Slavic Breakdown

The car broke, but we were very lucky and it was an easy $95 fix. Gasoline was literally streaming out from under the tank, but with a little tape, glue and chewing gum, Roma fixed us right up--What a mechanic! (I'm kidding, a new gas filter and some kind of rings here and there and we are as good as new in our 2001 Dodge Caravan) This car WILL last for a long time, because it is ours (not the banks) and we will take care of it and we are lucky with cars. I am "Secreting" it.

We got to spend a whole day as a carless family with lots of plans all over town. We ended up only doing one of them, but it was a day well spent. This week was Old New Year and the Slavic Organization in Portland put on a full day event. We all hopped in the Max to SE 122nd and spent the day singing, dancing and listening to amazing bards.

It is so nice to see people who value culture and know how important it is to keep it for their kids. Not only giving value to your own culture--that is the root of understanding how valuable other cultures are too. At the Slavic festival, where many times only Russian was spoken, there was a regular white American family with their two little adopted girls from Guatemala. They spent the entire day, about 5-6 hours, just like us enjoying everything. There was also an Asian family who spoke Mandarin and Russian at home.

With all the wars and worldwide disagreements, it seems like countries and people who want to keep their monoculture are just asking to suffer. If people need to fight anything, the struggle is only with themselves; to keep the heritage they came from and not let it get lost in this globalized world. Then to be open enough to share it with others, without trying to change or judge others because of what or how they live. The world has so much value and things to offer beyond materialistic and monetary rewards.

To extend our cultural experience, we chatted with our co-Max Commuters on the way home. Alyosha sat next to a little boy about his age and his Mom was standing close by. Somehow we started a conversation over small talk and it turns out that this woman has 6 kids. Roma noticed the mom's red hair and the kids red, splotchy hair and he asked her if all her kids had red hair. She said, amazingly enough that they didn't and I told Roma that red hair is a recessive gene, so it is unusual for kids to get red hair unless both parents have the red hair gene. That is when the mom started to tell us more of her story..."the father of my first and third kid had dark black hair but their hair is blond and the father of my second kid has brown hair and so does she--but with red highlights. The father of my fourth kid was blond, but he has jet black hair just like your coat..." she didn't mention the father of the last two, but that was enlightening enough for the evening Max ride home.

More on The Secret

Maybe it isn't such a good idea to watch The Secret and allow attraction to affect your everyday life like I have been talking about. Here is what happened to us this weekend:

It was supposed to be a 3 day weekend for us. Romka took off on Friday so that we could go visit a friend who moved to Yaccolt. We were going to spend a wonderful day outside in the gorgeous weather and the kids were going to play together like angels and we were going to grill our dinner over the fire--the idea was perfect. Then, I am not sure why, except for the fact, maybe, that the friend that we were going to visit has a broken hand and foot and if there was anything that she needed help doing we would of course do for her--but, Romka took a sick day instead of a vacation day.

Well, as attraction laws work, Romka attracted himself a real sick day. He got to deal with 3 sick people at home, with liquids and foods flying out of their bodies in various directions. He got to spend half his sick day cleaning up puke and the other half of the day in the Emergency Room.

We are all better now. Over our stomach virus--and Roma never got it. Let me suggest the next time you are really sick, take a vacation day -- you will be automatically better and maybe some plane tickets will just fall into your lap.

News, lots of News

To start off, we have bought our plane tickets to Estonia. The opportunity came up quick, and we got the tickets and now we are off--on July 19th. That is the first big news. Yeah!! Estonia in the summer, I am looking forward to it.

