ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian wisdom from Natasha
I had Natasha software-translate this entire thread, and then she typed her response (primarily for seanconneryii). We then software-translated it back into English, and then did some manual cleanup and editing. The result is below. It's not perfect, but I think her meaning is relatively clear and intact:

Thanks to everyone who answered this post about what we find amusing in our life. Everything is really sometimes very humorous for us. I too sometimes do not understand the American life, but I study.... I am very entertained by what I have seen, such as the dresses for sale in the American stores even though the women I see almost always wear only jeans or shorts. Or when I see people in the street when it is cold and they wear shorts or a short-sleeved shirt how I can see that they are clearly cold. Or why going for a walk or to visit friends must be planned in advance. But I love this country and I respect it's traditions and I attempt to combine the traditions of Russia and America, though I shall forever remain a Russian woman.

seanconneryii, you think that the Russian woman wishes to be oppressed or to compete with you to see who is the stronger personality? NO! Each woman wishes to find love and be the favorite of their man. In marriage what is important is LOVE and RESPECT and PARTNERSHIP, but NOT war and games to see who is the strongest. If you love the person you will accept all their advantages and prosperities and culture and will not try and force them to change. Each woman is convinced that having arrived in the country of their groom that they will support their man and receive their support, but not one of us wishes to be transformed into a silent doll or a sex slave at the requirement of the man! Why do you think that by making a woman subservient through your force that a woman will consider you as a man? Most likely she will be afraid to come to you or respect your words. It is sincerely a pity to me and I very much hope that your woman is able to resist you so that you do not crush her spirit by the force of your desires. And yet your balls shall remain in your hands.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-04-16 18:07:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian wisdom from Natasha
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 16 2008, 12:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (eekee @ Apr 16 2008, 01:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I am so confused. Are you being serious or not?

If a man had this attitude toward me, he would be out the door in no time. Hmm, maybe that's why I'm with a Russian man... wink.gif


QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 16 2008, 01:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Russian women are ready to be in natural alignment with American men in such a way as to restore order in the marital sphere. I urge men to not become Jay Leno and laugh it off and drag these wonderful women into our old shadows and downward spiral. We've been laughing our way into divorce, troubled children, and a weakened society for 150 years. Let's stop laughing and start standing up again while we still have time.

Stand up and seize this moment to create a strong partnership with a woman who will respect you for strength and leadership...rather than attempt to render you impotent and weak.

Russian women will stand with you but only if you are up for the challenge. If you want to take the low road, they'll carry your testicles around like oranges in a grocery bag.

This is a great new experiment between men and women...how will will stand the challenge? There is something bigger going on here. When you stop laughing, you will see it. Are you ready? Or are you just another funny boy?


Sending your man "out the door" if he shows you his strength of character...which is what you both deeply desire and gravely fear--the classic paradox--will leave you with a measure of control but an empty heart. If you can not handle the paradox, you will fail in relationship. Embrace the paradox or find a good divorce lawyer.

I see you have the claimed the power to dismiss men who want to act masculine and thus require you to act feminine. What do you want Eekee? A man? Or a boy who will not challenge you to be a full woman...and let you skate? I think you don't fear men...you fear the challenge to be an adult woman in partnership with a strong man. This is the heart of the problem.

He can be powerful...and so can you.


Good Lord, is it April 1 again? 'Act masculine'???? What does this even MEAN? There was a time when dragging a woman around the cave by her hair was 'acting masculine'. in biblical times, the 'masculine thing' was for the man to always be obeyed without question. This is the 21st century, and the times they are a changing. It's now possible for a woman to be respected and honored and treated as a valued equal, and for the man to still be masculine and the woman to still be feminine. This is the relationship I have looked for, and found.

