I AM A WHITE MAN

I urge you to please read this short essay I wrote about the things I have come to understand about our world and about myself, the things I find important and want to share. I also want to make it clear that this account provides a somewhat simplified, amplified and generalized perspective in which I seek to highlight what progress is yet to be made rather than what has already been achieved. This manifesto is a testimony to the legacy I inherited and to the revelation I have received and which I hope will bring change.

I AM A WHITE MAN

I am a white man.

I wish we lived in a world where the only implication of this statement consisted in specifying my complexion and gender. Much to the contrary, the vast expanse of the social universe, the space of human relations seems to gravitate toward the senseless sense behind this sentence, its massive, heavy contents drawing and imprisoning light from all around like that of a black hole. For some unfathomable reason, throughout history white men have, in one way or another, oppressed every other group of people – women and people of other skin color. It may seem that it has been like this since the beginning, since the very inception of human nature, but it hasn't. Nor is it an unfortunate result of a random accident, a self-sustaining mishap that has achieved enormous proportions. It has always been a man made thing, a system that requires regular nurturing, a ceaseless input of a mix of violence, cruelty and wrongheaded ideology.

Many years have passed, many generations have changed. And what readily manifests itself to the oppressed has become one of the underlying elements of our culture and our everyday life thereby hiding itself from the view of the oppressing side. Much of its destructive might was alienated and vested in the depersonalized system, a complex anonymous anastomosis of acrimonies at the core of our society, a faceless edifice whose robustness few dare to challenge. This transfer may take the blame off many shoulders and take the guilt off many chests, for many of the new generation never actively and intentionally contributed to constructing this system. But absolution doesn't lead to the solution. Furthermore, the vast and horrifying majority of us still sustain and nourish the monster by staying neutral in situations of injustice. We white men are blindly roaming this world, carelessly and awkwardly groping at the realities of existence. Any time a singular sanitizing thought encroaches on the premises of our reason we either fumble at processing it or allow the hefty legacy of several millennia draw the veil around our eyes and heads tighter so as not to see what we refuse to see. But this same pall wrapped around our heads suffocates us, for the natural order of things consists in being open to the outer world, open to ourselves and to the feelings of others.

A lot of things have changed of course. We no longer do many things we used to do and think many things we used to think. Countless walls have been taken down, numerous dividing gulfs have been filled to form the solid foundation for the brighter common future.

But in every corner of today's world there still are tokens of the crippled past, the seething reminiscences of the battlefield that our world once was. These are living memories, the ones that affect and shape our future. The world is still full of obstacles to freedom and equality. There are still many negative things that a woman or a black person may have to go through that a white man wouldn't even think of. Upon effacing the biggest and ugliest blots from the face of our civilization, we pretended that the smaller ones didn't exist. But these seemingly small smears are the most fundamental and persevering ones. The last ramparts last the longest. They are woven into the very fabric of our society and are incredibly hard to eradicate.

But they are not indelible. There is hope – and in fact, there is knowledge that the right natural order of things will reassert itself. It is incumbent upon us to act and to do our share for the common good. We white men need to learn to understand our privilege and learn to understand that we don't deserve it. And most of all, we all need to learn to stand in the other person's shoes and walk around in them. And the day we learn to do all that, we will have accomplished the ultimate goal of our civilization. The day the words 'racism', 'misogyny' and 'prejudice' become redundant and obsolete, the world will have become the place it has always had to be. In the meantime, we need to do our best to bring this day closer, to make it come sooner.

All of this defines who I am personally. This is the reason why I am a feminist. This is why I use every opportunity and every platform to speak out against racism, misogyny, prejudice and other forms of injustice, to advocate freedom and equality. This is why I'm trying to expunge casual racism and misogyny from my own acts and thoughts whereas the culture I live in mostly fosters their proliferation. And this is why I'm an ally of many groups I am not a part of. I want to live in a world where this necessary change has taken place and this is the kind of world I want my children to inherit. I don't want to be a part of an imposing entity in which I'm inadvertently forced to take away the light. I want to spread the light, I want to illuminate, I want to be the light.

