Sorry I've not been able to add much to the thread discussion recently. Been having a health problem that has kept me distracted and taken up most of my time. Anyway...

Regarding learning Russian: I can't emphasise enough how much quicker your progress will be in a class environment as opposed to self learning courses. I started of learning Russian with a book but it was only when I joined a class that I made real progress very quickly. I took 20 lessons and what I learnt in those lessons has gone on to form the bedrock of my Russian knowledge to this day. Of course that isn't possible for everyone to do,probably not many Russian courses in S.America but I cannot emphasise how much you will get back from them. To be able to direct questions at a native and hear words pronounced correctly is invaluable.

Secondly,and this is only my personal opinion but, if you are trying to get conversational quickly forget grammar,just ignore it except 3 important parts: how to formulate plurals, verb conjunctions and verb tenses. Trust me on this as I speak from experience. Russian grammar is a head fuck of epic proportions ( go ahead and read a grammar book - go look at how to form the Dative neuter past plural - and remember you have to do something similar in every sentence. ) and you need to dedicate months and months to nail it. Instead nail as many words and verbs as you can and then just conjunct them in your own way which I promise you will be understood by everyone there. The people I know who speak the most practical Russian and have the most fluency ( research the difference between fluency and being fluent if you are not sure of the difference ) are the guys who did not study grammar initially. Of course if you are planning to nail the language like a native you need strong grammatical bedrocks but for chasing women for a few months it is unessential. I have no idea how to form the Dative neuter plural past tense but it has never held me back once - where as lack of vocabulary has held me back many times. Get a Russian teacher,learn lots of words and speak it even when alone. Make up songs and sing to yourself in Russian,have conversations with yourself in Russian,watch Russian movies,listen to Russian singers like Vysotsky,Tsoi and zemfira. Get passionate about it and you will get conversational quickly.

Regarding the trip: I really think we need wheels on this trip. I drove to Russia once and the freedom it gave me having my own wheels was a game changer. I ended up at places it would never have hit without transport,small village nightclubs in Belarus,Kolkhoz farm dischotecs,provincial university dormitories etc. I know VP is in on this idea with me and we propose that we buy a motor for the trip. I have researched and it's almost impossible to buy in Russia as a foreigner plus they are not overly cheap there because of import duties. So why don't we meet up in Germany say,where we can buy a really cheap second hand BMW or Audi and then drive from there to Siberia? We could sell the car at the end and of the trip and get our money back. That won't be everyone's idea of fun so if you don't want to be part of the road trip that's cool,we'll meet you there but think about it,we can stop off on the way for nights out in Warsaw,Minsk,Moscow etc. and then on to our chosen city. The first RVF road trip. Let me get your feedback on that idea guys.

Damn you Vorkuta, the road trip is an awesome idea. Imagine us pulling up in a second hand blacked out 7 series, my only problem is this sounds like more than a week excursion.

Quote: (11-22-2012 02:23 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

just read this entire thread and boy this is looking like a truly epic adventure in the making if we do make it there with 3-4 hardcore guys from here who have their shits together. I love the idea of getting together say in early Sept 2013 and meeting in say Moscow or Ste Pets and from there, get on the Trans Siberia train and then once in the selected city, we could rent/or buy a cheap car/van and go sexplore the region otherwise, we'd get bored to death in some of these shit holes. Depending on how many of us would go there, we could then decide to either get one sick pad, say a luxury 3-4 bedroom penthouse in the best/poshest area in town and share the costs.

I'm really looking forward for this and I'm sure with the well travelled guys who will be part of this it will be a blast. Add to this the local expertise of BB and it will be truly epic that it will DWARF anything the boys in the DR can do...

The car idea would be epic...like our own one car Gumball rally to Siberia. It would also be lots of headaches and an initial outlaw of a nice chunk of change to get the bimmer (non-negotiable, we must roll in style and luxury). I wonder how much paper work it would involve, and how much trouble at the borders when they see a 7 series full of Americans. I like the Trans-Siberian railway idea even more.

I'm on track to have my "shits" in good order come July and I'll probably be spending much more than a few months there...it's possible I spend closer to 8-9 months then hop down to the Philippines and hang with my buddy there and explore Asia. I may even get a 20-30 hour a week ESL gig in Russia to make it look like I wasn't totally dicking around for a year in Siberia.

What I'm battling with is whether I should fully embrace Russia and try to learn the language and work there for a while and build that into my career, or just make it a stop on my year or so travel adventure. Part of me also is saying do what Roosh did and start with S America.

