Last post so far. Comeback in September.

To be on vacation means to get your mind empty of everyday routine. 

I'm on vacation now.

I will be short. 

Lying on a beach and watching the waves, I've got an idea to insert a creative break for my blog. I want to put a new design on it and get a different focus. Something like people and places? Events? Parenting? Life changing stories? Art? Interior? A bit from everything? But with structure!

It takes time. And I'm going to take it.

In the meantime a lot of things is going on.

I have to finish my Ukrainian-German online book.

I'm going to make a commitment with my friend Katya. That's a deal: We are going to a gym every day. No excuses, no apologies will be accepted. When missed, 20$ out of your pocket, in to a secret treasure place, ready to spent on the next vacation.

We are planning to move back to Europe. That's a complete project itself: selling, packing, moving, renting, decorating ...

Daniel is going to finish his first university year. The time is just running so fast! In June he will go to London to do a summer semester there for two months. One great experience more!

Jessica's goal right now is an IB International Baccalaureate Program that enables her to apply for international universities.

Jonathan had recently his first audition, organized at Lee Strasberg, for a role in a Music man production. And he got the role! We are very excited and proud of him! The rehearsals will start in May and the shows will be Middle of June.

So I think it's the last personal update in this form. (Never say never!)

I plan to come back in September.  

Hope to see all of you then.

With love, S 

Coming back, coming to the Earth

Two oversee flights, three destinations across the Europe in six days. Seeing tens of people. 

Meetings, appointments, changing weather conditions, culinary highlights and even visit at police office. 

Accomplished. Done. 

Flying back. 

Germany was great, but also painful (stolen wallet, (yeah, it was a wallet, not the pursue!) it hurts!). After that I took a course to Ukraine. Staying in Kiew, visiting my brother’s family. Cheating, eating, playing chess with my nephew. And finally sleeping. My mom arrived. Talking to her, eating, again playing chess. I wanted to visit theatre or something, but it was nothing interesting to the time, so I just stayed at home with the family. Was good seeing them all.

Taking a flight early in the morning to Nice via Frankfurt. Good weather in Nice. 

Taking a bus to Monaco. One hour ride. Arrived in the paradise. 

As you might know, my son D. is studying here at IUM International University of Monaco. It is a small school, but super international. By occasion we met some D’s mates. South Africa, Nigeria, Russia, Switzeland, Germany, ...  just from everywhere. I like it! English is absolutely common here. First day we had a dinner at the Indian place. 

The waiters there (Indians by the way) speak French barely. You can easily go alone with English here, but as far as you enter France,- voila!  So it gives me hope.

Visiting one apartment with a realtor. Rosaura is Latino, she is from Uruguy. She is very nice and helpful. I asked her about her history. She came 17 years ago here, as her husband was transferred to work for a bank. Nobody helped Rosaura to adjust here and  it was a  hard time for her at the beginning. So she promised herself, she will help people who are new  here. Now Rosaura feels at home in Monaco and very comfortable. As we were walking the street with her, she met and waved and kissed thousand people. Everyone knows everyone. It’s a small place.

Next day visiting four more apartments with Rosaura. Having an appointment at IUM for a MBA program. Visiting International School of Monaco. Meeting D’s landlord. (“New York? Do you like it? Why? Who needs it?”) Strolling along the boardwalk. Beautiful weather! In the evening - Buddha bar. The best food ever! Very impressive location and excellent food!

On Thursday appointment again at IUM with Marika, director of MBA program. Very good meeting, very nice woman. American, but over 25 years in Europe. Bachelor in Russian literature, then studying politic and getting Ph.d. in business. Open minded, well educated, multi cultural. 

Sitting in plane back to reality. Full with impressions. Embarrassed due to the wallet. Proud of first interviews in the last ... years. Happy to see the family. Tired.          

Stolen a purse

We had a great dinner yesterday night. My friend Ira is famous for her annual dinners. She is a passioned cooker and took the whole number of cooking classes with some star cooks. So once a year she invites her closest friends and treat them with a heaven meal. This time she choosed thai menu. We had a soup, three entrees to choose and home-made sorbet and mango cream for dessert. It was so delicious! It was unbelievable! It was unforgetable! We eat, we talked, we laughed. We had so much fun together! That's why I was flying to Stuttgart, famous annual Irochka's dinner and fun with friends. It was absolutely worth it!

