2008

Promised myself a lot of times to post, never really found motivation (first) and time (probably just an excuse) to do so.

A lot of time since my last update… Don’t want to be trendy, but it’s a good thing to do. Evaluation of the year that passed.

Each year during New Years Eve I try to imagine how the next year would go. I am usually bad with predictions – life brings so many new boxes of chocolates (rephrasing Forrest Gamp). 2008 was definitely not as I have imagined on January 1st but I was glad to sum it up on December 31st. This year had definitely 2 periods: you will laugh, but it’s simple as it is – first 6 months and second 6 months.

First. My last 5 month in Italy: craziness in the full meaning of it, events that brought me all kinds of emotions. A period of uncertainty, preparations, applications, final selection, can’t believe it all happened to me. That period and that life seem to be surreal now. I will probably remember the day when I was selected for internship for a long time, hopefully until the rest of my life (it went to my box of positive emotions that I keep for difficult times:)

Second. Moving to Germany – all stages of cultural shock again (no honeymoon stage though), hating German & Germans, hating Bonn, and rules of the company, being constantly sick in first 3 months. Gradually getting used, meeting people, finding balance, adjusting to a new life style. Glad to admit, that I like the way I live now.

Each year for me is made by PEOPLE, so as always I use this space to say thank you to people that had an influence (even if they don’t realize it :) in 2008: My family, Federica Rosi, Anabella Florea, Daniele de Lorenzo, Matteo Orsi, Dora Salemi, Alba Cauchi, Roberto Chiaravalotti, Sveta Muzychenko, Inna Kostyuk, Tanya Mykhailyuk, Ira Legka, Olka Urina, Anya Kovalchuk, Julka Khimchak, Olya Meniovich, Olya I Katya Semenyuk, Lera Yakushenko, Sveta Kroichyk, Nadya Lyubiva, Luigi Gallito, Mathang Sheshagiri, Douglas Eshitemi, Ioana Cretu, Leticia Chu, Federico Caliri, Sara Ramadoro, Dante Scogniamiglo (I am way too bad with your surname as always), Angela Palasciano, Giuliano de Marco, Giancarlo Tizzano, Alessandro Cestrone, Marcello Ciaramella, Claudio Casale, Danilo Borrello, Gaspar Ndabi, Dina Tuleova, Emma Zhang, Anna Radeva, Erdem Sephaneliologlu, Harshal Owalekar, Ketan Thakaria, Enrique Villalon, Jornt Depreter, Ali Sohail, Christian Murgia, Pretesh Soni, Schvonne Choo, Ana Lopez. Thank you for making my year!I do hope I didn’t miss anyone. In case, I did, shame on me!

Since I am a passionate traveller, I need to mention PLACES I have been to: my home city (of course:)) Dnepropetrovsk, Frankfurt, Milan, Palermo, Stockholm, Tallin, Riga, Cagliari, Oristano, Naples, Rome, Trieste, Prato, Pisa, Marina di Massa, Sora, Finale Ligure, Cassino, Salerno, Bonn, Rotterdam, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Dresden, Brussels, Leuven, Cologne, Paris, Hague, Strasbourg, Berlin, Duisburg, Luxembourg, Catania. Not bad as for 1 year :)

BOOKS that I liked: “Unbearable lightness of being” by Milan Kundera, “100 years of solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marques, “Long walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela, “Siddharta” by Herman Hesse

MOVIES that I liked: “Das Leben der Andern” (Life of the others), “The Bucket list”, The kite runner”, “A beautiful mind”.

MY LEARNINGS:
Cooking food: different kinds of pasta, insalata di riso, melanzane alla parmigiana.
Languages: I did learn some Italian. What’s more: I acquired Italian accent!!!!
Life: I can do very crazy things; I just need proper motivation and company:)
Question without answer: I tend to make same mistakes again and again. When will I finally learn on them?

Want to write so many more things about 2008, but it’s time to look ahead. 2009 is already here! Promise to find time to write about my commitments for 2009!