I'll now cross the line and make some stupid observations of my own. Men who beat and abuse their wives are universally quoted as saying "she had it coming" or "she was being uppity with me and needed to be put in her place". I hear echoes of this mentality here, and am quite disturbed by it. A proper woman's place is at her man's side as his equal, and a proper man's place as it his woman's side, as her equal. Just my two cents.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-04-16 13:16:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian wisdom from Natasha
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 16 2008, 12:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Russian women are ready to be in natural alignment with American men in such a way as to restore order in the marital sphere. I urge men to not become Jay Leno and laugh it off and drag these wonderful women into our old shadows and downward spiral. We've been laughing our way into divorce, troubled children, and a weakened society for 150 years. Let's stop laughing and start standing up again while we still have time.

Stand up and seize this moment to create a strong partnership with a woman who will respect you for strength and leadership...rather than attempt to render you impotent and weak.

Russian women will stand with you but only if you are up for the challenge. If you want to take the low road, they'll carry your testicles around like oranges in a grocery bag.

This is a great new experiment between men and women...how will will stand the challenge? There is something bigger going on here. When you stop laughing, you will see it. Are you ready? Or are you just another funny boy?

And the hits just keep on coming? Let's see, where shall I start....

Low road? What low road? Respecting a woman for her culture, not to mention her valuable input, ideas, and creativity is taking the low road? She'll tote my parts around in a bag? Sounds like you prefer that you tote her parts around in a bag. It's about COMPROMISE and UNDERSTANDING and TOLERANCE. A good marriage is not the dictatorship you envision.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-04-16 12:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian wisdom from Natasha
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 16 2008, 11:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
We can laugh and joke nervously and surrender to the Russian idiosyncratic ways...or we can step up as men and help our women cross the bridge to a new and better way. Russian women expect men to lead and direct the family but they will attempt to test us by carrying over their Russian Bolshevik beliefs because that is their comfort zone. It is our work to enlighten them and be strong and decisive and drive them beyond the safety of this invisible safety zone. That is what they want deep down.

If we act as silly boys and allow their old ways to dictate daily life in our homes, we will set into motion forces that we will regret down the road. We will loose their respect and we will be no better off than if we married Betty Sue.

Let us not import Russian ways but offer our women and children the gift of our culture and ways. Otherwise, we should move to Russia and let our wives tell us what is what. Russian women are strong and need a stronger force to push back and set the limits and boundaries.

Be men. Be America men. Lead, direct, and show that you are the head of the family.


I disagree in the strongest of terms. I have absolutely no intention of forcing American ways on Natasha, and I think the attitude that American ways are superior because they are American is ridiculous in the extreme.

This isn't to say that all things Russian are wonderful either - but the culture clash often brings to light off-beat and amusing incidents in every day life, and that is what I wished to share. There is no 'nervous laughter' from me over the things I shared - they are all true. I should tell Natasha that drinking cold beverages will not harm her, and then FORCE her to do it, because then I am being the strong American man she 'needs' and will respect? Hogwash. Where does the line get drawn? There is no 'right' way when it comes to such things, there is only the way that works in each individual relationship.

I'll get off my soapbox now!
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-04-16 12:35:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian wisdom from Natasha
QUOTE (eekee @ Apr 15 2008, 05:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Isn't microwaving soda dangerous??? I am picturing explosions.

Many Russians I know believe that microwaving something will give you cancer. Hmm.

Hmmmmm, she always pours it into a glass and nukes it for 30 seconds. I haven't noticed any problems, other than it's bubbling pretty good when we take it out of the microwave.

QUOTE (Kazan @ Apr 15 2008, 05:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Alla always drank her Coca-Cola cold from the refrigerator. Her and her kids consider the microwave is the greatest thing to make perfect ?????????. Thank goodness these are two problems I will not have to deal with! laughing.gif
QUOTE (eekee @ Apr 15 2008, 06:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Isn't microwaving soda dangerous??? I am picturing explosions.

Many Russians I know believe that microwaving something will give you cancer. Hmm.


