Read me, feel me, share me.

Just a nice little meme )

2009-12-22T11:07:04Z

1. Elaborate on your default icon. Well, it's GOD. It says it all. And I love this photo for its lines' delicateness and the colour.

2. What's your current relationship status? Single. Individual. Lone.

3. Ever have a near-death experience? No, not counting when a young bull reared up at me when I was about 6. My father jumped in between us and pushed me away.

4. Name an obvious quality you have. Straightforwardness.

5. What's the name of the song that's stuck in your head right now? don't know its name, it's one of the latest from Black Eyed Peas that's on the radio.

6. Name a celebrity you would marry. Daniel Radcliffe. And I definitely wouldn't marry Alan Rickman )

7. Who will cut and paste this first? no idea) don't care)

8. Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity? well, in certain angles I slightly resemble Drew Barrymore

9. Do you wear a watch? What kind? No. I used to have quite a number of funny watches in the 90's.

10. Do you have anything pierced? no

11. Do you have any tattoos? no

12. Do you like pain? if it's pain, then it's unpleasant. If it's pleasant then it is not pain )

13. Do you like to shop? I do, when I have real necessity. I've overgrown spending money foolishly. During the past 2 years is happens so that I mostly spend money abroad - both for travelling expenditures and shopping. That's what I love! )

14. What was the last thing you paid for with cash? Yesterady during my lunch break I bought a pack of croissants. I pay for everything with cash. There's no point in using debit cards, and credit cards all the more, except for the payments via internet.

15. What was the last thing you paid for with your credit card? A debit card. An airline ticket.

16. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? Our bank's subagent's employee

17. What is on your desktop background? A nice lake view with a very smooth reflecting surface.

18. What is the background on your cell phone? just one of the pre-installed pics, a flower.

19. Do you like redheads? they're OK

20. Do you know any twins? Yes, I used to have twin boys in my class at school.

21. Do you have any weird relatives? er... nope.

22. What was the last movie you watched? James Cameron's AVATAR. Whoa, it was fantastic! And it's the best sci-fi film so far regarding visual effects.

23. If you had $100 to spare, who would you give it to? Honestly I can't imagine a situation where I have spare money.

24. What was your favorite book as a child? Astrid Lindgern's 'Karlsson who lives on the roof' probably.

-14C - it's getting warmer

2009-12-20T13:35:42Z

So we've had -23-20C and sun shining for a week and now it's getting warmer. It's -14C today and it's going to increase up to 0C and even higher, i.e. defreezing point, in about 2 days. Which is not nice at all. In fact it's a complete crap. Melting snow, slippery grey mush under the feet and no sun - hell, how I hate it all, argh! -10C is perfect for a winter, -15C is OK and even -20C is normally bearable, but please, no rain!

Those of you who wondered in my previous enrty how it is ever possible to survive low temperatures may like to read more )

Well, first of all here we have continental type of climate and such temperatures are quite normal, though in the last 20 years they occure more and more occasionally. Secondly, our climate is drier that in Western Europe which is very close to Atlantic. As I know humid cold, as well as humid heat, is much nastier and it feels worse for a human. The third important thing is that because of being used to living in a region with temps below 0 for half a year we're accustomed to heat our dwellings. In all the apartment buildings we have central heating which it turned on when the average tepm is +10 for a week's time. In my flat the indoor temp is about +23. In private houses there are stoves or gas heating. Generally whenever there're technical means for heating we do not sustain cold.
Then there go clothes - fur coats, sheepskin coats, thick down-padded coats, thick woolen caps, fur caps, boots and highboots with fur insides, woolen socks, scarves, gloves (made from leather and fur as well), mittens, all kinds of woolen pullovers (no syntetic materials for they don't give warmth), woolen leggins and tights, thick jeans with fleece underlayer, quilted trousers and skirts.
So when you're properly dressed the only body part that feels cold is face, sometimes hands and toes/legs. When it's below -15 the face skin hurts a little in the wind and hairs in the nostrils freeze together when you breathe in and defreeze when you breath out ) But it doesn't feel that horrible *lol* After all usually one doesn't spend much time outdoors (in Moscow) when it's really freezing - a 15 minutes' walk from the bus to the office or to the underground or to the shop. Well, at most half an hour outdoors. And then you get back inside some warm place - public transport, your car, office, shop or home)

winter in a downtown park

2009-12-17T06:16:24Z

found here

yep, I'm alright

2009-12-15T10:55:12Z

Disorder	Your Score
Major Depression:	Very Slight
Dysthymia:	Very Slight
Bipolar Disorder:	Slight-Moderate
Cyclothymia:	Moderate
Seasonal Affective Disorder:	High-Moderate
Postpartum Depression:	N/A
Take the Depression Test

