#10 Keep Calm and Visit a Museum

Summer holidays are almost here!

Have you already decided on where to spend them, what places to visit and what to do?

There are many possible ways to have a great time, but here is the one that offers not only entertainment and fun, but also great atmosphere and cultural growth!  

Have you ever visited any museum or gallery at unusual night time? PRAGUE MUSEUM NIGHT 2014 that will be held on 14th of June (19:00-1:00) will give you this unique opportunity.

This year, the 11th Prague Museum Night includes 39 museums, galleries and other cultural institutions in 68 buildings. All visitors will enjoy a great program, rich collections of Prague museums and

galleries, and unique atmosphere.

Last year I participated at Museum Prague Night and it was truly amazing. There were so many things to visit, that at the beginning I didn't really know where to go. 

For example, on Museum Night 2013 I visited Jewish museum, Spanish Synagogue, Botanic Garden and small Chlupacovo Museum - History of Earth. I loved the places and what I saw there. What I liked most that the exhibition at night time was introduced in different light, which made it even more interesting 

I am really looking forward to visiting Prague museums this year. On my plans I have Prague Castle, Rudolfinum Gallery and some alchemist places.

Museum Night is a cultural event that is traditionally organised in cities all over Europe and attended by thousands of people!

This makes me think that nowadays generation is not totally degraded  and still there are normal individuals that are capable to enjoy the beauty of the past and future.

#9 Keep Calm and Be Tolerant

It's been already a week since the Eurovision song contest 2014 has finished and we found out the winner. But still it remains being a big occasion! As a result of a tense audience voting  in Copenhagen the crystal microphone won representative from Austria, "a woman with a beard" Conchita Wurst with the hit «Rise Like A Phoenix». 

The triumph of this singing phenomenon was more than predicted - from the first days of competition Conchita was discussed more than any other participants combined. Bookmakers immediately included ​​a "bearded woman" in the list of favorites. While participating countries of "Eurovision" were giving top points to Austria, Wurst was incessantly crying and stopped caring about her makeup. 

Conchita Wurst now is not only on all the headlines of newspapers and magazines around the world, but also is a star of the Internet. 

In recent days, the the singer was attacked with numerous curses and abuse from around the world, and after the Conchita's defeat some even called  Eurovision  as "degeneration of Europe".

It is been always sad to me to realise  that people nowadays are getting angrier and crueler. It is true that everyone has his own point of view on how to live life, how to behave and how to look like. And it is normal when people do not like something and try to change it in the way they see it. But to my mind, it should not be in a form of an opened aggression and hatred to people that seem different. Everyone has his own right to do what he wants and live how he wants. 

In case with Conchita, this image of "bearded lady" was not an accidental idea. She tried to deliver an important message about tolerance and respect to each other. 
People consider such weirdos as a bad example for the growing young generation. But in fact, what can we do to protect them from what they watch on TV and read in magazines? We can explain them what is good and what is bad, but we simply cannot put our brains to their heads and make them think differently in case they liked the "other way". 

My only solution to the issue is to improve our own life, keep calm and be tolerant.

#8 Orthodox Easter

April 20, 2014 marked as the holy day of Easter - feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Orthodox calendar, the most important holiday of Orthodox Christians .

Entire period before Ascension is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter , is considered as Eastern , and the Orthodox greet each other with "Xhristos Voskres!" or " The Lord Hath Risen! " and the response "He is Risen Indeed! " In Church Slavonic, this phrase is represented by the Cyrillic letters “XB,” a which appear on eggs, kulich, and the paskha. 

     It has long been assumed that the first meal after the Lent should 

be sanctified colored eggs, Easter cake (Kulich) and Easter curd

(Paskha) .

Custom of exchanging colored eggs has firmly entrenched in the life of the church. 

Red Easter egg symbolizes conquering Divine Love.  

Easter cake's (Kulich) shape resembles artos . Easter artos is a symbol of Jesus Christ. In Easter Paskha there are: a pone, sweet, raisins and nuts. 

 Properly prepared cake smells great and looks beautiful, it does not get stale and can stay for weeks without spoiling, all 40 days of Easter. Sweetness, pone, and beauty of Easter cake show the Lord's concern of every human being, His compassion and mercy to people.

    Another main dish on the Eastern table is Easter Paskha. But apart from its symbolic value, Easter Paskha is just delicious, exquisite dessert.

