Once You Stalin You Cant Stalout

A Few of My Favorite Russian Proverbs (with their literal translations)

Большой секрет — знает весь свет.    Big secret—the whole world knows.

Борода не делает философом.  A beard doesn’t make a philosopher.

В темноте все кошки серы.  All cats are gray in the dark.

В Ту́лу со свои́м самова́ром не е́здят. No one brings a samovar to Tula. (Tula is famous as the city where samovars were manufactured. This is the equivalent of “Don’t bring coal to Newcastle.”)

Волко́в боя́ться — в лес не ходи́ть. If you’re afraid of wolves, don’t go to the woods.

Говорить правду — потерять дружбу.  Tell the truth—lose friends.

Доверя́й, но проверя́й.  Trust, but verify.

Долг платежо́м кра́сен.  Debt is beautiful once it’s repaid.

Доно́счику — пе́рвый кнут. The informer is whipped first.

Друг познаётся в беде́.  You get to know your friend in trouble. (A friend in need is a friend indeed.)

Дру́жба дру́жбой, а де́нежкам счёт.  Friendship is friendship, but count money.

Знать всё — значит не знать ничего. To know everything is to know nothing.

И у стен бывают уши. And even walls have ears.

Когда́ де́ньги говоря́т, тогда́ пра́вда молчи́т.  When money talks, truth shuts up.

На чужо́м го́ре сча́стья не постро́ишь. One can’t build happiness upon another’s grief.

Назва́лся гру́здем — полеза́й в ку́зов. If you called yourself a mushroom—get in the basket. (Sort of like, “don’t just talk the talk—walk the walk.”)

Не ошиба́ется тот, кто ничего́ не де́лает. He that does nothing makes no mistakes.

NB: any translation mistakes are mine

YOU’VE BEEN VISITED BY EXAM JONGIN 

REBLOG THIS POST AND YOU WILL PASS ALL YOUR EXAMS

Poetry Rounduuuup

April is National Poetry Month A time to exalt in sweet words Tumblr’s got poets straight out the wazoo So here’s some cool links for you nerds

Uut Poetry (@uutpoetry)

Uut Poetry is a…magazine? Of surrealist poetry. It’s really nicely curated and designed and you’ll get the whole deal if you read the manifesto-esque about page.

The Academy of American Poets (@poetsorg)

This is the official blog of The Academy of American Poets. Nice lil’ images with lines from all sorts of poets. Good follow for the casual appreciator.

Lang Leav (@langleav)

Lang Leav is an OG Tumblr poet and she has a book now. So.

Forgetlings (@forgetlings​)

This is Daniel Stephensen, who posts his own poetry, other people’s poetry, some things that aren’t poetry, etc.

James Andrew Crosby (@jamesandrewcrosby​)

For fans of poems written on things. Visual poems, if you will. Voems? No—just Visual Poems.

push yourself to get up before the rest of the world - start with 7am, then 6am, then 5:30am. go to the nearest hill with a big coat and a scarf and watch the sun rise.

push yourself to fall asleep earlier - start with 11pm, then 10pm, then 9pm. wake up in the morning feeling re-energized and comfortable.

get into the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast. fry tomatoes and mushrooms in real butter and garlic, fry an egg, slice up a fresh avocado and squirt way too much lemon on it. sit and eat it and do nothing else.

stretch. start by reaching for the sky as hard as you can, then trying to touch your toes. roll your head. stretch your fingers. stretch everything.

buy a 1L water bottle. start with pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in a day, then try drinking it twice.

buy a beautiful diary and a beautiful black pen. write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, assignments, coffees, what you need to do that day. no detail is too small.

strip your bed of your sheets and empty your underwear draw into the washing machine. put a massive scoop of scented fabric softener in there and wash. make your bed in full.

organise your room. fold all your clothes (and bag what you don’t want), clean your mirror, your laptop, vacuum the floor. light a beautiful candle.

have a luxurious shower with your favourite music playing. wash your hair, scrub your body, brush your teeth. lather your whole body in moisturiser, get familiar with the part between your toes, your inner thighs, the back of your neck.

push yourself to go for a walk. take your headphones, go to the beach and walk. smile at strangers walking the other way and be surprised how many smile back. bring your dog and observe the dog’s behaviour. realise you can learn from your dog.

message old friends with personal jokes. reminisce. suggest a catch up soon, even if you don’t follow through. push yourself to follow through.

think long and hard about what interests you. crime? sex? boarding school? long-forgotten romance etiquette? find a book about it and read it. there is a book about literally everything.

become the person you would ideally fall in love with. let cars merge into your lane when driving. pay double for parking tickets and leave a second one in the machine. stick your tongue out at babies. compliment people on their cute clothes. challenge yourself to not ridicule anyone for a whole day. then two. then a week. walk with a straight posture. look people in the eye. ask people about their story. talk to acquaintances so they become friends.

lie in the sunshine. daydream about the life you would lead if failure wasn’t a thing. open your eyes. take small steps to make it happen for you.

- for anybody who needs to see this ♡

Things to distract you from feeling sad:

make playlists of songs that make you happy 

eat some fruits and mix them in yogurt

have a long cry if you’ve been holding everything in

don’t go on your phone, brew some tea, sit in a warm comfortable spot and read a book 

don’t stay in bed too long

write a list of things that make you excited or happy

listen to music and go for a walk if it’s sunny

watch a feel-good movie and drink a mug of hot chocolate

reminisce good memories, they’re proof that life can be lovely

spray some perfume

read posts or quotes that inspire you

You are beautiful :))