Frost coming from Arctic

2009-12-15T06:14:42Z

It was -18C yesterday, it's -25C today and it's going to decrease by another 5 dergrees by evening. Haha!

and now something for a nice ending )))

taken from here

HBP - an audio feast

2009-12-05T17:25:38Z

have just come across the HBP DVD in the megamall during pre-New Year's Day shopping. Had no idea they have already been released here. Yippeee! Am now going to lay myself down, switch on the telly and got absorbed into the native audio. Aaaaaaa, those voices, ooooh! *ssssoo impatient*

what is sexy for the 'God'?

2009-12-02T18:18:33Z

OK, this one is for someone special, someone winged :-)

I thought it'd be fun for the rest of you as well to remember these sweet moments. We haven't been lucky to see good proper lengthy interviews of his recently ((( He must be being too busy currently (((

and surely here goes this iconic gig ))) I bet it was directed, but who cares! *squees* Llllove his enthusiactic boyish bit of waving, aaaawww )))

GOD

2009-11-29T08:25:51Z

made myself a new userpic. Can't take my eyes off of these elegant lines of the eyebrow, eye, lips, jaw and ear. The colour of the original photo and my writing say it all ;-))) *mellllllts*

oh yeeees wink-wink

2009-11-19T11:05:25Z

Get Your Sexy Name

But THIS ONE's just AWESOME!!! *LOL*

Get Your Sexy Name

autobiography

2009-11-14T21:39:36Z

saw this project at Monica's and then at Lilyginny's. Decided to do it too. A survey. Or rather almost a biography. 3558 words to read. If you're not afraid or bored to face my past you're welcome )

1. What year were you born?
1976

2. Where did your parents live when you were born?
one of Moscow's small satellite towns

3. Do you have any older siblings or a twin?
No

4. What was your first word?
this is the thing I'm proud of) Mum says that as a first properly pronounced word, not counting various ma's and pa's, it was 'dog'. I'm proud of it because in Russian it is 'sobaka' consisting of 3 syllables which is pretty cool for a first word )

5. What did your parents name you?
Irina. On one hand it's quite a common name, on the other not too much common. And quite a noble at that. And by its sounding it matches my patronymic, which is important since all adults in Russia in formal situations are addressed to by a combination of their first names and patronymics. My father's name was Viktor so may I introduce myself - I'm Irina Viktorovna)

6. By the time you were two, did you have any toddler buddies?
no, or at least I don't remember

7. What was one of your favorite toys when you were a toddler?
by one of the photos I can say that it was a dark blue plastic crow which at its 'feet' had a foundation in a form of a pump that squaked when pressed. Also I had a stuffed monkey with nice long wobbly legs and arms and funny round pink ears stuck out of the sideds of its head.

8. Are you able to remember anything specific from when you were a toddler?
Actually I have a couple of memories which refer to the age when I was yet a baby, before I could walk. One of them is that I was lying on a table being changed into clean clothes. What's wierd, yet natural, is that my perception of myself was just like it is today - inside my mind I feel and think absolutely the same way.

9. Did you go to preschool? If so, where?
yes. Very few children in those times here didn't go to preschool. It was in the same suburbian town. The preschool's location was actually very nice - on the verge of a pine forest, thus the air was great there.

10. Were you rebellious or well-behaved as a young child?
I was well-behaved in terms of naughtiness but I've always been somewhat asocial, renouncing such things as following formal social customs or being civil. It's been until the school graduation and in fact I still am like this, only now it's conscious and controlled ;-) But back then I would very often put adults in quite uncomfortable situations by saying things inadequate to a child )))

11. Did you see more of your parents or your babysitter when you were this age?
There were no such thing as babysitting then, and it still isn't a common thing now. We all had (and still have) grannies and grandpas living in one flat/house with their children and grandchildren. Thus it was natural that in case a child had to stay home for some reason (which would most often be a case of illness when a child could not attend preschool) he/she would just be looked after by a grandparent.

