Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

[vnatale]

Our next visit will be Vinnystia.

I keep telling Vin he needs to return to the town he founded and clean that place up, but so far no answer.

The name certainly jumped out at me when I saw it a few days ago and did a Bing search on it.

[Mountaineer]

We have a new mantra: Bing-a-Vin. Might make for a good wine label. Vinny, get a trademark for us, quickly before the word gets out.

[dualstow]

Smith, what’s the Internet situation like? Using coffee shop WiFi?
How does the police presence compare with Canada?
Any drunken homeless?

We have a new mantra: Bing-a-Vin. Might make for a good wine label. Vinny, get a trademark for us, quickly before the word gets out.

[Smith1776]

Our next visit will be Vinnystia.

I keep telling Vin he needs to return to the town he founded and clean that place up, but so far no answer.

Our next visit will be Vinnystia.

I keep telling Vin he needs to return to the town he founded and clean that place up, but so far no answer.

The name certainly jumped out at me when I saw it a few days ago and did a Bing search on it.

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[dualstow]

Oh, that has to be your new avatar, Vinny

[vnatale]

Oh, that has to be your new avatar, Vinny

Classic case of the picture being able to lie!

Plus, I am the polar opposite of you when it comes to changing avatars. You are extremely frequent while I'm once every two, three, or more years.

Finally, would you prefer to be loved or trusted?

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[Smith1776]

Oh, that has to be your new avatar, Vinny

Classic case of the picture being able to lie!

Plus, I am the polar opposite of you when it comes to changing avatars. You are extremely frequent while I'm once every two, three, or more years.

Finally, would you prefer to be loved or trusted?

77362105-firmi-i-love-vinnytsia-nel-centro-della-città-vinnytsia-ucraina.jpg

Life is theatre!

[Smith1776]

Smith, what’s the Internet situation like? Using coffee shop WiFi?
How does the police presence compare with Canada?
Any drunken homeless?

We have a new mantra: Bing-a-Vin. Might make for a good wine label. Vinny, get a trademark for us, quickly before the word gets out.

Just got back from a day of sightseeing and shopping with the fiance and soon-to-be in-laws. A much needed chill day.

The Internet here is spotty, but from what I understand it's mostly the result of the war situation currently going on. I'm mostly getting 3G or even edge network coverage, but in the bigger cities like Vinnytsia there's modern LTE speeds. Because the cellular networks are pretty bad, usage of public wifi is extremely common -- sometimes even necessary -- to get real work done.

The police are pretty lax for the most part, but there's lots of military presence. Even in cities far from the war front there are lots of soldiers trying to ferret out potential Russian spies.

Lots of drunks... both the homeless as well as "homed" variety.

[vnatale]

Smith, what’s the Internet situation like? Using coffee shop WiFi?
How does the police presence compare with Canada?
Any drunken homeless?

We have a new mantra: Bing-a-Vin. Might make for a good wine label. Vinny, get a trademark for us, quickly before the word gets out.

Just got back from a day of sightseeing and shopping with the fiance and soon-to-be in-laws. A much needed chill day.

The Internet here is spotty, but from what I understand it's mostly the result of the war situation currently going on. I'm mostly getting 3G or even edge network coverage, but in the bigger cities like Vinnytsia there's modern LTE speeds. Because the cellular networks are pretty bad, usage of public wifi is extremely common -- sometimes even necessary -- to get real work done.

The police are pretty lax for the most part, but there's lots of military presence. Even in cities far from the war front there are lots of soldiers trying to ferret out potential Russian spies.

Lots of drunks... both the homeless as well as "homed" variety.

After 9/11 .... when I was on the New York City subways in the spring of 2002 it was somewhat startling to see either the police or military with machine guns also on those subways.

[dualstow]

Gotta watch out for those homed drunkards

Finally, would you prefer to be loved or trusted?

I don’t know. I guess they kind of go together. But if it’s Taylor Swift, then loved.

