Thursday, July 20, 2006

I speak russian?

This trip delivers more than it's required share of pleasure so far! The climate is just wonderful, the scenery is great, people are nice and food is good and avaliable at reasonable rates. Standard is overall good despite the short anekdotes I tell you about our living here at sovietnij dom. (Did l mention my bed is killing me? Different story.)
Anyway - with the language too I'm ready seing progress. It is really true that "living the language" is a great method. There's no room for being cowardish - and except for excellent teatchings at school reality keeps playing it's tricks on us: How do I by shampoo and nostril spray? Where can I get hot water? What's the woman telling us when we lost our guide in the crowd?
And obviously we are making some progress. Today at the tartar market I told a salesperson "Ne panimaio - ja ne govorjy po russkij" in quite high pace (I dont understand - I don't speak russian). The man looked slightly confused for a few moments while I speeded on along the street.Then I heard him calling behind me, still in russian, "You do. You do. Mister!"
So I guess he's right then? I do?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yes, that's a classic one :) It's always good to know how to say I don't understand in many different languages. But you have to say with a very bad accent otherwise they don't belive you!