(Russian Ladies Story continued from previous page.)
It was winter in Moscow, so romantic with huge snowflakes falling down to earth. I remember we were walking along and away and back to Red Square, back and forth. And it was in Red Square in the falling snow where suddenly Charles proposed that Lena visit him in the U.S. She was so excited she started crying.
Charles had a week ahead in Moscow so Lena moved to his hotel. One evening they decided to go to the circus. They decided to meet the next day at a specific time in the lobby. She kissed him "Good night!" and went to her room. Sitting in the lobby the next day I was very happy for them. And at the agreed time Charles arrived. But what has happened? His face was so disconsolate. He gave me the tickets and said: "I am not going to the circus. You may have these tickets and go with your kids if you want". I did not know what to think. Then Lena showed up, so happy and shining, not even suspecting that something was wrong. We started our conversation and it was apparent he thought Lena did not care for him anymore.
"But what made you think so?" I asked him with great amazement.
"Her kiss, of course," he said. "The way she kissed me last night.
"So what was wrong about it?" I inquired. Lena was standing between us, so desperate, looking back and forth, trying, but with no success to understand what was going on.
"She kissed me on the cheek," he explained. "In America if a girl gives a kiss on the cheek, it means she does not love that man anymore, as if saying: 'Keep your distance, we are only friends.'"
"But how was she supposed to kiss you?" I asked.
"On the lips, of course."
When I translated everything to Lena, she did not know either to laugh or to cry. She said she felt like a heroine last night when she kissed him. "Good night". She was from a very small town in Belarus and dating was really very slow there. It takes time before a girl dares to kiss a man for the first time. "I am talking about good and decent girls," she specified. "And it goes on like this for a time until the guys wins her over. And, if she kisses him she always runs a risk of being interpreted as loose." So Lena feared last night that Charles might have thought she was too easy as a woman. So they settled everything and were happy again and I was very proud I helped them."
Upon his return to the U.S. Charles began to e-mail Lena. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her and things that he did not want a human Russian ladies translator to see. So he decided to use a computer translator program that he had purchased in Moscow. One day Lena called me and said: "Charles went crazy." She had received a very strange e-letter from him. Thankfully, he put the English version at the bottom, because the translation was something!!!!
Russian Ladies are searching for someone like you
(Russian Ladies Story Continues.)
The words in the Russian version were so obsolete and funny, words used well before the Russian ladies international dating phenomenon. Some of them we Russians have not been using for decades. There were lots of words communists used when they were in power, and lots of slogans. The English text began: "I love you so much and want to be with you till the end of my days." The translated text ran: "I want you to be my slave forever and no compromise." The English text proceeded:" I want you to be mine, only mine and be happy together." The translation:" Let's go across the bridge together and all the peasants and workers will follow us."
(Russian Ladies Story continues on next page.)