So THAT'S how you spell ?????????. I've only heard it pronounced, not spelled out, and when I sounded out the letters I knew just what you were talking about! Natasha and Vika (and myself) also very much enjoy this, and Natasha and Vika also prefer the microwave for its preparation. I still like to use a skillet, even if it is more work.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-04-15 17:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian wisdom from Natasha
This was actually a bullet item from a post I made on my site today. Here's the blog entry in all it's gory detail:

It was four weeks ago today that Natasha, Vika and I arrived in Omaha together. I thought I’d take a few minutes and offer some recollections and insights from this period.

American ketchup isn’t as good as Russian ketchup, but America mayonnaise is better. This tidbit is from Vika, who says that American ketchup contains more water than its Russian counterpart. Perhaps I need to shop for some caviar-like ketchup, since all I buy is the normal Hunt’s version. Because I don’t eat ketchup myself, I don’t know if there are ‘superior’ versions available. She didn’t say why our mayo is better - just that it is.

Chocolate cupcakes are like Russian crack. I made a dozen the other day, and they were gone in about 10 minutes. Sure, I had 2 myself, but that doesn’t account for the other 10! If only the food import laws for Russia weren’t so complex, I’m sure I could make some money. “Hey man, you holding any more of those cupcakes? I’m really hurting….”

When a Russian woman isn’t happy, the man is wrong. Natasha says this is just common sense. If I try and argue the point with her, she isn’t happy and says I’m wrong. It seems like a circular argument to me, but what do I know - I’m a man!

If anyone out there has played the game “Bratz: 4 Real” on the Nintendo DS and knows how to obtain a pet (I’m sorry, that’s “Petz” with a little trademark symbol), Vika will pay good money for the information. Well, good money or good cupcakes, that would be your choice.

Vika has gone through my DVD collection and extracted all the animated films and relocated them to another shelf. She didn’t tell me this, though, so when I saw them on a shelf I put them back into the alphabetically arranged main area. She then asked me to please put them back, because she didn’t know the English alphabet well enough yet to find them again! I have, of course, obliged. After all, she is a Russian woman-in-training and wasn’t happy!

American soda from a vending machine is only drinkable after an appropriate period of microwaving. In order to give oneself a cushion, you should never microwave all of the soda. Some should be kept as a cold reserve in case the microwaving causes the soda to be too hot. It may then be added to the hot soda to create a pleasantly lukewarm soda, fit for human consumption.

Black pepper should be applied to food in such a manner that you can count the individual black specks. This counting should preferably involve no more fingers than you personally have. In any more liberal of a quantity, it is highly toxic.

A home is not considered messy as long as everything is in a drawer and the drawer is closed.

Hamburgers, prepared with ketchup and mustard and cucumbers, are just as good for breakfast as they are at any other time of day.

If the speed limit sign says “60” then a reading of “61” on your speedometer means Death is stalking you. After personally observing traffic in Moscow, I have no idea from where this notion springs. Unless maybe Death drives a really slow car.

Shorts and T-shirts do not constitute a wardrobe.

Cheese, even when served with macaroni, should not have begun as a powder.

To be truly comfortable, a pillow should only barely fit through the door to your house.

Good peach juice can only be sucked through a straw with great effort, and is not generally available here in the USA.

Bologna is actually pretty good sausage.

An omelet made with eggs, cheese, onion, and sausage tastes infinitely better when made and consumed in Russia than when made and consumed in America. Vika instructs that this has to do with the fact that when made in Russia, it is made with Russian eggs, and Russian cheese, and Russian onion, and Russian sausage.

In Russia, if I didn’t wear slippers when out of the bedroom, I was uncouth. In America, as long as I am wearing socks then all is well. I think it has to do with the carpeting we have here versus the cold laminate and tile used in the house of Natasha’s parents.

If you hard boil an egg and cool it, and the shell is difficult to remove it means the egg is fresher than one which peels easily.

The game of ‘Life’ is pretty fun to play as a family, whether you can read all the spaces or not.