Quote: (11-22-2012 02:23 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

just read this entire thread and boy this is looking like a truly epic adventure in the making if we do make it there with 3-4 hardcore guys from here who have their shits together. I love the idea of getting together say in early Sept 2013 and meeting in say Moscow or Ste Pets and from there, get on the Trans Siberia train and then once in the selected city, we could rent/or buy a cheap car/van and go sexplore the region otherwise, we'd get bored to death in some of these shit holes. Depending on how many of us would go there, we could then decide to either get one sick pad, say a luxury 3-4 bedroom penthouse in the best/poshest area in town and share the costs.

I'm really looking forward for this and I'm sure with the well travelled guys who will be part of this it will be a blast. Add to this the local expertise of BB and it will be truly epic that it will DWARF anything the boys in the DR can do...

A big player pad is a good idea...would need to limit it to 3-4 guys max though. And something that big and nice may be hard to find in a 2nd tier city.

There will probably be two categories of guys on this trip: a) those who have lots of time (months), and b) those who have much less time (weeks). I'm in category b. Road trip sounds awesome for those who can dedicate the time for it....although I'm not sure if starting off in a confined environment with a bunch of guys you've never met and don't know if you like is the smartest idea, but hell, it should be lots of fun.

For those who don't participate in the road trip, I think it would be reasonable to pitch in for a small portion of the car if you get the benefit of it once you're in the Siberian location.

Anyway, shouldn't the city be picked. I think we're suffering from the paradox of choice: there are too many places and so end up picking none of them. Should we just settle on Novosibirsk? There's little towns and cities near it so Vorkuta can fulfill his kolhoz fantasy of dreamy Russian village girls and also milk a cow and collect some eggs.

Quote: (11-25-2012 03:54 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

Sorry I've not been able to add much to the thread discussion recently. Been having a health problem that has kept me distracted and taken up most of my time. Anyway...

Regarding learning Russian: I can't emphasise enough how much quicker your progress will be in a class environment as opposed to self learning courses. I started of learning Russian with a book but it was only when I joined a class that I made real progress very quickly. I took 20 lessons and what I learnt in those lessons has gone on to form the bedrock of my Russian knowledge to this day. Of course that isn't possible for everyone to do,probably not many Russian courses in S.America but I cannot emphasise how much you will get back from them. To be able to direct questions at a native and hear words pronounced correctly is invaluable.

Secondly,and this is only my personal opinion but, if you are trying to get conversational quickly forget grammar,just ignore it except 3 important parts: how to formulate plurals, verb conjunctions and verb tenses. Trust me on this as I speak from experience. Russian grammar is a head fuck of epic proportions ( go ahead and read a grammar book - go look at how to form the Dative neuter past plural - and remember you have to do something similar in every sentence. ) and you need to dedicate months and months to nail it. Instead nail as many words and verbs as you can and then just conjunct them in your own way which I promise you will be understood by everyone there. The people I know who speak the most practical Russian and have the most fluency ( research the difference between fluency and being fluent if you are not sure of the difference ) are the guys who did not study grammar initially. Of course if you are planning to nail the language like a native you need strong grammatical bedrocks but for chasing women for a few months it is unessential. I have no idea how to form the Dative neuter plural past tense but it has never held me back once - where as lack of vocabulary has held me back many times. Get a Russian teacher,learn lots of words and speak it even when alone. Make up songs and sing to yourself in Russian,have conversations with yourself in Russian,watch Russian movies,listen to Russian singers like Vysotsky,Tsoi and zemfira. Get passionate about it and you will get conversational quickly.

Regarding the trip: I really think we need wheels on this trip. I drove to Russia once and the freedom it gave me having my own wheels was a game changer. I ended up at places it would never have hit without transport,small village nightclubs in Belarus,Kolkhoz farm dischotecs,provincial university dormitories etc. I know VP is in on this idea with me and we propose that we buy a motor for the trip. I have researched and it's almost impossible to buy in Russia as a foreigner plus they are not overly cheap there because of import duties. So why don't we meet up in Germany say,where we can buy a really cheap second hand BMW or Audi and then drive from there to Siberia? We could sell the car at the end and of the trip and get our money back. That won't be everyone's idea of fun so if you don't want to be part of the road trip that's cool,we'll meet you there but think about it,we can stop off on the way for nights out in Warsaw,Minsk,Moscow etc. and then on to our chosen city. The first RVF road trip. Let me get your feedback on that idea guys.

