From Russia With Love

So there are some interesting Russian traditions.

One that I think is funny is that if you step on someone's foot, they are supposed to step on yours also so you don't quarrel. One of my kindergartners got really upset once when I accidentally stepped on her foot and I didn't say anything (because I didn't realize that I had done it). But she was a brat anyway so I didn't really care (oh don't get mad that I said that, I'm just being honest-she has an iPhone. What 5 year old do you know has an iPhone? Bratty ones. Right.). Today Polina, one of my little girls, stepped on my foot and said "oh Leah, sorry sorry!" And I said, "oh it's ok!" And she put her foot out and wouldn't move it and I kept saying "no it's ok" but she said "yes, Leah!" and wouldn't move her foot until I stepped on it.

Another one that I really like is that if you get caught between two people with the same name, you are supposed to stop and make a wish. This has happened to me twice in two days and I love it! Yesterday Katya and Katya were on either side of me and they made me stop and I was so confused and I was like "what? what's wrong?" Misha, one of my little translators (omg he's so cute) kept asking me "what do you want?" and one of the Katya's was pointing to her head and I was like "What? I don't want anything! You mean for lunch?" So the assistant walked by and they told her to tell me what was going on and in her broken English she said "it's old Russian tradition. Between two people with same name say what you dream" and I was like "OH! Make a wish!" And they were all like "yes!" So I figured from Katya pointing to her head meant that it is a silent wish so I closed my eyes and made a wish (I can't tell you what it was or it won't come true). Then it happened to me today with Polina and Polina! Another little girl was there and I said "I don't know what to wish for" and Sofia (the other girl) was like "how about wish that you will marry someday." Ha ha it was pretty funny.