Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Moving/ Relocating
I live in Ukraine — AMA
Previous  1  2  3  4



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 25 2021, 2:39 am
amother [ Dill ] wrote:
Are all the frum people and the Shuls Chabad? Are there misnagdim and MO?


Yes of course!

I’m sure there are lots of Chabad, but there’s also MO/Euro JPF, litvish kollels, new chassidish shuls/schools always opening...
Back to top

sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 25 2021, 2:54 am
gr82no wrote:
Sorry you misunderstood me. I was trying to ask how modern your electricity and plumbing is.
Also I heard from people that a bus ride in Ukraine is extremely unpleasant is it true?


Yes, that’s why I’ve never taken a long bus ride.

But it’s not that Greyhound is very nice either.

Buses just suck.

I take the overnight train pretty often and it’s okay. Last night I was on the train from Kharkiv to Kyiv. It was very basic — bed linens, hot water, a cleanish bathroom — but honestly I’ve gotten used to Ukrainian trains. I was coughing like mad from a horrendous cold and one of the women in my compartment asked very hesitantly and sweetly if I wouldn’t mind wearing a mask just over my mouth. Can you imagine what would have happened in America?

People just have more common sense here.
Back to top

chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 25 2021, 3:00 am
If I understand correctly, you left Ukraine as a child and returned as an adult after living the majority of your life in America, how easy was it to reintegrate into Ukrainian society, are there any language or cultural gaps that you have because of your long absence?
Back to top

sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 25 2021, 3:42 am
chanchy123 wrote:
If I understand correctly, you left Ukraine as a child and returned as an adult after living the majority of your life in America, how easy was it to reintegrate into Ukrainian society, are there any language or cultural gaps that you have because of your long absence?


Well, I don’t speak Ukrainian, so that doesn’t help... 😼

Otherwise... well, I’ve mistakenly thought people were flirting with me when they were just being nice 😲

People in general are quite helpful, since life is hard and you have to band together.

Again, mostly Kyiv bubble, and I’ve heard stories of what life is like in some other places. Drinking, unemployment, negative population growth.
Back to top

Mayflower




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 25 2021, 3:49 am
sequoia wrote:
Yes of course!

I’m sure there are lots of Chabad, but there’s also MO/Euro JPF, litvish kollels, new chassidish shuls/schools always opening...

It sounds like there's a huge frum community. Can you put a number on it? How many frum people are there in the Ukraine?

Is there a lot of interaction with frum communities from other countries?

What I mean by this is: when you're in London, or Antwerp, or Zurich, you always meet people from Israel/France/US/... I don't think I have ever in my life come across anyone from the Ukraine (who actually lived there in the recent past). Why is that?

Also: the only (non-Jewish) Ukrainians I know are women who came to our country to work as cleaning ladies. They are happy to work 10 hours a day, and earn 6 EUR an hour cleaning bathrooms, and some of them have degrees (or so they claim)! What is the financial situation of the average Ukrainian like if they would choose such a life?
Back to top

sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 25 2021, 4:50 am
Mayflower wrote:
It sounds like there's a huge frum community. Can you put a number on it? How many frum people are there in the Ukraine?

Is there a lot of interaction with frum communities from other countries?

What I mean by this is: when you're in London, or Antwerp, or Zurich, you always meet people from Israel/France/US/... I don't think I have ever in my life come across anyone from the Ukraine (who actually lived there in the recent past). Why is that?

Also: the only (non-Jewish) Ukrainians I know are women who came to our country to work as cleaning ladies. They are happy to work 10 hours a day, and earn 6 EUR an hour cleaning bathrooms, and some of them have degrees (or so they claim)! What is the financial situation of the average Ukrainian like if they would choose such a life?


I really can’t give you figures, but having variety doesn’t necessarily mean “huge.” It just means people like to have their own shuls.


The inequality — yes, it’s shocking. I could write pages and pages about it. The luxury, the million $ apartments on one hand and the $300 salaries on the other hand. Ukraine is not Zimbabwe, but in terms of the inequality it’s for sure not a first world country.

Doctors and teachers make very little. I talked about academia in an earlier post. Government jobs or customer service — forget it.

But a totally average IT guy working for an American, European, or Israeli firm will make $5k a month which is very very comfortable here.

It’s not fair and everyone knows it.
Back to top

elaela




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Feb 26 2022, 3:24 pm
HOW R U???
Did you leave the country or are you staying?
Please update us!!!

We say Teheilim, I have many friends from and in the Ukraine. VERY VERY SAD.
Back to top

amother
Azalea


 

Post Sat, Feb 26 2022, 6:28 pm
Sequoia, Hope you are ok. I am sure it must be so hard to sleep with all the panic. Hoping you are safe. We are praying for you.
Back to top

iyar




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 03 2022, 11:22 am
How are you?
Are you safe?
Are you comfortable telling us where you are?
Last I saw you were reaching out for help, contacts, wondering how (or if) that worked out.
Back to top
Page 4 of 4 Previous  1  2  3  4 Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Moving/ Relocating

Related Topics Replies Last Post
question if you live in Raintree
by amother
11 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 8:55 am View last post
Anyone here live in Karmiel and can tell me
by amother
8 Mon, Mar 25 2024, 12:59 pm View last post
Do you consider where family when you choose where to live?
by amother
13 Sun, Mar 24 2024, 8:55 am View last post
I'm a natural speed reader, AMA
by amother
46 Fri, Mar 22 2024, 3:29 pm View last post
I’m bored 😂 I’m a mom of a SN child AMA
by amother
39 Fri, Mar 22 2024, 8:32 am View last post