12. What was a favorite treat of yours?
Hm, let me recall... Ice-cream definitely - I was rarely allowed it because I easily caught colds and would get quinsy if I ate the whole portion all by myself. And chewing gum. Since there were only 4 or 5 sorts of chewing gum at those time children's all-favourite one was strawberry flavour, which was the rarest. Orange was OK, mint was boring and coffee (yes, there was such a flavour!) was somewhat weird *lol*

13. Were you able to tolerate horror movies as a four-year-old?
Ha) there were no horror movies back then)))

14. Did you have a new sibling by the time you were four?
no

KINDERGARTEN TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
15. Were your parents still together at this point in your life?
yes

16. Did you lose any family members by the time you were five?
no

17. Were you able to read in Kindergarten?
by the end of it. I was even subscribed to a library and I did actually read books.

18. Who was your first grade teacher?
An old lady, quite bearable. Yep, she was OK.

19. What kind of car did your parents have?
one of Soviet cars, its brand's name will say nothing to you) It was white and it was good. And having a car was almost a luxury back then)

20. Did you have any new pets?
no

21. Were you allowed to play in the neighborhood?
Yes. In those times it was much safer than now and we were allowed to hang around on our own. We had a playground behind our apartment building. In summertime we would even take our dolls and their clothes and other stuff in shoe boxes outdoor to play. A lake next to our place provided us with superb slides in winter and perfect slopes for sledging and skiing. Remember it very well how every winter all the local children spent there all the afternoons and evenings till their parent came back from work. Fresh air, rosy cheeks, mittens and outdoor trousers all covered with icicles, ah, that childhood heaven!

22. Who was your best friend in 2nd grade?
In 1st and 2nd grade my best friend was a girl who lived upstairs. We were in the same class at school.

23. What kind of music were you listening to at this point?
Well, till I was 9 I used to listen to lots of children’s songs on the radio. I loved to watch choirs of children on TV, I particularly liked their nice uniforms and shiny shoes. Moreover, till about that age I had a special way of falling asleep – lying in my bed in the dark room I would sing aloud all the songs I knew or the ones we were learning at that time in preschool or at lessons of music at school, 5-10 in a row. I also had a habit of singing aloud in the underground – I thought that nobody could hear me since it was so noisy there. I didn’t show off, I just liked singing songs, honestly! Mum says that everybody around could hear me of course but nobody objected *LOL* I listened to other, pop or propaganda adult songs played on the radio. My another big passion was vinyl discs with children’s tales. I knew them all by heart and would play them over and over speaking along with the actors *lol* And then in mid 80’s came disco, ooooh!

24. Were you a talented math student?
I think yes. I was always good at maths, algebra, geometry and this kind of subjects. In middle school when we had to choose to be put either in humanitarian or in mathematical class I chose the latter.

25. Which relative was your favorite?
Mum.

26. Who was your third grade teacher?
Another old lady, nobody remarkable. We moved to Moscow to live with my other granny, my mum’s mother and I changed school.

27. Any new(er) siblings?
My younger brother was born.

28. What was your favorite holiday and why?
Birthday, because it was MY day, and the New Year’s Day, because it was the most spectacular of all the holidays. We had school holidays and each year I went to see a number of thematic matinees and performances where a gift consisting of various sweet treats was included into the ticket’s price, it was much fun.

29. Which parent was the most strict?
Dad

30. What was your favorite subject in the fourth grade?
Can’t remember. It could be Nature study.

31. Were you beginning to form your own opinions about the world around you?
Rather not yet, but since about the 2nd grade Mum subscribed me to a few magazines and a newspaper for school age children. I liked them a lot. The newspaper had a discussion column where children would write letters asking for a piece of advice or help. I think it was then when my present basic points of view started to form.

32. Did you enjoy reading for leisure?
Yes, I liked reading a lot. I devoured book after book. Among my favourites were Russian national tales, Oriental and Scandinavian tales, Astrid Lindgren, Setton-Thompson’s stories about animals, Mowgli, Winnie-the-Pooh, Myths of Ancient Greece, Jules Verne’s adventure stories.

33. What did you do for your tenth birthday?
Can’t remember. I think it was like my other birthdays at the dacha with my dacha friends, children I saw and played with only in summers.

34. Who was your fifth grade teacher?
Since starting from the 4th grade we have a new teacher for each subject I had lots of them.

