Lived in New York for 8+ years, rented 3 apartments, worked 5 jobs, survived one divorce and one marriage, walked everywhere in high heels, ate uncountable street hot dogs, took subway anytime of the day or night, learned not to be scared of rats and cockroaches, and not to be upset with tourists blocking my way... Subway ride: $2.25, Shoes: $525, rent: $3,300.00, being able to call yourself a New Yorker: PRICELESS. You can take a girl from New York, but you can't take New York from her...
50 years is marked today for the first man travel outside Earth. Yuri Gagarin made one round around our planet, it took 108 minutes and made him first human in space, first cosmonaut and ultimately one among most famous men of 20th century. Looking at his picture the very first thing you notice is his legendary smile. The smile that overlooked our planet from above. He said "let's go" and waived his hand! http://youtu.be/Jeekb7Ss6V8 I was not born yet when it happened - But it's easy to imagine the exhilaration in the air on that day around the world! I am proud to be born in the same country. Let's celebrate our unity today-human kind achievement for the peaceful use of space!
"For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right...but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life - the light and the air which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true value." - Claude Monet Walking around Kiev last Sunday was hard NOT to notice the dramatic sky above...What autumn did not do to trees with leaves falls and winter with snow falls - the final cleaning is done by Spring. It striped down all remaining leaves from branches and made everything visible. Every detail of the art of architecture is on display, framed in a lace of tree branches on a foreground of moving clouds. Leafless branches are making delicate yet strong presentation, reveling the beauty of buildings, otherwise hidden from sight. It's hard to imagine that prosaic color as gray could appear in such stunning variation when it touched with pinkness of the sunset...In a few weeks new leaves are going to grow and hide it all// Enjoy!
After spending really long time abroad I fell out of habit to celebrate March 8th International Women's day. It is celebrated in Ukraine on a great scale. Not only it is a state holiday, but it's one the most loved among Ukrainians. Every women of any age (including kinder garden girls) expects at least a little gift. Most of women, that I know feel, that march 8th is the ONLY day they get something really nice from men in their life. Office parties are taking places on the one of the days before march 8th-this year March 5th was mostly a corporate celebration. (Who knows what's going on there... I heard it's a lot of fun). In a way It is a tough day for men, they have to deliver what women want...Flowers are the must (I got some - see photo), then goes perfume, chocolates, jewelery, shoes, vacations to exotic places, cars-sky is the limit and the size of the wallet...some men even cook on March 8th!!! And believe me, men in Ukraine don't really cook, unless they are chefs. One day, out of 365, they have to be appreciative to us. One day to treasure us. One day to celebrate us.
On the other hand we (women) have to be young, beautiful and cheerful; pleasant, kind and thoughtful; spontaneously adventurous, but wise; smell good and look even better, be stylish without spending a fortune and take your gifts with hi enthusiasm... today, just like every other day...
Maslenitsa is a week long tradition of celebrations falls on the last week before the Great Lent. The time varies each year and linked to the Holly day of Easter. Its origin comes from pagan times, with pancakes as main dish on every day of that week symbolizing SUN and the end of the winter! Ukrainian pancakes (blini) are golden and thin, deliciously buttery, served with caviar or honey, or anything you wish - endless variety of fillings (na-chin-ka). Blinis are equally tasty with sweet or sour filling; or just by themselves...Maslenitsa also includes masquerades, snowball fights, sledding, riding on swings and plenty of sleigh rides. In some regions, each day of Maslenitsa had its traditional activity: one day for sleigh-riding, another for the sons-in-law to visit their parents-in-law, another day for visiting the godparents, etc Christianity, as being Ukrainian identity for more then 1000 years unites with paganism in Maslenitsa. Big straw statue (baba) portraying winter is burned on last day with people forming circle around the fire, throwing left over blinis in. I visited Soviet Era Exhibition Center were Maslenitsa held place this year. Nowadays monumental constructions are quite a surrounding for all what Maslenitsa had to offer: merchants from all regions of Ukraine brought many sorts of honey, pancakes were cooked on a plain air, free kapustniak (cabbage soup) was cooked right there in a huge casserole!!! Ingredients were provided by sponsors and mécénats-apparently 10 000 portions were served!It was very tasty - I ate it with great pleasure!!! made blinis at home during Maslenitsa week. At least i did. Blinis are everywhere you go this week. Every cafe, every restaurants, literally every corner of the city; and at home people had blinis. I love making blinis (photos). Everybody has own recipes for blinis, but basically it's a mix of water/or milk, eggs, flower, vegetable oil, little salt and sugar; and voila! Nothing compares to big pile of blinis on your dining table! Mmmmmmmmmmm..... On Sunday evening, all the people make poklon (prostration) before one another and ask forgiveness, and thus Great Lent begins in the spirit of reconciliation (in the era of virtual communications emails do as well.) . 40 days of no meat, milk, cheese, sweets, music, dancing, spirits in order to clear your own spirit before Easter.
March 1st is officially first day of spring by Ukrainian Calendar. Today is bright sunny day.It might look spring like, but don't dismiss your coat and gloves just yet. It's -5C (23F) outside. I waked around, one of my favorite Kiev's neighborhoods, Podil.
I am wearing a warm jacket, scarf, gloves,hat and sunglasses (I have to tell you that my sunglasses are always with me day or night...quite a shock for local people and the source of constant jokes and comments. But I can't part with them-it would be like ripping New York from my heart; well, it's another story) with my camera looking for Spring... That's what met my eyes today. Podil* beautiful poetic aura found its reflection on my photos.
Is huge roof icicles a sign of Spring?
Spring is in the air, despite frozen puddles, snowy streets and dangerous icicles... I always loved icicles. I just don't want to be killed by one...so I strongly recommend: beware of icicles! Icicle is an apotheosis of water states above all: snow, liquid, ice, steam, etc. of telling us (humans), that we are not the only living creatures with ability to express ourselves... Water is everlasting changing creature with so many states: liquid, snow, ice, steam, etc...with an icicWater scrims with ecstasy creating an icicle...
I just got an SMS from a friend with first day of spring warm wishes...
And that is exactly my message to you today, wherever you are, HAPPY FIRST DAY of spring to you!!!
