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Author Topic: My first trip to Keiv  (Read 6942 times)

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Offline teamplayer4sure

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My first trip to Keiv
« on: September 28, 2015, 10:15:24 AM »
OMG…. I have to first say that I appreciate all of the kind guidance and valuable information that those here on the forum offered up for my benefit. THANK YOU SINCERELY!! I started to seriously consider the possibility of meeting a Ukrainian woman merely 3 months ago and so began my quest for information. First I looked for dating sites and had to go through the learning curve of weeding out the scammers and PPL sites. With the aide of the forum this was a quick process and I was not only saved some finances but could have been easily discouraged from persuing this great adventure. I had no Idea what to expect but resigned myself to go with it and enjoy whatever adventure unfolded for me.

I arrived in Kiev at midnight on Friday July 17 and was met by my arranged driver through Kiev apartment rentals. He was very courteous and also spoke English. We had some good conversation as he drove me to my apartment located merely minutes from the Maiden. I found the apartment to be very modern and clean and all as represented. I was really tired from the long trip as I had a 10 hr. layover in Paris in which I spent touring the Seine.

I awoke early Sat morning, I guess the excitement and adrenaline over ruled exhaustion so I quickly headed out to explore my new surroundings (and find café) My plan “A” girl was aware of my scheduled arrival and I had texted her while in Paris to let her know I was safe and getting close, she responded with the usual be safe and see you soon. I found a café about 4 blocks away and was thoroughly enjoying an espresso when my phone lit up with text “where are you?” I think that was the moment I realized this was for real. I told Irina I was having coffee and then planned to walk the center of the Maiden. She said she would join me later.

I had already read several men's statements on here about how FSUW are rarley on time but, decided to go to the apartment at 11 to be there in case she was the exception.  As I walked Keratcheck Ave. the architecture was amazing. I photographed several buildings churches and monuments. What a beautiful city, very clean and safe.

Irina met me around 11 am. I waited for her on the street to be respectful of her and her safety. She arrived at exactly 11 am. and I have to confess, I was stunned by how beautiful she was in person. I knew from many pictures that she was attractive but, there is no comparison to real life. We went up to the apartment to relax for a minute and discuss our plan for the day. We decided to go to the old part of  Kiev and walk around checking out the street vendors.

We took a taxi to St. Andrews Church and strolled along the oldest street in Kiev. There were many street vendors along the way and it was a relaxing way for us to begin our journey of learning each other. She had a gentle nature about her yet an aire of independence. I couldn’t get over how beautiful she was and how she went out of her way to make me feel comfortable. We spent the first day site seeing and then agreed to go to the Botanical Gardens the next day.

Saturday morning, I awoke and went to the local grocery to purchase some things for our field trip : ) I stumbled into a great farmers market just down the street from my apartment and purchased some fruit, cheese and a bouquet of flowers.  I packed some cheese, crackers, dried meat, fruit and a bottle of wine and glasses in my back pack but did not tell Irina what was inside. Again, she arrived on time and looking great! We had a really fun time walking throughout the gardens and then I asked if she would like to go find a private area where we could sit in the grass under the shade of a tree and talk. Once we found a good spot, I unpacked the goods for our picnic and she was amazed that I had planned this. We had a great time sitting in the shade, enjoying the food and wine and it was a perfect moment for us. 

We made plans to go shower and dress for a very nice dinner at an upscale restaurant on the Dnipro River. Again, a very enjoyable experience with good food, wine and great conversation. We spent the next 7 days and nights together, basically inseperable. Beach Clubs, Bowling, Nite Clubs, Restaurants etc. I realized that I could have been setting myself up for failure, that possibily she could be one of those women who just wanted a holiday but, my gut instincts tell me otherwise.

She is a very intelligent woman who has had a tough life and you would suspect that she may be looking for a way out but, that is not the case I think. Although she and her daughters had to leave their home in Donesk because of the war and basically left all of her belongings behind, she is not seeking rescue. Her strength and independence is very attractive to me.  She was reluctant to talk about anything of any serious nature, future, hopes, dreams etc. She would say things like, “I don’t believe just words, romanticism”. She is not the type of woman to trust easily and say’s things like “ I will see by your actions”.

I can say that the 9 days or so we were together was one of the best times in my life. I have had many relationships and 100’s of encounters with women so I like to think I am not so naïve in the world. To be continued….

Offline Maxx

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2015, 12:33:03 PM »

I'm glad you had a good time. Do you feel a bit locked in? That it would seem right to see other Ukrainian women?

Online AvHdB

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2015, 07:00:40 PM »
Thank you for posting your trip report.

It is interesting and informative. That you found a woman from the former Soviet Union that can be on time is almost a miracle.

We await further updates.
“If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” T.S. Eliot


Offline msmoby

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2015, 08:47:06 AM »
Hi 'teamplayer'

Great that you made the trip .. you are way ahead of most folks, already.

It is VERY common to hear a fsuw say, ''I don’t believe just words, romanticism.  I will see by your actions”.

