Omsk, Win, Lose or Draw? My experience

[Chillidog]

14th and 15th of September 2008,

Travel to Omsk from Chicago is uneventful. My flights take me from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany. From Frankfurt to Moscow and then on to Omsk, no baggage lost or damaged and most importantly no damage to any presents that I brought with me.

What I did run into which I did not anticipate (because on past trips I claimed my luggage in Moscow, even if going on to a different Russian destination) was that my checked luggage (I brought 1 big suitcase and 1 carry-on suite case) would be forwarded on all the way to Omsk, that I would not see it in Moscow. In the suitcase was the clothes I was going to change into during my 4-hour layover in Moscow. So when meeting Miss Omsk for the first time, I was wearing some nice clothes (I was traveling in sweats) and at least cleaned up a bit from travel prior to meeting her. Luckily I had also packed in my carry on a nice pair of slacks and a dress shirt. From previous experiences I knew the airplane from Moscow to Omsk was smaller (Tupolev 154) and that my carry-on suitcase was really too big to bring on with me for this flight so I checked in this piece of luggage before boarding this flight.

Prior to landing the Pilot announces the time of arrival in Omsk and also the weather conditions for Omsk which was 1C (when I left Chicago it was 22C) and of course the one and only jacket I brought with me was in my carry-on which is now with all of the checked luggage. I did have the foresight to remove from my carry-on bag, the small stuffed teddy bear and 1 red Rose (that was wrapped up nice with babies breath and all) so immediately upon meeting Miss Omsk I could present these gifts to her. But regardless of the gifts I am pretty confidant that Miss Omsk is going to “Kill” me for not having a jacket on.

In Russian style the plane stops on the tarmac and we wait for the portable stairs and shuttle bus to transport us to the terminal. Also like other smaller airports, the shuttle drops us of and behind (outside) the fence are those friends, family waiting to greet the travelers. It is not yet 6am (Omsk time) so it is still dark and hard to see Miss Omsk from a distance.

[Chillidog]

16th of September 2008

“OUR FIRST MEETING”

I get off the shuttle bus and act the part of a “lemming” (something you will get used to doing if your Russian is poor or you are not familiar with your surroundings) and just follow and go along with the crowd. We walk through the gate of the fence and I look for Miss Omsk. In a few short seconds I see her and in my mind I say “Ochen Krasiviya!” We have exchanged many pictures in our letters. I think in person we will all look a little different then our pictures, but she even with subtle differences she looks the same and I could not be happier at this point! She notices me and I walk up to her and give her an embrace and I kiss (she presents me with her cheek for this kiss). Then I give her my gifts. We all I think have certain expectations on how these first moments will play out. I have been down this road before, and in my mind I of course was hoping for the full “marching band reception” with many smiles, hugs and kisses, maybe even the jumping up and down and her running and jumping into my arms (I had a previous first meeting of this type-minus the marching band) so I really was hoping for something similar. What I received was a nice welcome but lacking some warmth and feeling. Yet in reality how could I expect anything really different?

As I thought, she immediately was asking where is my jacket? Stating I wrote to you telling you need a jacket Omsk weather is very changeable and can be very cold. With tail between my legs I inform her I brought a jacket but it is with my luggage that we need to retrieve. We then proceed into the terminal and wait for the luggage to arrive. The first to appear on the carousel is my smaller carry-on suitcase, after a few minutes more of waiting my bigger suitcase which I have not seen since Chicago is not in sight, and I begin to worry it has been lost in transit (this suitcase of course contains the majority of my clothes but more importantly the majority of the gifts I brought) after a few more minutes it comes traveling down the carousel and we make our way to the taxi that is waiting to take both of us to the Hotel that I will be staying at for the next 9 days.

I wanted to take many pictures of Miss Omsk for memories of our very first minutes together, but I can tell she is very reserved and not sure how she would feel about this in front of so many people with a man she does not even know yet. So I snap off a photo or two and leave it at that.

We arrive at the hotel after a short drive (about 10-15 minutes) and we (I) begin to check in. The women behind the counter is also the women who I have been in correspondence with thru emails in booking my hotel stay, she is somewhat comfortable with English, and asks “how many nights I wish to pay for?” I tell her “I would like to pay for my stay in full”. She looks and me and looks at Miss Omsk who is standing with me and says ”this is a lot of money, why don’t you just pay for 3 nights at this time”. We go back and forth a little on the length of stay to pay, but eventually I pay for only 3 nights. (Afterwards I begin to wonder if she was thinking, “in 3 days you may not want to stay at the hotel and have found other accommodations--Miss Omsk???)

Miss Omsk proceeds with my up to the hotel room (I think to make sure it is OK for me to stay at in her mind). We enter the room, and Miss Omsk inspects it, and comments “small bed” (hmmm? as I wonder to myself what this might mean). I ask her to sit in one of the chairs, I sit across from her on the bed and we begin to “talk” and get acquainted (knowing how Russian’s view women in hotel rooms I leave the door open to our room the whole time, I do this also so Miss Omsk will feel more comfortable herself). Miss Omsk comments on the size of my luggage  (“you have big luggage”). I do not unpack at this time but I do go into my luggage to find the photos I had brought with me of my actual house, photos of the inside and of the outside of the yard and garden and such. This us (not meaning to) something good and meaning full to keep the conversation going and avoids any awkward quiet moments. I tell her these photos are for her to keep (there are 30+ photos with a plastic foldable holder to keep these in).

It’s now about 9am and I ask Miss Omsk if she wants to go for a walk. She says it is still too cold for a walk but later the weather will be better and we will go for a walk then. She says that she will go home, that I should unpack, shower and get some sleep, and that she will call me at 1pm and we will go for our walk then. I walk her out of the hotel and ask if I should call a taxi for her. She says this is not necessary she will walk to her apartment, she says it is a very short walk and no need for a taxi, we say our good-byes for now.

I am no “Don Juan” and I am no longer a man in my 20’s, I am 47 and know and understand my ’looks’ are no longer that of a man in his 20’s or even 30’s. I am confident as a person, but even with this when meeting someone for the very first time, it is natural to wonder and worry (even a man does this) if your appearance is approving to the woman, if she finds you attractive as a man and as a partner. What does add to some of these worries is the fact I have not been able to exercise since May (due to my injury and surgery) I have now a slight gut, and muscle tone/mass is not what I am accustomed to in myself, plus 98% of my pictures I sent Miss Omsk were taken prior to surgery and in much better shape than I feel I am in now.

I look for signs of how Miss Omsk feels about me---- like when sitting is her crossed leg pointing towards me (good) or pointing away from me (bad), when talking does she fiddle with her hair, or reach out and touch me? While talking is she constantly making eye contact, is she smiling, giving off the presence of enjoying our conversation and me?

All of these things are going thru my mind. She is in all ways reserved, and at this point I think she may be a little disappointed (again I think due to not being able to exercise) and the other fact is in 98% of my photos I have a very close cut beard and mustache. Which I asked her about in letters if she preferred me in a beard or clean-shaven. She stated she liked my looks in a beard but I got the distinct impression she preferred men without beards, so I shaved my beard off for this meeting, and she may be trying to adjust to this change in my looks as well.

Yet I do not sense a great excitement as of yet from her in our first hours together.

I am a VO person, and I can see very clearly that with Miss Omsk if she was part of a VM trip this meeting would not be taking place at all. I clearly get the impression that she wants a man from the very beginning that is willing to give her his full attention and willing to commit himself to her, that the man is “all in” and waits to know this for certain and see with her own eyes if the man’s actions show the truth in his words, and to learn his personality before love can blossom in her heart. I also get the sense that when she finds this man and falls in love, she will be fully committed to him in every way, and go out of her way to give him the love and affection he is wanting and needing.

Now to figure out how to win her heart?

Because even with these reservations I have about our initial hours together, I feel I have made the correct choice, I can see she is a special woman, a woman I want to discover if we can have a future together.