Vorkuta, what would be your monthly bankroll in Russia? I could do 5000 dollars a month. Have good cash flow but I also have some debts to pay.

Quote: (11-26-2012 04:24 PM)Menace Wrote:  

There will probably be two categories of guys on this trip: a) those who have lots of time (months), and b) those who have much less time (weeks). I'm in category b. Road trip sounds awesome for those who can dedicate the time for it....although I'm not sure if starting off in a confined environment with a bunch of guys you've never met and don't know if you like is the smartest idea, but hell, it should be lots of fun.

For those who don't participate in the road trip, I think it would be reasonable to pitch in for a small portion of the car if you get the benefit of it once you're in the Siberian location.

Anyway, shouldn't the city be picked. I think we're suffering from the paradox of choice: there are too many places and so end up picking none of them. Should we just settle on Novosibirsk? There's little towns and cities near it so Vorkuta can fulfill his kolhoz fantasy of dreamy Russian village girls and also milk a cow and collect some eggs.

Until someone comes up with something better, than Novosibirsk it is it. I am sure there are many siberian villages and towns we can explore also. One thing I found about even with just my brother here in Natal, Brazil, a city of even 800,000 is not enough for 2 or 3 players, especially when there are other foreigners around.

Quote: (11-26-2012 04:40 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

Until someone comes up with something better, than Novosibirsk it is it. I am sure there are many siberian villages and towns we can explore also. One thing I found about even with just my brother here in Natal, Brazil, a city of even 800,000 is not enough for 2 or 3 players, especially when there are other foreigners around.

That's been my vote all along. It ticks all the boxes.

Quote: (11-26-2012 04:35 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

Vorkuta, what would be your monthly bankroll in Russia? I could do 5000 dollars a month. Have good cash flow but I also have some debts to pay.

I'd say about £1500 GBP all in ( about $2200 ) Choche. Of course it depends upon how much you like to party etc. But that budget would be plenty for me if I was based in one city especially if I was sharing an apartment. In Belarus in the provinces I spent about $1200 US a month but Belarus is cheaper then Russia I think.

Novosibirsk is getting a lot of love,let's find some examples of apartments in the town and prices. It seems like a decent place,big and with plenty of entertainment options. I think we can take it for granted that the quality there is pretty epic. I agree we should pencil it in as our destination. If anyone has other suggestions for a location then by all means speak up and we can debate it's merits too.

Quote: (11-26-2012 05:11 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

I'd say about £1500 GBP all in ( about $2200 ) Choche. Of course it depends upon how much you like to party etc. But that budget would be plenty for me if I was based in one city especially if I was sharing an apartment. In Belarus in the provinces I spent about $1200 US a month but Belarus is cheaper then Russia I think.

Novosibirsk is getting a lot of love,let's find some examples of apartments in the town and prices. It seems like a decent place,big and with plenty of entertainment options. I think we can take it for granted that the quality there is pretty epic. I agree we should pencil it in as our destination. If anyone has other suggestions for a location then by all means speak up and we can debate it's merits too.

That's about where I would be..$2-2.5k. I'd try to conserve where possible though and obviously would not be dropping $100 on vodka sodas in a typical night out like I do at home.

Airbnb for Novo sucks. What we need is a contact on the ground there. Brownbear, know anyone? Just found http://www.novosibirskguide.com.

Sounds like a great plan so far. I am liking the 3 year Russian/American visa that is new. It allows up to 6 months in country and so far it sounds like you can make a border run for another 6 months.

I really want to focus on learning the language while there. I missed out when I was in Ukraine because I was working a lot. I will need solid internet.

Looks like there are some Sambo training in Novosibirsk. Might be a great place for a base.

Quote: (11-26-2012 05:11 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

Quote: (11-26-2012 04:35 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

Vorkuta, what would be your monthly bankroll in Russia? I could do 5000 dollars a month. Have good cash flow but I also have some debts to pay.

I'd say about £1500 GBP all in ( about $2200 ) Choche. Of course it depends upon how much you like to party etc. But that budget would be plenty for me if I was based in one city especially if I was sharing an apartment. In Belarus in the provinces I spent about $1200 US a month but Belarus is cheaper then Russia I think.

Novosibirsk is getting a lot of love,let's find some examples of apartments in the town and prices. It seems like a decent place,big and with plenty of entertainment options. I think we can take it for granted that the quality there is pretty epic. I agree we should pencil it in as our destination. If anyone has other suggestions for a location then by all means speak up and we can debate it's merits too.

