Hi guys. Thanks for your concern. Especially to Tim who left emails and a phone message with concern. Its nice to know that you can meet such a good friend in a forum such as thins. I only returned today and I have to sort out my experiences because they are not easy. My girl and I went way beyond being "just friends" when I informed her that things were not going well between us and that I had taken the liberty of acquiring other phone numbers of other girls in Moldova who spoke English and would be happy to make my aquaintance. I was quite serious and it was not an idle threat or an attept to manipulate the situation. I even extended my trip by a week so that I would have the time needed to establish a relationship with someone else, not just meet - and I told my Moldovan that that was the purpose of the extension. With the new found physicallity of the relationship, however, I was somewhat powerless to walk away.
She continued to watch me like a hawk giving me only two periods of a half our each when I was left alone with a telephone. During one I called the other Moldovan who confirmed that there was anothr guy involved in her life but told me she could "explain that". My Moldovan told me that the other was living with this guy.
Without an opportunity to actually speak to the other girls (and discover if they could really converse in Englich) and with my doubts about my other Moldovan it was difficult to break away. I felt stranded and isolated - though physically gratified.
This was not the trip I envisioned and I will not go back to Moldova again.
Hi Crash - thanks for the nice regards. Dog tired right now - but you can bet I will inform you all of all that happened to me on the trip in future writing. For now however - thre was someone who was asking about a good place to stay in Moldova. In reference to that question - Moldova was great (it is one of the few things I was VERY pleased with). If whoever it was would comment to me - I would be happy to recommend a great and affordable place directly. You aren't likely to find it on the web - though you might.
Marsh - I DID my homework. That wasn't the problem. I got caught up in a bad situation. Had run-ins with the police just for looking too American (and being with an attractive Moldovan - he said he was angry becasue all the goodl looking ones were leaving the country).
There is a saying "Sometimes you eat the bear - and sometimes the bear eats you."
I'll second your safe return home which is always the priority and the limited success in achieving some expectations of your trip even if you had to push for it.
Jet,
Glad to see you back in one piece, mate.
Did you go to Moldova by yourself or as a part of a tour or agency arranged trip?
I cannot help wonder if traveling with a group or sponsored by a reliable agency that can provide translations, security, social events and time to meet several women could be a better choice.
Here's the full story. My Moldovan lady and I were walking down the street - she looks incredible, even by FSU standards and (against my better judgement) she instisted that I dress up in a Hugo Boss suit with a fancy leather dresscoat. Is it possible to look more foreign than I did? Probably not - but I did it for her. A police officer stops me and asks for my Passport and Visa - I had an irregularity and she was not carrying her national identity card at all (she is not legally required to carry it anyway). I cannot understand a word that is being spoken between them - but my girl varies between smiling nervously and being angry - the police officer laughingly comments but occassionally also looks quite angry - three times the police officer motions to me to follow him further down the street - as we walk toward the police station - we cover about three blocks, stoppinng for perhaps twenty minutes to a half hour for an "coversation" between my Moldovan and the officer - each time the officer gets angry and leads me further down the street until my girl intercepts again. At one point my girl says quietly - I think we have to pay him off get out 50 lei (about $5), then 100 lei, next stop 200 lei (about $20).
Finally I hear my girl giving what sounds like a number to the police officer before he accepts the bribe and lets me go.
When we are finally released and out of the officers sight my girl exclaims "I hate this country!" and I ask waht happened - she said that the police officer stopped us because he said she had nice legs - he was angry becasue she was with a foreigner and claimed that all the good looking ones were leaving the country. He wanted money but he also wanted sex with her - and would not even accept the bribe until she gave him her phone number. It was a mobile phone number and in Moldova not registered -also she resisted giving out her last name or address though he asked. The officer called four times while I was there insisting on collecting on his "bargain". Each time she told him to get lost and hung up - but we never ventured into that area again.
GLTALLTOAD: It was not part of an organized tour. And my girl assumed I was just going to see her. She had forbidden me (???) from talking to other women specifically a friend of her that I met with her last year in Odessa - but while not wanting to press the issue I have been speaking to the other women and wanted to see her as well. If I errored in anyway on this trip it was perhaps in not being adamant about that before I went. But once there - she regarded me as personal propery. She would not even allow me to sit next to another woman on a bus - when I once commented that a particual blonde woman had nice hair - she spent the next hour telling me about how bad her face and nose was.
Are you telling me that Modovans do not wear Hugo Boss, Versaci or other designer, overpriced clothing on a daily basis??????
What's the world coming to???
Jet, my next question is not meant to offend you...Was your girl more interested in having you take her shopping than discussing things that may lead to a serious relationship?
I understand the territorial thing, specially if men in general and foreign men in particular are in short supply.
Though anyone who has looked into this much has heard this before, a few of the women I have talked with attributed alcoholism as one of the main factors in their looking outside their country.
In any case, as soon as Jet is rested, I'm sure he will give us the details.
We shopped a lot - and regarding a serious relationship there was practically no talk. At 24 she still regards herself as a girl and therefore not ready to even decide where she wants to go with her life, or even if she wants to have children. Remember a tipical Moldovan makes about $80 a month. One with a good job makes about $150 a month. Her best friend works a 24 hour shift (which I think is crazy of her employer) with 48 hours off and then another 24 hours on and makes $100 per month.
With my room costing about $60 per day - including a HUGE breakfast - we often only ate one more time - and only once did that second meal approach $40 for the two of us. It was a VERY economical trip.
But I bought her three pairs of shoes (about $60) numerous pants, shirts, bras and panties - still modestly priced per piece with the most expesive item being a pair of pants costing $28 - I probably spent $400 on clothes for her. I bought food for her mother and took her mother out to eat about half the time with us. I paid $90 or about 1/3 of their accumulated water bill - bought a light fixure for the apartment (a huge bargain at $9), jewelry of about $150 - presents for Mom including an iron and a blouse.
The money, no doubt, had much to do with the trip.
I did try to email you from work earlier, when I got your email letting me know you are home, but I'm not sure if it went out !! Anyway, you are back, and from what I have read you have been through the mill a bit these past few weeks !!
I did try to call you again yesterday, but when I got the answering machine again I decided not to leave another message as I had already left one you probably hadn't yet got, and also I didn't want you thinking I was stalking you ;o)))
My email is stuffed tonight, cant send or receive at the moment (problem with my ISP, they are "Merchant Bankers" !!!! But as soon as its fixed, probably tomorrow I will mail you.
Tim
PS To all, that "email is broken with a capital F" message is relevant to all of you I have outstanding mails to answer for !! We are experiencing incompetent ISP problems, Please be patient normal service will be resumed as soon as we can ascertain what normal actually is :o)))