For Anastasiaweb: my first marriage was a tragedy from the very beginning. Fraught with near every possible problem it was a relationship that ended long before it began. In the aftermath I was left with all the wounds and angst that naturally comes with such disasters. These are things that only time can heal and much to my own amazement, I began to look to my future again with both anticipation and hope.
In retrospect, my personal journey through hell had it's benefits - not the least of which was a clearer understanding of myself and what I wanted from life. And as I arose from my self absorption I found myself longing for the security of a loving relationship again along with the rewards of family.
I tried the 'dating scene' again with little success. I found it a game of half truths and near deceit and very soon I accepted the prospect of remaining alone for the rest of my life. Then one day I found Anastasiaweb.
I contacted twenty women from the website, of which all but three replied. In the end I narrowed it down to three very beautiful women and planned to travel to Moscow to meet them. I had eliminated those who were transparent in their desire only to reach the 'West' along with those who seemed sincere but would not make a concerted effort to learn English. I strongly believe that someone coming to Canada or the U.S. should not be solely reliant on anyone but themselves. The impact of cultural change is very significant and the transition would be near impossible if compounded by the isolation of not being able to speak the language. Besides, how can any relationship develop and grow without communication...?
However much I was attracted to all three women I was particularly struck by Vita. Not only was she beautiful I was very impressed with her sincerity, her determination and the hard work she put into learning English. At first she wrote only in Russian and I laboriously translated each and every word. Soon her fluency increased and our letters flowed freely. Circumstances prevented my planned trip to Moscow and after considerable difficulty with endless government red tape I finally arranged for her to visit Canada. What doubts I may have had vanished the moment she walked through the customs doors in Montreal.
Although her written English was quite good she had little opportunity in the Siberian far east to speak the language. At first we wrote endless notes to each other - in fact, we still have these note books. Slowly we began to understand one another and as our knowledge grew so did our attraction. Within a year Vita is completely fluent and, in many respects, better at English than I am...!
In the end we were married on September 30th, 2000 in a formal Orthodox ceremony. I doubt if either one of us can honestly say that the process has not had it's difficult moments. Nor would I say that it is one that everyone would wish to enter. But in the end we have, as Vita says, "met our other half."
T.J.I.
Vita's Story
I am not as good at writing as my husband but I will do my best to tell my story. But first I would like to thank Anastasiaweb from my heart for giving me the possibility of meeting the man of my dreams!!! You are doing a great job.
There is a lot in common with both our pasts. My first marriage was a nightmare and I was glad to see the end of it. I was not well for quite some time after and my mother suggested I place my profile on a dating site like Anastasiaweb. I thought the idea was a bit silly but she insisted that I at least give it a try.
I splacd my pictures and profile off in the early spring of 1998 and did not receive many replies until the autumn of that year. And then I got six or seven emails from as far as Germany, Switzerland, the U.S.A. and, of course, Canada. For a girl from Chukotka it was a nice feeling to get emails from people who live so far away.
Tim is the one I have always wanted to be with. It is like a dream come true!!! Honest! As soon as I looked at the picture on his profile I knew that this is the man I was looking for. I don't know why or how, I just knew - I guess my heart told me. In spite of the fact that he was writing to other women in the beginning I was sure we would be together.
We wrote many emails over the next year. Letters tell you so much about a person. Every time one would come from Tim it was be a 'big event'. My mother would want me to translate every word and we had a thousand questions. When he sent a tape of music and his voice it was a very special treat. I did not understand everything he said and the language sounded very strange to my ears. But his voice told me a lot. He has a beautiful voice. Also, his choice of music told me we had a lot more in common than I had thought.
When I first arrived I was very shy and frightened. It seemed as if my whole world had changed. It is so different here. I found myself in a strange country far away from my family and friends - it was very strange. I knew Tim as soon as a I saw him at the airport. It was as if I knew him all my life. But my English was not good. Tim is too kind when he writes about my language skills.
We laugh about those note books now but they helped a lot. Tim was very patient with me, and that was so very important. I was very frightened about meeting his family - what would they think, what would I say... But everyone was so kind.
Our wedding was so very beautiful and I am very happy. Soon my parents will arrive for a visit and I can't wait for them to meet my Tim face to face.
In the end I find the idea of meeting someone special through your website is very helpful. Again, thank you Anastasiaweb for all you have done.
Vita
Presented by the client himself
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