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On Stress Posted by yelena on Jan 11, 2011
We’ve talked about word stress before, so this time we’re talking stress as in “feeling pressured”. How’s your post-holiday stress level? I know mine is running pretty high what with all the resolutions. «У меня стресс из-за этих решений.» [I’m stressed because of these resolutions]. «Стресс» [stress] «прочно вошёл» [has come to stay] into…
And It’s Christmas Time Again! Posted by yelena on Jan 4, 2011
At 11:55pm on December 31, as I was about to raise my glass to the New Year, it occurred to me that, given «разница во времени» [time difference], my Russian friends were just about to wake up to a massive «похмелье» [hangover]. «Жизнь на западе имеет свои преимущества» [Western life has its advantages], I mused…
How to Compare Things in Russian Posted by yelena on Dec 30, 2010
Do you know a Russian saying «зимой снега не допросишься»? It’s used when describing «скупой» [stingy], «жадный» [greedy] person from whom one literally can’t beg even snow in the winter. Well, we’ve had so much snow over the last weekend that I think even the worst tightwads are ready to part with some of the…
It Is Time to Take Stock: “Время подводить итоги” Posted by yelena on Dec 23, 2010
Russians are not alone in their «двойственный» [dichotomous] approach in the weeks before the New Year. On the one hand, it’s time for frantic and quite overwhelming preparations for the holidays, attending parties, buying gifts… On the other hand, it is time for slowing down, reflecting on «старый год» [the year that’s about to end]…
Russian Toasts: It Is About More Than Drinking Posted by yelena on Dec 21, 2010
There’s a persistent stereotype of Russian «праздник» [celebration] as an occasion to get drunk and that «угощение» [meal] consists mostly of liquid bread in form of «водка» [vodka]. Nothing can be further from the truth! From «закуски» [appetizers] to «сладкое» [dessert], Russian holiday table is «ломится от еды» [loaded with food]. After all, «закуска градус…
Are You Ready For the New Year? Posted by yelena on Dec 16, 2010
The Russian New Year season is well under way. Yes, that’s right, New Year is more than a day, it’s a season. «Приготовления» [preparations] start early. Not as early as the Christmas frenzy in the US, but definitely by early December. There’s so much to figure out! «Где будем праздновать» [Where are (we) going…
Cows, Pigs, Wolves and Dogs – More Russian Sayings Posted by yelena on Dec 14, 2010
So in the last few days the news seems to be all about WikiLeaks and about the arrest of its founder Julian Assange. While Russian Internet gets flooded with Wikileaks-related «новости» [news] and «домыслы» [speculations], including far-out «теории заговоров» [conspiracy theories], Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is back in the news cycle as well (like…