If I was to go on the prowl again (which looks highly unlikely) I would come to where I am now. Rent an apartment in the outer area of Kiev, like I am now. Then I would just do what we all have done before. Met women the old fashioned way.
This last week, my Lena has had the Flue and has been off colour and not been able to venture out to much. I have gone out every day, sometimes 2 or 3 times in a day and bought the groceries etc. EVERY day, I have had a women or 2 give me the come-on. You know what I mean by this. If you want more to develop you still have to put in a bit of effort, but its there and the selection is very good !!!
But no exaggeration, the ladies knew I was English and wanted to hook up. The many small market places seem to be the best bet. The metro and Taxi Bus’s are great, but you probably don’t get enough time to make the more polite gentleman like moves. I would suggest some business cards with your email address and photo, and don’t be afraid to hand out a few (don’t include the apartment address)
The women here are magnificent. As I said before, having my 1st morning coffee leaning out the balcony apartment window is like watching a Fashion cat walk show.
I suggest the outer apartment complexes, because the people out here are defiantly a little more down to earth than those that live in and around the upmarket central city zone. Also the price of renting apartment and the living cost in general is much - much lower than CBD.
As we all know, the internet can use up a lot of time and $$ and end up providing just a disappointment and not what you wanted.
I am not going to say “forget the keyboard approach” because without it, I would not have got underway with trip No:1 in 2003 and I would not be with my beautiful lady now. But now as I write this, no bullshit, there is a constant flow of women walking to and from their apartments outside my window, and they are walking alone !!!
The apartment we are in, is on the extreme edge of Kiev. Our apartment is the last in a row of miles of miles apartment blocks. So if I am seeing this here, imagine what just a little more populated apartment Zone would be like. (unless all the pretty ones like living on the edge)
Anyway – think about it !!!!!!!!!! In two weeks, I have spent less than $500US !!!!! (that not counting the apartment cost - $300US per month) and enjoying a different climate and culture from the cold NZ winter.
New? Damn. I knew no-one took any notice. ;-) At least you didn't launch into a defence of your own approach, Toad.
I'm with you on this one, Maxi. Have had better results through friends of friends and giving conversational English than through the web, which seems fraught with risk.
But I've been lucky to be able to spend the time developing contacts in the FSU, a luxury some of the others don't have. They are also unlikely to take the chance, on the strength of what is only a possibility on the assumption that all the women with agencies are serious about marriage.
Good tips for connecting with ladies, though. I've already written my card..
'QC. Looking for stunning religious virgin between the ages of 35 and 40. Must have a degree in Quality Control and know how to bump start a van'.
Perhaps we can mix the two approaches? Find a woman online we like. Go out to see her. Get burned on the first day, then get out there and circulate. As you know, saying 'Hi' to women on the street is normal and you'll soon get the hang of it. Otherwise, go to the nearest bar . Sit on a bar stool.. and re-read your text messages until the flight home, where you can spend the next few months, bemoaning your lot, in the forum. ;-))
Looking forward to when you get your own place and you can put us all up for $50 a month. :-)
QC
Could you elaborate on your post a little. I found a little confusing.
"But I've been lucky to be able to spend the time developing contacts in the FSU, a luxury some of the others don't have. They are also unlikely to take the chance, on the strength of what is only a possibility on the assumption that all the women with agencies are serious about marriage."
For example.
Maxi
Where is your address. I have a ticket some time and the money. Sounds great.
Basically, I was in St.P for 2 months and made contact with locals through a couple of web sites I use for travelling. I also rang the local English teaching schools and asked them if they needed any conversational English lessons from a native English speaker. I met several ladies this way.
The possibility of picking up a woman in the street which then leads to marriage is, I would have thought, less likely than using agencies where (if they are all honest) you know that is exactly what they are seeking.
Most men would rather play safe and use the agencies than jump on a plane on the off chance they might strike lucky.
Hope that clears the fog. :-))
If you think you can just go to the outskirts of a city with a placard saying give me an apartment for 2 weeks for $300 per month, you might struggle.
that may well be a GREAT idea!
