"Off" Night of a Salsera

I've been MIA for a while because I'm now officially dealing with a crisis. Of course, I first successfully created the crisis. In the beginning of the week I devoured Jane Eyre. I've never read it in English, and was pleasantly surprised to find it an easy read that pulls you in until the very last word. I soon found myself buried in a pile of work bigger than Manhattan, and the rest of the week was spent plowing through e-mails, and exterminating immediate fires on my desk. Going out Salsa dancing really late on a Thursday isn't helping my progress any. But since I can't possibly concentrate on anything I HAVE to do while functioning on four hours of sleep, I figured might as well do something I DON'T have to do, and write. Maybe it'll wake me up and stir the creative juices required for a million hours of excel work awaiting me.

The saddest thing is that getting little sleep wasn't worth it, because yesterday I officially had an "off" night. The follows who've had one will commiserate, and the ones who haven't will be grateful once they hit it, because they'll know that they're not the only ones who've had to deal with one. (I don't know if leads have "off" nights. Do they?) "Off" nights can happen at any time during Salsera's career as a follow, and there is no telling when they'll occur or how to prevent them from happening. In case you are wondering: an "off" night is when everything that you can possibly imagine goes wrong. And it never gets better. Although I should've been smarter yesterday, and left before it got worse.

It all started the night before, when I realized that I don't have an outfit planned out. Usually I can visualize exactly what I'll be wearing for the dance. Not this time. In the morning I found myself staring at my closet, absolutely stupefied by its contents. I ended up throwing five or six random items in a bag, and heading off to work (not much time for trying things on in the morning...)

When I got to Salsa, I did a very brave (and stupid) thing and asked to dance with a lead whom I just met, but have been observing for a while and saw that he's phenomenal. Follows... It's just not wise to do that for your first dance. The excitement of the floor, combined with a realization that I'm starving, made me feel lightheaded, and lose my concentration. As soon as I gained it back for a moment, it hit me that my heels are way overdue for a visit to the shoe doctor. So in addition to being hungry and generally lost, I was also wobbly and unstable. Way to make a first impression.

The night continued in this fashion. The usually talkative DJ was at his unusual vivacity and didn't shut up for even a second the entire night. The rare good songs were ruined by the horrible leads that asked me for them. My usual comfy leads were nowhere to be found or somehow missed me (I do have a tendency to travel a bit much...). My current Salsa "crush" (they come and go) broke my heart by leaving early with an extra-large woman of questionable fashion sense. Hence I didn’t get a single dance in with him. As to make up for that, the scary creep whom I was trying to avoid successfully found me in the darkest corner of the ballroom and asked to dance. The only two leads who were actually good managed to invite me for the shortest songs.

I did have a break when an atypical set of circumstances made me dance with a perfect lead from class for three songs in a row. But of course, I couldn't keep him glued to myself the entire night. The rest of the guys were an epitome of my worst nightmare. I'm anal about starting AND CONTINUING on the right beat. Doesn't matter if it's on one or on two (although I don't really have that much experience starting on two.) I consider counting to be my biggest strength in Salsa, and I've never had to concentrate on getting it right. The rhythm is just IN me. The majority of the leads I danced with yesterday started on one, but continued on one, two, three, five, AND seven! As my friend Juliet wisely put it... "following a lead who isn't following the beat is like following a husband who isn't following God". It's hard!

The cherry on the top was the last dance. The gentleman who asked me evoked a vague feeling of alarm, but I couldn't quite remember why exactly I didn't want to dance with him. So I said yes. He was a good lead, except for the fact that most of the time he stared at my chest (Do you see a pattern here guys? Stop doing it!), and when he did look in my eyes it was with that nasty, perverted, piercing glare. I was about to get excited when a lead dancing next to us tapped him on the shoulder and made him switch partners (extremely unconventional practice) because I figured I'm now safe from Sir Stares-A-Lot. Turns out the guy was completely wasted, and as soon as I let go of him, he'd kind of slide backward, almost hitting the oblivious innocent bydancers. Luckily the song ended pretty fast. But talk about humiliation!

But the good news is that very soon (keeping fingers crossed) I won't have to endure an hour-long commute after nights like this. If all goes well, I'll be moving to the city within a month. But now it's time for me to return to extinguishing office fires and wrestling with excel.

