The Russian word for rain is дождь. As a child, I enjoyed rain because it made me feel relaxed when I listened to the rain drops falling. Sometimes it would rain all day long, and during this time I enjoyed drinking hot cups of tea with cookies and taking naps by the open window. My mom watched the forecast regularly, and I was thrilled when she told me, «кажется как будто завтра будет дождь» “it seems like it’s going to rain tomorrow”.

One day I decided to go outside and play in the rain with my sister. We both enjoyed jumping in the puddles and getting wet. I would say to my sister «давай играть под дождём!» “Lets play in the rain!” and she would answer «Да! Давай прыгать по лужам» “Yes! Let’s jump in the puddles!”

The Russian word for cow is корова. Cows are an important addition to the food supply because they provide meat мясо, milk молоко, and milk products молочные продукты. Russians who live a village деревне often own cows. A person who owns many cows might say «в нашей деревне много коров» “In our village we have many cows.” А person who owns only one cow might say «в нашей деревне одна корова» “In our village we have one cow.”

Many years ago, my grandmother bought a calf телёнок. My grandmother milked this cow regularly and soon became very attached to it. After many years, the cow became old and my grandmother needed to give it away to the meat factory мясокомбинат. My grandmother told me that it was very difficult for her to give the cow to the meat factory.

Many people in the village cried that day because so many of them became attached to it just like my grandmother.

I was searching for the best phrase to get a little more room at the table, something like "Could you move over?" or "Could you scoot over a bit, please?" My first thought was to use the verb отодвигаться-отодвинуться, but that's more like "move away" as in «Отодвинься, урод! От тебя воняет, как от последнего бомжа!» "Get away from me, you freak! You reek like a hobo!" I stole that last sentence from an article on things not to say to your children. Talk about good advice. You can read the article yourself here.

The better way to say "scoot over" is «Можешь немного подвинуться?» Variations are:

Of course, sometimes the opposite situation occurs, in which case you can use a different verb: «От тебя хорошо пахнет. Придвинься поближе.» "You smell nice. Move a little bit closer."

The Russian word for raspberry is малина. Raspberries are commonly used in Russia to treat sick throats and fevers during the chilly months of winter when colds are very common. As a little girl, I caught colds often and my grandmother made me hot black tea and added fresh raspberries to calm my throat. Sometimes she would add raspberry jam right into my tea which gave it a fruity sweetness. When I lay sick in my bed, my grandmother would come to me and say «ты хочешь чай с малиной?» meaning, “would you like some tea with raspberries?”

If I had one raspberry, I would say «у меня одна малина» "I have one raspberry". However, if I have more than one raspberry, I would use the plural term for raspberry (малины) and say «у меня две малины» "I have two raspberries".

One of the most traditional Russian dishes is борщ. This is a soup primarily made from beets, potatoes, cabbage, meat, and carrots. This dish is commonly served with a dollop of sour cream and rye bread. This soup dates back to the 18th century and is commonly served in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. Growing up, I can distinctly remember having борщ for dinner a few times a week. As a child, I remember helping my mother in the kitchen as she made this delicious soup. Today I make this soup for my family; it continues to be part of our family tradition.

I have noticed that in almost every Russian household in America, борщ continues to be a traditional soup and is made regularly by many of my Russian friends. I feel very happy when I visit my Russian friends and they offer me борщ. They say, «Ты хочешь борщ со сметаной? » “Do you want some borscht with sour cream?” I love it that a simple soup can bring family and friends together and help them stay connected and close.