The typical meal served in a Russian restaurant costs about the same as it does in a comparable restaurant in the USA. However, the meal served to one person in the American restaurant could feed an entire Russian family.

Why, yes, the store IS within walking distance here, but we have a car!

Depending on what I’m cooking in a skillet, I might use butter, or margarine, or oil, or spray shortening. Vika witnessed me spraying oil from a can and was mesmerized. She insisted that the next time I needed to do this, that I summon her so she could try it.

What do you mean you don’t make spaghetti using ketchup?

Speaking of cooking, Maria has taught Vika how to make instant mashed potatoes, which I think is fast becoming one of Vika’s favorite snacks. So, if you’re keeping score, cheese shouldn’t be powdered but potatoes can start as flakes.

I keep a variety of breakfast cereals on hand, as well as some farina products - raisin bran, captain crunch with crunch berries, cream of wheat, malt-o-meal, life, etc. If it’s basically a sugar cube wrapped in a thin layer of some sort of organic material, and then coated with as much sugar or frosting as will fit in the box per FDA standards, then it is ‘delicious’. Life and Raisin Bran don’t qualify as ‘delicious’.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-04-15 17:10:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian wisdom from Natasha
QUOTE (mox @ Apr 15 2008, 03:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (KGSodie @ Apr 15 2008, 01:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
When a Russian woman isn’t happy, the man is wrong. Natasha says this is just common sense. If I try and argue the point with her, she isn’t happy and says I’m wrong. It seems like a circular argument to me, but what do I know – I’m a man!

Why must you insist on making her unhappy Kevin? biggrin.gif


I always suspected Mox was secretly a Russian woman!
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-04-15 16:11:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian wisdom from Natasha
When a Russian woman isn’t happy, the man is wrong. Natasha says this is just common sense. If I try and argue the point with her, she isn’t happy and says I’m wrong. It seems like a circular argument to me, but what do I know – I’m a man!
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-04-15 15:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusThe foods they made you eat... just once.
At the same cafe in Moscow where I had the awesome veal with mushroomd there was a 'salad' that reminded me of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon:

(paraphrasing) Calvin, looking down at this dinner plate: "Mom! I need a new plate! Someone already puked on this one!"
KGSodieMaleRussia2009-07-09 14:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSuggestions for Taxi Kazansky Rail to DME please
QUOTE (Satellite @ Jul 9 2009, 09:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Be a strong couple, grab your baggage together and walk down to the Komsomolskaya metro station. Get off at Domodedovskaja and the get on the local shuttle to DME. Total cost under $10. Total time about 1.5 hours. Experience Russian public transportation with multiple heavy bags, priceless.

http://upload.wikime...osmetro2008.png

I remember when we were planning our departure from Moscow, at long last, after receiving the visas. Natasha wanted to take the Metro, and it was the idea of this very experience that caused me to veto the idea, and pay for the taxi!
KGSodieMaleRussia2009-07-09 14:39:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusDating Website
QUOTE (mox @ Nov 6 2008, 08:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (A_I_S @ Nov 6 2008, 06:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
My only question to your coworker would be...they call this dating now?

Dating isn't just necking in a drive-thru these days. Call it what you will, the internet has made relationships possible that would have never been before. A large percentage of VJ'ers started "dating" their OH's on a website.


True dat, Mox. The magical world of teh Internets has opened up new avenues for dating, albeit scamming and other abuses exist and must be navigated. I'm sure the majority of VJers meet their OH on a website and, if things go well, meet in person to see if the chemistry is there or not. With web-cams and voice chat, other than physical presence and intimacy, the typical early dating experience online isn't that far off 'the real thing'. Heck, Natasha and I listened to much music and enjoyed many simultaneous video viewings, as well as competing in online games, during our getting to know one another phase.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-11-06 12:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusThe foods they made you try.....and you liked!
Borscht, of course, is delicious. In Moscow at a little cafe I had some veal with mushrooms that was phenomenal. The ice cream shakes in Volgodonsk were better than any I've had in a long time (apparently the ice cream is locally produced).
KGSodieMaleRussia2009-07-09 14:37:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusCopy of Medical
We used our DS-3025 for AOS and didn't have any issues.

