starrysky

Already posted this but managed to delete it accidentally instead of editing...

My name's Nadia/Nadya, as you all know already... in full it's Nadezhda, which means "hope" in Russian... I'm 26 and I'm a Taurus, like Madhuri. I live in Novosibirsk, which is in Siberia... It's the third largest city in Russia, if I'm not mistaken... Though I live at the outskirts, so we've got a forest within five steps of the house (apartment block). I like it that way... love nature. I work as a transalator -- translate rather boring scientific artciles on biology from Russian into English though I studied to be a teacher of foreign languages (English and French)... But I never wanted to be a teacher, I'm not really cut out to be one... don't have the pedagogic talent...

I'm an anglophile, indophile and russophile (that is, patriot). Like English literature a lot... Brontes, Gaskell, Austen, Dickens, Tolkien, etc. -- a lot of my favorite writers come from Great Britain. Love BBC adaptations of classics as well. North and South with Richard Armitage is one of the most romantic films for me. With India, it's the cinema, of course... With Russia, it's all sorts of things... nature, climate, paintings, films, some writers.

Ask me all you want, in case you want to know something.

Here's my twitter pic... I usually manage to look just awful in photos... I'm just completely non-photogenic... this one is, like, the only out of about 50 that I liked...

First let me just say: you´re gorgeous!!!

I couldn´t help but smile reading about your studies and career - cause I too am studying a language to be a teacher - but I´d rather be a translator instead... or.... something instead.... teaching is something I´ll only do when it´s the only option left

I LOVE Russia. Always found it fascinating and I always felt a connection to it, being a Czech after all.

Bronte, Tolkien, Austen..... ahhh..... love them all!

Love having you ove here, if you´re not bored of hearing it all the time!

I agree with Ally - BEAUTY.

I'm also very fascinated with Russia, particularly the royalty, as I am with all countries. I have studied very much about the last Romanovs and Tsar Nicholas II's young daughters. I'm also just very interested in the culture.. the language, the food, the customs.. Everything! I was so happy to see someone Russian here who enjoyed Bollywood. I'm even more happy to see another caucasian girl (or just non-Indian in general) who enjoys it since we can be hard to find!

I used to think I wanted to be a teacher, but then I realized how uncomfortable little children make me at times and I can also be very impatient. I'm very much into beauty and cosmetology, as it's one of the oldest sciences around - and yes, I do consider it to be a science But at the moment I believe I will end up dedicating my life, time and career to anthropology. It's just faaaaar too fascinating to learn about cultures and why they are they way they are for me to pass it up. I adore languages as well.

As for Bollywood.. Kajol, as you probably noticed is my favorite! And the others that I like are: Madhuri Dixit, Madhubala, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Divya Bharti, Imran Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan (MOST days), Shiney Ahuja and more that I can't think of right now

I have 4 favorite films... in order of film watched: Devdas, My Name Is Khan, Break Ke Baad and just last night, Rang De Basanti!

KissMeKassy wrote:

I agree with Ally - BEAUTY.

Gaja Gamini wrote:

First let me just say: you´re gorgeous!!!

Naaah… I don’t have good features…((( Only look half-decent with makeup on and in particular lighting… But thanks anyway, Kassy, GG.

Gaja Gamini wrote:

I too am studying a language to be a teacher

Vah, that’s great! I have such a nostalgia for those five years at the uni… They went away too quickly! Even though we used to complain about all the terms papers and things…

Gaja Gamini wrote:

I LOVE Russia. Always found it fascinating and I always felt a connection to it, being a Czech after all.

Aah, that’s so nice to hear. GG, what are your favorite Czech films?... I wish I could learn more about the Czech Republic. And cinema is probably one the best / most enjoyable ways…

KissMeKassy wrote:

I'm very much into beauty and cosmetology, as it's one of the oldest sciences around - and yes, I do consider it to be a science

It IS a science, no doubt about it.

KissMeKassy wrote:

But at the moment I believe I will end up dedicating my life, time and career to anthropology. It's just faaaaar too fascinating to learn about cultures and why they are they way they are for me to pass it up.

Yes! Learning more about different cultures and countries is absolutely fascinating.

KissMeKassy wrote:

As for Bollywood.. Kajol, as you probably noticed is my favorite! And the others that I like are: Madhuri Dixit, Madhubala, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Divya Bharti, Imran Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan (MOST days), Shiney Ahuja and more that I can't think of right now

I have 4 favorite films... in order of film watched: Devdas, My Name Is Khan, Break Ke Baad and just last night, Rang De Basanti!

You’ve reminded me -- I wanted to download BKB… haven’t seen a single Imran film yet, will check him out :-) I’ve got so many dramas on dvds that I'm yet to watch (like Mr and Mrs Iyer, Pinjar, Virasat, etc) but I can’t watch them every day… want something light about love.