35. Did you get bullied at all?
Very often. Being fat meant to be a laughing stock. Besides that in my class we had a really bad situation with bullying. Boys used to beat girls out of curiosity or for fun. Not all the boys were involved but this really was a terrible habit in middle school until we grew up and boys developed other kind of interest towards girls.

36. What was one of your favorite TV shows?
Any cartoons, any figure skating competitions. There also was a hit show called ‘Visiting a fairy-tale’. It had a very nice host lady who would make a short introduction, read children’s letters, display their drawings and, what was the most interesting part, their handmade dolls and action figures of the tales’ characters – princesses in glittering dresses with beautiful hair and noble princes with swords. And then came the film, some good fairy tale.

37. Did you play any sports?
Some ball games at Physical Training lessons. At about 12 I went in for lawn tennis which I liked immensely.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
38. Were your middle school years slightly awkward?
Erm, no. Should they have been?

39. Did you have to move during these years? If so, where to?
no.

40. Did you begin dressing differently? How so?
Rather not. Those years were pretty hard for my country, we didn’t have much choice in consumer goods and we wore what we were able to find in sale or sew or knit at home. But of course the influence of the era of 80s had an impact on us. I still recall those fashions with warmth in my heart *lol*

41. Who was your favorite middle school teacher?
If ‘middle school’ are grades from 4th to 10th, age from 10 to 16, then my favourite teacher was our new teacher of History in last 3 grades. He was a young man, about 22-23 years old, a university graduate. For us he was of course a full adult, ‘from the other side of the barricade’ *lol* But it was he who was my first love ))) I remember myself sitting with my chin on my hands following his every move with my eyes, turning my head after him. Now I’m pretty sure he knew it, ah… ))) After all it was then when History became understandable, sensible and interesting )

42. Did you win any recreational or academic awards?
I can’t remember of any particular awards, not that there existed any at all, but I always was a smart pupil. Not quite a Hermione type but definitely with good brains and aptitudes.

43. Did your parents try to spend adequate time with you?
I can’t say that we spend much time together as a child and parents, but I never felt any lack of their attention

44. Did you feel like you had friends to turn to if need be?
no. I never had any serious troubles. And it I was hurt I managed it myself. Since I’ve been bullied during all my lifetime at various degrees, I learnt to do without anybody’s assistance. Actually I haven’t had real friends until I was about 25. I had lots of nice people in my life who accepted me, liked me and needed me in some ways, but still I can’t call them real friends.

45. Did you ever get suspended or expelled?
No, but I earned quite a lot (for a girl) of reprimands from teachers. My poor parents *sighs* )

46. Did you experiment with drugs and/or alcohol?
I think I can call it ‘no’. Due to some reasons that I’m not mentioning here I was extremely negative about alcohol as a child. I first drank some when I was almost 18. After that I consumed it sensibly and still do. What’s sad, a couple of years ago I suddenly stopped enjoying being drunk. It isn’t a pleasure for me anymore so now I don’t drink till I can feel that I’ve got drunk. As for drugs I once tried LSD but it didn’t work, which was also sad. And it was after I was 20.

47. Any new(er) siblings?
no.

48. What kind of music were you listening to?
Disco, pop, some soft rock. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Modern Talking, Roxette, Savage, Rick Astley, Bon Jovi, Genesis.

49. What kind of people did you surround yourself with?
Back then I didn’t surround myself with people deliberately. So around there were children from my class, from my musical school, from the summer camp, from dacha. Enough good people, many jackasses and lots of common grey mass.

HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
50. Which high school did/do you attend?
Age 18-22, State Academy of Management. I studied Travel and Hospitality Industry Management.

51. If you have not yet graduated, which grade are you presently in?
I graduated and it was oh so long ago) In 1999.

52. Have you noticed a change in you ideas/thoughts since beginning high school?
Yes. Despite that I don’t remember many things I was taught in the Academy I’m very grateful to it for it gave me that general understanding of how the world and people are made, primitively speaking. This is the thing that helps a lot in adult life, in work, in all the processes that takes integral or systematic thinking. I particularly appreciate studying such sciences as Philosophy, Theory of Management, all the branches of Management and Systems actually, Economics, Marketing. As for my inner, personal world it has changed in so many ways that I sometimes fear of a person I might be if I hadn’t had what I had in my life. I’m now speaking of the Club for Practical Psychology that I used to attend for about 5 years. It was a club for young people offering various kinds of psychological trainings - communication skills, interpersonal communication, understanding of your inner You, trainings discussing social, family matters, career trainings, artistic trainings (theatre, poetry, voice), physical trainings (yoga, thoughtful moving), sexology and ‘intersexual’ trainings, various Oriental spiritual practices, outdoor activities, camps and more. This is where I am who and what I am.

