Time management Today in a speaking club we were discussing the topic of time management. We started by discussing a quote that says that time management is life management. I agree with it and I feel that one’s satisfaction with life depends on how efficiently they apportion their time and how well they’re able to prioritize. So if you fail to manage your time or fritter it away, you let your life go down the drain and you’ll regret it in the end. Then we discussed the most popular time eaters such as social networks, Youtube, computer games, and so on. It was interesting to know that teenagers don’t think their time is squandered on the above-mentioned distractions merely because they are having fun there. I mean, I feel that there’s a generation gap because my generation tends to equal social networks to idling away. Another point for discussion was time management techniques. It’s crucial to get your priorities right, otherwise, you could end up wasting all your time on the so-called urgent things instead of really important ones. Some people find keeping a to-do list helpful and they recommend to list no more than 3-4 goals per day, as it helps to prevent burnout and eliminate procrastination or just to avoid getting overwhelmed. Moreover, targets should be realistic and time boundaries are advised to be set as it enables them to allocate time efficiently and not to fall behind. In my case, goal setting never works. I’ve never managed to stick to my to-do list and I’ve failed both short-term goals and long-term ones. Next, we turned to the problem of procrastination. Many people suffer from a curse of perfectionism therefore they tend to put work off or leave it till the last moment, thus getting even more stressed. The tip was not to be overly perfectionist and to cut yourself some slack. They say it also helps to “eat a frog” which is the most unpleasant task first thing in the morning. As for me, I procrastinate a lot, maybe because of boredom. I mean, being pressed for time is stressful but exciting at the same time. All things considered, time management is an essential skill that has to be acquired to enjoy your life to the fullest.

Phones in my life When I was studying at university, I didn't have a mobile phone and used to call my parents from a phone box. I used to buy a 50 rubles' phone card which I tried to spin out. In addition, there were always lots of other students waiting in a queue and thus unintentionally eavesdropping on your personal conversations. I felt ill at ease and tended to hung up just right after reassuring my parents that I was fine and learning the latest news. So my call would normally last for 2 minutes. Sometimes I couldn't get through because my family shared a line with a neighbour who spent hours on the phone. At such moments I was mad at her because there was no bigger frustration to a homesick me than to hear that the line was engaged. When I got a mobile phone, things got better and I would talk to my mum longer. However, the first call from the mobile wasn't that easy because I didn't know that it was necessary to dial the national code.

Donald Trump The article is about Donald Trump being accused of potential obstruction of justice in the probe into his collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. Tump allegedly sacked the former director of the FBI because of the latter's unwilligness to let go an investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with the high-ranking Russian officials. In addition, President reportedly tried to influence the head of the National Security Agency and the director of national intelligence so that they would issue statements denying evidence of his ties with Russia in the 2016 campaign.

How do you usually relax when you have free time? In my free time I like reading because I find it really relaxing. There is nothing more laid-back than spending time on a sofa with a good book in one hand and a cup of tasty tea in the other. I'm into fiction, especially romantic, fantastic and crime one. I've just finished reading "1984" by George Orwell. To say that this novel impressed me greatly is to say nothing. It's frighteningly true-to-life. The writer described an imaginary society of total control and surveillance, but it looks as though our society is on the way to become the one. I was struck by the idea of ambiguous thinking. It made me realize that people could be forced to believe whatever nonsense unquestioningly.

What do you like about the place where you were brought up? One of the things I like about my native village is the peace and quiet. It's a place where everybody knows one another. Another thing I enjoy is a steppe with peculiar air, stunning sunsets and wild wind. And I'll always remember the taste of the local water.

Why do people like listening to different kinds of live music? I think there are a lot of reasons why people like listening to live music. The most important one is music itself. When you are at a live gig you immerse into sound, rhythm is beating in your veins, you become music. You feel music with all your body, you live it. Another reason is because of incredible atmosphere created by lots of people becoming the whole, singing along in unison. It seems to me, people enjoy being a part of the whole, yet staying an individual. It's a way of socializing.

Family pastime All the photos show some popular family pastimes such as skating at a skating rink, having a birthday party, playing a video game and doing up. The families look happy. They are obviously enjoying the time they are spending together. My younger brothers and I used to skate together, but we have never done that with our parents. We only had a pair of skates when we were children but it never prevented us to have great fun. In our childhood we would celebrate our birthdays in the family circle, but now we hardly ever get together. We prefer doing it with friends, because it feels right and it's more interesting. As for doing up inside the house, we usually do it together with my mom. In general, we rarely spend time together as a family, but if we do, we really enjoy having a picnic. It's really a pity we can't stay together for a long time and find an activity interesting for all of us. We have become egotists. I think spending time together makes people a family because you get to know one another better.

The novel I read today In the morning I read a novel called Poor Liza by Karamzin. It's a story about a fifteen-year-old peasant girl Liza who falls in love with a man from the upper class. Her innocence and beauty attracted the so called gentleman who was sick and tired of his routine pastime. Erast felt himself a better person around her. He was proud of their platonic relationships, yet he wanted to keep them a secret from Liza's mother. They spent late evenings and early mornings together walking in the countryside, enjoying the beauty of the nature and talking about their mutual love. One day Liza ran to him in tears. She got a proposal from a rich peasant and her mother wanted her to accept it. The girl passionately seeked consolation in the man's hug and she woke up his desire of physical love. From that moment every meeting was full of it but he was getting more and more distant from her, because there was no innocence left for him to be proud of and because there was nothing new in such relationships for him. Once he told her he was going to the war as that was his officer's duty. From that moment on she spent days waiting for him to come back alive. One day she went to the city to buy some medicine for her mother and she saw him. She was so happy but he told her they had to split up as he was going to marry. She slowly went away, miserable and frustrated, to the lake they used to have a magic time together. And she intentionally fell into water and got drowned. The plot is as old as the world, but I really felt pity for Liza and I hated Erast. She was so innocent and naive and she loved him from the bottom of her heart, so deeply as only few people can. He was disgusting as their love was just his whim, his attempt to try something unknown and it meant nothing for him.

My impressions on the novel I read today In the morning I read a novel called Poor Liza by Karamzin. It's a story about a fifteen-year-old peasant girl Liza who falls in love with a man from the upper class. Her innocence and beauty attracted the so called gentleman who was sick and tired of his routine pastime. Erast felt himself a better person around her. He was proud of their platonic relationships, yet he wanted to keep them a secret from Liza's mother. They spent late evenings and early mornings together walking in the countryside, enjoying the beauty of the nature and talking about their mutual love. One day Liza ran to him in tears. She got a proposal from a rich peasant and her mother wanted her to accept it. The girl passionately seeked consolation in the man's hug and she woke up his desire of physical love. From that moment every meeting was full of it but he was getting more and more distant from her, because there was no innocence left for him to be proud of and because there was nothing new in such relationships for him. Once he told her he was going to the war as that was his officer's duty. From that moment on she spent days waiting for him to come back alive. One day she went to the city to buy some medicine for her mother and she saw him. She was so happy but he told her they had to split up as he was going to marry. She slowly went away, miserable and frustrated, to the lake they used to have a magic time together. And she intentionally fell into water and got drowned. The plot is as old as the world, but I really felt pity for Liza and I hated Erast. She was so innocent and naive and she loved him from the bottom of her heart, so deeply as only few people can. He was disgusting as their love was just his whim, his attempt to try something unknown and it meant nothing for him.