USA

We are going to New York today. My first time to New York. Yes, I think I am excited.

It's been almost two weeks I am in US. Well, also the first time I am in here. First experience is VERY different from Europe. US is VERY different from Europe. I in no way aim to judge it (at least now) and to tag it good or bad as there are both better and worse things.

I like the spaciousness of the country: after Ukraine I missed it in a good old narrow-curly-street Europe. I like the positive mood and attitude of people here. No matter what times they are living through, one can count on a wide smile and a loud "So, how are you guys today?".

Though, loudness - yes - you know, actually sometimes it becomes way too loud, when there's no way to hide from hearing someone's "family story" or a good/bad shopping day experience. And even if you have nothing to do with either of them, they will make sure you hear them even if you are sitting in the other end of the airplane or smth...

And another thing. S. calls it my European snobbishness, but I cannot help mentioning it. Brother, what an awful quality of food one finds here. Everyone keeps telling me that it's just a matter of time, meaning I just have to get used to it. But I DO NOT WANT TO GET USED TO WEIRDLY TASTING UNHEALTHY FOOD. And guys, you got to get to doing more sports. Please! For the sake of the the great American nation at least....

But I love being in big cities again, I just like this megapolis hassle and lights and continuous motion. We traveled to LA and Vegas the week-end before, and it was a great trip. Fabulous entertainments, going-outs with friends, big list of things to-do and no time to do all of that! I missed it.

So today - to New York... New York, New York!

Stay tuned,

Nat

Christmas with a special flavour.

I made a Christmas tour this week-end. It's a great thing to do in Alsace. Christmas tour here is when you are hopping on a car and going from one town to another, to a village, and then again to another town and so on... And you literally get wrapped in the spirit of true Christmas and medieval Alsacian vibe. For a moment, you - no matter how old you are, no matter from what culture you come - get back to your childhood and find yourself in a beautiful fairy-tale.

And this almost forgotten feeling of buying hand-crafted stuff and local home-made sweets and specialties..! Feels a little bit like at your grandma's when you're chatting with a lady who is selling fine embroideries while sitting and making them at the same place.









I totally adored Christmas tradition in this part of France. My hat off for that to the Alsacians!

What a feeling!

What a feeling it is! Barack Obama made it! He won the race, defeated prejudice and stupidity and he made. Though why he? People made! I haven't been there personally, and I probably should not be that much concerned as I am not an American, but why does it feel so strangely proud and joyful and hopeful..? Something good upcoming!

Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

It was not written by me, but I thought it was so meaningful that couldn't help publishing it for you:

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day,
while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help
coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy,
screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad
from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse
surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced
himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.'

'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer
replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son
came to the door of the family hovel.

'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.

'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.

'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education
my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he'll
no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time,
graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went
on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander
Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog
was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill .. His son's name?

Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

Some business...

A week ago I went to Kazakhstan on a business trip. It was my first time there. We stayed in Astana all the time. I liked the city: it seemed very spacious and bright and clean.

Since I've not been able to make it to Ukraine for this or that reason for quite some time already, it appeared to be a very nostalgic trip as well. It's been a long time since I saw the "width of the Russian soul" reflected in the urban architechture (no sarcasm implied).

But talking business, it was a curious trip. I realized that the countries have made incredible changes, which I know did not come easily after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but at the same time there's such a long way to go yet. And I realized that the root to these further changes is no more in financial or political or fiscal reforms. It is in the mentality of people. And now it's the hardest part: how to open it up to the rest of the world, how to make them think they are just the same - not worth or not better (the latter being the prevailing point of view among the locals themselves, which stretches itself to quite scary circumstances) - that they can achieve the same once they respect the world and want to be an EQUAL part of it..? Is it an achievable goal..?

French humour and the Danish wedding

This should have been in the "cultural observations" post, but since I am mixing up the thoughts today, it will go here: have you ever heard French jokes? I mean, French people joking. Oh, brother, why are they so blunt and awful? And the most annoying thing about it is that all the French vividly laugh about them and you (if you are not a French) feel very funny in such moments, like as if you a) so dummy that you didn't get the joke or b) so intelligent that you are far above that rural humour or c) don't understand the peculiarities of the language and he actually meant something different or d) other option (please specify). But, oh brother, they are so low level.

That, by some funny coincidence, one of the topics we actively discussed last week-end at my table during my friend's wedding.

Yes, last week-end I went to my friend's wedding to Arhus, Denmark. Was a tough trip in terms of schedule (4 hours of sleep in three days!) but quite rich in terms of impressions.

So, back to cultural discussions: I was lucky to sit together with an Englishman and an Argentian (though already englanized) girl at one table as we allowed ourselves all the possible burst of political incorrectness (in its kind sense) as only Englishmen can allow and all the possible impolite (read loud and careless) merriment as none of the North European nations can afford. I hope I didn't sound too mean. In fact, I really like the Danes, very nice people, very... correct, polite, emotionless, structurized, quite... So quite that I felt really awkward when I came to a flock of relatives from the Danish side and introduced myself (as a newcomer), they kept quite and still looking straigt at me questioning "what's next". And their eyes seemed sooo "questioning" that "the next" could be only something as crazy as jumping into the chilly Nordic sea (the restaurant was on the very sea shore) or stripping just in front of them...

Then there were long 5 or 6 hours of sitting and eating. Food was good, but in the of this eating time even we ran out of jokes and started entertaining ourselves with the ongoing football matches. Oh boy, it was long! And then - as I mentioned before ALL is very structured there - half an hour fresh air break - and finally the dances!! The music was really good. Great, in fact. All four hours. Sharply. But we had some fun - thankfully there were three other Ukrainian girls and we could move that respectful crowd a little bit :-)...

Voila, my North European wedding experience...

But I liked the country. I was a bit afraid going there - remember in Finland I got drenched and frozen after two days of never ending autumn rain in the middle of summer. But it is a nice country. Would like to come back and see more... for sure.

Cheers,
N.

This too...

Yes, now a bit sad, worrisome, funny feeling... C'est dure as they would probably say here in France...

It's a great feeling to be a modern active (business-) woman, but in (such) certain moments one somehow understands, or rather feels with every pore, other values. Why people cannot live their lives as if they are themselves imagining it to live? I mean just at once, immediately, like in a wink. I guess I know perfectly the answer, and I guess I am still that great optimist I used to be to be able to accomplish all this... It still feels very sad. But one thing I am becoming more and more sure about: dream and dertimination hand in hand will lead you to whatever you only can imagine. It needs time, and it is painful, but so - oh so - sure and ... probably correct...

Yes, as my gtalk friends can see in my status: The best way out is always through.