On this next trip back to Russia we will be 3 days in Kotlas where not many people know english so Andy and I need to be better orepared with some Russian words. One phrase that gets you out of a jam is: "Ya nye panimayo, ya amerikanskanska". I can barely say it, but it means "I dont understand I am american". Izvinitye is "Sorry." Also I just learned "Ya nye gavaryu parruskie", meaning "I dont speak Russian".
How about "Ya looblue lasisina, ikra krasnaya, svinina", meaning "I love salmon, caviar and pork!"--the I want to be able to read the things I like on the menu.
We can tell Elena that she is smart and pretty, "Tih ochen umniah, krayseevayah." and ask her "Gdye matryushka, gdye koshka, gdye sabaka"?--where is the matrushka doll, kitty, and dog. Hocheesh peet? Hocheesh yest? Hocheesh tualyet? Need water, food or the toilet??
Peva pazhalsta-beer please...
Pamagitye pazhalsta- help please
Korosho-good
para spot-time to sleep
its late, time for me to sleep and we are not done packing, I cant believe we are leaving so soon!
paka-byebye
T
We're on the left. Elena's on the right. She was in Russia. That's why we went.
Congrats, it's great to hear you are so close to coming home with Elena.
ReplyDeleteWe also learned a little Russian to be able to communicate with our kids the first few critical months. Because of their ages, we found that they spoke "baby talk" and even Dimitry did not understand them. Some additional phrases we used/learned our first weeks together.
Ne trogat - don't touch
Peeshoot- having to go pee
Oballa - we think this meant it fell, usually said after they dropped a toy.
Nakalianki- lap (usually said when they wanted to sit on our laps)
Btw,we think the Kotlas orphanage exposed the children to a lot of music and our kids were always singing. There was one song about a dog (cebaka) that they always sang and as they learned English, the words changed to the englsih words..although the song no longer rhymed!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, we used music a lot and singing to them helped calm them down when they were scared and nervous. Another family who also adopted during the same time as us noted the same thing about their daughters,also from Kotlas.
I'm so excited for you. You are all in my prayers. I is so easy to see the and feel the love you have for each other.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Aunt Judy