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Russiaphobia

Russiaphobia English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Jan 06 2009

Themes: Friend

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

A few weeks ago, Devan and Amanda got pretty worried when Beren starting eating and drinking things that she usually doesn’t. Maybe they were overreacting. After all, it’s not all that weird to try a new kind of soda.

But you know what is weird? A sudden and inexplicable fear of all things Russian. Watch as Beren panics at the mere mention of vodka and ballet.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Beren

Beren

Amanda

Amanda

Devan

Devan

Jason

Jason

Marni:  Oh my God. Guess what?

Beren:  What?

Marni:  I just got tickets for the ballet and guess who’s going to be here?

Beren:  Who?

Marni:  Mikhail Baryshnikov. Do you want to go?

Beren:  No! No. No. No. I do not want to…No.

Marni:  I’m in love with Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Amanda:  Shhh! I’m trying to read this book, Crime and Punishment, by Dostoevsky. Is that how you say it?

Beren:  I don’t know. I have no idea. I don’t know.

Amanda:  It’s so gripping.

Beren:  I don’t know.

Devan:  Hey guys.

Beren:  I don’t know.

Devan:  Look! I brought borscht.

Beren:  What? Are you kidding? No! It’s hot in here. I feel sweaty.

Jason:  Does anyone want a vodka tonic?

Beren:  Oh my God!

Jason:  I’ve had way too many of these.

Beren:  I am freaking out.

Jason:  You want some?

Beren:  No. No, no, no, no.

Amanda:  What do I have to do for some peace and quiet around here?

Jason:  What was that all about?

Devan:  What is her deal?

Jason:  That was so weird.

Marni:  I don’t know.

Devan:  Does she not like vodka and borscht?

Marni:  And ballet? Who doesn’t love Baryshnikov?

Jason:  Yeah. Who doesn’t love borscht and vodka?

Marni:  And Dostoevsky?

Jason:  A crazy person.

Amanda:  Oh, is that how you say it?

Marni:  Yes.

 

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Discussion

What was that all about? It just so happened that all of Beren’s friends showed up with different things from Russia at the same. Devan has a Russian soup called borscht, Jason has Russian alcohol, Amanda is reading a Russian book and Marni is going to a Russian ballet! When she heard all this, Beren got really scared, started hyperventilating and ran out of the room.

Why would Beren be afraid of all things Russian? Could it have anything to do with her crazy night in Vegas?

 

Comments

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lashka

lashka

Georgia

EeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeE… :)

04:00 PM Jan 25 2009 |

Christoph07

Germany

@pueo

Yeah Marx and Engels are German. These philosophical view is too old and not right. And maybe they are guilty for all the mass in communism time and the reason for Cold War. 

1. Not everything at this ideology must be totally wrong and the intents were right seemly – I think.

2. The ideology is the in the one hand – in the other hand you have the practice. 

And You are right when You say that Lenin was supported by Germans to go to Russia. Some bad theories are telling that he was supported by bankers of Great Britain. For example he had a Rolls Royce. Germany helped Lenin to go from Austria to Russia because this was one of the dirty trick at World War 1. Lenin did destabilizing Russia and this was important for German military situation in that time. This was the onliest reason – I think. 

 

To problem with natural gas in moment:

I dont care what happen there. I think Ukraine has big economic problems and is trying to press money now. I can understand that Russia dont want sell her gas for cheaper prices than for Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary and others. Thats not normally and not fair and smells for policaly obedience.

Can anyone explain what Putin and Ukraine means with "technical gas"?  It seems that EU and Russia have to pay 2,2Mill. Euro per day for "technical gas". What does it mean? Who paid this before? Whats happen there?

@all polish members:

I hope all polish friends will be cool for another pipeline like "Northstream" because this will be also good for Poland because I think that You are getting also gas during Ukrainian territory. This problem is crying for other solutions.

02:07 PM Jan 17 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

I have one Phobia…I hate spiders! :P

11:38 AM Jan 12 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Certainty Beren must have gone through a traumatic situation in las vegas…

11:37 AM Jan 12 2009 |

lulu6151

lulu6151

China

Tongue out what r they talking about…. i dont care

03:46 AM Jan 12 2009 |

pueo

Ukraine

About  Tschechoslovakia. When my mother was there (in 1969) they asked her "Is it true that  bears freely walk down the streets of Moscow?" And very seriously! Do you really think that people there was so much under pressure from Moscow and in the same time don't know much about Russia?

"I dont like nationalsozialism and communism because my country had lost a lot in times of these ideologies."

Don't forget that "communism" wasn't Russian idea. Karl Marx and Frederick Engels were Germans. Otto von Bismarck read their "Capital" and said "Interesting. It is not useful for Germany but it will be interesting to try it in a country that we don't care."

There are also documents that German bankers gave a lot of money to Lenin for October revolution after agreement with Alexander Parvus. Parvus was angry on Tsar Nikolay II and wanted to revenge him for exile from Russia. And Lenin was just the one of the group, he wasn't leader. Parvus made PR to Lenin trough the press were he said that Lenin is leader. And Lenin was very angry because of that for the first time.

