Let’s not surmise, but take the initiative in our own hands. It is good to exchange letters, but we have a saying here: “It is better to see once, than to hear hundred times!”. You can correspond for long and it will seem to you that here she is, your special one. But when you meet, spark may not rise between you. Don’t waste time in vain! Don’t drag out the correspondence! And summer is the best time for meetings!
So, planning your dating, you should decide where you want to see your future fiancée:
- at her area. Advantages: you can get acquainted with her family, friends, see her way of life.
- at your area. Advantages: You shouldn’t fly anywhere, get a visa and so on. You are at home and feel at ease.
- at neutral area. Advantages: both you and your fiancée are under equal conditions: not a guest, not a host. And besides you will travel together.
The first two ways we will discuss in next newsletters. And today we will stop at the third variant. So, you decided to meet at neutral area. And where?
Before dreaming about Paris or Venice, you should know some points.
Visas:
After “cold war” Russia inherited the dark property. Recently I watched the program about one Chinese woman. She decided to go around the world on her motorbike. She reached our country and shared her plans how she would cross Europe and America. She doesn’t need visa almost anywhere. Such is the status of her country. You won’t believe it, but for Russians it sounds fantastic! We have to get visas for traveling with great difficulty and large money expenses.
Geography:
From the point of availability for Russian citizen visas can be divided into several types:
1. Visas, which are almost impossible to get for an ordinary tourist. (the USA, Canada, Israel);
2. Visas, which are very difficult and expensive to get (Great Britain, the countries-members of Shenghen Union, Switzerland, Australia, other European countries, Japan);
3. Visas, which are easy to get, but sometimes very troublesome (Eastern Europe, Baltic countries);
4. Visas, which are possible to get without problems at the airport of the country destination (Egypt, Turkey, Cuba, Sri Lanka, Bali, Maldives, Croatia, Thailand, Malta, the countries of Asia);
5. Visas, which are not necessary to get (the countries of the former USSR: Azerbaijan Republic, Armenia, Belorussia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine).
Only very well-to-do women can get to the USA and Canada, those who have immovable property, good salary, i.e. who can prove to the Embassy that they have serious reasons to come back to Russia. The same is concerning Great Britain. The only way to get there is a student or a job visa. But they both require spare time, knowledge of English and money. It doesn’t suit for mere meeting.
The countries of Euro Union, where the Shenghen agreement works, also have suspicious attitude to Russian girls. All the papers are full with stories about the illegals and their ways of earning money. But still, Euro Union has to earn money on tourism, that’s why it is still possible to get a visa, though troublesome. For that you need to have all-paid tour and limited time of visit (no more than two weeks). It is easier to get a visa to the southern countries, more difficult – to the northern.
As a rule, these are the countries, where tourists are esteemed higher than reputation. :) It is almost the entire Asia, islands and Croatia.
What for should you know this? Suppose, you are going to meet in Venice. You must be ready that you girl may not be given a Shenghen visa. Judge for yourself: a single girl with lower than average income asks a visa. At the Embassy they regard it unambiguously, as a rule: she goes to earn money. As the people at the Embassy don’t know that she goes to meet with you, on your expense, and you undertake obligations for her: meals, lodging and so on.
So, planning a meeting, take this fact into consideration.
Time.
Start discussing a mutual meeting as soon as possible. Maybe two months before. Woman should have time to arrange her leave with a boss, to find the suitable travel agent. Averagely, after all the papers are accumulated, processing the tour in Russia takes up 2-3 weeks.
Money
I want to warn you at once: the average salary in Russia is $150-$200, that’s why few people can afford a trip to abroad. If you want to meet at a neutral area, you should take all the expenses on your self. Tell her about it at once, when you will invite her. It will save both of you from many unpleasant moments. Believe me, every woman feels ill at ease to tell that she can’t pay for herself, and because of pride she can even reject a trip.
Find a tactful form for that and in no circumstances present it as a service. For instance you can put it like this: “Of course, I take all the expenses on myself. Send me the full information about expenses you will have”.
If prices seem to be higher than they really are, you always can check this information. For instance, contact us. We will contact a number of travel agencies and get to know necessary costs. By the way, we warn a woman about this possibility in advance and control the sums she asks for.
Guarantees of safety
Certainly, you must present guarantees of safety to a woman. She must have a return ticket and a single room at the hotel. These are minimal requirements. Probably, while discussing the trip some other will rise. Especially it concerns young and inexperienced girls, whose parents worry a lot about them. You will have to do all possible so that they didn’t worry: in advance, tell the address and the telephone number of the hotel, pay for international telephone conversations, so you’re your fiancée could calm down her parents.
