#Top 10 places to visit in Russia

[jadiealissia]

Worldbuilding Countries (Part 1)

I've lived in and visited a few countries in my life, which gave me a lot of inspiration for my fantasy novel. I'm not an expert, but I thought I'd share what I learned!

Climate

The climate will most likely come up at some point. Do you mention the cool breeze, or the orange leaves on the trees? All those nice weather descriptions will depend on the climate!

If you have a couple of different countries, it may be a little weird if they all have the same climate (especially if they are far away from each other), so there's a few things you can consider to make them a bit more specific.

Climate is of course a very complicated topic, so I will simplify it a bit.

Temperature

I like to pick a real country/city and look at its temperature graphs on Wikipedia. One important thing to note is that countries aren't simply colder/warmer than one another. I know a lot of people think that a country like Russia is cold all year round, but it is actually quite warm in summer. Some areas have a larger variation between temperature throughout the year than others (normally, the closer to the equator a country is, the less variation there is. They also tend to be warmer).

Look at Singapore:

The temperatures are basically stable all year round (the letters up top are the months). The numbers are the average minimum and maximum daily temperatures. You can see that on average the variation every day is less than 10°C.

Here is Moscow:

The temperature changes quite a lot throughout the year. Note that the maximum temperatures (summer) will occur at the opposite times of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.

You can see this demonstrated in Copiapo (Chile):

This city is in the Southern hemisphere, so their coldest months are June and July :)

One thing you may have noticed is that the bars here are taller, which means that the variation for the daily min and max are higher too. Why is that? I'm simplifying it a bit, but generally, the dryer a place is, the more variation you will get in daily temperature. Which brings us to the next thing to consider:

Humidity/Precipitation

There are a few things to consider:

Rainfall. This can vary month-by-month, and due to some complicated factors, some countries have more rain in their colder months, some have more rain in their warmer months. Some places don't follow a neat pattern or stay consistent throughout the year. Have a look at climate pages on Wikipedia to get some ideas! Even just this page on Chile has a lot of cool examples. Each city is quite different!

Although of course the "wetness" of a country related to rainfall (e.g. you'd expect greener grass somewhere with more rainfall, brownish dry grass or a desert somewhere with less rainfall), it's not that simple. UK is a wet country, right? And if you've heard of Gold Coast (Australia) it seems pretty dry, right? Well, actually the Gold Coast gets twice as much precipitation (rain) as London!

To demonstrate, I took a screenshot (randomly selected street in each city) from Google Streetview.

Why this difference? I suspect it's because the Gold Coast is much hotter. Living in Australia, puddles are normally gone by the next day (often the rain even evaporates as it hits the ground!), but in UK, the puddles would always stay around for a while.

The UK is always mossy, often the clouds hang in the sky for ages. It can look quite grey. When it rains in the Gold Coast in summer, the raindrops evaporate as soon as they hit the pavement, which makes the air feel very humid and smell strongly of rain. You can use these sorts of sensory details in your stories :)

Also, one thing I noticed, is that in hotter weather, rain can be much more heavy than in colder weather. In Australia we often get heavy rain that causes flooding. In UK the rain usually dribbles all day but doesn't get heavy. In a place like the Gold Coast you can get rain that last 10 minutes but soaks you all the way through and floods the street.

The rainfall may also vary year-by-year. Australia goes through periods of floods and droughts that last a couple of years. The mechanism is a bit complicated so I won't go through it now, but it gives you something to google!

Humidity: Deserts have low humidity, which means that you can cool off more easily in the shade and the nights are colder. The breeze feels more refreshing at low humidity as your sweat evaporates.

High humidity (like Singapore) will feel much hotter at the same temperatures and it is normally still quite hot in the shade. High humidity feels really muggy, the air feels thick. The sweat doesn't evaporate as much, so you are left all wet and sticky. The breeze can feel much less refreshing because of this.

When the temperature is below freezing, the humidity gets very low, so your skin may need more moisturiser or your lips may crack.

Those are just some things to consider while describing your weather!

Generally, closer to the sea will be wetter, further inland is dryer. Have a look at some climate maps on Wikipedia, you will learn a lot! Climate is quite complicated since there are so many factors, so there's a lot you can do with it.

UV: This is one thing that people often forget about when they think about weather. In the UK, even on a very hot and sunny day, you are unlikely to get sunburnt (unless you are very pale). In Australia, you can get sunburnt very easily in even Tasmania, which is our coldest state, even when the temperatures are chilly.

You can't actually feel being sunburnt, which I fully understood when I visited Tasmania. I was freezing, but the whole time I was being sunburnt.

Normally, UV index is higher closer to the equator, which is why people who live closer to the equator tend to have darker skin. The melanin acts as protection against the sun. Still, this protection isn't perfect, so in the real world people in Africa used different methods to protect their skin, such as using clay as a "sunscreen".

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. This is partially because most people in Australia have pale skin (originally from the UK), but the UV index is high.

This is something to consider in your story, since it can play a bigger role in behaviour than you'd expect if you live in a cold climate. In Australia, they recommend staying indoors between certain hours of the day to avoid sunburn, and if you do go out you should wear clothes that cover your skin, a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen. Someone with very pale skin can get sunburnt in minutes. Wide-brimmed hats are compulsory at schools in Australia - you are not allowed to play if you forget your hat.

In low-UV areas, there is the opposite issue. People with darker skin can have problems getting vitamin D. Same goes for people who cover their skin with clothing (e.g. for religious reasons). However, this is a bit simpler to fix with some vitamin D supplements.

How do I use this for worldbuilding?

If you have a map of your countries, you may want to keep their location in mind when deciding on the climate :)

I like to draw up some graphs with the temperatures throughout the year for each country and some quick notes on the humidity, rainfall and UV.