53. Are/Were your parents supportive of you during those/these rough years?
Yes. But I didn’t even realize that until a few years ago. The last years of school and first years in the Academy were the hardest years in my country’s modern history. I didn’t realize what it took my Mum to keep the house and peace in it. I didn’t realize how hard Dad worked to earn money to pay for the tutors who I attended preparing for my entrance exams. Now I realize how carefree I was back then. I failed the exams the first time I tried to enter and thus skipped a year and parents had to pay for the tutors, who were really expensive, again the next year. Dad never reproached me for that.

54. Who was your best friend upon beginning high school?
I had a best friend, my mum’s co-worker’s daughter. She was OK.

55. Has that changed since?
Yes. After school we pretty quickly gave up communicating and now we are two completely different persons. I don’t regret of that. During our school years we spent much time together but as I’ve already mentioned I didn’t have really close friends then. Time has proven that we weren’t meant for each other.

56. Did you have any boyfriends and/or girlfriends?
No. I had sexual experience but no relationship.

57. Which subject did/do you naturally excel in most?
At school I was good at almost all the subjects except Chemistry. A totally alien science for me. A thing that was easy for me when being a nightmare for most of the other people in my class were essays/compositions for Literature. I simply wrote down my thoughts. For some reason few of my classmates did that. Our Literature teacher was the school’s headmaster, he was a literary man, and quite an honourable and respected at that. He liked my works) Only a few years after I graduated from the Academy my mum accidentally told me that in one of their conversations the headmaster told her that he thought I should have continued writing! I was flattered) I also was good at Economical Geography. The teacher even spared me of doing home assignments for the last term having said ‘You will get your A’s all the same, so let me call out other students’. Well, I agreed and got my final A not having dome anything)

58. Which subject were/are you the most interested in?
Philosophy in the Academy

59. Did you have to change schools at all?
Once. I went to the 3rd grade, age 9, in a new school after we moved to Moscow. It was the school that taught me English. It was so-called specialized school for we had 6-8 lessons of English a week when at normal schools they had 1-3.

60. Are you part of a clique?
Had to look this word up in the dictionary ) No, I’ve never been one. I rather was an outcast. And I can’t understand and can’s stand people who are. This is so stupid and weak, argh.

61. Would you consider yourself to fall under a specific label (goth, prep, etc.)?
Looking back I’d call myself a weird one. A fat girl but not ugly, smart and talented but totally lacking of appropriate behaviour )

62. Did/Do you experiment with drugs and/or alcohol?
Oops! Have already told all about it somewhere above )

63. Did/Do you have an unfair curfew?
No) Quite the contrary. When I started attending that psychology club (see above) the classes would start at about 6 or 7 pm, they lasted for 4 hours, but with the tea break and all the hot discussions they were often delayed for another half an hour or so and actually ended at 11 pm or even later. Plus 45 minutes’ ride home, part of it on the underground, part afoot. One day we were particularly excited after the training and since it was a nice spring night we – me, my female friend and her boyfriend – decided to walk all the way home. The night was magical, the night city alluring. It took us 2,5 hours to walk to my place. It was 1:30 am. Must I add that I didn’t call my parents for there were no mobile phones back then and I just didn’t think of calling at all? Mum and dad weren’t sleeping when I came. But they didn’t say anything bad to me. I was in a very good mood, told them that I had a safe company. They must have thought it good for me to have some social interaction so it was OK) Oh, and now the final trait – that night I was wearing new boots, in the middle of our way I realized that I can’t walk anymore. But the friend’s boyfriend was fooling around, pulled me by the hand. Except for that pain in my feet we were young and joyful and happy and so we decided to continue walking out of sheer stubbornness. When I came home and took off my socks there were bloody wounds on my toes. And in two days I was to go on my first hike with the people from the club *lol*

64. If you have already graduated, would you go back and do it all over?
No. But on another hand…. Hm… All the same way, just like it was back then? No. But some new studying I think I could take.

