Na Zdorovie!

Hi everybody,

I'm ready to fill in the role of resident Russian! Or maybe you have one already?

I've been hanging around for a while, but a taste for rejectomancy and freshly baked crickets got the better of me, and I finally decided to join.

I have a day job of churning out boring software for banks, but my true passion lies in writing SF.

That, and playing my balalaika.

Just joking, I play classical guitar

mirandashell said:

Hello!

Where are you in Russia, if you don't mind me asking? I think we in the West forget how big and diverse Russia can be.

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Hi mirandashell!

I'm originally from Moscow, but I've been living in Vienna for some time now. Both are beautiful cities, but very, very different from each other.

mirandashell said:

I've always wanted to visit the Hermitage in St Petersburg but never had the chance. Maybe next year I'll be able to do it.

Never really fancied visiting Vienna though. Is it a good place to live?

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Hermitage is astonishing! It's a shame to admit it, but I've only been there once, as a kid.

Vienna is a relatively small city. Where Moscow reminds of an anthill, especially during rush hours, Vienna is much more serene. Quality of life is among the highest in Europe, and I'm still baffled by the fact that I can get to work in mere 25 minutes.

I'd say the city itself is not as beautiful though as Prague or Tallin, but the central part certainly has a Mozart era vibe to it.

mirandashell said:

I'm off to bed now as it's nearly midnight here. It must be the middle of the night where you are!

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It is See you tomorrow!

Shrykespeare said:

Welcome to AW, tovarisch!

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Blagodaryu, tovarisch!

Shrykespeare said:

As for me, well, I'm just plain old vanilla American. I think it'd be cool to learn the balalaika ... or the banjo ... nah, maybe not. I'd screw up even the electric triangle.

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Notice I didn't say I played particularly well I just pick up the guitar from time to time, hurry through a few studies so as not to get completely rusty, and then the instrument goes right back into the black void of a hard-shell case. Not a gaudy lot.

2regdog
Thank you so much for the info!

mirandashell said:

Has the mad weather reached as far East as you yet? We are getting warm - cold - warm - cold.......

How do you measure temperature by the way? Farenheit or Celsius or something else?

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Hey, we've been living with this mad weather for some time now At one point, there was a change from 14 degrees (Celsius indeed ) to -4 in the course of one day.

My blood pressure loves these little games and jumps at the opportunity.

Shrykespeare said:

I'm assuming "Blagodaryu" is Russian, for "right back at'cha, homie!"

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Almost Actually just a way of saying thanks

Tom Johnson said:

Welcome Vintager, afraid I'm just from Texas. Any Texans in Russia (G). I don't play any instrument. I used to try to sing, but gave it up to become a writer. Darn, you need to read my COLD WAR HEROES novel, back when everyone were enemies (lol). I'm still trying to think up a plot for a sequel, but we're all friends now, and the Cold War is over. Guess I'll just have to write westerns. Good luck with your writing, and if you need any help, that's what we're here for.

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Oh man, I'd love to read the novel! I think I'll just go ahead and order it on Amazon. Regarding the sequel - I guess you could always go the alternative history route I'd imagine another ending to the Cold War, where USA and USSR merge and form a new superpower with a three-party system (democrats, republicans and communists). Cut to the present day, where Obama is actually a communist candidate and has to run against Clinton. Hilarity ensues.

Mellylovesorange
thehairymob, Aphrodite, LA Wood
Hi guys, thanks a lot for the warm welcome!!

morngnstar said:

Ooh, ooh, ooh. I need a resident Russian. I am writing a novel starring some Russian characters and set partially in Russia, but I've never been there. (I'll go, if a publisher gives me an advance.) I'm doing a bunch of research, but it's difficult. For example, I wanted to have a character who's visiting Moscow from out of town, so I said he has a Ryazan accent. Is my internet info correct that that makes him sound like a hick to Muscovites?

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Totally Also a Perm' (pronounced with a soft "m") accent would provoke a similar response from a full-bloodied, snobby Muscovite.

There's also a thing called MKAD (MRHW, Moscow Ring Highway), which is basically a huge highway encircling the city. MKAD serves as an imaginary line separating Muscovites from the hicks, who in this case are called "zamkadyshi" (people from beyond MKAD). There's an ongoing joke that any foreigner could be technically considered a hick based on his home's distance to MKAD.

morngnstar said:

And I haven't been able to find out, where's the cheapest neighborhood you could have an apartment, but close to the center of Moscow? Specifically what would have been ca. 1996.

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Well, Nagatinsky District, for example (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagatinsky_Zaton_District), is only 20 minutes subway ride to the center, so it could be considered close, right? In any case, rent is quite cheap there. However, no historical buildings in the neighborhood, so whether you can use it or not depends on the effect you're aiming to achieve. If you're looking for "The Master and Margaret"-type of atmosphere, Nagatino is certainly ill-fitting.

morngnstar said:

Check my post history if you don't mind and see if you can respond to any of my previous Russia-related posts.

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With pleasure!