January 17, 2006

• It's amusing how much Dmitry's tastes have changed in the 2 1/4 years he's been here.  Last night we had a dish made from browning ground beef, then adding a can of Ranch Style beans, Mexicorn, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and for a change I added a can of petite diced tomatoes but don't plan on repeating it . . . too soupy.  Anyway, the whole thing simmers for a bit then is served over tortilla chips, and if you're me you add sour cream, and if you're Don you add sour cream plus cover it with jalapeno slices.  There was also a lettuce salad with chunks of avocado and a Salsa Ranch dressing (which I thought spicy).

  First time I served it after Dmitry's arrival, he wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.  Not gonna eat that, no sir, not him. 

  Last night he noted that "Something is smelling pretty good!" while it was simmering, then got himself quite a bit when it was served, plus courteously waited till Don, Charles, and myself served ourselves salad, taking the remainder of the bowl.  He told me it was a delicious dinner.  Don's sure he'll be dumping jalapenos on his food within another year. 

  His ESL teacher has set him the task of making a handwritten English/Russian dictionary, since he can take it into the TAKS tests when they're given, an aid only ESL students enjoy.  Up till now, though, Dmitry's cooperation has been on the spotty side, to Mrs. Hinds' dismay.  Now she and I have agreed his playing video games hinges upon his adding at least three words a day to his dictionary, so last night he brought up the subject.  We took his history textbook, found the section being studied now, and I located words I thought he mightn't understand, such as "escort", "stronghold", and "predecessor."  The last one stumped him, but he had at least a workable grasp of the other two; what was interesting was he didn't know offhand what they would be in Russian until I looked them up on the online English-Russian dictionary.  I pointed out to him these would be vocabulary words he'd doubtless be reading were he in school in Russia, so his dictionary will do double duty, strengthening both languages.  Otherwise his Russian will stall out at the level it was when he left the Olde Country, which won't be much use.  Most places who might be interested in hiring someone bilingual would expect an adult-level vocabulary in both languages.

  • 9:38 am
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