The Naked Cowgirls of Salsa (This post is as clean as it gets. Don't worry :)

Over the past few days I've encountered a couple situations which made me realize that some people have a serious malfunction. In their wardrobe.

I brought a friend to the outdoor dancing at Occidental Park last Thursday. It was her first time at a Salsa function, and I was hoping for a wonderful first impression. But the first words out of her mouth were "Hey, check out that girl in the black dress dancing over there. You can see her underwear when she spins! I just hope she isn't wearing a thong. Yup. She's wearing a thong!!! Stacy! OMG! That's so funny!" Funny wasn't exactly what I was going for in an introduction to the wonderful world of Salsa. Sophisticated. Fun. Lively. Inspiring... But not inappropriate and certainly not funny!

Fast forward three days and you'll find me at another Salsa event. There aren't that many people here, and I'm having the time of my life with a wonderful lead. All of a sudden, this normally extremely attentive man forgets to let me know what's coming next and upon glancing at his gaze I see that he's completely taken by something other than our dancing. "Oh! Sorry, I got a little distracted," he offers apologetically. I turn around to check out the source of distraction and see a girl in cowboy boots and a long shirt. I would be thrilled to tell you that she was attractive, ugly, tall, short, blond or brunette. But unfortunately the only feature that stuck out to me (as well as the rest of the floor) was that she wasn't wearing any pants. That's right. NO PANTS! Even I lost concentration. What WOULD anyone expect of a normal guy!

Girls, just as I reminded the young creepster at practica that my eyes are a little further up than he was looking, I would like to remind you that Salsa functions are not clubs. Especially the ones taking place at public venues, such as a park in the middle of downtown. There are kids there! (And there WERE kids at both places I just talked about.) When you go shopping for that perfect Salsa dress, take a spin in the fitting room! Take a spin, and then a sudden stop, and see if the dress is showing your underwear. If it is, DON'T BUY IT. And if for any reason you still can't part with the dress, at least don't wear a thong! As unattractive as you might feel wearing boy-shorts or hip-huggers... the rest of the world just doesn't want a free show from you. I know they say the best things in life are free... but that's not exactly the case here. And a long shirt is NOT considered to be a dress. Nobody should be going outside wearing that in the first place. Much less should they be stopping by a Salsa scene and dancing dressed like that. Oh. My bad. Undressed like that.

I don't really understand the motives either. If these girls want attention... isn't 4-5 minutes of dancing with a man who's concentrated solely on you enough? Or are they simply incapable of holding his attention for that long without taking something off? If they just don't realize it... Don't they have mirrors? Maybe friends who will kindly tell them they look ridiculous? Or maybe they are trying to become a female version of the Naked Cowboy.(http://www.nakedcowboy.com/akki/)I guess nobody mentioned to them that Occidental Park is no Times Square. I'm flabbergasted... But I hope that they read this post and start buying clothes that cover their bodies. At least in parts that are meant to be covered AT ALL TIMES.

Have some respect girls. If not for yourselves, at least for the people trying to have some clean fun around you. Thanks!

10 Things I'd Like to Do (Before I die?)

This list has been long in the making and involved a lot of thought. I couldn't quite think of 10 things I want to do though. But the title "6 things to do before I die" didn't seem as catchy.

1. Live in Paris
Ever since I was a little girl I've been fascinated with everything French. Ironically, it spun out of my deep love for everything Russian. While reading Tolstoy's novels and Pushkin's poetry I became aware that the sign of Russian Nobility was everything French -- speaking French, owning property in France, French fashion, French cooking, and French writing. Since my ancestors include mayors of both Moscow and St. Petersburg, I've longed for a connection to the past, which included nothing in my own life back in Latvia. They taught us English, Latvian and German in school. The only people who took French were ballet dancers. I wasn't one.

When I moved to United States one of the first choices I had to make was a language to take in High School. The options were French, Spanish, and Latin. Neeless to say, I jumped at the chance to take French, and stuck with it for 8 years, all the way through the end of College. Unfortunately I never got a chance to study abroad, although I always wanted to. Hence, my desire to live in France has gone unfulfilled, but I'm hoping that eventually an opportunity will present itself.



