(no subject)

[padruka1988.livejournal.com]

So I've recently started attending an Orthodox church in our city... It's Greek Orthodox, but because it's the only Orthodox church in our city, there are members from Russia and Ukraine (as well as other countries where Orthodoxy is one of the more common faiths). Anyway, there is a very nice lady (maybe about 60 years old) who is Ukrainian, and she talks to me in the best English that she can. After a bad experience, I'm afraid to ask someone if they speak Russian... And though I know for certain she speaks Russian... I'm afraid to bust out with, "Здрасте :)))" or "Доброе утро!"...

My bad experience = I was at a shop one time when I heard a family speaking in Russian (they were young parents + small child). I said something like, "Вы из России?" in a very nice, friendly way... But also in a very quiet, shy way. The man turned bright red and said in rather good English, "Yes, I suppose you were listening to everything we said?" And I just said, "Oh, no, I'm just studying Russian and I get excited when I hear other people speaking it. ::insert friendly smile::" And he said in a, what I understood as, rather sarcastic tone, "Well, good for you." There have been several instances where I've said, "Вы из России?" to someone, and they are absolutely flattered that an American actually can speak a second language... And we go on to exchange phone numbers and chat in Russian.

Is it offensive to ask someone this? I don't really see why it would be!

Anyway, so when I do get up the courage to speak with her in my quite imperfect Russian... What would be some appropriate "churchy" greetings in Russian? Any phrases for like, "Happy [insert her saint's name] Day!" or any other congratulatory phrases for holidays, feasts, etc... Are much appreciated.

Another similar question to the story listed above... My boyfriend and his family are Russian, and I typically speak to his parents only in Russian ("speak" as hi, how are you, etc...). His mom speaks very, very, very little English... But his stepdad is fluent in English. I speak to him in Russian out of habit... But do you think this would be considered rude? As in, "You can't speak English so let me talk to you in your native language." If someone knew I spoke English and only spoke to me in English (this would happen in a Russian-speaking country), I would be upset because I want to learn Russian and I would feel like they think my Russian isn't adequate enough. OR am I just over-analyzing?

(no subject)

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

I just finished reading a short story someone wrote online (it was recommended to me by a Ukranian friend of mine, just for a bit of reading). Some questions are "I can't read this," so here's the link to better guide all of us: http://www.livejournal.com/users/tulacal/51727.html

Of course, reading raises questions :)

( Спокoйствие и терпение )

Random Question: For all the times I've used потому что, I never knew what kind of sign goes in the middle. Is it потому-что, потому, что, or just потому что?

Sort of unrelated question

[crazy-queer.livejournal.com]

Hi All,

My brother is getting married to a wonderful Russian girl and since the wedding is here in the states she doesn't get to have a lot of her Russian wedding traditions. My friend and I are in charge of the bachelorette party. I was wondering if there are any traditions that we should do at the wedding or at the bachelorette party that would make her feel like she wasn't missing out on traditions she always thought she would have.

I appreciate any ideas you can give me... it seems from what I've heard there are little games that Russians have in regards to getting married.

(no subject)

[tikvi.livejournal.com]

In Russian class, we talked very thoroughly about the use of ты and вы. Yes, we even went so far as to read Pushkin's poem about that. Joy.

But there's one really important group of people which was left out. Family! In America, and other countries, children have started calling their parents by their first names, which I find very disrespectful. How is this handled in Russia? And how do people address older siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc. If I remember correctly, it is possible to use just a first name and still use вы.

Thanks.

Update: Thanks everyone. My poor parents are in for it now:-D

(no subject)

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

How would you say something like "I gave my two week's notice." My dictionary is confusing me a bit on this. Thanks.

(no subject)

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

Small question:

Is there a "really" that's softer than действительно? Because I feel that if I say "Я действительно не хочу," it would be something along the lines of "I REALLY, honest to God, don't want to." Or am I wrong?

Extremely specific transliteration question

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

I realize this question is a little nit-picky, but since it involves my last name, it's quite important to me. In brief, my last name is Gjertsen, it's a not-too-uncommon Norwegian last name. Like a lot of immigrants to the US my grandparents "americanized" the pronounciation (though not, for some reason, the spelling.) I grew up pronouncing it as if it were spelled "Jert-son." As I went out into the world, I encountered many educated Americans, as well as nearly all the Europeans I've met who recognized that it was Scandinavian and so should be pronounced more like "Yert-sen" or "Yart-sen." As a result, though I still pronounce it the first way, I answer to both.
Now when a Russian transliterates a name, are there rules for different languages of origin? My various visas/letters of invitation to Russia/etc have involved three different transliterations:
most commonly:
гжертсен
or
джертсен
and once:
гертсен
However, are there rules for transliterating from Norwegian to Russian? If so it should be more like:
ертсен
or
яртсен
I asked the woman who prepared my last visa application and she said "I transliterate it the way you pronounce it." Fair enough. But some of the forms that I've seen my name on must have been transliterated from the spelling only, and none of them transliterated the "GJ" as a "Y" sound. I know I probably can just pick the way I transliterate it, but I am curious. Norway is not that far from Russia after all...