Liankacreations

  Дорога ложка к обеду - Russian proverb. A few years ago, before that ugly war, I was proud to be Russian and passionate about the Russian language. I started a Facebook page where I shared Russian proverbs. Well, it didn’t attract much interest, and I was very active and flighty—my interests were always quite broad. So, the page was neglected but not forgotten. I’m not exactly proud of being Russian, but the language is still my native tongue, and I often think in it. Recently, one activity brought an expression to my mind: Дорога ложка к обеду (A spoon is dear when lunch time is near). The simple meaning is that a spoon is valuable when it’s almost time to eat. There’s a story behind this related to recent events.  About a month ago, I came across a job opening online. I wasn’t really looking or thinking about changing my occupation; it just happened. As I read through the job description, hours, and salary, I discussed it with my husband and colleagues, and I became very i...

  October 20, 2013.  I was flying to America towards my unknown future. The unknown future did not frighten me absolutely. On the contrary, it was incredibly intriguing: how will my life turn out, where will I work, with whom will I make friends? I didn’t have questions like “Will I be able to get accustomed?”. The question was: “When?”.  Like many Russian women I’m hardy, determined, and purposeful. The main thing was not to get lost on the way. The trip was long and inconvenient. I wasn’t worried about geography, I just picked the cheapest tickets. I flew from Tomsk to Moscow, then to Los Angeles and then to Boston. I have never in my life traveled abroad. I was very nervous about the long trip. I was not  afraid to fly. But all these security, take your belt and shoes off, cell phone out of pockets, endless lines, navigating in big airports. Leaving Tomsk was easy from that point of view. I will not touch emotions though.  Moscow    At the Moscow ai...

  Another October 20th, another anniversary, another post about the anniversary. I think I will never forget that date. And I will make sure you too, LOL. 11 years ago I crossed the US border. I went through costumes in Los Angeles, California. But it’s a different story *.  Was I afraid? Not really. I thought I knew the English language.  I thought the American lifestyle is similar to the European (meaning good economy, prosperous middle class, stability,1 month vacation, observing religious holidays). I never knew how to pray. We were not taught this in the Soviet Union.  Before my departure from Russia, I prayed the way I could that God/the Universe/Destiny would not interfere with me …at least in the process of getting me ready to move to the US. I didn’t know if Daniel and I would get alone.  I didn’t know what kind of job I was going to have.  I only knew I was adaptable, and had nothing to lose. I also understood that both Daniel and I were taking a ...

  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...

  When I made it to work today, I really wanted to swear. Swear and complain to someone.  However, I didn't want to worry my husband and didn’t feel like going on social media. I don’t want to become a constant whiner. I just needed to vent. I briefly told a colleague my driving adventure and changed the conversation to the Carnegie book I read last night.  In the book I stopped at the quote “think and act cheerfully and you will feel cheerful”. Very soon I became busy and forgot about  what happened in the morning. And in the afternoon, I heard a phrase that made my day.. But you need to know the whole story: A young man was  coming in and out of the library. He smelled of alcohol and wet clothes (rain is finally here). He didn't do anything wrong, he didn't say anything nasty, just was annoying, asking personal questions. It would be better if he just went home. - Do you speak another language? - He asked me. - No, - I refused to talk. After 3 hours, I really ...