65. What is your favorite memory of your high school career?
All the moments when I demonstrated my uniqueness, cerebral thinking, clever ideas and was praised for those. I also like the memories of being in love with one of the group-mates. All in all I remember those years as times when I was still young but with some brains already. Still those were quite innocent and wonderful times, aw)))

66. What are your plans thereafter?
I’ve never had any plans. I live my life the way it is. I’ve had a number of essential experiences of vital importance since then which made me more mature, wiser, stronger. I know myself better that ever. I’ve built my little microworld to live in. I feel good)

P.S. for me it's been a good language practice and another cause to see the ways in which our lifestyles were pretty different )

thankyouall)))

2009-11-08T10:50:41Z

yep, thank you all gals for your hearty comments, understanding and wishings-well *BIG HUGGGS*

taking a time-out

2009-11-05T17:56:32Z

Yes, I think I'm taking a time-out. It's been 50 days since I posted anything on LJ ... I feel like I need to keep on doing it but from now to do it deliberately. While I'm still the same sincerely interested in what's happening with all of you, my dear friends, I feel like I have suddenly lost any need and desire for giving publicity to any of my own feelings and activities. I wish I still were, for I remember it very well how enthusiastic I used to be in regards of telling you how I lived here in my city, what I did, what I saw around and how I felt about it all. I used to spam your friends' pages with tons of photos that were often welcome *lol* I still photograph pretty much actually) But the thing is that I don't want to push myself into posting. And sometimes I feel like I'm doing this and surely what I get back then is reluctance. And since I don't what to loose you guys, want to stay here with you, for you are one of the few wonderful things that happened in my life, I want to get myself some freedom, let it go for a while. I don't know how long it's going to take me to make this sort of "recovery". Thus here and now I'm humbly asking you not to unfriend me, if you could, please. I'm checking my friends' page every lunch break, it's one of the things that help me stay sane. Please, stay with me, and let me stay with you as well, will you?

Friends' advice needed - Amsterdam

2009-09-16T05:23:00Z

Dear flist

I'm visiting my cousin in Cologne late in October and we're making a 3-days' trip to Amsterdam. So I'm asking for any possible kind of advice and information regardign the following issues:
- where to park our car at the lowest possible fee or free of charge (preferrable)
- where to stay. I've already looked up some of the sites offering B&B accomodation, but would like to hear about your experiences, if there've been any. We're now considering the possibility of staying not at some central-located B&B but at a suburbian one as well.
- where to go, besides city strolling and seeing 'Nightwatch'
- from Amsterdam my cousin drives back to Colonge and I go to Hamburg. Since there seems to be no cheap flights the only option left for me is train. I've found a ticket at about 85 Euros via DeBahn.de but would like to know if there's any alternative to that.

Whoa! Didn't know about this dancing style before!

2009-09-09T08:50:20Z

this is AWESOME!

my UK trip - more from Edinburgh

2009-09-09T08:17:39Z

Since I've been staying in for 3 days on my sick leave I'm back to posting photos from the UK. This time we're back to Edinburgh, welcome!

21 photos inside

starting from the birthplace of HP universe )

I may be mistaken, but it was the back of the Scottish Parliament new building

recreation area near the Parliament

and the building itself at the back

and from the front

and from the side

Can you see the natural rocks installed right into the wall? A very curious building indeed!

walking towards the newer part of the city

nice tiny taxi cabs

and a few window-shopping pics to top it off )

the whole Edinburgh photoset

Lucius' leather armour - ooooh!

2009-08-24T17:55:26Z

Haven't seen this one before. He's GORGEOUS, oooooh! ;-) *admires*

to be on HBP dvd, I'm sure

2009-08-12T17:44:27Z

just in case anyone of you haven't seen these yet

Harry Potter Behind The Magic (Part 1 of 5)

and look for 4 more parts, they are easy to find.

