The Russian Mathematician

I was on line at Whole Foods and Vladimir and his wife, Natasha, were checking out in front of me. Vladimir was dressed very cool - great cap, yellow striped shirt - like a hip looking guy who didn't mean to look hip. I heard the cashier say goodbye to Vladimir in Russian and asked him if he knew him. He said "Yes, he's from Saint Petersburg." I'm not sure why that was my impetus to chase after them but I asked my wife to finish checking out and I ran out the door. I said Hi to him and his wife in the few words I know in Russian and told them about my blog. Natasha told me Vladimir would love to give me advice. A mathematics professor in Russia, he never learned to speak English well. But he told me, "It is now easy for me to learn the English computer because it is the same words, repeat and repeat. But in life it is difficult for me to explain what I say."

Vladimir, age 80.