Learning Russian is really fun. I listen to audio clips on my ipod when I walk to and from work, and repeat words and sentences when I'm getting ready in the morning.
My boss is Russian. She met her American husband in Russian, so she'll usually speak to him in Russian on the phone at work.
She knows that I'm learning Russian, but I doubt either of us imagined I'd ever be able to understand her.
Nothing juicy, mind you, but today there was a conversation about buying tickets (a parent-child-package) for 3 ballet concerts. The tickets were cheap. She will buy them. Listen, this is what I will do. We will go to the ballet. Let's do it. Listen. The daughter will like them. No, I have to go. I have a lot of work to do. Etc. I got the gist of the conversation, which was very exciting.
As long as a Russian conversation has to do with meals/food, getting-to-know you, simple occupations, family and the home, or getting around town, I can recognize enough to know the general discussion topic.
On the other hand, were I to overhear a conversation discussing illness, for example, then whether I'm eavesdropping on someone's bout with flu or a broken leg, then, well, your guess is as good as mine. Baby steps though, baby steps.
