I Might Move to Russia????

[odbo]

[have2fly]

Yep, for long-term life plans I agree with Eastern Europe option. It is relatively cheap, much better law enforcement and quality of life in general. Also Eastern Europeans still preserved a lot of their culture, traditions and good quality girls etc. Even Western Europe is good if you find a good job there.

Despite what you guys said previously, some Americans love living in Russia because there is good food and good girls. Moscow is full of expats, St. Pete has many of them as well. But there lots of problems there with economy, corruption, lawlessness, drinking, street fights and robberies etc. I would suggest spending a few weeks there before moving.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is a far eastern Siberian city, they have winter 8 months per year, there is no connection to "mainland Russia" besides airplane, it is near Japan by the way, relatively near, lol It is very beautiful nature there, some amazing mineral waters around that is used for health conditions etc.

[ladislav]

I lived in Russia from 4-14 and I liked it there a lot. It was a happy boyhood. I had lots of friends and buddies and it was generally a healthy environment mentally, that is. Would not know how to live there as an adult, though.
It is very bureaucratic and you will have most problems with visas, etc.
The Far East of Russia has the friendliest people, by the way.
As far as the problems described by the Arab, well, philosophically speaking every place you go to will have some kind of BS you will have to put up with. What is important is whether the place's pluses and minuses will make it worthwhile for you personally and whether you have high tolerance to put up with certain types of BS or whether it will be intolerable for you.
As far as Russians being odd, yes it is true if you are an outside observer and are not used to their culture and the way they do things. They certainly do not seem odd to themselves but see Americans as odd. Oddness is in the eyes of the observer since he compares it to the way people in the cultures he is used to act. But Russia is very different, that's for sure. One thing is true- Russians do not act at all like the Hollywood representations of them- stiff, Nazi like, unsmiling people interspersing their speech with the " Yes, comrade" phrase. Most are melodramatic, poetic, interchanging between the extremes of misery and extasy. But they do understand friendship which lasts a lifetime and they do believe in true love and are good at socializing. There is no loneliness there, at least not for men.
Do study up on Russia before you go- especially try to understand the Russian "soul". You will find that it is somewhat similar to the black American concept of soul and Russian friendship and brotherly feelings among men are similar to the way black people in the US treat each other as brothers.
Here in the Philippines you have one type of BS, in the US , you have another type. Choose your poison for the sake of the benefit you receive for being there. If you can handle it, then good for you.
You will be the only Black guy around and will draw attention daily. Like in the Philippines I am often the only white guy for tens of miles if not hundreds of miles and I draw attention and people act in all kinds of ways. But I am used to it by now and it no longer bothers me. In Thailand, I could not hack the daily teasing and mockery, here it is not as bad and it's alright.
If you are there, you will have to see if the overall sum total of BS and benefit in your life makes it a generally happy life.

[terminator]

You can go to Russia as a tourist, but you'll find getting a long tern visa or permission to work is Kafka-esque and basically impossible. The Govt workers will almost NEVER do their job because they hate their boss, life, career, family and can scapegoat you for all this.

[ladislav]

Get a job teaching English- USD 1000 a month and they get you the visas. If you marry, you get a permit to live there and then residency.

No countries just give residency to a tourist for no reason. Not the US, not Russia, no one. Either you have money to invest, a job or a skill they need (read: job) or you are married to a local.

[Jester]

Get a job teaching English- USD 1000 a month and they get you the visas.

Good suggestion.

If you marry, you get a permit to live there and then residency.

Get thee behind me, Satan!

No countries just give residency to a tourist for no reason. Not the US, not Russia, no one. Either you have money to invest, a job or a skill they need (read: job) or you are married to a local.

Not really true. You are referring to advanced countries like Japan, Europe, Anglosphere, etc. But Mexico, Philippines, Guatemala, Belize, Paraguay.... much easier.

[terminator]

Get a job teaching English- USD 1000 a month and they get you the visas. If you marry, you get a permit to live there and then residency.

No countries just give residency to a tourist for no reason. Not the US, not Russia, no one. Either you have money to invest, a job or a skill they need (read: job) or you are married to a local.

Russia is slowly being turned into the Soviet Union. I could not get the work permit to teach English there as my boss could not "prove" why a Russian can't do this job. Also, the work permit process is basically impossible for employers and only the State can get work permits for foreigners. Also, my friend married a Russian girl and the staff broke up their family: he was not given any residency permit as the staff "wasted time"until his visa expired. E.g. he'd queue up at the only office he was allowed to go to (depending on his registered address), and the staff would find fault with translations or lose his papers until his visa expired.

[xiongmao]

Have you actually met her yet? Falling in love online is very risky.

[ladislav]

Get a job teaching English- USD 1000 a month and they get you the visas. If you marry, you get a permit to live there and then residency.

No countries just give residency to a tourist for no reason. Not the US, not Russia, no one. Either you have money to invest, a job or a skill they need (read: job) or you are married to a local.

Russia is slowly being turned into the Soviet Union. I could not get the work permit to teach English there as my boss could not "prove" why a Russian can't do this job. Also, the work permit process is basically impossible for employers and only the State can get work permits for foreigners. Also, my friend married a Russian girl and the staff broke up their family: he was not given any residency permit as the staff "wasted time"until his visa expired. E.g. he'd queue up at the only office he was allowed to go to (depending on his registered address), and the staff would find fault with translations or lose his papers until his visa expired.

I guess he was ( as me in Thailand) very unlucky. There are so many Americans working in Russia now, the schools obtain documents for them from the State and many are married and living there. And the school that hired you was incompetent at getting visas. Exactly as what happened to me in the Land of Smiles- the company could not sponsor me- they did not know the procedure and the immigration did not help. All the while I would see thousands of smiling and successful westerners living, working and succeeding there.

[ph]

Yep, for long-term life plans I agree with Eastern Europe option. It is relatively cheap, much better law enforcement and quality of life in general. Also Eastern Europeans still preserved a lot of their culture, traditions and good quality girls etc. Even Western Europe is good if you find a good job there.

Despite what you guys said previously, some Americans love living in Russia because there is good food and good girls. Moscow is full of expats, St. Pete has many of them as well. But there lots of problems there with economy, corruption, lawlessness, drinking, street fights and robberies etc. I would suggest spending a few weeks there before moving.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is a far eastern Siberian city, they have winter 8 months per year, there is no connection to "mainland Russia" besides airplane, it is near Japan by the way, relatively near, lol It is very beautiful nature there, some amazing mineral waters around that is used for health conditions etc.

Eastern Europe is actually the place that I have thought of. True it is cheap however the pay is low as well. On the other hand, I'd like to think that their institution and process of doing business is as bureaucratic as it was in the FSU. Especially since they use to belong to the soviet union.

Secondly cuz a lot of Eastern Europe is under the EU, wouldn't it still be tough to move there? Unless there is a loophole which my irish flatmate had suggested that there is a loophole in EU immigration- but I am not sure about that.

[Hero]

@Hero,
And for Hero, go to Kyrgyzstan instead of the Philippines.

Interesting suggestion. Please explain.

[thatkid1]

Have you actually met her yet? Falling in love online is very risky.

Catfish: The TV Show: Happier Abroad Edition