Poligamy.

Say a word 'polygamy' to any sane European woman and you might see her become a violent monster, who might throw a rock at you and break your jaw with a swing of a fist, or at the very least scratch your eyes out. Well not really. But they will say that polygamy is wrong. Now let's take a deep breath and ask ourselves why? Why not?
Polygamy has been natural to humans since the beginning of ages and is natural for most mammals as well. It is the way things work, because man is capable of producing a large amount of semen every day, while a woman can bear only one ( 2 or 3 in rare cases ) child for 9 months. No. I am not trying to justify a man sleeping with every woman he can get. That is not right. What I am trying to look at are the Islamic countries, where a man is allowed to have up to four wives. He has to be able to support them all and treat all of them in the same way. And four women living together become the best of friends. They grow their children together, cook, clean, go shopping. But what about love, family, trust, commitment? Seriously? Let's look at any European or American family, with the income above average. How many husbands have never had an affair? Not too many. Once a man starts making ehough money to support his family, he is very likely to find someone else to take out to dinner. Not because he is unhappy at home with his wife, just because it is a man thing. He is proving to himself that he is a male. And getting females is what males do. I am not trying to be a cool one-of-the-guys kind of girl. After all it all doesn't apply to me much anyways. I am going to get my degree, teach in college, make my money and won't give a damn of how much my husband, if I will ever have one, will make. But if I had a choice of being a stay-at-home mom, with husband who makes enough money and cheats on me, or being one of four wives of some sheikh in Arabic Emirates, I would choose the latter.

Stand by.

Airport. People. Planes. Flights. Suitcases. Tickets. Pretty normal way of traveling nowadays. Wait for your flight, come to the gate, board the plane. That's about it. Easy.

Very easy. Unless you fly stand by.

Many may not know what stand by is. For those I explain. Stand-by ticket is a cheap ticket. Usually 10 times cheaper than a regular one. So the flight you would normally pay $1000 for, will cost you only a $100. Now don't get all excited. That is not for everyone. There are people who are eligible for stand by tickets and usually they either work for the Air company or are related to someone who does. My father is a pilot in Qatar Airways and that gives me a great opportunity to travel almost for free. However as great as stand by tickets are, there are underwater stones, that come with them. Stand by passnegers don't have a date on their tickets, so they can fly any day they want, IF there are seats left on the plane 5 minutes prior to the end of boarding.

Last year I have flown Flint-Chicago-New York-Moscow. All stand by.

I left Flint at 6 am in the morning and by 10 am my plane landed in La Guardia airport. As my luggage was in JFK and that was where the plane for Moscow was leaving from, I had to get myself there.

Be happy :)

"The purpose of living is to be happy and useful" - Dalai Lama. I found this quote while making a little scrapbook for Mindy to take back to Holland. That is the simplest thing I have ever read. Still it seems so true. So I felt like sharing :)

Birds of feather flock together?...or Opposites attract?

He is from the city. She is a country girl. He is an atheist. She is a religious catholic. He is a chemical engineer. She started working right after high school. Do they have a chance? Or would they both be better off with someone, who is more like them? It depends on what are they looking for. Opposites do attract a lot stronger in the short term, however in the long run birds of feather are more likely to flock together.

Why is that? When two people meet and get to know each other, conversations between them always take place. Simply put, they talk. Taking to someone who shares similar interests and lifestyle as you, might not be as exciting as talking to someone, who is very unlike you. People like to try new things, and with someone who is different from you, there is a lot more chance to do it. After a while, however, it gets boring. All is discussed and new topics just aren't there. They don't read the same things, they don't watch the same TV shows, and they don't listen to the same kinds of music. That is when a lot of couples either break up, or get married.

Once marriage and “move-in- start-new-life” rush is done and talked over many times, there is a new choice: having a baby or getting a divorce. Babies tend to bond some families, because they give mommy and daddy things to talk about. However, once kids are old enough to make the conversation partners themselves, the chances of divorce increase again. Parents might still stay together though, “for the sake of children”. Then kids grow into adults and there is no reason for two people to be a couple anymore. Each decides to go his or her separate way, maybe regretting a little 20+ years of their lives. Some couples don’t get a divorce though, only because they don’t want to be old and lonely. Being old is usually enough.

Now let’s take a look at the couples, who do share similar values and interests. This kind of relationship is more likely to start off as a friendship, which might not bring a lot of excitement at first, however with time it gets more and more profound. They discover more things to discuss and gain more respect for each others views and opinions. And those are the kinds of couples, who fall in love a little more as each day goes by. Now, I am not an expert and all I wrote is based only on my personal observations, without any additional research. I might as well be wrong or that all might only apply to me. If you happen to read it and have an opinion on it, you would like to share, let me know.

A slice of pizza.