Presents
At meeting and farewell it is a custom to give presents. But if you decided to meet at a neutral area, there is no need for you to carry some souvenir over the ocean. You will have enough time to go shopping and you will be able to choose a present for your girl at the place. And exactly what she will like. You will guess it by her shining eyes! :-)
So, before planning a trip like this, take into account:
- that not all the embassies are ready to give a visa to the Russian girls.
- that a woman must know about the trip long before it, so that she could take a leave and prepare.
First all this can seem very troublesome, but when we meet, you will forget about it. If you prepare well, your vacation with a Russian girl will leave a long-lasting memory in your mind!
How to become the accepting part or a guest.
Recently two our girls have met with their boyfriends. One met in Austria (Vienna), another – in France (Paris).
I want to analyze some mistakes they made. These are general questions and everyone can face them, independently on where the meeting took place.
First of all, always take into consideration the difference in mentalities and be patient. It can be complicated by language barrier, that’s why don’t let misunderstandings spoil your relations. If something is natural for you like an air, for you partner it can be a paradox. Remember about it and be tolerant.
Be ready to different finales. As a rule, we always prepare ourselves for the best and picture in our imagination the picture of handing the ring and passionate declarations of love. But it can happen that there will be no spark and you will realize that you see a very good man in front of you but not the one for you. Don’t blame yourself, try to enjoy the rest of your trip. Imagine you in the shoes of your partner.
But it happens sometimes that happy end with handing the ring is not planned from the beginning. You go just to get acquainted, and want to choose another trip for such a significant event. In this case are you sure that your girlfriend is aware of your plans? Maybe she has told all her girlfriends already that she will come back with the ring? :-))
Talk and talk. During this meeting you must try and get to know each other as much as possible. Get ready for it beforehand. Think over the questions that are important for you. Write them down!
Don’t make conclusions at once. Come home, analyze your impressions, imagine your girlfriend at your home – what she was during the meeting. Does she fit in your way of living? For what are you ready for the sake of her?
And now to the main point. So, if you decided to come to Russia.
Let’s make a short inquiry:
- Where to live?
Best of all at the hotel or rent an apartment. Don’t invite yourself to stay at your girlfriend’s. It will keep you from many awkward situations.
- Which money to take?
It is better not to take big cash. At the airports and railway stations there are a lot of thieves and pickpockets. Also you shouldn’t take notes where there are stamps, ink and fat spots, little holes or slight tearing. Such notes are accepted here only by the state bank and at a very unfavorable rate. In all the hotels and supermarkets there are cash dispensers. Some banks accept travel checks.
- What presents to bring?
It is not the point that a present must be expensive. The main thing is attention. You must give flowers to your fiancée’s mother (it is necessary!!!), and you may give a bottle of some drink to your fiancée’s father. Ask your chosen one about his tastes beforehand. The universal present to the family is an illustrated book about the place where their daughter will live. Some souvenirs from your area are also appropriate. For instance, a maple syrup, if you are from Canada. As for you fiancée, you can give her some piece of jewelry – bracelet, chain or earrings.
- What clothes to take?
You should put on something of classical style to first meeting with her family. Desirably suit. The rest of the time you can wear any comfortable clothes. The main thing, that it mustn’t look old and untidy.
- My safety?
During the three days after arrival you must get a registration (stamp on visa). Then you will have no problems unless you want to find them :) For instance, it is better not to walk late at night drunk along the streets.
- What is an optimal term of staying?
10-14 days.
- Do foreign electrical devices match Russian plug sockets?
The tension in Russian sockets is 220 V. If it doesn’t conform to your devices, you have to bring an adaptor.
- Is my driving license valid in Russia?
Most likely, driving license is valid. But you unlikely will need it, since the business of car-rent is not developed at all. I can’t name any firm like this in Kazan.
- How to organize leisure-time?
Travel business is also not very well developed :) I can recommend you the trip on a motor ship along the Volga, excursion to the man’s Orthodox monastery, situated in a nature reserve. Well, and Russian sights: dacha and banya (bathhouse)!
So, these were pieces of advice to future guest. Well, and how to become a hospitable host?
First what you must provide is her safety. She must feel independent from you in a strange country. She must have a back-way ticket in her pocket. If there is a possibility, provide her staying at the hotel. If you invite her to your home, provide her with a single room.
Second, what you must think about – leisure. Some may have a wrong impression that if a girl comes to you, then it is not at all necessary to take a vacation. Since you can communicate in the evenings and on the weekends! Keep off this approach: your girl flew over the ocean to get to know you, and not the walls of your house!
As you see, knowing rules, it is very easy to organize meeting and get pleasure of it! And if you have some extra questions, don’t hesitate to ask them!
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