Welcome back! I’m just getting set up as the new librarian at Bilim-Tilim* School… only instead of prodding college student workers to stay awake after a long night of studies, I’m entertaining small children with story-books, explaining what a Dictionary is, and calming small ruckuses with colorful worksheets.
Because I’m now in a school setting, I’m very sensitive to privacy — mine as a writer, and my colleagues and students as well. I’ll still write, but only talk about the school experience in generalities, avoid identifying children, and generally stay positive about it all!
Allergies: “Sweets, Colors and Flavors”
When I started working at this school, one of our first instructions was a long list of things children should never ever be given, according to their parents.
Now, I’ve got siblings with allergies and sensitivities. I get this. Most kids are healthy, some have mild allergies… and others are deathly sensitive to peanuts or bread. But our unfortunate students are sensitive to five or ten everyday foods and items: Household dust? Ketchup? Grass? Sun? Colors and Flavors?
Ouch!
I consider myself very lucky, because a) I don’t have allergies, and b) I now have a long list of useful vocabulary words in Russian. Below are real controlled substances in our school, for your language-learning and child-protecting convenience:
Пищевая аллергия – Food allergy
яйца eggs
Шоколад chocolate
апельсины, мандарины Oranges and Mandarins
конфеты Candy
грецкие орехи Persian walnuts
колбасные изделия Sausage products
томаты tomatoes
Соки Juices
на сладости to sweets
орехи nuts
огурцы cucumbers
колу Cola
Какао Cacao
морепродукты Seafood
все виды орехов all nuts
соки с красителями colorful juices
Цитрусы Citrus fruits
газированные напитки Effervescent beverages
Кетчуп Ketchup
На сахар To sugar
На глюкозу To glucose
арахис peanuts
Малина Raspberries, in all forms
Красители Food colorants
рыба Fish
Ягоды Berries
фундук в любом виде All types of hazelnuts
экзотические фрукты Exotic Fruits
мед Honey
киви Kiwi
Гранаты “Garnets” [They meant pomegranates]
орехи в больших количествах Nuts in great amounts
молочное dairy food
приправа flavor
сладкий чай sweet tea
варенье jam
2. The Natural and Microscopic World
Пыль Dust
пыль бытовую Household dust
Полынь “Sagebrush”
шерсть животных Animal dander
На укусы комаров Mosquitoes bites
На пот лошади To horse’s sweat
на березу Birch
На укусы насекомых Insect bites
На травы To grass
Пыльцу Pollen
На пыльцу полыни To Artemisia pollen
На пыльцу растений Pollen of grass
Полынь Wormwood
На пыльцу, пыль To dust and pollen
На солнце To sun
Пересушивание overdrying
Хлор Chlorine
3. Лекарственная аллергия Drug allergies
На медицинские препараты to medicines
На сироп от кашля to cough syrup
На аспирин to aspirin
Мультивитамин multivitamins
На пенициллин penicillin
Продукты содержащие красители Products containing dye and extracts
кызыл май Kizil Mai [local health product]
на физические нагрузки To physical activities (asthma)
сезонная аллергия Seasonal allergy
…”I have a seasonal allergy,” a teacher is overheard to comment. “It’s called winter in Astana. Can I stay home from school?”
Bonus! VERBS!
The phrases below should cover just about any food allergy you might have: organicheet = limit, eesklyucheet = eliminate.
- ОГРАНИЧИТЬ сладкое, жирное, жареное, острое, все аллергенные продукты!!!
- LIMIT sweets, fatty, fried, spicy, and all allergenic foods!
- ИСКЛЮЧИТЬ сладкое, красители, ароматизаторы, хлебобулочные изделия!
- ELIMINATE sweets, colors, flavors and all bread products!
…What is the net upshot of all this? An email announcing that “Cakes, biscuits, fruits, crisps, yogurt, Coca cola, nuts, and ice cream” are all controlled substances here at Bilim-Tilim School!