Perestroika and Glasnost

You are probably thinking what do two Russian terms that were made famous by Mikhail Gorbachev in the mid - 1980's have to do with anything?  Perestroika was used for market reforms and restructuring the economy.  Glasnost is democratic reforms, more freedoms and open elections. 

Currently my husband and I are hosting a young Russian hockey player who is living with us for several months while he plays hockey in the United States.  He came to this country knowing very little English.  My husband and I know no Russian. 

Thank goodness for the player's iPad and our smart phones.  All are loaded with language translation software and we are able to muddle through some basic conversations.  I really appreciate all the people at Google Translate who worked so hard to bring this app to those of us who are trying to communicate with someone who does not speak the same language. 

A few years ago we hosted a Czech hockey player who also did not speak any English.  Then we had to depend on our trusty English - Czech/ Czech - English Dictionary to look up individual words.  Now we can type, or even speak, whole sentences into our devices and are able to "talk." 

As a digital immigrant I often struggle with new technology and trying to figure it out.  Yet right now I would not trade my smart phone and its translation software for anything.  I'm even picking up a few new words in Russian! 

Thanks to all the geeks at Google.  You have made my life much easier today!