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Hello.
Since Greg / TheSearch asked for it, I thought it might be time for an update. As John K admits below, free time slots are scarce and difficult to find in married life, but here it is.

I always enjoyed looking at photos from trip reports myself, so I have updated the “ Picture Site” with a few more pictures for those who might be interested. This time I picked some shots from our wedding in Ukraine the summer of 2000. When I can find the time for it I will add some more. Here is the link:

http://groups.msn.com/Danneskjold/shoebox.msnw

How am I doing?

Well Greg, without exaggerating I will say that we have a great relationship. A marriage as good as it can possibly get in my opinion.
Both of us knew what we were looking for in a mate. We decided to marry on the second meeting only three weeks after the first meeting and six months after the first letter. I had several trips and meetings behind me and so had Lena. She actually came straight from a meeting in Paris to our first meeting in Norway.

After more than two years Lena feels completely at home here. Her Norwegian is now at the level that she is seldom asked, "Where are you from?" anymore. The language has been on top of her priorities since she came and will continue to be so for a long time to come.
Truly learning to master a language to perfection is a slow and tedious undertaking that Lena and I are still working with every day. The thing to remember is that it must be done during the first years and it has to be done correctly the first time. According to all language research I have seen, it gets increasingly difficult to correct a “sloppy” language as the years go by.
I see this clearly almost every day with customers whom have lived here for twenty years or more without learning to speak correctly. Only now after two years together with Lena do I realize how difficult it is to master my own language correctly.

For those of you who can read Russian, Lena has some of the most read and commented postings on www.well.com.ru about some of the realities of the Mail Order Bride process seen from her side. She posts under the pseudonym "Katarina K., Norway" and the titles of the posts are:

"A cheaper wife from Russia - myths and facts?"
"Fidelity of foreign men"

As I have posted here earlier, our adjustment process was almost totally painless. We communicated effortlessly in English from day one so there was never a language barrier to fight. I was well prepared and so was Lena, from every part of our wedding in Ukraine to the last detail of documents and everything here that could be arranged to make the adjustment as pleasant as possible. Looking back, I have the impression that everything went smoother than expected for both of us, and it is difficult to remember any special problems. Neither has the age difference that worried me a lot been any problem at all. We have almost exactly the same age situation as KenC and his wife. I'm 47 and Lena is 26.

And yes, even though it is quite a distance from here to the Crimean coast (this summer we logged more than 8000 km. / 5000 miles) we will most probably be driving to Ukraine again next summer.

Another piece of Norwegian Wood for what it might be worth.

Jan

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

Congratulations! ! !
Your new bride is gorgeous.  I wish you all the best.  
How about posting some more photos of her mom...She's HOT !!! LOL.

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

Jan, intelligent lady - does she have sisters?....
_____________

Using a free on-line translation link

(http://translation2.paralink.com/)

I cut and pasted Jan’s wife’s article paragraph by paragraph and came up with the following machine translated English version.  I will eventually start a new thread dealing with language problems (99.9% of us?) including possible translation software solutions, but I first wanted to share Jan's wife’s article with all of you.  I can read this with all of it's interpretive faults and still understand/appreciate what she is saying.  If you work at it, you will too.  Here it is in its computer generated entirety (i.e., I did not edit this in any way):
_____________

“About fidelity of foreign men

(it Is published for the first time on Olga Taevskoj's site "WWWoman")

I would like to express on subject matter of fidelity of men. I think, that for the beginning I should tell about myself a little. If it is brief, to me of 25 years, I from Ukraine, now live in Norway 2 years. Very much I love the husband, it is happy in a marriage(spoilage) and at all it is pleased with life here.

And now in some detail to subject matter. Here abroad the situation with man's changes very much differs from a situation in Russia or on Ukraine. As far as I know, among ours with the husband of the general(common) contacts, my Russian girlfriends on school of the Norwegian language, fellow workers and friends at school of riding, such concept as change, in comparison with Russia or Ukraine, in Norway almost otsutsvuet. I shall not undersign for all Western world though I think, that for others western staranah a situation same. I shall tell only, that man's change is not norm of life in Norway.

And in Russia or on Ukraine... Remember as at us in that song sing: " to it(him) the mistress is put on staff(state)....? " In Russia or on Ukraine if the man of something has reached(achieved) in this life if he(it) has good work, the house, the beauty - wife it IS simply NECESSARY to it(him) zaveti also the mistress. It(he) IS SIMPLY OBLIGED, and differently in eyes of the druzhkov it(he) - not the muzhik. To everyone who will try to object on this phrase, at once I shall answer, what yes, you are to some extent right, you see not nevertheless muzhiks such, there are fair and decent(considerable) husbands. But all the same, unfortunately, it is a lot of men such - dishonourable.

