Just describing a ring (writing day 18) Once my friend gave a ring to me for my birthday. The ring was handcrafted by her (she was studying jewelry making) and that's why I really love it. It looks pretty unusual and consists of two parts, each one made from a different type of metal. An outer path made of brass can be spin around an inner path which made of silver. Also, there is my name engraved inside the ring. I didn't like wearing jewelry before I got this ring 7 or 8 years ago, but now I'm used to it. I can’t leave the house without wearing this ring and any earrings, and even when I'm sitting at home it is always right next to me. It is very nice to hold it in hands and spin while I'm thinking about something.

Once my friend gave a ring to me for my birthday. The ring was handcrafted by her (she was studying jewelry making) and that's why I really love it.

Mysterious Case of Ronald Opus Once a man named Ronald Opus decided to take his own life by jumping off the top of a 10-floor building. But when a medical examiner received the body, he found that the man had been killed by a shotgun blast to the head WHILE committing suicide. Anyway, in most cases, the situation when a person committed suicide, even though the cause of death might not be what he intended, is still defined as committing suicide. But in this case, there was a safety net had been installed on the 8-floor level to protect window washers from falling. Ronald Opus didn't know about it. As a result, that case could be defined as homicide. A further investigation appeared that the bullet that caused Ronald’s death was actually shot from the room on the 9 floor, which was occupied by an elderly man and his wife. The neighbors told that this couple used to fight all the time. The old man stated that he used to threaten his wife with the gun, but both he and his wife insisted that the shotgun remained unloaded all the time. While investigating the case, the examiner learned that a relative of the old couple saw their son loading the shotgun. It appeared that the old lady had cut off her son’s financial support, so he planned to get rid of his old parents. He loaded the gun with the expectation that his father would shoot his mother and would be jailed. So, during another fight, the old man was threatening his wife with the shotgun. He pulled the trigger, but he completely missed his wife, and the bullet went through the window hitting Ronald at the time when he was committing suicide. And the most interesting part of the story is that their son was in fact Ronald Opus. As a result, the medical examiner closed that case as a suicide. This is one of the famous fictitious stories that first appeared on the Internet in August 1994. It was told by the president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Dr. Don Harper Mills in 1987 at a banquet for members of that organization to show “how different legal consequences can follow each twist in a homicide inquiry”.

Speaking for introverts (writing day 16) Is it important to practice speaking if you are shy? Well, I think, that it depends on your reasons. Maybe you learn a language to be able to read books, or to listen to podcasts, or to chat with people, then you can relax about speaking. But if you want to travel to another country (and talk to the locals) you need to get used to speaking. So, how you can improve that skill in the most comfortable way? 1. Lessons. You may study in a small group (2-3 people) to have enough time to think about your answers. But, of course, individual lessons would be much better. You can use Skype or any other platform, and in that way, you'll stay in your territory, in your safety zone. You should find a good teacher who is comfortable to be with. Probably, they may be your only conversationalist, so, try to find the perfect one for you. 2. Language exchange. You can just chat with a person first and then you maybe do a video call. But there is a possibility that you would just waste a time to feel ready for that conversation instead of pushing yourself and do it earlier. 3. Self-talk. Finally, you should try to practice talking to yourself in the target language aloud. You can start speaking about any topic and anytime you want. You can even prepare for a conversation with a native speaker this way!

Kids love scary stories (writing day 15) It is a common fact that children (to be honest, some adults too) like scary stories. They are read them and tell each other imaginary anecdotes. There is an opinion that the spooky stuff is a type of rehearsal for real-life fears, and with their help, children learn how to deal with a scare and other traumas. When I was a child, we are used to "invoke the spirits". There were special rituals - funny and frightening at the same time, normally performed in the darkness with candles and mirrors... It sounds scary, isn't it? There were kind spirits, like the Wish-getting Dwarf and the Bubblegum King, or funny, like the Abusive Dwarf, but also were dangerous, like the Queen of Spades. She could tell the truth (in other versions - to answer to one question or to get a wish) or kill if the ritual was performed incorrectly. As I know, the story of that character is similar to the story of Bloody Mary and the summoning rituals are almost the same. Unfortunately, I can't remember any rite I used to perform (but I'm sure that I made it). I wonder if modern-day Russian children perform any rituals, and what spooky child rites there are in different countries.

How fearlessness helps us to learn languages (writing day 14) When we start to learn a new language (or to improve any new skill), we are full of fears - fear of making errors, or to making a fool of ourselves, or maybe of disappointing yourself (if you think that you are not making any progress). Also, you have to start from being like a baby again, to learn a lot of simple words, and you are unable to express yourself naturally yet. So, you can decide not to use this language as long as you don't feel more confident, and you could wait for it forever, because there’s no such thing as a perfect moment. As a result, you are immobilized by destructive fear. Fearlessness is very helpful because it pushes you out of your comfort zone. You start to use language as much as possible, and yes, of course, you make mistakes, but you can learn from them and move on. However, you can't become a fearless person in one day, it is a long journey, but each, even small, victory over fear adds to your confidence and helps you to overcome anxiety.

The potato in Russia (writing day 13) I don't have enough time to write a good large entry today, so I wrote this short text 😅 It's hard for me to imagine what was included in the Russian diet in ancient times. So many ingredients which today is grown all over the country were unknown to medieval Russians. Potatoes, cucumbers, and tomatoes weren't grown in Russia, and a lot of other plants were imported from the New World and Southeast Asia. When the potato was first introduced in Russia, it was very unpopular. It was considered to be poisonous (a lot of farmers were poisoned with solanine) and used to called "devil's apple". It took a long time to become common, and it needed government interventions - for instance, there used to be laws mandating the cultivation of potatoes in many districts. The offenders were supposed to be exiled to Belarus to build the Babruysk fortress. It's so commonly found in Russian cuisine in modern times that it in fact becomes more difficult to name a dish without it than with it.

Extreme sports, part 2 (writing day 12) As I said I used to go paragliding for two years. Why paragliding? I love the freedom of flying. A skilled paraglider in contrast to skydiver or bungee jumper can stay in flight for hours gliding through the air with an elevation gain. Also, I like simplicity - can you imagine, that your flying equipment might be placed in a backpack? It feels like you could go anywhere with your glider, open it in a few minutes and fly into the sky. It's not that simple, of course:) You rely on the weather conditions, your fitness, and luck. Sometimes waiting for good weather window lasts for hours, but having the privilege to see the world from a birds-eye view worth it. I like to watch the beautiful landscapes while flying. Being up in the air made all (including me and my problems) seems tiny, and I felt so ease, calm and comfortable in the sky. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to do it, I'll never forget these feelings and I hope to enjoy it next year.