Thursday, November 5, 2015

Update on My Life

Me in Vaasa, September 2015, in front of the statue of Toivo Kuula, a
famous Finnish conductor and a composer. I love his beautiful music.

Hello, my friends! ( ^.^)ノ Sorry for the long silence. For the past couple of months, I've been busy, or just lazy when it comes to writing my blog. So, now it's time to share my news since last summer.

To be honest, my summer wasn't very happy. In my life, bad things have always happened in summer. Last summer, I had to live in the shadow of fear. I visited my doctor many times, because there was something wrong with my blood. Lymphocyte levels were elevated (and they still are), which means that everything is not completely normal. That's why they kept testing my blood over and over again, for many months.

The doctor said it could even be leukemia! For a while, I was really nervous and scared. The thought of death was on my mind all the time, and that's not such a nice way to spend your summer. Life is so unpredictable, and nothing should be taken for granted in this world. I asked myself, am I going to die? They did a bone marrow examination on me in the hospital. It was a somewhat painful examination, but not as bad as I had thought.

Finally, the doctor told me that there are no signs of any malignant disease. Thank God, and thanks for the prayers of my "Russian angel", who prayed and prays for me every day! Some time ago, she requested daily prayers for me in the Moscow monastery. It's really great, and I'm grateful for that! Of course, I also pray for my angel every day. I really believe in the power of prayer.

What else am I doing? Last summer, I did a special Mannerheim guided tours for the museum (please click here to read more about the Marshal Mannerheim, who is called the greatest Finn of all time).

In addition to that, I've been working as a karaoke host in the local pub for a couple of months. It's an interesting and challenging job and not always as easy as it might seem. I would have never believed that one day I would be working as a karaoke host. That, anyway, is what I ended up doing last July when I was asked to take over this job. And I will do my best at it, although I'm already looking for a new job that would be more suitable for me.

These days, I'm okay, my spirit is high and my faith is strong. I've completely stopped drinking alcohol – not even a beer anymore, not for four months. I'm working, I'm reading a lot, and spending time with my friends.

What kind of literature have I been reading lately? Russian classics, non-fiction (mainly history and politics), thrillers, religious texts and spiritual literature... My favorite book this year thus far has been Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Pelurit (in Finnish; in Russian: Игрок; in English: The Gambler), which was first published in 1866. At the moment, I'm reading Konstantin Paustovsky's short stories. Nature and its beauty are in the heart of his humane tales. The book is named Venäjän sydänmailla (in Finnish; in Russian: Во глубине России, in English: In the depths of Russia).

I'm thankful to God and to my friends for everything. Orthodox Christianity is very important to me, it's the foundation of my whole life. "Everything is in the hands of God, and we are instruments in His hands as well." I learned this from my Russian angel.

Blessings and all the best to my friends! Keep your faith, love and be loved, and never lose your hope. (^—^)

Teisuka

(Updated November 17, 2015.)

Me surrounded by museum visitors on a Mannerheim tour.

Hot air balloons above my home last August. The photo is taken from
my balcony.