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Two Years with Russian Blog! Posted by josefina on Nov 9, 2009
«Да!» [Yes!] «Наконец!» [Finally!] Today is not just another day, today is «девятое ноября» [the 9th of November] and a very special day. Why? Not simply because today is «день рождения великого русского писателя Ивана Тургенева» [the birthday of the great Russian writer Ivan Turgenev] – happy 191st b’day to the author of «Отцы и…
«С праздником!» or: How to Congratulate Russian Style Posted by josefina on Nov 5, 2009
Yesterday was the 4th of November and «выходной день в России» [a day of rest, day off, holiday in Russia]. Yes once again it was time to celebrate the mysterious «День народного единства» [(People’s) Unity Day]. There’s no need to pretend that Russians don’t look at this strange holiday in pretty much the same way…
In Russia Snow Walks… Posted by josefina on Nov 1, 2009
A couple of days ago – I think it was «в среду» [on Wednesday] – we received our first snow here in Yekaterinburg: «выпал первый снег» [the first snow fell (down)]. On Wednesday, however, I had the bad luck to be feeling a bit under the weather – in Russian «я захворала» [I got ill…
Russian Realia: «Счастливый билет» [The ‘Lucky’ Ticket] Posted by josefina on Oct 27, 2009
Since we recently had a post here on how to ride «общественный транспорт» [public transportation] in Russia – or perhaps it was really more about «виды общественного транспорта в Российской федерации» [types of public transportation in the Russian Federation] – let’s take a closer look at «проездной билет» [ticket (on buses, trams, trolleybuses, etc.)] in…
It’s That Time of the Year Again: «Сезон гриппа» [Flu Season] Posted by josefina on Oct 23, 2009
And then it’s that time of the year again – «осень» [fall], which equals «сезон гриппа» [flu season] in all countries located in the more northern part of this our splendid globe. The object of our common affection – «Россия» [Russia], officially known as «Российская федерация» [Russian Federation], or why not call it old-school by…
Russian Word of the Week: «Домашний» [Homey, Domestic; Indoor] Posted by josefina on Oct 17, 2009
Have you ever wondered what the difference between the noun «дом» and the adverb «дома» is? Read and compare the use of the words in the following sentence: «Для большинства людей это просто достаточно старый, деревянный дом» [To most people this is just a rather old, wooden house], «а для некоторых он же – дома»…
Instead of a Russian Time Machine: «Алмазный мой венец» [My Diamond Crown]! Posted by josefina on Oct 13, 2009
How many times have we not wished that our neighbor was «сумасшедший учёный» [a crazy scientist] who would one day come knocking on our door, asking if we’d like to try out his newly invented «машина времени» [time machine]? The scene, as I always had pictured me it (and I’m sure you see it in…