But hows it work? If a girl book the apartment for me, I have to wire the money to her to pay for it?
If so, then I need to trust the girl who I have never met in person which is a big NO-NO.
Hows this logistic works if a girl is booking the apartment for me?
I thought finncedotcom is a good deal as there is unlimited letter but it might be not as over 70% of the lady is agency email girl!?
Yes..the girl I like with the agency stop writing me for more than a week now....
She says she went to a conference.
However, I feel she and her agency losts interests as I write I would not want a translator..
I have already know people I can trust in Kiev to get accommodations for me. Perhaps, Armin will help you, siddha.
If I were in your shoes, I would show up in Kiev without accommodations. Then, I would go to Boryspil Airport Hotel. I have been there three times. I have never had reservations and they always had room there. It is walking distance from the airport and they have a shuttle. They also have a second hotel which is bigger than the one near the airport. I have never seen that one. From Boryspil Airport Hotel, you can then ask people to help you with the accommodations in town. Make friends with them first, of course.
Do your homework and have a list of hotels with you. Learn some Russian phrases like how much is the fare to such and such hotel? Talk to more than one taxi driver if you need one.
Newbie...A Question on Profile Pictures--
I stay away from the gals with racey pics. One girl im lettering sends an every day pic with each letter, in the car, sitting at work, at the park etc.. Would that tend to a more truthful situation. I will be working in Germany end of the month and might go to Kiev for a couple of days on the way back.
There is a reasonable hotel in Kharkov, Mir. It's clean nice and reasonable. Right down the hill is club misto, a 15 minute walk. Supposedly the nicest club in Kharkov. It's kind of odd. A nice restaurant across the walkway from a bowling alley open for clear view, a strip club, Karaoke bar, a casino, and a HUGE dance bar. Stella Atrois is like $2.50 for 500 mls. If you still strike out with the locals (hard to do there were literally many hundreds of women there around midnight) one of the Americans I met there said he flat out asked the door man about some women and he had 4 to choose from. I'm not going to waste money showing the type of care ves so enjoys, but he was 70 and had a great time. I did get slightly scammed by one of the agencies that use this service, but kept the scam down as much as possible to about an extra $50 of cab fare.
Sidda,
I stayed in Kharkiv for 3 months in 2011. Mainly at hotels.
What you are encountering is the basic Kharkiv agency.
Rules to follow in Kharkiv (and other major cities with a marriage agency)
#1) The agency wants your money.
#2) Sometimes it is the translator writing and chatting with you (and not the actual girl).
#3) If you write you want your own translator, yes, they will see you as someone who is a risk to them.
If what you said happened, drop the girl (agency) and find someone else. Meeting a really sincere agency girl in Ukraine is a 1 out of 100 shot. Most do not have ANY intentions to leave. They do like to have a boyfriend who will pay their bills...
Agencies will (especially in Kharkiv) will pay girls to allow the agency to write, read and chat with men. I know this because my own personal secretary in Kharkiv WAS an agency translator at several of the largest agencies there and told me so many stories.
And one very pretty blonde girl I did date, informed me that she had her profile online and wouldn't take it down because she made several hundred dollars a month just to let them keep it up.
As Giss suggests, just study your Russian (100% spoken in Kharkiv). Go there at the clubs, find a girl who gives you eye contact and can understand you. There are a lot of great girls there (not in agencies). Women do outnumber men there. And most of the pretty girls get hit on (a lot), but most of the men there can't afford a (real) relationship. So those numbers are in your favor if your sincere and can go the distance (time it takes to actually marry one).
Translation costs range from $15-20 an hour in Kharkiv through an agency. Hire your own personal secretary ($300-$400) week if your there for more than a few days. You will have to pay for the translator taxi, meals and time. They share 50% of the hourly rate with the agency. Their job is to both write as many letters and chats with you, get you to come so they can make even more money from you when you visit.