In previous trips I never really had much of a back-up plan. Thanks to Vic2012 (in a different thread) he gave me information on a local Marriage agency in Omsk (one I checked with in regards to renting an apartment) if all failed with Miss Omsk this Marriage agency was to be my “back-up plan” BUT with all of the last minute rushing around I realized on the ride to O’Hare International airport, I did not pack the address, phone number or name of this Agency with my luggage, it is still sitting next to my computer at home.

So Win, Lose or Draw, all my chips and cards are now resting on Miss Omsk and to be honest, even if everything goes belly up, I in letters and telephone conversations have committed this trip to Miss Omsk and she in her own way is committed to me. Just a few months ago she started a new job, and requested time off from this job during my stay in Omsk. She was told “No” she had to work her schedule is 2 days on from 9am to 9pm, then two days off. Miss Omsk did not feel this would give us adequate enough time to be together, so she “quit” her job! So even though she is confident in getting a new job after I leave, that “God” will not leave her in this difficulty, this action alone speaks volumes, shows me her commitment she has to 'Our Meeting'

[Chillidog]

some pic's

first one of the hotel I stayed at "Hotel Omsk" which is just across the street form the River "Irytish" (second pic) and the last a "War Monument" that is just a stones throw from the hotel

[mirror]

Chillidog,

your report gives an impression that you came home excited and ...engaged.

[cufflinks]

Chilli - May I ask - what was they general attitude towards you when the local Omsk folks found out you were an American?

[Chillidog]

Chilli - May I ask - what was they general attitude towards you when the local Omsk folks found out you were an American?

I really did not receive any adverse responses from anyone, everyone at the cafe's or resturants I was in were all very friendly. Out and about on the streets, I do not think many even paid attention to me even if they heard me speaking English.

So from my experience, I think it (I) was well received on the whole

[Chillidog]

September 16th

Day 1 (continued)

Roughly 1pm the phone rings and it is Marina (OK the cats out of the bag---no more Miss Omsk)
She says she will be by the hotel in 20 minutes and we will go for the walk we had discussed.

The Hotel is situated just across the street form the river “Irtysh” and so we walk along the embankment. Marina’s English is beyond a beginners level (even though she says her English is terrible) I have brought we me a compact Russian-English dictionary by “Berlitz” it is 640 pages and the first half of the dictionary is ‘Russian to English’ and the second half is ‘English to Russian’. I also have with me ‘Lonely Planet’s’ Russian phrase book. At all times I have my digital camera with me and take as many photo’s as possible without taking away from giving Marina the proper attention she deserves.

It has warmed up, but the weather is still a bit chilly at 10C, and there is a breeze that at times makes it feel colder. Though I would like to hold Marina’s hand while we walk, I can see from her nose (red) that she is cold, she is not wearing any gloves and so I think it is best that she keep her hands in her coat pocket to keep them warm. She again comments about my jacket (this time I am wearing my jacket) but she does not feel it is warm enough and wants to know where my “warm” jacket is? Which I tell her is still in Chicago, so again another tongue lashing of “I told you in letters about our weather” (as I walk with tail between the legs again).

Our conversation is smooth and enjoyable; there are no awkward silences. She is pointing out some of the features of Omsk, that it has 4 bridges, what some of the buildings are, but mostly the conversation revolves around each other, getting to learn more about each other and the beginnings of a friendship/relationship. We stroll slowly along the river, we have been walking for at least 1 hour maybe 2, so I suggest that we find a café to have some coffee or tea, she says “Robert you do not drink Tea or Coffee” I tell her I will have some juice. She agrees to having some tea but says we will go to my “home” it is cold and juice is not good to drink on cold days “Robert will drink Tea!” (I have drank tea before and found it quite terrible, also do not like coffee in the remotest) so for drinking tea she may have a fight on her hands, one I am not willing at this time to lose. She also states that she will cook me some food because with travel she knows that I am hungry.

I agree but first tell her we must stop at the hotel, that there is something I need to get (gifts I had brought for her son- at this time I do not know if he will be home or not) before going to her apartment.  Marina waits in the lobby as I go up to my room, when she sees me with the gifts (they are wrapped in decorative gift paper) she asks “what is this?” I tell her a present for Ivan. (Ivan is 14 and goes to military school from 9 in the morning until he gets home around 9 at night 6 days a week) So I do not know how much I will see of him but feel even if I do not see him today, I feel it is best to at least bring his gift to his home on my first visit.

Marina, in my preparation leading up to my visit told me how close and convenient the ‘Hotel Omsk’ was to her home, that the apartments I was looking at staying were not close to her at all, and so choose the ‘Hotel’ for the one and only reason because this is what Marina felt would be best. So I am thinking to myself now “lets see how close and convenient the hotel actually is”. Well jiminy Christmas before I knew it we were at her building, it really is only a 5 minute walk. The outside door to the stairwell is a ‘security door” where you can either ring up one of the apartments and talk thru an intercom system for them to buzz you in or there is also a small round black button (looks like something you push to sound the door bell) Marina has on her key ring a similar small black button that she holds to the one on the building and it releases the lock and allows you to open the security door.

We proceed up to Marina’s apartment. This is only the second Russian apartment I have been in so I am no expert on what “ordinary Russian apartments look like or their size”. It has the entry area were you take your shoes off and put on your “house shoes” and a small dresser with some drawers and on top a mirror. At the entry  (90 degrees) from the door is the door and access to the bathroom. The rest of the apartment consists of her kitchen and living room (which acts as the computer room, TV room, and bedroom for both her and her son).  Marina was born in Omsk but as a child they moved to Dalnegorsk, which is near Vladiovastock (sp?).  Around 6 years ago Marina returned to Omsk to care for her sick Grandmother who has passed away, so this used to be her grandmother’s and father’s home (who also has passed away). Her mother, brother and sister still live in Dalnegorsk.

Marina puts the Tea on and she says that prior to coming to Omsk I had promised to “try her Tea” so I once again ‘lose’ another argument (something I think I better get used to- fast). After getting the tea started she begins to prepare and cook some cheese and meat “bliny”

Tea is ready and she fixes my cup and puts it in front of me and says, “drink” (do I have a choice?). I taste her tea and after the initial 5 minutes it takes me to recover from permanently scolding my tongue. It tastes actually rather good (nothing like the crap I have drank previously) and she is quite pleased and strutting around like a proud peacock. Later she confides in me she was very nervous and hoped I would like her tea, because she had no juice in the house to offer and as she says you ‘do not drink the water in Russia” (at least the water out of the tap).

She proceeds to serve us both some bliny (sp?) after we had finished our tea, and asks if I ever ate bliny before, I tell her “no” and she says you will like they are tasty and a dish she and Ivan enjoy (but Ivan prefers the meat and not the cheese bliny). After eating we go into the living room and she turns on her computer, once on I see 2 icons on her screen that bare my name, one holds all the photos I sent her and the other has the letters I have written her. She clicks on a different icon which brings up her computer translation program that she uses to write me letters (called Master Goody), it is easy to use and can easily switch between typing in Russian Cyrillic and translating or typing in English and translating to Russian. She turns on the computer because there were a couple of times during our conversations today where one of us did not understand what the other was trying to communicate.

Also at this time I take the opportunity to use this program, to convey what my thoughts were when I first saw her at the airport, and that how happy I was to be in Omsk and to be with her! This gets the desired look and the smile I was hoping for. I can see already that she is a very reserved person that she is going to be a tough nut to crack!

Marina says we should have some more tea and then we will go for another walk. This time are walk is down Маркса улица (Marx street) it is still cold again only 10C and as we walk I can see that Marina is cold so I again tell her we should find a café to sit in and warm up, this time she accepts this offer. She orders us both a coffee, with "you said you don’t drink tea which we now know is not true so how do we know you do not like coffee also?" The coffee comes and it one of those coffee’s with the cream on top. I take a taste (and it tastes like all other coffee’s I have tried--in other words terrible) she still insists that I finish the coffee (again do I have a choice?) because it is good for me.