   Paskha is the image of endless joy and bliss of the saints, sweets of heavenly life, and blissful eternity. Mountain shape of Paskha represents the base of the new heavenly Jerusalem.

    Its main ingredients are: grated farmer cheese, butter, sour cream or cream, eggs (or just yolks) and sugar. People can also add raisins, candied fruits, jams syrup, lemon zest, cinnamon - it all depends on person's taste.  

Easter Paskha can be prepared in three ways - baked in the oven ; brew - when the ingredients are brought to the boil ; and cooled and compressed . 

All three types taste slightly different . But the taste does not depend on the method of cooking but on the quality of the ingredients and some fine process.

Recipe of Traditional Paskha:

Ingredients: 800g of farmer cheese, 100g of butter, 2 tbsp. of powder sugar, 0.5 tbsp. of sour cream, 5 eggs, 1 tbsp. of blanched almonds, 1 tbsp. of steamed raisins. 

1. Drain farmer's cheese of all moisture by placing cheesecloth in colander and weighting down with bricks or other heavy items. Drain overnight in refrigerator.
2. Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until creamy.
3. Whip 1/2 cup sugar with the 5 egg yolks until white.
4. Add the insides of 2 vanilla beans to the egg yolk. (cut in half and scrape inside out.) Chop the outside of 1 vanilla bean as finely as possible and add to egg yolk mixture.
5. Mix the butter-sugar mixture and the yolk mixture together.
   
   Add cheese and mix thoroughly.
6. Whip the whipping cream until firm and fold into above.
7. Line container of choice (wooden mold, clay flower pots or kitchen colander with damped cheesecloth.
8. Fill mold with cheese mixture, wrapping excess cloth over top. Make sure to place plate to catch drips underneath mold.
9. Refrigerate at least 6 days before you unmold the Paskha. Paskha should be firm to touch in order to hold the shape well.
10. Turn mold upside down onto decorative plate and gently pull the cheesecloth off.
11. Decorate with candied fruits, nuts, raisins or any other edible item you choose. Traditional decorations includes Christian symbols such as crosses, etc. This dish is only served during the Easter season in Russia.

Recipe taken from www.food.com

#7 Keep Calm and Easter is Coming

We celebrate Easter every year. 

But have we ever thought of how people celebrate this holiday in other parts of the world? 

I got interested in easter traditions of three exact countries: England, USA and France

England. 

For many people this holidays is even more religious than Christmas. Schools are closed for 2 weeks. The last Sunday before Easter is called Palm Sunday.  

Traditionally, people give each other hot cross buns and chocolate eggs filled with caramel.

Many citizens attend the evening Easter service that finishes at midnight. After the ceremony everyone congratulate each other on the end of Lent and the beginning of new life. 

Many churches are decorated with tree branches with swollen buds, narcissuses and painted bunnies. Traditional at Easter time people cook lamb with vegetables, bake Easter cakes, make different salads and dye eggs. In a Easter Period English people dance their famous Morris Dancing, where they are wearing costumes of Robin Hood. The most famous British Easter symbol is the Easter Rabbit, that can be seen everywhere in the shops and streets.

USA. 

On Easter Sunday American families obligatory visit church, where is held Easter service. The

Service is followed bib collective singing in honour of this holiday occasion. Traditional American Easter dinner consists of ham with pineapple, potato, fruit salad and vegetables. 

Children get a basked from the "Easter bunny" that in the early morning filled it with bright eggs, chocolate and sweets. 

In America there is a popular game named "Easter Egg Roll". The biggest competition is usually held in the South Lawn close to  White House. This year on Monday, April 21st, 2014 will be held the 136th  annual Easter Egg Roll. The event features live music, cooking stations, storytelling and many other activities. Thousands of children come with their Easter baskets, filled with bright painted eggs and roll them down the lawn near the president's  palace.

France. 

In this country Easter is a family holiday. French people make a tableful with traditional prays and gifts. 

At Easter time all french people necessarily go to church. In the Easter Sunday morning parents hide chocolate eggs in children rooms, and later children have to find them. It is a very old and funny tradition, coming from one generation to another. 

The main traditional dish is a fried chick. For dessert they serve cakes with chocolate filling. The main symbol of French Easter is a bell. On that day the bell's jingle can be heard from everywhere, which symbolises the continuation of life and fun.

