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What 12 Chairs Got to Do With Learning Russian Posted by yelena on Aug 16, 2011
Have you read «12 стульев» [12 Chairs] yet? If not, don’t wait another second! There’s simply no excuse for not reading this «классика» [classic] especially since it is a) available online for free and b) available online in English. Just a few days ago Mosfilm uploaded both «первую и вторую серии» [Part 1 and Part…
What Makes Russians Happy Posted by yelena on Aug 9, 2011
I’d like to thank Jarrod for the inspiring comment on our Facebook page and to Bob for sending me the infographics that started it all. Guys, you rock! A while ago one of the blog readers, Bob, e-mailed me the infographics you see at the top of the post. Honestly, while I really liked the…
When Russians Get Busy, They Say… Posted by yelena on Aug 5, 2011
On my «личный» [personal] blog I frequently start new posts with «извинение» [an apology]. It goes something like this: “Well, it’s been a while since my last post, but things have been crazy-busy here”. Until very recently I didn’t think much of the “crazy-busy” phrase, but how would I say something like that in Russian?…
How to Say “Default” in Russian Posted by yelena on Jul 30, 2011
Have you ever wished for a time machine? What would you use «машина времени» for if you did have it? The protagonists of Soviet «научная фантастика» [science fiction] were always using time machines for various noble deeds, such as dinosaur research or, say, trying to save «одно из семи чудес света» [one of the seven…
Russian Names for Pets Posted by yelena on Jul 28, 2011
This is my cat Xander when he was just a kitty. On the surface of it, Xander is not a typical Russian name for a cat. Unless you know that I derived it from “Александр” [Alexandr]. Yep, every Russian woman has her Alexandr. Names are endlessly fascinating, aren’t they? Ok, maybe “endlessly” is a bit…
Most Popular Russian Names Posted by yelena on Jul 26, 2011
It might seem «невероятно» [unbelievable], but all through elementary and middle school I was the only «Лена» [Lena] in my class of 35 students, half of whom were girls. «Елена» [Yelena] was, until recently, one of the most common Russian names for girls. As for boys, back in the days «Александр» [Alexandr] was «настолько распространённое…
Soup And Salad All In One Posted by yelena on Jul 21, 2011
This summer’s «жара» [heat] and «засуха» [drought] are set to beat all sorts of records. While the «пессимист» [pessimist] in me frets over «мой огород» [my vegetable patch] and the «оптимист» [optimist] in me cheers that «вода в бассейне будет ещё теплее» [water in the pool will get even warmer], my inner «реалист» [realist]…