Offered as some perspective, on how life is different -- and feels different -- Over There:
Some of the readers of this forum already know that life expectancy is relatively low in former Soviet countries. Overall, Ukraine is 123rd, and Russia 137th in world ranking by UN figures. It's worth taking a moment to imagine this -- what if you knew that in more than 3/5 of the world's countries, people live longer than your own countrymen. Imagine that people in Honduras, Guatemala, Iran, Peru, and Philippines all live longer, than you are likely to.
In most English-speaking countries, the life expectancy for men is about 76 to 79 years. In Ukraine and Russia, the life expectancy for men is about 62. Women have more years, but they are more years alone: in countries with longer life expectancy, that for women is about 5 years more than men. But in Ukraine and Russia, women live 11 to 12 years longer than men.
A life expectancy of 62 years, means that half of men have died by that age -- and that vast numbers of men are dying younger than that. I've known this for a while as "dry statistics". But I'm only beginning to understand it in human terms.
As I recall, Ralph posted about his bride (at that time, bride-to-be) that her mother (probably 60-ish) and sister (probably 40-ish) were both widows.
I know a beautiful young Russian girl who is wracked with guilt and sorrow, because she was too preoccupied with her late-20's life to pay much attention to her ill father in the months leading up to his death -- I'm guessing he was about 50.
I sat in the Moscow kitchen of a lovely, kind woman in her mid 30s, whose eyes welled up with tears as she told me about how she met her husband (they both worked in TV production), and his death three years before to heart disease -- he was not yet 40.
I have looked at hundreds of dating profiles of women (mostly 30-36), and noticed how many of them are widows. Only a percentage, to be sure, but a far greater percentage than I would expect to see here in the USA.
The numbers translate, into a lot of broken hearts.
A note on the data: The UN numbers are taken from wikipedia, and are supposed to reflect 2005-2010.
Some folks point out the error of lumping all former Soviet countries together. For the most part, the "stans" are in a similar position to Ukraine and Russia, though (for example) in Uzbekistan men live a couple of years longer.
But even in the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) that in many ways have done much better than most of the FSU, life expectancy for men is still a decade or more shorter than that of most English-speaking countries.
interesting... actually my sis-in-law was just 32 when her husband passed (I believe cancer). So here is a bright attractive young lady busting her butt to support a 10 yo little girl. She doesn't have time for a social life and forget about meeting an eligible 'bachelor' worthy of her. Fortunately her father-in-law is still a big part of their life. It was (is)a very close and happy family.
Who can really say what the motivation is to find a husband from another land. My wife commented on the number of divorced people in USA. Why for instance did Bill get divorced when he has three great children? I asked why women get divorced in Russia. Her answer, "The men are all alcoholics!" Now don't go attacking me or defending Russian men. I am only quoting what she said just yesterday. But I am sure that many reasonable and very smart women of the land may feel it (foreign husband) is their only hope to find happiness and a partner for life.
I started a thread on this when I first got to this forum. The answers I got were alcoholism, fast lifestyle, and men being sent to faraway places like the oilfields and wars.
wife's father passed at 61. loose translation - stroke, he never smoked or drank alcohol - maybe holidays but very little if at all. sister's husband died age 36. coincidentally, both our fathers died within weeks of each other. my dad smoked like a chimney most of his life. work shift work and drank a couple quarts of beer sat in his chair and watched TV after work, ate low budget fried foods - the worst diet ever and made it to 76. high blood pressure and heart disease killed my dad. lifestyle a huge factor. yet his Russian counterpart who worked hard in a good climate and was overall very healthy drops over at 61.
Ukrainian men's life expectancy has risen since I last looked at it from the CIA world factbook. It was 57 last year, now it's at 61.
Ralph, while drinking alcohol is bad, I don't think drinking beer is that bad. While fried food is bad, I don't think its as bad as some would think. Most fried foods now are fried in vegetable oil. I am just speculating here, but I believe animal fat bears the bulk of the blame.
What good is your personal attack Ralph? You have run out of words to say? You can't keep up with me? This is a good example of what Muzzy was talking about in the other thread: Personal attacks and name calling. I know what happens next: You go and make friends with Muzzy and the rest - nominating him forum president and so forth and you join in on the talk about how bad everyone else is.
He will spoil more threads, Danny. Just the thought of me posting anything gets on his nerves. He is like a woman who holds a grudge. He will never tell you what's wrong. He just pouts and calls you names.
All I'm talking about here is an excess of animal fat and red meat has shortened many lives. I was speculating, but I bet this is a good part of FSU diet.
you just don't have a clue do you? when I was talking about my dad's diet I was talking about his diet 40 years ago! WTF does whatever they make oil out of these days have to do with it? I was just giving an example of the differences... oh, why bother any more. I am not name calling when I say you are an idiot/knucklehead. I am merely pointing out the obvious. idiot is not a name. it is a description of someone blah-blah-blah
danny40 -- what is your problem with EVERYTHING? grow up already.
Taking in to consideration your post to me of weeks back you know exactly what I'm thinking, I do have a sense of humour so I'm chuckling about it, I'm not going to say it but I know that you know what I'm thinking. :)
And you don't have a clue on how to explain things. I am supposed to know that it was 40 years ago? Where in your post did it say that? What difference does it make? If I don't respond to what you are talking about, why not explain why instead of name calling?
Then you get frazzled because one does not know. I could call you a knucklehead and idiot too for not knowing what I was talking about. Go ahead. Rationalize your name calling. Does that make it alright?
I promised myself I wasn't going to respond. So now I am the idiot. I call myself idiot all the time. Like when I told someone some idiot put fertilizer on the flowers but forgot to wash it off before it was too late and burned some flowers. ME - I am that idiot. Yep, I was lazy and instead of doing it properly I figured I would just sprinkle some right on top - the wrong way - and just wash it off quickly. But I got distracted and forgot about it. What an idiot I am!!!!!!!
Any person who can read and has some sort of rational thinking would understand that when I said my father died ten years ago - maybe I didn't exactly say ten years but I'm sure it was implied there somewhere - that he ate forty years ago. He was seventy-six. He fought in the war. WWII. His diet over the span of his life - mainly his early years would have been forty years ago if not prior to that. LARD asshole. And cheap vegetable oil. Crisco, oleo etc. Whatever you wish to call it. The meat and potatoes crowd that smoked and did nothing for exercise. Why should I have to explain everything? It doesn't need explaining. You're like a f'in two year old. "But why mommy?" "Because I said so!"
I am not name calling. Are you going to report me to the principal? We have been down this road before. Frazzled is not the correct word for what I get when I have to endure your totally outlandish responses. I suggest you look up the word frazzled in the dictionary. Look under 'F'. As in go F yourself! :) Now that was funny right there. I don't care who you are.
And your father was not the point I was making was it? Who cares about your father here in the forum except you? If he died because of the lard, what difference does it make? This is an FSU forum and this thread is about why FSU men die early.
Julian...that was clear, concise and to the point......and VERY funny....
To bad that only a couple words or maybe a sentence will be read before a response, off the top of the head' of course......and bringing up some past response or post.
Recently saw a favorite movie of mine, Forrest Gump, not a very smart man but you have to give him credit, he KNEW his limitations, never tried to be something he wasn't.
Can't remember his line about dumb( what his mama said)...........
That being funny is for those with a bizarre sense of humor. Noone is going to report you to the principal, Ralph. But remember this when you go accusing anyone on who the trouble maker is.