When finished we head back outside and she informs me that our coffee also had “Bailey’s” in it and the conversation revolves around my personal liquor drinking habits and that of Russian men. Our walk eventually ends up back at the hotel, and regardless of my arguing that a man is suppose to walk the woman home she will not hear of it. I go to give her a kiss goodnight, she says “no” but lets me kiss her on the cheek.

The end of our first day together. It was I think a good day, not the fireworks and emotional beginning I was hoping for, but it was a good day. I feel a good start/foundation, I just hope we can continue to grow and build on it. My thoughts are the same now as they were prior to meeting. She is absolutely beautiful, I believe she is a “keeper”; my worries are if she sees the same in me?

[Wild Orchid]

I'm like Marina and I think her initial reaction to you is more natural compare to other one with running itno your arms. That would rase my eyebrows.

[mendeleyev]

CD, this is a great report and I'm enjoying reading it.  You are doing some great things btw. Looking forward to your next edition!

[Chillidog]

I'm like Marina and I think her initial reaction to you is more natural compare to other one with running itno your arms. That would rase my eyebrows.

Wild orchid,

I do agree with you to an extent, becuase we are truly 'strangers' and what type of women goes 'running' into the arms of a man she does not know, BUT on the other hand I disagree, becuase we have been in communication thru letters and telephone and for me to get to the point of desiring a personal meeting, the woman has to be someone I consider 'special' and I hope I have judged her accurately enough to think she has develope some sort of similar feelings for me also.

I am not ashamed to admit that I had hoped for a warmer greeting, I felt our communication up to this, had given me the impression on her part of also a great desire at our meeting, yet I understand full well that people show and express there emotions in much different and varied ways, and it is meetings like this where we learn how each communicates, not only verbally but on a 'subconcious' level

I am at this point still truly a 'stranger' to her and try at all times to keep this in my mind, regardless of how I feel, or what my preconceived expectations maybe.

what I did is each night after spending the day together, was to put down in paper our activities we did each day, and my personal feelings and thoughts at the time of this writing. What I am hoping to do in this trip report is to recreate exactly what I was feeling and thinking each day

in hopes that I would get responses like yours, that may help me at times to give me insight and knowledge to everything that has already transpired.

so Wild orchid please continue to give me your thoughts who knows you may "wake me up" to the possibilty of a  wonderful relationship? or you may "wake me up" and tell me to run like hell?

[Wild Orchid]

I'm like Marina and I think her initial reaction to you is more natural compare to other one with running itno your arms. That would rase my eyebrows.

Wild orchid,

I do agree with you to an extent, becuase we are truly 'strangers' and what type of women goes 'running' into the arms of a man she does not know, BUT on the other hand I disagree, becuase we have been in communication thru letters and telephone and for me to get to the point of desiring a personal meeting, the woman has to be someone I consider 'special' and I hope I have judged her accurately enough to think she has develope some sort of similar feelings for me also.

See... I said I'm like her. I don't know much about her, just what i read in your posts but... I'm not comfortable with PDA. If I was to meet my husband in airport I'd give him a cheek as well. I don't like to show my feelings to others, may b she doesn't like it as well. People are different, when some girls are jumping and screeming around me with excitement, I roll my eyes, because I don't understand this sort of behaviour. I find it "fake"

[Chillidog]

Day 2 September 17th 2008

It rained all day today, I woke up and the temperature was 3C and the high only got up to 5C, so much of what I planned for the day was put on hold. To complicate matters a bit Marina called me last night after we had parted company and told me there was a problem with the electric in her apartment (she has not lights, no power and as she puts it has a smell from her electric box) and would need to have this sorted out today. So there are so many thoughts going thru my mind this morning and really all-last night. so I did not sleep well. Not sure if is the time change or just thinking the worst?

First and biggest thought going thru my mind, is that I did not tick off all the boxes for her on our first day, and she is looking for a way out, and all I know from her already is that if this is the case she will choose a manner in which she will feel that the hurt will be less for me.

She knows my profession (Electrician) but at such an early stage I am reluctant to push my services to look into her problem for her, one concern would be even if I can detect what is the fault, that I will not be able to find a shop or some place to acquire the proper parts to fix it? I did remind her in her call last night I am an electrician, she said “I know” and nothing further, so for now I will leave it at that, and just worry myself sick instead, wondering how she truly felt and how the first day went for her?

Marina calls my room at around 11:45 and says she will be by the hotel around 12:30 (so much of my concerns are put to rest), but I am not sure if the electrical problem has been resolved or not. When she arrives since it is raining I suggest we go to the cinema to see a movie, she likes this idea, but says the shows do not start until later. She asks if I have had breakfast, not sleeping good and everything (worries) I have not, which for me breakfast is my main meal when at home. Marina is not hungry but says that we will go back to her home. She again prepares some tea and once tea has started again starts cooking some food to eat.

Marina’s electric box is in the entry room opposite the door to the bathroom, on the common room between her apartment and the one next door, and I can smell a distinct burnt wire smell from her electrical box. It is an old 4 circuit panel nothing I am not familiar with (even with the voltage differences from Europe to the US) but I of course do not have the necessary meter with me to see if the problem is in the wiring (I visually see nothing wrong with the wires) and suspect that the main breaker has seen better days and needs replacing (which in her panel will be easy as it can be easily removed and replaced)

The electric is still off in her apartment, and she talks about when the worker will come to fix it for her, yet I am not following all that she says, she tries to re-phrase her statement for me but still not fully understanding her and with the electric off we cannot use her computer, I get the get the genreal idea for what she is saying so in effect I tell her I understand “so-so” but not to worry or ниуего (never mind) in trying to explain further.

Tea is ready and I find myself again in Marina’s kitchen, I find that when she washes dishes she is just like all other Russian woman I have learned about in these forums, she puts just a little washing up soap on a sponge or scrubbing pad and washes 1 or 2 dishes with this, rinses the dish off and sets it aside to dry, she does not do what us in the America have a tendency to do (if not using the dishwasher) and that is to fill up the whole sink with hot water and washing liquid and set the dirty dishes in this solution to soak before scrubbing and then rinsing clean in the other sink bowl. (I wonder if their method is due more to usually having only 1 sink bowl to wash and rinse, where in America you have 2 sink bowls, and so can set the dirty dishes in one sink to soak in a combination of washing up liquid and hot water, while you use the other sink to scrub and rinse?)

We finish tea and I have ate, Marina only munched on some пеуенье (cookies) which is a new word for her (cookie) and one she finds quite interesting and is amused with. Marina says it is still too early to go to the cinema, and she wants to show me the Railroad station, telling me this is how she travels when she visits her mother. after the railroad station the we take a stroll down Маркса and this time we go into the indoor shopping mall near her home and the cinema. It would be considered a small indoor mall but it does have 3 floors and the main floor has open shops (no walls or doors just glass counters with the merchandise inside) in the middle that take up this whole area and then regular shops on either side, the inside (main floor) is probably less the a football field long (300 ft) the second and third floor only have shops around the perimeter with the middle open to the first floor. We stroll around (with me trying to pay attention to everything Marina looks at and also trying to get some ideas for souvenirs for future gifts for me to bring back home.

We leave the mall and walk the short distance to the cinema. I try to convey to Marina that I want to see the type of movie she is interested in a 'drama or romantic comedy' as we approach the cinema. We go inside and walk up to the ticket booth, I get frustrated at times with myself and not being fluent in Russian this is one of those times, becuase I cannot keep up with the converstaion Marina is having with the ticket person (I want to make sure we see a movie that is of interest to Marina) but Marina and the ticket person are speaking so quickly it is impossible for me to follow. I catch that we can not see the show Marina wants to see, yet cannot catch “what movie” “or why we can’t see it” we (I) end up purchasing tickets for this movie for tomorrow and leave.