You can also add some other elements to your story. Is it a fantasy? Maybe magic affects the weather! Sci-fi? You can play with the distance of the planet from the sun, axial tilt, sun size etc. (I won't go into that since it's a whole another topic and really complicated as well)

You probably don't need to know the exact details of the climate for most stories, but having a general idea will allow you to consistently describe what sorts of clothing your characters wear, the weather etc. Those are the sorts of things that comes up in almost every story (if it's long enough).

If you read this and found this useful, please reblog so I know that it was helpful. If it seems like people enjoyed this post, I will make more (I was going to talk about so much more, but this is already too long).

[misfitwashere]

The 3 Baltic States — Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia — are all very much aware that they are Putin’s next target if he wins in Ukraine. So they are understandably nervous about our election, as their future is at stake as much as ours.

We just wound up a 10-day trip to the Baltic capitals — Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn — and are now in Helsinki, so I thought it a good time to report on what I saw and heard.

One local quoted to us Putin’s 2005 claim that the collapse of the Soviet empire “was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century”. Not World War I, or World War II, or the Holocaust, and certainly not Stalin’s planned famines, but the breakup of the Russian/Soviet Empire. He means to restore it, including not just Ukraine but the Baltic States. And Byelorussia — but he already owns it in all but name. And Central Asia, and Poland, and anything else he can. He wants to make Russia as powerful, as respected, and as feared, as the old Soviet Union was.

The Baltic states are doing more than watching Russia in Ukraine; they are acting. All 3 states, but especially Lithuania (being the closest) have taken in many many Ukrainian refugees. Ukrainian flags fly on official buildings in all 3 capitals, and in many other places. I didn’t get a chance to visit the Russian embassy in Vilnius, but in Riga and Tallinn, there are protest signs and messages — some quite nasty — in front of and facing the embassies there. (See the photo on top for an example.)

These are not exactly actions calculated to make the Russian bear play nice. Putin already hates the Baltic states, Lithuania in particular, because their declarations of independence in 1991 are what helped trigger the final breakup of the old Soviet Union. (It’s more complicated, but that’s a decent short summary.) Yet the Lithuanians, the Latvians, the Estonians are speaking and acting in ways that will anger Putin even more. Their love of freedom, pride in their heritage, and sense of responsibility all demand it of them. In one city, we visited volunteers making camouflage netting for Ukrainian soldiers, and even helped (or tried to help) weave a few strands. More important than trying to help, though, was our showing up, hearing their stories, and encouraging them to persevere. They are spending as much as 5% of their GDP on their defense (the exact numbers are not clear). They are preparing for war. One expert told us that it is an open secret that their plan is to hold out for 72 hours, long enough for the West to respond.

Which we will be obliged to do. All 3 nations have been members of NATO since 2004, and entitled to Article 5 protection which proclaims that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all, and that all will respond to such an attack with all means necessary, including armed force.

This is why I called the Baltic States the canary in the coal mine in my title. They are members of NATO, while Ukraine is not. If Putin attacks any of them, the United States is obligated to come to their defense. Putin is very well aware of this, and so will only attack if he has calculated that we will not respond as we ought. When we read reports about Russian interference in our elections, we must understand what Putin is trying to accomplish: the destruction of NATO so that it will not be able to respond when he invades a NATO ally like Lithuania, or Latvia, or Estonia.

We are with a group of Americans and not supposed to discuss US politics, but I managed several private talks with locals, including a diplomatic contact. All of them are very aware of our upcoming election and very concerned about what it will mean for them if Trump manages somehow to regain power. They know very well what he’s had to say about our NATO responsibilities.

The US has generally been fortunate in its wars (the Civil War being a major exception). We have not had to fight on our home ground; when we go to war, we fight on other people’s land. That allows an illusion of safety which we can no longer afford. It’s not just the missile threat; it’s cyber threats and terrorism. A Latvian reporter for the New York Times wrote the other day about how Putin is able to reach out anywhere in the world to attack individuals who oppose him (or who even decline to support him by joining the army): Putin Is Doing Something Almost Nobody Is Noticing

There are also the hundreds of thousands of Russians who left home because they did not want to have anything to do with Vladimir Putin’s war or were forced out, accused of not embracing it enough. These low-profile dissenters are subjected to surveillance and kidnappings, too. Yet their repression happens in silence, away from the spotlight and often with the tacit consent or inadequate prevention of the countries to which they have fled. It’s a terrifying thing: The Kremlin is hunting down ordinary people across the world, and nobody seems to care.

One cannot travel to the Baltic States without becoming aware of just how fragile our freedoms really are. ALL our freedoms — for if the Baltic States fall, so too will the rest of Europe, and so too will we. It is critical to defeat Trump and elect Harris for many reasons, including reproductive rights, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to dissent, freedom to think. In addition to that, it is critical to stop Trump in order to stop Putin (with the recognition that Putin will still keep trying even if he fails to put Trump in power). In the United States, this can seem a bit abstract. Here in the Baltic States, it is much more immediate and real.

[riveramorylunar]

Full Name: Valentina Serenity Cornell

Species: Hybrid (Vampire/Fallen Angel)

Birthday: 10/31/1998

Birth Place: France, Paris

Age: 25

Gender: Female Intersex

Sexuality: Lesbian

Height: 5'11

Relationship Status: Single

Hair Color: Purple and Black

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Features: Fangs, Slit Eyebrow, Pale Skin, Two Scars on face, Retractable Wings, Glasses, Curly Hair, Abs & 6 Tattoos.