Good luck!
KGSodieMaleRussia2009-10-15 10:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusVisa Approved!!!!!
Congrats!
KGSodieMaleRussia2009-12-08 11:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSuperstitions
Whistling indoors is supposed to bring bad financial luck to that home, by way of clarification.
KGSodieMaleRussia2009-01-14 15:35:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSuperstitions
Natasha tells me it is considered improper to give a watch as a gift, particularly to someone you care about, as this indicates a separation is impending. Of course, you don't whistle inside a home or this invites financial ruin. I've also been told that fashion (particularly for women) trumps all, so no how uncomfortable those tall spiky heeled shoes are you walk as though on clouds and then soak your feet in the privacy of your home. Not really a superstition, I suppose, but there you have it.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-12-08 12:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusIt Started
Good luck on your journey, and always remember the destination!
KGSodieMaleRussia2009-07-13 10:27:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGuys, don't forget May 9
Ha! I can't ever forget it, Mox, as it's also our wedding anniversary! Not you and I, Mox, Natasha and I. Read your mind there, didn't I?
KGSodieMaleRussia2010-05-18 15:30:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRemoval of Conditions Problem

I always send them junk mail back in their prepaid envelopes - and not even their own junk! I'll send them coupons for Dominos or something.

:blink:

That's the best idea I've ever heard.
KGSodieMaleRussia2010-08-13 14:17:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus2 down, 1 to go

Good to have you back. Somehow I missed this quote and stuck to official business. What's wrong with me?

The forum has come to..... well.... we're pretty much the same group of fat old bald guys we once were, but we actually have more real issues now. We still do quite a bit of guns and pie talk, but mox has disappeared for a few months so our pie discussions are fewer and fewer by the day. We still talk guns but mostly on the OT forum now so we can battle it out with the bumblers over there.

Personally, I had a little bit of gun-related legal trouble back in April and was MIA from the forum for a while as I took the guided tour of our local county lock-up. I've since been sitting at home not doing a whole lot because of the unemployment that resulted from my little incident. The upside is I get to dedicate a lot more time to VJ and I'll be able to shoot again next year. I also get to see my wife a little more too. It's been nice to spend some time with her and not have to rush off to work. Although, I hope I can rush off to work again soon... I got bills to pay!

She applied for citizenship a few months ago (did the paperwork all by herself - and did a great job!) and had her interview about three weeks ago. We're still waiting on the update to see how that went. They told her she passed the test but they'd have to review the paperwork some more. Standard procedure. Uh.. OK.

Other than that, life is going on much like it was when you were around. How are things with you guys?


Busy busy busy, as usual. Almost have the honey locust trees cleared (tore them down 2 months ago, and have been working on clearing them using a chipper ever since). Natasha's parents/nephew arrive TOMORROW, so there's no getting ready stress there yet, or anything. ;-)
KGSodieMaleRussia2010-08-16 08:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus2 down, 1 to go

I have to say, my wife is a great driver. I can actually turn her loose and not worry about her at this point. To teach her, I just took her out to an empty parking lot and had her practice all sorts of different situations. Overall, we probably did 10-15 lessons of about an hour each. I started off with her driving forward...she pretty much floored the pedal th first time and we took off until she hit the brakes and looked at me with these huge eyes. After that, she quickly got a feel for it. We then practiced steering by rocking back and forth from one parking space to another. I'd have her imagine that all the spaces around us were filled except for an open target space and have her either pull forward into it or back into it. Sometimes we'd just rock back and forth across the aisle working our way down all the spaces in the lot. That seemed to work pretty well. I'd also use the spaces for parallel parking, telling her which spaces had cars in them, and which she could drive in. She practiced that about 100 times until she had a good feel for when to turn the wheels and where the car would end up. I'd have her get out of the car and looking at the lines in the lot then to see how she did. Another good one for building control was just to have her drive in reverse for about 10-15 minutes. The parking lot had a few little islands so I'd tell her where I wanted her to go, telling her which one to circle, etc. She did have to take the actual driver's test a couple times before passing. First time, she didn't do well on parallel parking, so we practiced that a lot more. Second time, they had a little obstacle course set up and had some really weird railroad crossing set up (totally different from any of them in the driver's manual) and she didn't know exactly where to stop.

