BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/08/2010

10 Things Uniting Scots and Belarusians

Having visited Belarus, my wonderful friends from Scotland listed 10 commonalities between Belarusians and Scots:

- both countries are overshadowed by their neighbour;

- both countries have taken on the language of their neighbour - English instead of Gaelic, Russian vs. Belarusian;

- whilst both countries are small, nations' sons and daughters have made large impacts on the world: Scots (John Logie Baird, Sir Alexander Fleming, Robert Burns) and Belarusians;

- both countries have war memorials in unusual places;

- often the first questions that Scots and Belarusians ask visitors to their country are "what do you think of the place?" and "Why come here?". Is this a reflection of the absence of arrogance and lack of confidence? As Rabbie Burns would say: To see ourselves as others see us;

- within the same breath Belarusians and Scots can criticise their motherland and then defend it to the hilt;

- the people from both nations are renowned for their generosity;

- at first meeting there may be a reluctance to engage, however after a session drinking a local spirit (vodka/ whisky) you have a friend for life;

- both countries have a fantastic ability to roll r's!;

- both countries have incredibly tame squirrels in the parks (surprise, surprise, Belarusian squirrels are red).

Source:

http://blogs.euobserver.com/rakhlei/2010/08/06/10-things-scots-and-belarusians-have-in-common/


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