Favorite Food: Ratatouille and Piperade

Favorite Drink: Alcoholic- Champagne or Jacqueline, Non-Alcoholic- Hot Chocolate or Black Coffee

Favorite Desserts: Chocolate Tartlets with Candied Grapefruit Peel & Raspberry Clafoutis

Favorite Hobbies: Painting & Cooking/Baking

Favorite Colors: Purple and Navy Blue

Favorite Scents: Rain, Mint & Sage

Favorite Flowers: Hibiscus, Iris & Rose

Favorite Gemstone: Amethyst

Favorite Styles: Biker, Elegant & Formal

Fun Facts About Her:

1. She's an Artist and a Chef/Baker.

2. She got her scars when she was 5 when she escaped a facility that experimented on creatures and humans.

3. She's done all of her tattoos herself.

4. Has visited a lot of places like Rio, Iceland, Canada, Texas, Russia, New Zealand, California, Mexico, China, Peru, Brazil, Australia, Egypt, South Africa, Sweden, Greenland & Georgia.

5. She has souvenirs from every place she went to.

6. Has a Black Cat named Onyx and a blue Siberian Cat named Ash. She also has a blue and tan dachshund named Dixie. And she has a sable named brownie.

7. She speaks French, English, Russian, Mandarin, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Icelandic, Greenlandic, Swedish & Afrikaans.

8. Got adopted by a nice family of 5. Has 1 older sibling and 2 younger siblings. Has a father and mother.

9. A loner and doesn't have many friends. Only has one friend who was experimented on like her.

10. Loves to wear both dresses and suits. She always wears her leather jacket though and her one biker glove. Wears combat boots with everything whenever she goes out.

11. Absolutely loves flirting with shorter girls and loves to see them blush.

12. She has a slight rasp in her voice

13. She loves Halloween and Valentine's Day the most. Her third favorite holiday would be Christmas.

14. She had top surgery because she did not like her chest at all. Sometimes she forgets she had top surgery and would sometimes put a bra on before realizing she has a flat chest now.

15. She loves listening to all kinds of music

What she looks like: (don't know if I'm going to color her yet or not)

[ukrainenews]

Daily Wrap Up February 24, 2023

IT’S BEEN A YEAR.

Under the cut:

China called for a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine on Friday and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was open to considering parts of a 12-point peace plan put forward by Beijing.

Poland will send an additional 60 PT-91 Twardy main battle tanks to Ukraine  "in the coming days," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Feb. 24 during his visit to Kyiv, as quoted by Ukrinform. PT-91 Twardy is a Polish upgraded version of the Soviet-era T-72 tank. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Poland has provided Ukraine with 250 T-72 tanks, according to Morawiecki.

The US has announced that it will offer over $10 billion in assistance to Ukraine. In a statement on Friday, secretary of state Antony Blinken said, “…in coordination with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of the Treasury, we are announcing over $10 billion in assistance, including budgetary support to the Government of Ukraine and additional energy assistance to support Ukrainians suffering from Russia’s attacks.”

More than 9 million Ukrainian refugees — mostly women and children — crossed over to Poland, according Polish Consular General Adrian Kubicki, who told CNN that some decided to go back to Ukraine, some go back and forth, and some continued on to other countries.

“China called for a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine on Friday and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was open to considering parts of a 12-point peace plan put forward by Beijing.

On the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Moscow's ally China urged both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation, warned against the use of nuclear weapons and said conflict benefited no one.

The plan, set out in a foreign ministry paper, was largely a reiteration of China's line since Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" on Feb. 24 last year.

China has refrained from condemning its ally Russia or referring to Moscow's intervention in its neighbour as an "invasion". It has also criticised Western sanctions on Russia.

"All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiralling out of control," the ministry said in its paper.

The initial reaction from Kyiv was dismissive, with a senior adviser to President Zelenskiy saying any plan to end the war must involve the withdrawal of Russian troops to borders in place when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

However, Zelenskiy himself struck a more receptive tone in a news conference to mark the first anniversary of the conflict.

Russia said it appreciated China's plan and that it was open to achieving its goals through political and diplomatic means.

The proposals however cut little ice with NATO.

"China doesn't have much credibility because they have not been able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Tallinn.

'NO NUCLEAR WAR'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signalled he will double down on the conflict, despite major battlefield defeats in the past year, and has raised the spectre of nuclear weapons.

China said nuclear weapons must be avoided.

"Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought," the foreign ministry said. "We oppose development, use of biological and chemical weapons by any country under any circumstances."

Since the war began weeks after Beijing and Moscow announced a "no limits" partnership, President Xi Jinping has spoken regularly with Putin but not once with his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskiy. China's top diplomat Wang Yi visited Moscow for talks this week.

Brazil's new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stressed the need for a peace deal brokered by outsiders.

"It is urgent that a group of countries not involved in the conflict assume the responsibility of leading negotiations to reestablish peace," Lula said on Twitter.

There had been speculation that President Xi would deliver a "peace speech" on Friday but that did not occur.”-via Reuters

~

“Poland will send an additional 60 PT-91 Twardy main battle tanks to Ukraine  "in the coming days," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Feb. 24 during his visit to Kyiv, as quoted by Ukrinform.

PT-91 Twardy is a Polish upgraded version of the Soviet-era T-72 tank. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Poland has provided Ukraine with 250 T-72 tanks, according to Morawiecki.

At a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Morawiecki also said that four Leopard 2 tanks have already arrived in Ukraine.

Earlier on Feb. 24, the Associated Press reported that Morawiecki had delivered the first batch of Leopard tanks out of 14 promised by Poland but didn't specify the number.

The Polish prime minister added that his country was ready to train Ukrainian soldiers to fly F-16 fighter jets "within the framework of a broader coalition."

He arrived in Kyiv on Feb. 24 to mark the one-year anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.”-via Kyiv Independent

~

“The US has announced that it will offer over $10 billion in assistance to Ukraine.