My list of BW favorites has been growing steadily. When I just started watching BW films, I was so critical, I wasn’t sure I’d ever have a favorite top-10 of films… now I could list maybe 50 films that I liked to varying degrees.

Among actors I like SRK, Sanjay, Aamir, Hrithik, Dharmendra, Salman, and Ranbir (still can’t manage a top 10… John too probably) and Madhuri, Rani, Kajol, Nargis, Vidya, Juhi, Mansiha among actresses. Like Kareena quite a lot too -- she’s fun. She was fabulous in Jab We Met. Also like Anushka. And Sonali Bendre. She was very good in “English Babu Desi Mem” and she seems very likable as a person. Besides, I like her name a lot. So-na-li… beautiful sounds.

I’ve finally sent off my work (missed the deadline… again... I hate myself ) so now I’m trying to finish off Lajja. Actually I started watching it a couple of days ago but didn’t have the time to finish it in one sitting. And then on the next day I watched such a wonderful Russian film. It's called The Captivating Star of Happiness. I used to hear quite a lot of good things about it but somehow never got around to watching it. The film traces the fate of the so-called “Decembrists” -- people who belonged to the highest rank of the Russian society at the beginning of the 19th century but who couldn’t stand the existence of serfdom/slavery -- though their families owned serfs too. So they organized the Decembrists revolt of 1825.

Here’s the summary of the film, which I copied from somewhere:

On December 14, 1825 the military units of the Russian army were supposed to swear their allegiance to the new czar, Nicholas I. But the young officers, the most liberal-minded people of their time, who abhorred the terrors of serfdom, decided to raise their regiments against the autocracy and bring democracy to the country. That was a great heroic feat of the best sons of Russia. However, the revolt had been brutally crushed. Some of its inspirators were executed, many sent to hard labor in Siberia. Following the convicted officers to Siberia were their wives who had left their aristocratic families and comfortable lifestyles. The film is dedicated to those remarkable Russian women.

It turned out to be such a powerful movie. The music, the performances, the way it was shot... I had a lump in my throat several times. Soviet films were so much better than those that have been made post 1990. It seems that Russian filmmakers no longer know how to make good movies… There are only about, maybe, 5 films that I liked that were made in the last two decades and they don't even approach the standards of the Soviet cinema.

This film mainly traces the fates of three couples -- Decembrists and their wives. It is first of all a film about women and for women, I think… And best understood by women, too. The narrative structure is a bit complicated -- there are a lot flashbacks, it’s swinging to and fro all the time but I didn’t have trouble following it… Maybe because I know the context well enough. They also speak a lot of French in the film, which is then translated into Russian for the viewers by a voiceover. In the 19th century French was a lingua franca among the Russian nobility.

Anyway, I’ve been raving about this film for a couple of days to all and sundry, and uploaded it with English subs for a friend who is in another country so I thought I’d tell you about it and share the links for downloading while they are still working in case someone might be interested. This film is definitely going into my top-10 or top-20 Russian films.

Part 1 http://turbobit.net/2kcenfdpvp7c.html
Part 2 http://turbobit.net/rifrqv326tvi.html

Subs

Part 1 http://turbobit.net/3j47q8y0sxb6.html
Part 2 http://turbobit.net/1jhga49a9a2j.html

Rapidshare links

Pt 1 https://rapidshare.com/files/4205088154/Zvezda_Plenitelnogo_Schastiya_-_1.avi
Pt 2 https://rapidshare.com/files/2224428490/Zvezda_Plenitelnogo_Schastiya_-_2.avi

Subs

Pt 1 https://rapidshare.com/files/552793072/Zvezda_Plenitelnogo_Schastiya_-_1.srt
Pt 2 https://rapidshare.com/files/1359955291/Zvezda_Plenitelnogo_Schastiya_-_2.srt

It's autumn here... It was a very sunny and warm autumn but now it's rather bleak, the leaves are all gone... But I love bleak! Autumn is my favorite time of year. Sun has come out for a couple of hours, so I made several pics. Photos are never as interesting as real life but anyway... The view from my windows...







And this is how it was several months ago... another side.

Love these paintings...


(Levitan. "Golden Autumn")


(Levitan. "Autumnal day, Sokolniki")

Firstly,you are GORGEOUS and i love your smile!

The Russian culture seems very very interesting to me.The pictures you posted are so beautiful...peaceful!

So..you work as a translator?Do you work at home or in the office or something?

I quite like the idea that you are just 26 and you are independent(meaning-you have your own job and stuff),well in India its the other way around(don't even ask) haha

What is your twitter id?

Who else is there in your family?

Aww, thanks, Nazzy.

Naznin wrote:

The pictures you posted are so beautiful...peaceful!

Peaceful is a good word. :-) I like the area where we live now -- there really aren't too many houses or people here. We used to live in a more crowded place.

Naznin wrote:

So..you work as a translator?Do you work at home or in the office or something?

