Friends and family members greet each other with a simple "Привет". for those who want to 'Copy'+'Paste' : - Привет, Эмили. - Привет, мам. Use "Здравствуйте" with people you barely know, with much older folks (unless they are your relatives) or with government officials. - Здравствуйте, мисс...

Just to change the pace a little, my daughter Emily and I are trying our hand at covering one of the most popular contemporary Russian songs originally performed by Alla Pugacheva and her daughter Kristina. Those two don't need introduction.

Today I fill a request of one of my Podcast listeners/ YouTube subscribers by reciting a short poem written by one of Russia's greatest talents - Anna Akhmatova. Лотова Жена - Анна Ахматова (Lot's Wife - Anna Akhmatova). To view the text: http://youtu.be/2fEWD9bqAWk