Speaking Russian

Some one told me that apparently the Russians were taught how to smile for the football world cup.... but then when I met some of the higher management of the company I work for I was told I am the smiliest person they have met. I am currently a waitress... so you get the irony, Russians allegedly learning to smile not at their friends and family, but I have been hailed the smiliest person.

And when I was in Switzerland, while my Russian friends were happy to hang with each other and have Russian food parties (which actually were pretty fun, I have never craved Russian food), I would wonder off to my Asian classmates or with Brits in the pub. So one my mates once told me that I was a different Russian. 

When living abroad most people look for familiar language, food and such. I guess it’s a comfort thing. But, you know I am ok without it. I don’t have any Russian speaking friends, well yeah my doctor is from Russia but we don’t hang socially. And sometimes I don’t get my mothers jokes, but once again I am ok with it. However there are some things I will never get, like chip or crisp sandwiches, fishfinger sandwiches, rice puddings .... 

Some one asked me if I speak Russian to my son. Well, oddly I feel self concious, maybe coz I am worried my foreign status will be more visible. But also he doesn’t talk so we made a decision to speak less of it. He still understands, but it’s only through Masha and the Bear really. And if he wants to learn it later in life I will be more then happy to teach and help with it. 

Yeap in Russia there are a lot of tanks and things on display. 

I love some things about Russia. I love how big it is with forests and lakes and rivers. How every summer we would go the lake for a month. I love how if you come in for a visit people will try to feed you, coz if they don’t what sort of hosts are they is they don’t. Language itself is well magical, you can make up your own word and people will understand you. 

I love my mum and step dad and my mates. 

But other things not so much. I don’t like how patriarchal it is, how there some things are a crime and some that really should aren’t. How we treat people who are differnt and how the woman looks defines her worth... 

Well I am a proud liberal snowflake. And don’t worry I know how privileged I am. 

And I am ok with not speaking Russian but it is really special when I get to.