Friday 25 December 2015

I’LL BECOME A COOL CRONE ONE DAY!


Our youth seems endless until the first wrinkle we notice on the face. Then drama begins. Then we try to erase those wrinkles and feel exhausted after 4hour-work-out in the gym. We follow “right” diets naming them “eutrophy”. At the same time all the information about epilation is very essential. We’d like to know who, how and where. It’s better to find some nano technologies otherwise all the uncontrolled growth appears again and again. Males also have preoccupation with this subject. So here and now about us. And about me.
I’ll become a crone. People will call me a crone and I will feel myself cool. Me-crone will be FUCKTACULAR! I have no idea how to become a crone. I don’t have any crone-friend but I meet old ladies and gentlemen in my life today.
This autumn I and Barbara (my daughter) made a decision to take photos of old ladies and gentlemen. Let me say, it lasted till the first cold days. All the people stayed in their dens, so did we. But spring will come soon and we’ll return into the streets. People are different in the city. It was sometimes difficult to persuade ladies and gentlemen to take photos of them. They couldn’t believe that someone could do something for them without compensation. And moreover we could send them those photos. It seems unbelievable to them. In the village people are simpler. Almost everyone agreed to have photos. Women will be women at any age. They were smiling, patting their hair, rearranging their clothes. And everyone was mourning that was absolutely not ready for the photo session. They told me about their lives and it was interesting to listen. One old gentleman was disappointed to know that I was married the man of a different nationality. He didn’t give me a lecture but was upset a bit. Later he said that he was a mullah. I feel uncomfortable with such people, but he was kind and wise.
I’m not sure if I can become a wise person, but I’ll become a CRONE! Maybe I won’t be a wise crone but cool one. Definitely! It’s all water under the bridge so I will have nothing to fear.

Tuesday 27 October 2015

LOVE ILLUSTRATIONS? JOIN ME! (Dostoyevsky)


I always loved reading! Reading became my passion since I was 4yo. My mom doesn't know who taught me reading. I don't remember how I learned it. For the new year I used to choose the book and was celebrating the new year night with it believing that next year I would be able to read more.

Once a curious (for me curious) idea came to my mind. I love books, but I've never been interested in illustrations that were made for all the novels, stories, poems that I know. So I made my first research. And for this first post I've chosen a pretty difficult russian writer Dostoyevsky and his the best known novel Crime and Punishment.
Let's get started! The novel is pretty long (but we have longer). It's my favourite work by this writer. I'm not going to tell you here what the plot is. Wikipedia tells everything about everything. I've checked it and it's ok. Go and read it.
I found three (obviously, there are more) illustrators that interested me the most. The main character Raskolnikov is a very complicated person.
P.Boklevsky
P.Boklevsky
I.Glazunov
M. Shemyakin
Which do you prefer? 
I also would like to share with you the illustration of the city where the events of the book took place. And it was in St.Petersburg. I liked the only one. And here it is. You may find more. I prefer this one.
A.Kharshak
What else have I found? Actually a lot! But this one impressed me the most.
E.Neizvestny
Well, I do understand that without reading the novel is pretty difficult to undersatand the last illustration. But what I want to tell you is that sometimes we think that we know everything about something but often we are mistaken. There is so much to find out! And I hope that some of you will re-read the novel, others maybe will find it interesting to begin reading something new. And one more thing. Reading in English exactly this work is easier than reading it in Russian. It's my personal opinion.
Wish you all good luck!

All the illustration were taken from:
http://www.vitanova.ru/katalog/tirazhnie_izdaniya/paradniy_zal/prestuplenie_i_nakazanie_590
http://www.proshkolu.ru/club/lit/list/2-11112-2846/
 http://www.a4format.ru/book-titles.php?author=31&dtls_books=1&lt=196&submenu=5&title=267




WHY? (not for picture people)

Good day, everyone!
I'm not going to put any pictures here. I want to write. 
Why do I want to write? Why having Russian as my native language I am writing in English? Why are you reading this and what do you think? 
I'm a young woman having the best man and wonderful daughter, pretty house, clever dog and weird cat. I feel that I'm happy but I came to a point that I don't know what to do. I know what I want but I don't know how to get it. I'm writing something here. I was attempting to do videos. I'm taking photos of old ladies and gentlemen (which I enjoy very much). So of course I'm cooking and keeping our house clean. I take care of our pets.
I love travelling and taking pics but most of all I love people, animals and nature. Well, I still feel that I have to do something more. I feel that I'm getting enough from the world to give something incredible back. But what? I think that there is a point when human being understands that everything is fine and it's time to give something to this wonderful world! How do you thank this place? 
Well, while typing I found the answers to some of the questions! 
Thank you for reading my rambling!
Enjoy your day and love people.

