Hello from Russia!

[Sergo]

Sorry Sergo, I know of no way that you can become a N.Z. citizen for $20K.
No scams or corrupt immigration officers or anything to make your novel juicy. In 2003 it cost $460 for an adult to become a citizen, probably be a bit more now. Of course to gain residency is a whole different ball game.

Oh, do you mean $460 or $460.000?

I was told it has been quite legal way - to invest money in NZ economy or something...

 

[Sergo]

3. Why is that some people are rich, and other are poor? Who is better? (There is a common opinion in Russia that the rich are uncultured and tend to theft, and the poor are cultured and truthworthy).

Hi Sergo. I have just been reading all your replies and having a giggle - I like your humour. I tend to agree with thiis Russian view, not so sure about the cultured bit but I think very rich people have often got that way by less than honest and moral means. I have found in my life, that the most generous people usually have the least.

Thanks again. The problem is I cannot collect enough data on this phenomena: I couldn't have made enough friends among the rich to make the picture complete.
As to the poor - some of them are capable of a very generous behavior. And it is very pathetic, when one thinks that they could give so much, having so little (I mean not only money - sometimes it is free blood for hospitals, sometimes - care for the old in hospices, sometimes - toys and clothing for homeless kids). But some of the poor are ready not only to steal your things anytime they can, but kill their own father or daughter, and maybe even eat their meat afterwards, not because of hunger, but just for fun.
(Why, one of them has stolen my Nokia 8800 today).
And all the millionaries I know never eat each other. Maybe it is because there is no enough information on the rich available...

 

[Kenny Shovel]

Oh, thanks, you are always full of all the interesting information... It is difficult to imagine you could not know something...

A comment which probably says more about your lack of imagination than the vastness of my knowledge...

Yes, I've seen part of "The First Circle" and liked it very much. Too bad I've lost some of it - I've programmed my satellite receiver to record every serie, but something glucked there, and several series were not recorded... But I imagine it would be possible to buy a disc with the full film after some time.
I haven't seen "Doctor Zhivago". Have you?

Not the Russian TV version no, it would be hard for me to follow without the subtitles anyway.

BTW, that truck of ours is now completely lost for us.

Ouch! that's got to hurt...

 

[Flowerdk4]

Hi Kenny and Sergo!
How are you doing?

I have been busy with work and debating the muhammed cartoons. Guess you must have heard about these cartoons? I know its not allowed to talk about politics here so I have been debating on other forums.

I have finally got the book about learning Russian, but its an old version. Its still The penguin russian course, buts its by J.L.I. Fennell. Dont know if it makes a big difference. So far I have looked at the russian letters, and wauu they are different. One letter which looks like our danish Ø is pronounced F as in fire. guess it can look like a p. Then there is a letter which looks like the number 3, but is a z. Boy I have to work hard to get this right.

Flower

 

[Sergo]

A comment which probably says more about your lack of imagination than the vastness of my knowledge...

I think both.

Not the Russian TV version no, it would be hard for me to follow without the subtitles anyway.

Yep, and I imagine translation translation takes time.

Ouch! that's got to hurt...

Yep, that hurts. My position in our company has been shifted because of it, and I am compensating my personal customers. That is somewhat easier than I feared, as this year started with very good profits for me.

 

[Sergo]

Hi Kenny and Sergo!
How are you doing?

I have been busy with work and debating the muhammed cartoons. Guess you must have heard about these cartoons? I know its not allowed to talk about politics here so I have been debating on other forums.

I have finally got the book about learning Russian, but its an old version. Its still The penguin russian course, buts its by J.L.I. Fennell. Dont know if it makes a big difference. So far I have looked at the russian letters, and wauu they are different. One letter which looks like our danish Ø is pronounced F as in fire. guess it can look like a p. Then there is a letter which looks like the number 3, but is a z. Boy I have to work hard to get this right.

Flower

Hi Flower!
Thanks, I am OK. Yes, of course I know about the cartoons, and of course I would have liked to know yours and Kenny's opinions about this problem, as well as others on this forum, and of course it is a shame we cannot do it here. But we have our @-mails, haven't we?

Oh, I see you are moving forward in Russian!
How did you like the Idiot? The actor who played the "Idiot's" role is very popular in Russia now...

 

[Kenny Shovel]

Yep, that hurts. My position in our company has been shifted because of it, and I am compensating my personal customers. That is somewhat easier than I feared, as this year started with very good profits for me.

Ok, that's good.

btw - going back to Top Gear they had a winter olympics special that is worth watching, here are a couple of clips:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AoeM1tMY_2A

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IFW2-6q0... ice hockey olympics humor comedy motor sport

The first is the best, they fire a rocket powered Mini off a ski-jump:

 

[Kenny Shovel]

It isn’t cold enough in London for Ice statues, they would last a day or two at most.

Apparently I've been talking out of my arse again:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4598874.stm

although it doesn't say how long it lasted...

 

[Poppy1]

Oh, do you mean $460 or $460.000?

I was told it has been quite legal way - to invest money in NZ economy or something...