2. Live in NYC
There's something about the energy in New York that always leaves you wanting more. Although the pace of the city intimidates me, I've always felt an unexplainable freedom when walking through its streets. While living back on the East Coast, I had a chance to make a trip at least every 6 months. And every single time I wanted to stay. My only attempt at getting to New York was an application to NYU. I got wait-listed and never got in. (Although I blame my school -- one of the best in the state. College competition consisted entirely of my class and a 3.86 GPA wasn't even close to enough in competing with people who ended up going to Harvard, Yale, Brown and Columbia. Although my transfer record must have been compelling enough, colleges obviously couldn't accept all 286 of us from the same High School. So they chose the best, which wasn't me.)

I feel a certain connection to New York, because I got a chance to live through a piece of its pain almost 10 years ago now. I've been on the top of the Twin Towers. A few months later I visited Ground Zero. I remember where I was on September 11, 2001, and I remember lines of people by the phones in my school and kids crying because they couldn't get a hold of their parents who worked there. Although I'm as far away as you can get from New York now, a piece of it is always in me.



3. Live on my own for a year
Well this is about to happen, and Seattle is probably the best place to accomplish this goal. By now the city feels cozy and friendly, so getting out on my own isn't as intimidating as it would be in New York or Paris. I think it's a huge part of growing up and learning about life. Why is it on a list of things to do? In the russian christian community it's common for a girl to live with her parents all the way until she gets married. When a woman gets out on her own people ask questions and wonder what she is hiding (unless she went to school in a city far away from home -- also uncommon.) I've got nothing to hide. But I want the experience.



4. See the Northern Lights
Ok. This one is random. But I just think it'd be a cool thing to do! And it's totally accomplishable. All I gotta do is book a vacation in Norway! Packages include accomodations at an Ice Hotel as well as dog-sleighing. Both sound like a lot of fun to me!



5. Start my own business -- preferably run a non-profit that has something to do with helping orphans in Latvia.
Toying with the idea of becoming an independent business owner has been a common activity on my morning commute. Although I know that I'm definitely not yet at a point where I know enough to go through with it, I've been thinking about this a LOT. I have millions of ideas, but the one above is closest to my heart.

Since 12 years old I've been involved in helping out with kid camps back in Latvia. I've done some work translating, as well as being a counselor. A lot of those camps brought kids from orphanages. Their stories were heartbreaking, and their living conditions sad, at the least. Having an apportunity to make a difference excites me, and I'm sure God will use my desire in His timing and make this happen.



6. Have a family
Well, this is pretty self-explanatory, and not at all uncommon, but a lot of people are surprised to hear it come out of my mouth. For some reason I project this image of a determined career woman who'll walk on people's heads to get ahead. In reality, career is the last thing I want. Although a lot of employers will frown at this, a job to me is a way to make enough for living so that I can comfortably spend time with my family. As much time as I can. After all, a huge house and an expensive car mean nothing if you have nobody living and riding in it with you.

I've also realized that the bible is right on in a sense that a woman is emotionally wired to take care of her family and maintain the house. For me it's clear because those things come naturally and evoke a feeling of warmth and comfort. When I think about a career, I feel confused and intimidated. And I'm not a woman who'll fight her innate instincts to prove that she's better than a man. We're not better or worse. We're just different!



I have trouble ending things. But this IS the end.

Goals and Expectations

Let's disappoint right off the bet: this is not a post about my goals (who cares anyways :). This is a post about self-discovery. Here is what I've discovered about self:

Under the pressure of other peoples' expectations, along with societal convictions taught in schools, on job sites, and through self-help books, I've been desperately trying to set goals and personal deadlines. Recently it dawned on me that I've never functioned well with those in mind. It's like a switch is triggered inside, and as soon as an expectation is put forth, my entire self pushes against it. I'm sure there are deep psychological issues from early childhood linked to this phenomenon, but I'm no expert to try and i.d. those.

What I figured out is this: I do the best when nobody, including myself, expects it from me. Case in point -- it took forever to start this blog. I've been thinking about it for two years! (Not exaggerating!) I kept setting deadlines for myself, only to wallow in guilt when I didn't follow through time and time again. Then, along with every other idea I've nurtured for years, God asked me to let this endeavor go and just relax. "Be still, and know that I Am God!" Psalm 46:10. It was probably the best request He's ever made of me! And He sure knew what He was doing. As soon as I surrendered and let everything go, things started happening. Writing was only one of the areas that finally came through. Once I started, I was determined not to set any goals or deadlines. I write because I like it, and not because I have to. And apparently, that's what works best!

