Language Loneliness

[WaitingStill 24]

Hello all,

My wife and I have been back here in the U.S. since October. We live in an area of southern California in which there are very few Russian language speakers, and recently my wife has confided in me that she feels lonely with no one to speak Russian here. She does have a couple of friends that she speaks with occasionally but I think she is feeling isolated. She speaks English a bit, still learning but can communicate, but I do see that she misses having friends with whom she can speak in her native language. Has anyone else experienced this, and can anyone help?????

Thanks!

Jim

[mfranc68 31]

You can try the internet if there are no one local. They have peer to peer learning groups that pair up people trying to learn languages. So, they can pair up someone who is trying to learn Russisan with someone who is trying to learn English. Your wife can help someone who is trying to learn Russian practice and they in turn can help her with her English. There are also social groups. I am a member of a group on facebook for people you have had, or are in the process of, having someone immigrate from the Dominican Republic. I have made some friends and was able to get help answering all types of questions. I have also made some friends here too. Maybe your wife can join VJ and meet some people from Russia?

[perfect 39]

Not sure exactly where in SoCal you are but these might help a bit. There is a Russian Community here.....There are an estimated 600,000 Russian-speaking people in Southern California. Major resident areas are: Hidden Hills, Calabasas, Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills and Simi Valley, in declining order of affluence. http://www.ameredia.com/resources/demographics/russian.html

http://www.rostoc.us/events.html

http://www.russianorangepages.com/

http://tunein.com/radio/VolnaFMcom---Southern-California-Russian-Community-Radio-s156533/

http://www.ruscalifornia.com/clubs/?p=view&club=7

[baron555 934]

My wife will gladly call her on either Skype or the phone and they can talk for hours; she does this with many.

[P A U L 14]

where in SoCal?

West Hollywood is where all the Russians are. does she have a doctor (OBGYN) she sees? you can find her a peer reviewed doctor that speaks russian as well through zocdoc.com (it's free). then there's the internet.

[Darnell 8,478]

Hello all,

My wife and I have been back here in the U.S. since October. We live in an area of southern California in which there are very few Russian language speakers, and recently my wife has confided in me that she feels lonely with no one to speak Russian here. She does have a couple of friends that she speaks with occasionally but I think she is feeling isolated. She speaks English a bit, still learning but can communicate, but I do see that she misses having friends with whom she can speak in her native language. Has anyone else experienced this, and can anyone help?????

Thanks!

Jim

troll through meetup.com . Not see anything local? MAKE A MEETUP yer own self.

[1HappyGuy 45]

Find the Russian stores in So. Cal. That will help her to feel more at home finding goods she is familiar with and possibly find some friends. You should be able to find some things by the usual methods of yellow pages and also online.

Good luck. She will adjust but now she is having homesickness. The Russian stores will help a lot in calming her and give her a feeling of home.

[WaitingStill 24]

Yes, we have found Meshta, Svetlana, Odessa, Stolichnaya Bakery, all on Santa Monica Bl. near Fairfax. Make a monthly pilgrimage there....

[P A U L 14]

Yes, we have found Meshta, Svetlana, Odessa, Stolichnaya Bakery, all on Santa Monica Bl. near Fairfax. Make a monthly pilgrimage there....

time to raise that up to twice a month.

[misha_ 8]

bzzzt, russia withdrawal syndrome alert. The disease is occasionally fatal to the relationship. Also, if untreated the disease may become chronic. Typical recovery time is one year. Russianness should be supplied in controlled doses with the intent of weaning the patient from the dependency. Oversupply may exacerbate the symptoms and delay the recovery.

[WaitingStill 24]

bzzzt, russia withdrawal syndrome alert. The disease is occasionally fatal to the relationship. Also, if untreated the disease may become chronic. Typical recovery time is one year. Russianness should be supplied in controlled doses with the intent of weaning the patient from the dependency. Oversupply may exacerbate the symptoms and delay the recovery.

Aha! I knew it was something like this....I will be very careful!

[misha_ 8]

Aha! I knew it was something like this....I will be very careful!

BTW, the best remedy is making friends with whom she could only speak english. Especially somebody in similar circumstances: fresh off the boat. Hopefully, with sunny personality and go-getter attitude. The best place for it - english courses. Sign her up. Good luck.

[WaitingStill 24]

BTW, the best remedy is making friends with whom she could only speak english. Especially somebody in similar circumstances: fresh off the boat. Hopefully, with sunny personality and go-getter attitude. The best place for it - english courses. Sign her up. Good luck.

Your advice is probably sound in many places, but here in Riverside there is a very large hispanic population and 99% of the students in her English classes are Hispanic, mostly from Mexico but some South and Central America as well. So she told me that she will probably speak better Spanish than English when she finishes....

[misha_ 8]

Your advice is probably sound in many places, but here in Riverside there is a very large hispanic population and 99% of the students in her English classes are Hispanic, mostly from Mexico but some South and Central America as well. So she told me that she will probably speak better Spanish than English when she finishes....

hmm, tough. They'll probably chatter and spanish and won't need to socialize with her. You need somebody socially isolated but with similar background. Eastern European is best. Ideal is another cross-culture couple so that the better halves can gossip about their 'murrican husbands. If that works out, you are golden.

Oh, another place to find company is a russian church. It functions somewhat like a club. The downside is that most of the people who hang out there are not well assimilated so long-term, the influence may be toxic, but it will work as a stopgap measure. One good possibility - a mixed couple like yours. There will be a few there.

[baron555 934]

See if there is a local Moms Club, that's how my wife met the local Russians.