Thread: Take off shoes

That's just a tradition which shows your respect to the host (or his carpet).

I'm the host - it's me who must show respect to the guests. My guests have already shown their respect by coming to me. If I don't respect a person, I'll hardly come to him.

Why are you trying so hard to prove this tradition is rediculous

this tradition comes a great deal from the Soviet past. People lived (and live now) in communal flats and they invented their own rules according to the regime (rememver Bulgakov's Sharikov). To be honest, I hate any Soviet habits. If not stealing, hosts would require to leave the shoes outdoors, I'm sure. So do those who have long corridors outside their flats; they often make their guests leave their shoes there, not inside. That's odd: I'm here, but my shoes somewhere out.

What ways? Do your guest hide his ragged socks?

It happens now and then. It may happen to you right at the moment you think everything's all right.

Those who want to look brilliant bring their own clean and dry shoes which fit to their suits/dresses.

going to a party they probably have to deal with 2 pairs.

Maybe you like cleaning up lots of dirty melting snow on your carpet during a party instead of having fun with your guests..

Not during, but after. But look, if guests are supposed to take off their shoes, why do hosts a small carpets outside in front of their flat doors?

-What if a person is infected by chicken myeloblastosis virus?

hardly that, bisides chicken myeloblastosis virus is not incurable.

Any sanitary technician if he's well-brought-up takes his shoes off as any other guest.

I've never seen a well-brought-up sanitary technician; on the other hand the shoes he's wearing only might be suitable for his work. When a decorator came to me to install a new window frame, he produced so musch mud that I took me a day to get rid of it, although he got out some mud as well. Probably, being polite, he would never come, because of not leaving dust.

Not only mud and melting snow come in on guests feet but also that weird chemical the city calls "salt" that is put on the sidewalks and roads in winter. It eats up the bottom of my pants and coats and will of course put holes and stains on my carpets. I, and all of my friends, always have clean washable slippers in various sizes in our entryways so guests can take off their cold ,wet, dirty shoes and have warm, cozy feet. We also keep clean rags and shoe cleaning supplies by the front door to clean and prepare the shoes (protects the leather for a longer shoe life) before leaving. This is common courtesy to the guests!

Originally Posted by mishau_

That's odd: I'm here, but my shoes somewhere out.

Do you also find a custom to take off your hat, gloves and wet raincoat odd too? That's another soviet regime tradition. That's odd: you are at the table and prepair to eat but your wet hat, gloves and raincoat are somewhere out...

That's another soviet regime tradition.

It's either your sarcasm or you are merely mistaken. You think, you're arguing with me, but indeed you're arguing with the decencies, etiquette. What can I say?

That's odd: you are at the table and prepair to eat but your wet hat, gloves and raincoat are somewhere out...

I'm sure, you take off your court, hat and gloves in a restaurant. Tell me, do you take off your shoes as well?

They call it pulling the phrase out of the context. That's really odd if one makes you leave you hat or whatever out of the flat, but, I don't know why, it doesn't stand for shoes. So, according to your logic I have to make my guests take off the shoes in front of the entrence of the building. Why? In order not to clean up the flights. In general, I wonder why we are so lazy to clean up our floors extra time, but as soon as I find myself in a park I see a lot of garbage: plastic bottols, plates, packs, paper, fish bones, tins and so on ans so forth. On the flights of stairs I see a lot of cigarette stumps, peels, pieces of newspapers ans so on ans so forth. Of course, it is aliens, who do so, extraterrestrials.

Originally Posted by mishau_

You think, you're arguing with me, but indeed you're arguing with the decencies, etiquette. What can I say?

Where do you leave, you smart pants? I got back home about an hour ago, what did i see before my apartment? The large damn pile of mud around all my block. Some days ago they repeared pipes, they dig them out of the ground and then was raining. You can imagine what has happend. There is no chance to pass through it keeping shoes clean. I dont want to see this sh@t in my room and I dont want to keep my feet in the wet dirty shoes. If you find it odd and call it etiquette you have a real problem with logic.

I'm sure, you take off your court, hat and gloves in a restaurant. Tell me, do you take off your shoes as well?

Jeez man, do you spit on a floor in your house? If you do, there is nothing to talk about. If not... well I guess you dont find it odd to spit in a WC. Dont you see the diffrence between PUBLIC places and PRIVATE apartments?

They call it pulling the phrase out of the context. That's really odd if one makes you leave you hat or whatever out of the flat, but, I don't know why, it doesn't stand for shoes. So, according to your logic I have to make my guests take off the shoes in front of the entrence of the building......ans so on ans so forth. Of course, it is aliens, who do so, extraterrestrials.

Bla-bla-bla. Kill yourself by the table. Не говори что мне делать и я не скажу куда тебе идти.

What's with all the spitting, anyways? Why do every Russian male (approximately) find it necessary to spit on the street (or anywhere for that matter)? I don't see women do it! None of my friends spit here in America or in Norway! What's the deal, fellas?

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

What's with all the spitting, anyways? Why do every Russian male (approximately) find it necessary to spit on the street (or anywhere for that matter)? I don't see women do it! None of my friends spit here in America or in Norway! What's the deal, fellas?

