Adaptation problems

[DennisMoscow]

What problems have you had to face while adapting to living in Russia? What would you describe as the most important problems?

[Benedikt]

What problems have you had to face while adapting to living in Russia? What would you describe as the most important problems?

i came here 35 years ago. maybe because i have worked in many other countries before Russia and where english was not the main language, i did not have many problems. a friendly please and thank you got me most of the time everything.

in the beginning my biggest problem were actually my fellow expat colleagues, managers and directors. if they returned me all the money i loaned them, they borrowed from me or did not pay my salary i would be travelling the world now.so, after i got burned nicely, i became a bastard, ar--e hole but spent my money on myself and my family only.

therefore write it in BIG LETTERS over your bed and read it every night. NEVER borrow or loan Expat -friends- or -colleagues- any money. and might it be 100 rubles only....
NEVER become guarantor for anything. might that be a signature on car papers, freight documents for a container of coffee ( this was NOT a Nigerian letter, the coffee arrived but to late).

[Uncle Wally]

What problems have you had to face while adapting to living in Russia? What would you describe as the most important problems?

Too many very beautiful women! Hard to know which one should be first.

[DennisMoscow]

Benedikt, That's a very didactic story indeed...
On the plus side, good Samaritans save fellow expats in difficult situations, so the community has sense of fellowship. For example, a couple of years ago a German expat, Ralf Weber, 66, who was ill, had expired documents, no money and was not even being able to leave the country was helped by his fellow countrymen who donated some 60 thousand rubles so he could buy whatever medicine he needed to get better and fly home to his family. I guess exceptions should be made for extraordinary situations like that after all.

[Benedikt]

Benedikt, That's a very didactic story indeed...
On the plus side, good Samaritans save fellow expats in difficult situations, so the community has sense of fellowship. For example, a couple of years ago a German expat, Ralf Weber, 66, who was ill, had expired documents, no money and was not even being able to leave the country was helped by his fellow countrymen who donated some 60 thousand rubles so he could buy whatever medicine he needed to get better and fly home to his family. I guess exceptions should be made for extraordinary situations like that after all.

that was the exception rather than the rule. and what is 60 000 Rubles. even at times when the $$$ was maybe 30 Rubles... and Expats were boosting they mad salaries of 6,7,8,9 and 10 000 Dollars....

[Uncle Wally]

Benedikt, That's a very didactic story indeed...
On the plus side, good Samaritans save fellow expats in difficult situations, so the community has sense of fellowship. For example, a couple of years ago a German expat, Ralf Weber, 66, who was ill, had expired documents, no money and was not even being able to leave the country was helped by his fellow countrymen who donated some 60 thousand rubles so he could buy whatever medicine he needed to get better and fly home to his family. I guess exceptions should be made for extraordinary situations like that after all.

Yeah but I have a different story. How the "expat community" was greedy and selfish and it was Russians that helped.

[Uncle Wally]

that was the exception rather than the rule. and what is 60 000 Rubles. even at times when the $$$ was maybe 30 Rubles... and Expats were boosting they mad salaries of 6,7,8,9 and 10 000 Dollars....

To Russians it's not about the numbers. It's about helping and life.