At home, I'm a freelancer. Though I work with one company all the time -- they translate scientific journals into English and since these journals come out every month, there is always work. They are located in Moscow, actually, so my working with them is only possible thanks to the internet. I send translations via email... I love working as a translator except that those artcles are very boring. But there's a downside to everything. It's nice to work at home for a lot of reasons, the only minus is that it's a bit lonely. But it's better for me than working with people. I worked at a bookshop for a year -- it was interesting but a bit stressful. Our shop was in a big shopping mall so we had too many customers...

Naznin wrote:

What is your twitter id?

Who else is there in your family?

Here I am on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/nadia_novosib But I hardly go there )) Only joined to follow Shahrukh. :-)

I live with mum and dad. :-)

Found this yesterday on youtube. Shooo cute! I could watch videos with cats all day long )))))) Love cats )))

Actually,its quite nice to live in a peaceful environment! I myself live in a crowded city and i know its too annoying! :s

Woww..that's great that you work at home!You can work at your own sweet time!

Ohh..so you left the bookshop?hehe

Not a problem..will still follow you hehe Actually,when Srk joined twitter,that was the time i joined too haha

Do you follow Madhuri and Juhi?

Naznin wrote:

Do you follow Madhuri and Juhi?

Madhuri yes, Juhi not yet. Only recently found out that she had a twitter account... I only follow Mads, SRK and Sanjay out of BW stars. :-)

------------


Uploaded one of my favorite Russian films to youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo_LVVUUmY8

I love it because I find it very romantic!



Fanvid

Loving all the photos and pictures (and vids) you have posted! So you live in a block flat? We used to live in one too before moving into the country, just our block flats were not in such a nice location. They indeed do look very peaceful. And so do the paintings!

I must say when someone mentiones Russia this is what I see :

Nadia-Hehe Not a problem!

Gaja Gamini wrote:

Loving all the photos and pictures (and vids) you have posted! So you live in a block flat?

Uh-huh. :-)

Gaja Gamini wrote:

I must say when someone mentiones Russia this is what I see :

Yeah... I've got a book on Nicolas II and the royal family that I bought some time ago... Somehow never got around to reading it but my mom did. They were such a lovely family. But with such a tragic fate.

The last century of Imperial Russia has been my biggest love and hobby for years... now it shares the spot with Bollywood... but I still buyy books and read and collect pictures... even have a blog about the Romanovs!

Today two books have arrived that I ordered some time ago -- Anupama Chopra's last -- "First Day, First Show" and "Maximum City" by Suketu Mehta. I love Anupama's style of writing! And I grabbed "Maximum City" because of positive reviews... What's especially nice is that both books are fairly thick. So I'm provided with reading for the net few weeks probably (wonder how soon I will finish them!). I'm sure there must be a lot of interesting stuff in both of them.

The last book I got was "Ella - Princeyy, martyr, saint" about grand Duchess Elizaveta Fyodorovna

what are those books you got? I mean thematically?

Anupama Chopra's book is about Bollywood. You can see pics of actors on the cover -- there's Kajol and SRK from DDLJ, Rani from Black, Aamir and Co from 3 idiots, etc.
She's a prominent film critic, wife of Vidhu Vinod Chopra (who produced Parinda, both Munnabhais, 3 Idiots and Parineeta).
She's also quite a fan of Shahrukh, interviewed him a number of times, and wrote his biography, "King of Bollywood". And she also wrote books about DDLJ and Sholay. Lol, being the SRK fan that I am, I thought everyone knew her)))

Here's her site http://www.anupamachopra.com/

I've now got three of her books, "King of Bollywood", the DDLJ one, and this last one. Shahrukh wrote an introduction for it too... Love her style of writing, she's very intelligent. SRK's biography was a very enlightening read because it's not only about him but about the Hindi film industry on the whole, the whole context and history of it.

Here she is with SRK presenting "King of Bollywood".





Me reading the DDLJ book (or rather sniffing! It smells very nice )


Actually, there is a chapter in "First Day, First Show" called "Madhuri Magic"! When I noticed it today, I thought that probably you'd read this book and this is where you got the name of this forum. But I guess it must be a ubiquitous term for Madhuri, like "the dhak dhak girl" or "ek do teen girl"...

And the second book is about Mumbai. Haven't heard about the author earlier. And I haven't yet even figured whether it is fiction or documentary. But I know there is something about Bollywood in there too.

Oh I knew tha name Anupama Chopra sounded familiar, but I didn´t know she was a book writer. I remember reading some very good articles on various BOllywood actors by her. Now I´m envious of you! Would love to read such a book as well!

Well, there were several compounds used a LOT when it came to Madhuri - like Madhuri madness, mad for Madhuri, the magic of Madhuri...... When I was looking for a name for the forum I merely switched the order of words in the last one and so it became Madhuri Magic I didn´t even know somebody else has already done it.