So here is my promise to all my faithful readers: I will not write daily, weekly, monthly or on any other set schedule. Some days I might post twice. Other times I might disappear entirely until further notice. I will not stick to a certain subject. If I'm inspired to talk about politics, I won't write about fashion, and vice-versa. I will not tell you I won't advertise on here, because someday I just might decide I want to. I will not aim for a certain number of hits a day (although I think the more the merrier) and go out of my way to direct traffic here. If people like it -- they'll tell their friends. On the other hand, I will not be determined to depend exclusively on other peoples' buzz-marketing, and might shamelessly tell you about my writing in person, if I choose to. I want this to stay as something that I love to do. So I won't make the mistake of setting expectations again.

The Characters of Salsa

Ok, so by now probably all of you know that I take Salsa. I didn't start that long ago, and therefore didn't consider myself expert enough to write about it. Then I noticed how my perception of Salsa changed over time and decided that it'd be fun to read what I used to think. So here's a break down of all the characters I've spotted on the dance floor so far. Of course, this is from the perception of a follow. All characters have been made up, so any similarity you might see with your own self is pure coincidence. Ok, that was a little white lie. But honestly, all of these are based on more than one person, (yes, even the teachers - I've had the pleasure of dancing with at least six by now!) so if you see yourself, know at least that you're not the only one! Conversely.. some leads might exhibit more than one character at once. Don't ask me later which one is you. If I'm still dashing to dance with you, you probably aren't any of the bad ones :) And follows... I'm sure you'll enjoy and agree! Let me know if I missed some characters.

Mr. Twistie: the lead who uses enough force to get you flying to the other coast of the pacific! This one will hurt you. He can’t lead, and compensates for that with sheer force. You will feel like you’ve just been taken in by fifty cops who are all trying to handcuff you in the back.

Mr. U-turn: As in YOU turn, and not him. This one thinks that his skill as a lead is measured by the amount of turns he can fit in one song. You’ll come out lightheaded at the least.

The Spinnster: even worse than Mr. U-turn. His only skill is turning you multiple times followed by a dip. By multiple I mean ten-fifteen times. That’s all he’ll do the entire song. Prep, spin, dip. Prep, spin, dip. If you can make it to the window after the dance without falling on your face, you’re good. Never dance with him again.

The Grandpa Who Can Barely Move: that’s pretty self-explanatory. He can barely walk, much less can he dance. For the first 20 seconds you will admire that Salsa is addicting enough for people to want to still go out at this age. You will soon start worrying that the grandpa will fall over if you make too large a step. Then you’ll just be bored. Barely moving grandpas are an excellent way to learn to keep your steps small though. As in microscopic.

The Older Creep: He wants to dance with you all the time. More than one song a night. He’s counting on you feeling bad to turn him down. But you can tell that his eyes are imagining what’s underneath your dress. The dance with this one will consist mostly of you trying to keep his hands as far away from your body as physically possible while still dancing Salsa. You will avoid all future eye contact.

The Younger Creep: His first question to you will be “are you single?” Next, he will proclaim that in a week he will be your boyfriend/husband/lover. This dancer will amaze you with his blatant audacity to stare at your chest. He will then stalk you and wonder why the heck you don’t want to dance with him again. He will claim that you were such good friends and then something happened. This is a good time to mention that he never bothered to ask your name. There’s a slight chance that at this point he’ll abandon all future references to your “good” friendship.

The Scary Teacher: He is the one who has some special style that’s impossible to follow, but you really, really want to, because you want him to think that you are good enough. It will take forever to adjust to him. Leave trying to dance with this one until you are at least in Salsa 4.

The Secret Teacher: He is the lead that you can’t get enough of. He mentions something about a totally different area of work that he does, and tries to never mention his true profession: teaching Salsa. Once you find out from somebody else, he blushes and acts all bashful. But trust me, on the inside he likes the praises, so bring out some more! This is the person whose tips you want to listen to.

Too Much of a Good Thing: This guy is good. At first you couldn’t wait to dance with him, but now… it just got old. Because he asked you every other song ever since he discovered that you go out dancing to the same place as him. He couldn’t keep the mystery.

The Mysterious Pro: He is part of a dance team and barely travels around the floor. He waits until the lady’s flock to him. Then he chooses. Or not. After all, he doesn’t have to be dancing every song. He’s too good for that. If you are a mere mortal, you will NOT get to dance with this guy.