To say that I didn't like physics in high school is to say nothing at all. I hated it with passion. It seemed to be the most useless and irrational science. "Why do they make us study it, if I will never use it anyway?" - I used to complain. All the physics books I had in my room slowly traveled over to my brother's, because I knew for sure I was never going to read any of them. Four years later I was a Computer Science student at University of Michigan - Flint, thinking about changing my major to Computer Information Systems, because CIS students did not have to take any physics classes, while CSC had to take two. However, with the help of my family and friends, I convinced myself, that changing my major because of two classes was not worth it and registering for the Fall 2007, I signed up for Physics 243 class, determined to get a 'C' in it and get it over with. It was a part time job. The one I had to pay for though. I did not have time to do anything. I did not have a life. I did not have time to eat or to sleep. I was at school morning till late evening and I hardly ever did anything else other than physics homework. First month I lost about 10 lbs. We called that a "physics diet". Dana, a girl I knew from calculus class, we took the semester before, told me about physics tutoring lab, where physics tutors Trevor, Shawn and Tim were helping students who struggled with homework. I went in there few times, but still would work on most things on my own, because I thought it was the most efficient way. Moreover physics lab was usually crowded and I get shy around people I don't know. The first week of October, I came across a particularly difficult problem which I was not able to figure out. So I overcame my shyness and went to ask Trevor for help. Physics lab was empty. A note on the board said that SPS was having a Pizza Party for all PHY 143 and 243 students in the Michigan Room. I had no idea what SPS was, however free pizza sounded appealing, so I went on a Michigan room finding quest. Few minutes of wandering around and asking random people about possible location of Michigan room - and I found it. Considering I am not a rude person, taking pizza and leaving was not an option. I grabbed a slice and went over the the table where Dana and Trevor were sitting.

"What is SPS, guys?" - I asked after the exchange of "hey's" and "How are you's?".
"Society of Physics Students. Do you want to join?"
"No, I am not a physics student. I don't even understand physics" , - the idea of me joining an organization that has the word 'physics' in its name sounded ridiculous. Dana, however did not give up:
"I am not a physics student either. SPS is fun though. And you can always quit if you won't like it".

She convinced me. After all what bad can it do to be in a club? That is how I became a member of SPS. Being a part of the organization made me come to the physics lab more often. Eventually I started working on homework there. I would try solving problems myself, ask tutors to explain things I did not understand, or, eventually, explain things I did understand to my classmates. And one day... it clicked. I could almost see a lightbulb turning on above my head. No, it wasn't the case that suddenly I could solve any problem. I just realized that physics was rational, and that it did explain how the world works. It was making more sense than ever. Moreover there was some kind of connection between me and most physics students. We think alike and I really enjoy our conversations. I spent the whole semester basically living in the lab and you may call me a nerd, but those were fun times. People I met through SPS became some of my best friends. I got an A+ in the class. Now I am a physics tutor also. I changed my major anyways. Not to Computer Information Systems though. I love the way it all turned out. Physics certainly isn't a piece of cake... but a slice of pizza sometimes helps =]

My day.

My elementary school english teacher always made us write essays about "My day". Something in the lines of "I wake up, brush my teeth, comb my hair and have breakfast. Then I go to school... etc. "

That's my tribute to my elementary school days, writing about my college life.

Red symbols on my alarm clock are not wanting to turn into legible numbers. I close my eyes. Attempt number two. Slowly open my eyes again. 7:05. Stretch out my hand and try to reach for the snooze button. A little bit more, a little more - too far away. The clock sounds like it is laughing at me. And let me say, it got some really annoying laughter.

I try to get few more minutes of precious sleep in, however the alarm is laughing louder with each second. I get up and turn it off. The clock won again. We have this battle every morning and it always wins. Makes me feel a little defeated. 7:08.

Now it is time to make it to the bathroom. Right - Left - Right. Here I am. The mirror looks grumpy and sleepy. Hey, I did not get much sleep either! There is no reason to be all grumpy about that. I smile at the mirror. It smiles back. 7:10

Regular morning procedure: wash my face, brush my teeth. That hasn't changed much since elementary school. My parents got me and my brother in a habit of showering before we go to bed, so the sheets would stay clean longer. So morning shower is an option, which can be easily neglected considering the lack of time. 7:15

Finally make it to the kitchen. I need to clean. Sometime soon. I don't know when will it happen, but it will. I promise. Pour water in the teapot and start boiling it for my morning cup of tea. Get food for my kitten and make sure he has water. Open the fridge. Breakfast options include but not limited to: cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, eggs. Think about it for a second, look at the clock. Then open the freezer and get breakfast hot pockets. They are not what I call delicious, but pretty eatable and filling. Two minutes in the microwave and now I have a breakfast on a plate and tea in a cup. I turn the TV on and while eating my food try to listen to the news to have some vague idea of what is going on in the world. 7:35

Tea and breakfast are gone. I turn the TV off and go back to my bedroom. The mirror still looks grumpy. Look through my closet. Pick out jeans, that my friend Natalya gave to me, and a t-shirt. The weather is very nice today, but I still take the hoodie off a hanger. I love hoodies. They are so comfy and cozy. Now back to the bathroom to straighten my hair.

Don't look for something that isn't there.