Half of a Yellow Sun

I just finished reading 'Half of a Yellow Sun' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
I got to know about the author when I was pointed to a wonderful TED talk she gave about feminism (KB, I can't thank you enough for introducing this great person into my life). Since then I have watched many other of her speeches and interviews, and I have been growing increasingly fond of her wisdom, fairness and firmness of her position. Ms. Adichie has become one of my role models.
But there was one thing still lacking – up until today I hadn't read any of her literary works, the works she is famous for. Her books were not easy to find in Russia but some time ago, by sheer serendipity, I got my hands on 'Half of a Yellow Sun' and 'Americanah'. I decided to start with the former.

I expected a lot from the book. And I have to say, not only has it fulfilled my expectations – this novel is so much more than I anticipated. An important, poignant story, something people should know and never forget, an all-encompassing encyclopedia of human emotions, ranging from love and lust to the ravages of the war. This I guess is a perfect example of what Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie herself calls 'emotional truth of fiction', the driving force behind 'humanizing history'.

In addition to being a great book, a masterpiece that will nourish my new-found thirst for reading, for me 'Half of a Yellow Sun' is also a source of inspiration urging me to study the history of Nigeria and other African countries, to eradicate my ignorance that naturally comes from living in the part of the world where African voices are barely heard, to avoid 'the danger of a single story'. I recommend this book to everyone, and I'm sure you will find a lot to enjoy and learn.

[Originally posted on Facebook on November 14, 2014]

Hiawatha Designs an Experiment

Here's a nice little poem I came across in my textbook on Econometrics. Enjoy!

Hiawatha Designs an Experiment

Hiawatha, mighty hunter,
He could shoot ten arrows upward,
Shoot them with such strength and swiftness
That the last had left the bow-string
Ere the first to earth descended.
This was commonly regarded
As a feat of skill and cunning.
Several sarcastic spirits
Pointed out to him, however,
That it might be much more useful
If he sometimes hit the target.
"Why not shoot a little straighter
And employ a smaller sample?"

Hiawatha, who at college
Majored in applied statistics,
Consequently felt entitled
To instruct his fellow man
In any subject whatsoever,
Waxed exceedingly indignant,
Talked about the law of errors,
Talked about truncated normals,
Talked of loss of information,
Talked about his lack of bias,
Pointed out that (in the long run)
Independent observations,
Even though they missed the target,
Had an average point of impact
Very near the spot he aimed at,
With the possible exception
of a set of measure zero.

"This," they said, "was rather doubtful;
Anyway it didn't matter.
What resulted in the long run:
Either he must hit the target
Much more often than at present,
Or himself would have to pay for
All the arrows he had wasted."
Hiawatha, in a temper,
Quoted parts of R. A. Fisher,
Quoted Yates and quoted Finney,
Quoted reams of Oscar Kempthorne,
Quoted Anderson and Bancroft
(practically in extenso)
Trying to impress upon them
That what actually mattered
Was to estimate the error.

Several of them admitted:
"Such a thing might have its uses;
Still," they said, "he would do better
If he shot a little straighter."
Hiawatha, to convince them,
Organized a shooting contest.
Laid out in the proper manner
Of designs experimental
Recommended in the textbooks,
Mainly used for tasting tea
(but sometimes used in other cases)
Used factorial arrangements
And the theory of Galois,
Got a nicely balanced layout
And successfully confounded
Second order interactions.

All the other tribal marksmen,
Ignorant benighted creatures
Of experimental setups,
Used their time of preparation
Putting in a lot of practice
Merely shooting at the target.
Thus it happened in the contest
That their scores were most impressive
With one solitary exception.
This, I hate to have to say it,
Was the score of Hiawatha,
Who as usual shot his arrows,
Shot them with great strength and swiftness,
Managing to be unbiased,
Not however with a salvo
Managing to hit the target.

"There!" they said to Hiawatha,
"That is what we all expected."
Hiawatha, nothing daunted,
Called for pen and called for paper.
But analysis of variance
Finally produced the figures
Showing beyond all peradventure,
Everybody else was biased.
And the variance components
Did not differ from each other's,
Or from Hiawatha's.
(This last point it might be mentioned,
Would have been much more convincing
If he hadn't been compelled to
Estimate his own components
From experimental plots on
Which the values all were missing.)
Still they couldn't understand it,
So they couldn't raise objections.
(Which is what so often happens
with analysis of variance.)

All the same his fellow tribesmen,
Ignorant benighted heathens,
Took away his bow and arrows,
Said that though my Hiawatha
Was a brilliant statistician,
He was useless as a bowman.
As for variance components
Several of the more outspoken
Make primeval observations
Hurtful of the finer feelings
Even of the statistician.

