Superstitions

Russians are a very superstitious people and any blog on this region has to include a post about this because they are constantly offering foreigners helpful advice on how to survive Russia. Here is a list I have been compiling of the many things you can do to avoid getting scolded and the most common reasoning behind the advice! If you commit any of these offenses you should stop doing that action immediately and spit three times over your left shoulder (the Russian equivalent of knocking on wood).

Never leave the house with wet hair=this means you will get hypothermia and die even when it is 90 degrees out!

Never sit by or in an air conditioned room=this means you will get sick. One of the students in our class was sick and the teacher said it was because he sat close to the air conditioner!

Never drink cold water=means you will get sick. Even in hot weather a good Russian always drinkings boiling hot tea!

Never open a window on a crowded bus or a stuffy room=this leads to cross winds which mean you will get sick...gusts of air scare the average Russian!

Never sit on the floor= this means that your ovaries will dry up! Although I have also heard them say this to men but I am not sure exactly what reproductive organ is targeted! The director of the NGO told me on Friday that a couple of men who are in the office next store were concerned that someone (me) was sitting on the floor outside of their office the week before (I was waiting for one of my colleagues to come and open the office). Didn't that person know it was bad for them to sit on the cold dirty floor? Then she told them that that was her American volunteer and they said she is American oh then the rules don't apply to her...so I guess all of the advice above doesn't apply to me after all! I bet that won't stop lots of people from mentioning it to me throughout the rest of my trip!