199
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How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?
Either as an alternative or in addition to the other good suggestions, you can try phrasing the difference as something like:
Can you do me an Italian-style espresso? Like, shorter and stronger ...
- 1,168
53
votes
Accepted
How to align personal interests with family?
Life is about setting priorities, and while it's common for people to say that you should spend "all your time" with your family, the truth is that for many people that just doesn't work. Lots of ...
- 7,274
36
votes
Accepted
Is there a Russian etiquette on declining offers of food when visiting someone?
Since I'm from Ukraine, the Russians are quite similar in offering food to guests. Ukrainians are even more persistent. For me, when I visiting someone, especially grannies, and I don't want to eat ...
- 1,231
32
votes
How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?
You could ask:
Tell me about your espresso. Do you make it the very small and strong way, or a whole big cup?
If they say "small and strong" or ask you what you want, you're good. If they say "big ...
- 45k
23
votes
Accepted
How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?
The exact definition of coffee drinks heavily varies across countries. I heard stories of Austrians and Germans ordering a coffee in Italy and being disappointed at getting an Espresso. Seems they ...
- 414
19
votes
Is there a Russian etiquette on declining offers of food when visiting someone?
I am an American with multiple friends in Israel. I have been on the other side of this debate a great many times (actually almost got kicked out of a VERY nice hotel in Jerusalem for ordering non-...
15
votes
How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?
Maybe you could pretend that you forgot the name of it when ordering:
Could I have a very short and strong coffee .. hum.. sorry I always forget the name of it!
And if he doesn’t guess it, you can ...
- 1,275
10
votes
How to align personal interests with family?
The tough truth is that you have to change your lifestyle now. To what extent and how - is your decision and depends on the sort of work you do. But you always can to involve your child into your ...
- 201
10
votes
How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?
I don't think what you are looking for is the most inoffensive way to order because this might skirt around the details and fail to communicate the point. I think you are looking for the briefest, ...
- 27k
9
votes
Accepted
How to decline a request to say "God rest her soul" when mentioning my grandmother to my religious dad?
I have learned (the hard way) that just saying "NO" is not a good strategy. The better way is to offer something in exchange.
In your case, the dialogue can be something like this:
(dad) ...
- 1,982
8
votes
Is there a Russian etiquette on declining offers of food when visiting someone?
That’s not an easy one since, as it’s already been said, most Russian hosts could be very persistent in offering you food even on a casual visit, more so if it is some meaningful event like a birthday....
8
votes
How to align personal interests with family?
As a parent, this does strike me as not sounding like you understand how to give your child the basic needs. Providing food and clothing and lights is not enough. Children need to be loved. They ...
- 10k
7
votes
Accepted
How do I convey my disagreement with my father without disrespecting him?
I don't know what's going on with your dad, how new this is, if there are any other stressors in his life. It may be that your adulthood and impending independence is a threat to him. After all, he's ...
- 24.8k
7
votes
Accepted
How to politely deflect a "What's the problem" question when the straight answer shouldn't be given?
TL;DR:
Given there is a risk of being thrown into a mental asylum, I think you may have to be a bit harsh.
Explanation:
Let's get this clear. You have clinical depression. While it is hard to ...
- 4,387
6
votes
Is there a Russian etiquette on declining offers of food when visiting someone?
Russian-Israeli here. Refusing an offer of food is complicated. Elderly Russians feel absolutely compelled to feed a guest. If you refuse, they'll offer again five minutes later, hoping that maybe you'...
6
votes
How to align personal interests with family?
Your question doesn't provide much information. I got that you are the working parent and that your wife pressure you to spend more time with your child, but don't how much you already spend with her, ...
- 2,824
5
votes
How to align personal interests with family?
I think I can provide a different point of view here. The kid's view.
I come from completely broken family. My parents divorced when I was ~20 after more or less 10 years of constant bickering, ...
- 372
5
votes
How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?
You could play dumb.
"Do you serve the italian style coffee, small cup, very bitter, only just covers the bottom of the cup? Forgot what they call it?"
This way you state what you need, appear to be ...
- 1,422
5
votes
Is it common in Russia for the first meeting to be breakfast or lunch?
I'm Russian and speaking from experience here.
Meeting for breakfast or lunch is used not only for dating but also for business people. So your language practice meeting may fall into the "business" ...
4
votes
Accepted
Disproving false beliefs of an acquaintance which may be dangerous or affect our relationships
My go-to approach when dealing with bizarre beliefs like that is to simply ask "Why?" See also this wiki article for some more info.
In my experience, going straight to disproving their belief will ...
- 1,221
4
votes
Is there a Russian etiquette on declining offers of food when visiting someone?
Older Russians are often overbearing in their hospitality and would annoy you with multiple offerings to partake a dish. Reminds me of a funny phrase from "Oblomov" (1858) by Ivan Goncharov:
Local ...
- 141
4
votes
Accepted
Stop and prevent unwanted conversation with a stranger
Romanian perspective, as I feel we are culturally closer
I've had quite a handful of unsolicited advice regarding my son when he was a baby. My first advice would be not to be afraid to offend people,...
- 156
4
votes
How to respond to an obviously unfair offer in a high-stakes negotiation without offending the other side?
It is a good strategy to try to be diplomatic even when faced with offers that are borderline offensive. It is also a good economic strategy to avoid entering into an offer-counteroffer situation if ...
- 1,594
4
votes
How to respond to an obviously unfair offer in a high-stakes negotiation without offending the other side?
Moreover, such responses sound as if Tania wanted to get as much as she can get rather than reach a fair deal.
Value of things are always in the eye of the beholder. When you face an offer for a good,...
- 4,740
3
votes
Is there a Russian etiquette on declining offers of food when visiting someone?
What will sometimes work is to ask for something else. The best thing is something which you know you can have, and which is quite certain to be available. The easiest thing is a glass of water. Or a ...
- 553
3
votes
How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?
The key word describing an espresso is small. I suggest you use that word when you order, and perhaps reinforce the idea with sign language, showing with your hands exactly how small you want it to be:...
- 819
3
votes
How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?
You can start the ordering conversation by asking how they make the espresso here. They'll probably be just as familiar as you are with the big 150mL Russian "espresso", either because they make it ...
- 480
3
votes
Is it common in Russia for the first meeting to be breakfast or lunch?
Is this common in Russia as a first meeting
Yes, it's quite common. And not only as of the first meeting. Coffee shops are often seen as a "neutral territory" to meet at. Some people use them for ...
- 168
2
votes
How do I ask for an espresso if there's a good chance they don't know how to make it?
Before you order, ask the barista how many ounces (or milliliters) are in their espressos. If they respond with a number higher than you expect or point to a large coffee cup, you can ask them for a ...
- 21
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