Brought to you by the letter 'Я': November 2009

I was talking to my grandma recently. Don't even remember what it was about, but at some point she interrupts me with some sort of idiomatic Russian phrase. That I've never heard of.

DANGER DANGER DOOM DOOOOOOM.

Many of my friends will be able to empathize with me on this. Our parents or grandparents, who were born and raised in a completely different country and environment, for some inexplicable reason expect us to have the same exact knowledge and references that they do. And when we make the mistake of inquiring about that person or that saying we get our ears chewed off because we are essentially failures as people for not knowing something so simple and common place.

GAAAAHHHHHH.

FOR THE RECORD:

Most of us speak more than a couple languages with relative ease. We are smart, cultured people who spend a good portion of our free time pursuing smart, cultured things. We have forgotten more about Shakespeare, Steinbeck, and Fitzgerald than you will ever know.

Is it my fault I left the country where I would have learned all that stuff and came to a country where I speak English 90% of the time? I'm sorry I don't know that saying about a stork. Quite frankly, I don't feel so bad about it.

So seriously, can it with the "Well, you really should know that!" Because we have a TON of knowledge that we think you really should know too. Can't say "see you later" in 6 different languages? Can't rattle of soliloquies from Hamlet or recite all the dates of significant decisions by the Supreme Court in the 20th century?

That's okay, we'll teach you.