Saturday, 20 March 2010

Small Triumphs

This morning, driving to the supermarket, I was listening to the radio, and in amongst the mix of Russian techno, Russian hip-hop and British and American 80's pop, the weather came on. Today's high will be +2 degC, and the low will be -4 degC.

This is significant for two reasons; firstly, the temperature is above freezing (in fact it's raining, something I've not seen here since we arrived). So the Russians and the birds might actually be right - Spring is finally here.

And the second reason?

The weather announcement was in Russian.

And I understood it.


You've come a long way, baby...*


*And apologies if that sounds smug but I need to mark positive progress somehow!
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17 comments:

  1. Glowstars20 March 2010 at 11:03

    Take your wins where you can get them. It's great progress.

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  2. Unknown20 March 2010 at 11:16

    Well done!
    And I am so jealous! Russia is one of my top 3 places to live, actually it may be the top 1! I went to visit with school and fell in love!

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  3. London City (mum)20 March 2010 at 11:28

    Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous, darlink!

    LCM x

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  4. Irene20 March 2010 at 13:11

    That was absolutely fabulous! Well done, PM.

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  5. Jen Walshaw20 March 2010 at 13:15

    Woohoo, I stuggle to understand the shipping weather forcast, so there is no way I would manage a Russion one!

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  6. nappy valley girl20 March 2010 at 13:24

    Hurrah!

    And hooray for spring. Amazing how +2 can seem balmy after a freezing winter....

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  7. Nicola20 March 2010 at 14:58

    wow. Seriously impressed! Look at you go, mrs multi-lingual superbabe! As for rain and spring...I have woken this morning (after a week of rain and moderate temps) to inches upon inches of snow. Not. Happy.

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  8. Mwa20 March 2010 at 20:16

    YAAAAY!!! That is excellent! (Both the Russian and the weather.) Great stuff.

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  9. Mya20 March 2010 at 22:17

    Well done! Weather presenters are notoriously fast speakers as well -well they are here in France.Hope it warms up soon - do you have one of those fab Russian fur hats, like whatshername in Dr Zhivago? Please say you do.
    Mya x

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  10. Iota 21 March 2010 at 00:29

    Congratulations. That's really impressive.

    I still haven't quite come to terms with you being in Moscow. Are you really there, or is it an elaborate hoax? Why would you set up a hoax like that? Is there some sponsorship deal here, which you had to be in Moscow to participate in? Or were you just bored one afternoon in K&C, and made some joke comment about moving to Moscow, and then, without you really meaning to let it happen, here you are months later perpetuating the joke? Or is it your new shtick (love that word, had to get it in)? "I'm Potty Mummy, but potty training is SO 2009, so now I'm Moscow Mummy".

    Or are you really there, riding in taxis, and understanding the weather forecast in Russian?

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  11. Sam I am21 March 2010 at 01:57

    wow! well done, have some green & blacks to celebrate.... we are skiing and the temp is - celcius, doesnt really matter what does it?

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  12. sharon21 March 2010 at 02:04

    Splendid news all round then PM - Spring AND the burgeoning language skills!

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  13. Dorset Dispatches21 March 2010 at 08:04

    Small Triumph? bloody HUGE triumph if you ask me. I need to see the people to understand them, which makes radio and telephone conversations particularly difficult. Think you should be inordinately proud of yourself. Enjoy the warmer weather. What bliss.

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  14. Potty Mummy21 March 2010 at 16:23

    Thanks Glowstars! Any time now I'm going to be able the remember the difference between 9, 19, and 99...

    Livi, so where are the other 2 top places>

    Daaahlink, don't you mean sensaaaaaaaaational!?

    Thanks Irene. I still can't say 'egg' in Dutch, mind you...

    MH, well, it wasn't exactly up to shipping forecast complexity - thank god!

    NVG, god, yes. It was +6 today. PLUS SIX! Tropical!

    Nicola, please don't send that snow our way. Please?

    Mwa, thanks!

    Mya, so sorry but I don't. Next winter though - well, I suspect there is a small furry critter out there with 'Potski's hat' in his future...

    Iota, I think I may have to write post to answer that comment properly, but yes i promise you, I am actually here. Come and visit... As for the taxis - I'm not in them half as much as I might like. Unfortunately I get to drive most places nowadays...

    Sam, come back to Europe to ski. Not only is is + celscius but I'll keep a big plate of (f)tartiflette warm for you...

    Thanks Sharon!

    Brit, it is, isn't it? Although I have to say could do without the winter's worth of dog poo reappearing...

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  15. Muddling Along22 March 2010 at 16:56

    I'm beyond impressed with the Russian - you've only been learning a nano second or something

    Hope that above freezing improves things

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  16. Bush Mummy23 March 2010 at 10:01

    Gosh well done you.. am catching up madly while I have five mins..

    Fantastic that you are learning Russian - what a wonderful achievement and souvenir that will be from your time there.

    Brrrr.. sounds chilly

    BM xx

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  17. Grit23 March 2010 at 21:33

    BRAVO!

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