"Such a Russian thing to say"
I stopped by a CVS in Gold Coast on the way home. As I was looking across the book shelves for the latest issue of Chicago magazine when a guy and a girl in their mid-20s or so walked in. The guy was speaking Russsian.
I don't know about other expat Russians reading this, but when I hear my native language spoken in completely non-Russian context, it's very hard for me to ignore it. So I listened.
"You know how I asked why we didn't go to McDonalds and you said that it's black people food?" the guy adressed the girl.
The girl nodded.
"I keep thinking," the guy continued, "this is such a Russian thing to say."
They said it all right in front of an African-American cashier who, thankfully for everyone involved, didn't understand a thing he said.
I don't know about other expat Russians reading this, but when I hear my native language spoken in completely non-Russian context, it's very hard for me to ignore it. So I listened.
"You know how I asked why we didn't go to McDonalds and you said that it's black people food?" the guy adressed the girl.
The girl nodded.
"I keep thinking," the guy continued, "this is such a Russian thing to say."
They said it all right in front of an African-American cashier who, thankfully for everyone involved, didn't understand a thing he said.