In a corner of the forest
Sits alone my Hiawatha
Permanently cogitating
On the normal law of errors.
Wondering in idle moments
If perhaps increased precision
Might perhaps be sometimes better
Even at the cost of bias,
If one could thereby now and then
Register upon a target.

Maurice G. Kendall

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

I just finished reading this nice little book entitled 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running'. I have long been a fan of Haruki Murakami, I guess his literary style just fits my personality. But I found this book particularly appealing – a quick and easy read, it can be dubbed, in the final analysis, as a memoir centered on the act of running. While providing an insightful glimpse into the long-distance runners' lore, it also imparts to the reader a collection of interesting facts about Haruki Murakami's life, past and present, recounted in an honest, unpretentious way. So if you're interested in this kind of story, the one that actually amounts to something from a philosophical point of view, yet does so in a very unimposing way and without the unnecessary superfluity, then I totally recommend reading this book.

[Originally posted on Facebook on October 8, 2014]

20 Facts About Me

Alright, here I am with my 20 facts. Depending on whether you like it or not, JJ is the one to thank or to blame hehe! But of course you’ll like them, right?

Fact Number 0. I’m usually rather wordy so you’ll just have to bear with me if I end up writing a book down here. But I can also keep my thoughts organized so I hope you’ll enjoy the thoroughly selected and meticulously systematized collection of the finest facts about me. Now ready, set, go!

1) Let’s start with the basics. As of now my full name is Ivan Vladimirovich Makeyenko. This bears a number of serious implications. Some of you may know that my last name is of Ukrainian origin. Well, I hasten to inform you that besides that I have nothing to do with Ukraine. Another interesting thing is that my first name is about as typical of a Russian person as everything else about me is not. Which brings us to the next fact.

2) I’m bilingual and multicultural. However, I’m not your regular bilingual person whose parents speak different languages, nor did I grow up in an English-speaking country. While we’re at it, the funny thing is I’ve never even been to an English-speaking country yet. How and why all of this happened is a long story and that’s definitely beyond the scope of this presumably tiny literary effort but I can say one thing, I have been speaking English since very early in the childhood and I guess it makes me a native speaker.

3) And we segue to another related fact. Since I went to a Russian school and I look Russian (you know I affect that intimidating frown, it’s hard not to do it living here), many Russian people prefer to ignore ‘my other half’. I guess they feel more comfortable that way because most of them definitely aren’t used to dealing with people who are somehow different from them. But that certainly aggravates me, because this ‘other half’ is as legitimate as the ‘Russian half’. Anyway I guess that’s why I can relate to people from other countries better, and I feel more like myself around them.

4) I love my family very much! I’m very attached to home and my parents, and we’re definitely best friends with them. I’m also infinitely grateful for everything they have endowed me with and provided for me, for all the love and kindness.

5) One of the most important things in my life is music and everything about it. I’m an avid listener of music, and I also write songs and record them. I sing and play a few instruments – guitar, piano, bass… oh and I can ring a bell too. The main musical influences in my life are the Beatles, Whitney Houston, Shakira and Alicia Keys. They have shaped my life in so many ways, in fact I can hardly imagine what kind of person I would be had I not fallen in love with any of these long ago.

6) I’m a nerd. More specifically, I’m a math nerd. Actually that’s how many people know me these days, but it wasn’t until a few years ago when I spent one year studying at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics in Moscow State University that I really became one. Math isn’t just science, it’s philosophy if not religion. So that you believe me I’m even going to provide the formula I love the most: e^(pi*i)+1=0. Isn’t it absolutely beautiful? Oh my, it sure is to me!

(As one song goes, ‘Yes I am a nerd, bookworm, I’m studious,

From my cerebral cortex to my gluteus!’)

7) I embrace my weaknesses and call them uniquenesses! Lol, no actually I’m working on myself, trying to became a better person every day.

8) I’m a rebel. Just like it is for many of us, when you tell me not to do something, I automatically want to do it. At least that’s how it used to be. Now I got wiser, I only do what I want and deem reasonable or necessary, and I couldn’t care less about what others have to say about it. I guess that makes me a rebel too, on the new level.

9) Elaborating on the previous one, you can imagine how much trouble I had dealing with teachers in school. At least they involuntarily taught me not to listen to anybody. But that also makes me an inquiring mind, I’m always looking for the truths of my own.

