The Agency Thing(long)

[RW]

... in response to Your agency, posted by Cold Warrior on Jan 14, 2002

It is actually running. I just work ONLY on personal basis and I am too busy to update my website. I have a full-time job, serve on Tacoma-VLadivostok Sister City Committee organizing cultural events and exchanges, so I am capable of taking only a couple clients a year whom I help starting from introduction to filing documents for adjustment of status. Catalogs are not my style...
So yes, "matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match"

BTW, I just saw that show last week too

"if I were a rich man....."

[Zink]

... in response to Re: The Agency Thing(long), posted by RW on Jan 14, 2002

I never thought about the consulates. Canada only has two in Russia, ST Pete. and Moscow. But the US consulates would probable offer the same help to any western traveller.

Here's a question for you. How do you find any business in Russia? How do you search for contacts if you are already on the ground there with no internet access? In Canada or the US I'd use a phone book's yellow pages as a start. I never saw a Russian phone book.

My lady was able to find anything I wanted in Volgograd if she had half a day to look. But she usually did the searching when she wasn't with me. She did use classifieds from the newspapers some. Other than that it seemed to be a lot of call a friend who knows a friend who knows a company. Even if I spoke fluent Russian I don't think I could find businesses as fast as she did.

And one last question. Do you know reliable agencies in and around Vladivostok? I'm thinking of going back to Russia in June and haven't decided where exactly. I might go back to Volgograd but I doubt it.

[RW]

... in response to Re: Re: The Agency Thing(long), posted by Zink on Jan 14, 2002

Zink,

I worked for US company in Vladivostok before coming to US, so I have pretty good contacts established in the community - I worked with the company who would bring US consultants to work in the Russian Far East so we had to provide them with accomodations, interpretor, driver, etc.
There are a lot of Universities in Vladivostok, so we never had any problems with interpretors. It is also a big port city, so foreigners are not a big surprise there. Infrastructure still desires a lot of improvement, but it's still much better than in many other cities in Russia or Ukraine.

Vladivostok has a number of post office (especially downtown) which has a room with computers connected, so it's not a problem to get on Internet. US Consulate in Vladivostok has a good contact list printed out in their office as well as on the website. What do you mean by the business your lady was trying to find? You mean the one providing translation services?

If you need contacts in Vladivostok, e-mail me. I am planning trip to Vladivostok in June myself (though I will be going with different group, Tacoma is Vladivostok's sister city so I am involved in that a lot).  But that does not mean that you can not come along and have your own agenda.

Russian Wife

[Zink]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: The Agency Thing(long), posted by RW on Jan 14, 2002

That's the best offer I've had in awhile. I'll e-mail you later. I'm going to do a little research on Vladivostok. I only know a little about that city.

Actually I've never hired an interpretor while I was in Russia. I did occasionally hire somebody that spoke English(tour guide, museum curator, taxi in Moscow). My lady spoke some English, I speak some Russian. With occasional help from a dictionary we were able to understand each other. My Russian is pretty bad but when you've spent as much time talking together as we did you start to understand. Sometimes my lady had to translate my Russian into proper Russian for her family.

The types of businesses I had her looking for were certain types of shops(hunting, computer and I forget what else), an internet cafe, travel agency and tour company. She also had to find apartments for me. We did our own arrangements for travelling from Volgograd to Sochi while I was in Volgograd. It was cheaper than me doing it from here. I was just curious about how a Russian would find businesses in general.

[ChipShot]

... in response to Re: The Agency Thing(long), posted by RW on Jan 14, 2002

Yes, Ken C and Russian Wife, it would be good to know which agencies really meet the definition of honesty, competency, and support. I feel sometimes I spend too much time scouting for small, personal agencies in mid sized cities, hoping the field hasn't been diluted too much. The small agencies, however valuable they may be, are hard to find, and many may be just scam shops waiting for passing fish like me.

Other than Jack's service, any others that really shine?

