Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	FSU spouse politics	Libertarian. Most people ARE, they just don't admit it. They think that in a free country of 300 million people they need to "be" either Democrat or Republican? Alla kind of likes the idea of being able to influence getting a job by looking good. I do not think it is strange at all that someone from the FSU prefers as little government influence as possible, he IS a bit unusual in not being anti-gay which is the prevelent attitude there. I would say that Alla porbably was a bit "anti-gay" at one point but after living here where you can marry your lesbian/transgender sheep and realizing it has no effect on her life at all, she more or less just ignores it. She is now of the "who cares?" attitude. Alla has heard we could own guns and wanted to go shooting, she even asked me "is it really true we can have guns?" When she saw what we have .... WOW it IS true. Then she wanted her OWN gun, she chose it but I bought it for her which somewhat disappointed her, she wanted to buy it HERSELF, so the next gun we bought (for me) SHE bought. She also likes to buy her own ammunition, all by herself. If libertarians are really in favor of universal health-care coverage and universal higher education for students with decent grades and aptitude than I must also be libertarian! I am afraid, though, that Ron Paul is in some other wing of the libertarian movement and most other libertarians are, as well, from what I have seen.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-26 20:27:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	FSU spouse politics	Alla's point exactly. I really appreciate the clarity of her opinions sometimes, the complete lack of BS which seems to be trained into Americans, it was a refreshing thing about Ukraine but it is definitely "buyer beware" The women seem to think it is not "their business" and that the men will go in the other room and talk politics. Though at one of our get togethers she came in and blasted one guy about the Orange Revolution and they got into it. They (RUB men and women) will argue more vigorously than Americans but take no hard feelings away from it. In America it seems like if you disagree with someone on one topic then you MUST hate that person and everything about them, wish their house would burn down and their children would be washed away in flood! Alla's bitter agrument was with the husband of one of her childhood friends whom she has also known since childhood and are very good friends. Ukrainians will argue loudly and then go have a piece of cake and tea. An FSU couple told me I have a 'russian' soul. I took it as a compliment!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-23 20:11:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	FSU spouse politics	Olya thinks politics are stupid and doesn't want to even hear about it. I would have to agree with Alla's views on just about everything you mentioned. Especially single payer 'medicare for all'!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-21 16:07:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	I will concede to the experts in this matter. It is more difficult to visit for short times to make a decision I suppose. But one question James, did you feel you needed to narrrow it down before your trip ended? See, my thought was to meet and sepnd time with several, spend more time with the ones interested you and then make a decision later. Maybe I am off base. Or maybe that is what you did and it did not work so well. Yeah, it sounds great in theory. My problem is not being able to maintain that bit of aloofness necessary to 'play the field'! I couldn't do it when I was in high school and college and I can't do it now. I am sure that for some it might work but then you also need to consider the feelings of your 'dates'. Would your Alla have tolerated such an arrangement? I suspect that most women worth marrying have too much pride or self-respect to put up with that. All I know is that I felt like a heel doing it and would not try to set up something like that again. One possible way to meet multiple women might be one of those tours where you can correspond with and pre-select dates prior to the trip. That might also be a problem for some. Anybody on here try that route?	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-20 21:13:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	And I would heartily disagree with planning to meet more than one when you visit. Turn it around and let's say the lady is going to your country to visit but must leave after a few days because she has to meet with other men during her trip. How would you feel? Yes, I'd feel not very important. Having a backup plan is OK, but having more than one plan in action, to me, is not being serious. Yes don't get married to anyone you haven't met and later corresponded with more. I would have to agree with you. My first visit to FSU I met a nice woman but it was apparent from the first day we were not well suited for each other. I knew I would be going back and decided to meet multiple girls to increase my chances of finding 'the one'. Bad idea! I found several I was interested in as the time for my return visit neared. Before I left I had narrowed it down to only 2, one in Poltava, the other in Kazan. And it was really only the one in Kazan I wanted to see. But my russian visa was not valid till the 2nd week. That first week in Poltava was awkward and quite unfair to the very lovely woman there. I would have been interested in going back there if I didn't already want so much to meet my real interest in Kazan. The chemistry in Kazan when I got there confirmed my feelings prior to beginning the trip. I was embarrassed and felt very bad for having raised hopes for Ksusha in Poltava and I would never again do such a thing!