How the World Eats

Today in the news I've noticed an article about Peter Menzel and his photos. His photo reportage was published in Time Magazine. And I loved those pics and the idea. Here is a short quote from Peter Menzel's site:

"Germany's GEO magazine was the first to publish a comprehensive nutrition story based on Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio's most recent book, Hungry Planet: What The World Eats. Families from Australia, Chad—including a refugee family from Darfur, Sudan—China, Ecuador, Germany, Greenland, Kuwait, Okinawa, Poland, the USA, and others are featured in large portraits, each with a week's worth of food. GEO has also published the book in German. (November 2005)."

< So the story is not relly new, but the idea is simple and very impressive. Looking through the photos one can get the idea what people on the globe like and can eat.

Deep into Archives

Deep into archives there are so many hidden and preserved stories of different families, it's amazing ans also really comlicated. Few days ago I got first documents from the archives, precisely lots of photos of different documents concerning the familly of my father from the end of 18th - beginning of 19th centuries. So far, it's quite complicated without any explanations, but there you go, like a real detective I've discovered for example:

My grand grand father (from my father's side) first married being 19! One year later his wife died and he married again being 26 on my grand grand mother:)

My mothers family name is Barycheuski, there was a document dated 1802 in Polish (Polish was used on the lands of ex Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth even in Russian Empire for a while) with description of Barycheuski (or Boryczewski in Polish) family. And it's coat of arms is Tarnawa, as I wrote before!

Well, that's just the beginning! I will find out more;)

Autumn in photos

I went to the countryside this weekend, on the way I took this pic: Then these apples are in our garden: And there you go, the colours of autumn!

Fingerprints

Seriousely? Yes, I am angry with the policy of taking fingerprints (or rather finger scans) of innocent people. It is inhumilating. I remember once I told to my American friend that I am not going to the States untill they ban getting fingerprints in the airport or embassy... And now, I was forced to 'give my fingers' to leave Yerevan airport... Then, they also scanned my hand when I applied for the French visa. I guess some measures are needed, but sth is wrong here.

Quick observation of the Economist

I've spent few hours reading the Economist and finding some new and interesting facts. I was surprised to find out that an average touris to Belarus spends some 4000USD! Wow! I would agree with the Economist that:

"This may be because businessmen are the usual visitors and in more inhospitable places costs are higher."

On the other hand, I do hope that there are just 'normal' tourists who are not very rich and still eager to see my country. And then if you calculate an average, one should keep in mind that total number of tourists to Belarus each year is really modest. Just look at the numbers, it's planned that till the 2010 Minsk will be visited by 150000 organised tourists. Is it in total from 1991??? Who knows...:) It's amazing that people in Belarus according to stats travel a lot with trains. Well, on the one hand it's obvious why they prefer trains to planes, as the last ones are very (VERY) expensive. Then it's better to travel with train rather than with buses as it's safer and more convinient. BUT, how come that we are on the third place keeping in mind that Belarusians are not really mobile? Do they travel within the country???

Armenia's commercials

I found the video I saw, there you go:
plus one more:

Armenia in Belarus

Well, guys, this is the day of surprises! still refering to the Armenian promo logo I googled it and I found one more logo by Levon Gavalian, which is also very nice (maybe even nicer;). So I went to the website of the designer, . And I found out that this logo was created for armenia.by. But here is the interesting part. Although this address is .by [Belarusian domain zone], it redirects to www.tourismarmenia.ru. Next, there are only two phone numbers of two guys in Armenia and emails. So, two things surprise me: 1. the style of the website is nice and attractive; 2. I don't understant who owns it. Well, it's strange, but amazing.

Armenia

Once upon a time, I was in Armenia. Well, many countries think of the promotion. So does Armenia. I found a magasine from the last where was an article about country's logo. The best logos are the simpliest ones. And today, I was watching Euronews and sam commercial about Armenia with that new logo! It loos nice, simple and colourful. But there is one thing which disturbs me a bit, it's that logos of Slovenia, Poland, Bulgaria ... and Armenia are quite simmilar. I would rather expect something new. The website with info about Armenia is armenia.am.

I am tired and it's cold

Somehow in one day the summer is over, just two days ago it was +30 and today it was only +15 degree... It's sad. Today I realised how much I am dependent on the sunshine and warmth of the summer, I love it. But today it was cold, I met too many people, not all of them were nice to me... as a result I feel really tired and I need some sleep. I guess my friend is right it's not always right to attract to my attention if you can avoid it and preserve some inside energy:)

Armenian airlines

Here is one more quick note about ailines and trips. I am going go fly to Armean soon and I was informed that my flight would be delayed for 3 hours. Why? The answer is not very simple, but quite tricky and funny. Well, the plane is going to give a lift to the Armenian football players, so instead of flying to Yerevan we will fly to Ljubljana first! Can you imagine? I will let your know more details about this trip later:) I hope it will not only be long flight but also the fun one!