09:48 PM Jan 11 2009 |

pueo

Ukraine

@Marsei11e
"i have no idea why they do that so radically". That is not true!;-) You know it very well! The answer is here http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=QT7uko7Y24I

08:47 PM Jan 11 2009 |

Shaltay-Boltay

Russian Federation

saisunee

I also know something about Thaifobia here in Russia. It is when russian wives are scary to let their husbands go to Thai on busines or for rest. Thaigirlmafia… What a power.

 

05:58 PM Jan 11 2009 |

matus123

matus123

Poland

It's not wrong that Russia had resources and sells it according to free market's rule. But it's often uses as implement of imperial politics…I agree with Marsei11e that Ukraine and Russia can achieve their aims in cooperation but this must mean real cooperation, not submition. And submition is what Europe's afraid of.

02:23 PM Jan 10 2009 |

matus123

matus123

Poland

And what about gas???Putin wants to dominate Europe with this…But it's only matter of politics- Rusophobia is between politicians, not between ordinary people. The average Russians are quite cool guys but Russian politicians and nationalists- I hate them. I read Dostoevsky and I found it quite interesting- too bad he had hated Poles…And Russian vodka is one of the best in the world-second to Polish vodka:)

12:23 PM Jan 10 2009 |

matus123

matus123

Poland

And where is Lenin?:)

12:06 PM Jan 10 2009 |

tamas984

tamas984

Hungary

It is very funny lesson :)

11:39 AM Jan 10 2009 |

Saisunee

Saisunee

Thailand

yes i know everywhere is have both con and pro but

you know all i know is such a bda thing from russie

like mafia

did you know about it?????

but anyway i didn't know anyRussia so i can't judge them

 

sorry i didn't reply in the lesson i usually load the lesson and log off net

ha ha ha

 

04:48 AM Jan 08 2009 |

Christoph07

Germany

@ Luna Exoriens

thanks for your sentences.

@ pueo

You are thinking that polish people, Hungarians and people from Tschechoslovakia in past are crazy and russian army did nothing against inhabitants there? The tangs and dead people were illusion? I think You are a victim of bondaged journalist. Do you know something about Solidarnocz -employee movement in Poland at beginning of 80th? And do you know what polish leader Jaruzelski said to this situation in reviews after Cold War? I dont care about its true or not but he said that he had to be brutal because USSR wanted to do the same like in Hungarian and Tschechoslovakia. You can ask so many people in Easteurope: They had totalitary systems without freedom in speech, high selfmurdering rates and broken economic at Cold War. And all these communism systems with bad leaders could exist because they had a big brother in Moscow with powerfull red army. Including the the stupid Eastgerman government till 1990. Thats why many people in some countries can understand Russiaphobia.

@  daschka-sweet

In Germany we know that Hitler attacked USSR after Stalin killed thousands of leaders in his army. So I don't care if Stalin was so lucky for USSR in WWII. The end of war was written in the moment as our stupid, crazy Hitler decided to attack USSR. It was only a question of time. And please don't forgett the military help from USA in WWII for red army with money and materials. 

And Stalin did a strange personality cult. A lot of streets and places had his name. Not only in USSR – also in other communism areas in Easteurope. Did You asking You why they changed so many names of streets and places with his name after he died? Can You imagine that he did not only good things for all people? 

People are remembering only at good things. Thats natural and healthy for the brain. But it is bad for political developments. 

Please visit the countryside of China and check the economic system in China. I think it is an hard capitalism system. Only the leader party is calling communism party – thats all.

I dont like nationalsozialism and communism because my country had lost a lot in times of these ideologies. Other countries too. I am a little bit scary about people without historical awareness.

 

07:39 PM Jan 07 2009 |

dashka-sweet

Russian Federation

Stalin wasn't EVIL for people who lived in USSR in 30-50! Everybody loved him. And it was a big tragic event for soviet people, when he died. I think USSR couldn't win WWII, if there was another ruler. 

But communism isn't bad, because China lives in communism, this country is one of the most developed now! Everything depends on who is a ruler of country. And political regime don't play a role.

 

02:28 PM Jan 07 2009 |

artem123

artem123

Russian Federation

About Stalin…Maybe he was "an evil" but if he wasn't such rude ruller all USSR couldn't recover so fast so this "evil" made something good for country through his politics

02:08 PM Jan 07 2009 |

pueo

Ukraine

Who told you that "Russia moved Poland after World War II in west direction in occupied"? Do you mean that now Poland occupied some occupied?... As I know Russians freed Poland from Adolf Hitler army and they was glad, isn't it? Or they was happy about having Oswiencim? All this Rusophobia was created by politicians who payed to certain journalists. Unfortunately most of people read articles in spite of reading books and make own personal opinion.

12:43 PM Jan 07 2009 |

nino4ka

Norway

U know guys i was born in USSR but my mother is russian and father is half russian and half armenian.  now i live and study in moscow.  i am getting my free education thanks to russia. i dont pay for anything. of course i dont say that the lives of all students are quite easy in russia even if we are getting free education. but i think it is the same everywhere. who can  tell me one of the bad russian sides?  

08:39 AM Jan 07 2009 |

myakushka

myakushka

Russian Federation

chens027, me too lol

07:44 AM Jan 07 2009 |

myakushka

myakushka

Russian Federation

Artem123, i totally agree with u! but there's one thing i wanna make clear. Borsht is ukrainian /my grandpa is ukrainian and he says borsht isn't russian meal/ and soup with cabbage – "щи" – is russian :)

07:39 AM Jan 07 2009 |

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