Archive for February, 2010
How to Dress Your Child (and Yourself) for Russian Winter Posted by yelena on Feb 26, 2010
I’ve only been with this blog for a few weeks and I’m already breaking «расписание» [schedule] that Josefina and I planned for this month. I was supposed to tell you how to make a particularly tasty Russian salad. But I feel that, given the time of the year and the fact that many of «наши…
And in Russia it’s “Man Day”! Posted by josefina on Feb 23, 2010
Question of the day: «А где твоя фуражка?» [And where’s you cap (peaked cap)?] Of course you haven’t really been to Russia if you haven’t had a Russian officer place his old «советская ушанка» [Soviet (i.e. Red Army) fur hat] on your head! But I can already hear your objections, «дорогие читатели» [dear readers], that…
The Russian Soul of Winter Olympics: “Русская душа зимних олимпиад” Posted by yelena on Feb 19, 2010
The Vancouver Winter Olympics started last week, on February 12. The day before “церемонии открытия” [the opening ceremony], “премьер-министр Владимир Путин” [Prime Minister Vladimir Putin] addressed the athletes, giving them a combination of pep talk and partying words known in Russian as “напутствие” (lit.: for the road): Мы все с нетерпением ждём стартов и…
«Класс!» – On the Importance of Calling Things by their Proper Names Posted by josefina on Feb 17, 2010
There are days when «словарь» [the dictionary] is not you best friend. It might still be «друг» [a friend] of yours, «но не самый лучший друг» [but not the very best friend]. Why is that? Because on these particular days the dictionary fails to explain certain words to you. Or explains them in such a…
«День всех влюблённых» [Valentine’s Day] in Russia Posted by josefina on Feb 14, 2010
«На этом воздушном шарике» [on this balloon] it says «я тебя люблю!» [I love you!] But don’t we all not just want to read these words, but have them said to us «вслух» [aloud]? Today is February 14th, a day known around the world as Valentine’s Day. In Russia this day has a name of…
Introducing «Елена» [Yelena]: The New Addition to Our Russian Blog! Posted by josefina on Feb 13, 2010
Today is «начало больших перемен» [the beginning of big changes] here on the Russian Blog – what used to be «мой блог» [my blog] (even though it was never really entirely ‘mine’…) «стал НАШИМ блогом» [has become OUR blog]! «Как?» [how?] you might be wondering. Well, wonder no longer! Because from now the Russian blog…
«Щас!» – What DOES it mean and what DO Russians mean when they say it? Posted by josefina on Feb 11, 2010
Sometimes Russians say things to you and you do not understand. «Это неизбежно» [it is inevitable]. «К сожалению» [unfortunately]. And this situation may be repeated. Over and over. The situation in itself will be different every time, but the word or phrase you didn’t understand the first time will remain the same. Until you figure…