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-18 09:57:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	Trolls, with 'drive-by' postings! To tell the truth, though, it can be fun sometimes to have a little back and forth with some of them, as long as they are not total jerks! Unfortunately, there are a few of those that happen by every now and then!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-08 01:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	Because, good people find each other. Somehow. No matter where they are from. Thank you!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-07 22:40:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	If two things are not equal, one is greater than the other. I've been teaching that to my 19 month old for about a month now. My wife and I are equal in some ways but unequal in most. We bring equal decision-making authority when it comes to the big things in life. I know much more about building and fixing things, she knows much more about cooking, cleaning, decorating, sewing, etc. She is way better looking than I am but I am taller and stronger! I could go on and sicken or bore everyone but I think you get the point. Being unequal may just mean being different! You see, it really is almost meaningless to say we are equal (or not) without specifying in what specific area of measurement you refer to! It seems simple and trite, but in this sound-bite era of political discourse there is so much misunderstanding leading to polarization because people don't really define what it is they are talking about!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-07 22:16:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	Children are children...I've raised British ones, now I'm raising an American one. Guess what? They're all kids. All this need to compare and contrast really is quite silly. Sure, there are cultural differences...but the concepts of bonding with a child are not necessarily country specific...you show them love, you show them who's boss, and you teach them about life. Those things are universal. I would have to agree with you here! But I think (I am not certain) that the OP was really trying to get at the differences in parental attitudes towards child rearing practices that one tends to encounter that are culturally based. These are very real and can be the basis for a great deal of friction within a blended family! I would guess that British attitudes are closer to American than are FSU. I must say, though, that based on my experience of the last year, my new FSU wife and I seem to be virtually 'on the same page' on this, much more so than I experienced with my prior marriages. (No Gary, we don't use a stun gun! ) So again we see that while cultural differences do exist, those generalities become relatively meaningless when you have two specific individuals tying the knot!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-07 22:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	I assume your ex was an American female? I have an ex American male. I don't think it would be good for either of us to judge an entire half of a population by their respective "qualities", do you? And, yeah, I know that's how you roll on this RUB forum. In the UK forum we tend to talk about how our spouses all miss bacon. Yes, she was 1st generation American with Canadian ancestry! Please, no, let's not judge all American men and women by our ex'es! I would be forced to consider all US women exceedingly deceitful and prone to massive weight gain!!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-06 21:16:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	*sigh* You just don't get it, do you? Is it so difficult a concept to grasp? That concept of the basic goodness, the cardinal virtues, of an INDIVIDUAL? But we have not identified an INDIVIDUAL to discuss, specifically. I know it is politically incorrect to discuss women by nationalities but that is how we 'roll' here on the RUB VJ forum! You are absolutely right that none of this applies when you narrow down the focus to one individual! Then the basic goodness and cardinal virtues can be identified. My ex for example. She is the most gifted con artist I have ever met!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-05 22:30:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	I did not say the concept of a woman from a certain part of the planet being superior to other women was insulting. I said I thought it was incorrect. I would say the same thing about men from all over the world. Men from the USA are not superior to men from MENA countries or European countries or wherever. Nor are they inferior as a categorical whole. Stop thinking we are insulted or mad or pi$$ed or whatever, Gary. We are not. I am not. I just think you are wrong. So I guess that to offset the fact that the average FSU woman has a better figure we must accept that they are less 'empowered' with regard to women's lib issues!