Liankacreations

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Friday 13th, February 2026.

Yesterday was Friday the 13th. I don’t really believe in the superstition that it’s a bad day. And honestly, it wasn’t. I took two quizzes (one of them twice), submitted an assignment, finished a bookkeeping practical and turned it in, and replied to a schoolmate on the discussion board. In between, I made shchi soup, vacuumed, changed the bed linens and did the laundry, walked around the block, baked bread in the bread maker, made this snack bread for dinner (see the photo below), and opened the door for the dog about 150 times, back and forth. Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of YouTubers talking about “don’t underestimate yourself.” a lot because, once you click on one, YouTube decides you need all of them. Some are helpful. Some are not. Most of it I already know—but knowing and remembering are not the same thing. They often suggest writing down what you’ve done in a day. Just listing it. Seeing it. So I did. Writing it all down didn’t make me feel extraordinary—it just remi...

Blast from the past

This morning I received a message that literally transported me back in time. I have a blog, and to increase its views, I sometimes share links to my posts on various social media platforms. But I am not particularly active on those platforms either. Therefore, the message that appeared in my Telegram channel this morning really surprised me. A woman named Tatiana asked if I would be working tomorrow, and what I should say or do when Natasha and Lesha came to work as well. The thing is, many moons ago in a "previous life," I actually worked with Natasha and Lesha. That was, somehow, twelve years ago. All morning I have been wondering what exactly Tatiana meant... I don't know if she is going to reply to my “reply” to her. Lol In the meantime, I decided to post some photos of my former colleagues. Every now and then, I allow myself a little nostalgia. 2013, Farewell party 2012, October. Fire safety drill 2012, after the drill 2012, My Natasha 2010, Sheregesh, Natasha 20...

Happy Old New Year! 2026

January 13–14, 2026 The Old New Year, also known as the Orthodox New Year, is an informal traditional holiday celebrated according to the Julian calendar. In the 20th and 21st centuries, it falls on January 14 in the Gregorian calendar. Unfortunately, this year in Russia the working days started again on January 12. Fortunately, people had enjoyed a very long Christmas vacation up until then. During those holidays, my youngest son and his wife — my lovely daughter-in-law — went to visit her relatives in the city of Kemerovo. The trip usually takes about three hours in normal weather, but on their way back a blizzard began. Thankfully, they made it home safely. They sent me some photos and videos, which I put together in a short video here . As for me, I’m no longer very attached to Russian holidays. Life here is different, with different customs. I’ve become so busy that, while I still remember many holidays, I no longer celebrate them with large feasts. For example, it is very c...

After the Holidays, Almost

The holidays are finally over — well, almost. Orthodox Christmas and the Old New Year are still ahead. But there will be no more large feasts or gift exchanges. For many people here, these days will pass unnoticed: Americans are not familiar with Russian-style holidays. Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on the night of January 6th to 7th. This means that all morning on January 6th I will be receiving and answering congratulations. And then Svyatki begins — the Christmas season, a time when young people, especially girls, traditionally tell fortunes, most often about their future spouse. Luckily, I don’t do that. It feels good to have grown out of that age — or perhaps simply out of that country. Instead of fortune-telling, I think about a vision board. I first learned about it in Tomsk. And ever since I once heard about The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, I have believed in the Universe — alongside God, faith, superstition, good and bad karma, dreams… and myself. I do what I can. I try ...

An Expat in the Pew

Faith, Memory, and the Small Habits We Carry Across Borders I never thought I would miss church. But somehow I got into the habit of going to church at Christmas—Catholic Christmas—and also to the Episcopal church, whatever that means. Churches here are different from Russian ones. Of course, they belong to different religions to begin with. But to me, God is one. And although I was never a religious person, there are moments when I feel the need to go to church. I was never religious because I couldn’t be. The Soviet government and the Communist Party were our ideology and our faith. There was no room for belief beyond that. After the fall of the Soviet Union, churches reopened. Happy citizens rushed inside to baptize their children, to marry, to celebrate Easter and Christmas, and so on. Suddenly, people found faith in God, and the churches filled with parishioners. Russian churches are not very humane. You can hardly find benches to sit on during the service— if nothing has ch...

Cold news in everyday life.

If you think it’s cold here, you’re wrong — it’s –35°C in Tomsk. More than 10 scheduled buses did not depart from Tomsk to Tolmachevo, Asino, Kozhevnikovo, Teguldet, and other settlements on Tuesday due to the extreme frost. Earlier, it was reported that temperatures in the Tomsk region could drop from –30°C (–22°F) to –43°C (–45.5°F). Tomsk itself is in the southern part of the region, but it is still around –35°C there. It’s going to get warmer on Thursday, only -11°C (12.2° F ) -13°C (8.6° F). Mayor Dmitry Makhinya urged drivers to give rides to people waiting at bus stops during severe frosts and help take them to a warm place. In Russia, it’s generally normal to give rides to strangers (this is how I got married for the first time, LOL). I haven’t seen a similar practice here. Maybe it is just me. One news caught my attention: On December 8, a group of Russians was deported from the United States for the third time. The third time? I didn’t hear anyone tal...