My 'experience' with international dating

[possum]

Ok, I'm not sure if I should post it here or in the Anything Goes section, but it's a funny story that I told Eduard yesterday in a PM.. I know some of you are curious, so here goes..

So, my folks and I go to this restaurant last summer for lunch, and we are seated across from two women in their thirties and a gray-haired balding fat guy.. At some point, I notice they are speaking in a mixture of three languages: very bad broken English, Russian and Italian.. Naturally, I become curious and decide to listen in on their conversation, during which I realize that one of the ladies is a translator and the other is the guy's date..

The guy spoke very quietly, mostly into the translator lady's ear, so I had no idea what he was saying most of the time.. I knew he was Italian because I'd heard him take a phone call entirely in Italian.. The translator lady was a little louder and was doing most of the talking; however, between her heavy soviet-style accent and the restaurant noise, I was only able to make out a few phrases here and there.. It was obvious that they didn't want to be overheard.. From the tone of their conversation we (my cousin and I) concluded that it was most definitely a date, and not a business meeting, which put us at ease about making fun of them..

By the time the main course arrived, my cousin and I were pissing ourselves laffin' silently at the poor bastard and his terp as they struggled to make each other understood.. And then we got to thinking how cool it would be if I said something in Italian to get their attention, and so I start a pretend conversation with my cousin, occasionally shouting out Italian words like Madonne.. Per favore.. va bene.. That was all the Italian I knew at the time but you couldn't tell because the conversation looked very real.. 

You had to see the look on the terp's face everytime I said something in Italian.. She would turn around and it was like she knew we were on to them but she couldn't do anything about it as there we four of us at the table and we were all dressed up in business clothes.. Eventually though, after about five minutes of this torture, they got up and headed for the exit door without saying a word.. It was so hilarious to watch.. I bet they will think twice now before going out during lunchtime in the FSU..

[Gator]

Possum,

Your sense of humor is close to mine.

Were you educated in Moscow or abroad?  Your English is not only excellent, your ability to write is commendable.

[possum]

Possum,

Your sense of humor is close to mine.

Were you educated in Moscow or abroad?  Your English is not only excellent, your ability to write is commendable.

Neither.. I went to a local tech university for a while but I never made it into the second year because I got bored and quit in the second semester..  And as for my English skills, I'm completely self-taught on those.. I know it's hard to believe but it's the God's honest truth..

[Eduard]

I couldn't tell by your writing that you were Russian...your english is awsome!
Molto bene!

[SANDRO43]

her heavy soviet-style accent

I'm curious: what are the peculiarities of a Soviet-style accent ?

[possum]

I'm curious: what are the peculiarities of a Soviet-style accent ?

It's the only accent that's taught in Russian universities, or so it seems.. it's supposed to be British sounding but the vowels all have a distinct slavic ring to them, and as a result, the whole thing sounds like a cross between British English and Russian.. 

[possum]

I couldn't tell by your writing that you were Russian...your english is awsome!
Molto bene!

How do you say 'thank you' in Italian?.

[Eduard]

How do you say 'thank you' in Italian?.

grazie mille - means thanks a lot! (not sure about the spelling though, I know a little Italian but mostly phonetically)
I love Italian language - so musical...and music - also musical

[Shadow]

It's the only accent that's taught in Russian universities, or so it seems.. it's supposed to be British sounding but the vowels all have a distinct slavic ring to them, and as a result, the whole thing sounds like a cross between British English and Russian.. 

Have you managed to lose such an accent or will you also speak with  'zhe Russian akhsent' ? 

'grazie' is Italian for 'thank you', 'mille grazie' is 'a thousand thanks' or more proper 'thank you very much'.

[possum]

Have you managed to lose such an accent or will you also speak with  'zhe Russian akhsent' ? 

'grazie' is Italian for 'thank you', 'mille grazie' is 'a thousand thanks' or more proper 'thank you very much'.

Well, since I didn't study English in a post-Soviet university, nobody taught me the Soviet accent.. I've pretty much always talked the way people talk in the REAL world..

[Eduard]

so what are you planning to do with this skill?

