[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
That is pretty awesome that she was related to your first wife. Is her work written in Russian or Hebrew?
[/quote]
English, kind of. Very dense, hard prose.
Rand was a Jewess who hated religion. Apparently not a pleasant lady in person, although she had great economic ideas.[/quote]
Hey, don’t feel bad about understanding her. I still don’t quite get her prose. [/quote]
Maybe she uses a lot of Russian grammar and syntax in her writing. That can be confusing. I am going to go to the bookstore tomorrow and pick up one of her books.
[quote]njrusmc wrote:
Semi-serious question: why are all Eastern bloc women bat-shit crazy? I get along with the men, they are decent dudes. But the women are nuts.[/quote]
You would really need to elaborate more on what you mean by “bat shit crazy,” but a lot Eastern bloc women are very distrustful and wary of Western men. There has been a misconception going around that many women in Russia and other former Soviet states want to marry Western men and will do anything to get one. This has led to many Western men coming to Russia and other places looking for a “bride” to pretty much use as a sex toy. Now, most women in Russia wouldn’t think twice about marrying a Western man, but when they come over and just meet a girl and say things like “if you marry me and do this and that I will provide for you and whatnot” This is extremely insulting to them, basically asking them to be personal prostitutes. Also, there is a big problem with women being kidnapped and forced into being prostitutes for the sex tours that have become popular.
[quote]njrusmc wrote:
Semi-serious question: why are all Eastern bloc women bat-shit crazy? I get along with the men, they are decent dudes. But the women are nuts.[/quote]
You would really need to elaborate more on what you mean by “bat shit crazy,” but a lot Eastern bloc women are very distrustful and wary of Western men. There has been a misconception going around that many women in Russia and other former Soviet states want to marry Western men and will do anything to get one. This has led to many Western men coming to Russia and other places looking for a “bride” to pretty much use as a sex toy. Now, most women in Russia wouldn’t think twice about marrying a Western man, but when they come over and just meet a girl and say things like “if you marry me and do this and that I will provide for you and whatnot” This is extremely insulting to them, basically asking them to be personal prostitutes. Also, there is a big problem with women being kidnapped and forced into being prostitutes for the sex tours that have become popular.[/quote]
I mean the standard-issue crazy. You know, screaming and shouting and throwing shit when they get angry. Making arguments about nothing. Texting you 50 times a day and getting angry when you don’t respond. That sort of thing.
One of my friends married a perfect-10 Ukranian chick. She throws his clothes in the street monthly, at least. She calls him a piece of shit and threatens to leave all the time. He’s a good dude, treats her well, pays for her full-time college and puts food in her mouth. We call her the “Red Hammer”.
True story, almost verbatim:
Guy: Honey, my friends are here for our fishing trip. The one we talked about?
Girl: NO, YOU NO GO, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I THROW ALL YOUR CLOTHES TO STREET!
Guy: Sorry guys, I can’t go.
[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
It was also not uncommon for parents to “trade down,” which is where, say, a couple has a 3 bedroom apartment. They could trade that for two one bedroom apartments and gift one to their child. This usually happened when children of “wealthy” parents got married.
[/quote]
Furck! What happened to the extra bedroom?[/quote]
You just had to give it up if you wanted to get your children their own apartment. Just one of the many injustices we had to deal with. I would also like to add that the value of the smaller apartments usually had to be less than the apartment being traded.[/quote]
I thought you’d say that. No need to ask where the missing property disappeared to.
I mean the standard-issue crazy. You know, screaming and shouting and throwing shit when they get angry. Making arguments about nothing. Texting you 50 times a day and getting angry when you don’t respond. That sort of thing.
One of my friends married a perfect-10 Ukranian chick. She throws his clothes in the street monthly, at least. She calls him a piece of shit and threatens to leave all the time. He’s a good dude, treats her well, pays for her full-time college and puts food in her mouth. We call her the “Red Hammer”.
True story, almost verbatim:
Guy: Honey, my friends are here for our fishing trip. The one we talked about?
Girl: NO, YOU NO GO, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I THROW ALL YOUR CLOTHES TO STREET!
Guy: Sorry guys, I can’t go.
Thoughts?[/quote]
That is a Ukrainian thing, I think. I have known many Russian women in my life and behavior like you described is fairly rare.
Guy: Honey, my friends are here for our fishing trip. The one we talked about?
Girl: NO, YOU NO GO, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I THROW ALL YOUR CLOTHES TO STREET!
Guy: Sorry guys, I can’t go.
Guy: Honey, my friends are here for our fishing trip. The one we talked about?
Girl: NO, YOU NO GO, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I THROW ALL YOUR CLOTHES TO STREET!
Guy: Sorry guys, I can’t go.
Thoughts?[/quote]
Normal relationship. [/quote]
Can’t say I disagree with that too much. I have certainly dated more than one girl like that. Luckily the girl I am dating now is not like that.
[quote]bond james bond wrote:
I got to tell you I’m riveted, continiue please.
[/quote]
Thanks, I am really surprised that this thread is still alive at all. I consider it a good thing that so many are actually interested and care about what life in the Soviet Union was like. I will put up some more stories after work tomorrow. In the meantime I am willing to answer any questions you guys may have.
[quote]bond james bond wrote:
I got to tell you I’m riveted, continiue please.
[/quote]
x2
I’m really enjoying the stories, also, Doc. It’s a nice little reality check.
I remember growing up hearing about Russia and the cold war, then the wall coming down in the 80’s. It seems like yesterday, in fact.
There’s some serious Russian dating scams that have been going around for a while. I’ve seen a couple that were pretty convincing and quite a few guys were taken for quite a bit of money.
I’m really enjoying the stories, also, Doc. It’s a nice little reality check.
I remember growing up hearing about Russia and the cold war, then the wall coming down in the 80’s. It seems like yesterday, in fact.
There’s some serious Russian dating scams that have been going around for a while. I’ve seen a couple that were pretty convincing and quite a few guys were taken for quite a bit of money.[/quote]
Those Russian dating things are pretty much all scams. Russian women are like most other women in the world. They don’t want to be bought. They want love and a real relationship. The ones who are willing to marry someone or sleep with them just for money are very rare. Expecting that from women is pretty much reducing them to prostitutes and is very insulting. I bet if you had made an offer like that to Grneyes, you would be single right now.
[quote]Bambi wrote:
I have some distant family friends who lived in Sakhalin in the 80s/90s and they always have some amazing tales.
I’m absolutely riveted, please tell us more.[/quote]
That’s cool. I have only been to the pacific side of Russia once briefly, but it was beautiful. It may as well have been another country. I will post a couple more stories after work tomorrow.
[quote]Christine wrote:
Just want to say thanks for the interesting insight.
Also, Rand is really not difficult.
[/quote]
You’re welcome. All the talk about her work has piqued my interest so I am going to the bookstore tomorrow to get one of her books. I haven’t decided which one though.
[quote]belligerent wrote:
Hard to believe that our economists, political scientists and philosophers in the U.S.A. still promote the ideals of such an evil country. [/quote]
Our country itself wasn’t evil, it was the people in charge. In order for socialism to succeed and eventually reach true communism (something the Soviet Union never achieved), it requires truly benevolent leaders, otherwise the power they wield will corrupt them and lead to what we had in the Soviet Union. I just don’t think most humans are capable of that. I wonder what Marx and Lenin would have thought about what the Soviet Union became.