Strange Developments - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

	The Russian Meeting Place: A place to meet people and talk about all things Russian... International Discussions about Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Travel, Music, Russian News, Ukrainian culture, Belarusian Dating, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kiev and other intelligent topics about life in the former Soviet Union.

Pages: 1

Strange Developments
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: Ronin_FM3

I don't post too often, but thought maybe I'd toss this out.

I was in Ukraine again (been there several times) during July. Really, I had wanted to meet just one woman and spend all of my time with her, but I couldn't arrange it. That's how I met the woman I was going to marry a couple of years ago (until disaster struck; long story). So reluctantly I arranged to meet a few.

Very disappointing in a way; they didn't even have time for me. It was very hard to even arrange a time to meet.

So, I spent most of my time alone. And I realized that I am just fascinated with the languages and culture there. I met many foreigners visiting Odessa, and they didn't speak Russian. While we were together I was their interpreter; I absolutely loved it.

So it only solidified my insane desire to actually work there somehow. The whole experience enthralls me. A few years ago, it was my interest in this one particular woman which drew me into this...but now it is a much larger thing, more than the search for a mate.

And I just don't know what to do about it.

Posted by: AkMike

So? What is the point or question? You want to be an interpreter? A tour guide?
Or you have a desire to live in Odessa?

Posted by: Ronin_FM3

Well, yes, basically as said in my post, this trip has just made me feel stronger in my desire to work in Ukraine. My fascination with the place has only grown. And I feel it is a strange thing; I never expected such a thing to happen and it hardly seems a practical desire.

Posted by: AkMike

Then do it! I'm trying to get set up to live near Cherkassy. It'll take several more years but that's my plan.
Never been to Odessa but I'm sure it's similar to Kiev. Just another big city.

Posted by: Ronin_FM3

Cool!

Odessa is a big city, but actually it's quite different from Kiev. Odessa has a very different character. Odessa really is appealing to me, but I'm not committed to any one single city. My big question is what exactly could I do there? What are the real possibilities?

Probably, as with you, this will be a project that requires much time. It's just that I feel so uninformed!

Posted by: AkMike

I'll bet that you're already better informed than you realize just because you've "already been there, done that". Now think what would make the best use of my abilities? Tour guide business? Custom tours, personalizied service to the single men of the west? Help them meet some special lady from the FSU? Might be profitable?

Posted by: Pin Boy

what skills do you have? that will help determine what type of work you can do.

pb

Posted by: royalpalace774

This is just my opinion and we all must do the things that we want to do. But I have been to Odessa 3 times and for me it is great to visit for a few weeks.

But if I were to live there I would probably go crazy from doing the same things all the time. I think it's great to visit, but to work there for a few weeks could be a good thing. How much money or income could you possibly make there even if you are a person with many skills.

A few weeks of working there could be nice even for me, but to live there is a big step. For me it would be going backwards but that's me. Maybe you have something that could be very profitable in your line of work living there.

Don't get me wrong, I love Odessa & the Ukraine and my girl lives there but after 3 weeks of being there I am ready to pull my hair out of my head from seeing everything I could see 10 times over. I have been to every restaurant with my girl and been all over with a friend who was a waiter in a restaurant there. I think I have seen everything there is to see there

I'm not telling you not to move to the Ukraine, but it is something I would not ever consider because of the work that I do.

But I do wish you much luck if you go there to live. I just think you need to prepare very carefully for a move there because things just might not go exactly as you wish them to especially if you are expecting to make some money there.

I think if I'm correct you all ready speak Russian. That's a very big plus.
But maybe your line of work could be profitable in the Ukraine.

ANYWAY BEST OF LUCK TO U! I'm sure it will be an adventure !

Posted by: EasyTarget

Ronin: Look at eslcafe.com for possible jobs teaching English. It would help if you got your certification. Odessa is a seasonal location, it has a different feel in July vs January. Have you been there off season? I know some ex-pats have had success by buying apartments, fixing them up a little and renting the apartments to foreigners.

Big move, lots of things to consider. Also, do you have a safety net if things go pear shaped?

