Trying to 'fit in' in Russia (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
The most basic, most rudimentary spiritual need of the Russian people is the need for suffering,
ever-present and unquenchable, everywhere and in everything.
— Dostoyevsky
When I lived in Russia, one of the biggest cultural differences was how Russians tend to respond to the question “How are you?” An Op-Ed today in the NYTimes, on how to answer this seemingly innocuous greeting in Russian, explains the culture clash behind this “simple” question…
