no e-mails since she has no internet.

He thumbed through the papers and said in English: "I see that you are an English teacher"

He asked a few more questions in English:

When did I visit?

Do I speak Russian?

Do I have any Children?

She says that the interview lasted about seven minutes. Some girl was freaking out her interview and my girl was sort of relaxed because of the drama. Thanks to VJ and the other sites I wasn't worried. I think my melancholy attitude helped expedite things. I also find it interesting that the interviewer switched languages without asking her. The remainder of his questions were in American English.

Yeah, that's pretty typical. She did get it, right?

The idea of switching languages (from my previous experience with American visas) is that if you go on a non-immigrant visa without a supposed intent to stay like J1 or B1 you are not expected to be too good switching the languages, which proves that your English is not that good and you will be less comfortable in the country - less chances you'll break the law and stay.

If you go on a non-immigrant with a supposed intent to stay like K1 or K3, the more comfortable you are with the language the more chances are that the whole story is legit and you will stay. And cross-usage of the languages is one of the best ways to prove the knowledge.

Or maybe, the guy was just trying to practice his Russian, they are required to know it at the Moscow embassy.

I just got the news from my wife that her K3 visa was approved! But she said she was so excited at the end that everything seemed like a blur and she wasn't given any receipt or document about her visa. She does have her copy of the DHL airbill, but that's it. Is it normal in Moscow to not be given anything else?

Thanks!

You are fine - they are not supposed to give you anything. So congratulations to you and your wife and the only thing you have to do now is to pack and wait for the visa to show up in the mail!

Hi there.

I was hoping someone could help me with a few questions.

My wife and I have been through the K1 visa process. She is from Russia.

We have our interview coming up for "conditional" permanent residence within the month.

My wife had her medical in Moscow for the interview. We did not request extra copies of her medical records.

Regarding vaccination shots:

We do not have any of her vaccination records.

We are trying to get the info. from her doctor's in Russia.

My lawyer said we do not need to scheudle a new medical exam, but we should get some offical documents

from my wifes doctors in Russia stating that she has all vaccinations.

I could bring this information to one of the gov't appointed doctors here in the US and they could sign off that she is up-to-date.

(without having to pay the extra money to get a new exam and shots).

My question is: What vaccination shots are required? What proof do we need from my wife's doctor in Russia?

Thank you very much for your help!

The only advice here would be to listen to your lawyer on that (since you even have one) - professional help is always the best!!!

Edited: Where's the seafood???? (All that rice and you can't throw a piece of fish in there without breaking the bank?)

Seafood is regional - transportation is not really Russia's best service (as you know, we don't have roads there - just destinations) so fresh SEAfood stays by the SEA shores, like Vladivostok or the Caucasus. Fish and other fresh water creatures can be bought at such open markets the same way as meat, but it will be the catch of the day of some guy who wants to make a couple of rubles. There are alternatives though:

- the catch of the day of the fish farm (alive, of course, the gutting is part of the fun)

- or the catch of the day of the super pricey supermarkets and you can get anything you want, alive or gutted, shelled or soft, you name it, but the price...

This is the situation with my home-town at least.

Well, this post would be more relevant in the food thread, wouldn't it?

Edited: Where's the seafood???? (All that rice and you can't throw a piece of fish in there without breaking the bank?)

Seafood is regional - transportation is not really Russia's best service (as you know, we don't have roads there - just destinations) so fresh SEAfood stays by the SEA shores, like Vladivostok or the Caucasus. Fish and other fresh water creatures can be bought at such open markets the same way as meat, but it will be the catch of the day of some guy who wants to make a couple of rubles. There are alternatives though:

- the catch of the day of the fish farm (alive, of course, the gutting is part of the fun)

- or the catch of the day of the super pricey supermarkets and you can get anything you want, alive or gutted, shelled or soft, you name it, but the price...

This is the situation with my home-town at least.

Like "Russian Mail Order B&$ch" or something, whaddaya think?

Yes, something like this. Where I live I am called by my Russian and American friends "Crazy Russian B$tch" Close enough?

Thanks, you sound (look) pretty fluent too! No, I studied in an English school in N-sk, read Austen and Dickens and Stevenson, then lived off my language skills through the hungry post-1991 years (working with expat missionaries, interpreting etc), then went to grad school in the US.

We read the same books! I am in grad school now myself but at some point, especially comparing my posts to yours, I get the feeling that my Oxford British English got so Americanized! Well, when in Rome...

Thank you!

Citycat, I like your stream of thought but I'd prefer something more assertive.

Like what? We can come up with something that would really make a statement. Any suggestions?

I have to say this, I deeply admire your skills with the language! As a linguist I can truly appreciate it! Let me guess - Moscow State University?

wow. I actually like to come in here and read threads sometimes, I almost posted to the food thread. Good thing I had a look here and realized I am an unwelcome 'visitor' before I did....

Yep, it's pretty exclusive here - for better or for worse...

We tried scheduling an exam with MOM about 2.5 months before the interview. They laughed and said to call back when the interview date is a few weeks away or closer.

Which makes sense 'cause this particular place offers the results in a couple of hours. Now why would they need to deal with a load of unnecessary info about appointments so far in advance? Correct me if this logic is wrong.

To the topic starter:

don't worry. It is (by my experience at least) one of the easiest steps - fast, painless, relatively reliable. A week window is more than enough. Good luck!

Much better than writing Русский форум член - which is a slang for Russian Forum #######.

In case of doubt, ask your ladies all the meanings and usages of the word член.

Yeah, I noticed a while ago but I thought it was done on purpose (whatever that purpose may be )

I think anything is better than calling yourself a ####### of any forum.

Besides, I am not the only girl here - if to follow that logic, me, Blues, Jewel should call ourselves... Russian Forum... Pussies?

Not very nice, to put it mildly...

However, despite all our great love we may one day call it quits for one reason or the other. Now, according to this "deport the b@%ch " logic, if after some years we decide to divorce, will I be labeled a scammer unless I move back to my country and start my life from scratch?

It kinda bothers me that immigration - something I consider a sacrifice on my part - is generally considered such a great gift for which we FSU ladies must be eternally grateful.

Yeah, this is the worst thing about it:

a typical male opinion, playing God: "I gave you the GC, I gave you life, and I am free to take it away any time I want!" And it is encouraged by the system to some extend, the whole process of AOS being 100% dependent on the petitioner. This situation dictates positions in the relationship that are not very equal even in the social meaning. That bites big time!

Otherwise they can get themselves in the situation skinsfan has fiduciary descr revenge ibed

Now I am confused. Which part are you confused about?

Never mind, I got it now - the highlighted combination of words.