A LOT of men spit on the street from what I see here in the U.S. I think it's gross, but I see it all the time. So I don't think that's something unique to Russia.

No, it is probably not. I heard that in China it is even worse... well, ok, why do men spit in the street at all? In any country? Just curious... kinda off-topic...

Even if the men did not spit on the street there is still doggy pee and poop, oil from cars, melted ice cream from children's cones, etc, etc. I guess if mishau wears his shoes in his apt it is safer for all of his guests to do so also. Since they will not have to place their bare feet on that carpet every morning it is not their problem . But mishau, do you have a wife or girlfriend who lives with you? I would be surprised that a woman would want to spend so much time scrubbing floors and rugs!

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

What's with all the spitting, anyways? Why do every Russian male (approximately) find it necessary to spit on the street (or anywhere for that matter)?

lol, that always surprised me too. Especially when there are a lot of people around, because they choose a spot on the ground and aim at it but the next moment there may be someone's foot on that spot. So I often have a feeling that had I been a little closer the spit would have been on me.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

No, it is probably not. I heard that in China it is even worse... well, ok, why do men spit in the street at all? In any country? Just curious... kinda off-topic... :)

Maybe because they eat sh1tty food and smoke sh1tty cigarettes that leave nasty aftertaste? I myself don't spit.

mishau, are you even Russian? How long have you been living in Russia?

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Why do every Russian male (approximately) find it necessary to spit on the street (or anywhere for that matter)?

I dont. But I see men on the streets who do.

I don't see women do it!

My wife's sister did. When she was 14-15 she had this bad habit.

Smoking cigarettes causes salivation. That's why they constantly spit. Yuck!

Jeez man

[qoute]
Where do you leave, you smart pants?
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[qoute]
Не говори что мне делать и я не скажу куда тебе идти.
[/quote]
Now it's come to insulting. I provided the things written in books. It's pitiy that you have no more arguments, but only your insulting sentences. It's sad and laughable. You seem you're rather ill-bred; how can you speak about Russian traditions then? How can people trust your descriptions? I don't know why Russians in Russian forums are so unfriendly to Russians, but this merely underlines that the country has taken a wrong way.

There is no chance to pass through it keeping shoes clean.

mmm, I hear they turn the water-pipe off now and then. However, it's up to you what to do at home; for me, if I got my shoes in wet everyday, I'd buy a sort of waterproof shoes. I'd feel more comfortable in them. So, I think you speak about special cases.

[qoute]
Dont you see the diffrence between PUBLIC places and PRIVATE apartments?
[/quote]
It doesn't mean that we can affrod swinish behaviour in a public place, don't you find?

do you spit on a floor in your house?

Our old spinster school teacher used to say so. And a few more phrases she used to use:
"Maybe you've forgotten your head at home, too?"
"If they told you to dash against a wall, would you also do?"

do you have a wife or girlfriend who lives with you? I would be surprised that a woman would want to spend so much time scrubbing floors and rugs!

Why do you think everyday cleaning is not ok? Sure, you've never serverd in the army, right? Well, maybe, maybe, actually it depends on your attitude. I can't say that I see crowds at home; by no means I do, just a few people. Besides, I have a doormat, my guests could use it. Well, in my office men don't change their shoes (not like girls), but we can't complain that it is so dirty in here.

So for me, it still remains unclear whether it's unwillingness to clean the place extra time or a custom to show your respect to hosts or both.

Pffft. Get a grip.

The thick black oily soup that coats everyone's shoes when a thaw arrives in Russia would ruin any carpet on Earth within days, even if you washed it every time it was walked on (which would be a site more than once a day).

Even here in Britain, where we don't really get a proper winter and so our streets are pretty clean year-round, anyone who refuses to take their shoes off when they come into my house simply doesn't get in, and probably doesn't get invited in the future either.

Originally Posted by mishau_

Why do you think everyday cleaning is not ok?

"Shoes on" lifestile would take here not "everyday cleaning" but every "half of an hour" cleaning.

mishau, no I have not been in the army but my husband is still in the army and he also has no desire to clean our rugs of snot balls,mud,oil and everything else that clings to shoes.
And as for Russian customs, it is the usual custom to remove one's shoes upon entering an apartment.

Mishau_, you make me laugh. You have been providing us with the info you read in books?! Hahaha! It feels like either you left Russia long ago and now get a mess in your head about its traditions or you are very unpleasant host (or maybe even as a person) judging by your behaviur with other people. I don't have saomething against you but that is the opinion you leave by your words. The end.

Your husband must be an officer, so he must make soldiers do all the things.
Once again, as I leave one. A nice custom is to be afraid of cleaning, to make people look rediculious in slippers + a suite, to have a good-for-nothing doormat and not to take care that right out of the door is garbage.

P.S.
http://www.2hearts.ru/prav_hor_tona.html

Встречая гостей, хозяева должны отказаться от мысли предложить им домашние тапочки. Это абсурд! Предлагая тапочки, хозяева вольно или не вольно разрушают ансамбль туалета гостя. Не представляю, как можно чувствовать себя "в своей тарелке" в выходном, не говоря уже о вечернем, платье или костюме и в шлепанцах?!

mishau_, I see now that your self-appraisal is based exclusively on your shoes. And you are definitely not Russian, even if you think so.