Love at first site in Togliatti....

[Ryan]

I am here in Russia having the time of my life I have fallen in love with a Russian woman and life is great!!!  My search was three years in the making, and now it is over.  For so long I was worried about the search now all I can think about is that we have to be apart for these next few months.  It is going to be a hard parting on Saturday.  We have already prommised not to talk about it until it happens.  Great thing is that I am looking forward to the train ride.  I love Russia and will never go to the Ukraine again.  The food is so much better, I cannot each enough of it.  I eat dinner with her family and end up eating all that my girlfriend cannot finish.  Her family loves that I eat allot, sort of funny.  Anyway I will post more when I get home, I want to thank you all for the advice in the past even though I did it all MY WAY!  The funny past was when I got my Visa registared in Togliatti for 20 Rubels by going directly to the registars office while on a tourist Visa.  So many said to get a hotel room and have them registar you or have an agency do it for upwords of 25 U.S. or more...  My theory now is when in Russia "Just Do It!"  I have a apartment in a rest area on the Volga river that has three rooms with two bathrooms on with a shower and one with a huge bathtub for $30 U.S. ...  Well off to the apartment for a bubble baths with Russian champain and candles, (We are like two newly weds we don't leave the apartment much)...  Well all for now I will be needing advice in fiance visa real soon....

[juio99]

... in response to Love at first site in Togliatti...., posted by Ryan on Nov 21, 2002

Here is the view of an agency owner that I saw posted.

- - - - -  --
Because I owned a marriage agency and lived in Russia for a long time I had a distinct advantage in evaluating the woman I eventually made my wife. I had a bird's eye view of what happened to fiancées after the guy went back to the states and I can say that many times problems started almost
immediately after the guy left. I decided that this wasn't for me.

I always advised guys to make certain to take their time when choosing a wife and also to meet lots of people. I lost count of the number of guys that resisted this and even got mad at me when I suggested it. I became persona non-grata with a lot of fiancées because they knew that in a lot of cases I spilled the beans on them after their intended went home.

As time went by and after many men and women got mad at me for sticking my nose in where it wasn't wanted, I decided to keep my mouth shut about nefarious goings on after the guy went back to the states. No longer did I report my true feelings and I was forced into a position of suspecting
something was up but I kept it to myself.

When I finally met my lady I decided that knowing her and making a good decision about my future with her was not something I could do in a weekend. I made it my business to interview all of her friends, co-workers and even the old retired men that sat outside of her parents' flat. I wanted to know if I was only one in a long succession of guys coming to woo her. I made it my business to question everything and I had to do a lot of things that were inconvenient.

I liked the fact that many guys had asked her to marry them, but she turned them all down. She had no friends
that were criminals and didn't have a lot of girlfriends that lived in the states. I became knowledgeable of everything involving my intended. I asked lot of questions and was never told that it was none of my business. It was my business after all. There was nothing fishy and I didn't have to ask any questions twice.

Okay so now I am a happily married man and my wife and I live in the US.  My advice to you guys is take your time and meet lots of people. Finding someone that you are simpatico with is a numbers game so you do the math. If
you think you have a problem with your relationship...you do. When you find the one for you, you will be asked to do a lot of unusual things that you won't regret. Take my advice and do em.

Russia is a great place with lots of proud and honest people in it. My only regret is that my adventure is over while yours is just starting. Take your time and enjoy the ride.

[MtMav]

... in response to Agency owner's view, posted by juio99 on Nov 22, 2002

N/T

[WmGo]

... in response to Good advice! You did things well! N/T, posted by MtMav on Nov 22, 2002

I thought you preferred the "s**t or get off the pot" approach.

[Pordzhik]

... in response to Love at first site in Togliatti...., posted by Ryan on Nov 21, 2002

That the way to a mans heart is through his stomach.

Hope all goes well!

[Ryan]

... in response to Sure proof, posted by Pordzhik on Nov 21, 2002

I cannot eat enough of it..  I made Borsch with my girlfriend yesterday just so that I can make it when I get home.  I think I have gained 10 pounds well we do work it off rather well though...  Walking to the drug stores looking for condoms...