How you both interpret that is the key..  :chuckle:

It is sad that we don't often read of the plight of folks that left Donbas for other parts of Ukraine or Russia..

Keep us posted.

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Offline TagUrIt898

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2015, 11:54:17 PM »
Very good post. I have to respectfully disagree with you Maxx. I can see your point about other women, but why waste time and effort if you have an amazing connection with someone?  Teamplayer, If you're serious about finding someone and so is she, I say don't play games. She's seems like a bright, intelligent and strong woman. There are tons of beautiful women in Ukraine, not all are created equal though.


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Offline teamplayer4sure

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2015, 09:10:09 PM »
Well, thank you all again for your interest and replies and yes, Max. I do feel a little locked in but in a moment I will explain why  :)  I was a little delayed in sending in my trip report and much has happened since my return to the US. Irina and I have had some form of communication via text, email, skype and Viber almost everyday. I know now that she never expected for me to continue our communication and for her, it  seems unreal. I think she believed I would most likely disappear  after leaving Kiev. After a couple weeks of being home, I informed  her that I wanted to return to Kiev in Sept. to spend more time with her. She was surprised that I was willing to travel again so soon. We discussed this in some detail and realized there really was nothing interesting in Kiev for us to do, she suggested we could possibly meet somewhere else. That there were better places for us to visit and explore together. Ok, I know. Everyone's first thought here, including my own is "professional free vacation". How could I/we not consider the possibility that this woman just wants a free vacation right? Well, at some point when two people connect on a physical and emotional level, we have to open ourselves up a little and allow ourselves to become vulnerable in order to move to the next level. Hey, it's a gut call... This may seem like a very risky maneuver so soon but, for me, at this point in my life it is really a grand adventure and no matter how it  turns out, I may be setting myself up to be broken but I will have absolutely no regrets  :thumbsup: International dating at its best!!
So, I suggested we could rondeveux in Rome or Athens. Two places I have been wanting to visit for a long time and what better way to spend some serious downtime than with her. We discussed these options for a couple weeks. I then told her that I believed the best option for us would be for her to come to Texas! To see my lifestyle, family, environment etc. "Who know's, maybe your future" I told her. One thing I left out of my previous post is the fact that she possesses a current U.S. Visa from the time prior to divorce. She was a bit reluctant at first but after a few days  and some discussion, she agreed to come to the U.S. in Sept.  She made arrangements for her Mother to travel from Crimea to Kiev to watch over her 11 yr. daughter during the visit. She flew into Houston on Sept 15th and so, I have another story to tell ya'll  :biggrin

to be continued

Offline TomT

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2015, 09:30:28 PM »
After a couple weeks of being home, I informed her that I wanted to return to Kiev in Sept. to spend more time with her.

Seeing her again so soon was a good move and should keep your options open. Of course, there is no guarantee that she will find Texas, the United States or you to her liking but at least you have ticked off the serious-man box on her scorecard. (One should never underestimate the importance of that hurdle.)

Offline teamplayer4sure

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #7 on: October 02, 2015, 03:06:35 PM »
Thanks Tom. I agree! I will write more later about her visit to Texas and how that went and will seek some advice from you all here. I want to post some pics but, the files are too large and I need to figure out how to downsize them to < 500 KB.

Offline Tom Cat

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2015, 03:18:51 PM »
Thanks for sharing your trip report. Seems like you might have found yourself a keeper.

Looking forward to your next post and pics.

Please do tell how you were able to get a visa for her to visit?
 Very few are lucky enough to get one.

Don't shoot the messenger, links to articles posted, don't necessarily reflect my personal opinion.

Offline AKA Luke

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2015, 04:08:49 PM »
Thanks Tom. I agree! I will write more later about her visit to Texas and how that went and will seek some advice from you all here. I want to post some pics but, the files are too large and I need to figure out how to downsize them to < 500 KB.

Go online and search for an image optimiser site.

At first it's ballache uploading, adjusting the parameters to get it small enough then downloading before uploading but after doing it once or twice it's easy.

Alternatively upload them elsewhere and post an image link... photobucket springs to mind.

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Offline Manny

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2015, 04:21:17 PM »
Externally hosted photos slow the site down.

Reduce them in paint to 600 width and they will be fine.
Read a trip report from North Korea >>here<< - Read a trip report from South Korea, China and Hong Kong >>here<<

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Putin often threatens to strike US with nuclear weapons.

Offline BCKev

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2015, 06:37:19 PM »
    I want to post some pics but, the files are too large and I need to figure out how to downsize them to < 500 KB.

You can use "Paint" for this. As far as I know, it comes with any version of Windows. Pretty simple, and you don't have to go looking for other software.

- right click on the photo and select "open with" "Paint"

- in the Paint program, select the "Resize/skew" option from the "Image" menu

- in the "Resize" fields, enter the same number in both the horizontal and vertical fields. Try 30 to 50% as an initial value.

- save the photo to a different name or location so you don't overwrite the original photo.