In a statement on Friday, secretary of state Antony Blinken said, “…in coordination with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of the Treasury, we are announcing over $10 billion in assistance, including budgetary support to the Government of Ukraine and additional energy assistance to support Ukrainians suffering from Russia’s attacks.”

Blinken said that the funds are crucial to Ukraine and ensure that the Ukrainian government can continue to meet “the critical needs of its citizens, including healthcare, education, and emergency services.”

He added that the Biden administration is also working alongside Congress to provide additional energy assistance to the war-torn country – a $250 contribution that will in turn address “immediate needs, including critical power grid equipment.”

The assistance is in addition to the $270 million that the US has already committed to help safeguard and bolster the country’s energy security in the past year.”-via The Guardian

~

“More than 9 million Ukrainian refugees — mostly women and children — crossed over to Poland, according Polish Consular General Adrian Kubicki, who told CNN that some decided to go back to Ukraine, some go back and forth, and some continued on to other countries.

Kubicki said that Poland demonstrated a new model of refugee assistance as it never put people fleeing their homeland in refugee camps. Instead, they are given a PESEL, which is the equivalent of an American social security number, so they could receive resources similar to the ones available to Polish citizens, he told CNN.

Ukrainian refugees would also have access to free education for their children and legal employment. People with disabilities would receive a per diem.

"We will provide it for as long as it needs to be provided," he said, noting that there is no expiration date set for this provision.

Poland is also the hub for many non-profit organizations that wish to help Ukrainian refugees flee to Poland or relocate to other countries, he said.

One of the organizations helping refugees is the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). It has been in the area since before the war, but CEO Ariel Zwang says the resources channeled in the country have greatly increased since the invasion began.

The organization's total Ukraine-related budget expanded from $63.3 million to $113 million — a 78% increase. This includes the care for Ukrainian refugees outside the country, it told CNN.

They provide impacted Jewish Ukrainians with information, assistance and evacuation abilities.

"Internally displaced people stay in JDC hotels and receive trauma therapy," Zwang said, who gave the example of an elderly woman who she met in western Ukraine after being evacuated from eastern Ukraine.

"JDC reached out to her early in the war asking if she wants to relocate [to another country], and she said, 'no, I don’t know if my homecare will continue, I don’t know anybody there,'" Zwang recounted. "But when a JDC Hesed [community center] called again, asking if she wanted to evacuate to another location within Ukraine, she agreed. So we sent her a car so she could get to a bus at 7 a .m. (local time) to evacuate."

While stopping in the city of Dnipro for a few days, the woman heard thunderstorms and thought it was shelling. Zwang said that the woman was traumatized, and said, "My god, they have found me here too.””-via CNN

[farepayer]

A New Era for China Tourism: Visa-Free Access and Beyond

China is quickly becoming a top destination for international travelers, thanks to China Visa-Free Access. From the lively streets of Shanghai to the charming cultural gems in lesser-known cities, more visitors than ever are exploring what the country has to offer. This surge in interest solidifies China’s spot as a go-to travel destination and sets the stage for 2025 to be an incredible year for tourism.

China’s Game-Changing Visa Policy Updates

In December, China announced a major update to its visa policies, making it easier than ever for travelers to visit. Here’s what’s new:

Longer Visa-Free Stays: Tourists can now visit five inland provinces—Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Guizhou, and Hainan—without a visa. This opens up exciting new regions to explore beyond the usual tourist hotspots.

Extended Transit Times: If you’re from one of 54 eligible countries, you can stay in China for up to 10 days (240 hours) without needing a visa, compared to the previous 72 and 144-hour limits.

More Access Points: With 21 additional ports for visa-free entry and exit, it’s now even easier to visit China.

These updates have already sparked a travel boom. According to Qunar, a leading Chinese travel agency, the number of foreign travelers booking domestic flights has tripled compared to last year. Visitors from countries like the U.S., Russia, Canada, South Korea, and Australia are leading the charge.

A Shift Toward Deeper Exploration

The changes are drawing visitors not only to well-known cities like Beijing and Shanghai but also to smaller towns and regions that are rich in culture and history.

Here’s why these destinations are becoming increasingly popular:

Authentic Experiences: Smaller cities provide a chance to experience traditional Chinese culture without the crowds.

Peaceful Alternatives: If you’re looking for quieter places, these hidden gems are ideal.

Natural Beauty: From the beaches of Hainan to the stunning mountains in Guizhou, there’s no shortage of breathtaking scenery.

The World is Watching: A Spike in Global Interest

The moment China announced its new visa policies, the world took notice. Within just 30 minutes, travel searches for Chinese destinations skyrocketed:

Europe: 85% increase in interest

Americas: 163% surge

Asia-Pacific: 116% rise

Countries like France, Canada, and Russia saw the biggest spikes, as people started planning their trips to explore China’s wonders.

Your Gateway to International Adventures with Farepayer Travels

Planning your next adventure to China doesn’t have to be stressful. With Farepayer Travels, you get customized options designed to make your trip seamless and unforgettable.

Why Choose Farepayer Travels?

Tailored Itineraries: We create travel plans that fit your interests, whether you’re into culture, history, or nature.

Affordable Packages: Our international trip packages cater to every budget without compromising quality.

Easy Booking: From flights to accommodations, we’ve got it all covered so you can focus on the fun.

Popular Options Include:

The best tour packages for first-time visitors to China.

Exclusive international tours that showcase iconic landmarks and hidden gems.

Hassle-free international trip packages for couples, families, and solo travelers.

What’s Next for Chinese Tourism?

If the trends are anything to go by, 2025 is set to break records. Peak travel is expected on December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025, with over 2 million travelers moving in and out of China daily—an 18.8% increase compared to last year.

This surge is no surprise. The new visa policies make it easier than ever to dive into the rich history, vibrant cities, and stunning natural beauty that China offers. Whether you’re wandering through ancient temples, tasting world-class cuisine, or soaking in breathtaking views, there’s something for everyone.