10) As you can see I’m trying to keep some logic in the flow of these facts, so since I got to talk about school, let me say this. I definitely love studying, and even more than that I love learning. And neither of these two have anything to do with school. The way schools work both here in Russia and in many other parts of the world is kind of screwed up I guess, and it can be harmful to kids. I’m so glad my rebellious nature helped me survive the school years without my cognitive abilities being crippled.

11) All right, so much with the logical flow, let’s get to the spicy stuff! I know most people who do this 20 facts thing post something about relationships, romance and stuff like that. I’m usually very private and don’t share much of that with anybody but I’ll tell you one thing though. For those of you who haven't gotten it yet, I’m into black and mixed (partly black) women. I hope no one will get offended by this anyhow, no form of discrimination is intended. The most accurate (although a somewhat technical) description of this fact would be that statistically on average I find black and mixed women more physically attractive. This doesn't mean, however, that I won't ever consider dating, say, a super light-skinned Irish girl, it's just that it's quite unlikely. White girls, Asian girls, Latino girls and all other girls, you're pretty too, but that’s just how I roll. Anyway we may judge the book by its cover when we first see it, but what matters eventually is the contents. So what I care most about is what’s on the inside, and it’s not easy too meet my criteria and pass muster in that department.

12) I don’t drive. I don’t have a driver’s license. And I think I don’t need one. You see it’s like learning how to steer a 19th century galley, or learning how to type on a typewriter, that is – outdated. Cars should be self-driving and we’re getting there. I hope soon after I graduate from the university, I’ll get a car like that.

13) I value my privacy a lot. It became especially evident after I moved into the dormitory. I don’t get enough ‘me time’ here when I can be alone and contemplate. So I fiercely defend what’s left of my privacy. Don’t you dare use or interfere with any of my personal effects without my express permission!

14) Some time ago I developed a profound liking of history. Our present is the direct consequence of our past, and so is our future, I don’t know why it took me so long to figure it out. But now I really want to know more about our past, and the more I learn the more I change, I see the world differently now.

15) I’m very politicized. The world as we know it today is an endless turmoil of political events that affect every single one of us. I’m aware of that and I never miss an opportunity to talk about that.

16) I guess I have reached a certain age when I’m beginning to find answers to the most important questions. Even when I don’t have an answer I think I know where to look for it. The essential parts of my personal philosophy have already formed, I think I know why I am where I am and what the ultimate goals of my life are. And I’m very happy about that.

17) I love languages. I learned French in school for ten years but by now I forgot almost everything. In fact I don’t like it much, and the school is the culprit. But I think when I learn it the right way, things will be totally different. The sexiest of all languages is Spanish. I studied it for three months and learned it pretty much as well as French. Why is that? Shakira, Shakira! Just as it is true that her hips don’t lie, it’s equally true that she makes a man wanna speak Spanish! Shaki, mi casa, su casa!

18) I hate computer games! There aren’t many things I can say I hate, but excessive gaming is a disease. By "gamers" I mean those poor creatures who consider their virtual life to be more important (or at least as important) as their real life. People like that should be treated like alcoholics or drug-addicts and be put into rehab.

19) I considered encrypting these facts somehow, like make a little game out of this 20 facts thing, but then I figured nobody will actually decipher it if I try too hard (or at least nobody would want to bother), besides I don’t have that much time to do that, so I humbly present these facts laid out to you bare and unprotected.

20) The last fact in this list is that I could have been lying all along, and any of the above might not be true, you never know. Just thought I should say this cuz it’s a fact!

[Originally posted on Facebook on September 20, 2014]

Remembering Whitney

Just finished reading the poignant and touching story of an angel who descended upon this Earth, lit up millions of hearts around the world, but also burned her wings, and who now rests in a better place. A story nobody could tell better than her mother Cissy Houston. And even though the world lost this treasure forever, this book fills one's heart with gratitude, for we were blessed to have Whitney Houston grace this Earth. I definitely recommend this book to all the Nippy fans and those who want to know a little more about who this wonderful person really was.

[Originally posted on Facebook on September 13, 2014]

VKontake

I just feel like I have to comment on this one. As you probably know, Pavel Durov, the founder of VKontakte, has been fired. And I think this might have very serious implications.