Marina says we will walk some more but I have other ideas, there is a bowling alley connected to my hotel and I suggest we go bowling, it still is raining but just slightly and the cinema on  Маркса is just as close to my hotel as Marina’s house (less then a 5 minute walk) we head into the bowling alley and ask if there are any lanes available, we are told at nights you need to call ahead to schedule a lane that nights are busy but during the days they are not (the bowling alley only has 6 lanes).

So all told doing some activity other than walking today has been a big disappointment. Yet our conversations today have been anything but boring or dreary like the weather, in fact Marina comments a few times today how she has enjoyed our “talks” that they are always enjoyable and interesting to her. What we did accomplish to today was at least purchase tickets for a movie which in her words is a “Fantastical” movie (not quite sure what she means?), she appears to be truly interested in going bowling (something she has never done) so this will be a definite ‘must’ before I leave. And I forgot to mention that yesterday during one of our walks we purchased tickets for the circus for this coming Saturday’s 5pm show.

I wish we could have done something that was exciting today for Marina, yet without doing anything just being with Marina was a great day, and I do believe with the laughs and the fun we had just talking that this day was also very enjoyable for Marina.

Marina again insisting on walking me to my hotel “stating I (Robert) do not know Omsk and it is not safe for me to walk alone at night” (What??? I am 110+ kilos and it is unsafe? yet Marina soaking wet, weighs at most 50 kilos and it is safe for her to walk alone at night?)  Well one thing I know for certain this will stop! It will be the last night Marina walks me home and then proceeds to her house alone! I'll have no more of this.

I again get to only kiss her cheek ‘good-night’ and no holding of hands while we walk, but again to me the ‘not holding of hands’ is very understandable, with the weather conditions. I would much rather see her warm and comfortable then her freezing while holding my hand, But the kissing of only her cheek, I am starting to worry about.


 

[Chillidog]

Pictures,

1st pic--- of the outside of thr Train Station.

2nd pic--- of the inside of the Train Station taken from the second floor (Marina loves the chandelierand asked me to take a picture of it)

3rd pic--- Outside of the Shopping Mall

[Chillidog]

See... I said I'm like her. I don't know much about her, just what i read in your posts but... I'm not comfortable with PDA. If I was to meet my husband in airport I'd give him a cheek as well. I don't like to show my feelings to others, may b she doesn't like it as well. People are different, when some girls are jumping and screeming around me with excitement, I roll my eyes, because I don't understand this sort of behaviour. I find it "fake"

Wild orchid,

I do not mind a nice kiss in public, but the PDA of excessive proportion then I am with you and do not want to see this let alone be doing it in public. Without knowing you I would say "Yes" you both are very similar in your views and feelings of PDA, and without knowing you and really only beginning to know Marina, I would say you both are very "classy" women, that know the proper way to act and be a 'woman'

[cufflinks]

The suspense is killing me - did the guy who traveled half way round the world to Siberia get the girl or no? - awaiting the final chapters

[Chillidog]

Day 3 Thursday September 18th

Today, Marina wanted to show me ‘City Center’ so we walk the couple of blocks from her apartment to
Marx Street and ride the Bus. Again it is a cold day 7C, after walking for a short distance around City Center, I could tell Marina was cold (pretty easy “red” nose and cheeks) when Marina points out one of the buildings we are passing as a ’Museum’ I jump on this as a perfect opportunity to get Marina out of the cold. So I insist that we view this Museum (it was a museum of natural history/military museum. We pay for our tickets and from previous trips to Russia I know that at times there is an additional cost to take pictures, so we inquire about this and are told to go to a different location to get a ticket (Ьилет) to be able to take pictures. I am still much like a ’lemming’ and just following Marina around the museum, she does a good job of explaining much of what we see, I can read Russian but at a very slow pace so for me to read each sign we would probably still be there still today.

The Museum was all housed on 1 floor of the building (from outside appearances the building appeared to be 3 floors) and the Museum was sectioned off into 8 big rooms where you basically walked from room to room in a clockwise direction.

During our letter writing and telephone conversations prior to my trip, I had learned how much Marina wanted to attend a performance at the ’Drama Theater’. Since this museum was in the general area of the Drama Theater after finishing viewing the museum we walk over to a kiosk on the street that houses the ticket booth for the theater (it is across the street from the theater).

One thing I do find a little frustrating and I believe even the native Russian’s do as well is: the total lack of sign’s or directions on where anything is located, points of interest and such. For example for someone not VERY familiar with where this ’ticket booth’ is they would never find it without asking anyone and everyone on the street where it might be. Not like in the ’States’ where you can find a museum very easy and once there it is easy and clearly marked directions to a ’ticket booth’ or other things. It appears even when you find, say a museum and enter you still end up asking for directions once inside for things like “where to buy tickets”

Well, we find the ticket booth for the Drama Theater, and once again I cannot keep up with the conversation, but from the sudden drop in Marina’s posture I can tell things are not good! Marina explains to me that this weekend is the last show for this “season” and they are “sold out” a new performance of a different show will start in mid-October but this will not do ‘us’ any good. I can really see and hear the disappointment that Marina has (at this point I am growing quite fond of Marina, and really want to do anything to just see her smile and be happy). Marina then comments that she will make some phone calls and see if there is a performance we can see at the “Music Theater” with thoughts of this Marina brightens up a little.

Marina had sent me some photos of herself at a park in front of a church and so we walk over to this church (name? Marina told me but I have forgotten). We go inside and Marina wants me to take some photos of the inside of the church (not so sure if I should but Marina tells me to, so I do) and of course we take some photos of the outside as well. A really beautiful church as most, if not all the churches in Russia are.

It is about time for us to go to the cinema so we hop back on the bus and take it back near the neighborhood of where Marina lives; the cinema is located on Маркса улица. As she told me yesterday it is a “Fantastical” film, so my understanding was that it was a movie that we would both enjoy because people said it was “fantastic” or “a really good movie”. Once the movie starts (well actually when we enter the actual room to watch the movie and we are handed ‘3-D glasses’ I start to realize my interpretation of Marina’s word “Fantastical” is wrong!

“Fantastical” means “Sci-Fi” type movie and not “really good film” so I ask “почему' (why) this film and not a drama or romance? She says because I (Robert) like these films. The movie we see (the first time I have ever seen a 3-D movie) is a ‘Brenden Frasier” film called  “Journey to the center of the Earth 3-D”. The Russian dubbing for the film was quite good, without very close observation it appeared as if the actors were in fact speaking in Russian, I was impressed.

One side note, if you get offended with viewing nudity in public theaters, probably best not to watch the “previews” because the censorship in previews is not like it is in the states, there is a good chance (like I experienced watching previews to this movie) of seeing frontal nudity of woman, naked bottoms, things of this nature. Even some of the audience around me was a little surprised to see this.

Also I found different is when we purchased the tickets, there is an actual seat and row designation on the tickets, so you go in and find your assigned seat (not sure if this is done across Russia, my first time going to the cinema in Russia) but just one more subtle difference I experienced. We sit in row 10, seat 12 & 13.
As the movie plays I reach over and put my hand on Marina’s hands which are folded together on her lap, she makes no movement to hold my hand, but also no ’knee jerk’ reaction of pulling away either. So I sit and wonder is this progress? Or a sign she is ’not’ into me?

I also sit and at times just causally observe Marina watching the film (hoping she does not notice) she appears to be enjoying the film, so I am happy with this. The movie ends and Marina asks how I enjoyed the film and if I could follow the dialogue, I use a phrase we both are becoming familiar with and use “so-so” but tell her in films such as this the action tells much of the story, so I enjoyed it and understood what was happening. She said she enjoyed it and I think wearing the 3-D glasses and the novelty of this added to Marina’s enjoyment.