[Shadow]

Well, since I didn't study English in a post-Soviet university, nobody taught me the Soviet accent.. I've pretty much always talked the way people talk in the REAL world..

That is what all Soviet-style speakers THINK they do 
Still I prefer it to people trying to imitate an American accent and sounding totally phony. Not directed at native Americans, do not confuse this 
Outside England, I have found the people in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) to speak the most proper English.

[possum]

so what are you planning to do with this skill?

What skill?. According to the Russian govt. a person without a university degree cannot have any skills.. I don't have any skills, I'm a nobody..

[SANDRO43]

'grazie' is Italian for 'thank you', 'mille grazie' is 'a thousand thanks' or more proper 'thank you very much'.

Thrilled to see so many international experts in my own language . I could add: 'tante grazie/grazie tante', 'molte grazie/grazie molte', etc. From Latin gratia (grace, sake, benefit, etc.), also used by MGM .

[AnastassiaAsh]

What skill?. According to the Russian govt. a person without a university degree cannot have any skills.. I don't have any skills, I'm a nobody..

  ...

[Shadow]

What skill?. According to the Russian govt. a person without a university degree cannot have any skills.. I don't have any skills, I'm a nobody..

If you have no skills and are a nobody you are fit for politics in my country 

[possum]

...

What?. What's that old saying from the Soviet times.. Without a piece of paper I am but a little bug..

[possum]

If you have no skills and are a nobody you are fit for politics in my country 

I love politics.. I hope someday to be president of the US of A..

[Shadow]

I love politics.. I hope someday to be president of the US of A..

At the moment impossible. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger can not become president as he is not born as citizen. Its not because of discrimination from his name either. 

[possum]

At the moment impossible. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger can not become president as he is not born as citizen. Its not because of discrimination from his name either. 

There are at least 12 million illegal aliens living there right now.. If there allowed to stay, how long do you think it's gonna be before an amendment to the Constitution is passed allowing foreign born citizens to run for President?. 

[Shadow]

There are at least 12 million illegal aliens living there right now.. If there allowed to stay, how long do you think it's gonna be before an amendment to the Constitution is passed allowing foreign born citizens to run for President?. 

Right after Putin gives the illegal aliens in Russia a passport. 

[wxman]

There are at least 12 million illegal aliens living there right now.. If there allowed to stay, how long do you think it's gonna be before an amendment to the Constitution is passed allowing foreign born citizens to run for President?. 

I think we will have to wait several lifetimes for that to occur. The process for amending the Constitution is not easy. There are 2 ways:

1)Congress proposes amendments.
Both houses of Congress approve by two-thirds votes a resolution calling for the amendment. The resolution does not require the president's signature. To become effective, the proposed amendment must then be "ratified" or approved by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states. Congress typically places a time limit of seven years for ratification by the states.

2)The states propose amendments.
The legislatures of two-thirds of the states vote to call for a convention at which constitutional amendments can be proposed. Amendments proposed by the convention would again require ratification by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states.
All twenty-seven amendments, including the Bill of Rights have been added through the first method. The Constitution has never been amended using the second process.

While over 10,000 have been proposed, only seventeen amendments to the Constitution have been adopted since final ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791.

Highly doubtful that we will ever get 3/4 of the states (38) to ever approve of such an amendment.

[possum]

The fact of the matter is nobody knows exactly what's going to happen after this year's elections.. These are crazy times we live in, and things are happening that just a few years ago would have been unimaginable.. The words 'mom' and 'dad' are now banned from schools in the state of California, and boys are allowed to use girls' bathrooms and vice versa.. And then there is mass hysteria around some idiot's apocalyptic fantasy that involves a technology induced climate change.. And the list of weird things goes on.. So my point is, if current trends keep up, there might be legal adjustments made to accommodate some of the ideas that are gaining popularity, adjustments that could include a constitutional change..

[Shadow]

It does not look like the elections are going to bring a huge change...the winner is already declared so it seems.

[possum]

It does not look like the elections are going to bring a huge change...the winner is already declared so it seems.

If you mean the Russian elections then yes, the winner has been known for quite some time there..