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Author Topic: How to fake being Russian.  (Read 8688 times)

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Offline DaveNY

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How to fake being Russian.
« on: March 12, 2018, 12:46:41 PM »
I think everyone who has been to Russia knows that the top job for Americans in Russia is working as an English language teacher, however it’s not the only job Americans can do in Russia. I’m a lawyer and did some legal work for American citizens living in Russia. Since American citizens must pay taxes each year even if living abroad an American tax expert can find work among the many Americans living in Moscow.

Other jobs I know Americans have done in Russia include working as a music teacher which I found to be surprising common among American English language teachers. I also know Americans who gave tennis lessons and taught American style cooking.
 
In one job I had I went one step further, I worked in a store all the while pretending to be Russian. When I arrived in Russia to begin my new life there, my wife to be was helping her g/f, Anna, run her parent’s store. The parents had been in an auto accident and their daughter had taken over the running of the store all the while trying to sell the store. My wife helped out when she could. Since I had lots of time available I offered my services.

Anna and my wife thought it best that word not get out that an American was working there. So they created a back story for me. My name was Igor and I was from Omsk, the same city as Anna’s parents. I was a close friend of Anna’s father. He had helped me settle in Moscow. I was a quiet man from the country who didn’t like to talk much and was deeply saddened by my friend’s accident. I was working in the store to help the family.

My job was to clean up, stock shelves, make repairs and anything else that needed to be done while the women rang up the sales. The store was about 1,000 sq. feet so there wasn’t much work to do. Most of the time I worked less than 4 to 5 hours a day and 3 or 4 days a week. After a while the regulars got to know me and would say hello. I would nod hello and continue working. Months later, before Anna sold the store I felt very comfortable in the job and my knowledge of Russian had exploded from taking classes and hearing and occasionally using it at work.

By now I knew all the prices and could read most of the labels even if I couldn’t pronounce the words like a native. Near the end of my job at the store I worked the till and in some cases I was the only person working in the store for most of my shift. Anna and my wife were at their other jobs or out of the store. It wasn’t that my Russian was so good that I could fake being Russian it was that the regulars were so used to me not talking much that our conversations were short and consisted mostly of me nodding acceptance or of saying very little.

What job(s) have you done while living or visiting Russia or any other country?

Edit: Forgot to mention that before I started work at the store my wife and I went shopping for some Russian clothes.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2018, 04:18:57 PM by DaveNY »

Offline msmob

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2018, 12:56:51 PM »
You were right when you claim Americans COULD teach 'English' .. this is fake ;)

Offline DaveNY

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2018, 01:00:56 PM »
You were right when you claim Americans COULD teach 'English' .. this is fake ;)

msmob, I've lived and worked in London trying to understand some of the Irish and Scots is near impossible not only for me but also for the locals.  8)

Offline I/O

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2018, 01:56:17 PM »
You were right when you claim Americans COULD teach 'English' .. this is fake ;)
Big call this one - British are amongst the worst exponents of the beautiful language I've ever heard (and yes, this is an Aussie saying that).


One little example - I tend to park my car(s) in a "garage" whereas Brits tend to park theirs in a "GaRRIdge". Extensive searching of various dictionaries has yet to reveal such a word. ::)


To the OP - the nodding would've given you away. Muscovite's are pretty sharp folk on the whole and quite adept at not revealing what they know..

Offline BillyB

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2018, 02:31:13 PM »
I also know Americans who gave tennis lessons and taught American style cooking.
 

McDonalds and KFC taught a lot of Russians American style cooking.
Fund the audits, spread the word and educate people, write your politicians and other elected officials. Stay active in the fight to save our country. Over 220 generals and admirals say we are in a fight for our survival like no other time since 1776.

Offline DaveNY

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2018, 04:24:01 PM »
McDonalds and KFC taught a lot of Russians American style cooking.

It was Tex Mex and BBQ. The young kid said his family were perennial winners of BBQ contests in the south.


Offline Sting23

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2018, 05:16:34 PM »
msmob, I've lived and worked in London trying to understand some of the Irish and Scots is near impossible not only for me but also for the locals.  8)

As I said before some people from the UK butcher English so bad you wonder if it's even the same language.   guys from northern UK, like Manchester, Liverpool...could barely comprehend them.


Offline Sting23

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2018, 05:22:46 PM »
McDonalds and KFC taught a lot of Russians American style cooking.

Every time I went to the McD's on Red Square or Tverskaya it was so jam packed you literally couldn't move.  Now they got Shake Shack, Papa Johns... and only in Russia can you get a beer at KFC!

Offline alex330

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2018, 07:08:20 PM »
Easy to fake Russian. Tracksuit and squat (flat footed of course)








Offline msmob

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2018, 04:22:35 AM »
As I said before some people from the UK butcher English so bad you wonder if it's even the same language.   guys from northern UK, like Manchester, Liverpool...could barely comprehend them.

This understandable - given your inability to pay attention to what is written in responses to you - when you 'jump in' - believing the post meant something else...;)

You clearly didn't meet anyone from parts of Glasgow or the north-east...   

Easy to fake Russian. Tracksuit and squat (flat footed of course)









The lass could be from the UK - shell suits are everywhere ;(  ..

The rug on the wall is a better giveaway as to FSU origin


Offline Boethius

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2018, 06:52:56 AM »
One little example - I tend to park my car(s) in a "garage" whereas Brits tend to park theirs in a "GaRRIdge". Extensive searching of various dictionaries has yet to reveal such a word. ::)


Brits I know say GARage. 