TA-DAAAAMMMM!!! (an entry very probable to provoke fan evny of high level)

2009-08-11T17:38:06Z

yes, you are right, this is THEM!

your crazy LJ-friend Maetgnisar...

and her little bro Vova :-)

THE Trio and Me photoset

this is how HBP was filmed

2009-08-10T16:52:34Z

you've already seen these precious bits, haven't you? *fan excitement overload* They are AWESOME!!! Can't wait for the DVD! #3 starts with Snape ;-)

Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince - B-Roll 1
0:17-0:20 make me laugh hysterically. I LLLOVE Gambon's humming and Dan's silly smiling (not Dumbledore's and Harry's!) when they are leaving Slughorn's/muggle's house. And 'To your left, Dan!' at 4:50 )

Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince - B-Roll 2
I particularly like Dan's nice back and what's below at 2:58-3:00, covered by long tight quidditch jumper, also his training trousers and high training boots, yummmmm ;-) The whole scene in the cave WITHOUT the cave actually is fascinating! They've been using real fire and wind blowing right into Gambon's face, whoa! And while watching the film I didn't realise that the mountains and waterfalls in the quidditch scene were fake because they looked exactly like the ones that I witnessed with my own eyes in Glen Coe valley!

Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince - B-Roll 3
Right from the very beginning - oh what a nose, aaaaa *drools* Funnily again I can see Dan here but I can't see AR. It is Snape in front of my eyes, pure Snape in flesh and bones and hair and robes, only for some weirdest reason surrounded by chubby casual muggles, cameras and wires *lol*

UK trip. Edinburgh from Arthur's Seat.

2009-08-09T18:12:49Z

These are the views over the city from the hill called Arthur's Seat. Pauline decided to take her mother and me for a little evening-time drive. A heavy rain was about to begin, the sky was being occupied by thunder clouds but we made it in time before it started to rain. Thanks to the clouds we got splendid views.

3 medium- and 3 large-sized photos inside

Arthur's Seat photoset

I'm a pirate, muahahaaaa!

2009-08-09T17:53:09Z

It took them 3 weeks. This is what I received by e-mail on Friday:

Dear Member:
This is to notify you that we have removed or disabled access to the following material as a result of a third-party notification by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. claiming that this material is infringing:

Sectumsempra MVI 6056: http://www...youtube...com/!@#$%^&

Please Note: Repeat incidents of copyright infringement will result in the deletion of your account and all videos uploaded to that account. In order to prevent this from happening, please delete any videos to which you do not own the rights, and refrain from uploading additional videos that infringe on the copyrights of others. For more information about YouTube's copyright policy, please read the Copyright Tips guide.

If you elect to send us a counter notice, please go to our Help Center to access the instructions.

Please note that under Section 512(f) of the Copyright Act, any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material or activity was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification may be subject to liability.

Sincerely,
YouTube, Inc.

I got frightened *lol* and deleted all the 3 videos - Sectumsempra, The Unbreakable Vow and The Kiss. Hopefully you guys have already watched them.

it's nice to be back into the Slash heaven ;-)

2009-08-05T19:52:03Z

have just randomely come across a YouTube user who is a slash genius! Couldn't stop until watched all his\her creations. God, how long it has been since I last saw a good Snarry. And these ones aren't just good, they are perfect! The 1st one I'm embedding is fantastically romantic and beautiful, the 2nd one is so smutty and hilarious. Two integral things make the author's videos, 'gobus' is his\her username, outstanding in the uncountable mass of snarry vids on YouTube - an exeptional choice of songs with lyrics that say it all, and skillfully and tastefully done editing with precise accentuation on characters' emotions. Also 'gobus' offers us new, fresh scenarios which has become so rare these days. See the author's comments for the story.

Let me inside (see Dumbledore's blink, it's priceless! *ROFL*) What a new idea for a slash vid. The same old well-known scenes have acquired some new meaning when being combined in this funny new way )))

My fantasy (gorgeous music by ATB!) See how beautifully the changing of scenes is made here, with the flashlights and slow motion effects, aaaaw! And the lyrics go right into my heart.

The other videos by 'gobus' maintain the same high level. It's such a pity that half of them are banned in my country (

P.S. I'm now in desprerate need for some very good recommended snarry. Oh please, if anybody knows any, could you provide me with a link? )

У меня появился новый LiveJournal Messenger

2009-08-01T03:28:38Z

Включил себе LiveJournal Messenger. Вот мой Windows Live ID: . Подключайтесь тоже и давайте общаться.

my words on HBP

2009-07-31T20:26:42Z

Well, yesterday I saw it for the second time. Solely, with only about 20 other people in the cinema and without any silly squees. Thoughtfully and quietly. So now I think I can actually speak on the film itself, on the film as a film, not as an object of fan's worship.