Offline Slumba

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2015, 11:31:34 PM »
I recommend for Windows, the free and useful program IrfanView, which even has preset sizes for export; and also, if you have a lot of photos, has a batch convert feature - select the files (easy to select all in a folder) and select where to put the converted photos.  On my laptop, a big image (12-16 megapixels or so) takes under a second to convert to a JPG of 1920x1080 in batch mode.
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Offline teamplayer4sure

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #13 on: October 03, 2015, 08:13:30 PM »
Thanks for all the info on downsizing the  pics. I took the easy way out and used PAINT  :laugh: These are from my initial meeting in Kiev in July. What an amazing time and for those who are thinking about making the voyage, I say " what are you waiting for?"  Of coarse now it is turning colder but, all the more reason to snuggle up  :loving: I will write a trip report about our adventure here in the U.S just two weeks ago as soon as I have a little more time. We are still communicating on a daily basis and GOD willing our relationship will continue to blossom. More....


Offline Donhollio

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #14 on: October 03, 2015, 11:27:45 PM »
  Nice pics, and a good looking gal you landed!  :thumbsup: Just goes to show that Ukraine is not fished out as some here often say.

 All the best in the future.

Offline msmoby

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #15 on: October 04, 2015, 01:49:51 AM »
  Nice pics, and a good looking gal you landed!  :thumbsup: Just goes to show that Ukraine is not fished out as some here often say.

 All the best in the future.

Quite...

Teamplayer... is that the 'blue lake' - south of Kiev  ? 
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Offline teamplayer4sure

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #16 on: October 07, 2015, 03:32:56 PM »
No, this was a beach club on the Dnipro River.

Offline msmoby

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #17 on: October 07, 2015, 03:35:16 PM »
No, this was a beach club on the Dnipro River.

 :bow:

What's the going rate for a sun lounger with parasol, these days ?
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Online AvHdB

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #18 on: October 07, 2015, 05:06:35 PM »
No, this was a beach club on the Dnipro River.

 :bow:

What's the going rate for a sun lounger with parasol, these days ?

Depends if it comes with a smokin hot ova. But seeing that there has been frost around Kivy recently, most likely all are packed away.
“If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” T.S. Eliot

Offline msmoby

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #19 on: October 07, 2015, 06:50:04 PM »
Temp might drop below 20C soon in Sochi.... BIG SHOCK ifcthey had frost !)

.

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Offline Borsch

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #20 on: October 08, 2015, 07:32:05 AM »
Nice post and pics :)

Her not bringing up serious topics would be a yellow flag for me - not good, but not necessarily bad either given the situation (You met her for 7 days and she didn't expect it to go further at the time). If it continues then I would be a little more worried and start asking them myself. She is 'older' with children so you'd think she'd be serious straight away.

Free holiday is always an issue to be wary of. Some key things to look out for is if she is paying for anything from as little as some bits of food to her flights. Not saying it is possible for every girl but if she does then that's a good sign. Also, whether she fights for some tiny price discount by haggling or shopping around etc, when using your money. Genuine interest in seeing your home town is also good since it's like a taste of things to come.

I would also probe the US Visa situation mainly to understand what type of visa it is (if anything other than tourist or business). May or may not impact you in the future when you want to tie the knot and move her to your home (if that's the plan).

If you ever visit her again and she introduces you to her family/friends then that's a good sign. Unless you are there to pay their big sushi bill  :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:

I wouldn't cut ties with any alternatives yet since it's quite easy to make almost any relationship last a month let alone 7 days. She may also have other alternatives herself which will leave you with nothing if you end things with everyone else too soon. You can probably better assess the situation after she visits you at your home town.


BTW, lucky to have 7 days! Most people might get 0 days to 1 day in a week  ;D

All the best

Offline teamplayer4sure

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #21 on: January 25, 2016, 07:06:48 PM »
Well; It has been a while since my last post and much has happened since. Irina came to Texas in September and then again in November for the Thanksgiving Holiday and I went to Kiev for New Years and Christmas. In September we blasted off for the Texas Hill Country for a few days of motorcycle riding. We spent nights at a Bed and Breakfast at Canyon Lake. It was an amazing time of fun and romance.  The weather was perfect and there is no better place in Texas for a road trip than west of San Antonio. The Thanksgiving holiday started off with a night spent in the Houston Galleria area and was followed by a day of shopping for Christmas. We had a great traditional holiday and then went to San Antonio and Austin for some site seeing and romance.  Our relationship continues to flourish. It has now reached a point where we miss each other within a couple days, (ok, hours  :) ) of our departures. We have now been dating for 8 months and we have phone and texting contact every day. I will post some pics from September and then come back with some from her visit in November. 

Offline teamplayer4sure

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #22 on: January 25, 2016, 07:09:54 PM »
Pics from September

Offline teamplayer4sure

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #23 on: January 25, 2016, 07:16:17 PM »
Some more pics from Irina's trip to Texas in September.

Offline msmoby

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Re: My first trip to Keiv
« Reply #24 on: January 25, 2016, 08:56:04 PM »
Great pics, teamplayer :thumbsup:

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