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-05 21:02:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	That is probably one of the strangest things I have ever heard. I work with several women who have had children who could easily be considered "hot". American women. I just think you guys are so far off base when you make these kind of generalizations. A good woman is a good woman. No matter where she is from. I never said that there were NO women with children that are single and 'hot' here in the USA. I have said many times that I am sure there are many great american women! What I DID say is that there is a far higher likelihood, in percentages, that if you are a single mother from FSU you are much more likely to be 'hot' than if you are a single mother in the US. I am sure there are many factors responsible for this. You are absolutely right about "a good woman is a good woman. No matter where she is from." I would have added a few !!!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-05 20:11:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	Gary, I think every woman (no matter her nationality) who is worthy of a decent man's time is looking for a good father for her children. I don't believe this is a characteristic exclusive to FSU women. Maybe what is so unique (relatively so anyway) to the FSU women is that as single mothers they remain 'hot'! The same 'hot' women here would be less likely to be mothers that need to be actively looking for fathers for their children. If they are 'hot' with children they are far more likely to be/remain married. If they are single mothers here and having trouble finding a man wanting to step in and become husband/father they are a lot more likely to look like one of those 'women of wal-mart'! I know this is not politically correct to say but if it is true it should be said anyway. Being politically correct does very little good for anybody and actually lets many real problems persist that proper recognition of might help resolve.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-05 17:35:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	RUB - FSU children compared to USC children & others	My experience. My 14 y/o step-son has been very respectful, very hard-working and well behaved. He is immediately getting straight A's in 9th grade, having before only completed grade 7 in Russia. He is getting these A's without any special considerations, no 'English as a 2nd language' etc. He takes regular 9th grade english and knows grammar better than his American classmates, is taking 11th grade math, etc. He gets along well with his 16, 17, and 18 y/o step-brothers. He was quite surprised to find out that it was accepted to dress in blue jeans and t-shirts for school here. There, he always wore suit and tie! My 3 y/o step-daughter is the smartest and cutest toddler everywhere she goes. Could I be biased? Probably!! Will your experience be the same? Like the new car ads discussing expected fuel economy, 'your mileage may vary'!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-04-05 10:54:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	advice on travel	Check JFK to Kiev. It was under $800 when we bought our tickets for the summer (March). It may be worth the additional travel time to JFK. Every time I checked, JFK is always the cheapest way to Europe. I also check Washington DC, Phil., Boston and Montreal. The only one that was cheaper, one time only, was Chicago, for some unknown reason. When putting together your own travel package you usually save money BUT be sure to allow enough time between flights because if there is any "glitch" you eat it. When you buy the tickets through the airlines...JFK to Tashkent, if there is some delay at JFK or Kiev they will get you on the next flight to Tashkent for no extra fee. If you buy separate tickets, you are out of luck if you miss flight. As Kip suggests, also look into buying HER a ticket to Kiev and you meet her there. Uzbeks used to be able to travel to Ukraine without visas but check on that, it may have changed. If it is still the case, then no one needs a visa. Also check JFK to Moscow and then Moscow to Tashkent. Moscow would not be a good place to meet her though, but you may save money if you decide to go to Tashkent. You do not need a visa to change flights in Moscow. One caution on booking legs of your trip separately, if you get delayed or cancelled on a leg prior to the final one they take no responsibility to cover the costs of changing your booking the rest of the way. Still sounds like your way is better if the savings are that high.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-05-14 05:51:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Church wedding in Ukraine	We had a couple videographers and photographers...maybe sometime when I get a chance I'll post them for those interested. Please do!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-03-19 19:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Question about paying for interview	So you go to https://payusvisafee.rsb.ru/ to pay the Embassy fees. When it asks for the birth date of the applicant, that's her not me, right? Since she is the one going for the visa? Probably a stupid question, I just don't want to make a mistake! If you are the US citizen then you are the 'petitioner'. She is the one applying for the visa so she is the 'applicant'.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-05-25 22:54:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	after interview: am I fine?	