Way to Russia Talk Lounge

DavidPB · Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 4:11 pm Post subject: Curiousity

Some conversations with some Russian freinds has prompted me to ask a Q.

We were talking about plans for the future, in general terms. When queried about plans for the future they were both very evasive. I didnt push the matter since i got the impression that the didnt want to talk about it.

More recently a Russian freind of mine, whom i had known for quite some years, suddenly declared to me that she was moving in with her childhood sweetheart, and they got married soon thereafter. The usual span of time passed, i didnt hear from her for a while, and suddenly she wrote and said that she had had a baby.

Were close freinds, so i was quite curious as to why she chose to keep these things under wraps until they had actually happened. So my question is: is it a Russian thing, this dislike of discussing future events, or is it perhaps justa characteristic of these certain freinds of mine? Someone once suggested it was becase the turbulent Russian history discourages people from planning too far into the future. I have no idea whether this is actually the case. I also noticed this when I was there, the term of forward planning seemed to be generally a lot shorter than that carried out by most people in the west.

In any case i thought this was very interesting contrast to what i was used to..

Any thoughts?

Cheers

David.

AliceFromMoscow · WayToRussified Joined: 10 Jul 2004 Posts: 411

Some people do not tell their plans because they are afraid that if they tell someone then something will go wrong and the plan wont be realized... im not sure how to translate this... overlook, put off... its a superstitious thing

castilho · Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 10:59 pm Post subject: making planes for nobody

That' s correct, AlicefromMoscow. As The Beatles'song 'Nowhere man' who makes nowhere planes for nobody, who just see what he wants to see, etc. Its the same, Here, There & Everywhere.
Happy weekend