Unfortunately, my 2010 New Years Eve video did not transfer well to this discussion... it was over a 5-minute video and must have been too large to add. You can see a few scenes from that festive occasion, but unfortunately, not much can be seen, and none of my "stimulating and witty" commentary can be heard (self-described, of course).
Before I get into more of my personal journey, I want to discuss my feelings regarding sponsored tours to Ukraine versus "doing your own thing" and traveling on your own. Although my most recent 14 trips to Ukraine were "solo trips" with my own organization and travel plans, 2 of my first 3 trips to Ukraine were with sponsored tours by Anastasia-Date.com, including my first trip, of course.
I will say this: Despite the fact you are paying a "premium" when taking an organized tour, I would recommend the "tour route" for any first-timer traveling to this part of the world from North America. First of all, not only does it alleviate some of the stress of traveling nearly halfway around the world to a completely foreign country and culture, meeting some fellow "like-minded" adventurers brings instant comradery and friendships.
On my first trip/tour to Ukraine, I met some guys with whom I am still very close friends, including the Anastasia Tour American Representative I discussed earlier, William. I guess I would say that an organized tour was part of my "learning curve" when it came to exploring this part of the world...
Plus, the tour includes the well-publicized "socials"... if you are unaware of socials, these are the organized events, usually held at a privately-reserved nightclub or conference center, where a multitude of ladies, hopefully single and interested, assemble waiting to meet the tour participants and perhaps a few independent travelers who pay a significant fee to enter. Interpreters are supplied free of charge for the event, usually lasting somewhere between 4 and 6 hours. The idea is to meet as many ladies as you find interesting (or that may find you interesting), exchange contact information, and set up dates for the remainder of your trip.
For me personally, I thought this was a foolish concept on my first trip/tour, and I did not attend any of the 3 socials that were included in my rather pricey tour. Besides, I had already planned to meet more girls than I could fit into my schedule from all of my letter-writing the previous 3 months. Early in 2008, there was no "live chatting" on the Anastasia site... that's a newer phenomenon that seems to dominate most of the websites these days...
I will discuss both website letter-writing and live chatting at a later time, but I will say this... the vast majority of these "money-making" services will definitely fall into the "Pitfall" category of this discussion... they constitute two of the primary methods of fraudulent behavior perpetrated by both individual girls and the small, local agencies in which they join and are "employed"...
But of course early in 2008 as I was just beginning this odyssey, I was just another trusting, "wanting-to-believe" foreign, single man. Although I knew the letters were being interpreted by an "agency" interpreter, I actually believed the girl with whom I was corresponding was actually either writing and/or reading the letter, or knew of its content... or at least its existence! Sadly, all too often, none of this is true.
In my future posts, I will get into much more detail regarding Socials (which I later learned could be great fun -- if taken in context), website letter-writing, live chatting, and a multitude of other "activities" for which to be aware and very cognizant...
No comments:
Post a Comment