Archive by Author
The Russian Emotion: to like or not to like Posted by josefina on Mar 5, 2008
Everybody knows how to say I love you. «Я люблю тебя» is as much a given as vodka and borsch – and just as much of a cliché. But what about saying “I like you” instead? Not as romantic perhaps, and perhaps not as thrilling, either. Perhaps I find Russians expressions of liking and disliking…
Масленица: A Farewell To Winter! Posted by josefina on Mar 1, 2008
Do not be afraid, and do try not to be confused, if some Russian tells you that March 1st is the first day of spring in Russia. It may be hard to believe if you take a look around; especially with below zero temperatures lingering in many parts of the country and most of it…
A recent past remaining in the present: a journey to the former GULAG camp “Perm-36” Posted by josefina on Feb 28, 2008
After one hour on the bus from Perm, located on the European side of the Urals, there is only snow and dark green pine trees outside my window as far as the eye can see. With at least one more hour to go before arriving at the museum “Perm-36”, those small villages that one passes…
How I Survive Communism’s Consequences and Even Laugh Posted by josefina on Feb 27, 2008
[inspired by the nonfiction book “How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed” by Slavenka Draculic] With as many inhabitants and as huge a territory as Russia’s, it is a country bound to exist in different versions for each and every person who has ever lived in it. To me it seems that among much of…
What does здравствуйте & спасибо actually mean in Russian? Posted by josefina on Feb 11, 2008
The two of the most frequently used words in the Russian language, the two words without which it is simply impossible to get around in Russia, even when one isn’t trying to be the least polite, are actually more than just two words. I believe that anyone studying any language at all sooner or later…
From Russia with Humor: EnglishRussia.com Posted by josefina on Jan 23, 2008
Even though I don’t think anyone with even the slightest interest in Russia can possibly have missed this amazing blog, I still felt like I have an obligation to tell the world about it. Every time I take yet another picture out and about in the Great Russia, capturing her peculiar splendor and her eccentric…
Ура, январские праздники! Hurrah, the January Holidays! Posted by josefina on Jan 7, 2008
In some countries you get one day off in January – the first. In other countries you might also get the second day off as a part of the public holiday known as New Year. In Russia – not so much. As a matter of fact – even more! The first seven days of…