Tag Archives: Russian culture
Tea in Russia is More Than Just Tea Posted by yelena on Jun 27, 2011
If you meet and befriend a Russian, at some point you will be invited over to his or her place. Such invitation won’t be anything formal. Your friend might say «будешь рядом, заходи в гости» [when you are in the area, do stop by] or «приходи, чайку попьём» [come over for some tea] or «будет…
The Rule of Three Posted by yelena on Jun 21, 2011
Have you ever heard of «тройное правило» [the Rule of Three]? Of course, you have! But if you are still not sure «о чём идёт речь» [what I’m talking about], here’s a quick link to a Wikipedia entry. Ok, so as you can see, the rule of three is «всеобъемлющее» [universal]. By the way, if…
Self-Employed Doesn’t Mean Self-Serving Posted by yelena on Jun 20, 2011
When I was «маленькая» [a child], «лето было моим любимым временем года» [summer was my favorite season]. I had 2 hugely important reasons to love summer – my birthday and «летние каникулы» [summer break from school]. As I started getting older, the excitement of celebrating yet another «день рождения» [birthday] wore off. But I did…
Bottles Under Table and Other Rules of Marital Bliss Posted by yelena on Apr 28, 2011
I disagree with the classic who once wrote «Все счастливые семьи счастливы одинаково» [All happy families are alike]. Do you know who wrote this? How about the book that starts with this famous opening line? Back to business, however. As the saying goes, «браки заключаются на небесах» [marriages are made in heaven] meaning that you…
7 Ways to Be More Russian Posted by yelena on Mar 11, 2011
Remember a while ago we talked about how to learn Russian by creating an immersive experience. Except now I realize that in my suggestions I overlooked one major resource. It’s really so simple that I can’t believe I totally missed it! Thankfully I was reminded of it by reading an article in a Russian-language magazine…
Happy Cheese Week! Posted by yelena on Mar 3, 2011
This week Russians are celebrating «Масленица» [Maslenitsa], also known as «сырная неделя» [lit. cheese-fare week]. And even thought it’s already Thursday, the real fun stuff is just beginning. So read on. Also, I’d like to thank one of our readers, Olga Tarn, for reminding me to write this post as well as for finding…
Academicians, Pushkin, and the Steamship Posted by yelena on Feb 17, 2011
As promised, here’s the second and final post that provides some linguistic and cultural background for appreciation of one of the masterpieces of Soviet animation, Winter in Prostokvashino. «фломастер» – You might recognize the brand name Flo-Master. If you are teaching (or studying) a marketing course, this is a perfect example of brand dilution or…