Thread: the reality of Russia?

the days when our governement was still looking after our morale

Don't confuse morale and morals (morality).

Don't confuse morale and morals (morality).

Moral

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Instead you will hear a lot of bad pop music.

Do we hear only Mozart and Bach aired in Ottawa?

No, but there is way more classical music on air here than there are Canadian composers! There are 3 FM stations in Ottawa broadcasting mostly classical and jazz. I have to admit that to my taste all other stations are commercial crap. It's not that I hate pop or rock (I actually don't mind them at all), but their selection is usually awful, their commercials are annoying and repetitive, and their jokes are usually extremely stupid... BTW, there is much more to classical music than just Mozart and Bach

Originally Posted by Vadim84

the days when our governement was still looking after our morale

Don't confuse morale and morals (morality).

From Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
morale
1 : moral principles, teachings, or conduct

What's wrong with my choice of the word?

And no radio broadcasts my favorite music at all Maybe only internet ones.

Originally Posted by MikeM

Originally Posted by Vadim84

the days when our governement was still looking after our morale

Don't confuse morale and morals (morality).

From Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
morale
1 : moral principles, teachings, or conduct

What's wrong with my choice of the word?

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=morale&db=%2A

Dictionary.com is arguing against!

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Don't confuse morale and morals (morality).

Moral

Based on different dictionaries, I think the plural form is more correct here although the single form is also possible, it seems.

From Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
morale
1 : moral principles, teachings, or conduct

What's wrong with my choice of the word?

That's strange. Merriam-Webster Dictionary has added another meaning to this word The other dictionaries I've checked disagree with this.

Originally Posted by MikeM

Here is one paradox for you: Russia is famous for giving the world some of the best classical composers and musicians, but they are not that much respected by average folk in Russia and you won't hear a lot of classical music on Russian radio. Instead you will hear a lot of bad pop music. Russian is a great language, but what you will hear on streets is mostly 1000 words (...)

So basically you're just saying that Russian people are human after all ?


Random people all over the world listen to brain-dead pop music and have little vocabulary. We all have to get over it, unfortunately. And frankly, it would be scary otherwise, wouldn't it ? Imagine a world where everyone is well-read and has good taste ? No one could feel special anymore...

Take France : they have the worst pop music in the world (my opinion here), will laugh at you if you listen to Berlioz, most people forget their spelling (it is weird at times), but it's still a great culture. Well, Japanese/German/Other pop music might be a good example too.

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

в России хорошо! Я люблю Россию.

+2

And I love Russian rock anyway.

Originally Posted by Amaranta

And I love Russian rock anyway

+1

Originally Posted by Amaranta

So basically you're just saying that Russian people are human after all ?

I guess my choice of examples of Russian paradoxes and extremes wasn't strong enough... I don't think this can be explained in words to someone who hasn't spent there some years... One characteristic of the Russian society is its strong polarization in everything. On one hand you have some great minds, musicians, artists, poets, writers, etc., on the other hand you have drunks on every corner, extreme domestic violence, and now also national extremism of all sorts. Let's say I don't look slavic, so I don't feel safe while passing by some groups of young people... I was attacked on a number of occasions because of how I look. This is reality. Russia was never a safe place, but it is becoming increasingly less safe. You have to know all kinds of tricks, e.g. how to talk to drunks who show signs of violent behaviour so that they don't actually become violent... It doesn't help much though if you face a group determined to beat someone up for whatever reason, which sometimes just "fun". Unfortunately, with the fall of the Soviet Union, the number of these types on Russian streets has been only growing... I've just watched the movie titled Мусульманин (Muslim). It's a pretty solid film showing a lot of Russian character and paradoxes of our souls... The leading actor is Evgeny Mironov. This is his first big role. Every film with him is worth watching for sure... Two more I could recommend are of course Idiot and the House of Fools (Mironov is not in the leading role in this one though). The latter is actually available in North America with English subtitles...

guess my choice of examples of Russian paradoxes and extremes wasn't strong enough... I don't think this can be explained in words to someone who hasn't spent there some years...

Your "paradoxes" can be found in any country. What a paradox... "drunks behave violently". Is it a sign of a perfect society in your praised USA, when kids grab shotguns and go to their classes killing everyone on sight? Of course it's ok! And do you feel safe walking through Bronx or some places like that?

Sorry if it sounds kind of rude...

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Your "paradoxes" can be found in any country. What a paradox... "drunks behave violently". Is it a sign of a perfect society in your praised USA, when kids grab shotguns and go to their classes killing everyone on sight? Of course it's ok! And do you feel safe walking through Bronx or some places like that?

Sorry if it sounds kind of rude...

It actually does sound rude. First of all I don't live in the US. From where you are Canada may seem to be the same thing, but there is a huge difference, and in particular in gun violence, which is almost zero here. Secondly I don't praise neither the US, nor Canada for that matter. In fact, I don't really like it here, but the life is much easier in many ways. Finally, the paradox is not in the fact that the drunks behave violently. Read what I said more carefully.

Originally Posted by Stars

Anyway, maybe this is a stupid question, or something I should know. But I don't.... so why o_o? What's this thing he's talking about? What's he so fed up about - or is he exaggerating?

it sounds like your friend has issues that he needs to deal with but through his ranting I think it boils down to quality of life and opportunity which are better in the west. You may seem a bit naive to him; it's hard to appreciate great literature, beautiful language and music when you have to commute through a dirty city on public transportation to go to a low paying job with little opportunity for advancement and then return to a puny (by US standards)dwelling. But everyone's attitude is different - I know one Russian who is hell bent on leaving but several that have no desire to leave.

Originally Posted by sperk

when you have to commute through a dirty city on public transportation to go to a low paying job with little opportunity for advancement and then return to a puny (by US standards)dwelling.

How long did you actually dwell in Russia??

[quote=

How long did you actually dwell in Russia??[/quote]

one week.

but the life is much easier in many ways.

What ways?

when you have to commute through a dirty city on public transportation to go to a low paying job with little opportunity for advancement and then return to a puny (by US standards)dwelling.

Cardboard walls which break when you lean on them , long gloomy halls with doors on left and right like in a prison, no noise insulation and rubbish heaps between two dwelling houses are those US standards for living?

Originally Posted by sperk

How long did you actually dwell in Russia??

one week.

Oh boy. You had to endure the whole week in that awfull russian appartament!!

Now you must be happy to come back home to nice condos and trailers of hight US standards.

Originally Posted by Alware

Originally Posted by sperk

How long did you actually dwell in Russia??

one week.

Oh boy. You had to endure the whole week in that awfull russian appartament!!

Now you must be happy to come back home to nice condos and trailers of hight US standards.

it seems you're trying to start some sort of argument with me...
my point is that for some people life in russian is not great.
Did you even understand what I wrote?

when you have to commute through a dirty city on public transportation to go to a low paying job with little opportunity for advancement and then return to a puny (by US standards)dwelling.

Cardboard walls which break when you lean on them , long gloomy halls with doors on left and right like in a prison, no noise insulation and rubbish heaps between two dwelling houses are those US standards for living?[/quote]

??? Is this some sort of attack on my post?

No, I'm just trying to figure out what you meant saying about "US standards".

my point is that for some people life in russian is not great.

For every American life in the USA is great, eh?