[John K]

... in response to Competence and The Agency Thing(long), posted by ChipShot on Jan 14, 2002

I did not use any local agencies to make female contacts for me, but I did use a local travel agency to take care of my accomodations and local travel the first time I went over.  It was called Triada Travel, and the agent assigned to me was quite efficient in taking care of my needs.  If you search the web, you can find them pretty easily.

The second time I went over, I used a local over in Ukraine named Dmitri Pugach, who used to post here.  His service was very good but he was also very expensive, compared to the travel agency.  At times I felt like I was getting soaked for whatever they could get out of me.  Still, his contacts were good and everything I requested was done exactly to my tastes.  He does have a slightly jaundiced view of Americans, but given what he's been asked to do by various men, I can't say that I blame him.

As far as setting up dates over there, I had my date set up long before I went.  While I had all my eggs in one basket, I wouldn't recommend it for most people.  My lady and I were intimately familiar with each other's thoughts and feelings before meeting, and so I wasn't too worried.  If it hadn't worked out, I would have treated it as a vacation and arranged for some sightseeing.  I wouldn't have counted it so much as a failure as a learning experience, and also a unique adventure.

I think having two or three contacts set up is a better route to go, and stick to those contacts.  Don't let the first girl steal all the time.  Have some willpower and at least spend one day with each of the other ladies you have arranged to see.  You'll be more sure of your choice if you do so.

As far as setting up meetings with girls after you get over there, well, I really think that the odds are going to be stacked against you.  You will not find the girls you are looking for, or else likely get hooked up with professional daters.  I strongly suggest that you have your dates lined up and fully qualified before you ever step on the plane.

As always this is simply my 2¢ and strictly my opinion.  Your mileage may vary...

[KenC]

... in response to Competence and The Agency Thing(long), posted by ChipShot on Jan 14, 2002

Chip,
I had very good luck with Lifetime Partners.  They are more expensive than most, but very sincere people.  They also offer some unusual "perks" like videos and free email with interpretations.  The higher expenses come once you visit as there daily charge is high.  There are more than a few people within their organization that consider themselves very good matchmakers.  I will also say that the weakest eliment of their business is the photography.  Keep this in mind if you visit their website.
KenC

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Re: The Agency Thing(long), posted by RW on Jan 14, 2002

You probably told us before...

But how did you meet your husband?

Did you go to an agency? And, if so, how did you choose one?

[RW]

... in response to BTW, Russian Wife, posted by MarkInTx on Jan 14, 2002

As I posted above in my reply to Zink I worked for US company before coming to US. One of the consultants I worked with introduced me to my future husband (he is a very good friend of his Dad). We communicated for a while, than this company sent me to US for two-weeks training and we finally met. Couple months later, my husband come to Vladivostok and after he left I found out that I was awarded scholarship to come to USA to attend Univerisity. I came to USA in august of 1998 and went to school on the East coast. We got married on June 1999 and after I got done with the school moved to the West coast. About a year was spent fighting for legal adjustment (these types of visas have a special clause that you are required to return to Russia for two years after graduation), but everything worked out pretty well

That's our story very briefly. We have been married for 2,5 years by now and have known each other for about 4 years now. We are very happy and I don't think we even had any major disagreement or fight

[BarryM]

... in response to Re: BTW, Russian Wife, posted by RW on Jan 14, 2002

Kind of coincindence...my good friend, Bob, has a fiancee named Ludmilla who lives in Vladivostok and works for an American company. She visited Houston last year for several weeks. She is planning to visit here again next month on a medical visa.

Sound familiar?

-blm

[RW]

... in response to Hey RW..., posted by BarryM on Jan 14, 2002

As I mentioned there are many US companies in Vladivostok and there are many students majoring in English, so I might know her or might not. Hard to say without knowing her last name and what company she works for.

That is actually really cool in Vlad - having Consulate in the city, plus working for US company there are much more opprtunities to travel.

[hockeybrain]

... in response to The Agency Thing(long), posted by Zink on Jan 14, 2002

If I was going to embark on a search I have come to the conclusion that Jack would be the guy to call.  Pick a city or two and go.