Irish shamrock

My first association with Irland is the three-leafed shamrock. I am going to write about this very famous symbol of Irland. The shamrock appeared as a symbol of freedom and independent temper a long time ago: it was eight centuries ago when the English tried to colonize the island. The Catholics, struggling against the English, pinned leaves of a shamrock on their chest, which became to their distinguishing sign. As the English managed to gain the land, the shamrock became a symbol of freedom for the Irish. Trying to mock at the Irish people, Cromwell called them "shamrock" but despite that the shamrock appeared on the flags of some Irish counties. 1708 this symbol became national, when some acivists, carrying a big banner with a picture of the shamrock, destroyed the central quarter of the city, where the English were living. Since then the banner became the flag and the shamrock is associated with Saint Patrick.

Aerophobia

The plane is the fastest means of transport. However, I would prefer trains, cars, feet, but not this flying device because I really really really have a fear of flying. My dream to go to the US is still a dream because I cannot take a grip on myself and go by plane there. Even the two-hours flight is a real torture for me. So I want this post to be a small and hopefully helpful thing. I am going to give some advice to whom, who also suffers from the aerophobia, how to manage to get rid of this.

1. First of all, don't drink alcohol on board!!! Our organism loses a lot of water during the flight and drinking alcohol only can harm you, although you feel relaxed.
2. Before the flight (one week or one day or whatever you want before) you can read your favorite book or do some shopping. Don't think about the flight!
3. During the flight try to watch a movie on the laptop. Try to digress from heeding how the turbines are working or how a stewardess is smiling.
4. Relax! Try to breathe calm. You can stand up and take a short walk through the plane...
5. My favorite way to digress from my fears is to speak with the fellow traveler, especially, if you have the same interests, at least dreading together is funny ;)

Now I don't have any fear. Wanna fly somewhere?

trains vs. planes

It seems that more and more Russian people who live for 2 cities (St Petersburg and Moscow) will prefer trains to planes in the near future. There are many people who have their families in St Petersburg but have their working place in Moscow or have to go there for meetings or conferences quite often. The distance between two cities is 800 km and going by car is quite difficult, as the trip lasts 6-10 hours with all these Russian traffic-jams and one will be very tired after the journey. You will say: planes. Yes, there are 36 (thirty-six!!!) flights a day (the actual information concerns 25.01.2014). The only trip lasts 1h - 1h 30min, but you also have to reach the airport, which are very often on the outskirts, and then the city after the arrival (do not forget these terrible traffic-jams), and then check-in... (The web check-in can surely save your time but not really.) However, it is one of the possibilities. What, you have a fear of flying like me? We still can reach in less than 4 hours without flying. We'll take the new train Sapsan! There's no difference in price in comparison to planes tickets. One only have to reach the railway station, which is almost everywhere in the city center and we arrive also in the city center. I already took the Sapsan and couldn't believe I was in Moscow after the only 3,5h journey as I actually was accustomed to the usual 10h trains... It seems, the train was replaced by the more convenient means plane, however, for me the train replaces now the plane.

Moscow

The most many-sided place I have ever been to is Moscow. It can sound quite strange because Moscow is always associated with prosperity, money and multi-billionaires. I only have been there several times, although I am Russian. For the very first time in Moscow I was 20 and it was transient as I had to go to the Austrian embassy. However, after living in Graz for more than two years, I realized that I really miss big cities, so I decided to take a trip to Moscow. I do not know if it was a coincedence but that time I met there a very nice guy and fell in love with him. Since then I believe Moscow has its amorous atmosphere, which is incomparable with any other all over the world. The Red Square, the Kremlin, all the buildings and the streets are magnetic. Maybe keeping for hands with your love makes exploring the city so excitable. Even grey clouds cannot make this enchanting and picturesque view worse.  The air of the capital is filled with money and peace at the same time. You can see there a lot of tourists and inhabitants, both belong to the very different nations: tourists and inhabitants because Russia is a very multicultural country. Moscow is a very various city.

My first words

Maybe you know that particular feeling that you get when you have to write the very first SMS to a man. You want to speak to this person, you want to have a talk with him... You only have seen some photos of him, you only have heard somebody speak about him...
At first you get his number, and then you are thinking the whole week what to write, because you don't want to scare him, you want to be nice. Because you know he is a person you need. He is actually much older than you. But that's no problem.
I sent one message to the person I think I really need, a few seconds ago. I am waiting for his answer now. He is a very important person in my life I think. That message has to be well thought-out, simply because this man is my father. And it were my very first words to the father.

civics

After preparing for the PC2 I think I would be able to pass the Naturalization Test (http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/PDFs/M-623_red_slides.pdf) and become a naturalized US citizen. The other requirements are: 

• English test
• one have to be a permanent resident for at least 5 years and meet all other eligibility requirements.

OK, challenge accepted!

Suggestive pictures

Recently I have learned a new word: suggestive. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary & thesaurus, one of its meanings is "provoking a memory or mental association".

This can be illustrated by some pictures of Georgia O'Keeffe who was an artist of the American modernism. Her flowers are the most well-known paintings that are suggestive.