The Mysterious Loner: He travels the side of the floor and once in a while you might even catch his eye. He might even smile at you and come up. Then he’ll stand nearby, but never ask you. You will wonder what the heck is going on and keep thinking about him for the entire duration of the night. He will be the one for whom you’ll break your promise to yourself to never ask a guy to dance. Then he’ll get you thinking that he’s just… shy. But maybe it’s just part of his game.

The Guy From Your Class: He’s not that good yet, but you know exactly what he’s trying to do, because he’s from your class! So somehow it works. This is the guy you’ll love dancing with just because you two can laugh at each others’ mistakes and still have a good time. Unless you are the snobby follow who thinks she’s too good for three fourths of the dance floor. Then it’s your loss honey. Because you’re missing out on the “social” part of social dancing!

The Know-It-All: He will constantly comment on how your feet are not moving the right way. That’s because in his head, the counting somehow missed the connection to the music. He moves at his own rhythm, and is very much possible to dance with, if you catch the rhythm and ignore the beat of what’s playing at the time. Since what’s playing is probably blasting, this will be hard. It will be even harder not to laugh in his face or want to make a sarcastic comment back at him when he says that you are not moving to the beat. But resist the urge. He has no clue that he’s not moving the right way. All your comment will do is create resentment, and possibly even badmouthing to other leads.

The Want-To-Learn: Be careful to distinguish between this guy and a know-it-all. The way you’ll know is probably because he won’t comment that you are moving the wrong way. He doesn’t really catch the rhythm either, but he knows about it and wants to learn! If you are gentle, he can very much be reminded that he needs to pause on three. And he needs to be reminded that, otherwise he won’t be a good lead! Ever. And he wants to!

The Beginner: You’ll know this one because he’s either 1. Too afraid to step out on the dance floor because he knows he sucks. 2. Is blissfully unaware that he sucks yet, and asks everyone to dance. This guy knows one turn. And if he’s stepping to the right beat he’s actually completely still possible to have fun with! Unless you are the aforementioned snobby follow who’s too good for three fourths of the dance floor. Give them a chance people and stop treating beginners like leprechauns! At one point you were a beginner as well.

The Hip-Hop Invasion: He thinks that Salsa is not really Salsa. And Quick-Quick-Slow, Quick-Quick-Slow, can be totally substituted with Slow-Slow-Slow-Slow. This is actually not a bad example of a lead, as many of you might think. They are a lot of fun and very inspiring, at least for me. But I can see how faithful Salseras might be offended by their shameless hip-hop invasion.

Mr. Lookin-Good: a.k.a. Mr. Selfish. His only goal in the dance is to look good. Not as a couple. Just him. He has style. He’ll do weird turns, weird hand movements and be overall smooth and fly. He doesn’t give jack if you can’t follow him or feel uncomfortable with his moves. He doesn’t care if you just stand there as well. All he cares about is looking good. He’s fun to dance with the first time, but then it just gets a little funny and ridiculous. After all, it takes two to Tango. Well it takes two to Salsa as well. This guy just forgot.

Mr. Puppet: He THINKS he’s fly. At least Mr. Lookin-Good really WAS. This guy is doing something with his body that reminds you either of pre-mortal convulsions or the devil doing his dance around you. He looks ridiculous. In fact, he looks so ridiculous that you are having a difficult time not laughing at him. He looks like a cross between a puppet on a string and a Billy goat. He might not be a bad lead, but he’s embarrassing to dance with, even for the follow who’s not too good for three fourths of the dance floor. If one of these got a hold of you, enjoy the show. Just try to pass your laughter for having a good time.

The Perfect Lead: Luckily, the characters above do not compile the majority of the dance floor. This character is based on WAY more than one, two or even five leads. He’s considerate. He’s smooth. He doesn’t make you feel stupid. He moves on time. He's feeling the music. He’s not pretentious and invokes no feelings of inferiority, suspense, embarrassment, or fear (for your safety or your ligaments’ health). He is himself. And you can be yourself with him. While dancing Salsa. That’s social dancing to me!