We only had one "Oh s$*%^ we're gonna die!" moment a couple weeks after she got her license. She was in a left turn lane at a light that didn't have a protected turn arrow, but the light was green and oncoming cars were about 30 seconds away. She came to a stop. I told her she had a green light so she could go. (oncoming cars then about 25 seconds away). I say Go! Go! She starts very slowly moving forward while moving slightly into the oncoming lane. (oncoming cars about 20 seconds away). I say GO! GO! GO! Hit the gas! Panicking or something, it's like everything I say to her has this huge delayed reaction...she hesitates a couple seconds then starts to accelerate. (oncoming cars now about 15 seconds away) She's still going too slow and it's going to be too close so I yell...too late! Stop! Stop! Stop! A couple more seconds go by with the car moving before she hits the brakes. We are now completely stopped...but directly in the middle of the oncoming lane. At this point I'm looking at the oncoming traffic and starting to see my life flash before my eyes. I start screaming! Oh s@#$!!!! Go! Go! Go! (oncoming cars all hit their brakes and honk their horns) She finally makes the turn and I spend the next couple minutes trying to calm her down since she's freaked out that I was yelling at her. Anyway, I'm happy to say she calmed down pretty quickly and we had a little discussion about how you have to decide quickly what you're going to do and do it. Luckily, we have never had another repeat incident since. Honestly, once was enough though.


I had a similar experience, only in my wife's case (she didn't have her license yet) she decided that she had a green light, and the left-turn arrow (or a lack thereof) wasn't such a big deal, and started to turn into the oncoming traffic. I, um, raised my voice to a volume above a normal speaking level and politely, respectively asked her to stop. Thankfully, she did, or this conversation would probably need that Osment kid to facilitate.
KGSodieMaleRussia2010-08-13 13:54:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus2 down, 1 to go
I taught my wife to drive, and as soon as she got her license she wanted a GPS. She's pretty good at operating it and the car while using it. The worst thing she's done is to somehow reset 'home' on the GPS to some other address, then she called me because she couldn't find her way home. She's good at dead-reckoning within maybe a 5 mile radius of our house, but other than that she hasn't figured out the lay of the land.

Oh, and what's all this jibber-jabber about driving? Where's the pie? Where's the guns? What has the forum come to???

Hello again, everyone.
KGSodieMaleRussia2010-08-13 13:50:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSpeeding Ticket
In Russia, I think the climate has shifted with regards to bribery. I believe that whereas before you could bribe a cop to get out of a ticket, now you have to bribe someone in order to have the right to bribe the cop. Or something like that. I don't keep up on current events.
KGSodieMaleRussia2010-08-16 11:04:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusTime to file for removing conditions
Something can be more jealous that a Russian woman? :blush:

We just sent off our 751 last Friday. They cashed the check on Wednesday, and Vika (daughter) got her extension letter yesterday. Hoping to get the receipt for Natasha today, but I'm not holding my breath. From everything I've read, I don't think it's a difficult process, so like everyone else has been saying, read the instructions and take a pass through the guide here on VJ, and you should do fine.
KGSodieMaleRussia2010-08-13 14:07:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusChanging name on Russian Passport
My understanding, from my wife's research, is that you can do it either way - either by sending it off to a consulate here in the US or by travelling back and doing it. As far as how long it takes, I'm afraid I have no idea. Our daughter is going to go back next summer, when she turns 14, so that she can get her new Russian passport as well as her international passport.