Sorry I haven't replied sooner, I had to do a bit of research. I did mean $460.00, but that's to become a citizen, you have to have resided here legally for 3 years ( or 2 if married to a NZ citizen) and pass a few other criteria.
To become a resident,there are a number of options and you are right, if you have enough money to invest in a business, you can get residency here. I could not find out what that amount is. Other ways are to be a skilled migrant, have other family members here or a definite job offer.
Hopes this helps your guy on his way, even if you kill him off before he gets here. You could always have him meet some gorgeous NZ girl via internet dating, he could come over hoping to marry her, and then you kill him off. You'd have romance, adventure and tragedy all rolled up in one. Sorry Sergo, I'm just letting my imagination get carried away

 

[Poppy1]

Thanks again. The problem is I cannot collect enough data on this phenomena: I couldn't have made enough friends among the rich to make the picture complete.
As to the poor - some of them are capable of a very generous behavior. And it is very pathetic, when one thinks that they could give so much, having so little (I mean not only money - sometimes it is free blood for hospitals, sometimes - care for the old in hospices, sometimes - toys and clothing for homeless kids). But some of the poor are ready not only to steal your things anytime they can, but kill their own father or daughter, and maybe even eat their meat afterwards, not because of hunger, but just for fun.
(Why, one of them has stolen my Nokia 8800 today).
And all the millionaries I know never eat each other. Maybe it is because there is no enough information on the rich available...

I too do not have very rich friends, although by world standards we in NZ are all very rich. We do not have extreme poverty although quite a few people do struggle to make ends meet. We have homeless people, sometimes by choice, sometimes by circumstance - drug, alcohol and substance abuse, sometimes mentally ill and just not able to cope. I just don't think wealth makes people any more moral in their behavior, in fact quite often the reverse. And just what any of us are capable of under different circumstances is hard to judge.

 

[Flowerdk4]

Hi Flower!
Thanks, I am OK. Yes, of course I know about the cartoons, and of course I would have liked to know yours and Kenny's opinions about this problem, as well as others on this forum, and of course it is a shame we cannot do it here. But we have our @-mails, haven't we?

Oh, I see you are moving forward in Russian!
How did you like the Idiot? The actor who played the "Idiot's" role is very popular in Russia now...

Hi Sergo

Glad to hear that you are ok. I shall sent you an email about the cartoons.

I really really enjoyed The Idiot! And I dont think they could have found a better person for the main character, he is so good. Very close to the picture I had in my head while reading the book. If you have any recommandations of some great russian films, I would be greatfull. The site where I bought the dvd have many but I dont know if they are any good, and not all of them have english subtitles.

I havent had much time studing the russian language. I shall read the book I bought but somehow it seems more difficult to learn a new language from a second language (english). I have checked and they have evening classes here in Copenhagen where I could learn russian. I reckon I shall do that after the summer.

Flower

 

[Sergo]

I too do not have very rich friends, although by world standards we in NZ are all very rich. We do not have extreme poverty although quite a few people do struggle to make ends meet. We have homeless people, sometimes by choice, sometimes by circumstance - drug, alcohol and substance abuse, sometimes mentally ill and just not able to cope. I just don't think wealth makes people any more moral in their behavior, in fact quite often the reverse. And just what any of us are capable of under different circumstances is hard to judge.

I think the same is everywhere. We have it the same, at least.
As to reach and morals - I think that being reach makes it easier to be good to others, if one is inclined to do so: for example, now that I have some money, I can give some of it away on some homeless children asylum and such, without too much strain on our family. But what amazes me - are people who hardly make ends meet themselves, but just the same keep helping others, sometimes with money, sometimes with food they prepare themselves, sometimes just with their own time and attention they pay to homeless and old.
But again there are many people who got reach by stealing, and keep at that even when they really do not need that already, and many poor people who would rather spit on you than help you.
Same is everywhere, I imagine.

 

[Sergo]

Hi Sergo

Glad to hear that you are ok. I shall sent you an email about the cartoons.

I really really enjoyed The Idiot! And I dont think they could have found a better person for the main character, he is so good. Very close to the picture I had in my head while reading the book. If you have any recommandations of some great russian films, I would be greatfull. The site where I bought the dvd have many but I dont know if they are any good, and not all of them have english subtitles.

I havent had much time studing the russian language. I shall read the book I bought but somehow it seems more difficult to learn a new language from a second language (english). I have checked and they have evening classes here in Copenhagen where I could learn russian. I reckon I shall do that after the summer.

Flower

What about your Russian, Flower?

 

[Sergo]

I've been to StPetersburg about two weeks ago, as I finally managed to buy our goods from the govt authorities.
They got it confiscated after all our efforts to prove our innocense came to nothing. OK, they didn't want to find the truth, they just wanted to get money. So they confiscated the goods and sold them to us for nearly 40% of the goods' original price.
How much I love our country for all the possibilities we have here!

 

[Poppy1]

I think the same is everywhere. We have it the same, at least.
As to reach and morals - I think that being reach makes it easier to be good to others, if one is inclined to do so: for example, now that I have some money, I can give some of it away on some homeless children asylum and such, without too much strain on our family. But what amazes me - are people who hardly make ends meet themselves, but just the same keep helping others, sometimes with money, sometimes with food they prepare themselves, sometimes just with their own time and attention they pay to homeless and old.
But again there are many people who got reach by stealing, and keep at that even when they really do not need that already, and many poor people who would rather spit on you than help you.
Same is everywhere, I imagine.

Good to see you safely back Sergo and yes I think same is everywhere just about sums it up.

 

[Sergo]

Good to see you safely back Sergo and yes I think same is everywhere just about sums it up.

Thanks, Poppy.
I am indeed safely back...