Historical homeland

"Uchnuchmak" - traditional Tartar food

Strange tendency that usually write to blog after trips or conferences. It can be explained by fact that U change places, people and feel change around and inside, so have this wish to share Ur emotions.

On Wednesday we came back from trip to Tatarstan together with Rus or Ruslan:) For those who don't know my ethnical background is Tartar, all my grandparents are from Tatarstan, so I felt excited about the trip. We've visited only two cities there:

Naberezhnie Chelny, where were facilitating Regional Train the Trainer conference and

Kazan - capital of Tatarstan Republic

If to compare with how I feel in Moscow, there I felt like at home - as have lived there since childhood.

Naberezhnie Chelny is industrial city, which is about 75 years old. The city itself is not striking U with beauty or history, but people who we met there showed us the other side of it: we were on roofs, were undeground, saw amazing river Kama, felt hospitability of people there. Two guys we met first day actually challenged me with their attitude and behaviour. They've lived in Chelny for all their life and still find their smth new and interesting: real explorers. I always thought that curious and brave people travel, change places etc. But these two guys are more exploreres and discoveres than me, just living in one place and still having this fresh view on city and things. It just again made me think (my forever question) about settling down or travelling...Maybe we should just have right attitude and lifestyle, so wherever U're it's gonna be bright and colorful?

Kazan, from the other side, is completely different. More than 1000 year of history, bigger, more light, reminds Europe at some point. I for sure would like to come back there and live for some time. It's spectacular place!

So that was about places...But of course the small moments and adventures we've gone through made the trip so memorable. For example we went hitchhiking from Kazan to Moscow - it's about 800 km distance, climbing to 3 meters height balcony during night or swimming in freezing water at night. The conference itself with tartar hospitality, crazy AIESEC spirit and learning. LCs which we've visited with their problems and dreams... Thank you guys for making time in my "historical homeland" unforgettable and of course thank U, Rus for everything what's written in blue copy book:)

In Tartar traditional hats - "tyubiteiki", Kazan