Monday 14 September 2015

PERMANENT BEAUTY

I wanted to write about different things. Something really positive. Something that seems positive. Something that's so debonair. The last moment I've changed my mind. This has been the biggest wish of mine lately. I want to write about old people around. 
http://opisanie-kartin.com/opisanie-kartiny-vasiliya-maksimova-vse-v-proshlom/
Almost everyone is afraid, or doesn't want to think about future when we become old. People are obsessed with youth and everything that is concerned with this non-permanent state of our minds and physical bodies. Well, the post is going to be extremely positive. Believe me!
I should confess that I wasn't very close with my grandmother. Well, I can't say that she became my best friend but I see that she is an interesting lady. She had difficult life but hasn't lost the ability to feel the essence of life. They all are very positive. 
It was my hometask to make a portrait. I wanted to make a perfect portrait of an older person. I don't know these people, I only asked for their permission to take photos of them.
This lady has a wonderful sense of humor and amazing grandchildren. I don't know much about her. People in the big cities aren't very open.
Another lady was very suspicious and very confused. She wanted to look really nice in photo. So she did! She tried to smile and she did it in the best way.
 In the village people are more sociable but all the ladies mourned about their clothing. Remember I didn't know them and they all were very busy. Really busy. I was so thankful that they didn't refuse to pose for me.
They are happy. They appreciate what they have (they don't have that much. Only the most necessary stuff for living). They know what colour the sky is, they feel the weather and the nature.
This gentleman was a mullah. Although I avoid people that have "religious jobs" this man was an absolute wisdom. He spoke about the other (unknown for me) side of the religion and wasn't persistent. 
These photos don't need any photoshop. These people are beautiful inside and out. They are happy here and now. They value their past but continue living in the present.
Have a beautiful week!

Thursday 13 August 2015

LET'S HOP ON!

I continue rediscovering my city.
 Have you ever taken a Hop On-Hop Off bus in your city (in case you have any)? My city isn't very big (as compared with Moscow or London for example). At the same time we are lucky to have these red buses. Not long ago I saw them in Kazan and was very surprised. What to show in my city?! - was the first thought. Well, many of us think that we know our places pretty well.
So the sunny day I took my daughter and my camera (of course) and took the touristic bus.
The first thing I paid attention to were my feelings. They were exactly the same that I have when I take the same buses in other countries. Excitement! Delight! Anxiety! All those tourists from different countries made me feel relaxed and happy! There were people from Colombia, Nederlands, Turkey. You may ask me how I found it out. As we had a big Swimming Championship in Kazan this summer many people were wearing certain clothing with the names of the countries on their backs. Well, you know what I'm talking about.
The second thing I did was taking pics. It wasn't easy. Just because I know all these streets and buildings. What I did was observing those who were sitting in front of me. I tried to take pics of everything they took pics of. Well, I tried. Of course I could only guess what had attracted their attention. 
So here is my touristic-non-touristic view of the city.

 








Dancing mosque




Such a blue sky!!! And wires are everywhere.
Love your place and enjoy every moment!
Love you all!!!

Thursday 6 August 2015

The shortest post (chak-chak&talkysh kalave)

Well, well, well! July was too busy. And this post is too boring. Just go and check my video from the port. It was 3 weeks ago! Shame on me!
Thanks to my cousin and her husband I have pics of our traditional delight chak-chak. 
They had an amazing wedding and didn't have a usual wedding cake. So chak-chak became their central dessert. I'm sure their family life is going to be very unusual!
The other delight I spoke about (in the video Wedding palace) was talkysh kalave. This one is my favourite but it isn't travel-friendly. Alas! You want to try some then welcome to Kazan! This is how it looks.
It is essential to keep it in fridge between eating. If you forget about it here you are! It is so sad to see it. I was too greedy to use more than two pieces for the experiment.
They melt and change the consistency.
Have a great August!
I'll be back very soon!









Saturday 27 June 2015

MY PASTELLY CITY!

Hello, hello!
No much information this time. It was pretty difficult to find any colour in the city. You know, on the post-Soviet territory is not that easy to discover anything colourful concerning architecture. I did my best! At 5am! Enjoy!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thank you for your time!
Love you!
Let's be early birds!

MYSTERIOUS BRIDGE

We didn't plan going there. The whole trip was properly planned (as usual, you know). But this place wasn't in my must-visit-see-eat list. I even can't remember how I came across it with the help of mighty Internet. Well, nobody was against so we did it. While driving to the destination point I came to a decision that I should cross the bridge. 
Left the car and made our way into the forest.

It was amazingly green and the air extremely fresh. I read that it was a park also so we were able to see different flowers and trees and bushes. But I didn't take any photo of them just because I was so excited to meet the bridge. What we see was overwhelming!
 Just don't plan anything! Just do what comes to your mind! Oh, thank you, internet, that you sometimes show me the right ad!
Well, let's continue! The lake isn't very big. It's easy to go around it. I literally was waiting for mermaids coming out of it. I wouldn't have been surprised at all.
The architecture around the lake is unusual if not to say weird. What was the purpose to build all these sculptures around, across and in the lake?
That girl is real. Not a statue!
 
 
Looks like the monster's mouth.
Well, you ask me if I did it? My answer is YES!
 It was scary! I was freaking scared! I was crawling. And the reason why I wasn't standing right in the middle of the bridge was that there was a hole so I could see the water. I thought: Well, next time! But there will be no next time. Just because my mom said that what I did was prohibited. So learn the German language, Aida!
Love you! And be curious!
PS - I haven't written any historical facts about the Rakotzbrücke just because there is enough information here in internet. Google will help everyone!