You Have to Be Who You Are

It all started innocently enough. I was doing something around the house, and something reminded me of Russia — and then, as they say in the famous Russian novel by Ilf and Petrov*, "Ostap was carried away." One thought led to another, and before I knew it, I was lost in memories.

My husband's words came back to me, or maybe it was a quote from a movie: "You have to be who you are. Life is what you make out of it."

Many years ago, in what feels like another life, I was a good seamstress — no formal training, just an ordinary hand-operated sewing machine and a natural feel for it. I should have gone to sewing school, studied to become a fashion designer or at least a pattern maker. But my mother had other plans. In her view, once you finished high school, you went to work — preferably at the factory where she herself had worked for about 25 years. There was no room in that plan for three more years of school.

But I was never simple, and maybe not always smart either. Perhaps I should have just gone to that factory, made decent money, and gotten on with my life — at least I would have had some financial stability.

Too bad we didn't have the internet back in the 1980s. Things might have looked very different.

My life has not been easy — I can tell you that much. So many little choices, so many opportunities we wish had been given.

But as Russians say: "Despair is a sin."

So let's not despair, and let's not grieve over the past. It cannot be returned and it cannot be changed.

Despite everything — or perhaps because of everything — I have no real reason to complain. I live on the other side of the world, I speak a language that is not my own, and every single day I learn something new. That is not nothing. That is actually quite a lot.

As for sewing — it's complicated. Lately I find myself lacking both the adventurous spirit and the free time to create even the simplest garment. But I haven't given up.

Not yet. 😊

*Created by the legendary Soviet satirical writing duo Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov, Ostap Bender is the iconic, smooth-talking con artist and "Great Combinator" who navigates the absurdities of post-revolutionary Soviet society. His adventures fill two classic picaresque novels: The Twelve Chairs and The Little Golden Calf.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostap_Bender

https://youtu.be/VR9JAEfU5LM

Comments

Four days and Three nights of Vacation in Vermont

I love going on vacation, but I love coming back even more. I'll tell you about the most remarkable activities for me. I will try briefly… We spent one night out of 3 in a tent. (We actually planned to have 2 nights in a tent, but the weather decided for us). We visited Sugarbush Farm and Billings Farm & Museum, stopped at a store selling sheds and cottages, looked at the cider production process (Woods cider Mill), met with a representative of the company that will drill a well on our site, and asked questions to city officials. And, of course, we admired the beauty of the season. It’s a pity that we couldn’t stop on the highway for photography. At this time of the year, tourists travel to Vermont and New Hampshire specifically to admire the foliage. Daniel heard about the town of Woodstock even before the vacation. Therefore, we began to look for sights that can be seen there. As the first attraction, Google gave us The Sugarbush Farm. Google says: “ Rural...

Old New Year

Do you know what day is today (Jan 13)? Russians celebrate the Old New Year on the night of January 13-14. How did it happen that Russians celebrate the New Year twice? Simply by adopting a different calendar. Of course, it was not really simple, but after the October Revolution (1917), the Bolsheviks switched from the Julian calendar to Gregorian one. Because of this, all the dates moved 13 days ahead. The year 1919 began on January 1st but in accordance with the new Gregorian calendar. The Julian calendar was 2 weeks behind the Gregorian one, as a result of which the celebration of the new year was postponed from January 14th to January 1st. The Old New year isn't an official holiday. There are definitely no people who would remember the old calendar. Russians, by definition, like to celebrate holidays. The more reasons to celebrate, the better. The Old New Year is usually less festive. There may be no more gifts under the tree. Many Russians will wait until t...

From May Snow to Summer Mosquitoes: A Tale of Two Cities

May 22, and it is snowing in Tomsk. You could say "still" or "again"—both would sound right. And yet, the cool May weather hasn't slowed down the mosquitoes. According to a report by RIA Tomsk, cold weather doesn't kill off the larvae of these blood-sucking insects. The early-spring species have already taken flight "to hunt," and a mass emergence is expected by late May when warmer weather finally arrives. I wish I could say that we don't have mosquito problems here, but we do. I think a lot of it depends on neighbors who keep containers or pools of stagnant water in their backyards, where mosquitoes happily breed and multiply. My husband already got his first bite of the season. Let’s hope for the best this summer. For now, though, Tomichi (Tomsk citizens) aren't too worried about mosquitoes; their real problem, now and always, is ticks. Tomsk had a few warm days earlier this spring, and the ticks became active immediately. Every sprin...

Liankacreations

Search This Blog