Cash or card? Do you often use cash? I've almost forgotten what it is. For me, as a customer, cash is inconvinient to use. It is not only dirty (in meaning of hygiene), it also uses place and it needs to be counted repeatedly in order to remember how much cash money do you have at the moment. Card is much more useful: it is compact, it size doesn't depends on the ammount of money in your account. In addition to that you can participate in different programms of loyality that are provided by banks and have a cashback from your purchases. In result, if you're a client you shoud use card instead of cash. It helps you to save money and reduces your financial risks.

Discipline or freedom? Today I had a tough conversation with my boss. We've talked about discipline. She is strict, but effective manager and I try to learn from her as much as I can. I'm not afraid of discipline and I can work in hard conditions (lack of time, high responsibility, few of resourses). Also it is very important for me to feel a freedom in choosing my way of managing my department. I find it very complicated to hold a balance between freedom and discipline. The best way to do this, I suppose, is to be democratic in discussion and to be autocratic in excecution. What do you think?

Favourite weather What kind of weather do you prefer? A lot of people wait for summer during all other time of year. In contrast with them, I patiently hope that there will be no summer from April until October. It is so because in these months the weater in my place can make some surprises. For example, 30 degrees celsius (86F) all day and night long for several days or even a few weeks. To my mind 20 degrees C (68F) is much more comfortable for alive human beings. What do you think?

What is similar between Russian Toliatty and US Pennsylvania? Short answer is nature. I've been to Penn state 10 years ago and the most unexpected thing for me was nature there and how it looks like cites in the place where I was born. The same pines, same clear river and rocks (not high mountains, but 10-50 meters high cliffs where you can do some rock climbing or jump into water from the high place). There were much more differencies, but it is really awesome to know that you and your place have somethingin common with cities and areas on the other side of the planet.

Friday parenting Friday always was the symbol of the future weekend and weekend is a symbol of leisure time and hobbies. Everything changes when you become a parent. Friday is not an exception. You can't just lay down on the couch and watch some TV shows as you were able to do some months before. Instead of this pleasure evening you usually get drowned in daily babycare routine. Some people think that it is a hell and prefer childfree life, others think that it is what they live for and they stay happy-in-parenting. I choose practical way of thinking: my new fridays have pros and cons. It is now way much harder to reach some long-term goals, like learning English and preparing for the IELTS exam. But have you seen my son's smile? It is awesome)

Finding a sales manager Today I examined several CVs in order to find some good candidates to a sales manager position that had become vacant in my department. It was really exciting, well, as always. When you're taking someones CV and begin reading it, you're feeling like you are exploring the ones life. It is just a professional part of the personality. But it contains goals and faults, and victories - all the stuff that made this employee himself. I don't like history, but I enjoy reading CVs, because they are the mirrors of what the person has achieved in his career and what worker he is now. And all of this has to be the guide to the decision whether the man will succeed in his future job.

Back from hospital Today I brought my family back from hospital. Being there was awful. Not all of the hospitals in Russia are bad. Actually, ten years ago I was diagnosed hypertension and I was healed in cardiology department. It was pretty nice - silently, with strong schedule, calm neibours and pretty inters. Felt like vacation. This time our medical experience was the result of a mistaken diagnosis for my two months old son. We were told that he's got otitis, despite the fact that the next day doctor couldn't find any symptoms of illness. Pediatric department is loud, children are shouty and our schedule was totally broken. There are two options in choosing rooms - standart room for five people (which is absolutely impossible to live in with little baby) or paid room for two people. We've chosen the second variant and we have payed for both places in the room in order to be alone there. It was hard, but finally we are at home. Happy and healthy. Be healthy, or as we say in Russia, Будьте здоровы!