Plan Your China Adventure Today

Why wait? China is calling, and it’s never been easier to visit. With Farepayer Travels, you’ll find the perfect international tour package to make your trip truly memorable. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first trip abroad, we’re here to make your journey smooth, affordable, and full of amazing experiences.

Visit our website today to explore our exclusive best tour packages and start planning your dream trip to China!

[torc87]

My grandfather's story, my family's story

I was reading a post today about a discussion a teacher had to have about the swastika w her middle school students. A discussion that was personal and painful, and cost the teacher something. I was reminded of how Holocaust survivors would go into classrooms and talk about their experiences. Put a face to the atrocity. Make it less about numbers for those children who had no connection to it beyond something they read in their history books. And I realized, how unlikely this was to happen these days. Survivors are fewer in number, the last remaining ones are in their 90s.

My grandfather is 93. He doesn't speak English. Even if he could, he has spent over 80 years barely talking of what he experienced. It has come out in drips and drabs, a sentence here and there. My mother tells me he talks about it more in his later years than he did when he was younger. More is maybe a few sentences every year.

My mother told me that when she was little, her mother taught her to Never ask her father about it. She knew about the Holocaust, about the camps. Russian schools visited the area of one of them. WW2 is Big in Russia, Veteran parades yearly, stories very very alive and taught - at least it used to be in my Mother's childhood. How could it not be? Every family lost someone. It's not just a national history, it's part of every family's story.

My mother never asked. I asked only once. I was 8 and had an assignment for school. We had just come to the US, so I don't recall what the specifics were, but my mother decided I was old enough to know. I asked. Once and only once.

He showed me the number tattooed on his arm. There after all these years. He was in a Ghetto camp. Nine or ten years old at the time.

His little sister would have been 6-7. I didn't know to ask if her arm had been forcibly tattooed too.

I never asked again, but we pieced some of it together over the next twenty five years.

His family lived in a Ukrainian Village. Well, Soviet village at the time. Just under Odessa, in the Settlement Pale, where Jews were permitted to live on the outskirts of the Soviet Union.

Mixed village of Jews and Ukrainian. They had a house. Pigs. Not very religious by that point - religion had been outlawed for about twenty years. I know they celebrated some holidays w the specific foods, kept shabbos a bit. I don't know if there were prayers - my grandfather doesn't remember any. Three children, my great grandfather was a tailor on top of the little farmstead they kept. Good relations w all the neighbors, Jewish and Ukrainian.

When Germans came close to the village, thete were rumors. But the Jewish leaders, old men who had survived WW1 said "the rumors must be nonsense. We fought w the Germans. They are a civilized people. We will talk to them". So a bunch of old men met the Germans at the village gates, surrendering. This wasn't a village of soldiers.

My grandfather was 9 or 10 years old. I don't know if the entire village gathered or if he was somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. This is what he saw.

The Nazi shot one of the elders that greeted them, killed him. They then ordered the other elder, his friend, my grandfather specified, to drink his blood or be shot himself.

I don't know the end of that story. My grandfather told it to his Senior Care Center during a celebration of the wars end - he's one of the oldest there and was asked to speak. They video taped it and I translated the video tape. He has never mentioned this incident to my mother or me.

Hell of a thing for a child to witness.

After that they were ordered away from their homes and places in a Ghetto.

The Ukrainian neighbors they were good friends with took things from their house as they were leaving.

I was naive enough to ask my mother if they were keeping them safe for my family.

My grandfather, his two siblings, and his parents shared a room in the ghetto. Little food, though his father could trade his tailor skills a bit. His grandmother was there too, though not living w them.

I only know she was there bc his mother and all three kids caught typhus. My grandfather said his grandmother came over to take care of them and made the decision to give what little food there was to the mother and his oldest brother. There was too little food, she decided to save those that had the best chance of survival. He recalls laying there, knowing he and his little sister had been given up for dead.

Somehow, by some miracle, all three children and mother survived. I don't know who was keeping watch over them, whose blessing they had. They lived.

My grandfather was light haired and eyed. He passed for goyim. He used to sneak out of the ghetto. I am guessing to get food though he hasn't elaborated. One time he was caught and struck across his head w the butt of a gun. Ten or so years old.

Close to the end of the war, all the Jews were gathered outside in front of a big pit.

You can guess what was about to happen. They thought they were about to be executed. Shot and buried in the pit together, like so many other locations did ( look up Babiy Yar if you don't know it).

A man dressed in a German officers uniform rode by at the last minute and ordered the German soldiers to stop. He saved all their lives.

My grandfather doesn't know, but suspects it was a Resistance member who risked his life to get the uniform and saved theirs.

Of those close saves my mother's life, mine, my sisters, my cousins, were saved to exist.

When the war was over, his parents went back to their house in the little village under Odessa. They didn't get their property back from their good friends the neighbors. They lived there the rest of their lives.

My grandfather, in eighty years, has not told more than those few stories about his childhood.

It haunts him still. He is very unsocial, untalkative, reserved in himself. Has trouble making connections.

I don't think I'll ever know if it's trauma, his personality, the hit on the head he got as a child, or something else.

His story reverberates through my entire family.

My mother confessed once that she has had nightmares since she was a little child, of being put in a Ghetto.

The Holocaust is more real to her, more present.

The fear of it happening again, the distrust of whether Goyim would stand by us or not, the lack of true feelings of safety is something she taught to me and my sister.

Communication skills in my family start w me and my decade in therapy. Emotion management skills too. My grandfather never learned them - how could he, when the years he should have been learning them or socializing w peers, were spent surviving. How could he teach them to his daughter if he didn't know them himself.

