Christmas #2, New Year #2 and New Years resolutions

Merry Christmas, Orthodox and Greek Catholic people! Happy old New Year!

I was planning to make a few separate posts on all of those topics but then realised that I will not manage to do it for many reasons. So let's mix it a bit!

It took me a long time to understand what are my New Year's Resolutions, or should I rather say - New Year's Goals. But now I really want to put them in writing to have something to measure this year by later. Some of this goals you might have seen in my birthday post, but that's the plan.

Photo by Tarmo Tõnismann 

#45daysofblogging 17: Creative writing

Day 17 - September 3

I’ve always been a storyteller and I guess I will always be one. I’ve loved writing almost ever since I’ve learned how to write properly. And before learning how to write I was just drawing my stories – very badly, I have to say, because I don’t know how to draw. But what was important is the intention!

I still love writing and telling stories, even more than before. This makes me one of the most talkative people you will ever meet, and I’m not even exaggerating. So I feel like taking online courses on storytelling and creative writing is beneficial not only for me, but also for people around me, hahaha.

All jokes aside, I’ve taken many courses through the years, and I’ve chosen few of the drafts I personally like. All for your pleasure!

All of these pieces were written for online course on Future Learn, where we were asked to write stories based on photos, videos, different writing techniques etc.

P.S. – none of these are autobiographical, I just love creating different characters. 

My article about the life of Palermo

A few weeks ago I got an offer to write an article about Palermo and the way it embraces diversity for a Ukrainian cultural magazine. 

Of course I agreed. Palermo became my second home two years ago, and I have a lot of admiration for the way people here find ways to live together quite happily, even in the face of economic crisis, all types of migration and high levels of corruption. 

Sicily is one of the most diverse regions in Europe - not only due to migration, but also to comparatively low prices and developed civil society, that brings here many international volunteers, interns and Erasmus students.

So I wrote an article about all the projects I personally am involved with and the ones I know about, about block parties and Palermo Pride, about Catholic church that invites Muslim community to pray, as they currently have no mosque and works with LGBTQI organisations to organize manifestations against hate crimes, about international volunteers that make workshops on urban gardening for children from underprivileged neighborhoods and many other things that I see with my own eyes every day.

Unfortunately the article is available only in Ukrainian, but if there's any interest in this topic, I'd love to write something regarding this topic also in English. 

You can read the article by clicking on the link:

PALERMO: THE PLACE FOR EVERYONE

My article about life on Sicily

Some time ago I was contacted and offered to become a part of a project about Ukrainians who live abroad and write an article about my life on Sicily.

I had the best time writing, editing and looking through my photo archives, so now I'm very, very pleased with the result. Unfortunately it's only available in Russian, but I plan to translate it into English in the nearest future.

You can read the article and/or look at the photos by clicking on the link:

LIFE ON THE ISLAND