Good luck!
KGSodieMaleRussia2010-08-16 11:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian movies online?
It's not free, but there's also memocast.com
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-12-08 12:02:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaI-134 Affidavit of Support. Evidence
It is my understanding that this letter from the bank is only required if your income is below the 125% of poverty guidelines, though each consulate has their own rules. I asked my bank about this letter, and not only do they charge $25 for it, they said it would not provide a sum of all deposits (only a monthly average of deposits and withdrawals). I'm sending my fiancee a copy of my last year's worth of bank statements, even though I am well over the 125% level. My fiancee is the nervous sort and wants every document they could conceivably ask for with her at the interview.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-02-01 13:24:00
Asia: Southgot K3 visa.
Congratulations!
KGSodieMaleRussia10/31/2007 12:06
Asia: SouthPOE experience for fiancee
Pretty sure she needs to go through the non-resident line. She won't be a resident until after you guys wed and go through AOS, and she receives her green card.
KGSodieMaleRussia2/8/2008 16:38
Asia: East and PacificVisa Denied Also
Being the sarcastic SOB I can sometimes be, I would have latched on to him referring to your 'girlfriend', and would have said "Since you just referred to her by a term that implies a relationship of which you are aware, isn't that proof to you???"
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-06-25 15:48:00
Asia: East and PacificLearning English
My wife is taking ESL at a local college, but she learns quite a bit at her job too. She had studied some English before coming so I would have classified her as an advanced beginner when she arrived, and probably of intermediate skill now (9 months later).

I study (hahahahahaha) Russian using the Rosetta Stone software, which takes some getting used to. There's no English in the program, it's all Russian. It just starts, with photos and a voice over and written text. It will introduce the words to you, then drill you on them, with no context as to sentence construction, parts of speech, or anything like that. You are supposed to figure it out naturally, as a child would, as you go along. It can be frustrating at first, but they say that such 'immersion' is the best way to learn a foreign language. I have the 'home-school' version of the software, so it drills me at a preselected pace and monitors my progress before allowing me to advance to the next lesson. Without this, you have to select what lesson you want to study, when you want to. My version is 2.x, and I understand there is a new 3.x version out now, but I doubt very much that the core of the software has changed from my description.

Good luck!
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-12-23 10:27:00
Africa: Sub-SaharanInterview 11/06/07
It is good to hear you are doing well, and congratulations on the new (and better) job. I wish we were also already into the GC phase!
KGSodieMaleRussia2007-11-04 10:59:00
Africa: Sub-SaharanK-1 Visa Approved!!!
Congrats!
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-01-14 09:35:00
Africa: Sub-SaharanHow many counting down now???
Thanks we will have MUCH fun! Vika (Natasha's daughter, and my soon to be daughter) has never been on a train, or plane, or even to Moscow before so she will have quite a journey. We will visit as many of the sights in Moscow that we are able to (and February Moscow weather permitting!). We will have much fun, I know.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-02-17 11:47:00
Africa: Sub-SaharanHow many counting down now???
I'm not a lady, but I leave for Moscow on Tuesday, 2 days from now. If all goes well at the interview, we should be arriving back here (USA) on March 5th. It's all very exciting!
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-02-17 10:49:00
Africa: Sub-SaharanFiling following divorce
I agree that it is consulate/country/IO specific. These circumstances are similar to my own, and no one 'cared' in the process until the AOS interview, where I was grilled lightly about the 'delay' in getting the divorce. Just be open and honest, which is always good advice.
KGSodieMaleRussia2008-12-22 16:11:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)this is my 2nd time! i want to share and need ur opinions!
QUOTE (LadyJane @ Nov 27 2007, 03:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It sounds to me that you entered using your K1 visa with no intent on getting married to fiance#1, true? You and fiance #1 obviously broke up before you could use the K1. I'm thinking that may cause you problems later on, because to me it sounds like you used your K1 visa incorrectly and you were here illegally. It's a good thing you did leave when you did though, because it shows good faith that you thought the K1 visa was valid. BUT, here it is all about your intent. The border patrol had no problem with you entering on a K1 and you weren't *with* fiance#1? That is very suspect.