Soup with duck

Mmmm! Heavenly!

Ira and Slawa

Shirley and Michael

Filiz and Ingo

Vika, Ira's sister. Hey guys, she is looking for a man!

It was not really much time to sleep. The clock was changed to summer time this night, so one less hour to sleep. The next morning I woke up at 4:30 am. At 5:15 a taxi arrived to drive me to the train station. The train to Frankfurt Airport. Check-in to Kiew. Taking a coffee in a cafe. 

Take a breath. As I wanted to pay for a coffee, I see that my purse is gone. Gone! No purse! No money, no credit cards, no driver licenses, no german ID. Getting a panic attack. Calling my husband in US and trying to explain the mess. Going to police office and making a report. Calling with my husband. Taking a plain to Kiew. Calling to my husband. Sitting on a board and thinking.

How? What to do as next? And what the whole shit has to mean?

I didn't spend money, buying stuff at duty free, that I probably don't need.

I didn't take a meal at the plane. I thought, I have to fasten a little. It was good.

Slow down. I changed my plans. Originally I wanted to go to my mom to Tshernigow. Now I called her and she is coming tomorrow to Kiew to see me.

I didn't get enough rest and sleep. Probably it played a role and I lost some attention. So I was taking a nap at my brother's home. It helped.
Be awake on the trips! Always! I was sure, Germany is a secured country. It is indeed, but the thieves could be everywhere.
Good and bad are going hand in hand. Don't get too overwhelmed about something. 
There's always some positive. It can be worse. I still have my foreign pass and my phone.

Anyway. There's a hard time for me right now. But it's worth to look forward. Somehow it's going to be all right. 

Taking a trip

Once in a while I’m going for a trip. By myself. Alone. No kids, no husband. You know, what? It’s not easy. As a mother of four and a wife of one, who counts like two, you used to be in a collective. The husband is taking decisions (mostly) and you are taking care of kids (mostly). You are always surrounded by your lovely ones. You are never alone. 

But now you are on move. Suddenly. 

Nobody is crying. Nobody is arguing. Nobody tells you what to do and what to leave. Sure, you notice other kids crying and other moms trying to get quiet their kids. You see other pairs loud communicating. But it’s not your business. No more. You are on your own. Freedom! Unexpected and new won freedom. What to do? Where to look? Where to go?

I’m happy, my husband understands the importance to give me a free space and free time. I remember, first it happened as our third one, Jonathan, was born. As he was four months old, Igor booked a trip to Creta for me as a birthday gift. He organized a flight, great hotel, babysitter for kids, everything. You say, perfect? It should make me feel happy? Noway! I was shocked. I was crying and wailing, trying to cancel everything. All the time I was imaging awful scenes. All the families and all the pairs are sitting and chatting and laughing. And here I’m coming in. Alone. And everybody is looking and starring at me...

But nothing helped. So I took my flight, I arrived, checked in at the hotel, went alone to the restaurant. Soon I met a woman, who was also by herself, and we did some walks along the seaside. I took a trip to the nearest island. And on my way back to the airport I had this taxi driver, who was looking like the excursion guide just talked us about: black hair, blue eyes and a rare brown color of skin. We were flirting. And it was not bad at all. I survived. I enjoyed the trip. I learned about myself. Went over the fears. Went over the borders. It was a very important, crucial experience for me.

So, my dears, you got it! I’m on a plane right now. Taking my trip to Europe. Alone. Three countries in six days. In the past back in Europe we were laughing about Americans who jump over the European cities like grasshoppers. But here I’m! You never know. 

I’m reading one of the best, inspiring books I’ve ever read. “It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be” by Paul Arden. 

Never stop investing in yourself.

Try to do things that you are incapable of.

The more you give away, the more back comes to you. (Don’t covet your ideas)

Don’t look for the next opportunity. The one you have in a hand is the opportunity. 