The Soviet Union stole most of my connection to my family's ethnic and religious past. My mother knows no prayers, we keep no traditions. Only in the US, when my mother was already in her thirties, did we start trying, awkward and unsure, to light a menorah on Hanukah, to fast on Yom Kippur.

Most of my connection to my ethnicity is through the pain my family suffered. The horror they went through, the losses - after all, my grandfather's story isn't my grandmother's, or that of my father's parents.

I feel myself Jewish in defiance of those who would have killed me for it. My mother feels it like an inherited burden, a candle of connection that just won't light up no matter how she tries. My sister ... Is only twenty and barely understands where the Russian ends and the Jewish starts. She was born here, it is all foreign immigrants stuff to her.

My grandfather is still alive. He is 93. I am not brave enough to ask him how he feels his Jewishness. I cannot risk hurting him.

But his story will not die w him. It lives, and will live as long as I do, as long as my future children will.

I wish the stories of those Holocaust survivors strong and brave enough to speak out were videotaped. I hope some were. I think they should be regular viewing as the price of hatred. To put a face on what hating blindly does.

It's too easy these days, w internet, to see people as labels. To hear numbers rather than stories. To think of history as done and over.

It isn't. It lives on in survivors, in their families, in the stories they shared and the silence of stories they didn't.

It lives - and so do we.

[nelsonesmeraldaj]

Top 10 Best Place To Visit In Russia | Seeking Adventure Worldwide

[motalebs]

Top 10 Best Place To Visit In Russia | Seeking Adventure Worldwide

[sparklingsjewel]

Emerald vs Diamond: What is the Difference?

Emeralds and diamonds are many of the top 10 most pricey gem stones inside the world. Known for both their lovely splendor and excessive cost, they're real should-haves in the maximum special jewelry collections. Capture the essence of your love with an emerald and diamond band ring, a dazzling reflection of your timeless commitment and shared future.

If you need to look the visual effect those gems may have on exclusive earrings creations, we propose visiting Mumit’s on-line store. As professionals in valuable stones, every of their designs objectives to focus on the inherent residences of these herbal marvels.

Without a doubt, you need to have noticed that the primary distinction is their color. While emeralds boast a specific inexperienced hue, diamonds are absolutely transparent. However, those popular gemstones also own a range of precise characteristics past their pigmentation.

In nowadays’s article, we will percentage all the info that distinguish emeralds from diamonds. If you're uncertain what stone to choose for an engagement ring or are honestly curious to study extra approximately the sector of gemology, hold analyzing!

Origin and Rareness

Both emeralds and diamonds are the end result of geological procedures concerning high pressure and temperatures. Emeralds, a diffusion of the mineral beryl, acquire their feature inexperienced color thru chemical reactions concerning factors like chromium or vanadium. On the alternative hand, diamonds are almost completely composed of carbon.

Thus, because of their specific origins, emerald and diamond deposits are discovered in extraordinary astridcountries. The maximum well-known emeralds come from Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, and Zimbabwe. Colombian emeralds are specially renowned for his or her rareness, color, and exceptional. However, the main manufacturers of diamonds are Russia, Botswana, Canada, and South Africa. Although diamonds are more common than emeralds, high-quality, huge, and clear diamonds are uncommon and extraordinarily valuable.

As we have learned previously, it's miles important to verify the starting place of the diamonds we purchase to make sure they do no longer come from conflict zones. At Mumit, they guarantee that the diamonds used of their rings creation observe the Kimberley Process, confirming that the exchange of those diamonds does now not fund conflicts in their united states of america of starting place.

If you are inquisitive about diamond earrings, we endorse Mumit’s Irem zero.55 ct Diamond and Emerald Earrings in 18k White Gold: a tribute to the extraordinary formation method and rareness of these two gems. An emerald and diamond band ring, where the vibrant green symbolizes growth, harmony, and a love that flourishes forever.

The sublime evaluation between the glint of the diamond halo and the precise shades of the primary emeralds gives them an irresistibly state-of-the-art character: a true ode to the splendor of nature. If you have additionally fallen in love with this layout, locate the matching ring and necklace of their exceptional emerald jewelry choice.

Hardness, Brilliance, and Clarity

To recognize the hardness of those gem stones, we flip to the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. The diamond is well-known for being the hardest with a rating of 10. This assets makes it the correct desire for vast earrings pieces we put on each day, including diamond engagement earrings, or rings container staples including diamond bracelets and lengthy diamond necklaces.

Emeralds, on the other hand, have a lower hardness, requiring unique care to keep their beauty. However, with a score between 7.5 and 8, they may be greater resistant than many other minerals, like quartz. This makes them an appealing choice for unique earrings like emerald engagement rings.

The brilliance and clarity of those  precious stones also vary extensively. The most precious diamonds stand out for his or her transparency and brilliance, a end result in their ability to refract mild. Conversely, the quality emeralds often have inclusions, known as “jardin” or lawn, resulting in lesser clarity while as compared to diamonds.

Are you enchanted by way of the specific houses of diamonds and trying to find the correct engagement ring? Do not omit Mumit’s choice of gold diamond engagement rings. Personally, we adore solitaire diamond engagement rings like their Always 0.70 ct Solitaire Diamond Ring in 18k White Gold. Its minimalist design lets in the diamond to dazzle with its feature sparkle, an ideal piece for ordinary and forever put on.

If you want to know a way to examine a diamond ring and understand why Mumit’s diamonds are of superior high-quality, we cover all the vital components of the way to inform if a diamond is actual on our blog.

Symbolism

To begin, it's far important to be aware that diamonds are the birthstone for April and emeralds for May. Therefore, in case you are looking for a present for someone born in both of those months, earrings with the corresponding gemstone is a super manner to cause them to sense special on their day.

