Flower Power

[Nasturtium 500]

Suit yourself (or brace yourself).

And here I thought it was a postal thing. I feel that way about early morning meeting and conference call planning. Every time some one says "how about getting this done over coffee, say 7am tomorrow?", I have to remind myself how our lifestyle would change if I draw down on the speaker.

Yeah, but it's tempting, right? You haven't been around as much lately-- I hope everything is alright.

[Brad and Vika 130]

Yeah, but it's tempting, right? You haven't been around as much lately-- I hope everything is alright.

Getting used to my new anger management regimen and meds Seriously, everything is fine with us, and with you two as well I hope. My dad passed away just before Christmas, and we were out of the country for a week in January. Just really busy. Thanks for asking

[Ovaltine Jenkins 5]

Oh, Alla is prissy, she has no problemns with bugs, dirt.

Oh, that must be why she is still sticking around.

Alla loves gardening. She puts on shorts, halter top and low heels.

Now that's low. My wife loves gardening with high heels on.

Alla had a mini-van, she learned to drive a mini-van. It was a good practical All Wheel Drive (important in Vermont even for civilized roads) with a set of winter tires on rims, and good for hauling a teenage son and all his friends to various places. But then she saw a Pontiac Solstice and she shrugged off her soccer mom van and now will zoom around with a top down sports car! (when it is warm enough...maybe three weeks in July) I have to admit it is damn fun to drive but the thing gets stuck in snow on the driveway...not a good Vermont "winter car" and I am getting a bit tired of pushing her out of the driveway every morning. She lets me drive her car to get gasoline. It could carry a 10' board if you slung it under the car and tied it up to the bumpers. And if it was a 1x board. A 2x4 would probably drag the ground. Anyway that's what the van and my truck are for.

If you don't think this whole thing is just plain silly then don't complain about pushing her out of the driveway and be grateful she lets you drive the car to get gas.

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

^ ^^^^^^

Flag color confusion.

You can tell it is the US half of the couple as Prague is WAYYYYYYYY too much fun to be populated with buzzkills.

Humor injection...stat.

[Martyshk 137]

^ ^^^^^^

Flag color confusion.

You can tell it is the US half of the couple as Prague is WAYYYYYYYY too much fun to be populated with buzzkills.

Humor injection...stat.

Completely off-topic, but it's interesting, that it's easier to get around Prague while speaking Russian than speaking English

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

Suit yourself (or brace yourself).

And here I thought it was a postal thing. I feel that way about early morning meeting and conference call planning. Every time some one says "how about getting this done over coffee, say 7am tomorrow?", I have to remind myself how our lifestyle would change if I draw down on the speaker.

Brad! Tell them..."Have you seen my wife? Here's a photo. Where do you think I am at 7am dude? Not "doing this" over coffee I can assure you! See you at 11 for lunch...you buy"

It can be hard to deal with other people married to American women.

[Nasturtium 500]

Completely off-topic, but it's interesting, that it's easier to get around Prague while speaking Russian than speaking English

This thread is on page 4, so that is now a valid subject. The way it was originally explained to me (a) year(s)? ago is in the (at the time just Russian) RUB forum, all questions are seriously answered within pages 1 and 2. Pages 2.5-3 are the beginning of veering off topic, and pages 3+ will devolve into talk of guns and pie. If you notice, I actually attempt to answer seriously within the serious parts, and after that I follow the other rule of it has become the zone for guns and pie.

On your topic, when I first went to France, I didn't speak French yet-- only German. I had an easier time getting around in German than English in Paris.

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

Completely off-topic, but it's interesting, that it's easier to get around Prague while speaking Russian than speaking English

My favorite city, it is where I met Alla by chance. It is true that most people in their late 30s or older speak Russian. I have had no trouble speaking English and found many people offended at Russian. I worked with a structural engineer from Prague, Alla spoke to her in Russian when she met her at a job site one day (neither of us can make heads or tails of Czech) and she was mightily offended, but DID speak Russian.

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

[quote name='julianna' date

[eekee 182]

Yeah, I've heard that people in the Czech Republic have... issues with Russian.

Strangely enough, I did find Russian useful in Italy, which apparently has a large Ukrainian population. Who knew? Went to a park outside Venice and it was full of babushkas sitting around chatting.

[Brad and Vika 130]

My favorite city, it is where I met Alla by chance. It is true that most people in their late 30s or older speak Russian. I have had no trouble speaking English and found many people offended at Russian. I worked with a structural engineer from Prague, Alla spoke to her in Russian when she met her at a job site one day (neither of us can make heads or tails of Czech) and she was mightily offended, but DID speak Russian.

I had the same experience in Lithuania. There are even schools where kids are taught in Russian (or English) there. People on the street refused to speak Russian. My ex asked several people on the street for directions, asking first if they spoke Russian (the question was in Russian). They all responded "nyet" - so they understood Russian fine, just refused to speak it. Our old town tour guide was Russian, and married to a Lithuanian guy - and her inlaws refused to speak Russian to her, forcing her to speak Lithuanian. Lots of occupation resentment there.

Brad! Tell them..."Have you seen my wife? Here's a photo. Where do you think I am at 7am dude? Not "doing this" over coffee I can assure you! See you at 11 for lunch...you buy"

It can be hard to deal with other people married to American women.

Good thought Gary, but not the direction I usually go at the office

[Ovaltine Jenkins 5]

That's not completely true. A lot of people know the "Can you speak -- insert certain language?" in different languages and know how to answer to that. That doesn't mean they can actually speak the language.

[Nasturtium 500]

Yes?

[Brad and Vika 130]

That's not completely true. A lot of people know the "Can you speak -- insert certain language?" in different languages and know how to answer to that. That doesn't mean they can actually speak the language.

I was told by Lithuanians that every one over the age of 30 probably has a working knowledge of Russian. We found waiters, bankers, hotel employees, and others in their twenties who were all fluent. That is why we started asking why people you meet can't speak Russian. The answer we got consistently was that there was a pretty strong nationalist movement in the country (and Latvia and Estonia too), and the people my ex was questioning probably thought she was Russian. Unless they were also ehtnic Russian, they likely just would rather not converse in that language.

Edited February 8, 2010 by Brad and Vika

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

Yeah, I've heard that people in the Czech Republic have... issues with Russian.

Strangely enough, I did find Russian useful in Italy, which apparently has a large Ukrainian population. Who knew? Went to a park outside Venice and it was full of babushkas sitting around chatting.

Seems there main issue happened in the spring/summer of 1968 and is still called "Prague Spring"