Translate to myself:

First time I took my laptop with me.

First time I’m writing on a plane. 

First time I ordered and drunk red wine. 

First time I have a seat free near to me. By chance. So I can put my legs out. On the top of this I have two cushions and two blankets. 

They are showing Silver lining Playbook with Bradley Cooper right now. Wow! Once again Bradley. So guys, I have to end up. Let’s watch the movie!

Evening at Joe's pub

You know, Jessica is really good in French. She has been attending Fiaf French Institute in Manhattan http://www.fiaf.org/index.asp for over two years and her oral communication is excellent. My french friend Caroline once said, she needed some minutes to recognize that French is not Jessica's native language. Anyway.

We have friends in Tenafly, whose daughter is not less as Jessica passioned about French. Even more, Jana is going to study French as major. So it was their idea to go together for a French concert. Good idea!

Sunday evening we were visiting concert of Floanne at Joe's pub http://www.joespub.com. Joe's pub is a very nice location with a small stage and few rows of tables, so that the contact between performer and spectators is very close. Floanne is a French singer and actress. She was recounting Edit Piaf's story. Floanne was singing both in French and English and was embodying Piaf very truly. During the performance she drunk off an on from her glass with whisky like probably Piaf it would do. All the time we were wondering, if the whisky real or not. Relatively sure, that it was real. Why else to the end of the show Floanne started to giggle more, she became more opened, took her shoes off and danced around the stage? She enjoyed the show as well as we it did. That's good, right?

And here we go!

The entry to the music cafe

 

Floanne in aciton

Foto for good memory. 

Open day at Alvin Ailey

So, on Saturday we had this Open day with Jonathan at Lee Strasberg http://tygs.blogspot.com/2013/03/open-day-at-lee-strasberg.html.  On Sunday we hit another one, with Fiorina at Alvin Ailey. You remember, I told you, how difficult it was to enroll in this program http://tygs.blogspot.com/2012/09/momente-aus-dem-alltag.html.

I liked it! I saw a big improvement since last open day (I think, it was back in December). It is a phenomenal discipline there, four teachers (one main and three helpers) and live accompaniment. All this stuff is playing for 10-15 small 5-years old girls. Not bad, right?

The program calls First steps and is running the whole year. In May they are going to make a performance on stage. So they are working hard towards this goal. Movements, independence, but also a music rhyme,- are the central moments, the teacher focusing on.

Let's take a look closer.

And below is a movement the kids still to have work on. It's a new horse step, so it's ok for now.

Fiorina is a line leader. She was so proud!

During the class one woman from the stuff members came in. She wanted to take a look and encouraged students to do some movements and paid attention to the music. Also she mentioned the performance in May and told us about costumes and hair style.

I enjoyed the hour. We are looking forward to see the final performance in May! It will be fun!

Open day at Lee Strasberg

On Saturday at Lee Strasberg they had an open day for parents. The teachers were holding real classes like they are doing them regularly, only plainly shorter. So we were able to see, for what we are paying money and if it worth.

The first class was acting. In pairs the children were preparing some scenes and after that the teacher was discussing them with the students. Jonathan's scene was a bit stupid one with only two short lines. So we didn't like the scene, but I find ok the method and how the teacher was holding it.

After all the kids showed their scenes, the students got the certificates.

The next class was camera class. The teacher Ron was very passioned about his course. Warm up was saying "double bubble gum" repeating many times, which was really fun. After that the kids were playing small commercials.

The next class was Basic Stage Combat. Actually this class is divided: the half of students are doing musical theatre during the others are in stage combat. It was a funny class. The kids were doing fake fighting.

And the last class is dance.

All in one I have to say, it was good and Jonathan was doing a good job. Although he is often complaining before classes, after them he is always happy and feels good. He is learning some skills, but also to communicate, to lose fears, to be in front. I hope, it will help him in one or other way.

We are going to continue at Lee Strasberg and we signed Jonathan also for the spring session. Voilà!

Schools. Once again.

Every time I'll hang out with friends here, we'll talk about schools.