Due to their bodily traits described in advance, diamonds symbolise purity, eternity, and invincibility. For this motive, diamond jewelry for ladies are a exquisite way to explicit deep feelings and have fun good sized events like engagements or unique anniversaries. Personally, we trust white gold diamond engagement earrings are the maximum elegant and undying way to marvel that unique a person.

On the opposite hand, emeralds are a famous image of wish, prosperity, and sincerity. Their excessive inexperienced color sublimely reflects the rebirth of nature, making them an excellent choice for meaningful earrings.

Have you seen Mumit’s Astrid Emerald and Diamond Necklace in 18k Yellow Gold? It is the nice way to feature a touch of freshness and symbolism on your jewelry series thanks to the renewing energy of emeralds. Versatile and complex, it's miles a great jewel for everyday put on. You also can pair it with other pieces from the equal collection to elevate your look for any unique event.

As you may see, each emeralds and diamonds have unique characteristics that cause them to stand out amongst different gems. When deciding on between the 2, it's far crucial to have the relevant records to choose the one that first-class suits your lifestyle, aesthetic preferences, and budget, with out forgetting their symbolic significance.

If you have got enjoyed this deep dive into the charming world of treasured stones, we endorse visiting our weblog to discover numerous subjects associated with gemology. Additionally, via following Mumit’s Instagram profile, you could retain admiring the emblem’s innovative diamond jewelry and uncover the maximum thrilling secrets and techniques of this charming universe.

Also Read : The One with all the Wedding Rings

Dare To Dream With Diamond Evil Eye Jewelry

[worldtravelsyt]

Top 10 Best Place To Visit In Russia | Seeking Adventure Worldwide

♠️ 𝖂𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍 𝕺𝖚𝖗 𝕺𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖁𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖔𝖘: ▶https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBayxOOIAig ▶https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loI2IsJ3Z-M ▶https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kh8Zt6nLRk&t=1295s ▶https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0AOdaGZpaM&t=1158s ▶https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaAA1JpKQgo&t=12s ♠️ 𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖊𝖈𝖙 𝖂𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖀𝖘: ▶E-mail: realtimetrading20@gmail.com ⚠️ 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage…

[theultimatefan]

AKTIV Against Cancer Honors Tennis Legend James Blake and Team Casper Ruud at 2024 Benefit

AKTIV Against Cancer, the organization co-founded by legendary runner Grete Waitz and Helle Aanesen, announced today that veteran tennis star, entrepreneur and philanthropist James Blake will be this year’s honoree at the tenth annual awards dinner, which will take place on August 22 at NeueHouse Madison Square, the Thursday prior to this year’s US Open. The event has generated over $500,000 in donations in the first nine years it has been held. This year’s event will be hosted by award winning broadcaster Andrew Krasny.

“James Blake is not just a world class athlete, he is a world class individual who always puts others before himself, and he embodies all we are doing with AKTIV Against Cancer,” Aanesen added. “We are honored to welcome him and his team as this year’s honoree.”

Blake won 10 titles on the ATP Tour, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4. His career highlights included reaching the final of the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup, the semifinals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics (beating world No. 1 Roger Federer en route), the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open and 2005 and 2006 US Opens, two titles at the Hopman Cup (in 2003 and 2004) and being the American No. 1 in men's singles. James was also a key performer for the victorious United States 2007 Davis Cup team, winning both his matches in the championship tie against Russia. In 2008, Blake was named the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year and retired from professional tennis at the 2013 US Open.

On the philanthropic side, The James Blake Foundation has long been dedicated to raising awareness and funding for cancer research, having donated $1.16M to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in 2019 in memory of James’ father, Thomas Blake. The James Blake Discovery Fund, under the direction of physician-scientist Ross Levine, MD, at MSK, will support cutting-edge research initiatives aimed at identifying innovative approaches to cancer prevention and early detection. With an initial pledge of $1M from the James Blake Foundation, the fund will provide crucial resources to fuel groundbreaking research in this critical area.

The James Blake Foundation recently announced a groundbreaking $1M donation to MSK aimed at advancing cancer research and prevention. Through the establishment of the James Blake Discovery Fund in Prevention and Early Interception, the two organizations are uniting their efforts to combat cancer and improve patient outcomes. Through this partnership, the James Blake Foundation and MSK are poised to drive meaningful progress in cancer prevention and interception research, bringing hope to patients and families affected by this devastating disease.

AKTIV AGAINST CANCER TO PRESENT GABE GRUNEWALD INSPIRATION AWARD TO TEAM RUUD

AKTIV is thrilled to present the Gabe Grunewald Inspiration Award to Norwegian professional tennis player Casper Ruud and Team Ruud. Ruud is the first Norwegian to break into the top 10 of the ATP rankings, reaching both the French Open and US Open final in 2022. “We are proud to honor Casper and Team Ruud for their commitment to excellence and for their continuous efforts to support and promote our cause.” Helle expressed.

The Gabriele Grunewald Inspiration Award was established in 2017, when AKTIV Against Cancer paid homage to the indomitable spirit of Gabriele Grunewald. A professional runner who continued her journey despite battling cancer. Her courage has inspired many to embrace physical exercise throughout their own cancer journeys. To commemorate her legacy, AKTIV established the Gabe Grunewald Inspiration Award, recognizing her unwavering mindset and advocacy in exercise oncology.

"We are deeply honored to receive this award. This recognition fuels the commitment to pushing boundaries and serving as a positive role model for others," said Team Ruud.

For more information about AKTIV Against Cancer please visit www.aktivagainstcancer.org

[mbbsblogsblog]

Comprehensive Guide for Indian Students Pursuing MBBS in Russia

This article is aimed to guide the Indian students through each step of their journey while seeking an MBBS degree in Russia.

