How to make friends in Belarus

Hi, my name is Rafael and I am from Mexico, and I am moving to Minsk in January 2010, and I would like to meet some people from Europe or American that are lving over there.  I need to find a room in a sharing apartment with other expats.  I would really appreciate the help.

Best regards,

Rafael

Hello my name is Livia,im from Brasil and i moved to Belarus in April 2010.Im marriage,but i still dont speak russian and i feel so bored here because i have no friends,i cant go anywhere without my husband.I would like to make friends,maybe it would make my life easier.

thanks..

Livia Matyucheva.

Hi Livia
My Name is Chingy and I am moving to Minsk in August with my wife. I would like us to be friends with you guys. And maybe you guys can help us get a house too.

Hello my name is hadeer, im from egypt and im living now in belarus with my husbend, my russian is not bad but i dont have work here, no friends and its so hard for me ,i would like to make friends here.

I'm babatunde,i will be moving into Belarus in December 2010.I will like to meet friends during my stay.although this will be my first time of coming to Belarus.I will be  very happy if my request is granted.

Please write me a message and let's make friends in Minsk!

Welcome Livia

hai,, friends. my name is zulfikar ali from abudhabi i am looking for a good female friend as who can help me fr speaking in russian language and taking the place where in minsk nd gomel and all.recently only i joined to belarus expact form nd i would like to know all about belarus life and culture. please.. if anybody interested please mail me on - imtiaz_dir@yahoo.com or farzanzulfi@yahoo.com... my contact no:00971 50 3187569.abudhabi(uae)

Hello kanaka_vilasam.111,

I think you shall start a new discussion (with your questions about language, culture) which will allow you to obtain responses quickly.

Regards

in belarus u cant make friends coz people here is not friendly , always with angry face )

Hello Hadeer,

What a very negative first post !

yesI agree with Yud, Belarus are Godly people and very friendly and hospitable..I am in Nigeria now and I want to come to belarus to study,I had already met some Belarusian who are ready to accomodation me without being known me....They are great peole...

Hello Everyone,
My Name is Dean.  I'm from the U.S. & will be moving to Belarus, this upcoming summer 2011.  I also would like to meet new friends.  I don't speak Russian (yet) but I do have my wife who is a native and does all the translations for me. 

"Hadeer" It's funny that you brought up about that most people there have angry faces.  True! The times I visited anyway.  I asked My Wife that same question.  She states that's how Russians/Belorussian's are.  Not all but most.  But Why? She said maybe because of Income and everyone is pretty much for themselves.  It does not mean that they are mad it's just an expression on there face. 

I did managed to meet My Wife's friends there.  They are all wonderful & treated me with such great hospitality.  Only disappointment we both had some language barrier's but we made it creative so we understand each other.  Lot's of laugh's between us.  Trying to Speak English & Russian.  At the end, we became family. "VODKA" The international language.

I don't drink though.  Only times in special occasions.

Oh! another thing people should know.  Though, I'm the kind of person who likes to be polite & hold doors for people while entering or exiting any facility.  Such as store's or restaurant's….etc.  You get a strange stare in Minsk.

My Wife starts laughing and says "What are you doing"?.  I said, I'm trying to be courteous & a gentleman.  She states that no one really holds doors for anyone.  That's why I was getting such stare she said. That's how they know you as a foreigner as well.  Times you do get a 'Spasiba' (thank you) in Russian there & there.  It's not bad, but they are not really use to it or have such a custom. The older senior citizens of course always gives you great thanks. 

My Wife, also tells me "Stop being to nice to people in transit" such as in a bus or metro.  Since majority of the time it's always crowded.   You must apply yourself by pushing yourself in & out otherwise you will never accomplish in getting to your destination.  Again she says it's not rude it's just how things are done there.  In the U.S.A of course there will be probably some consequences if doing such a thing.  So much still to learn …hehe!!

Hi Sparky007,

Thank you for your contribution in this thread, title How to make friends in Belarus (i think your post would be more appropriate in the Living in Belarus discussion.)

From your 2010 blog on this topic, let met me know if you had moved to Belarus and still living there, i too plan to come to Belarus this year and looks to establishing friendship.

Hello TouristH78,

To whom are you addressing 

Thank you,
Marjorie

Iam addressing people in Minsk Belarus willing to share in friendship with me!

Dear Dean! People are not angry, that's just the mentality, you are right! In Russian language they say a laugh without a reason is a sign of idiotism. So in this culture you smile only when there is a certain reason for it. In Minsk it is quite hard to find people speaking English, so the best option to make friends is to study the language. I have studied at Leader School of russian (golearnrussiancom) and it was exactly the way to first make friends with another foreigners and than with Belorussians in russian! Try to learn the language and it will be better than you think!

Hi! Did you find friends in Minsk? How is it there in Minsk? Do you like the ctiy?

I moved to Minsk couple of months ago and would like to make new friends. I can't get along with my wife's friends since all they do is drink.  They can't speak English either.