Ekaterina
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Weird Russians
Every time I mention that I am Russian, I can always register some fascination mixed with deep suspicion on the face of my interlocutor. Russians are considered to be weird and big. It’s the biggest country in the world, with long history, enormous culture and habits that leave the rest of the world population always… Continue reading
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A Christmas nightmare
What was the last thing you did for play or fun? I struggle with organising my time, in all honesty. I am a Christian and my whole being screams against the fact that the town where I live puts a circus right on the main square around one of the most ancient Christian Church. So,… Continue reading
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What is Normal?
I already discussed the normality as the most boring tale in my other post, but I want to go back to the discussion again. I think, it is a syndrome, a syndrome of normality that we should talk about now. Let’s define it again. The state of normality nowadays is presented to us as a… Continue reading
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Magic is in the air
I believe in Magic I always preferred the fantasy world to the ordinary reality we mostly observe around. Magic always appealed to me even if when I was growing up in the Soviet Union, a state where religion was banned at an official level (but people still, obviously believed). I constantly looked up to the… Continue reading
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Hypnosis, cigarettes, and champagne
By that time I was already in full-blown psychosis, but when you are in this state, you don’t really notice. And why should you, especially when you feel happy and complete at the same time? Psychosis as such is a culturally misunderstood concept, but I feel like I could share a few insights on the… Continue reading
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Damn the banks: I need some beauty treatment
So, I was analysing banks on that particular morning. Or rather I was trying to analyse them. The task can be considered as easy, of course, but not when you hate financial analysis and banks in particular. Mind you, till that rainy morning I wasn’t aware of my problem. In fact, I had no… Continue reading
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One magical day in Amsterdam
I have a friend who believed all his life that in his previous incarnation he was Napoleon. Nothing is wrong with this belief (which might be true as a matter of fact), but be careful to whom you reveal your deepest secret. My friend started to talk about his Napoleonic ambitions at his work. Well,… Continue reading
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What is Psychosis?
According to the Chinese ancient wisdom, everything in this universe evolves within yin and yang energy. Yin represents the feminine, water and passive. Yang is the male, fire and active. Both have to be in harmony, which exists to maintain balance in our universe and within each of us. My body had to undergo… Continue reading
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Russians and the meaning of life
Russians like deep feelings and philosophical discussions. You won’t meet a Russian, who doesn’t believe in ‘cudjba’, ‘ducha’ and ‘toska’. These three words mean: fate, soul, and a sort of nostalgia, that is difficult to translate directly. However, toska has real part in the Russian culture. It’s a sort of dwelling, dwelling over life, dwelling… Continue reading
About Me
I am a doctor of philosophy, a university lecturer, and a lover of cats, fine wine, dancing, theatre, and human eccentricity. Born in the Soviet Union (Moscow), I grew up in both Russia and Donbas. I am fluent in four languages, and have spent all my adult life studying (except from 18 to 19) working and living throughout Western Europe. Despite a surname-Netchitailova- that translates from Russian into English as “unreadable”, my great passions in life are reading and writing. My personal struggles have made me appreciate the manifestations of weirdness that exist everywhere. My novel ‘Elena: A Love Story for Humankind’ telling a story of a Russian pianist, diagnosed with schizophrenia, looking for her twin sister in England, can be found on Amazon (see the link)
Porcupine's wisdom 