Job Discussion Forums

[digitaux]

Most of what I've read about teaching in Ukraine is negative--how it's a failed economic prospect, scamming schools, opportunistic locals, visa troubles, how living conditions there are lousy or worse. What's to recommend it? I want to hear some positives.

[canucktechie]

People in general are nice, students are great, women are beautiful.

If you can get a job with a decent school it's fine really. There just aren't many of them.

You will constantly see ads on this and other boards for jobs in Russia, but very few for Ukraine. It's a nicer place to live.

[digitaux]

Nicer how? And is it easier to get a visa in Ukraine or Russia?

[maruss]

The are more jobs in Russia,especially Moscow, but life there is tough, expensive, and new visa rules make it more difficult for you to get in if you want to work freelance,especially if you are not being sponsored by a firm.Ukraine is friendlier and the government now more western- looking,but good jobs are much harder to find,salaries are lower and working conditions worse....unless you are lucky enough to get into one of the good firms in Kiev which is run by expats etc.I would aim for Ukraine first as you can get visas and if you have an E.U. passport you can enter for up to 3 months without one.

[ecocks]

Ukraine is now a thread on it's own from Russia & CIS.

[canucktechie]

[ecocks]

We do have registration, it just isn't mandatory (or isn't enforced) and doesn't really seem to accomplish much except maybe help the government keep their statistics. Also not being enforced are our 90/180 and 180 out of 360 rules, but that could change at any time.

[maruss]

Although I have had mainly positive experiences with both women from Moscow and a woman originally from Ukraine who now also lives there,there seem to be more reports about 'scammers' who use western men to get into the U.S.A. and other western countries from Ukraine rather than Russia.I realise there are good and bad people everywhere and it's not fair to generalise but it would interesting to read your opinions and experiences.Another observation is that younger Moscow girls in particular,seem to have an 'attitude' about their merits and what they expect from people,but perhaps this is to be expected in what is supposed to be the 'city of billonaires!!'

[digitaux]

This seems pretty ludicrous to me: how does one get scammed into marriage?

[maruss]

But just read about some of the reports on the internet concerning women that guys found through various crooks who run so-called 'marriage bureaus' etc!Start by looking up the site 'yeva4u.net on Google and then open one of the options it comes up with underneath regarding scammers,rather than visiting the site....

[ecocks]

Whether it's Ukraine, Russia, Arizona, Massachusetts or wherever (yes, this happens everywhere), the "scam" doesn't involve actually getting married (at least not usually). It involves the pathway leading to marriage where they are hitting some poor sap up for travel expenses, visa fees, filing fees, medical examinations, airplane tickets, gifts (to prove your sincerity), etc. When you keep sending them money (sometimes gifts) they decide you're hooked and work you up to successively larger expenditures like, my grandmother needs an operation or I cannot sell my apartment (to move to you, of course) unless I enclose the balcony and remodel the kitchen. It gets amazing what some of these guys will apparently payout thinking this goddess is preparing to join them in Milwaukee, Springfield or Podunk -- sheesh.

The stories are the stuff of urban legend but pretty entertaining. You can weed the gals out out with a little common sense. The easiest way I found was to simply make sure they understood you intended to LIVE over here, not work to take them back to America, UK, France, Canada or wherever. Another way is to let them pick where to go out for dinner. One gal took me to a spot that set me back a cool $200 for a meal without wine. I don't think she was a scammer per se but I didn't take her seriously after that. You can also take them to the cafeteria-style spots and watch their reaction. Look for a keeper.

[maruss]

I knew one. a college student, about 10 years ago in Belarus-she was half my age but seemed a real sweetie when I first met her there on a train with her mum etc.She subsequently wrote me a letter with a photograph which seemed like a schoolkids essay,rather one from a 21 year old woman!Anyway,when I went back there about 6 months later,she met me as arranged and then after dinner agreed to come back to my hotel room etc. for what I suspected were ulterior motives, as she made it clear she wanted to get the 'performance' over with as soon as possible because she had to wake up early for college next morning etc!......After being supposedly ill with a toothache the next afternoon,she eventually agreed to come the appartment of my friend and his wife who lived there but afterwards insisted on going home,even though she knew I was leaving next afternoon!She met me briefly during her break before I got the train,at the end of which she coyly asked for $100 to buy boots with when I asked her what she would like from me as a farewell gift!!Despite her promises to write to me,and also having met my local friends in her town,I never received any letters and when I surprised her by calling at her place when I next went to Belarus the following spring,she made excuses that she had to leave for a seminar in Minsk next day so wouldn't be able to stay and see me,even though she pretended to be really sorry etc.However,that did not prevent her for asking me if I could give her 'some help' to buy essentials she needed etc. only this time she asked for a cool $300!!
Obviously I made an excuse and left-when I told my friends they were horrified and his wife said that unless it was a dire emergency,she would never ask for money from anyone outside her family on principle,so I should have told this girl she was a scheming bitch and told her to go to hell!I never saw her again,although the following year she suddenly called me in Cyprus,apologising if she had 'caused any slight mis-understanding' when we last met etc!!She then wrote me a long letter during which she explained in detail that her life had been difficult as her parents were divorced and that she had recently broken up with a guy who she met locally and had a serious relationship with for some months after they both realised that it was impossible for them to earn enough money in Belarus to build a family and get married etc!She then suggested I invite her to Cyprus so she could see how I lived here and so she might be able to consider if she had sufficient feelings for me to start our'relationship' again etc!
That was about eight years ago so I guess she got the message.....
I think some of these girls have a diary of people they try to use when they need them so being down on her luck,no doubt she thought she would look me up again to see if I could be 'milked' a bit more!
Maybe there's a golden rule that if a girl sleeps with you the first time you go out with her,don't plan on having any relationship with her afterwards because her mind is on other things,although I would not have described this girl as an outright hooker because she didn't give that impression.

[El]

[digitaux]

Heh. I guess the horny male human is the easiest target ever targeted. Fair enough.

[Kootvela]