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Heard a really strange new superstition yesterday. I swear that there are so many strange superstitions from the FSU that none of them amaze me anymore.

Yesterday my Natalia briefly ate something off her plate with her knife. "Oh, can't do that", she said. I asked why and she said if you eat your food with a knife your husband will lose his hair.
D@mn!! Wish I had of knew that when I was a kid eating all that peanut butter!

Tipping. It has just come naturally to me. If I received good or great service in Ukraine, I tip. Usually 10% to 15%.  If I receive sorry service in Ukraine, I don't tip. Just like in America. Ukrainians do not tip, it is there custom. When a waiter or waitress see's an American client they usually get very excited and usually do a very good job as they know most Americans, and many foreigners, will usually tip.

Interpreters in Odessa, expect to pay $5 an hour, in Kiev $6, in St. Petersburg $8 or $9 and Moscow $9 or $10.  Most all other places $3 to $4 an hour.
I would never pay $10 an hour for an interpreter in Odessa or Kiev, and I would never try to pay $3 or $4.

Cost of flats in Kiev. If you cross the river, or go some 20 minutes from the center, you might find some flats that cost the flat owner $50 a month. Most flats cost more.  Any flat within 5 to 10 minutes walk of the center is going to cost you some money, some money meaning $40 to $55 a night. Of course there are those that cost more but why pay more and I am sure there are some exceptions and there are a few flats that are close to the center for maybe $35 a night.

Reported and un-reported income. There are a lot of people who report they only make $60 or $70 a month, and they don't report the extra $50 or $60 they might additionally make. I think a lot of people are making at least $80 a month but most people make more. Of course the homeless, beggars and very poor will make next to nothing.

Try to put ladies who speak at least a little English to the top of your list.

Never have to go thru an agency to communicate with your lady(s). Get your ladies home address and phone number. Have your ladies use Internet cafe's. A lot of guys are getting scammed by scam agencies who are writing the letters and who are really the ladies you think you are dealing with. Try to communicate with your lady without having to go thru any agency. Do not use the agency's translators or e-mail service beyond the second correspondence.

If you think you have real interest in a lady, please pay $35 and have some flowers and a card delivered to her.  If you don't have her home address it is a BIG red flag. Once you have a home address, and hopefully a phone number, have anyone EXCEPT her agency to deliver flowers and a card to this lady. Do not use the same agency you met the woman thru to deliver flowers.

Please keep in mind that some dis-honest agencies do not want their more popular girls to find a man. The popular girls are having many men write to them. The agency makes good money off the popular girls. When a dis-honest agency see's one of there money makers getting serious, often they will try to mess up a relationship or get the lady to meet many other guys. Seperate you and your ladies from the agencies. Talk to these ladies, write these ladies yourself or thru an independent person. Many of the men who are on P-L have wifes who would love to make a little extra money by being a translator or interpreter. Get the agency out of the middle or they will always try to control things. Make sure your lady is real and deliver a card, flower, candy, anything to the addres she gives you. You guys will not believe how many times every month I have to tell a guy that his lady does not live at the address she gave him, or the address is not real.

When you travel to the FSU meet a lot of ladies in a short time, do your home work, meet many of your ladies in the first two and three days. Tell each of these ladies two or three weeks before you arrive that your first meeting should only be a few hours. When they ask why, tell them that you think we should spend a few hours together before we plan things for the entire week. Most every lady will agree. You will discover potential chemistry with one, maybe two ladies, and spend your remaining 6 or 7 days with the one or two ladies who you felt chemistry with.

If any lady ask you if you are seeing any other ladies while you are on your trip, always admit to seeing "another" lady. Not two, not three, only "another". If she ask anything about this other woman, where she lives, what is her age, you say you don't want to talk about her, you come mostly to visit her and you do not want to talk about this other lady.

I think there was one other thing I wanted to discuss,...what was it.
Oh, yes, what happened with Go2Rus?  How can someone just disappear so quickly, did some upset him or what?

... in response to a few minutes with Jack, posted by Jack on Nov 18, 2001

Cheaper if you rent but the month.  500USD.