...just an advice. Mme. Germaine de Stale, who by the way, was the only woman Napoleon Bonaparte was afraid of, because of her sharp mind and the different way to think, said "People will believe anything if they really want it to be true". I am not sure what circumstances that was said in, maybe some political games and interactions, maybe it was a comment dropped about some speech in front of the army, or maybe that quote was never actually said and is only accredited to her. Who knows. "Don't look for something that might not be there" That's an advice I would give to any girl who will ever read that, my daughter, if I ever have one, and myself. Before you decide that someone likes you, think about how much you want him to like you. If it is a lot, you might be fooling youself. He may smile at you, talk to you, or help you around - that only means that he is a nice guy, that he likes you as a friend, that he enjoys conversations with you. Be happy with that. He likes you as a person. Don't try to make something else out of it. You might end up losing a friend. Here is an extract from a conversation between two of my friends a while ago:

She: So how do you tell if a boy has a crush you?
He: If a boy has a crush on you, you won't have to tell. He will tell you.

So girls, don't try to guess. Just wait and see. =]

Eureka!

When I was a kid I always thought Eureka was Archimedes' wife or maid and the reason he screamed the name was because he needed someone to mop the water. Here is a short essay on that. "Eureka!" - screamed Archimedes when the bathtub owerflowed as he stepped into it. Eureka came rushing into the room. Thanks Zeus, her husband wasn't hurt. They have been married for 30 years now and she knew how clumsy Archimedes could be. This time it looked like everything was fine. "What happened?" - she asked, - "You didn't stretch your back again or anything?" "No , no honey, I am alright. Can you please get me a mop?" Eureka looked at the floor and noticed water all over it: "How many times did I tell you not to fill the bathtub all the way up?" "But I like it when it is full." - Archemedes was trying to say something in his defense. "Haven't you ever noticed that if you put something in the water, the level of water goes up? Fill the crater with water and drop few apples in it!" - Eureka went to get a mop, thinking: "What a smart man, but sadly no common sense. Not at all..." ...cherchez la femme :)

Dear...

" Dear ... I am sorry to tell you, but I got back together with my ex-girlfriend. You guys should meet. She is kinda like you except a little thinner. You will always be in my thoughts. ..." That is the card I got today for one of my friends. Signed with his name. I thought he might find use for it in the future. Good thing he has a sense of humor and also thought it was funny. I love these kind of cards. My friend Asinda got me a whole book of them and they make me laugh. "Dear ... I would tip you, but then you would actually think you are good at it" Isn't it so mean, but also so funny? This is the one I came up with for my lovely sis. Mindy: "Dear sister, Remember the time when you thought I tried to kill you and I said that I was just peeling an apple. Well, we were out of apples. Hope you don't mind Bunches of love, Anya"

Open mind vs Morals.

Isn't it a little hard to be open minded and in the same time have morals? Think about it. Having morals a lot of times means sticking with some certain behavior. Suppose Joe Shmoe doesn't smoke. He doesn't do it because according to his morals smoking is bad. Doing bad things is wrong. The people who do wrong things are foolish. ( I know the logic here doesn't follow all the way, but bear with me for now). Now Dan does smoke. So according to Joe Dan is a foolish man. Joe just was really judgemental and certainly not open minded. If Joe was open minded, then we would say, that it is Dan's personal choice to smoke or not to smoke. Therefore Joe also would have the same choice. And if smoking doesn't make Dan a foolish man, it doesn't make Joe either. So Joe may as well take up smoking. Now he was open minded but didn't stick with his morals. Intuitevely a lot of us find that line of equilibrium. The ones who don't become ultra conservative or ultra liberal. I am trying to stay in the middle, but I tend to lean more towards liberal side.

Sisters.

"If it will be a sister I will feed her with candy and cookies. If it will be a brother, I will feed him with onions and garlic." That is how a 3 year old me reacted to the fact that my mom was going to have a little one sometime soon. The he was born. My brother. My worst enemy and my best friend. I don't know how many times we fought and am really surprised that neither of us is dead yet. Now we finally get along. We laugh whenever we talk, I can tell him almost anything and he is pretty much the coolest brother one would want. However I wanted to tell about my little sister. Yes I got a sister. You didn't know that did you? Her name is Mindy and she is 17 years old. She is from Holland. And I am from Russia. But that's because our father traveled a lot. No. Just kidding. That is how we fooled quite a few people though. She is staying with the same family I was staying with up until I moved out on my own. So we started considering ourselves sisters. We are a lot alike actually. Seriously, how many people would want to stay up till 4 am talking about completely random stuff? Like fate, destiny, friendships. We also both are weird. But in a good way =] We look at the world through same lense. And she seems to understand me sometimes better than I can understand myself. Both of us are more into art than sports, and we love a lot of the same music. We have a thing for 1970 and probably would be hippies if we lived back then. One thing that sucks is that she has to go back to Holland in 3 weeks and I will miss her alot. On the bright side I am going to visit her over there in August =] Oh also I did my best trying to feed her with cookies and candies over this year.