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I was Buddha
It was on a rainy day in November that I looked outside the window of my workplace in Amsterdam and asked: “Is there more to it? Is there something else?” I was three months into the promotion – portfolio manager – still a financial analyst of banks, still no diploma, at a consultancy in Amsterdam.… Continue reading
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My cat called Luni.
Share a photo of your pet and tell us one thing that makes them uniquely them. This is my cat, Luni, and he is an absolute delight. We had another cat previously – Gina. We took her from an animal shelter when she was seven years old. I remember that when we came to the… Continue reading
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Is there fate?
Do you think everything happens for a reason? Is there fate? Do you think everything happens for a reason? I do. I am not always sure how to describe it. Is it faith, a deep, personal faith in God, or something else? I struggle with the precise words, especially in the current world, where belief… Continue reading
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My mother
Who was your most influential teacher? Why? My beloved mother who passed away in June 2024 was a teacher. She was a brilliant mathematician who taught at universities almost all her adult life. She passed away at 71 while working fulltime at a university in England. My mother was a very dedicated teacher and the… Continue reading
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Why Belgian Food Beats French Food (And I’m Not Sorry)
Ambiance Enter any Belgian café or a restaurant and you get smiles, friendly comments and feel like you are much welcome to be there. In France, not always so. It is as if they do you a favor, that they have much better things to do, rather than spend their time on tolerating foreigners to… Continue reading
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I don’t know the answer to grief
Is your life today what you pictured a year ago? Some people think that I have an amazing life. I knew until recently how to play the act of appearing as normal and in control. Only a few very perceptive people asked me pertinent questions, such as “Are you sure you are all right?” And… Continue reading
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No Turkey for Christmas
Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays? Me and my son, we don’t have any family left where we live. When we moved to the Netherlands (for my job) six years ago, my Dutch stepfather (husband of my mother) followed us, to help me with my son, but he died… Continue reading
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История с китайским чаем
Поехала у меня крыша после китайского чая. История с китайским чаем просто выпустил мои проблемы наружу, а так причины всех психозов надо, конечно же искать в детстве. На чай я вышла через китайский медицинский центр в Амстердаме. Сидела, помню на работе своей, банки анализировала, и думаю: «пора бы вылечить гастрит.» Гастрит меня к тому времени… Continue reading
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Moscow: 1994
Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live? If I had to relive a year of my life, I would relive 1994. I was in Moscow in 1994, when Russia (but also Ukraine) was undergoing life crisis. After years of hunger shops restarted to sell some eatable products, such as bread,… Continue reading
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Faith twist
What’s something you believe everyone should know. I think everyone should know that living one’s life in faith doesn’t mean that one should abandon all fun things and become a super religious monk. Life is given to us by God to live it fully and to enjoy it. A life based in faith doesn’t ask… Continue reading
About Me
I am a doctor of philosophy, a university lecturer, and a lover of cats, fine wine, dancing, theatre, and human eccentricity. I was born in the Soviet Union (Moscow). I am fluent in four languages, and have spent all my adult life studying (except from 18 to 19) working and living throughout Western Europe. Despite a surname-Netchitailova- that translates from Russian into English as “unreadable”, my greatest passions in life are reading and writing. My personal struggles have made me appreciate the manifestations of weirdness that exist everywhere.