Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange
Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [russia]

Questions that have a specific focus on people in Russia or Russian culture.

9 questions
84
votes
12 answers

How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?

I like coffee and I live in Russia which is not generally a coffee drinking country. More often than not, when you ask for an espresso in Russia, you get 100 to 150 ml of liquid in your cup. The cafes as a rule have the good equipment: espresso…
Quassnoi
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38
votes
7 answers

Is there a Russian etiquette on declining offers of food when visiting someone?

I'm 15 years old, living in Israel. Occasionally, I visit senior citizens on their birthdays - bringing balloons and stuff, with a few other people. These people who we visit are usually older Russians (there are a lot of Russian immigrants here),…
Mithical
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21
votes
5 answers

How to align personal interests with family?

I'm transitioning to the father role which is not going great. I'm facing the fact that I have less time now to follow my personal interests like watching soccer games on weekends. My wife is constantly pushing me to spend more time with the kid I…
user3383
9
votes
3 answers

How to politely deflect a "What's the problem" question when the straight answer shouldn't be given?

TL;DR version: Sometimes people expect you to act in a certain manner, and keep pestering you with "why"s and "what's the problem"s when you don't. While the asker thinks she is being helpful, you know her reaction to a truthful response would be…
Alice
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5
votes
2 answers

How to respond to an obviously unfair offer in a high-stakes negotiation without offending the other side?

Background A relative of mine, whom I'll call Tania, owns the larger bedroom of a two-bedroom apartment in Moscow, Russia, while the other bedroom is owned by a guy completely unrelated to her, whom I'll call Oleg. This kind of situation is common…
Sandra
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5
votes
2 answers

Is it common in Russia for the first meeting to be breakfast or lunch?

I recently met a Russian woman of around the same age as me (an American man). I told her we should connect on Facebook and grab coffee sometime to practice languages as I'm learning Russian and she English. Later that day, we exchanged the below…
John A
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5
votes
3 answers

Stop and prevent unwanted conversation with a stranger

This question comes from my wife Alice (her English is even worse than mine). In the middle of the day, my wife ("Alice") goes for a walk in the park with our 2 months old son, and a dog. There are other dogs and children in this park; they are not…
k102
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4
votes
3 answers

How do I convey my disagreement with my father without disrespecting him?

I am 21 years old male and live with my parents. My father and I both have a temper on us and had a lot of disagreements over the years, but they’ve always were settled quite amicably. However, recently, whenever I voice a disagreement with him, it…
Rayv
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1
vote
1 answer

Disproving false beliefs of an acquaintance which may be dangerous or affect our relationships

There is a similar question here: How to tell someone believing in pseudoscience & conspiracy theories is wrong without making them feel stupid/upset? My question has a different setting: I'm dealing with a person who is not my friend or family…
scriptin
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