[Oscar]

... in response to I love Russian food!, posted by Ryan on Nov 22, 2002

Ryan, just an observation, but from your comment, I hope you are not confusing sex with love. Many men do..

Good Luck

[Ryan]

... in response to Re: I love Russian food!, posted by Oscar on Nov 22, 2002

I am a big boy and know what love is...  The parting at the airport was a hard time.... \ will write more soon

[Oscar]

... in response to Re: Re: I love Russian food!, posted by Ryan on Nov 24, 2002

.

[Stevo]

... in response to Sure proof, posted by Pordzhik on Nov 21, 2002

I'll never forget how my 2nd wife trapped me.  After a Saturday evening date, she called the next morning and invited me over for breakfast (just as I was going out the door to a restaurant).

Well, being a cheap guy, I figured I might as well drive the 15 miles to her place and sample her cooking (big mistake).  She made me some scrambled eggs which were the BEST I had ever had by a huge margin.  I couldn't believe it!  If she could make something as simple and basic as eggs so much better than any I had ever had before, imagine what she could do with some real food!

The next time I went over was during the middle of the week for dinner.  When I got there she was still wearing her business suit in the kitchen, whipping up a fabulous beef roast.  Here's this classy looking lady in a suit and pearls cooking up a meal fit for a King, and she's making it look like nothing...

When I told her the roast was great, she replied that she only made it becasue she didn't have much time, and that on the weekend, she'd really make something good.  And she wasn't kidding...turned out she was a true gourmet cook, making stuff you could only get in the absolute best restaurants.  I married her a month after that first breakfast!

[Jack]

... in response to Love at first site in Togliatti...., posted by Ryan on Nov 21, 2002

Love at first site in Russia, I have heard of this happening once or twice before.

Ryan, you are a lucky man. Some men have to meet many ladies to find the right one for them. You were able to meet two women in three years that you had been able to correspond with and the second lady you met you feel is the right woman for you. And to fall in love with her by the second day of your meeting is even more remarkable (and lucky). Hell, no sense in waiting until the end of the week to propose if you knew this on the second day, right? Love at first sight in Russia is correct. It does happen to some lucky people.

You are going to be apart for more than a few months unless you plan to make a second trip to see your fiancée. If you happened to take a spare copy of the 325-A form with you, go ahead and have her sign it while you are there. Get several photos of the two of you together and get photos of you with her family. Keep ALL your receipts to everything! Don't throw away one receipt.

[Ryan]

... in response to (*/*), posted by Jack on Nov 21, 2002

Her and I have talked about everything we cannot live without each other makes no difference where we live... and we will be apart until sometime this spring it was a choice that was hard to make but we need time to cool off I really want to make sure this is right even though I know it is...  I also need time to get finances together and then I will make trip back I have the pictures with family and everything like this and I have some recipts but I will make sure to get more.  I am a lucky man I cannot believe my luck...  It really really is love at first sight!!

[thesearch]

... in response to Good advice..., posted by Ryan on Nov 22, 2002

Ryan,

Jack knows what he is talking about. I know, this is what happened to me and a lady.

I will cross my fingers that you have found the right lady for you. If this is the case it will last. This is why the words of caution about going too fast.

Good luck to you.

[Jack]

... in response to Good advice..., posted by Ryan on Nov 22, 2002

Ryan, if you feel she is the one for you I'm behind you 100%.

My only concern is it appears you are moving so fast. I guess you are engaged or soon to be engaged and this was decided on the second day you two had met. What's the hurry? Even Stan took longer than this and he knew nothing of the lady he married until just a few days before he was to leave Russia!

There is a slight chance, like maybe one tenth of one percent, that one of the two of you may change the way you feel after a couple of weeks. Your not suppose to throw engagements and "Will you marry me's" so freely. Take your time Ryan. Your a young man and you are making a hopeful one time life choice. You have to be sure.

[Ryan]

... in response to ok, my friend., posted by Jack on Nov 22, 2002

You have misunderstood me I will go slow .. In london now will write more soon
Thanks