Posted by: Ronin_FM3

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

Probably, I will get my TEFL certification in any case, even if I do not decide to take that route. I have quite a passion for languages and enjoy most all things connected with them. I speak Russian quite well, only making occasional and small mistakes. Living in a Russian speaking environment, I could eliminate these.

I can certainly understand why someone would go crazy there; it is not for everyone. I did not think it would be for me; I am completely surprised that this feeling has developed in me. In truth, I felt this even during my first visit several years ago. I resisted it then, but over the years and especially on this last visit, I see that this feeling has not diminished but actually grown stronger.

And I'm not committed to Odessa, it is Ukraine itself that intrigues me so much, that has affected me so strongly. I would not limit myself to one city. In fact, Kiev probably offers more opportunities than any other city.

My skills might be useful there, but I don't know. In the USA, they are becoming irrelevant, which is another impetus for me to make such a move eventually.

I'm a ceramist in a dental laboratory; my education is in this field and I have 20 years experience. But I have reached the maximum earning potential in the USA, which has been drastically reduced due to outsourcing. Today, dentists usually just send their work to China, where they can get dirt cheap crowns of mediocre quality.

My own skills are different; I do not produce high volumes of low-grade work for little pay. I have always produced very high quality work, which requires much more time and skill. But, I am a "white elephant" in the USA now. I provide an expensive product of high quality in a market that is mostly interested in mass produced, low quality and low cost goods. The defenders of outsourcing claim otherwise, that the work is great, so on and so forth. But I have seen this work many times, and I know the difference between good and bad.

In the future, I believe that the situation will become even worse. So, perhaps I am lucky that I have this strange fascination and love for Ukraine. I may actually have little to loose, if I find something for me to do in Ukraine.

I'd love to be an interpreter or translator, but of course my education is in the dental field.

This is something that no doubt will require much time and much planning. But after this last visit, I know it is in my heart...and it may even be something I must do in the future. I'm no longer certain my career in the USA will exist in the future.

Posted by: AkMike

A Dr. friend of ours does this line of work also. He and his Denitist wife just opened their own private practice office recently.
Based on what I saw his rural patients are poor and just wanting to be able to eat.
Kiev would be a better choice to make a few bucks.

Posted by: Ronin_FM3

Quote:

Originally Posted by AkMike

A Dr. friend of ours does this line of work also. He and his Denitist wife just opened their own private practice office recently.
Based on what I saw his rural patients are poor and just wanting to be able to eat.
Kiev would be a better choice to make a few bucks.

I wonder if this the route I should pursue. I couldn't afford to open my own practice, though.

My skills are are really second to none in this field. Maybe there is a need for my skills somewhere over there.

You know, I even thought of the Peace Corps as a way to perhaps establish myself there. But they send a person where the Corps wants, not the person. I spoke to them, and told them about my experience with Russian and Ukrainian culture, and the fact that I'm nearly fluent in Russian and can often read Ukrainian. But they don't care at all. Typical government; a total waste of resources. Give them a guy who could fit right into a country and culture, and they'll send him somewhere else. They wouldn't have to spend tremendous amounts of time teaching me merely "survival" language, or the niceties of cultural sensitivities, dealing with culture shock...but no, government knows better than I do...they'll send me where they damn well please. So much much for that method.

Posted by: AkMike

If I were to pursue this route I'd go there and get a job with an established firm. Then get your contacts in the business. Find out the local ways and then consider opening your own shop. Who knows you might like working for the other guys better. Self employment can be a ROYAL PITA. I know from 27 yrs of it.
Also take into consideration that you'd be working with their materials and I wonder if the quality and such is what you're used to. That might be a glitch...

Posted by: Ronin_FM3

Yeah, I've got no illusions about the self employment thing. I have no problem with working for someone else.

I'm sure the materials are not what I'm used to, but I've used just about everything that there is.

There's almost no information to be found about this on the internet, although I did find the web sites of a couple private clinics. Unlike the USA, it seems that lab facilities are combined with dental offices.

A truly cool thing would be work as a translator or interpreter. I am just a fanatic about languages. Translation is probably my stronger skill at the moment.