After my interview a consul said that my visa will be printed out within 1 week, and then he added “but do not make any trip arrangement before you have your visa in-hand.” Do you think it might mean something bad or it is all right? Thanks! They always say that. They don't want anybody to blame them for losses if some snag results in a late delivery of a visa.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-05-26 01:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Fight in Ukraine's parliament over language bill	And that would be cost-effective how? There are four. The rest, and there are a bunch of them, are Arabic-speaking Africans or Central Asians. The majority of Ohio's middle eastern immigrant population (Arabs) live in the Toledo area near the Michigan border. There is also a very significant population of them in SE Michigan! I am told it is one of the largest such populations in the US.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-05-26 22:34:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Father's permission for child to emigrate	Had it been an issue I would probably be living in Ukraine now. I too often see here that children seem to be some sort of after thought for both the US citizen and the beneficiary, strange. Just strange. You and I are in complete agreement on this. My wife's children add immeasurably to the happiness and satisfaction this endeavor has brought to me. My 2y/o step-daughter knows me as 'daddy' and never knew anyone else with that title for her! Since he is not even on her birth certificate everything with her has been very easy. My 14y/o step-son knows his biologic father a little, had seen him every 2 or 3 years! Now he is making a bit more of an effort to be involved but my son has little interest. He probably hopes to get sponsored here as the parent of a soon-to-be citizen! I would never interfere but I suspect that isn't likely to happen. As much as Russia and Ukraine are a 'gold-mine' of attractive single women, it is even more so if, like us, you see children as adding to the equation!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-02-06 00:06:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Father's permission for child to emigrate	A father that is a father and interested in his children is not going to sign a letter without some assurances of his children's well being, visitation etc. Y'know, normal stuff. He may even want to see something about the schools, etc where he is moving. He would then probably agree to it and I could work with a man such as this for the benfit of the children. Why not? I have made no attempt to keep their father from them and have never, ever said a bad word about him. There simply is no need to. For what purpose? To make me look good? But when they have been AWOL for years and years, rarely crawl out of a vodka bottle and then only to bang some young piece of @ss they can grab and ignore the children and do not even know when they have birthdays...well. Just hope you can buy them off cheap. Personally were it my kids, I would not accept money and my wife (ex-wife, mother of child, whatever) ,would know that and would know I would be reasonable. I may say something like "I want two visits per year and you buy one of the tickets" or some such agreement. Or a long summer visit or something. Fair is fair. Unfortunately in Ukraine the reality is often a guy that wants to capitalize on his children and get something, usually measured in bottles of vodka. For them I can only say "Thank you" Early in my search for someone compatible for online dating, etc., I met a woman from Sumy that had an 8y/o daughter. It was between her and another woman from Kyiv that also had a daughter. What swayed my decision then was that the woman from Sumy's ex was involved with his daughter on a daily basis but the ex in Kyiv never saw his child. While I don't doubt my own desire to be the best possible step-father, I don't believe that anyone can ever replace a child's own biological parent if that parent, however imperfect in other ways, loves and is involved on a regular basis with his children. I also know how crushing it can be as a father to have your children taken by their mother to live far away. I could not bring myself to be involved in causing that kind of pain for the sake of my own happiness.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-02-04 15:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Police Certificate	Does the embassy in Kiev have a certain time limit for the validity of the police certificate. My fiance had gotten hers back in April (April 23rd to be exact) when the NOA2s were happening at a more rapid pace. If the interview is now potentially July or August, will she need to get a new certificate? Her police department says that it expires in three months, yet the KEV instructions on the embassy website say a police certificate is valid for one year. I am very confused about the situation and was hoping someone could shed some light on the policy for Kiev embassy. She seems convinced that she'll need to get a new one before interview, but I thought it would be smart to consult you guys here first. thanks! If it is for the embassy than the validity is one year.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-06-09 21:46:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	what is the best handgun and shotgun in america?	