The movie ended around 6pm, after the film Marina says we will go back to my house where we will have some tea and eat some food, this time I say “no”, I tell her this time we are going to eat in a nice restaurant. (I had a couple in mind that I had seen in ’our’ walks). The one I chose for this occasion was 1 block away from my hotel (it is located just on the other side of the War Monument I posted a picture of) in actuality the War Monument stands in between my Hotel and this Restaurant.

To me from the outside, this restaurant looked nicer (probably more expensive), but I want very much for Marina to enjoy herself, she has made a big commitment to our meeting, and my feelings grow for her, and so I just want her to feel “special” whether we have a future or not, I want her to know that there is someone (man) who cares for her, and just wants her to be ’happy’.

It is only our third day together, and I am not a person who will push or force anything on anyone, so the ’not holding of hands’ and the ’only kiss on the cheek’ is only bothering me in my ’mind’ there are no outward displays of frustration, because in fact (at least to me) we are having such a good time together, she has a very good sense of humor and has begun to poke some fun at me (all in good nature) as she says “I do this with smile on my face” and she also refers to me at times as her “American comedian”

We are seated in the restaurant and to speed the ordering process up (no English menu’s) Marina orders for me, she only asks me what ’courses’ I wish to eat such as ’salad’ ’soup’ ’main course’ and if on these course if I desire them to be ’fish’ ’seafood’ (not sure what the difference is) or ’meat’ and then she takes it from there. At about this time I begin to realize how much she has studied my letters, and remembers our telephone conversations, because we have discussed what we like to eat and what we don’t enjoy and when the food begins to arrive, they are all dishes I would have ordered myself.

Dinner starts with a ’salad’, don’t think traditional salad in the US with the majority of the salad being lettuce and where you put toppings over your lettuce. This salad is a “seafood’ salad (in fact I do not know if they serve “lettuce salad’s”) the only lettuce on the plate is for looks/garnishment in the four corners with a small tomato sliced in half sitting face down. The salad is comprised of small shrimp, calamari cut to look like pasta about 2 inches long and a few other seafoods in a mayonnaise type sauce, the salad is formed together like a round mound placed in the middle of the plate and topped with caviar (orange).

Soup is again ’seafood’ not sure what all is in it, except it again has caviar (orange) in it. Just like the salad it is very tasty and very good.  The main course comes it is ’meat’ and also a side of potatoes quartered (or cut into eight’s) and has again a mayonnaise type sauce on it and is very good.

The meat that is served, I am not sure how to eat it (let me explain). First I am not sure what it is just yet, the meat is wrapped in a pita or almost like an egg roll type wrapper, it covers about ½ my plate with one end open (which is how I know it is ’meat’).

I am thinking at this time I just cut into it and eat the meat and wrapper as one, so I grab my knife and fork and begin to cut----Wrong! There is a ’Bone’ in this meat. Well it ends up being a couple of “Pork Chops” 'bone in', so once I figure this out I continue with my original plan, and just keep cutting away and eat the meat and wrapper together. There is a small bowl that has some ’red sauce’ in to for the meat, so I give this a sample and it is a very traditional tasty ’spaghetti sauce” which I thought was ’odd’ for this dish, and finish the meal not using the sauce.

Marina, has a ’meat’ salad, which in presentation is very similar to my salad, it is lightly topped with some hard type noodles best I could describe them in looks (but not taste) would be like a ‘chow mien’ noodle. She does not order soup for herself, and also has ’meat’ for a main course with the same potatoes that I have.

Her meat looks like a ’cubed steak’, which she says, is also very tasty. With dinner Marina is drinking again some of that fancy coffee (but this time without Bailey’s) and being the drinker that I am, I am drinking some fresh squeezed Apple juice. After dinner we both drink some tea (Marina is happy to see me drinking tea) and again says ‘see why you say you don’t drink tea?” she asks if I am enjoying this tea, and I answer truthfully, it is good, but I prefer Marina’s tea!

Conversation at Dinner (or is it called Supper?) is again smooth and it easily flows, it is surprising actually to think that each of us has only limited skill in the other’s language (Marina’s English is far superior to my Russian) and that we really have not run into any difficulties or in finding conversation. We do use often my compact ’Berlitz’ dictionary (as of yet have not used Lonely Planets phrase book) to look up words that the other is not familiar with, but I could not be happier with how our communication has been, and Marina once again states the same, "that we have such interesting talks".

Well during this dinner there are some questions I want to ask Marina, to get a better judge of exactly how she is feeling towards me, so I break out the “phrase book’ (first time)hoping I can find a phrase that has a good fit into the questions I want to ask, mainly “why do you not allow me to hold your hand?”

but rushing thru this book (not wanting to cause a long delay in conversation) I can’t find anything that would work (it may be in there but in order to keep conversation following I give up quickly)  but I do FIND a phrase that though not really how I wanted to start my questions, it does get to the heart of the matter ‘very quickly’ and does state where I want this conversation to end up at so with this one question, I will begin AND end my inquiry into what Marina’s feelings are for me (I just hope I do not get slapped in the face!)

So I ask my question (and duck!), Marina’s response was to smile (good, so far, no out rage or a plate thrown at me) and then she says “Say this in Russian” so I gather up my best Russian and say:

Маришка, можно тебя поцеловать? (Marishka, can I kiss you?)

Well, Marina again just smiles (this time a bigger smile, apparently my Russian pleased her) but does not respond with an answer. So I again in my best Russian ask this same question this time adding at the end,

Yes? or No?

This time she is grinning very wide and says “Yes, but only small“ (hot diggity dog!!!!!) seeing that I am sitting across the table from her, and would have to make a grand gesture to do such an act, being in a nice restaurant, and what I know of Marina’s nature to this point, I do not give her a kiss at this time (but you can damn bet the house that I will get my kiss later!).

I do not know if it is just me and the emotional lift I feel from getting this positive response (or if Marina also feels it) but the rest of the evening and our conversations have a different feel and flow to it, it feels brighter and more bubbly.

Dinner ends at around 7:45 pm but Marina says at 8:00 pm they have some ‘live’ music (our table is situated right next to the ‘mini’ stage with me sitting with my back to it) and asks if we can stay a bit longer so she can hear the music. Well as “blucatz” would say, “this is a no brainer”

When the bill arrives I am a little surprised at the price (I was expecting to pay more). We both had a wonderful meal in a very nice restaurant environment and the bill came to 1764 Rubles. I pay the bill but we stay until almost 9 pm, which is when Marina says we should go.

The live music is nice and enjoyable, it is just a woman singer and a man playing a standup keyboard, simple but good, most important of all Marina is enjoying it.
As we leave the restaurant and begin our walk home I reach for Marina’s hand and surprised to discover Marina grasps my hand as well.

It is time to say good night, so I ask for a kiss (in Russian) Marina smiles, and I go to kiss her  (still not certain how this will play out, still thinking she will still only let me kiss her check) and to my surprise she kisses back (it is a small peck like kiss, but it is still a kiss) not believing I actually got a kiss, I go in for another, she kisses back again and then says “I said only 1” my response was “Yes, but you gave me 2” she smiles a big broad smile and we say our ’Good-nights’.

The kisses were only 2 small pecks but I could not be happier!

Today, I felt was another good day; well in fact I think it was an excellent day! I think Marina is feeling the same, and today we able to do many things (as apposed to yesterday). Marina asked me during the day “when are we going to go bowling?” so I told her we will do this tomorrow, and this brought a smile to her face, so the agenda for tomorrow will be some bowling and we will also be visiting the ’Art Museum’   

 

[Chillidog]

some pic's

1st pic---- one of the displays inside the Museum of a "Mammoth"

2nd pic---- the Church (again I can't remember it's name)

3rd pic---- the Cinema

[Chillidog]

The suspense is killing me - did the guy who traveled half way round the world to Siberia get the girl or no? - awaiting the final chapters

I can only say "Time will tell"

[Chillidog]

Day 4 Friday September 19th

Weather again is cold 7C. On today’s agenda is another trip to City Center where we will visit the Art Museum and also we will go bowling.