Second, the Secret. To date, still no waiting for the street car. AND on top of that, this evening when I went to the grocery store, I didn't have to stop at any red lights--all green! (and there are about 10 between here and the store) Don't worry, I know that I will have to stop at red lights once in a while, and I will have to wait longer than 2 mintues for the street car. But, there really is something to positive thinking. Through positive thoughts and faith that something greater than you is keeping this world together, life is very different and much better. Like that Italian movie, "Life is Beautiful"

Here is the actual second news: Luka is starting to crawl. His little positive attitude that he can do anything that his big brother can do--and an intense stare at the dump truck, led him right there! See the video: click here (9MB streaming, Windows Media)

AND the third news is the actual Channel 2 KATU news here in Portland. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far. They interviewed the kids down at the Park, and Aleksei-our star- went up the the camera guy and shared his own thoughts. He got the last words in the news spot! "Splish, Splash, Splish" We have it recorded and will insert it here in this blog--but tomorrow, because it's not converted yet for the internet.

Ok, here is a copy of Aleks' news interview. (21MB streaming, Windows Media)

The Secret

We watched this documentary a couple of weeks ago called “The Secret.” It is considered a self-help film and I heard so many reviews from it that I decided to see what it was all about. The book is a best seller right now. I did totally have the feeling that the type of people who would watch this film were the ones also listening to the ‘repeat after me, I am a great person’ tapes in their car. There is teacher after teacher (that is what they call them) saying you can know the secret too and attract anything you want into your life. Just imagine what it feels like to have the things that you want and you will attract them. Usually you think of what you don’t want, and that shows up; like if you have a lot of debt and fret over it, it will just pile up and up. Instead, the Secret says that you are activating the thought of exactly what you don’t want while fretting over the debt. Instead, think of being debt free, focus on being debt free and the good feelings. Forget the worries, set up an automatic payment, don’t even think about the debt you have and focus only on a debt free life. Soon that is exactly what you will be.

For the past couple of weeks I have been testing this theory with catching the street car. I always, I mean always just miss the street car. Every time I came down the elevator from our apartment and left the door, I started running and telling Alyosha to hurry up because we are going to miss the street car. And when I looked down the street, we saw the street car at the next stop-missed it by a minute! This happened time after time. Now, since The Secret, I have been imagining the street car at the previous stop and pulling around the corner just as I walk up to the stop. It is almost scary! Every single time (except once, but I will get to that in a minute) the street car has been exactly where I imagined it. I don’t hurry or think about the schedule at all anymore. As I walk up to place where I can look back and see the street car coming it is in the exact same place every time. I take the street car every day a few times a day. And every time I have not had to wait more than 2 minutes. Well, except for once. This one time it said 8 minutes until the next street car. I decided that there was a reason, so I would walk and look out for it. Low and behold, Romka called and said that he just found out that he may be going away for business a lot this summer and it looks like we (the kids and I ) are going to be able to go to Estonia. The only thing is that we need to get Luka’s passport as soon as possible, so we needed to meet him at the Rite Aid for passport photos. Look up, and I was walking right past Rite aid! If I was on the tram I wouldn’t have been there. Yes, it is coincidence. It is all coincidence. But with a positive attitude we are totally attracting positive outcomes, at least with the street car. It hasn’t worked with Roma's stocks yet, but we are not going to give up.


So, here is the deal. For years and years we have wanted the apartment next to Roman’s parents. It would be perfect for us to stay in when we visit Estonia. It would be even more perfect as a little rental for Gala to have for extra retirement and income. We want this apartment. We need this apartment! I am hereby attracting it, officially on our blog. We will be able to afford it because it will be so cheap—we looked at the price, can you believe $50,000 for a 2 room unrenovated apartment! We will get gracious help from the universe that is paying attention to our needs. So here is our first attempt. Don’t worry, we don’t expect the money to fall into our hands, that is not how the world works and we know it! But, gathering that much money before July will take the help of nations! So with our blood and sweat, and the circulation of anonymity of donations and pure positive thinking and faith that you truly are provided with what you need-we will get the apartment for our trip this summer. You can even help—and just think that you will have part of a summer house in Estonia, utopia in the summer months. Just donate to the Estonia apartment fund through Paypal with the button below. It is secure and safe and simple. Hey, positive thinking has made riding the street car much more pleasant! And I really am a good person.