I have not heard from Gary. I wouldn't be too worried though. He's probably just skinny dipping with Alla. That would be a great explanation!! I hope you are right!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-06-03 19:28:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	what is the best handgun and shotgun in america?	Charles!, you're the man! I need a better pic. I'll get her back in the studio later this evening. Maybe even on the casting couch! Slim, have you or anyone else heard from Gary? He has always been so regular here that his absence makes me wonder if we should be worried. Hope it has a simple and good explanation!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-06-02 22:58:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Another interview experience	Thanks! Also, word of caution... the Pony Express folks seem to screw up a lot... got our address wrong, then our method of delivery... but after much arguing we finally got it today Pony Express 'forgot' to send my MIL's visa renewal application for a month! Edited by james&olya, 22 June 2012 - 12:58 PM.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-06-22 12:57:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Another interview experience	Congratulations!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-06-18 22:29:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	New Moscow rules?	Councilor point of view. You mean Consular Officer. (An offical working at the US Consulate)	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-05-08 20:43:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russian transit visa	Thank you...this is exactly what I am afraid will happen. I think there is an international law against any country doing this but I really don't want to find out the hard way haha. I'm just going to get the transit visa and not worry about it. I know this doesn't directly pertain to your situation but indirectly it may shed some light. My Russian in-laws visited here last Christmas. I had booked their tickets, including a return that went through Copenhagen. They were refused boarding in Chicago as Copenhagen will not allow Russians to transit without a visa! They had to book different connections for the following day and stay overnight in Chicago. Big hassle! So I guess that even though it is usually the case that you can just stay in the airport and wait for your connecting flight without a visa, it is not universally true. And because Russia is one of those countries that is big on '####### for tat' kinds of policies I would be sure to check directly with them to see what their policy is for your situation!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-06-23 23:54:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Specialist degree	I did liberal arts and I'm not getting any money from the government. Of course, I did move to Russia right after graduation. But yes, he should be fine saying he has a masters or whatever. Don't listen to people who say you need to meet Texas's "educational" standards or whatever. Texas has "educational" standards?	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-07-10 23:08:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Looking for advice from the Veteran VJ RUB Couples	That's my wife. She does call to Russia every few months when I remind her. Otherwise she LOVES our city in Florida. She enjoys traveling, but wants to go to interesting and pretty places, not back to Russia. My wife loves it here, says she feels more at home now than ever before in her life! She has no interest in traveling back to Russia to visit. She wants to see the USA and other non FSU countries. I tell her I want to see more of Russia, especially the rural areas. She says No! She is on Skype almost daily with her mother and sometimes her friends. Her mother will make her 3rd trip here in August (we have only been married one year, our anniversary was yesterday!) I agree with those who say that she must learn to drive, get her license, and have a car to drive. It also helps to have work or school lined up. For us the biggest thing by far is raising our children together. My teenage boys and her teenage son and 3y/o daughter are quickly becoming a close family! We are still getting to know each other but my very first impressions of who she was from her 'profile' in the mail-order bride catalog ( ) have turned out to be completely correct! We share far more in our personal values and desired lifestyle than we do with the average person from our respective birth countries. We have had misunderstandings here and there but that is inherent in all close relationships. To the OP I would say be patient. No two relationships are the same. Only you and your wife can determine what is right for your relationship. Who you both are as individuals is far more important than the fact you grew up in different countries. The USA and Russia share far more in cultural values than we have as differences.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-05-28 08:11:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Interview Prep for Moscow	If you have a real relationship and front-loaded the petition you will probably not even get to show any of your stack of additional evidence. They will exchange some pleasantries, ask a couple of softball questions and tell you you are approved! Stop worrying and best of luck on your future lives together!