BUT then, I get a call from Marina that she (we?) have to ‘cancel’ the plans for today. I start thinking the worst, and the proverbial waiting for the other shoe to drop, or maybe now I will wake from this dream to find out that I am NOT in Kansas anymore?

Within another sentence or two I connect the dots and understand why plans need to be ‘canceled’. They do not need to be ‘canceled’ but ‘changed’. Marina does not know the English word ‘changed’ and used ‘cancel’ instead (I’ll need to teach her this word before I have another heart attack) only when I asked her to tell me in Russian did I get the point she was trying to make.

After we said ‘good-night’ last night she talked with her Aunt and cousin (her only family in Omsk other than her son). Her Aunt Tatiana and her cousin (Tatiana’s daughter) Yana want to meet me. I have in fact spoke with both of them on the phone on a couple of occassions prior to my trip. Each time I call Marina, Tatiana and Yana make sure they are present at Marina’s apartment (Yana, has 2 degrees one in Economics and the other in English, she is now teaching economics at the local University) Yana if we have difficulties on the phone will step in and help us over the rough spots. Tatiana, I come to find out was instrumental in Marina and I meeting. She has been pestering Marina to go on the Internet to meet people for a long time and finally Marina did. Tatiana told me she did the same with a good friend of hers (pestering for a long time to use the internet) and just last month this woman married a man from Canada (I wonder if it might be anyone from the forums?)

So the plans change, to spending the whole day at Marina’s apartment for dinner and such, but Marina states first she must go to the ‘market’ to buy food and will be at my hotel later then we had discussed last night.

To this I said “No” I will go to the ‘market’ with you. Marina ask ‘почему' , (I think to myself there is no way I am letting you buy the food), but say because I want to be with you, and you will need someone to carry the packets. As I wrote earlier Marina quit her job just so she could spend all day with me, so there is no way I am going to let her buy food to feed me (at least the times I am aware of her going to the market).

Well going to the ‘market’ entails going to 3-4 different shops all very small. At the shops we visited (I know there are bigger ‘supermarkets’ but we did not go to this type of shop) there were separate counters were foods of similar types were grouped, a couple of these shops were 3-4 separate aisles, and a couple of the shops were just walk in and the counters formed a U shape with merchandise also on the shelves behind the shop employees. The 2 bigger shops we visited you received and paid for the items you wanted at each counter (no central register, and no paying and then going back to the counter to collect what you paid for)

The first ‘market’ we visit, we purchase frozen chicken ‘quarters’ these are not in ‘mass market packaging’ just individual frozen quarters and the employee puts in small plastic bags for us, we get 8 and also from the shelf behind the employee we get a tin (of what? At this time I do not know) later I find out it is “Sprota” (spelling?) a very small fish, which I say is “Sardines” but I am told “no, not Sardines, Sardines are a big fish, these are very small fish, called Sprota” (can’t find Sardines in my dictionary so I leave it at that).

After purchasing the chicken we head back to Marina's apartment to do as she says "drown the chicken" ---fill her kitchen sink with water and put the chicken in this water for defrosting. Then we head back out to finish our shopping.

The next market we go to is on of the very small shops and we pick up only ’sugar’, again the sugar is not in a mass market packaging, but is in what looks to be 2 pounds of sugar in a clear plastic bag, where the plastic bag is twisted closed and kept closed with a twist tie.

The third shop I think is Marina’s favorite, she picks out a whole bunch of different types of печенье and she cannot keep herself from repeating “cookie” I think she feels this is the best word in the English language (it does not take much to amuse some people-smile) and this shop we also pick out some what Marina calls ‘торт' (cake) but to me it is just a bigger cookie, cake like in texture but sliced thicker than a cookie. Now all of the cookies and cakes are of the prepackaged mass-produced variety that we buy. At this shop (different counter) we pick up some onions, garlic, and a squeeze package of mayonnaise.

The last shop we go to is to get food for her cat “Richard Blackmore”, Marina did not name the cat, she received Richard from a friend after it was a few months old and already named, and Yes for those who know, he is ‘named’ after a famous member of the music group “Deep Purple”. Food I find out for her cat ends up being 4 fish ‘frozen’ not sure what kind, they are probably 8 inches long (head, tail and all) and around 2 inches in circumference.

With the shopping complete we return to Marina’s home. It is about 1 pm and she tells me Tatiana and Yana will not arrive until 4:30. She also tells me her son Ivan will also eat dinner with us (this will be the first time I meet Ivan as well). Marina checks on the chicken (to see to the extent that it has defrosted) and then begins to prepare some tea for us. She also puts on the stove a small pot and starts boiling some water in this pot, which once boiling she puts the fish (all 4) she bought for her cat in to cook for a short time.

Marina and I have our tea, Marina has some green tea, and I drink a black currant tea. Which in all honesty I enjoy and nowhere during my stay in Omsk do I find a tea I enjoy as much as this one (and remember I hated and did not drink any tea before this trip) I tell Marina before I leave we need to go to the market so I can buy this exact same tea to bring home with me. I think Marina is quite satisfied and please with her “Victory” in getting me to drink tea.

Tea is finished and Marina removes the pot that is boiling the fish from the oven to let it cool off, (Richard is in the kitchen crying for his fish) and Marina now starts to prepare dinner. She cuts what is still partial frozen chicken (separating the leg from the thigh).

For about the next hour or more I sit in the kitchen just mesmerized watching Marina prepare the food. Marina says her Aunt Tatiana is ’Master cook’ and that she (Marina) is only ’Student cook’. But watching Marina in the kitchen you could sure fool me! For those of you who already have a Russian wife/girlfriend, it is simply amazing to watch them work in these small kitchens it is like watching a ballerina, with well-choreographed moves. Also watching what she does with a sharp butcher’s knife, causes me to make a mental note to never get her mad when one of these are in her hands.

A couple of hours later Tatiana and Yana arrive, after the introductions and ‘”hello’s” are done, I am pushed out of the kitchen, and asked to take the kitchen table out into the living room to be set up for us to eat on later in this room. Marina heads back into the kitchen and Tatiana, Yana and I begin to acquaint ourselves with each other in the living room. As I wrote earlier Yana is fluent in English, her mother Tatiana I learn is very motivated in learning English, but Yana acts often as the translator for us. One of the first things I learn is Tatiana and Yana have a big desire some day to move and live in Canada, specifically Vancouver. (which happens to be the home of my second favorite hockey team), put Tatiana’s husband Andrei (Yana’s father) does not want to leave Russia. Yana has already travelled to Italy, Poland, Czech Republic and if I recall correctly England as well.

As we talk it feels like being with family, Tatiana comments that in person I look younger than what I did in the photos I had sent and in her opinion she feels I am even more handsome (I am a person who feels very awkward when receiving compliments but I do admit it was nice to hear). Marina comes in a few times to ask for Tatiana’s help in the kitchen with the comments “Master cook” and Yana agrees and tells me her mother really is a wonderful cook.

Around 6pm Ivan comes home (from school) and I greet Ivan we speak a little and then he heads into the kitchen to be with Marina. Yana asks me if I have met Ivan before today, and I tell her ’no’ she tells me that Ivan is a very shy boy, which I had learned from Marina previously, and so thinking to myself, with this being our first meeting, to just let him get comfortable with my presence and not to push or force conversation with him, basically let him come to me at his own pace. Ivan is 14 years old, and I think even for a Russian boy of this age is just a bit on the shorter, thinner side, and from first impressions seems very well mannered and courteous. I Think Marina is doing a good job in raising him.