P.S.:
Mr. Extra Perfect: Unlike all the characters above, this one's only based on one real person. He's The Perfect Lead. And if he ever messes up, he gives you chocolate. You know who you are. :) :) :)

Confessions of a Commuter

Although I've complained about the commute many-a-time, it's actually not that big of a waste, considering everything goes well. If you look at it from the bright side, I've been given the gift of time. An hour each way on the bus or train, depending on when I leave, to be exact. This time has been invaluable in furthering my personal development. In one year, I've finished at least three times as many books as I've ever opened in High School and college combined!

Of course, sometimes things go terribly wrong... Here's what you need to do to be a likeable, happy commuter and avoid being hated on by an entire bus/train.

1. Smile and say good morning/day/evening to the driver. Thank them when you get off. I never realized how much it means until one driver actually commented on my "cheerful" attitude. A small courtesy goes a long way. Plus, this makes them remember you better. And the time when you forget your pass will inevitably come. Better be on a good foot with the driver then!

2. Get your pass/money/transfer ready BEFORE you get on the bus. Don't try to bargain with the driver! They're not the ones setting the rates, and all you'll get is your co-commuters and the driver annoyed. My point is, don't be holding up the line by starting to think about your fare when you're on the steps of the bus.

3. Busses and trains on the west coast are generally o.k. to chat in. However, I wouldn't advise it in the morning. That's when people catch up on sleep. But even in the afternoon -- keep your voice down. If you decide to play chess on the train, for the love of my eardrums, don't be commenting on your every move! Think to yourself. You already have a reputation for being the best: announcing it with every acquired figure just makes you look like a fifty year old idiot (who's acting five).

4. This is difficult to mention to your face but... brush your teeth in the morning. Use deodorant. People have to sit VERY close to each other...

5. If you are over thirty and hideous, please don't chat young girls up. The generous offer of personal/administrative assistant position will be laughed at and frownfully rejected. After all, we really do have the best one of THOSE already. Try CFO -- then we'll talk. Maybe.

6. If you are over thirty and hideous, and started asking questions about my bible... I WILL answer and share about Jesus with you. Please don't assume it's because I think you're cute. YOU started it. But what kind of Christianity would I be exhibiting if I just ignored your questions?

7. If planning to use the phone, once again, please be aware of how far some voices carry. Try to sit in the front -- that way only the driver will be suffering from your mindless/business blabber.

8. If you do decide to talk on the phone or to your neighbor loudly, please be aware of the fact that everyone can hear. At one point I was considering writing a book about the interesting bits of information I overheard on the train or bus. You never know who might be listening. I could be a stranger. Or I could be the best friend of that "idiot" worst boss you've ever had that you just so passionately badmouthed to YOUR best friend. In addition, dinner sounded great before you started sharing your biological problems. Oh, and I really didn't have to know that your babysitter's mother's cat gets its nails clipped at the 5th avenue groomers' that's owned by that slut who's slept with your fourth ex-husband fifteen years ago... Coincidence? You think not! (I think big time!!!)

9. If you snore, get medication. (Although that video of on youtube has been getting quite a few hits!)

10. Train is NOT a good place for excursions. Especially not the morning train. If you bring your elementary/middle school/government retirees class on board and start telling them about the history of Sound Transit... be prepared to get death stares. And yes, they are meant to make you uncomfortable. Because you just made everyone uncomfortable by waking them up!

11. Just be aware of the fact that you aren't the only person on the bus or train, and be curteous to the people riding with you. The rest is pretty much common sense.

Words to Live By from friends, family, and a few famous people :)

1. "What's glued will stay." Victoria Bessonov on hairspray (official holder of status "first friend ever")

2. "The clean house is not the one where people clean, but the one where people don't make a mess." Jenny Aseyev (official holder of status "best friend")

3. "You can have the best team in the world, but if you don't work on it, it crumbles." Kate Moss

4. "There are no ugly women. There are just lazy ones." Iman

5. "Fashions fade. Style is eternal." Yves St. Laurent

6. "When you face a dead end, just remember: there isn't a problem too big to solve on your knees." Andrey Bondarenko

7. "It's better to be lonely and alone than to be lonely and married." Mom.

8. "When you leave the space behind you pleasant for the next person to see, that's what makes you a true lady." Some person from a recent issue of either Glamour or InStyle.

9. "Temnota -- ne dryg molodezhi!" Eva Kienok (official holder of status "cousin")

10. "God determines the people you meet in your life. It's up to you to keep them." On someone's status on myspace...