Sure there are some explanations. We all have kids at school age. Parents are intensely involved into the school life, doing projects together, bringing items to school events, volunteering for lunch, library etc. Therefore 2/3 of all real estate operations here are carried because of our good schools. Home owners pay giant property taxes here and a lion's share from this goes for schools. So we stay and die with them.

Let's talk about elementary school.
Three moments that annoy me mostly.

1. Each class and each school have different programs. (When they have them! Sometimes it seems, they don't. Because each year they start from the very beginning, doesn't matter, what grade the student is. During the school year they can jump from one topic to another, force and back.) So it makes difficult, almost impossible, to compare. At the beginning of the second grade I was wondering that J. is doing very easy tasks like 5+8. After that they were doing some multiplication and now fractions. But be sure, they don't really know the addition of two-digit numbers or times table.

2. Learning languages is a real massive disaster. I can only confirm this widespread cliché. That's true. Learning Spanish for several months, J. can count and say "Me elamo ...". That's it. My friends say to me, that's already a lot.

3. Parents are involved too much. They carry a lot of events where parents are assumed to participate. How it can go alone with working parents, is a question. One example. Back in December in F. class they had two days of decorating gingerbreads. Class parties. Parent-teacher conferences. Class meetings. Annual play. Concerts. Library. School lunch. School trips. Different shows and fairs. It's a lot. When on some reason you can't be there, then ... Your kid is sad.

Three moments I appreciate.

1. Relatively small classes. All the schools are very good equipped: smart boards, numerous learn supplies, computers, a big outside area with a sport field and play ground. In music lessons they provide each student with a musical instrument (in our case - violin). Every week the kids attend a school library and borrow books.

2. Interesting projects and a big number of school events. In the 1st grade they had a big project about Italy. It was fun, beginning with taking a plane with pass control and driving a gondola like in Venice. In the second grade they learn about worms. The kids become real worms in a class and each child gets his own worm and gives him a name. In a later grade they have a project with an incubator and eggs and chicken. That's fun! I also love annual plays where the whole grade is participating.

3. Parent volunteering. It might seen as an opposite to the point above. But volunteering is an important part of american culture. As well as donations. I think it's a really good thing that is virtually impossible on this level in Europe.

Last Thursday and Friday we had a short day at the school because of parent-teacher conferences. J. and F.  both are doing great at school. They take care and are very diligent. J. is doing his homework absolutely independently and scrupulously (actually from the beginning). F. made a huge progress and is academically on the 1st grade level already. While I do not overvalue it, it makes me happy and proud.

Doing class work

With Jacob

Computers are not for decoration, the kids are using them a lot

Counting in a funny way

Money is important, of course

Everyday life

American flag in every classroom

The kids are singing the pledge of allegiance

Gingerbread

So nice!

"The artist is present"

Are you curious, how the story of getting apart from Marina Abramovic and Ulay http://tygs.blogspot.com turned out? Did it turn out after all?

So, 1988 they made this journey along the Great Wall of China and said good-bye to each other.

In 2010 there was a retrospective show of Marina Abramovic at MoMa called  "The artist is present", it was the biggest exhibition of performance art in MoMa's history. Marina has been sitting for three months, seven and half hours a day for immobile, not eating, not drinking, not going to the bathroom, in the museum's atrium while spectators were invited to take turns sitting opposite her. 750.000 people came to see her. The concept is simple as immense exhausting! The most surprising moment was for Marina, when Ulay appeared and took a seat in front of her. My God, it makes me cry!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OS0Tg0IjCp4

Two people who had so deep feelings to each other.
Can they ever pass away? I believe, they still have them.
"Because we never stop loving silently those we once loved loud."

Later in one interview she said, that failing of her relationship to Ulay was her biggest disappointment in her life. They both wanted to achieve a high, complete, long-life relationship, but "we were not able, to overcome the stupidest things in the world like jealousy or competition pressure." For Abramovic the relationship to Ulay was probably the most central in her life and her work but also was the biggest failure.

