Liankacreations

  If you think that I forgot about my blog, you are wrong.  If you think that I don't write, you are wrong again. I am writing as never before but.. It is for my school homework. The subjects are between human rights and civil disobedience and cybersecurity and AI. Beside writing I also read a lot but not what I really prefer. But … one morning I was listening to an independent Russian YouTube channel, and heard about a book “The Illegals" by Shaun Walker. I checked it out - my branch has a copy of the book. Too bad I don't have time to read! - I thought, until, still at work, I decided to flip through the pages.  You cannot believe what I saw! Page 283 “Students and professors filed into a cavernous hall inside the Tomsk state university library…” really?! Tomsk State University! Well, I have never studied there. But this is the oldest university in Siberia and it’s located in my hometown! Well, well, well. It’s getting curiouser and curiouser. I couldn’t resist and chec...

  Journaling 6* Sometimes I get nostalgic. Then I turn on some old movie on my tablet and don't even watch it, just listen. Often this helps me write. And I have to write often because this semester I have to journal for two subjects. Well, you know, right, that I study at BCC*? The book I have to read is called Atomic Habits by James Clear. Have you read it or heard of it? Actually, I like it. The author explains that ‘small’ habits can make a ‘big’ difference.  He also says ‘forget about goals, focus on the system instead’. I completely agree with that. How many times have I started to learn Portuguese? 5-6? but I didn't have a system. I would watch YouTube videos made by one person, that go to another hoping for better results and then to the next one YouTube feed shows to me. And in a week I stop watching all of them.  Along with that book I am reading The Skinny Rules by Bob Harper. I want to figure out how to eat healthier.  The first rule is drink a big glas...

  Today is May 8. By the time I publish this post, it may be the 9th or even the 10th. But the post will be about May 9 - Victory Day in Russia. It was and is a big holiday for all Russians. We said that we must remember the past so that something bad does not happen again in the future. This may sound funny or hypocritical in the current circumstances. Before the Russian-Ukrainian war, I used to write about Victory Day every year. Those posts together with blog don’t exist any more. So I could repeat some of my thoughts here, but even thoughts are not the same anymore. Here is a link to last year's blog. Before the Russian-Ukrainian war in May, I watched Soviet war movies. They were sad, but so patriotic. I sang songs from the movies, songs I never learned, I cried and thought about my two grandfathers and I was proud. Everything has changed or I should say president Putin changed everything.  Many cities are still getting ready to celebrate. But it all depends on how close t...

  Recently I saw a pin on Pinterest: a young woman was convincing others to become a blogger.  The usual story: she was very poor, had an unpleasant job, went to a school she didn’t like, was on food stamps. Then she was looking for different jobs online and somehow started blogging without knowing much about it. That is why she wanted to share her experience with other people - to make our (new bloggers) lives easier.  She was giving away a list of things ‘to do’ to become a blogger and offered a discount on hosting.  I read it and got a flashback.  A few years ago, I read a few similar posts and decided I needed this type of blog (a blog on the free WordPress platform). They said, “Oh, your blog will look professional, beautiful and attractive. You will start making money”.  The thing is, I created my first blog on Google's free platform. After about 6 months I decided I needed something better, something that all those successful bloggers were recom...

  Once upon a time, in another life, I heard the expression that you can't be pregnant a little bit (meaning that a woman is pregnant or is not; not about the stage of pregnancy). Now I'm thinking, you cannot be librarian a little bit . Well, I'm not a librarian, just a library assistant, but working in a library leaves a certain mark on my behavior - I can't tolerate unanswered questions. This week's question was, at what time of the day your son was born? The thing is, April 5 is my youngest son's birthday. I am usually not a person who would post on social media “ Oh today is my son/daughter's birthday..Dear baby, you’re so special, I learned so much with/from you, you are the best person in the world” …  I don’t do that, it’s too personal.  But yesterday my son’s mother-in-law contacted me and asked what time Eugeniy was born? I remembered that.  I did remember that. I thought I remembered.  How could I not remember, I have only two sons! I know for sure...

  Russian January is …kind of… rich on holidays. January 7th- Christmas. January 14 - Old New Year. January 19th - Epiphany In the Orthodox Church, Epiphany, or The Baptism of the Lord, is one of the most important holidays and is celebrated in Russia on January 19 (January 6, Old style). The holiday is dedicated to the baptism of the Savior in the waters of the Jordan River by John the Baptist. The holiday is non-rolling, it is always celebrated on January 19th. It begins on the evening of January 18, when Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany Eve.  Christmas Holidays also end at this time. The period between these two holidays (we don’t talk about the Old New Year)  is called Yuletide (Christmastide, Holy Days). A special celebration of the 12 days after Christmas exists not only among the Slavic peoples, but also in other countries. The main tradition of the holiday is the consecration of water. It is believed that water consecrated on the eve of Epiphany has a blesse...