The following is a partial transcript of a (Russian) conversation on the bus:
Sunday, 22 Feb 2009
10:51 am
(Chelovek enters the marshrutka and takes the seat behind Americanetz. Chelovek taps Americanetz on the shoulder and hands him a 50 ruble note.)
Chelovek: One person.
Americanetz: (Nods, passes the 50 ruble note to the next person, who passes the note to the next person, who passes the note to the next person, who passes the note to the bus driver.)
10:54 am
Chelovek (to Americanetz): Where ---- money ---- ----?
Americanetz: I don't know.
Chelovek: You ---- ---- ask ---- money ----?
Americanetz: I'm sorry, I don't speak Russian. I'm learning to speak Russian, but I don't speak well.
Chelovek: ----?
Chelovek (to driver): ---- ---- money -- -------!
Driver: --- ------ -- ----! (Fishes out several notes and coins from the dashboard, passes the money back to Americanetz, who passes the money to Chelovek.)
10:56 am
Chelovek (to Americanetz): You not Russian fellow? You German fellow?
Americanetz: No, I'm not Russian. I'm American.
Chelovek: ----- German -----. You ----- German -----. ---- ----- -- ----.
Americanetz: I'm sorry, I don't understand.
Chelovek: You German?
Americanetz: No, I'm not German. I'm American.
Chelovek: American? Ah! ----! Boosh ---- ---- Abama ---- president. ---- Boosh president ---- ---! Abama.
Americanetz: Yes, Obama is president, now.
Chelovek: Abama ---- -- -----.
Americanetz: Yes, I hope Obama will be a good president.
Chelovek: ----- Abama ----- --- -- ----- president ---- --- ...
Americanetz: I'm sorry, I don't understand.
11:01 am
Chelovek: --- -- ------ --- --------?
Americanetz: I'm sorry, I don't understand.
Chelovek: What you --- -- ------ doing in Anapa?
Americanetz: What am I doing?
Chelovek: Yes, why you here?
Americanetz: I'm a teacher. I will be teaching English in Anapa.
Chelovek: You're an English teacher? In Anapa?
Americanetz: Yes, an English teacher. (Looking out the window). This is my stop. Good bye.
Chelovek: Good bye.
I'm calling this exchange a draw, since I couldn't pass on his request to the driver. I also missed most of his rant/rave/whatever about presidents Bush and Obama, but then he didn't seem to be looking for a response. Current score: Ryan-2, Inquisitive Russian People-3.
1 comment:
German? Hehe. So far my only complete Russian conversation I think my only contributions were basically hello and goodnight.
I like the impromptu assembly line you got going, the bus around here has odd folks but is rarely that intresting :)
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