Recently Marina confronted the theme death. She asked producer Robert Wilson to stage her funeral. Her idea of her own funeral is three funerals simultaneously in three cities Belgrad, New York and Amsterdam. So nobody will know where exactly she was buried. After that she wants to have a festival with chant, bunt dressers and dirty humor. Marina says: "The own death has to be the last action of one's performer. I can direct my own funeral, direct it as I have it in my mind. I can do it to my last performance."

The woman drives me crazy! I can't take it and can't reject it. I find it repugnant and attracting in the same time. That makes a big artist. So is Marina.

Расставание. Марина Абрамович и Улай

Кто-то из друзей (я знаю, кто, но фраза "кто-то из друзей" нравится мне больше:)) рассказал о Марине Абрамович. Нет, она не русская, как можно было бы предположить. Марина, 1946 г.р., - сербка, родилась в Белграде и с 1976 г. живет в Амстердаме. И перформансист (даже не знала, что есть такое слово в русском языке, пришлось зайти в Википедию).

Один из самых сложных ее перфомансов - о связи между зрителями и перформансистом (1974). Активная роль отводилась публике. На столе было размещено 72 предмета, которыми можно было доставить удовольствие и боль. Там были нож, ножницы, хлыст и даже пистолет с одним патроном. В течение шести часов зрители могли использовать эти предметы по своему усмотрению, художнице отводилась пассивная роль. Поначалу зрители вели себя скромно, но через некоторое время стали агрессивнее. Сама Абрамович потом рассказывала об этом: "Они резали мою одежду, втыкали шипы розы в живот, один взял пистолет и прицелился мне в голову, но другой отнял у него оружие. Полученный мною опыт говорит о том, что, если оставить решение за публикой, то тебя могут убить."

Важную роль в ее жизни сыграл Улай, который более 10 лет был ее партнером по жизни и творчеству. Широкую известность получила их совместная инсталляция "Отношения в пространстве". Полностью раздетая художница и ее немецкий друг изображали свободные отношения, терзая друг друга на глазах у зрителей.

Улай и Марина родились в один день и предметом их поиска были личность и индивидуальность художника. Постепенно они решили создать коллективное существо, называемое "другое" и говорить о себе как о частях двухголового тела. Они одевались как близнецы и не имели друг от друга секретов. Для перформанса "Смерть себя" Марина и Улай соединили рты специальным агрегатом, вдыхая и выдыхая воздух друг друга. Через 17 минут после начала перформанса оба упали на пол без сознания с легкими, заполненными углекислым газом.

Но больше всего меня впечатлила история их расставания.

В 1988 г., после нескольких лет натянутых отношений оба художника решили предпринять духовное путешествие, которое окончит их связь. Они отправились в путь с противоположных концов Великой Китайской стены и встретились посредине. По словам Абрамович "этот поход превратился в личную драму. Улай стартовал из пустыни Гоби, я - от Желтого моря. После того, как каждый из нас прошел 2.500 км, мы встретились и простились навсегда."

Я представляла себе эту сцену снова и снова. Это так crazy, attracted, sexy, painful and cool. В этом расставании вся жизнь.

The(un)fair

It's good. It's good to have good friends. It's very good to have very good friends. Cause they care about you.

Ours took us to the artshow The(un)fair on the last Saturday evening.

Almost 100 artworks, artists and performers were gathering in the 52nd street in a 19 century building (that will be completely renovated after the show) in NYC for a guerrilla style art show. The multifaceted art event included paintings, installations, musicians, performers and even elevator comedian.

It was such an inspired atmosphere there!

Paintings and artists that are staying nearby and are willing to talk to you and answer your questions about their masterpieces.

Performance with two professional dancers. They are spinning on the circle plattform for four hours, binded with the strips. Visitors are encouraged to cut the strips.

Creating painting with the body.

Photo masterpieces.

Musicians playing and singing.

A man portrait to that you can add your own colors.

Photo boost.

Eiscreme and popcorn for free.

We were introduced to the curators Mikel Glass,

Jennifer Wallace and photographer Eraj Asadi.

So nice people! I'm totally in love with Eraj's works, he has such a good eye.

Theun(fair) was definitely one of the best art shows we've ever seen. Non-traditional, very good energy and very inspired.