We were visited by Santa, and we also played some games, which I didn't quite understand because they were all spoken in Russian. I was also in charge of explaining a game which one of the teachers was excited about because I was the first foreigner to bring a game to the party. I ate caviar for the first time, and may or may not have eaten an entire gigantic piece of сельдь под шубой (or herring under a fur coat) because it's one of my favorite Russian dishes. I really need to learn how to make it.
It was a good party, and I left before the karaoke because I had a private lesson. I hope one day I can experience an actual Russian New Years. That's something I'm adding to my bucket list.
Hi, Jasilyn!
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting.
Do you like the salad сельдь под шубой?
You are certainly not a typical American :)
I like to watch videos on YouTube channel called ‘Другая Америка’. It’s author is Sergei Polishchuk, he is Ukrainian, married to an american woman. He lives in Michigan for 20 years and tells to his viewers about his life in USA. He has also second channel USHANKA SHOW where he tells in English about his past life in USSR.
He told that his wife can prepare сельдь под шубой special for him, but no one else of his family wants to eat this awful dish. :) Other family members say that it is “too fishy” :)))
I love сельдь под шубой! I really like beets, so that's probably why :)
DeleteI'll have to look for his YouTube channel. I'd be interested in seeing what he thinks about America.
I think my family would like the salad. They really like fish, but they might be afraid of the fish, mayo, beet mixture!
I like this dish too, but it was not always so. Since my childhood I saw it regularly on a table and it’s appearance seemed to me disgusting. Way? I don’t know.
ReplyDeleteThen, when I was about 16 y.o, as if something had been switched in my head and I had liked the salad. :) Since then I eat it with pleasure.
Of course, you can try to watch this channel, but there is a challenge: he speaks in Russian there on his basic channel. It is very difficult to understand foreign language on hearing. For example, I can read in English and understand almost all. English lessons on YouTube, where teachers speak distinctly and not quickly, I can comprehend too. But if I try listen to a radio, tv news or a video with a fast spoken speech – it is a horrible incomprehensible sound streem for me :) So it will be better if next to you will be somebody who can help to interpret.
Thank you for your blog. I use it as a textbook for English :)
You should start to watch English shows with subtitles. The more you watch and listen the easier it will become! Don't think it's cheating if you use subtitles! It's not! :)
DeleteWhat's a beginning of the year party? I love the idea of celebrating that at work, we struggle just to manage a Christmas party! This year we had a potluck at someones house with all the staff and board, which was lovely. I love the colour of that purple salad, it's so vibrant! I think it's interesting that Santa has a part in your New Years celebration too, I always assumed he stopped working after Christmas day ;) xx
ReplyDeleteJessthetics
Well, this is our "Christmas Party." Santa came because his Russian counterpart Ded Maroz couldn't! Haha. I love potlucks! I had to introduce my Russian friends to it because they didn't know what it was!
DeleteOoooh, I love this party, Jasilyn!!! :) That's so sweet of your school to put it together! Is your school very small, by the way? Or were other people not able to attend?
ReplyDeleteThe company I'm working for had a little holiday get-together at a local bar. I skipped it, though.
It's small because it's just a language school, but also some people didn't show up. I don't know how many teachers there are exactly.
DeleteAh, why did you skip it?