QUOTE(peejay @ Apr 19 2008, 12:28 PM) 
I pretty much skimmed through the whole thread and found that my wife has a lot of similar traits that others described.
My wife often uses the "foo" word to show her dislike of something. I didn't realize it was a Russian idiom. I never heard my stepdaughter use it though. I have heard many Belarusian women use the term "oi, oi, oi" while shaking their head to convey their disapproval of something. Jews are famous for using the same idiom, but the Belarusian women I know that use it aren't Jewish. Large portions of Belarus were a part of the old Tsarist era Pale of Settlement where Jews were required to live, so that may explain that regionalism. My wife was born and raised in Russia, so that probablty explains why she uses "foo" instead of "oi, oi, oi".
My wife also distains colas, but her daughter loves them. Neither of them likes kvas, but I have a taste for it. My wife and many of the Russian / Belarusian women I know love their tea. My wife can't live without it and drinks it with milk or cream. She also likes her juice and it is drunk at room temperature. It sits on the counter unrefridgerated.
We are fortunate to live in an area of Houston close to our house that has two Russian stores that stock foods, medicines, books, movies, etc. from Eastern Europe and many of the former Soviet republics. I lived there even before I met my wife, so it has turned out to be a plus. She has discovered American brands that are acceptable to her, but has the Russian stores to fall back on for certain things. Most notably unrefined sunflower oil, halva, various sweets, church wine (Kagor), and buckwheat (gretchka) comes to mind.
Russians / Belarusians tend to prefer pork over beef. My wife seldom cooks beef. Pork, chicken, and fish is prefered in that order. I'm not a huge fan of pork, but have learned to live with it.
My wife also does not like the American health care system (insurance), doctors, dentists, or medicines. I had a real fun time trying to convince her that our American thyroxine was the same as the thyroxine she got in Belarus. While our system has a lot not to like, I think most of the distain comes from having to pay and pay and pay. My wife is also a huge believer in natural cures and old wives cures from the village. Some of it is OK for minor ailments, but it can also be detrimental if someone refuses competent medical care for serious medical conditions. We often butt heads when she nags me about my decision to go to "my" American doctors rather than letting her cure me.
My wife is also superstitious, but so are some Americans. My wife is probably one of the most superstitious people I ever met though. Most of the time I play along with it to indulge her, but I only go so far with it. There is a limit.
I could probably write a book on my many observations, but I'll stop here for now. One observation that I would like to make is that people are not entirely the same even when they come from the same country. People might have similar beliefs, attitudes, etc. they aquire from their upbringing and culture, but they are still individuals and are different in their own way. Russians are not monolithic. They are not all exactly the same.
My wife often uses the "foo" word to show her dislike of something. I didn't realize it was a Russian idiom. I never heard my stepdaughter use it though. I have heard many Belarusian women use the term "oi, oi, oi" while shaking their head to convey their disapproval of something. Jews are famous for using the same idiom, but the Belarusian women I know that use it aren't Jewish. Large portions of Belarus were a part of the old Tsarist era Pale of Settlement where Jews were required to live, so that may explain that regionalism. My wife was born and raised in Russia, so that probablty explains why she uses "foo" instead of "oi, oi, oi".
My wife also distains colas, but her daughter loves them. Neither of them likes kvas, but I have a taste for it. My wife and many of the Russian / Belarusian women I know love their tea. My wife can't live without it and drinks it with milk or cream. She also likes her juice and it is drunk at room temperature. It sits on the counter unrefridgerated.
We are fortunate to live in an area of Houston close to our house that has two Russian stores that stock foods, medicines, books, movies, etc. from Eastern Europe and many of the former Soviet republics. I lived there even before I met my wife, so it has turned out to be a plus. She has discovered American brands that are acceptable to her, but has the Russian stores to fall back on for certain things. Most notably unrefined sunflower oil, halva, various sweets, church wine (Kagor), and buckwheat (gretchka) comes to mind.
Russians / Belarusians tend to prefer pork over beef. My wife seldom cooks beef. Pork, chicken, and fish is prefered in that order. I'm not a huge fan of pork, but have learned to live with it.
My wife also does not like the American health care system (insurance), doctors, dentists, or medicines. I had a real fun time trying to convince her that our American thyroxine was the same as the thyroxine she got in Belarus. While our system has a lot not to like, I think most of the distain comes from having to pay and pay and pay. My wife is also a huge believer in natural cures and old wives cures from the village. Some of it is OK for minor ailments, but it can also be detrimental if someone refuses competent medical care for serious medical conditions. We often butt heads when she nags me about my decision to go to "my" American doctors rather than letting her cure me.
My wife is also superstitious, but so are some Americans. My wife is probably one of the most superstitious people I ever met though. Most of the time I play along with it to indulge her, but I only go so far with it. There is a limit.
I could probably write a book on my many observations, but I'll stop here for now. One observation that I would like to make is that people are not entirely the same even when they come from the same country. People might have similar beliefs, attitudes, etc. they aquire from their upbringing and culture, but they are still individuals and are different in their own way. Russians are not monolithic. They are not all exactly the same.
Good stuff, peejay, and many thanks for sharing. Natasha eats beef here, even though back in Russia they ate it very infrequently (she also says she likes it). Natasha and Vika both do the 'oi oi oi' thing too. Sadly, Omaha has one 2 Russian stores that I have been able to find. One is down in the fru-fru section of town and is very expensive, and very selective in what they stock (It's called "Red Square"). The other is a gas station named "Terror-free Oil" and though very small, stocked every day stuff that made Natasha feel like home.
You may wish to at least learn those 30 phrases or you could end up in the dog house! 
Seriously, though, learn some Ukrainian for your own sanity. There is no way, I could live with a Russian woman without constantly learning more of her language each and every day.