Vorkuta, I am a novice in the FSU, so I probably exagerated what a typical budget would be. So if it is about $2500 a month, it is around what I am spending in Brazil. I dont go out that much, maybe 1 or 2x a week, so dont see a problem with the our budgets. In Colombia it is around $2000 a month.

Quote: (11-26-2012 05:26 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

Quote: (11-26-2012 05:11 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

Quote: (11-26-2012 04:35 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

Vorkuta, what would be your monthly bankroll in Russia? I could do 5000 dollars a month. Have good cash flow but I also have some debts to pay.

I'd say about £1500 GBP all in ( about $2200 ) Choche. Of course it depends upon how much you like to party etc. But that budget would be plenty for me if I was based in one city especially if I was sharing an apartment. In Belarus in the provinces I spent about $1200 US a month but Belarus is cheaper then Russia I think.

Novosibirsk is getting a lot of love,let's find some examples of apartments in the town and prices. It seems like a decent place,big and with plenty of entertainment options. I think we can take it for granted that the quality there is pretty epic. I agree we should pencil it in as our destination. If anyone has other suggestions for a location then by all means speak up and we can debate it's merits too.

Vorkuta, I am a novice in the FSU, so I probably exagerated what a typical budget would be. So if it is about $2500 a month, it is around what I am spending in Brazil. I dont go out that much, maybe 1 or 2x a week, so dont see a problem with the our budgets. In Colombia it is around $2000 a month.

I anticipate going out much more than that. Maybe 3-4x per week.

Quote: (11-26-2012 05:19 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  

Quote: (11-26-2012 05:11 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

I'd say about £1500 GBP all in ( about $2200 ) Choche. Of course it depends upon how much you like to party etc. But that budget would be plenty for me if I was based in one city especially if I was sharing an apartment. In Belarus in the provinces I spent about $1200 US a month but Belarus is cheaper then Russia I think.

Novosibirsk is getting a lot of love,let's find some examples of apartments in the town and prices. It seems like a decent place,big and with plenty of entertainment options. I think we can take it for granted that the quality there is pretty epic. I agree we should pencil it in as our destination. If anyone has other suggestions for a location then by all means speak up and we can debate it's merits too.

That's about where I would be..$2-2.5k. I'd try to conserve where possible though and obviously not be dropping $100 on vodka sodas in a typical night out like I do at home.

Airbnb for Novo sucks. What we need is a contact on the ground there. Brownbear, know anyone? Just found http://www.novosibirskguide.com.

Yes that is a prime consideration about picking a city.....if we can find 1 or 2 decent apartments. I think that might be a problem for any 2nd tier city in Russia, unless we are there in person or who have Bear help us out.

This apt may garner a "nice place" comment here in the States, but is this an example of a panty dropper when it comes to Russia?

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/443581

It would be sick to find something like this...but I'd venture to say it doesn't exist in 2nd tier Russia:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/191377

Quote: (11-26-2012 05:28 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  

Quote: (11-26-2012 05:26 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

Quote: (11-26-2012 05:11 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

Quote: (11-26-2012 04:35 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

Vorkuta, what would be your monthly bankroll in Russia? I could do 5000 dollars a month. Have good cash flow but I also have some debts to pay.

I'd say about £1500 GBP all in ( about $2200 ) Choche. Of course it depends upon how much you like to party etc. But that budget would be plenty for me if I was based in one city especially if I was sharing an apartment. In Belarus in the provinces I spent about $1200 US a month but Belarus is cheaper then Russia I think.

Novosibirsk is getting a lot of love,let's find some examples of apartments in the town and prices. It seems like a decent place,big and with plenty of entertainment options. I think we can take it for granted that the quality there is pretty epic. I agree we should pencil it in as our destination. If anyone has other suggestions for a location then by all means speak up and we can debate it's merits too.

Vorkuta, I am a novice in the FSU, so I probably exagerated what a typical budget would be. So if it is about $2500 a month, it is around what I am spending in Brazil. I dont go out that much, maybe 1 or 2x a week, so dont see a problem with the our budgets. In Colombia it is around $2000 a month.

I anticipate going out much more than that. Maybe 3-4x per week.

I probably wont drink for 3 months before going to Russia, so I can get my liver ready for more than what I am used to.