It's odd that the CFR (8 CFR § 214.2(k)) has no mention that the alien has to certify an intention to marry the USC petitioner, and actually mentions that if you marry someone other than the petitioner while you are ALREADY in the US with a K1 then you're still considered a nonimmigrant. There is no mention of using the K1 to enter the US and THEN marry someone else. While there is no mention of that situation, I have a very strong feeling that it will be frowned upon when you are reapplying. But good luck.


Many fiance/es arrive in this country and are met at the airport by the USC, which would be after they have officially entered the country, so the physical absence of the USC wouldn't raise any red flags. Whether or not it is a legal use of the K-1 visa or not, though, would be speculation on my part.
KGSodieMaleRussia2007-11-30 16:10:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)A bit o humor at NVC's expense....
I'm glad you guys enjoyed it. I was just blowing off a little steam while waiting for our interview date.

Thanks!
KGSodieMaleRussia2007-12-06 07:42:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)A bit o humor at NVC's expense....
Man Discovers Black Hole On Earth

An Omaha man recently discovered a black hole here on the surface of the Earth, where physicists had long thought them impossible to exist. "I wasn't looking for a black hole" he said "I was just trying to get a visa for my fiancee". Skeptical astronomers and physicists alike were quick to deride Mr. Smotherman, the accidental discoverer of the phenomenon, but his findings were recently verified by the renowned physicist Dr. Ima Phake.

Says Dr. Phake: "In a normal black hole, the gravitational force is so strong that no substance, not even light itself, can escape it's awesome power. In this new form of black hole, confirmed to exist at the National Visa Center in New Hampshire, the bureaucratic tangles are so dense that no information of any kind is able to escape its grasp. It's really quite remarkable." When asked how he was able to verify the existence of the black hole at the NVC, Dr Phake responded "It was actually simplicity itself. I began by using their documented 'preferred' contact method: email. I set up sophisticated sensors capable of detecting even the most minute particles of information, then sent them an email request for case status. When my equipment failed to register the receipt of any information whatsoever I began to grow very excited. But there are other ways of information emission so I checked those too. I called and accessed their automated system, but as near as my sensors were able to detect, there was no information at all present. Lastly, I contacted them directly and spoke with an entity which described itself as "Nomad" or possibly "Nimrod". It was difficult to discern due to the poor connection, quite possibly caused by the immense no-information field that must be present there, and this is when things really got interesting. While speaking with this entity, not only did my equipment fail to register the presence of any information, but all of the documents closest to my telephone began to have the ink sucked right off them! This information 'dead-zone' was so strong that not only could no information already located at the NVC escape, but it was also sucking up all the information in its vicinity! I expect to post the video of this incident on YouTube later today Also, my name is pronounced 'Pahake'!!"

Mr. Smotherman was not available for comment when this article went to press, but in a previously released statement he had this to say: "I was never trying to discover anything as startling or important as this black hole. I do not seek fame, nor notoriety, nor monetary gain from this thing. I only want to find out when my K-1 visa paperwork is being sent to the embassy in Moscow! Nothing more! Is that too much to ask???"
KGSodieMaleRussia2007-12-05 15:16:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)E-Mail Response Time
I have emailed them twice, and Natasha has emailed them once. My first email got a response in about 10 calendar days, as did Natasha's request. My second email hasn't been responded to yet (but it has been less than 10 calendar days so far).

And, I agree with what I assume you're thinking! One of my pet peeves (ok, it's more of a life partner instead of a pet) are companies that advertise a strong web/email presence, and then obviously handle web and email requests for support only when they have nothing better to do.
KGSodieMaleRussia2007-12-19 14:13:00