I have zero issues understanding almost any British accent, other than, as I posted previously, Glaswegian.  I have no issues, generally, with Scots accents, and certainly none with those from the northern UK.  It took me a bit of time to understand Indian English, when the speaker had a strong accent, but it's really the rhythm of the language.  Once I got the rhythm, I had no issues.
After the fall of communism, the biggest mistake Boris Yeltsin's regime made was not to disband the KGB altogether. Instead it changed its name to the FSB and, to many observers, morphed into a gangster organisation, eventually headed by master criminal Vladimir Putin. - Gerard Batten

Offline SANDRO43

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #11 on: March 13, 2018, 07:06:15 AM »
It took me a bit of time to understand Indian English

Milan's "Duomo"

Offline msmob

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #12 on: March 13, 2018, 09:00:10 AM »
msmob, I've lived and worked in London trying to understand some of the Irish and Scots is near impossible not only for me but also for the locals.  8)

I am certain you wouldn't understand me - if I spoke to my relatives with a Belfast accent ;) 

Offline alex330

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #13 on: March 13, 2018, 09:18:22 AM »
The lass could be from the UK - shell suits are everywhere ;(  ..


It's all in the squat. Notice both of her feet are flat on the ground. Below is a British spion trying to pull it off.







Offline Boethius

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #14 on: March 13, 2018, 09:56:37 AM »
That is merely a function of weight and balance.  Nothing to do with ethnicity.
After the fall of communism, the biggest mistake Boris Yeltsin's regime made was not to disband the KGB altogether. Instead it changed its name to the FSB and, to many observers, morphed into a gangster organisation, eventually headed by master criminal Vladimir Putin. - Gerard Batten

Offline alex330

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #15 on: March 13, 2018, 09:59:25 AM »
That is merely a function of weight and balance.  Nothing to do with ethnicity.


The Slav forums will disagree with you   :)

Offline Boethius

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #16 on: March 13, 2018, 10:20:49 AM »
They can disagree all they want.  Doesn't make it accurate. >:D


BTW, you may want to post this on a Slavic forum, to demonstrate their "uniqueness".


Image result for chinese man squatting on street





« Last Edit: March 13, 2018, 11:03:24 AM by Boethius »
After the fall of communism, the biggest mistake Boris Yeltsin's regime made was not to disband the KGB altogether. Instead it changed its name to the FSB and, to many observers, morphed into a gangster organisation, eventually headed by master criminal Vladimir Putin. - Gerard Batten

Offline alex330

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #17 on: March 13, 2018, 11:11:05 AM »
They can disagree all they want.  Doesn't make it accurate. >:D

BTW, you may want to post this on a Slavic forum, to demonstrate their "uniqueness".

Image result for chinese man squatting on street


They will be upset for sure  :)

Offline ML

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #18 on: March 13, 2018, 11:30:00 AM »
They can disagree all they want.  Doesn't make it accurate. >:D


BTW, you may want to post this on a Slavic forum, to demonstrate their "uniqueness".


Image result for chinese man squatting on street

Proctologists would be extremely happy if all people did this.

Hemorrhoids galore.
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Online 2tallbill

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #19 on: March 13, 2018, 06:17:02 PM »
Big call this one - British are amongst the worst exponents of the beautiful language I've ever heard (and yes, this is an Aussie saying that).


One little example - I tend to park my car(s) in a "garage" whereas Brits tend to park theirs in a "GaRRIdge". Extensive searching of various dictionaries has yet to reveal such a word. ::)


The English word drawings is not pronounced Drarringz
Princess Diana was not named Dian-ner

Your prescription is not your perscription?
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FSUW don't do vague
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Offline ML

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #20 on: March 13, 2018, 07:57:50 PM »
The English word drawings is not pronounced Drarringz
Princess Diana was not named Dian-ner

Your prescription is not your perscription?

I am guessing New Englanders pronunciation is closer to British than any others from USA.

It really grates on me when those folks say, for instance, 'Cuber' when talking about that island south of Florida.

And how you can get 'cob' out of taxi, I just don't know.
A beautiful woman is pleasant to look at, but it is easier to live with a pleasant acting one.

Offline msmob

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #21 on: March 14, 2018, 02:40:20 AM »
Big call this one - British are amongst the worst exponents of the beautiful language I've ever heard (and yes, this is an Aussie saying that).


One little example - I tend to park my car(s) in a "garage" whereas Brits tend to park theirs in a "GaRRIdge".

I have a Garage and I'm British when I need to be ;) 

Offline msmob

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #22 on: March 14, 2018, 02:41:56 AM »
I am guessing New Englanders pronunciation is closer to British than any others from USA.

It really grates on me when those folks say, for instance, 'Cuber' when talking about that island south of Florida.

And how you can get 'cob' out of taxi, I just don't know.

Possibly more 'Oirish ?

We both say Kiuooba - not Kooba

Offline SANDRO43

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #23 on: March 14, 2018, 07:50:34 AM »
And how you can get 'cob' out of taxi, I just don't know.
Many terms applied to autos derive from their "ancestors", the horse-drawn carriages: cab, cabriolet, coupé, sedan, etc. ;)


The original cab rank
Milan's "Duomo"

Offline ML

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Re: How to fake being Russian.
« Reply #24 on: March 14, 2018, 10:29:45 AM »
Many terms applied to autos derive from their "ancestors", the horse-drawn carriages: cab, cabriolet, coupé, sedan, etc. ;)


The original cab rank

Sandro, I was referring to their practice of referring to a cab as a cob.
A beautiful woman is pleasant to look at, but it is easier to live with a pleasant acting one.

 

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