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-07-30 00:26:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Too Quiet, zzz man	K-Bone, please reconsider letting the cat out at all. If the worst were to happen, YOU would be the next victim, upon Wifey's return, man. I agree, it is always a hazard for cats outdoors. An acquaintance here was walking her small dog when an owl tried to grab it for lunch. She actually fought with the owl for her dog! My cat was out on the deck beside the house when an eagle tried to take her. She must have been too heavy because 'all' she suffered were some huge gashes on her back and neck that got badly infected. Where you live there is no shortage of raptors that would love to dine on well-fed domestic cat! That might be hard to explain to the wife!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-06-14 19:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Yes, we have been skinny dipping!	well, probably because you said this- no one has said she didn't have to do clinical work. you yourself said "she really only needs the clinical part of nursing school". to which people replied, that can't be, there are, in addition to anatomy, micro, etc, specialty nursing classes, in nursing theory, that are required. those classes aren't open to just anyone, you have to be a nursing student to attend them and get credit for them. so, you know, she'll have to take those to be a nurse too. so, it's not just clinicals she's doing. even though you originally said that was all that she really needs. i'm really glad we got this worked out. Many people would use the term 'clinical' to include all those classes on nursing theory, etc. You have lost the perspective and understanding of terms that the lay-person has, now using them only the way you understand from the privileged viewpoint of the nursing professional. A pity! The best doctors and nurses are able to see and understand life, people, and the language they use from the standpoint of the lay person and with many variations. A narrow perspective leads to communication failure and with it, the opportunity to help in healing. From what I know of Alla that Gary has revealed in this forum, I believe she has the potential to be an outstanding nurse!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-08-07 21:17:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Yes, we have been skinny dipping!	This seems to very, very important to you. It's odd when a man feels the need to constantly tell strangers how good his wife looks naked. If you've got it, flaunt it!!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-08-07 13:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Did you buy a ticket for you and/or your S/O in advance?	Wow. She's going to do fine in the States without all that old Soviet mumbo-jumbo holding her back. Hell, she probably already drinks stuff with ice in it! Yeah, ice in the drinks, milk in the refrigerator, vacuum and carpet shampoo machines, microwave, etc. She likes the shoes off at the door but I get away with not doing it sometimes. She already knew how to drive though was afraid to try an automatic at first. Now she cannot drive with a stick shift! She is becoming 'American' very quickly! But one very important RUB quality she is keeping, she has not put on weight here!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-08-22 05:11:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Did you buy a ticket for you and/or your S/O in advance?	I'm surprised anyone's RUB wife let them buy the ticket early. "You must not make ticket because I will be go interview first." No, Olga was fine with it. We were reasonably certain our case was an easy one for them to approve so we figured it was well worth the risk. Everything worked out exactly as we had predicted and they were able to fly here 4 days after the visas arrived on the tickets we purchased weeks earlier.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-08-20 00:36:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Vaccinations in Russia	Egg allergy can cause reactions because the vaccines are grown in eggs. Only a few. Primarily influenza.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-08-25 23:40:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Vaccinations in Russia	You cannot be found to be allergic until you get a specific thing and react. Each vaccine is different as well so I doubt that her story will work at avoiding being required to get all her vaccines. Depending on what is or is not available from your health department the cost here could be substantial. Some vaccines are hundreds of dollars EACH when obtained from a private provider! If at all possible I would strongly recommend getting all her vaccines done there or having substantial documentation (with English translations!) of any supposed 'allergies'!	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-08-22 05:19:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Western Union or Moneygram?	They say 10 minute transfer on their website... is it truly ten minutes, or is it more like a couple of days? There are about six locations in the immediate vicinity of my apartment, so I figured I'd go to the banks and ask to make sure they can do it. It's a LARGE sum of money though (need to pay tuition), so the fee is a difference of over 200$ versus less than 100$. No, I have to pay in person. I sent money to Kazan several times, amounts up to $800. Much cheaper than WU and the money was always available right away.	james&olya	Male	Russia	2012-08-22 05:35:00