In particular, India is choosing Russia to continue higher education and obtain an MBBS degree. Hello fellow MBBS enthusiasts if you are planning to pursue your MBBS in Russia then this page are all about MBBS in Russia.

It has developed to be one in all the foremost visited country of the world for Indian students seeking to follow their MBBS degree. Russian universities have won reputation for their outstanding tutorial system, low-cost fee structure, and international attractiveness, influencing a broad variety of international college students to enrol each year.

Fee Structure:

The most significant benefit of studying MBBS in Russia is the cost issue, which is the primary concern for many students. The fees for MBBS courses differ between three thousand five hundred U.S dollars and fifteen thousand U.S dollars for the total length of the course in Russian colleges. This value incorporates lessons, have study materials, and gain access to college centres. As compared to personal scientific faculties in India this price form is comparatively lower. Furthermore, the price of residing in Russia is relatively lower and the prices range between 300-500 USD per month which includes housing, food, transport and few other miscellaneous expenses.

Admission Procedure:

The admission method for MBBS in Russia is easy and typically consists of the subsequent steps: The admission method for MBBS in Russia is easy and typically consists of the subsequent steps.

Eligibility Criteria:

A candidate should have cleared 10 2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English and must secure at least 50 percent marks. However, the SC/ST/OBC category candidates need only 40% overall marks as a minimum requirement.

NEET Qualification:

Any college student in India desiring to enrol in any remote places scientific university will have to sit for and attain a qualifying score on the NEET.

Application:

Curricula of the Russian medical university must be followed without any delay by students who selected them or through a licensed consultant. The applying process usually involves the provision of the transcripts and as well as the NEET scorecard for duplicate and a duplicate of the passport.

Invitation Letter:

According to reputation, college problems and a professional invitation letter to which is necessary for the visa.

Visa Application:

Students exercise for a scholar visa for the Russian embassy or consulate inside India. For this fashion, the completed invitation letter, the passport, the completed visa application shape, passport size images and the health certificate are mandatory.

Call the expert consultants of Ria Overseas immediately for getting admission to MBBS in Russia. The expert consultant of Ria Overseas offers need-based services to the clients. If you wish to take admission to a top university in Russia, feel free to contact Ria Overseas. Ria Overseas is committed to provide you with all the relevant information that can help you in deciding to take admission in a university that is suitable for you.

[love-menzone]

Top 10 Barbershops in the World, Including Fades Barbershop

Getting a haircut is more than just getting your hair trimmed. It’s a chance to relax, de-stress, and walk out feeling like a new person. And when you go to a great barbershop, the experience is even better.

From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted by friendly staff and offered a cold drink or a beer. You’re then seated in a comfortable chair and your barber takes the time to understand what you’re looking for. Once they have a good understanding of your desired style, they get to work, transforming your hair into a masterpiece.

Of course, not all barbershops are created equal. Some are better than others at providing a great haircut and experience. If you’re looking for the best of the best, here are the top 10 barbershops in the world:

1. Fades Barbershop ([city]) 2. Blind Barber (New York City, USA) 3. Bali Barber (Bali, Indonesia) 4. Blessed Barber (DFW, USA) 5. Crispy Jeannie (Philadelphia, USA) 6. Andrea The Barber (Italy) 7. Nikolay Generalov (Russia) 8. Sky Salon (Puerto Rico) 9. Bogdan Kovch (Ukraine) 10. Daniela Alarcon (United States)

These barbershops are all known for providing their customers with an exceptional haircut and experience. They have a team of highly skilled barbers who are passionate about their craft. They also use the highest quality products and equipment to ensure that their customers get the best possible results.

What makes a great barbershop?

There are a few key things that make a great barbershop:

Skilled barbers: The most important thing in a barbershop is the barbers themselves. They should be highly skilled and experienced in all types of haircuts, from fades and tapers to classic scissor cuts.

Quality products and equipment: A great barbershop will use the highest quality products and equipment to ensure that their customers get the best possible results.

Great customer service: A great barbershop is more than just a place to get a haircut. It’s also a place to relax and unwind. The staff should be friendly and welcoming, and they should go out of their way to make their customers feel comfortable.

Fades Barbershop: A world-class barbershop in the heart of [city]

Fades Barbershop is one of the best barbershops in the world. It is located in the heart of [city] and is known for providing its customers with an exceptional haircut and experience.

The barbers at Fades Barbershop are highly skilled and experienced in all types of haircuts, from fades and tapers to classic scissor cuts. They also use the highest quality products and equipment to ensure that their customers get the best possible results.

In addition to providing great haircuts, Fades Barbershop also offers a variety of other services, such as beard trims, hot towel shaves, and scalp massages. The staff is also friendly and welcoming, and they go out of their way to make their customers feel comfortable.

How to choose the right barbershop for you

When choosing a barbershop, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

Location: Choose a barbershop that is conveniently located for you. You don’t want to have to travel far to get a haircut.

Price: Barbershops can vary in price. Be sure to choose a barbershop that is affordable for you.

Services: Consider what services you are looking for. Some barbershops only offer haircuts, while others offer a variety of other services, such as beard trims, hot towel shaves, and scalp massages.

Reviews: Read online reviews to get a sense of what other people think of the barbershop.

Once you have considered all of these factors, you can start narrowing down your choices. Once you have found a few barbershops that you are interested in, be sure to give them a call to schedule a consultation. This will give you a chance to meet the barbers and see if they are a good fit for you.

To know more about the “Top 10 barbershop in World” and “Fades Barbershop”. we recommend you to visit the Men Zone Barbershop, as it is the best barber shop to get barbering services in Canada.

[nelsonesmeraldaj]

Top 10 Best Place To Visit In Russia | Seeking Adventure Worldwide

[motalebs]

Top 10 Best Place To Visit In Russia | Seeking Adventure Worldwide