I think Boglerdude’s question to Smithers about Trump got lost in the shuffle, but it’s also possible that politics haven’t come up. Idk know that Trump is really known as the “No wars” guy here, there or anywhere. But maybe?

[Mountaineer]

Finally, would you prefer to be loved or trusted?

Yes.

[dualstow]

Also, Smith, have any locals engaged you in conversation? Maybe they heard you speaking English or you were visibly non-Ukrainian ;-) Not counting anyone selling anything; just curious people who felt like being friendly.

[vnatale]

Finally, would you prefer to be loved or trusted?

Yes.

What's the difference between a duck?

[Smith1776]

Also, Smith, have any locals engaged you in conversation? Maybe they heard you speaking English or you were visibly non-Ukrainian ;-) Not counting anyone selling anything; just curious people who felt like being friendly.

Hahaha aside from salespeople, absolutely not.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that I haven’t seen a single other Asian person my entire time here. When the locals see me they often do a double take, as if I were a minor celebrity or something.

No one talks to me unless I say something to them first.

[Smith1776]

Given the war economy, I think I’m going to look into how a domestic PP would have done here in Ukraine recently.

[dualstow]

I’m not exaggerating when I say that I haven’t seen a single other Asian person my entire time here. When the locals see me they often do a double take, as if I were a minor celebrity or something.

Maybe you could have a role in a soap opera there, like Quagmire was “American Johnny” on the Korean soap in Family Guy
I take it then that there are few to no African-Amer- ah, African Ukrainians around.

[Mountaineer]

Finally, would you prefer to be loved or trusted?

Yes.

What's the difference between a duck?

One of its legs is both the same. ;-)

[vnatale]

Finally, would you prefer to be loved or trusted?

Yes.

What's the difference between a duck?

One of its legs is both the same. ;-)

You got me! I've exhausted my responses in this vein! I had to pull out something the guitarist in our band would frequently say over 50 years ago. Did he get it from The Marx Brothers?

[Mountaineer]

Finally, would you prefer to be loved or trusted?

Yes.

What's the difference between a duck?

One of its legs is both the same. ;-)

You got me! I've exhausted my responses in this vein! I had to pull out something the guitarist in our band would frequently say over 50 years ago. Did he get it from The Marx Brothers?

That I don’t know. But the duck Q and A is something I have had fun with for decades with my grandkids and other little tykes. It’s invariably a puzzler and gets a hearty laugh when I give them the answer and explain it it's not supposed to make sense.

[vnatale]

Finally, would you prefer to be loved or trusted?

Yes.

What's the difference between a duck?

One of its legs is both the same. ;-)

You got me! I've exhausted my responses in this vein! I had to pull out something the guitarist in our band would frequently say over 50 years ago. Did he get it from The Marx Brothers?

That I don’t know. But the duck Q and A is something I have had fun with for decades with my grandkids and other little tykes. It’s invariably a puzzler and gets a hearty laugh when I give them the answer and explain it it's not supposed to make sense.

https://www.answers.com/zoology/The_ori ... een_a_duck

[Smith1776]

Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Will post an update after pics.

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[dualstow]

Whither Smithers?
Still abroad?

[vnatale]

Whither Smithers?
Still abroad?

Yes. You reminded me. With him being where he was / is ... we needed daily reports to tell us he was in no danger.

[Smith1776]

Whither Smithers?
Still abroad?

Whither Smithers?
Still abroad?

Yes. You reminded me. With him being where he was / is ... we needed daily reports to tell us he was in no danger.

Sorry for the radio silence. The last week of our trip was super busy and hectic. Also, because no one said anything about the photos I posted I was kind of afraid no one was interseted.

I am back in Canada!

[dualstow]

LOL I love looking at the photos! I just feel like I'm already responsible for too many posts. As much as I do post, I'm actually holding back so that it's not my name all over the screen anytime someone selects New Posts.

Glad you made it back safe and sound.

Favorite meal eaten in Ukraine?