Words.

After having read the book only 2 months prior the film I can't now judge it as A film. Yet I'd rather agree that it wouldn't make much sense for a stranger to the HP universe. After all it wasn't meant to ;-) The film's main mission was to entertain the viewer and to leave him\her with a pleasant aftertaste so that he\she would pass on the positive impression to his\her friends so that they would also go and pay to see it. Also I realise what a serious problem it is to make an adaptation out of a long and the 6th (!) book in a series at that, to please captious fans and investors at that. When fans complain about lack of canonism let's not forget that they aren't the target audience of this product. Hence the choice in favour of the romance line instead of Tom Riddle's memories.

I wasn't expecting any dramaturgy from the film makers or outstanding acting from the actors. These things aren't needed here. Gambon was great because he simply can't act poorly, as well as Jim Broadbent. Rickman did nice staring, posing and slow speaking, that's what he's great at, but let's face that is not all that acting is. Don't get me wrong, I lllloved Snape, but Rickman left me unmoved except his fine sense of costume. As one of the fans said he has a unique ability to make his film and stage costume a continuation of a character he's playing. Helena Bonnem Carter switched on her eccentric self which I can't consider acting as well. 'Narcissa' perfomed a completely wrong character, probably the wrongest of all in this film. Other adult actors did nothing remarkable.

As for the teen actors the one who I was impressed most of all was young Tom Riddle. His dialogue with Slughorn was performed in that restrained slow manner which didn't suppose wide gestures, loud talking or active mimics. Yet that boy managed to convey Riddle's maniacal, demonic nature with his half smiles, slight bows and nods, with the way he switched on those devolish sparkles in his eyes. To be honest those things impressed me more that Tom Felton's crying. I do not object that Draco's line in HBP was the most complex and full of all the previous books but I wish they'd given him more screen time to develope his acting. Because too often I saw staring only (again) and nothing behind it, sorry.

I liked Rupert's comic talent. He performed that quite fast changing from adoring to anger to goofiness and then to hope in the scene with chocolate and Harry really skillfully and neatly. The same thing I liked in Emma. She had enough scenes with mixed emotions and she did that mixing great, even if they were familiar girlish worries.

Speaking about my Angel Boy I didn't notice much acting from his part, too. He kept being Harry. Nothing particular stirred me. Though I liked his look and mood in the scene when Harry guessed about his true role in the middle of his dialogue with Dumbledore. Ginny was absolutely nothing, not a single emotion had been performed when in the book her character demonstrated certain female strength and even bitchiness. The tweens and McCormac were fun. Luna was very good. Lavender was OK except for the scene with the love potion at the 1st potion lesson where the girl overacted so obviously that I wondered why they hadn't made her redo it. Tom Riddle as a child was passable but not more that that. After all it's difficult to find another Harvey such-and-such Osmond these days.

Music. I liked it. I have no need to remember any particular tune from films like this. I still can't even hum the main theme of all the films. But I liked the way the important moment were accompanied by elements of music making right moods. Because of this reason my favourite scene in the film is when camera shows empty ruined Big Hall right after Dumbledore's death IN ABSOLUTE SILENCE and then continues going through his office over D's belongings in close-ups and keeps silence again. This silence has made probably the strongest effect in the film for me. Both time I was watching it, and especially the first time in the large central cinema with full occupancy that day, during this pretty long scene not a voice, not a single cough had been heard among the public, when in other moments people did plenty of rofling and making jokes aloud.

Summarizing it all I'd like to state that the film has a fair enough of flaws. Regarding acting I blame it all on Yates for it's the director's line what makes our loved actors act this or that way. The film obviously has a strict strategy to be kept. So it's all understandable and forgivable. For I never expected HP films to be masterpieces. The only thing I'm waiting for now is when it's on DVD so that fans could start making slash videos for there are loads of suitable moments in HBP crying out to be put into some smutty Snarry vid ;-)))

P.S. the HBP photoset here is now unlocked and available for everyone ))) The pics are clickable for large size.

Pure Sex-2, or Like a Surgeon

2009-07-30T19:38:50Z

Playing with crops. For the first time playing with my Angel Boy this much ;-) 'm sure he doesn't mind it ;-)

and 20 more, one for each of his years *drools*

I'm saying this is his bestest and most sensual photoshoot. Ever.