How much Asian influence do you expect their would be on the women? It seems like the city is very close to Mongolia I'm wondering if that would play much of a part on the type of women you would see in the area?

Does anyone into this play an instrument? I'm a singer songwriter and being "a band" would be good cover. I can throw down for real, people know I'm not kidding.

Also, about the car, I would be into contributing, but you should realize a car is a big liability in Russia, all police pad their incomes by stopping you on the street and basically extorting money from you.

It might be wiser to get something so cheap you can just abandon it if it dies. ( A 2k Lada split four ways?) If you have a major problem with a 5-10K Beamer you will be reluctant to just leave it behind and how the hell do you find a mechanic who won't gouge? And the rebuilt transmission will cost, like, the Eiffel tower....

Quote: (11-26-2012 07:13 PM)deepcov3r Wrote:  

Does anyone into this play an instrument? I'm a singer songwriter and being "a band" would be good cover. I can throw down for real, people know I'm not kidding.

Also, about the car, I would be into contributing, but you should realize a car is a big liability in Russia, all police pad their incomes by stopping you on the street and basically extorting money from you.

It might be wiser to get something so cheap you can just abandon it if it dies. ( A 2k Lada split four ways?) If you have a major problem with a 5-10K Beamer you will be reluctant to just leave it behind and how the hell do you find a mechanic who won't gouge? And the rebuilt transmission will cost, like, the Eiffel tower....

Yeah I can play any instrument in your basic band (guitar, drums and piano) and also DJ, if that were to be a cover for the group.

Quote: (11-26-2012 07:13 PM)deepcov3r Wrote:  

Does anyone into this play an instrument? I'm a singer songwriter and being "a band" would be good cover. I can throw down for real, people know I'm not kidding.

Also, about the car, I would be into contributing, but you should realize a car is a big liability in Russia, all police pad their incomes by stopping you on the street and basically extorting money from you.

It might be wiser to get something so cheap you can just abandon it if it dies. ( A 2k Lada split four ways?) If you have a major problem with a 5-10K Beamer you will be reluctant to just leave it behind and how the hell do you find a mechanic who won't gouge? And the rebuilt transmission will cost, like, the Eiffel tower....

deppcov3r do you like the beatles, nirvana, coldplay, oasis, etc?
we can bust out some harmonies.

choche - I think you are supposed to train your liver by drinking more. I had 8 days off from the devils juice recently because I got sick. My first 2 pints knocked me for six. Normally it would not touch the sides

deepcover - I have played guitar in bands all my life. Anglo rock band in Rural Russia. Groupie heaven

P.S. I can confirm Novosibirsk has some fine tail from girls I met in Moscow.

Whoa we have some dudes ready to throw down. Musicians get a LOT of good will; people tend to find us amusing. At least we do something besides sit there and watch soccer games, no offense for fans, but chicks like drama. I can double on drums and bass too but not on complex stuff.

I personally wouldn't want to play a lot of copy songs, but a few are all right. The hardest thing with lightweight touring is drum sets. There are cocktail drum sets with integrated bass/snare, and tiny amps now ( like 15 watts) that roar.

Here's a cheap cocktail set at the ever-popular Walmart.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/10975382?adid=...la&veh=sem

You can buy better but for about 300 it's hard to get full pro stuff.

There are probably no low-budget Anglo bands in Novosibirsk, it will be as if we fell from the moon.

I was once surprised once when in Russia a host wanted me to play a song for him to video, and I played an original, then when I played a Police song he stopped recording. IT was too common and not interesting for him.

Wow you guys could really be onto something here.

I've played guitar, bass, piano, and trumpet for about 4 years each...but it's been a decade since I've touched any of them. I can pick up the bass or guitar and be ready to jam in short order though. Played bass in a decent cover band in HS (played a few bars, tore it up at battle of the bands and talent shows )

I don't listen to much rock these days (it's all electronic, dub step, rap for me), but I'll gladly get back into rock if it means wooing Russian girls.

The sad thing is that we have 273 posts without boots on the ground. The DR guys went with guns blasting. It is a harder mission but my word----- if Russian Embassy in Ecuador does not intefere with, I will be there with guitar, muscles and my mediocre Russian in Siberia in August.

Quote: (11-26-2012 08:06 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

The sad thing is that we have 273 posts without boots on the ground. The DR guys went with guns blasting. It is a harder mission but my word----- if Russian Embassy in Ecuador does not intefere with, I will be there with guitar, muscles and my mediocre Russian in Siberia in August.