Monday, August 26, 2013

Eagle is for the Libertarian Party of Russia.


August 18 was my 18th happybirthday. It was also the day I officially joined the Libertarian party of Russia (LPR)*. Actually, I was already a member of this party however a state law prohibits those who are underage from joining any party. So, here is the story.

Eagle is the official
symbol of the LPR

* Please, make sure you read this article first not to take me to a sectarian freak, because libertarianism is the most beneficial thing that can happen to you in this world.


That day started in Misha's apartment where we spent our fist night together, the night when I didn't come back home for the first time in my life, almost two years ago. I woke up early in the morning (as I didn't have enough time to get over my jetlag from arriving from Tokyo) to find that Misha wasn't sleeping since 6 am. Idk, but it makes me somehow happy to wake up near Boyfriend when he is already awake (don't misunderstand me, I experienced it only two times in my live).


As it turned out, this day was also the important day for the LPR in the process of its registration, the day when all the documents were finally formally ready. It's a pretty hard process to register a political party in Russia as the state law requires to have at least 500 members from at least 50 regions to be officially registered. Moreover, after this requirement is archived at least a half of members should attend the constituent assemblies in each region. The assembly in my city, Moscow, was planned to be exactly on August 18, 12:00.

Vera, Paul and their cat Marseillaise. Libertarians.

We decided to meet Boyfriend's friends before the party conference, but we woke up too early and the friends were too sleepy. It meant that we had to occupy ourselves with smth for nearly two hours, so we looked through some albums in Misha's library, I read some Ghost World, then we looked through some more albums and then it was time to leave. Actually, the plan was to intrude to the friend's appt a little bit earlier than we were told but luckily for them Boyfriend's albums were too interesting. So technically, we were even late. But really, nobody was waiting for us. On the contrary, it looks like we came somehow unexpectedly as Vera was having breakfast, Paul immediately hid in the bedroom and Marseillaise hadn't enough time to realize that to hid with Paul was a better idea before Misha started to squeeze it. And I? I behaved in accordance with the ideal scenario for me – I was sitting in the corner..

observing.

In half an hour, though, we were already on the metro platform where we met one more friend and headed to the meeting place all together.


Daria and her fluffy backpack. Not really
 a libertarian but she agreed to join us
to help the party with the registration.

Attention. Not so important information. Feel free to scroll it down.

1. Boyfriend and others bought some confections in a nearby bakery and I got a cup of chopped watermelon (they had smth like a watermelon themed week. they were selling even a watermelon soup!) and a straight black coffee (at least I don't use Instagram to picture my lunches, can you please excuse my food flood for a second in here).

2. As we walked towards the meeting place Misha had an argument with Paul (who is a student of a historical faculty) about some interesting historical/architecture stuff but lost a bet and it was so cute to look at.

Then, was the assembly, where I finally was officially registered and given a membership card and a stupid photo capturing the moment.


And then, someone brought lots of propaganda stickers which I decorated my macbook (and the membership card too) with.



All in all we met a lot of people that day, were chatting a lot, fussed a lot.. For a moment, I didn't want it to end to such an extent that I didn't want to leave Moscow, not so soon at least. Now, it's already 26th and I still hesitate if I want to return to Tokyo, although I still don't have any friends here in Moscow but I started to feel happy to be with Boyfriend's.

The truth is, that we came back to Moscow only because of Boyfriend's holidays, the first half of which we wanted to spend at home and the other half hiking in Bhutan. However, I'm writing this post from Georgia (country, not a state) where we unexpectedly arrived to participate in Bazaleti Summer School of Economics which starts today after we finish our breakfast.

Yesterday, I had a great chance to meet even some more people who were also libertarians which calms me down a lot. But for the time when new people came to our table and it was my turn to introduce myself there was already fifth cup of coffee inside me, so I was all shaking and barely managed to say a few of sentences. But I did it! And continued to shake.

Monday, August 12, 2013

P U S S Y R I O T



I am a complete lack of feminism. "There's a man and a little girl who need him.." and bla. Second, there is a few people alive who I really give respect to.

And then, Tolokno comes in. Actually, she came in a lot of times before. Sometimes naked. Sometimes amazingly gross. It was ok, because aside from being a feminist, she was (and still is) a punk. Also, she has a daughter who turns 6 next year. I even met her husband in person. He is an anarchist. Aand also a punk.

And then, was that performance in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow on February 21 and as a conclusion, the imprisonment of the three of girls including the leader, Tolokno. 

This scandal might lead to nothing. Or there could be no scandal at the first place. But there was a scandal, but with two great consequences: Putin's Russia was disclosed, and the world opened a new feminism icon and she is Russian. 


And if you are not Russian, but heard something about the band and think that they should be all right girls because, well, Madonna supports them, I want you to know about them a little more, I want you to respect them for more. So here some basic facts about the whole thing.