... in response to Good tips...  but flaltesabound at 35USD..., posted by jj on Nov 21, 2001

Max, I only ask you to prove this.

You have made this claim for over a year but you can never produce a name and address or phone number, or even e-mail, that I or anyone else can contact to get these $35 nice flats in the center. It's just talk without substances!

I would love for this to be a correct statement. If it cost me less to acquire nice flats, it will cost my clients less. Many guys would be grateful for such information.

Please Max, tell us how to get these nice, clean, safe flats with-in a few minutes walk of Kkreshatyk for $35 a night.

... in response to ******************Ok, I say prove it****..., posted by Jack on Nov 21, 2001

I again I keep tellinh you my name is not Max..  But I can asure you there are cheaper flats available for less the 45USD/Night.  I know of one good flate for 25USD/Night but you can get a flat for 35USD/Night (Includes Cable TV, Washing Machine, Hotwater, phone)  I stayed in one located araound teh corner from the main chiurch on top of the Fernicular (Cable Car) and others in Poldil near McDonalds.

Saw an add on brama.com advertising the same....  My apartment cost 500USD/Month Two rooms.

... in response to l know of 25USD a[artments in Podil 10 m..., posted by jj on Nov 23, 2001

Oh, your jj from Canada, right. Not Max from Australlia!

jj remember when you sent me the e-mail? Your e-mail came from an ISP server out of Australlia, even though a few days before you had said you were in Canada. Still have the e-mail as I saved it and with a couple of smart computer friends here on P-L they traced you back to Australlia, where Max lives!

Now jj/max, you keep saying there are many nice, safe, secure, clean flats with-in a few minutes walk to Kreshatyk for $35. Can you just prove it, can you just give the name or phone number, fax or e-mail of how we can get ahold of a person to get one of these flats?

That shouldn't be too much to ask from a person who has been saying this could be done for over a year. Just prove it! We want, I want, one of these $35 a night flats with-in a few minutes walk to Kreshatyk, how to I get one, how does any guy on P-L get one of these flats?

... in response to a few minutes with Jack, posted by Jack on Nov 18, 2001

"Oh, yes, what happened with Go2Rus? How can someone just disappear so quickly, did some upset him or what?"

I was kind of wondering that myself.  Perhaps the tempest in a tea pot created over the more, shall we say, personal? aspects of his post drive him away?  I hope not forever.  I was enjoying the overall detailed flavor of his text.  I haven't been to St. Pete in a couple of years, but I know most of the places he's talking about.  The Kat cafe, the Kamelot retaurant with its great food but unusual motif,and that Fontanka Canal bridge under repair near the Tsirk.  I think I know which bridge he's talking about and I'd swear that thing has been under remont for going on 3 years now. :-)

well, FWIW, here's a little travel info for those now thinking about going there.
http://www-koi.travel.spb.ru/theguide/

... in response to a few minutes with Jack, posted by Jack on Nov 18, 2001

Thank you Jack I just love to hear your advice.  It makes so much since as I have been they’re done that myself.  I find the superstitions interesting, comes from the old days I mean real old.  Then they make it up as they go, Not setting a empty bottle of vodka on the table, Not sitting in the corner of a table, not shaking hands under a threshold, I have a whole book on them.

Well I have been back into dating the American women again.  Just have to do something I guess.  Most all the good ones weigh at least 200 lbs or if they are skinny then they have all sort of baggage.  Not like I am a skinny dude myself but I am not gross.   Anyway maybe someday soon I will make the trip over again, but I am stuck on what happens when I get her over here.  Not like I have a huge house and the best of things to keep them from looking at the joneses.  In many ways I am not ready for them.  It scares me, even more scared than I was for my first trip to the Ukraine that was made all on my own.  I can still remember how I could not eat for three days when I got there.  

Anyway just wanted to say hello.
Ryan

... in response to a few minutes with Jack, posted by Jack on Nov 18, 2001

As always I appreciate the advise - though I do not always follow it.

... in response to Re: a few minutes with Jack, posted by hockeybrain on Nov 19, 2001

No problem B., maybe I can offer you some good advice as you head towards Kharkov!