First of all, let me give you my opinion on VKontakte. If you have ever visited this website you should have noticed an uncanny similarity to Facebook. Let me rephrase it, VK has been the most outrageously obvious copycat of Facebook in history as far as I'm concerned. It's a total rip off and I have been wondering for years why Mark Zuckerburg didn't sue them. So that alone makes me feel averse to this website. But there's much more to it, VKontakte is the cradle of piracy in Russia as I call it. Somehow they have been able to get away with providing tons of copyrighted music and movies. And I guess it's a good illustration of how the concept of freedom is perceived in Russia – you can do all you want. But one should not forget that their freedom ends where someone else's begins.

And yes, for your information, I was a registered user of VKontakte at some point about 6 years ago. But soon after I signed up my profile was hacked and I decided not to try and get it back and it was for the good because it wasn’t that easy to delete your profile otherwise. Not being on VKontakte and being a student in Russia may sound for some like something from the realm of either impossible or loony. It might be that, but I feel very good about not using it, it's a boycott and I guess it makes sense.

In fact this post wasn't supposed to be a rant about my personal attitude to VKontakte. I have to say that all the aforementioned problems aside, this social network has been a key stronghold of Russia's Internet freedom. With all its defects, it helped keep the Internet in Russia pretty much independent of the government’s control. And this website has been shaping the Russian society in some major ways. So in terms of that, I give kudos to VKontakte.

But Durov's dismissal is just an outward sign of deep changes happening on the inside. He's been facing increasing pressure from the FSB to provide the users' personal information to the government. And upon refusing to do so, he sold his shares in the company and had to leave the country with no intention to return. And it happens so that now the website is controlled by individuals who are close to the Russian government. Do you hear the heavy boots trampling on Russia's Internet freedom?

I don't want to get all political now, mainly because I don't like to give unsubstantiated opinions so I need to do more research first. But I just want to urge Russian people to beware of the changes happening in Russia and think about the big picture.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Went to see 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' yesterday. I have to say it was a lot more than I expected. Marvel is doing a great job and I really enjoyed the movie. Cap never fails to evoke patriotic feelings, convey a powerful message and serve as the source of inspiration.

But I also have two observations I want to share.

1. As I get older I’m beginning to understand and see how these superhero flicks are just laden with politics. Take Iron Man for example. He successively defeated Afghan terrorists in the first movie and a Russian villain in the second movie. Makes sense, doesn’t it? As for the new Captain America movie I really appreciate the fact that they brought up the subject of surveillance vs security and the way they did it. Very timely, and well everybody does that these days but I think they did a good job in getting the message across in this movie. Kudos!

2. As an economist I can’t help but notice and highlight a very smart step they took at Marvel. The Marvel Universe both in the original comic strips and in the new movies is such a great idea! However great an individual product is it will only be a fad because of our consumer mindsets. Unless you make it a part of something bigger. Apple developed a great ecosystem where each one of their devices is a gate to the world of super convenient services. That’s one of the reasons why everybody loves Apple. Marvel did this same thing with movies. You want to watch them because they are so connected and intertwined and each one of them reveals another facet of the Marvel Universe. So that’s a great thing to do!

The Baseballs concert

I went to The Baseballs concert the other day. That was just amazing! For those of you who have never heard of them before you gotta check them out. They basically take popular modern songs and make 60s style rock-n-roll covers of them. Their shows are very exciting! It was the second time I went to see them in concert and they’re always at their best, great music, cool vibes and amazing atmosphere. You know I’m a "60s guy” and for me it was a great experience. I would love to thank La Math Familia, my good friends from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics who gave me the ticket as a birthday gift, thank you so much guys! And now I leave you with this cover that made the band popular – ‘Umbrella’ by Rihanna. Hope you enjoy it!

Happy Women's Day

Speaking from a man’s point of view I just want to say – ladies you are the beauty of this world and you serve as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, you fill men’s hearts with love and souls with gratitude and elation. You are mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, girlfriends and friends – whoever you are and whatever roles you play in our lives, you are the ones that we most care about and you mean so much to us. May your lives be full of happiness, success and much deserved love! Thank you ladies!

[Originally posted on Facebook on March 8, 2014]

Miss Ghana Russia 2014

I have to say I really enjoyed the Miss Ghana Russia 2014 pageant. I would like to thank the ladies who came to participate from all over Russia. Thanks for sharing your beauty and your talents. You did a great job representing your country and gave a valuable insight into the Ghanaian culture. I wish you every success, may your lives be blessed with happiness and prosperity!