 Yana, Tatiana and I continue to talk in the living room, and Marina starts bringing the food out to eat. Ivan while he was in the kitchen ate dinner and then leaves. When Ivan leaves I am distracted in conversation with Tatiana, Yana gets my attention but before I can get up to say good-bye to Ivan he has left the apartment. (Damn my poor Russian!) I thought Ivan would be home for the remainder of the evening, what I had now learned he had come home from school because Tatiana and Yana where here and he felt more comfortable in meeting me with them around, and that he was only going to be home for a short time to eat and then return to school. (I am now upset at myself for not making a bigger effort in talking to Ivan while he was home). His only day off from school during my visit will be Sunday, I hope on this day it will be possible to spend some quality time with Ivan, for the 3 of us to be together on this day.

During the evening we (Marina & I) mention in conversation that we tried but could not get tickets for the ‘Drama Theater’, immediately Tatiana is on the phone (apparently she has a friend that has connections) after a few minutes she hangs up. Yana translates and says, “Mother will get you tickets but it may cost you” to this I respond, this was the ‘one and only thing” Marina ask and wanted to do during my visit, I do not care what the cost is, tell Tatiana to get the tickets.

Mariana tells Tatiana that we have tickets for the circus tomorrow so this day (tomorrow) would not be a good day to attend the drama theater. Tatiana said she needs to call back her friend after 10 pm but will have an answer about the tickets for us at that time.

Conversation flows well all evening, much thanks to Yana, and I think also a relief to Marina, she can go back to speaking Russian more and not concentrate so hard on her English. Yana asks how I feel our communication is going, she said Marina was very worried about being able to communicate in person, and Yana told her do not worry it is even easier to communicate in person, she told her if two people desire to communicate then they will find a way to accomplish this goal. She said you should see Marina leading up to our telephone calls, how nervous and excited she gets (the reason Yana and Tatiana are present for these calls, moral support and to help her in these conversations if needed).

Marina of course throughout my visit has been asking many questions about Kingston, my house, America. She (Marina) brings out the pictures of my house for Tatiana and Yana to see, plus a book I gave her on Chicago called “Chicago Then and Now” basically this book is a picture book, what it does is on one page is a picture of Chicago from the late 1800’s or early 1900’s and then on the opposing page is a picture of the same section of Chicago as it appears today, there are some brief descriptions for these pictures but not too long that a person would become frustrated in reading if not comfortable with the English language. What I have found is Marina can read English and does understand much of what she reads.

The evening comes to a close, Tatiana, Yana have been much more open in expressing themselves and their thoughts about me (so I am pretty confident this evening went very good) Tatiana is very enthusiastic in having Marina and myself over for dinner at her house. I confide in Yana, that I really am enjoying my time and that I am developing strong feelings for Marina (nothing I have not told Marina myself, and told often) but that it is also very hard to judge how Marina feels about me. Yana says that she talks with Marina every night (after Marina and I have said good-night) she says this is just "Marina", and  assures me Marina is enjoying herself and that she (Yana) is confident that Marina’s feelings are the same as mine.

Tatiana and Yana are Marina’s "family" in Omsk and if Marina’s & my relationship is to work (succeed) we both will need the support and help from Tatiana and Yana. It was very apparent that all of us had an enjoyable time together, that Tatiana and Yana both approve of me as a person, which I believe was a big weight off of Marina’s shoulders and a relief to her to see this evening go so well. She has so many more worries and concerns in a relationship like this than me. She would be the one who would be moving, having to adapt to a totally new and strange culture and environment, another and not the least of her concerns is for her son.

For me this strange ground for me also but in a totally different way: I have never in my life pursued or chased a women for a date or anything (please understand I am not saying I am a Don Juan) what I am saying is I am a very open person, if I like you I will tell you. If a woman likes me I want her to tell me. So this evening helped a lot with Yana telling me that Marina does in fact like me, but I am not a mind reader, and so I still struggle with understanding what and how strongly Marina feels about me. It is nice to hear it from Yana, but it would be so much nicer to hear this from Marina.

No one (man or woman) wants to put their heart on the line without some sort of assurances from the other party that the feelings are mutual. Maybe I just need to take that leap of faith, show Marina, that even though it is only 4 days I have learned enough about her to take that leap of faith, to tell her I am committed to her and committed to seeing where this relationship will lead us?

I like Marina very much, and I saw everything in her that I looked for in a woman prior to traveling (or I would not have made this trip). In the 4 days we have spent together I see how well we get along how seamlessly our personalities mesh, our views on life & family coincide. Yet am I crazy? How do you commit to someone you don’t know? How do you open your heart to someone who you still truly do not know how she feels for you? The same thought keeps going thru my mind “am I crazy?”

All I can be is myself, trust my gut, and trust my heart. Am I crazy? Does she truly like me or not?

About 10:30 pm my hotel phone rings, it is Yana, calling regarding the tickets for the drama theater. If we want we can have tickets for the drama theater but they are for tomorrow night, that this is there last night for the show (we already have tickets for the circus) she said she already spoke with Marina, but that Marina says it is my decision to make. I tell Yana the same thing I said earlier in the evening; this was the only thing Mariana has asked for so “Yes” we want the tickets. Yana said we can go to the circus ticket office and exchange these (circus) tickets for a different day.

 

[sydneyvontrapp]

Hello Chillidog :
     Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.  I look forward to the rest of the story.  Marina sounds like a wonderful woman.  The fact she is already teasing you; shows she has a playful side.  Being a single parent can be stressful for anyone.  It sounds like you found yourself a wonderful woman; who has been worth your time and interest.  Hopefully she feels the same way about you.  I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip. Her son being so shy can be a problem in the future.  If they do make the move to be with you; he'll need to learn English better.  The easiest way is talking and being friends to the other children his age. 
I lucked out where my step daughter was just starting school. 

    Ritchie Blackmore!!  I saw him in the late 80's.  He was in a band called " Rainbow ".  It was a bye week from the street hockey league I was playing in.  Half our team was from my hometown and half from a town 8 miles away.  Without discussing it we ALL ended up at this concert.

[Chillidog]

Hello Chillidog :
     Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.  I look forward to the rest of the story.  Marina sounds like a wonderful woman.  The fact she is already teasing you; shows she has a playful side.  Being a single parent can be stressful for anyone.  It sounds like you found yourself a wonderful woman; who has been worth your time and interest.  Hopefully she feels the same way about you.  I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip. Her son being so shy can be a problem in the future.  If they do make the move to be with you; he'll need to learn English better.  The easiest way is talking and being friends to the other children his age. 
I lucked out where my step daughter was just starting school. 

    Ritchie Blackmore!!  I saw him in the late 80's.  He was in a band called " Rainbow ".  It was a bye week from the street hockey league I was playing in.  Half our team was from my hometown and half from a town 8 miles away.  Without discussing it we ALL ended up at this concert.

SVT,

Thanks for the comments, I do not know how in the long run this will all play out, but I do know you are correct. Marina is a tremondous woman! a woman for whatever time allows I am very happy to know and have in my life! I too hope she feels the same for me, I think we could have a wonderful happy life together.

You should see her cat (not a cat man) he is pretty cool, really neat eyes

[sydneyvontrapp]

Hello CD :
   I don't want to get ahead of your story by asking if a return trip is planned.  So wait on answering that.
continue with your story.  I hope you did get to spend some time with her son.  The language barrier does make it hard to get to know them ( the children ) at first.  you hope both the mother and child see you have their best interest at heart.  You have thought this through.  Your experienced enough to know what you want in a woman and in your life.  Don't rush it.  Make sure she ( Marina ) is comfortable with the pace your relationship is progressing.  To slow or fast and it could cause problems.  Most important.  BE HONEST.
If you are caught in a lie; you will always be a liar.  Be honest and you will win her respect!

      I know I took supplemental life insurance through work.  Just enough to pay for a funeral.  Not that I want anything to happen to them.  I don't need them thinking I was taking a million dollar policy out and planned on offing them; first chance I got.  I changed all my insurance payout 4 days after the wedding.
That reminds me; now that she has a SS# I need to get that on the policy. She has NO idea about Life Insurance.  I'm 11 1/2 years older and want to enjoy ever day we have together.