Here in the Western world to have the mistress is simply NOT MORALLY And NOT PRESTIGIOUSLY. It is the low status, a bottom of a society. In the company any man not begins to brag subject matters, that it(he), a pier yesterday has overslept with someone on a side(on the part of). Anybody will not approve it(him), only will condemn. That in the American soap operas show that everyone sleep with all at a time so it is simply cheap films which general(common) with a reality have no anything. Americans, Norwegians etc. value the family and the reputation. They love the wives and carry them in his arms almost literally this word (help on the house, care of children etc.) . And if who does not love the wife even respects her(it) as the woman as the wife and as mother of children. Men consider, that changing the wife, they arrive very badly, cause it(her) a huge pain. And nobody wants to hurt the close person. Many on a working table have photo of the wife and children. And any businessman respecting not begins to spoil to itself glory for the purpose of communication(in connection with) on a side(on the part of).

There are, certainly, some men here again which change to the wives. But, it is units, in the majority the losers, people which have not taken place in any way. Or some exceptions to the rules, men of this type American multimillionaire Donal'da Trampa. But again taki I repeat, that it is units in comparison with Russia and Ukraine. And that is changed here by the man only in the event that in attitudes(relations) with the wife something is not got on, something not so. Instead of for the purpose of entertainments. They also do(make) it is so disguised and secretly (find to itself the woman in quite different city etc.), that probably and itself God it is not easy for God to visit about this change.

And it is not odd, that foreign men consider Russian women jealous. It, probably, because we so have got used to changes, that somewhere at a subconscious level, that not knowing, constantly we are afraid: and suddenly it(he) to me will change? And it(he) will not change, no. If at you all vporjadke in attitudes(relations) if in family, as they say, council(on advice of) yes love, will be not not changed by it(he). Mentality at them another.

I think, that on the present properly those will understand me only devchyonki which live here which is with what to liken.

Still more many that good can tell in " protection of foreign grooms " as exists very erroneous, in my opinion, opinion, that on Russian moral ugly creatures marry only. Though also I too am not going to find fault with our men. Simply to me there was no among our men that unique for which I would like to leave in marriage. And I very much schastiva, that my life have developed how she(it) has developed. That each day I wake up of a morning kiss of the husband before it(he) leaves on work, and I am glad lifes and to this new day. That I wish also all readers of a site!!!

Respectfully, Katarina Ê., Norway katarina_norway@hotmail.com

To esteem still: the Cheap wife from Russia - a myth or a reality?"

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

that, based on how her mother looks, you won't have to be worrying about the 'babushka syndrome' or in other words she isn't likely to get fat in her 40s.

You and I are about same age, and I guess her mother would also be our age.  So please let me know if and when her mother becomes available.   :-))

JR

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

Thanks for sharing. Stories of real life and success are always good encouragement for those in the process.

Great Pics. Jan, your wife sure is a cutie. Course, you are not a bad looking guy yourself. You make a nice couple.

Again thanks for taking the time to share.

Greg

... in response to Hey --- glad I asked, posted by thesearch on Nov 7, 2002

n/t

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

nice photos jan, thanks for sharing.

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

Just be careful not to upset the dallas crowd.

... in response to Re: Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by BrianN on Nov 7, 2002

Brian;

Jack is banned and hasn't been on the board in weeks.

MarkInTx has self-banned and also hasn't been around for a while.

Who else is left in Dallas???

- Dan

... in response to I Don't Get it . . ., posted by Dan on Nov 7, 2002

There is Carl!

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

Jan,
Congratulations Jan. A great success story.
I would love to read your wife's articles but I can not find the links on the front page. Could you please give me some advise on where to look?

Steve

... in response to Re: Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by Quasimoto on Nov 6, 2002


Hello Steve

Thanks for the nice words from you and everyone else.

I asked Lena and she gave me this:

Fidelity of foreign men:
rubric "Rasskazu o zagranice", issue number 258
http://well.com.ru/abroad/story.phtml?id=809

A cheaper wife:
rubric "Azbuka znakomstv", issue number 355
http://well.com.ru/abc/article.phtml?id=1009

Jan

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

.

... in response to Congrats! Great Pics!  Wish more guys wo..., posted by Oscar on Nov 6, 2002

i agree oscar. i will be happy when i could post photos of my girl. oscar have you already posted photos of you and your girl. i would like to see them.

... in response to agree, posted by landscaper on Nov 7, 2002

after a while as occasionally if they are left up, sometimes agencies have stolen them and put them on web sites! LOL!  If you would like to post your email, I would be happy to send you some pics..
I will also post some more after she gets here and we take some pics..

... in response to Yes, I did post them.  But guys usually ..., posted by Oscar on Nov 7, 2002

oscar i think if you click on my profile it will show my e-mail address. as i understand it works for registered members. i would love to see photo of your soon to be bride as well as photo of who is battling with this dan.

... in response to sure oscar, posted by landscaper on Nov 9, 2002

.

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

Jan,
I am so glad to hear that you are happy.  Your posts were always made with clarity and intelligence.  All the best to you and your's.
KenC

... in response to Answer to TheSearch / Picture update, posted by R Danneskjold on Nov 6, 2002

Your wife is beautiful. You must be very proud. Congratualtions