#6 Keep Calm and Let Me Take a Selfie

    Nowadays hardly anybody does not know the word "selfie", except those who are really far from the  Internet or TV. At this moment millions of people in the whole world take selfies on their smartphones. Some people don't like selfies, but others became popular in the internet due to showy photos.  The photo, where a person takes a picture of himself is getting more and more popular in all social networks. Selfie - is a cultural phenomenon of the XXI century.

   Self-portrait genre has been known since a long time ago. Earlier it required several smart manipulations to take a picture of oneself, now it is just about to reach out a hand and press the camera  button on the phone. According to the research of the phenomenon, the word "selfie" appeared in Australia in 2002 on ABC forum.  Nowadays a selfie can be found on every social network, but perhaps it is more common in Instagram.

     As it turned out, not only ordinary people have a a temptation to take a picture of themselves but also the world leaders and celebrities. 

"Selfie" became more popular in the Internet after the Oscars Ceremony. 

The "selfie" taken by Ellen DeGeneres with such stars as Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep and others became the most popular photo in the history. 

In twitter this selfie was shared by two million users in less than 2 hours.

Another selfies that are famous all over the world:

Heaven selfie taken by the Pilot Of Swiss Air Force

Cosmic selfie by Akihiko Hoshide. 

Japanese astronaut took selfie ​in the open space, leaving the ISS, he picked the perfect angle with the sun glowing behind and Earth reflected on a spacesuit.

#5 One life One love One club

Every person has that one thing, one activity that allows to forget everything that is happening around them and dedicate their full focus to it. Some people find joy in doing sports, crating music, designing clothes..

In my case, it is supporting Chelsea Football Club.

It is difficult to say how and when exactly emerged my passion for football, but it seems like I have been supporting this team for my whole entire life.

Like any real football fan I will tell you, it is beyond simply watching the game and over the years you really become a part of this competitive community. 

I will always remember my first visit to Stamford Bridge in London - home of Chelsea FC. Me and my friend took a stadium & museum tour. The guided tour was a fun, informative and unforgettable experience. We had an opportunity to visit home & visitors dressing rooms, that are the most private parts of the stadium, also players tunnel, pitch side, and dugouts. The press room made the biggest impression on me, because sitting at the same table of a Chelsea captain and same seat of the Chelsea manager is not an every day moment.

Chelsea Museum was another fantastic place, that told us the story of the club through exciting interactive exhibits, touch screens and pioneering audio-visual shows.

Our 2-hour tour of the stadium finished by visiting chelsea megastore, where I bought presents for myself and my friends.

I loved the atmosphere at the stadium, I loved everything, starting from the stadium grass to the content of the football player's locker.

Another outstanding experience happened to me in Prague where I had a chance to visit 2 matches of my favourite football club, against Sparta Praha and Bayern München.
I will always remember the feeling of borderless happiness and euphoria that swallowed me up inside and then bursted out. I will always remember that priceless atmosphere of unity and friendship between Chelsea fans. We all were one big family.

The years that I've been supporting Chelsea has been extremely rewarding and at times emotional, from cheering in my room when Chelsea scores a goal to jumping with 20,000 people in the stadium, the experience cannot be described by words.

#4 Keep Calm and Accept the Truth

   Nowadays despite having access to the different sources of information, people still don't know everything, all details about issues they are interested in.

I found out that there is a way that can help people to learn more about political and social issues, as well as to educate and support. 

This weekend I had a chance to visit a special festival. Every year People in Need organises One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.

This is one of the foundations of People in Need organisation. People in Need is one of the biggest non-profit organisations in Central Europe. Activities of this organisation are mostly concentrated on supporting human rights, education and information programmes. 

From 3.03-12.03 this festival is held in Prague. There are documentary movies of different thematic categories. Our decision was to watch American Winter. This movie is based on true stories, shows the impact of the economic crisis on life of 8 American families. It is so sad to see how people of a former mid class turn into those ones who can't pay their bills or buy food. The main idea of the documentary is to show the weakening US welfare system and how the American Dream of these families actually is turning to American Horror.

To sum up, again it makes me think that changes should be definitely made to help people in such situations and make them a bit happier.. 

I advice everyone to visit the One World festival if it's possible, because I'm sure that you will find the movie that will open your mind and change your point of view on many things.