Dave Maynard

[Markje]

Hi CD,

Glad to hear you are having a wonderful time in Omsk. I hope your dreams will be real with this woman, she sure sounds like a gem from what I have been reading here.

Mark.

[Chillidog]

Day 5 Saturday September 20th

Again it is cold today 7C plus it is raining.

We are going to the theater today after visiting the Art museum; because of going to the theater today I am debating on what to wear. Mainly because I do not know what Marina will be wearing, will she be dressed up or in a more casual fashion? I decide it is better to be safe than sorry, so I decide it is better to be ‘over dressed’ than ‘under dressed’ and decide to wear the only suit I had packed (with tie of course). My problem now is that it is raining and the only jacket I packed is not really a jacket you would wear over a suit, and decide I will just forego wearing this jacket.

Marina meets me at my hotel (like all previous days) and I meet her without my jacket. She comments on how nice I look (trust me I comment also on how wonderful she looks) but insists on me going back to the room to get my jacket. I try to tell her it is not the proper type of jacket to wear over a suit (the jacket is a light weight black suede), but she will have none of it and gives me the look that says ‘discussion over do as I say!’ well another ‘lost’ discussion (one stubborn Russian woman) and I go to my room and get my jacket.

Marina, is dressed in a Gray skirt that goes a little past the knees with Red & darker Gray stripes. She has on red suede (?) boots that go just a little higher than her ankles (with heels of course) and her nylons match the exact color of her boots. She has her jacket on with hood up, she also has on a black cotton cap on her head. So with her jacket on I do not see what kind of top/blouse (?) she is wearing but as usual she is beautiful. Marina also possesses the most beautiful crystal clear blue eyes that whenever I look into them I get lost in how wonderful she is.

The art museum does not allow photos (cannot even pay extra), and Marina again helps to tell me who or what the paintings, art objects are. A few of the rooms are not open to the public and like the Natural History Museum, the Art Museum is also mainly (there is one room open on a different floor) contained all on 1 floor. It certainly does not compare to the great Art Museums of the world but none the less it is an enjoyable experience. In the main exhibition room there is some seating and a small stage and while we are in this room viewing some of the paintings, sculptures a small wedding group enter (bride, Groom and 4 members of the wedding party--2 women and 2 men), accompanied by a professional photographer, who begins taking photos of the bridal party. I guess for special occasions (maybe they received a special permit?) that pictures are allowed. Damn! Should have gotten married then I could have taken pictures, because Marina sure looks good!!!

There is one room of exhibits that was really interesting to the both of us. It was a room full of exhibits of ‘miniature art’. When you entered you were handed a magnifying glass and there was some art so small that these had to be viewed using a microscope (already permanently setup) it was really interesting and fascinating to experience. Things like the world’s smallest production book (no bigger than my thumb) with pages and pages of writing in it, incredible small jewelry the size of insects. Something that my writing abilities cannot describe properly, but well worth the experience, and many of these items were done by some local Omsk people.

After the Art Museum we walk over to a café for Marina to have some coffee (fancy), inside it reminds me of the ‘upscale coffee houses/cafés in the states where the ‘Yuppies’ would hang out drinking their “Latte’s and Cappuccinos” little bit more upscale then ‘Starbucks’. I order tea with lemon (again it does not taste like the one Marina has in her home). We do not stick around long in the café because we need to meet Tatiana’s contact at 4:30 to get our tickets for the theater.

We walk over to the Drama Theater and there is no-one there to meet or even people lined up for the show (the show is suppose to start at 5), I can tell Marina is a little confused and maybe a little worried. She gets on her mobile and makes a call. She tells me we need to go to the ‘Music Theater’. I am told to “quickly walk” we walk at a brisk pace the 8-10 blocks to the Music Theater because we are now running late. We arrive at the theater at 4:34 and there are many people milling around outside and many starting to enter the theater (good sign). Marina again gets on her mobile and we walk about 5 meters and there is Svetlana (Tatiana’s contact) near the front entrance with our tickets. I pay Svetlana the necessary money and she gives us our tickets and wishes us an enjoyable show. Marina is happy that we are going to the theater, but I can tell she is a little confused as to why we are at the Music Theater and not the Drama Theater.

My thoughts before the show begins are “Music Theater? The show will probably be a concert type show, Instrumental, maybe singing something along these lines”.

The show is supposed to start at 5 so we check our coats and look for our seats. The location of our seats could not have been better, we are in the 10th row (must be my lucky row) but the way the theater is set up the first 9 rows are in what I would call the “ Music Pit” (like in a big Theater were the conductor, and musicians sit bellow the level of the stage). There is a ‘knee wall’ (short wall in height) that separates this area from us and a walkway between this wall and our seats. You get the feeling that we are sitting in the front row.

The show begins and it is nothing like I was expecting, the best way to describe it is, it is a group of ‘Mime type Actors’ all but 2 Actors are dressed in clown type costumes (6-8 Actors) and the other 2 Actors are dressed as ‘Old Men’. These Actors do a bunch of short bits/skits all Humorous and all set to music. At Intermission something unexpected happened. These actors came out into the audience and began to play good clean practical jokes on/with the audience, some as they are in the audience opened up umbrellas that began to shoot water out (like with the rain today all of us needed to be rained on ‘inside‘---kidding it all was quite enjoyable). This close interaction with the audience really heightened everyone’s enjoyment of the show.

The second half of the show was much the same as the first half, with much more clapping and cheering (carrying over from intermission) at the end of the show another unexpected event took place. The Actors send out into the audience around a dozen various sized balls (the air filled variety) about 4-5 of these were big enough that a man could stand inside of. One of these balls was used in a skit during the performance. Imagine all the balls being hit and floating around the audience at times because of the amount of balls some came out of nowhere and ends up smacking you in the head, the whole audience had a blast with this. Marina also enjoyed this with a big smile like a schoolgirl at the playground. If the balls went on stage the actors would just send them out into the audience again, this went on for probably a ½ hour or so.

During this time the Actors all came to the front of the stage to take a bow (to a lot of applause) they were presented a whole bunch of flowers which they then proceeded to throw out into the audience, (again unexpected)  well this also was well received by the audience and everyone was trying to catch the single flowers being thrown or at times full bouquets of flowers. Naturally I wanted to catch some flowers for Marina, and I had my chance. A bouquet of flowers was thrown in our direction which I caught but at the same time I felt another hand catch this same bouquet I looked over and it was a women who had caught it with me, so even though I wanted these flowers for Marina, seeing that it was a women who had also caught them, I let go and let her have them. This was my only opportunity to catch some flowers (Oh sure I could have barreled over some people to get others, but thought “no this would not be a good idea or give Marina a good impression of me“).

After the show was over I asked Marina if she was hungry and she said “no”, so I said “I am hungry so we will go to a restaurant to eat”. Well this ended up being another discussion “I lost”.  Marina did eat (small victory for me) but Marina insisted we go to her apartment and eat (according to Marina I had spent enough money for the day). Ivan was home tonight so I was able to talk with him a bit more, but I again did not force the conversation and let it progress at Ivan’s speed.

Another good day! I feel progress is being made, they are small steps but I feel this relationship is moving forward. I really like and enjoy Marina, yet my time in Omsk is now past the halfway mark. My thoughts are at this point I really want to return to Omsk again to be with Marina again, yet I still wonder if Marina feels the same. In expressing her feelings she is very reserved (in fact she only says she has had a good time, not once yet has she said she likes me, or wants to meet again). I know it is still very early, it has only been 5 days, so I remain patient and look for other indications of her feelings about me, yet 1 “I like you” would go a long way in easing my concerns.

[Chillidog]

Pictures

1st pic----- Drama Theater

2nd pic----- Music Theather

3rd pic----- Mime Actor