  • Pussy Riot is not just a feminism movement, their actions are aimed against (and it's very important) the policies of Russian President dictator  Vladimir Putin and the hypocrisy of the Russian Orthodox Church (church is no good for you. pretty NEVER – editor's note) and they also stand up for the LGBT rights.
  • Pussy Riot band consists approximately of 13 members but all of them are anonymous (except of the scandalous three) wearing bright balaclavas and going under nicknames (my favorite are Tomcat and Seraphima, sorry for such a revelation).
  • The group cites punk rock and speaks about Bikini Kill and Karen Finley as well as the Riot grrrl movement as their inspiration. 

Aand more quotes:

"What we have in common is impudence, politically loaded lyrics, the importance of feminist discourse and a non-standard female image. The difference is that Bikini Kill performed at specific music venues, while we hold unsanctioned concerts. On the whole, Riot Grrrl was closely linked to Western cultural institutions, whose equivalents don't exist in Russia."

Aand more wiki for those who are familiar with this stuff:
In a February 2012 interview with Vice magazine, Pussy Riot member "Serafima" named her major feminist influences as Simone de Beauvoir, Andrea Dworkin, Emmeline Pankhurst, Shulamith Firestone, Kate Millett, Rosi Braidotti and Judith Butler.





  • You don't have to criticize their vocal abilities as its already been said by themselves: "You don't have to sing very well. It's punk. You just scream a lot."
  • Whatever place they consider as a new stage, their performances will always be unsanctioned. They will never perform on a real stage as they can't stand being a part of the "capitalistic system" as they call it. Instead, they usually appear at somehow symbolic places. Starting with several metro stations and tram's roofs, they also appeared atop of a garage beside the prison, where opposition activists were being held, once they performed at the Lobnoye Mesto in Red Square, and their last video was shoot atop of an oil derrick and a petrol station where they covered a portret of the chairman of "Rosneft" (an oil company owned by the government) with black oil-like dirt.
  • On February 21, 2012, five members of the group staged a performance on the soleas of Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior which the women described as a protest directed to the Church leader's support for Putin during his election campaign. In spite of this, when the three of them where chased and captured by the authorities, the judge stated that they had "crudely undermined the social order" showing a "complete lack of respect" for believers, so they were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, and each was sentenced to two years imprisonment.


  •  On October 10, following an appeal, Samutsevich was freed on probation, her sentence suspended. The sentences of the other two women were upheld. In late October 2012, Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were separated and sent to prison.
  • Mark Feygin, the creepiest lawyer for the girls, stated that they would appeal the verdict, but that "Under no circumstances will the girls ask for a pardon [from Putin] ... They will not beg and humiliate themselves before such a bastard". Tolokonnikova in her turn stated that "Our imprisonment serves as a clear and unambiguous sign that freedom is being taken away from the entire country."





Well, as I already said, I don't like them from an aesthetic point of view, but I respect them for their active political position which led to the worldwide scandal. They make the world listen to the story about what really happens in Russia. Now there is one more question in my pre-communication questionnaire: "What do think about the whole thing?"




Monday, August 5, 2013

Beginner's mind


Let's go straight to the point. You know what is common between Boyfriend and a laptop? Probably, you don't. Well, the thing is they both hate coffee which disappoints me a lot. I really NEED like coffee and drink it every day but both my favorite guys can't (well, one of them couldn't. Rest in peace, mac) stand it at all. The one and only difference is that I can't hurt Boyfriend with my coffee-love (well, physically at least) but I can't tell this about my mac. 

After a first cup of coffee, I had to replace the front panel to completely new one (there were no longer Russian letters on it so I learned to touch-type). A second cup killed several keys and also a touch pad. I got a computer mouse. Later, coffee killed the mouse too. It was the end. I had to bury my dead mac sell it for parts almost for nothing. 

My mac wasn't the only friend who died by my unfortunate hand. I remember, how I tried to teach a mouse to swim when I was 7 or smth..



I spent my summer days at my grandparents' country house when our cat Muusya started to bring us mice. She carried them home one by one and played with them with her paws. The mice were almost killed but still alive which made it funnier to my cat enjoy the game. YUCK! I was like: "Give me that mouse you bustard!"


So, I took one mouse from the cat and decided to pet it. You probably think why not to just pet your kitty instead. Well, I love animals very much. Even VERY much. And cats are this type of animals which doesn't appreciate this enthusiastic kid love. And Maki don't like it when somebody don't like her. So, I need somebody to switch my love to. A half-dead mouse suited just fine. I even made a portable house for it! With a few blades of grass and some dirt. At first, everything was alright: the sun was shining, the mouse behaved well but then.. an idea crawled to my retarded mind.


Why not to teach a mouse how to swim? 
Just like that. Like why not, right?


It never learned, if you couldn't tell. Instead, it floated upside down after a few seconds of trying.

Responsibility was the hardest thing for me to learn from the very begining. All these plants, animals, computers.. I floated upside down in my attempts to learn how to be responsible just like that poor little mouse did (only, I am not inside the handmade cave).