In a fit of what I call “jerky thumb syndrome” I snapped way too many pictures at the event. But anyway, it’s all great memories, and I hope that this event will be held on a regular yearly basis. We’re waiting for all the beautiful and talented Ghanaian ladies to come back!

Jamaica Week

I had such a great time at the Jamaica Week hosted by the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. I just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who organized the event and invited us over. Now how can I describe Jamaica in one sentence? Let me try: rich culture, amazingly talented people, great music and... the hottest girls eva! And I'm sure it has a lot more to offer! Now I gotta start saving money cuz I really wanna go there!

I liked pretty much all of the performances but there were two that really made my day.

Firstly, it's The Namibian Choir, oh my God, they were so amazing, guys thank you so much for such a great performance!

And secondly, it’s the lady who delivered a beautiful a cappella rendition of ‘Three Little Birds’, God can she sing!

It was marvelous! Great job guys!

The 50th Anniversary Of The Beatles' American Debut

It’s the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ American debut. They crossed the pond in February 1964 and Beatlemania took over the US. The Beatles became an unprecedented worldwide phenomenon that has bridged cultures and generations. I just want to thank them for their music, their legacy and the impact they’ve made on the world. And I also want to encourage you to immerse yourself into the beautiful and mesmerizing world of their songs and celebrate the legacy of the Beatles.

‘12 Years A Slave’

Today I went to see ‘12 Years A Slave’. Not only did it move me to tears but it also made me ponder various things. I have so many thoughts and feelings that I want to share but I don’t really know where to start. And by the way, I’m not going to give away any spoilers in this post so don’t worry and continue reading if you haven’t seen the movie yet.

We should not forget that almost every nation and every country once had some form of slavery. Somehow the privileged few always had the tools to create the kind of society where they could exploit people. No matter what continent or part of the world, the government always collapsed into the despicable state where the unimaginable was accepted, legalized and even encouraged.

Take Russia as an example. The country existed under different forms slavery for several centuries. And I believe the ramifications and repercussions of it can still be felt today. The slavery in the United States gets much more attention and is widely depicted in all forms of media. But believe me, every country bears the same stigma. The only thing that makes slavery in the U.S. especially abhorrent and inhumane is that it was based on racism. I think the worst happens when race gets mixed in. Think Nazis and other stuff like this. Good God, I can’t believe that only a few decades ago the world was so screwed up. We like to call ourselves civilized, boasting about our scientific and technological achievements and wallowing in the belief that we are the enlightened beings yet this same civilization commits horrid crimes which are directed toward its own people.

But anyway I don’t want to stray off the course and digress from what I really wanted to say. As I said the history of almost any country was stained with the sinful and repugnant act of enslaving people. So my point is that this concept was so deeply ingrained into the very fabric of our society that it almost became part of the culture, the culture of the mankind as a whole, the shameful legacy of the past. But such scars don’t go away that easily, it takes time to heal. The laws have changed, the mores have changed but it takes much longer for the mentality to change, for our minds to be set free.

I think a lot of bad things that happen in the world were initiated because of this heritage. The wars, the hate and other atrocities. So the only way for us to stop it is to change ourselves. It is hard work but it’s the only way to salvation. So we have to learn how to really be free in the deepest sense of the word. I hope this post will make you think about it and probably go see the movie to get inspired.

[Originally posted on Facebook on December 29, 2013]

Winter Wonderland

It's gotten colder but I venture outside. The snowflakes eddying above my head, the gentle wind touching lightly on my cheeks, the soft light descending upon me from the skies; here I am walking amidst this feast of nature. I take in everything that surrounds me, soaking in this beauty. I am listening to the original soundtrack of 'The Preacher's Wife'. The gospel music fills my soul with joy, the kind of unrestrained elation I used to feel so frequently when I was a kid and that doesn't come to me as often now, which is why it has a special meaning to me. Whitney Houston's voice reverberates in my ears, I have that unmistakable Christmasy feeling as everything around bears a tinge of miracle. I'm joyful and calm, I'm in a contemplative mood yet my mind is free of burdens. I feel blessed.

[Originally posted on Facebook on December 8, 2013]

The Gospel People

Today I went to a concert by the Gospel People. That was truly amazing, my hands are sore from clapping! God can they sing! And the vibes were just great!

