Конечно, благородно было бы начать с того, что я люблю дарить подарки. И я действительно люблю это делать. Но еще больше я люблю их получать, особенно те, которые не приурочены ни к какому празднику или очень сильно запоздали – подарок на день рождения в апреле, цветы без повода, безделушка, напомнившая дарящему обо мне.
Сегодня я получила такой подарок – посылку из США от очень доброй и замечательной девушки Келси.
Today's Treasures
Мы познакомились два года назад здесь, в России. Келси приезжала в русско-американский студенческий лагерь по обмену «культурным опытом». Как только я увидела эту девушку, то поняла, что нужно скорее бежать знакомиться с ней.
Келси, как и я, работает учителем и мечтает стать писателем. На мой взгляд, она уже замечательный писатель – и у нас будет возможность в этом убедиться. Потому что Келси согласилась быть соавтором этого блога!
Впереди нас ждет множество интересных постов, написанных Келси и переведенных мной, о культуре ее страны и о всяческих языковых вкусностях и полезностях.
«Aunt Clare always has exellent tea», went on Charlotte,»stacks of butter and raspberry jam and Eccles cakes and all the ginger scones you can eat. My mother has never understood the importance of a good tea.» (c) Eva Rice, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets.
На балконе наконец-то можно собирать урожаи мяты, поэтому я решила возобновить традицию чаепития по-английски.
В 4 часа вечера англичане традиционно пьют «afternoon tea». Впрочем, не столько даже пьют, сколько запивают им всяческие вкусности. Традицию пить чай в 4 часа ввели в начале 19го века богатые дамы, которые приглашали в свои салоны посетителей к этому времени и, чтоб перерыв между обедом и ужином не слишком затягивался, распоряжались подать чай – с бутербродами, если по-нашему.
Однако не всем было по карману распивать чаи посреди рабочего дня. Среди тех, для кого 4 часа – это разгар работы, укоренилась другая традиция. «High tea» – это плотный ужин, который обычно имел место в 6 часов вечера. Сейчас этот прием пищи называют ужином (supper). А еще – обедом(dinner). Как же у них все сложно.
Делая выводы об английской диете, мы имеем:
завтрак
ланч
обед
afternoon tea
ужин
(если речь идет о состоятельных людях)
завтрак
ланч
high tea (он же обед, он же ужин)
(для ребят попроще)
Думается мне, наши русские традиции чаепития ничуть не хуже английских: у самовара, с баранками и вареньем, потягивать крепкий ароматный чай из блюдечек. Так мы делаем на даче
I was talking to Ivan Urghant on ICQ, as if he were a good friend of mine. I asked him to come to Ivanovo in June to join our university leaving celebration. He agreed. He said he’d settle everything with his wife and come.
I woke up with the feeling of what a nice friend he is. And for several minutes I was sure that we were really aquainted.
So, today was my first time at the dentist’s. I had one tooth drilled and filled. It wasn’t too much painful even without anaesthetic. I’m a brave hero and I’m proud of myself!
I even had the opportunity to study human behaviour at the dentist’s. As far as it was a children dental surgery, it was interesting to make some observations about children and their parents there.
For example, the fact that people are afraid of dentists seems to have its roots in the following situation:
There is a queue of children near the surgery, some of them are nervous, some are rather cheerful and calm. But suddenly a horrible scream comes from behind the door. Someone is crying. Why? They do something horrible to him! Mum, I’m afraid, I don’t want to go there!!
But there behind the door nothing happens. The boy who is shouting doesn’t let the dentist to do anything. He is just screaming, sitting on the chair. His mother is shouting at him. He is crying and going into hysteric. But it has nothing to do with pain.
A funny situation:
A boy has just had his tooth pulled out. His mouth is in blood, his eyes are full of tears. Guess what his mother tells him:
-None of this would have happened if you cleaned you teeth.
I spent all the evening shooting the video, but the result is very poor. I don’t know what to do, because my camera on the mobile phone doesn’t manage to create good videos. I think that the only way out is to create some presentation using pictures and sound.
So, it’s over – we’ve passed the State Examination. I would say it was rather easy – no one was going to give us low marks. Valusik and me have excellent marks, so we are waiting for congratulations
But it is very hard on our faculty to receive even a bit of pure happiness, without being hurt or humiliated. I don’t know why the majority of people working there envy happy students so much that they desire to do them harm.
Remember my words – I would never miss this place, no matter how hard my life will be. Because it’s hard to miss the place where all the good things are fake.
No, not all. The best thing I’ve received in the university is friendship. Valusik, and all the «diaspora» girls, if you’re reading me – I love you! Thank you for this day, which we’ve passed together!
Sometimes there are such days when it is almost impossible to imply positive thinking and positive attitude to life. Though I always try.
A lot of things can help me: a good meal or a good tea, a good conversation or a good hour in silence meditation, a good book or a good song. For example, this song helps me rather often:
And the singer – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – is great…
First I heard that song in «50 Dates» movie, in the very end of it. But of course I had to hear it in «Meet Joe Black» – but I really don’t remember it from there. Though I love the movie.
Suddenly they saw the girl not far from them. The dog ran to her and came back in half an hour. He told his master a sad story of the girl’s life.
Her name was Adel. She was born in a rich family, her father was a duke. But when Adel was a child, she met a horrible witch, who cursed her because of her beauty. The witch said: «In your future you will be in need, but no one will help you and no one will marry you.» When Adel’s father heard that curse he fell sick, because he had a dream of all his life to marry his daughter to the King. Adel was so upset that decided to leave her father’s house. She went away, wandered and was sheltered by a poor old woman.
