momopi wrote:

Here's a blurb from an American women traveling around Russia:

"Russian working women and shoppers you see on all the main streets are quite beautiful: twenty and thirty-somethings dress in skin-tight jeans/pants and wear 5-6" stiletto heels, and dress in European fashions, although I saw clothing prices were quite high. They are mainly blond, and have exquisite complexions and serious expressions in public. Russians do not smile constantly at everything, as is the American custom. I did not find Russian men so attractive; they tend to be a bit overweight, with heavy faces and dress less stylishly ah well! The busy central streets are filled with working people, shoppers, tourists and street hawkers-shills selling canal boat tours, etc. At the other end of the age spectrum, on the side streets one sees many little old babushkas (grandmothers) who all are tiny, withered and appear to be about 130 years old: they are sweeping the streets, washing the floors of the churches, and selling little bits of things on the sides of the sidewalks - a few squashes, some flowers, berries, or some used personal items. They are quite lively bargainers!"

What an American women thinks abroad is pretty irrelevant. I'd rank it right up there in importance with what brand of toilet paper someone buys.

Repatriate wrote:

momopi wrote:

Here's a blurb from an American women traveling around Russia:

"Russian working women and shoppers you see on all the main streets are quite beautiful: twenty and thirty-somethings dress in skin-tight jeans/pants and wear 5-6" stiletto heels, and dress in European fashions, although I saw clothing prices were quite high. They are mainly blond, and have exquisite complexions and serious expressions in public. Russians do not smile constantly at everything, as is the American custom. I did not find Russian men so attractive; they tend to be a bit overweight, with heavy faces and dress less stylishly ah well! The busy central streets are filled with working people, shoppers, tourists and street hawkers-shills selling canal boat tours, etc. At the other end of the age spectrum, on the side streets one sees many little old babushkas (grandmothers) who all are tiny, withered and appear to be about 130 years old: they are sweeping the streets, washing the floors of the churches, and selling little bits of things on the sides of the sidewalks - a few squashes, some flowers, berries, or some used personal items. They are quite lively bargainers!"

What an American women thinks abroad is pretty irrelevant. I'd rank it right up there in importance with what brand of toilet paper someone buys.

Actually, I think her observation about the difference between the older generations of Russian women and the younger ones is quite accurate. It is usually only the younger Russian women who look model quality, but the older careworn "babushkas" tend to either be fat and plain or skinny and haggard. It's not because of the age difference. If you look at the photos of the older Russian women in their youth, most of them looked nothing like the beauties you see in Russia now. This indicates to some degree, that sex appeal and beauty has allot to do with efforts, procedures, attitude and health. Also, Soviet totalitarianism really aged people.

Men notice the difference between the older and younger Russian women, but they think it's because "Russian/Slavic women do not age well" which is not true at all. A beautiful Slavic woman who takes good care of herself ages just as well as other women.

It's kind of interesting to note the hostility and mixed feelings the older Russian women have about the young hotties. They love to see them on TV, and love it when they have a hot daughter. However, many of them (not all) in real life treat pretty women with hostility and hate it if their sons marry such women. This actually is one of the reasons why young Russian women like American men. Particularly, older American men who's mother is not likely to be a big part of the picture. Russian mother in-laws have a very strong presence in the household, and usually will make life hell.


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"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." -Ludwig Wittgenstein