We were asked to present our experiences at the Ukraine Economic Forum in Berlin and Ludmila was presenting our latest project at the Crimean Modernization conference in Alushta, Crimea.

I am not one to be politically correct - never was - and as I talked, their jaws dropped open wider and wider. I presented the case that Ukraine, as a country, is facing enormous challenges economically. I stated that their intelligence and engineering expertise are not in question - what is in question is their extremely serious lack of business skills.

Again, the conference trotted out the ukranian entrepreneuers asking for money for their projects. Money ? Projects ? You've got to be kidding. If these so-called "entrepreneurs" had even a pittance of economic sense, they would PREPARE their projects to western standards ; this includes legal paperwork, solid business plan, pro forma financial statements, financial projections, Yield on Investment and Exit Strategy .... all prepared in English. I might as well have been speaking Swahili to them - they look at me strangely and they scream and waving their arms and gesticulating ... "Da, da, Money, I need money". They just "dont get it".

After the "bombshell" of my speech, I was approached by a hoard of participants asking me for help. But most interesting, I was approached by the Ukranian Embassy. They have invited me for a consultation at their office.

...It really is almost too much sometimes ...more soon .... but it looks like we shall receive a massive land package for our crimean resort project.