(Re)discovering Blogging
It was probably about ten years ago or so when I've discovered blogging. It seemed like a very attractive and the only right way of sharing teenage frustrations with the world and living through the pains of first love and first disappointments. My first blog helped to improve my Russian language skills, find several online friends and survive the pains of not being understood by the big and cruel world (a typical teenage problem if you ask me). Soon, however, my life spilled far beyond the borders of my little town in the Urals - I have discovered America, the taste of 140 characters on Twitter, (only) the right angles and filters of Instagram, and increased amount of friends on Facebook with whom I could share incomplete thoughts instantly and (at times) mindlessly.
I have now lived (living to me equals living with a host family/working/studying in the country, hotels and sightseeing doesn't count) in six countries and the thought of rediscovering blogging (except for a short intro to Parisian life of Northeastern) hasn't crossed my mind once until I moved to Georgia several weeks ago. Why? Perhaps, the realization that I can't hide my identity and my political views, which are no doubt closely linked in my case, forever. If I am to continue my very intimate relationship with politics, I would eventually have to abandon the rule of expressing my (real) views strictly with close friends, family members, and in POLS classrooms. Or maybe it is the identity crises of a global citizen? In Georgia, the description of my "origin" jumps from studying in the US to "I have a Russian citizenship" (this one is often accompanied by "Is that going to be a problem?..") and to "the name? Yes, I am Tatar." In fact, today was the first time in my life when I have been asked the most important question about my identity: "Russian or Tatar - what comes first?" I have asked people in Russia that question tens of times while conducting research on ethnic politics over the summer but never asked myself. No hesitation. Tatar. So let's consider that sketch the breaking point - the reason I suddenly wrote my first blog post today. The realization that if I ask myself I'll definitely be able to provide an answer and maybe even a quite unique one. For the first time in years, I want to share my thoughts, daily discoveries and maybe even be cool and give you some travel tips.
So may this be it. Political_Analytics_Light or Looking_At_The_World_Through_Tatar_Eyes - call it as you like and don't hesitate to disagree.
I have now lived (living to me equals living with a host family/working/studying in the country, hotels and sightseeing doesn't count) in six countries and the thought of rediscovering blogging (except for a short intro to Parisian life of Northeastern) hasn't crossed my mind once until I moved to Georgia several weeks ago. Why? Perhaps, the realization that I can't hide my identity and my political views, which are no doubt closely linked in my case, forever. If I am to continue my very intimate relationship with politics, I would eventually have to abandon the rule of expressing my (real) views strictly with close friends, family members, and in POLS classrooms. Or maybe it is the identity crises of a global citizen? In Georgia, the description of my "origin" jumps from studying in the US to "I have a Russian citizenship" (this one is often accompanied by "Is that going to be a problem?..") and to "the name? Yes, I am Tatar." In fact, today was the first time in my life when I have been asked the most important question about my identity: "Russian or Tatar - what comes first?" I have asked people in Russia that question tens of times while conducting research on ethnic politics over the summer but never asked myself. No hesitation. Tatar. So let's consider that sketch the breaking point - the reason I suddenly wrote my first blog post today. The realization that if I ask myself I'll definitely be able to provide an answer and maybe even a quite unique one. For the first time in years, I want to share my thoughts, daily discoveries and maybe even be cool and give you some travel tips.
So may this be it. Political_Analytics_Light or Looking_At_The_World_Through_Tatar_Eyes - call it as you like and don't hesitate to disagree.
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