Dear Leosha,
For many days now I have been reading what you share. As a Sister in Healing from such abuses I just wanted to say to you -- your words often move emotional mountains for me.
I had a new neighbor once from Russia who came here to her new husband. She spoke only about 10 words of english. I spoke NO Russian - we drew a lot of pictures between us as we try to talk. We became friends for some time. She learned more english I only learn "Das Vadana"? silly me.
It must be very hard for you to share your emotions, and harder still for you to translate into english for us too. I send praises to you for your efforts. You do very well, good enough to make me cry in my heart for your pain of what you experience.
Your recent experience of going out for a beer was horrific. Here you are ALLOWED to be SAFE to go drink beer and NOT be bothered with worry of being harmed. But sad to say there are many bad people too as you already know. Everywhere in this world.
I hope that your friends who helped you go to hospital and police still help you. AND I HOPE those at police and hospital were most kind to you as you sought help.
YOU DID NOTHING WRONG TO WANT TO GO OUT FOR ENJOYABLE EVENING!
And -- sadly you are very right about how if a woman were to do the same thing there is much help available to her, and men are left to be injured. I'm glad that you come here to share -- I learn perseverence from you ... you work so hard and I "cry in my beer" when it could be so much more harder for me. Especially if I was a woman in Russia alone, much like you are here.
I say Thank You for being BRAVE and sharing and helping to teach me...
Peace Fill Us All ~ Sammy

Sammey,

It is not normal, that I come to any forum here other then the main 'male survivors' forum. But tonight, as I can not sleep, I have been going around a bit to other forums, and come here to find this.

Your nice words, they almost make me cry, in good way (and in tired way, haha). Thank you so much to say all that, and to understand that there is still some extra difficulty with sharing in English here. Although, it is much better of few years ago, I do know lot more of the language, even if I do not use it right always! I feel much more a part of this country now, and could see myself perhaps staying here always. I am glad that you were so nice and kind to your Russian neighbor. I think it most harder for women to come here of other country, especially ours, where we are some chauvanists still! (Not I of course!)

Everyone here, they have been most welcoming at me, during this hard time, and confusing time, and without people here, without the sharing of all here, I would not still be here.

Again, thank you very much. I am very emotionally touched of you saying this at me. Please keep yourself well.

Leosha