«Отдыхают все!» [Everybody’s on Holiday!] Posted by josefina on Jan 9, 2010

At least «в России» [in Russia] and at least «до 10 (десятого) января» [until the 10th of January] it is true that «все отдыхают» [everybody’s on holiday]. Even though there was much talk in 2009 about finally abolishing those ten days that every Russian gets off in the beginning of every year «из-за экономического кризиса»…
Twist Your Tongue Russian Style! Posted by josefina on Jan 4, 2010

It has been said before, «я знаю» [I know], but there’s nothing wrong with a little «повторение» [repeat, repetition; renewal; relapse; rehearsal] of something good! This blog has some of the best readers out there and thus duly receive plenty of excellent comments from you guys. «Спасибочки!» [‘(tiny) thanks!’ a slang version of «спасибо» placing…
«Готовим оливье!» [Making Oliv’e! (aka The Russian Salad)] Posted by josefina on Jan 1, 2010

Yes, you guessed it! (Did the (impfv.) verb «готовить» [prepare, make ready; train; make, COOK] in the title give it all away at first sight?) Today’s post is indeed «о еде» [about food], and, as you would expect, it is «о русской еде» [about Russian food] – one of the things we Russophiles (well, many…
«Искусство подарить и получить» [The Art of Giving and Recieving] Posted by josefina on Dec 29, 2009

While most of the world has already received their holiday «подарки» [gifts (plural of «подарок»: present, gift; presentation; pledge, donative)], Russia is still waiting for the main holiday of the year when it is custom to «подарить и получить» [give (pfv.) and receive (pfv.); their imperfect ‘verb comrades’ are «дарить» and «получать»]. Whereas most of…
To «скучать» [be bored] or to «скучать» [miss] – that is THE question! Posted by josefina on Dec 18, 2009

Only two weeks away from the Motherland and it is already time for the usual confession: «я скучаю по России» [I miss Russia]! But that’s not all – also «я скучаю по русской зиме, по русскому снегу…» [I miss the Russian winter, the Russian snow…]. At least I have thousands of photos of Russia dressed…
How About ‘Dating’ in Russian? Posted by josefina on Dec 14, 2009

Recently we had a post about the tricky linguistic side to getting married in Russian – read “How About ‘Getting Married’ in Russian?” now if you missed it before – but the problems with how to define relationships in this language doesn’t end there. As a matter of fact, the trouble with love in Russia…
А теперь: Russia from the Outside! Posted by josefina on Dec 7, 2009

«План мой был таков:» [My plan was like this:] to write at least one post before «я уехала из России» [I left Russia] on Friday morning, but this plan proved impossible to carry out during my «последняя неделя в России» [last week in Russia]. During my last week at Ural State University I had to…