As you might imagine Russian audience is usually quite reserved. But these guys managed to shake up the crowd and that conservative attitude completely dissipated. They interacted with the audience a lot and got people to stand up, clap, dance and hold each other’s hands. It was such a bonding experience, as if all the people in the audience turned into a single entity, a vessel for love and a vehicle for spreading joy to the world. It’s so important to be able to connect to people sometimes, just a bunch of strangers. In that whirlpool of positive emotions that sweeps you off your feet you start to truly love them, love your neighbor, love the whole world!

[Originally posted on Facebook on November 29, 2013]

Vladimir Pozner's talk at the Cleveland Clinic

Here's a very insightful talk Vladimir Pozner gave at the Cleveland Clinic.

As Churchill wittily noted Russia was and still is 'a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma'. I happen to live in this country yet I hardly understand its culture. I have to deal with many of its quirky ways every day and I keep wondering as to where it all comes from. History gives a lot of answers.

A man with an interesting multicultural background, Mr. Pozner is endowed with sound judgment and keen acumen for understanding intricate political and historical processes. His views on the state of affairs in modern Russia corroborate many of my own thoughts and observations. If you're interested in Russian culture and the underlying basis of it, this speech provides an interesting perspective. I absolutely recommend this to those who came to Russia from other countries as it might make you look at things somewhat differently and understand what makes this country tick a little better.

By the way, don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that I agree with everything he says and that I can vouch for every word here. In fact Mr. Pozner's integrity can be questioned, for he was spreading propaganda on behalf of the Soviet Union. But what is important is that he has repented. Putting all this controversy aside, he undoubtedly is a very intelligent man with quite a unique experience that enables him to make adequate judgments about Russian culture. So I think it's worth familiarizing yourself with some of his views.

[Originally posted on Facebook on November 17, 2013]

The John Lennon Story

Today would have been John Lennon's 73rd birthday.

Born in Liverpool, This Boy gained an interest in Rock And Roll Music at an early age. He would strum his guitar, Twist ans Shout Eight Days A Week. Then he got together a band With A Little Help From His Friends thereby embarking on a journey that would later be known as the Magical Mystery Tour.

John, Paul, George and Ringo decided that they would Come Together and proceed on The Long And Winding Road. They didn't realize however that they would have to Carry That Weight.

At first, it was just A Hard Day's Night, but They Should Have Known Better. It was hard to Act Naturally and John started pleading for Help. They stopped doing concerts. But there was still Something that made them move on.

Dr. Robert advised John and his friends to try out 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'. Thus they went on a long and ecstatic trip Across The Universe. John thought that There Was A Place but He Was Only Sleeping. And also he believed He Was A Walrus.

The Beatles made a Revolution. But John had to Slow Down because He Was So Tired. He felt like he was a Nowhere Man.

Then he realized that All He Needed Was Love. Being a Beatle felt like being in Chains. John decided that It Was All Too Much and thought it was time He Was Stepping Out.

Then began The Ballad Of John And Yoko. It was Just Like Starting Over. And it probably was something John could never have Imagined.

But out of the blue came The End. John Lennon was shot with a Revolver. That was a big Misery.

But we all remember John. He really wanted us to Give Peace A Chance. So Let It Be. Thank you!

[Originally posted on Facebook on October 9, 2013]

Something You Need To Know

Before I started this blog I tried writing longer Facebook entries. Some of them came out nicely and I decided to repost them here. So the next few posts will be those little essays that convinced me I can write a blog.

And there’s something I want you to know. I never considered myself a good writer. In fact, I hardly ever wrote anything that was not part of my school or university assignment. Neither do I read much. So I don’t think I have developed a good writing style of my own. But I feel very passionate about this form of expressing my thoughts.

The power of words is immense. Words can inspire people to change their lives, urge them to alter their ways; words can incite wars and bring about peace. After all, words instill a certain mood in us, they make us smile or ponder existential matters; they make us move forward and help the humanity evolve.

I’m not taking up any of the above missions nor do I think I have enough literary prowess to do so now. But I’m here to learn. So one of the reasons why I started this blog is to befriend words and syllables and to become closer to the beautiful world of writing. You decide if I’m successful in my endeavor. If you have any advice on that, please feel free to share your thoughts, I will appreciate it. So I’m wrapping up here and I leave you with these blasts from the recent past: my Facebook posts that led to the creation of this blog.