First, I am a poet.
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But I am also a lover and a fragment sort of girl; I string moments together in a timeline and call it coherent. There is only the narrative that you narrate.
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I am a keener. I read more blogs and articles than I do books for school. I am often online and often trying to disengage. I want to do everything in the best way and shortest amount of time.
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I am a devoted cook; a coddling and frustrating sister; a movie-and-tv-show-watcher extroardinaire; a memory-lacking sleep-lover; a lovely debate partner; a pain in the ass princess; a hopefull photographer; a lover of melody, song, and quiet moments with friends; a woman-empowering machine; a creator; a breakfast-clubbian; a girlfriend of a wonderful, breathtaking, life-changing man; a daughter of jokers and clean-freaks; an annoyed student; a fervent writer; and my name is Arina Kharlamova.
If you’re determined to dig a little deeper, I’m scattered all over the world wide web, where things of more tangible consequence are found. (There’s also a few videos of me belly-dancing and bursting into tears after reading a poem [not simultaneously], but if I showed you those, I’d have to make a computer demon hunt you down for me.)
You can email me at kharlamovaa [at] gmail.com. Or find me…
I found your blog via wordpress tag surfing. I see we share some tastes like “A Softer World” and of course poetry.
I have some Russian experiences visiting Moscow in Oct ’91 and being an American convert to Orthodoxy. I suppose I spend more time around Russians than I would have thought.
I look forward to following your work.
Cool beans! I love a softer world… Joey Comeau keeps being all around Toronto at the wrong times, so I keep missing him, but one day! One day I will meet that guy.
That’s pretty cool though – 91 was an interesting year to visit Moscow, that’s for sure. As for Orthodoxy, I’m not very Orthodox, although my family is. I’ve strayed and all that North American stuff..
Thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate you taking the time to do so…
Out of curiosity, what made you to convert to Orthodoxy?
Yeah, we almost cancelled our trip in 91 because… tanks and things are scary. I’m glad I went.
There are a number of books published these days about Westerners finding Orthodoxy (as if it were lost under the bed or something). I suppose I could write such a book (it would be boring for others to read).
I’m not sure how to sum it up. I suppose I would say that I do not like modern life much. I appreciate modern medicine and technology (tech is what I do for a living). But I do not like the modern way of life. There is a transient nature to relationships that makes me lonely. There is a rationalism that strips out wonder.
Now, there is something modern, even in Orthodoxy, because the Churches are full of modern people. However, there is also something else there. Something very old and very deep. Something richer and better than this meaninglessness.
I really do wish I could explain it, but it might take hours even if we talked face to face.
You might be surprised just how many Americans are finding and joining what was a Church of immigrants here in the West. Some say there are as many convert American priests as Orthodox born!
I would HIGHLY recommend:
http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/
His blog was very important as a part of my journey.
I meant to add you to my blog roll a while ago. (You had a different theme, I think, when it occurred to me the first time.)
I’ll do it right now instead of thinking of it again, in five months, and then getting distracted by a fruit fly.
Don’t worry, I’ve gotten distracted by those fascinating fruit flies more than once. Thank you!
Love your writing, it really opens my mind!