Tips and Insights on Noticable Foreigners

[Eiji1990]

Within the next couple months, I will finally move to Ukraine. I can't wait. I've dreamed of the day I'd finally be able to move to Ukraine and its finally come. I already have a place waiting for me and my papers secured and ready to go. Now I just wait to get my plane ticket as they're ironing out the last few knots and wrinkles.

I've been studying Russian and Ukrainian seriously for the past few months and I'm pretty confident that I can order food, ask for directions, buy something from a store and take a taxi if needed quite easily. I will continue to study them until I am fluent as I want to be able to speak them both fluently as I love the languages and I have no plans of ever leaving Ukraine once I get there (minus business of course). But I did have a question. It's a question that I'll inevitably find out on my own, but one that I'd like to get a faint idea of what to expect before I get there if I can.

I'm full-blooded Japanese but American by citizenship. So in other words, I look Japanese. I've read that looking/being Japanese (or Chinese) is only one step above being African on some forums, then on others I've read that they don't face problems whatsoever. Personally, I think that they're both on each side of the extreme and I don't think I'll get killed but I don't think I'll get friendly 'welcome to our country!' with-open-arms notions from the locals either.

What am I to [realistically] expect? I'd like to hear from fellow East Asians (like Japanese, Chinese, Korean, etc.) or people who know East Asians (and communicate with them regularly) who currently live in Ukraine. I also wouldn't mind hearing from Africans or people of African origin either who currently live there. How are you received by the people? I've heard that the younger girls tend to be the nicest while the younger boys are the ones that gives you problems. I've also heard that same statement flipped. The elderly I've heard don't really care at all and probably won't even notice your existence. I've also heard that the elderly will severely scrutinize you for not being one of them.

All I know is word-of-mouth of word-of-mouth from non-Asians. All people I've heard from were people who heard from other people and all from like the early 2000's, so the information's reliability is shaky at best. Since this forum has real people actually living in Ukraine, I decided to ask here. At the end of the day, the only reason why I'd not go to Ukraine is if my life was realistically high at stake by going there but again, I highly doubt that will be the case. Otherwise, I can put up with scrutiny. Also, I know there are good and bad, but again, I'm not looking for the extremes, just the average. What I'm most likely to run into on a daily basis.

Thanks for replies in advance.

EDIT: I completely forgot to say that I'm moving to Kiev/Kyiv.

[Pitter Pen]

As you are moving to Kyiv, then do not worry. You will not be treated badly though you will not get as warm welcome as you would get moving to some small town or village. Speaking about average and from my point of view Ukrainians like to communicate with foreigners so looking Japanese and being American give you a very good advantage in getting connections among your future neighborhood. But in Kyiv people are used to foreigners so they will be considerably calmer.

However, despite of rather positive attitude to foreigners here, be cautious and try not hang out along at night and not in unknown areas. This is not because you are a Japanese or Ukrainians do not like foreigners. This is because a foreigner is more vulnerable, cannot call for help etc so robbers or just drunkers may try to get advantage from this.