Maxi, get in touch with him? Wittnes this man's hormone's oozing out of his ears, and next tell us aaallll about it ;-)
Serious though, if you've got things in place - why not?
Izi
Even if I could work out my exact address (which I can¡¦t) I wouldn¡¦t offer it. The old saying 2¡¦s company 3¡¦s a crowd.
Anyway, I don¡¦t have bolts heavy enough to screw your canon to the ground, to keep you shooting in a consistent direction. ƒº
QC
You are probably my most admired forum FSU frontier pioneer. I have read some of your posts from your prior trips. Its is men like you that inspired and encouraged my venture into this part of the world.
Finding the accommodation like I have could be difficult without inside help. I am pretty certain you can find them though. This one I am in, is owned by a retired couple who spend every summer at there Dacha (holiday home) so it is free every summer. Now before any of you ask, they don¡¦t usually rent it out, but my lady is a personal and close friend so we got it and they got $600, which must be a big help to their cash flow.
We have just returned home from a sunset walk (god that’s sounds romantic) we walked through some of the blocks of apartments. I don’t know where all the young men are but there was many young ladies, in twos and threes mainly. We came to a small lake (full of rubbish) and there were 4 groups of women there with a pet dog or just looking. It would be like shooting ducks on the water. I have told Lena, she had better buy some handcuffs – Pronto. I am very happy with what I have – but for crying out loud, this is bloody torture.
Don’t you just hate those white skin tight transparent slacks they wear !!!!!!!!!!!!
If anyone mentions G String – I am going to snap !!!!!!!
You are making me dribble, Maxi. I'd forgotten about those slacks ;-))
Hmm.. maybe I could hold off my Asia trip and squeeze in Kiev.
Speaking of which... Jet was concerned that now visa requirements have been temporarily dropped there would be a flood of European men sweeping up all the available women. Any sign of that happening?
QC
NO.
I have been watching out for Westerners etc. I have seen 1 man that was a definite hook up with pretty women age = his daughter.
Lena said that when the music festival was on, earlier in May, there were many tourists in Kiev. But I have seen very few English speaking tourists even.
I must say, I wouldn’t expect to see many western men out in the suburbs where I am living. The tourists wouldn’t venture into this part of town at all, I would think.
The 8am parade has started. Beautiful warm sunny day. Yesterday a thunder storm hit at 4pm. It pissed down for 15 minutes. Those white slacks look even better when they get wet !!!!!!
There was a Concert on TV last night. It was live in Doneskt (think I got that spelling right) Anyway it on Poltova Plains – Ukraine. There must be 2 – 300,000 people there. The camera was constantly sweeping the crowd. My god, every 2nd women is beautiful. These people are definably unique – well in my eyes at least.
Ditto
Was she at the concert ?? I might have seen her, what she look like ????? Hope that wasn't her I saw - elevated with her long legs wrapped around the neck of that tall dark handsome Russian lad.
Do you guys think it is true in particular about the features of Slavic women being the most beautiful? There seems to be a particularly appealing shape to their faces. The angular faces,high cheekbones---or is this just another generality/sterotype?
nope, its no lie and I do think its true. if you could see a picture of my wife you would agree. but not all the russian ladies I seen while I was there had these features.
Spirit ,
There also seems to be a particularly appealing shape to their , well, you know also.And lots of it. I don`t want to offend anyone . But seriously Spirit, after being in Kyiv four times and doing very serious girl watching next to my date. I have come to my own conclusion that it is not a generality . I have seen enough to convince myself and not to listen to hypothesis and conjecture of others that the majority of the young to middle age women in Ukraine are simply slender and damn outright pretty. I was saying a long time ago to the members here what Maxi is discovering now . There are plenty of them unescorted and just on their own with no men with them .And i mean EVERYWHERE. It is mind boggling to me that their men don`t seem to give a shit. If you go over there be sure your woman is a knockout because if she is not to you , there will be a shitload of beauties all around and behind her or just passing by and you will develope a rubber neck looking at the rest. To me it was a real phenomenom. It was refreshing . So far all i have heard from Maxi in his command post is talk more about the women passing by than how his time is with his girl. LOL !!!!!!