After the dog’s story the boy was thinking for a long time. At last he exclaimed: » Why, but I am no one! I can help her! «
Today in the morning my groupmate who is married to an American brought me three books which I had asked her to buy for me in the USA.
They are: 2 books by my beloved Eva Rice (don’t try to recognize the name, it is unknown) and Alice in Wonderland.
I’m so happy to get them at last! And even more happy that I expected, because one of Eva Rice’s books is a guide to Enyd Blyton’s stories, who is said to be one of the favourite story-writers in England. So now I have 7 books ahead to read.
And – just look at it – what a magic Alice in Wonderland I have! It’s much better than the movie!!!
Today I’ve received my headphones and talked to Ksya on skype to test them. i’m quite satisfied and I wonder if you are ready to discuss the idea of a scype conference in English.
What do you think of it? Do you have the opportunity to join us? (Do you have skype? Can you download it?) When to your mind it’s better to organize the conference?
Once upon a time there lived a family of two: an old woman and a young boy, her son. He was tall and strong, his hair was dark and thick, girls set their eyes on him. But none of them dared to speak to the boy, they were afraid of him, because he had no name.
This day has been very tiring for me. Generally speaking, it seems that a perioud between winter and spring is a very hard one. I feel bad and I’m in low spirits, and the only thing that makes me feel better is my creativity.
I’ve just created a humorous poem for all the women I know. Here it is, excuse my Russian – I have no time to translate it. Enjoy – or even use
Первая Марта готовила ужин,
Марта вторая стирала для мужа,
Третья помыла и окна, и пол,
Муж у четвертой с работы пришел.
Пятая Марта ребенка купала,
Марта шестая на рынке пропала,
В смене работает Марта седьмая.
Марта восьмая заботы не знает:
Марта капризами всех доконала
И на софе отлежала бока.
В Марте последней себя ты узнала?
Нет? Так скорее меняй мужика!
My day wasn’t actually interesting, but I had a strange colourful dream at night.
I was in the green pine-tree forest near some river. I was walking there, the sun was shining and the weather was perfect. But suddenly – right in a second – a storm began. Dark blue and black clouds came from the horizon and brought horrible lightnings and thunder. I started to run somewhere, but the total darkness fell on the world. I was frightened because I couldn’t understand where to go. I was afraid to fall into water, I run against some tree and cuddled up to it. I knew that it was a bad idea, because I felt that it was a tree in the field, a very big tree – a good target for a lightning.
Suddenly I heard somebody calling me. In the flash of a lightning I saw my Granny running to me. She seemed to see everything in the darkness. She ran to me, hugged me and led me to her warm and safe house.
The feeling with which I woke up was unknown to me – or well-forgotten. It was a gratitude to my Granny , it was tenderness and love.
I’ll try to express all what I feel to my Granny tomorrow.
Actually I hate such days – when I can’t say if I did something good and real or not.
I woke up rather late, cooked breakfast, then dinner… Organized the flowers my friends and students had given me yesterday… Spent a lot of time here, reading your posts, writing mine, speaking to Phleolla on ICQ about mistakes, grammar rules and the usage of different words in different cases. At last I was late to the meeting with a friend in need.
I was coming back home from the meeting with a very bad driver and his price was too high. Why is it always so: those people who are low-qualified sets high prices on their work, and real professionals are shy to take real money.
For example, I study on the faculty of foreign languages. Almost all the students work as tutors. But what a strange thing – those who are really good at English ask for 150-200 roubles for 60 minutes, and those who can write «children was» on the examination – 350-400 roubles for 45 minutes. And, speaking about the taxi-drivers, those who drive very smoothly and who are polite ask for low prices even if they have rather good cars.
Once I had an ideal taxi with an ideal driver. It was some new BMW, big and black, very comfortable. There was relaxing music, not loud and very pleasant. There was some nice smell. The driver spoke very little, drove in a relaxing way and asked for 100 roubles from Dom Modi to Blagova. I was so stupid and never asked for his number.
And now I’m at home. I was very nervous after that trip with a crazy driver, but now I’m listening to relaxing jazz and calming down. A good warm bath with some seasalt will finish the process…
I found it yesterday in one central shop and couldn’t help thinking about it. My mother-in-law gave me some money as a birthday present, so I came back to that shop today and bought it.
It’s lovely! There is a great deal of odd cats on it. And it is big!
At last I’m here, at my laptop, a bit drunk and very merry.
It’s been a long day’s night. First I was at school, teaching my little students and receiving presents from them. One boy wished me love – it was funny to hear that from a little child. (Sergey says that the boy may be in love with me )
Then I met my Granny and we went shopping. Granny bought me a nice silk scarf – black with vintage roses and other flowers.
Later I met a friend of mine whom I hadn’t seen for ages. We walked about the town and drank a great tea at Il Patio (a very nice place, by the way).
I was going to finish this day at El, celebrating Serge’s friend’s birtday: a pretty girl in black with the new stylish scarf on. But suddenly there appeared a lot of drunk women and we decided to go to the cinema.
So now I’m a happy person who have just watched «Alise in Wonderland». I can’t say that I’m extremely impressed, but that was nice. We walked home through the dark streets and the pictures of the Wonderland were still in front of my eyes.
