one thing I did notice that I thought was a bit strange... when I first listened to my first "Learn Russian" tape, you know basic greetings and words and such. I learned this word "привет" I guess I must have heard it before in my life, but really I didn't remember it. If it was used as a greeting at all between any of the Russians I knew (well basically my family or at church or friends they knew from church), it must not have been common at all.