Flying away to NY

Well, well, well. These days when the summer is almost over and the need for holidays is not 100% fulfilled, you start to think about different new destinations. I've never been outside Europe (I've been to Georgia though but it is not really Europe even according to Georgians). So it might be a good plan to travel to some place which is in some other part of the world. Let's say, the US (I have more and more friends there). Which city? Hmm, the first one which comes to my mind is New York.

Ok, the idea of the holidays in New York, sounds really great. But as every student (though post-graduate), I am looking for the best offer, basically, the cheapest one. There you go, I am looking for the holiday offers and some cheap flights. For example, if I fly from London, with DialAFlight it would cost me some £238 in total, which is a quite nice deal. (A friend of my spent 500 USD on the round trip from NY to Vienna with a connection in Germany and I am not even writing about the prices from Minsk, the 2-3 times more expensive). Anyway, it really worth to plan the trip and flights to New York and back in advance, this is the final conclusion. And also I guess I would need to buy some travel guide, so there are many others things to plan so far.

P.S. This is sponsored post.

Internet cost

Ufff, I know I am inet addicted person, but it doesn't mean that I like getting bills for the internet connection. This month I am over quota again, althoug for two weeks almost I wasn't using it at all... Sad, but true. So I will have to pay 30 euros this month. I should really start controlling myself:)

Tulips

I've been uploading more pictures to the on-line stock of the photographies. And I even have 8 downloads already! There are so many cute pictures of the other photographers. Since I like tulips very much, I've discovered many of them and created so called lightbox, which you can see now and observe the nices tulips there!

My dog and my camera

I guess soon my dog will start to hate me, at least now she a bit annoyed with my habit to take the camera every time I walk her. Well, I am just being proud of her, this month she is 16! I wish the closest people and pets would never leave us.

New life

I was traveling a bit last few weeks, this time in the Eastern destination: Crimea and Moscow. It's already the second time in my life when I go to Moscow after Crimea:) The trip to Moscow started with this photo:



I think is a very positive one: New Life, the train station! Well, so am I, quite positive these days (more than always). I've rested, I've got suntanned and I met my friends and relatives! Cool!

So, anyway I am back to the Internet and online communication including this blog. I went to fotka.by today and I've noticed one banner (uff, cant get rid of this habit after working with banners for so long:)). I'll explain why I clicked on it. Some three years ago I saw another banner of the same web page. It is a page of one guy who is looking for THE girl. Long time ago, I saw that page wondering if it would work out for him, now I can say - not yet. If you glance at that page, you might like it (especially girls:)), but you need to anderstand Russian. The page is im.by. Well, why do I write about all this. I was thinking, we are living in the worl of new technologies but people still have the same concerns, they are desperately looking for the partners. Some are lucky and meet theirs quite early, others are looking and looking. I admire this guy, as he is brave to put an ad and to be persisten in his search, but on the other hand it a sad sign, that people do not meet in the real life and have to use Inet as the tool... On the other hand, more and more of my friends are getting married (two of them married thanks to me even, wow! No Inet!!!).

You can not imagine how many times during my trips I was thinking of making notes which I could put later online. After the second though I'd always opt for not putting them online. :)

Dangerous marketing

I don't think it's nice to finght with Chinese goods in such a way, but I admire the reaction of the Chinese immigrants in Germany. Not in sense that they should threten the designer, Philipp Plein, but fighting against discrimination.

Commercials

Remember I wrote about russian laundery product with Vienna as a background? I found the alternative product on Henkel site. In Russia it's called Laska, in English it's Perwoll. And there you go, the video, though in Polish!

Back 6 years ago

I am watching what I was saying in front of the camera for 20 min 6 years ago. It's actually not very bad, but very funny. Question: What is the most important in life? Answer: moral tranquility, LOL! I've just realised how different I was:) I think I should watch it every 5 years at least.

Then I decided to keep watching videos, and I found one which was filmed ... 8 years ago (I am really getting old!). The funny thing is that there I am more like I am now, I guess just because it was with my class and I was rather relaxed (in the first one it was an interview).

Harry Potter

I've watched Harry Potter last movie last week. And some scenes reminded me about sth what happens in Belarus. Thretened teachers, forbidden student unions. I've just read article about the same impression. So maybe they should forbid this movie in Belarusian cinemas as it can show that at the end mad rulers are off!

Give me a beer!!!!