Wile reading «The Undomestic Goddess» by Sophie Kinsella I found that it was much important to read «Watching the English» by Kate Fox before.

I would never imagine how many cultural codes hidden in a simple text of «chik-lit» could be. Would I understand how ridiculous Trish in her pink yoga sportswear is? Not for sure. May be I would catch the irony but not as deep as actually it is. Even the name «Trish» – exactly the same Kate Fox says to be social marker.

There are more other points which are described both in anthropologist`s book and girls-novel (same things but with different words) such as the money issue (avoid speaking about money as long as it`s possible) or social hierarchy.

Anyway the Kinsella`s book is pretty much fun and it`s easy-reading for me without dictionary. May be I won’t read it in Russian (my own language) because it`s a bit too easy, but for learning English it`s much better than any clever book.

Merchants where very powerful in the beginning of XX century – real capitalists, well educated, with progressive views, ready to altruistic doings.

In Tyumen there are still many beautiful buildings – private and public which where built by merchants. The theatre, museum of local history, colleges and churches are still keep memory of those people.

Anyway we can`t say all of them where really cute guys…

You never know what day it will be next time. Anyway this year I had Easter twice – Catholic one, in Poland (March, 23) and Orthodox, in Russia (April, 27).

By official statistic 73% of population of Russian Federation suppose themselves to be Orthodox Christian. But it is mostly a cultural tradition than actual understanding of religion and it`s specifics.

On Easter people paint eggs. You can make them brown just boiling with onion peels – it was the most popular method till special food-colors haven`t appear in supermarcets. Now is more popular to decorate eggs with plastic cover, but it`s hard to peel it.

In 1950-70th carpets with pictures of deers, swans or three bears. Now you can by “bear-carpet” with elected president`s portrait. (Hei family name – Medvedev – means “Bear`s”).

There is a small carpet factory “Uzor” in a tiny town Viritsa in Leningrad region. It was found in 1944. In 2000^th they began producing political gobelins: portraits of President Vladimir Putin, minister Sergey Shoygu, Mocsow head Yuriy Luzhkov.

Now Medvedev`s tapestry are in favor. Their price is a bit higher than even Putin`s: “He will rule the country – so his price now is bigger”, – says Ivan Kozlov, factory director. One Medvedev in silverish plastic frame costs 300 rubles (US$10,2).

(By “Russian reporter” magazine)

In the Unated States flags are all around: every hose have it, every little camp, school, office or even mall has it`s own flag.

In Russia only authorities decorate cities with flags befor official holydays. Mostly before the Victory Day wich is May, 9 – day the Grate Patriotic War has been finished.

By the way it is a big priblem to discuss the WWII with Europeans and Americans – all the Russians know from school that we won the war. So take it easy and try to make your point clear if you`d like to say anything different to this official thesis.

80% Russians suppose flag (not the hymn, arms or Red Square) to be the main symbol of Russia. But who knows what does it means? Stars are states on the USA flag. I know it, but to answer what are three colors of my country`s flag I have to look at Wiki.

The three-colored fkags comes from pre-Soviet monarchy times, so here are contemporery and and meanings:

Wite (on the top) is for piece, purity and perfection (or Liberty)

Blue is for constancy, faith, loyalty (or Our Lady)

Red is for energy, power and blood, sacrificed for Motherland (or Аutocracy)

As I see in statistics that 16 of 46 incomes to this blog have been searching for «loo» or «reading on the loo«. So I desided to make a little research about this topic in Russian consciousness.

I`ve asked my friends on livejournal blog what do they think of people reading on the loo, do they read and what. I have 14 responses yet. Plus me, my husband, my parents who definitely read. So 18 respondents and 14 answers are positive.

- Most often people read magazines

- Next in this chart – the book you are obssessed by right now

- Some people read books ther partner or relative left in the bathroom – it`s a good way to find something unexpected about the world, they say.

- One friend of mine, journalist writing about theatre, has the world atlas in his toilet

- Couple of folks are so bad with loo-reading that they read even labels if nothing more interesting is around

- More and more people prefer reading RSS or e-mail or anything in Internet using smartphones and laptops wich is funny and really futuristic, I think))

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* pic is from here

In the last Sunday of March Russians put their clock`s pointers for an hour forward. In the last Sunday of October they swich for «Winter time» wich is an hour back.  People don`t like it much in spring – it seem to be less time for sleeping in the morning. But in October youcan wake up at 7.00, but it still would be 6.00 – clocks has been put back.

The main Russian clocks are on the Spasskaya tower of Moscow Kremlin. The sound of it`s bells are well-known from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, because it is used in radion and TV programms as a sign of the correct time.

After reading this book I feel myself complete English:

- I read in toilet (on the loo?)

- it`s unbearable to speak about money

- I can`t say anything to a person who doesn`t wait his turn or speaks too loud in a bus

- ironic way of speaking and thinking was my first ego in teen age (now I become a bit stupid, but still can understand someone`s joke)

- I`m too modest

- Saying long goodbyes to friends near the door? Yes, I know what doeas it mean!

What I really want to know now – how do English feel about Kate Fox`s book?

UPD In the «Clothes» chapter I found an interesting piece about the dawn of emo-era. the book was originally published in 2004. Fox tell about  goths (vimpire style) who showed typically English self-irony   wearing pink elements (hair or other details) as a way to make a joke of Gothic all-in-black style.

So, at first emo-style was a joke of ironic English Goth-tribes. Now it`s a bit too serious, isn`t it?

When I was young not many people where able to visit abroad and enjoy The Capitalism. It was a legendary land out of the Soviets. Everyone new that streets were being regularly washed with shampoo there. (While in Russia you could hardly find a bottle of shampoo for your child.)

Look at the Tyumen street now! Immigrants from Turkmenia wash it with brush and (possibly) shampoo.

«Babushka» in Russian means Granny. For many years Russian families lived together with grandparents mostly because of a great demand of living space. What I mean is not enough apartments for every single family. Many of my friends grow up under Babushka`s care. Till parents where at work Granny made borsch (Russian red soup with beetroot), cutlets, pasties and other wanderful food.

Both of my Grannies lived in other cities so I saw them once a year or even rarely during summer holidays. On the picture is my husbands Gran-Grand-mother who lived in the village.