About LuvSlav

Status:

Considering a Move Abroad 

Gender:

Male

Currently Lives:

Citizen Of:

United States

Some Forum Posts:

Ukraine: Electric Vehicles in Ukraine:

Not a lot of discussion going on lately so I thought I'd throw in a random observation from my first trip to Odessa. I was surprised to see so many Nissan Leaf electric cars while I was in Odessa. It's hard to get a total count as I only got a brief glimpse of them as they drove by with the rest of the traffic. But there were 7 Nissan Leaf's of different colors that I saw, granted I saw some colors a number of times so I could be grossly underestimating the number. There might have been 1 Tesla Model S but I only got a very brief glimpse before it disappeared from view. It just seemed interesting that there were so many. And when my morning walk took me down an unfamiliar street I found a public electric car charging station with 3 outlets. I tried for the next 2 weeks to find it again but failed.

Ukraine: Odessa Vignettes 11:

Russo, you must love to keep busy. Just don't forget to stop and smell the roses OK. Hope you have a great time in the Carpathians next week!

Ukraine: Dating agencies/websites work. Or not?:

Everyone tells me that dating agencies/websites don't work. Then I read on this and other forums how a lot of expats found your beloved on (wait for it) dating websites. Which is the truth? Or is there no truth, only blind chance?

Ukraine: Odessa Update (the "it's about time" version):

I started posting about my time in Odessa and honestly intended to keep updating regularly. But then each day kind of slid into the next and the next. So that idea didn't pan out as I originally intended. So here's a brief summation and my impressions from 3 months in Odessa. First, I enjoyed being close to the sea, love the breeze that comes in off the sea. The architecture is amazing... when it isn't deplorable. I especially love the old buildings, they show such craftsmanship and attention to detail. The people are great; friendly, helpful and my neighbors looked after me (one told me if I ever need anything just ask -- I never needed to but it was very kind of him nonetheless). All in all I achieved all my goals for this trip. 1) Lose weight, 2) Eat healthy, 3) Exercise more, and 4) Learn a bit more Russian. I lost a bunch of weight, felt great and enjoyed the food which looked like it came straight from a farmer's field (still had the dirt on it). I even learned a few new Russian words and phrases (hope I can remember them). So I rate the trip as a success. Would I ever come back? I'd have to say absolutely. As I posted earlier one of my goals was to "go native" as much as I could. I often had strangers come up to me on the street and start talking away in Russian. Wish I understood everything they were saying. I found that as the weeks went by the little bit of Russian I learned before was reinforced and I was able to pick out enough words to get the gist sometimes. I feel confident that if I spent a few years here I could become fluent. As it is I was often complimented on my pronunciation. Which is nice.

Ukraine: Summer BBQ:

Sorry I won't be there. I'll be in Dallas trying to avoid heat stroke. You don't need hot coals for the BBQ this time of the year, just set the whole mess out in the sun.

Ukraine: Odessa construction and repairs underway:

A while back someone talked about construction projects in Odessa stagnating, work progressing just long enough to burn through whatever amount of foreign investment was brought into the endeavor and then they sit idle for years. And that could be an accurate assessment. Since I've been here all of 6 weeks I don't have the history of how these things have (or have not) progressed over the years. This month I am seeing repairs to building facades and roads (yes, I said roads) as well as a lot of construction work being done on partially finished buildings. This could be a sign of progress or an indication that additional foreign investment has been secured, I leave the interpretation to those who have been here a while. Just acting as the messenger.

Ukraine: US Update:

@Russo, the fish are there; maybe they know your plans for their future (frying pan). LOL have a great time and keep trying for that big one.

Ukraine: Buying apartment in Odessa - crazy or crazy like a fox:

To all Odessa expats, and anyone else with actual knowledge of the real estate market in Odessa. I am thinking of buying an apartment in Odessa. Any advice or tips or if you know of an apartment not too expensive then please pass along the info. Much appreciated. I am thinking it might be better to buy one in need of repair or renovation since I've seen too many crap jobs covered up with a beautiful coat of paint. Some dangerous too, a disaster waiting to happen and you'll never know it because it's behind the drywall or whatever.

Ukraine: Odessa trip:

Hey Extreme, it seems like Nikolaev would better suit my lifestyle. I'm not into the night life and clubs, etc. If I can find peace and quiet I'm happy as a clam. Different strokes for different folks it seems. Right now Odessa is neck deep in ladies available for a good time and soooo many foreign men looking for them. It is totally different from how it was when I first arrived. Everywhere you go it's too darn crowded for my liking. But that's just me. As the old saying goes, you can take the boy out of the country but you can never take the country out of the boy.

Ukraine: Allergies:

All the trees are in bloom with whatever kind of pollen spewing things they are. I had thought that flu I had has hung on for an extremely long time, giving me the sniffles, stuffy nose, etc. But it seems to me it must be allergies. The symptoms are every bit as bad as when I first came to Texas (maybe even more). I'll have to get to the pharmacy for allergy medicine. Darn my hide for not getting some Claritin before I left. Does anyone know of a good allergy medicine? I'm dying here.

Date Joined:

1/11/2016

Total Posts:

95

Posts/Day:

0.21