Chris Newport, this post is especially for you! :)
Okay, so to say that I don't know ANY Russian might be a stretch. I have a hard time reading it, but I have a small vocabulary that I can speak. All the words I know are things that are important for my daily survival. I'll give you a list of what I know...The words are spelled how I think you would spell them in English...
mozhna-I would like
pojalsta- please/you're welcome (confusing...)
marazhona rajoke- ice cream cone
specieba- thank you
yanee ponee my you- I don't understand
eta- that
eee- and
privet- hello
paka- bye
das vadana- excuse me (I think...)
mAC fluddy- McFlurry
chocolod- chocolate
Kitay Gorod- I don't know what this actually translates to, but it's important to know because it is the metro stop that our hostel is located at. This is one that I can actually read :)
So I do know a tiny bit. I'm doing my best. Tonight, our team went to McDonald's to get ice cream...I swear it's better and different here...anyway, in Russia they have these awesome McFlurrys that have chocolate and caramel. As I stood in line, I recited exactly what I was going to get in my mind..."Mozhna pojalsta mAC fluddy caramelll chocolod." I got up there, said it and was feeling great about myself. As soon as I did, the lady that was working goes, "You speak English?" in almost perfect English...me: "Yes." her: "What do you want?" It was hilarious and a bit embarrassing.
This whole experience has just been an opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you for your support!!
Okay, so to say that I don't know ANY Russian might be a stretch. I have a hard time reading it, but I have a small vocabulary that I can speak. All the words I know are things that are important for my daily survival. I'll give you a list of what I know...The words are spelled how I think you would spell them in English...
mozhna-I would like
pojalsta- please/you're welcome (confusing...)
marazhona rajoke- ice cream cone
specieba- thank you
yanee ponee my you- I don't understand
eta- that
eee- and
privet- hello
paka- bye
das vadana- excuse me (I think...)
mAC fluddy- McFlurry
chocolod- chocolate
Kitay Gorod- I don't know what this actually translates to, but it's important to know because it is the metro stop that our hostel is located at. This is one that I can actually read :)
So I do know a tiny bit. I'm doing my best. Tonight, our team went to McDonald's to get ice cream...I swear it's better and different here...anyway, in Russia they have these awesome McFlurrys that have chocolate and caramel. As I stood in line, I recited exactly what I was going to get in my mind..."Mozhna pojalsta mAC fluddy caramelll chocolod." I got up there, said it and was feeling great about myself. As soon as I did, the lady that was working goes, "You speak English?" in almost perfect English...me: "Yes." her: "What do you want?" It was hilarious and a bit embarrassing.
This whole experience has just been an opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you for your support!!
-m.
Kitay Gorod means "China Town" which therefore I thought until actually getting there that we were going to be living in the "China Town" of Moscow. I was a little sad when there wasn't any Chinese food anywhere. Great language though!!! You know way more than I ever did!
ReplyDeleteI love it!!!!
ReplyDeleteKeetai gored = china town
Dos vedania = goodbye (more formal than paka)
One more: tell your friends you learned a new phrases and have them try it out..."ya hochuu tsalovat". It means I want to kiss. Or "ya lewblue tebya." (I love you). Just a thought....
Praying for God to do great things in and through you!