VANCOUVER: Follow your Dream...

just like Russian immigrant Anastasia Modestova did.

How and why did she give up everything - her job, status, connections and money - only to create "Movie About You", her own video production company here in Vancouver?
Find out here:

We immigrants have our personal reasons why we came to Canada:
Some of us came for love.
For some it was the promise of a better life.
And others came for adventure, just like us!

However, I am not here to write about my family.
I am here to introduce to you a fellow immigrant, Anastasia Modestova, one smart, highly educated, hard working, high achiever from Russia. Back in her home country she was a successful, well paid marketing director. This job offered everything a young, professional woman could wish for: Success, status, connections and lots of money!

No wonder Anastasia wanted to continue her life style upon arrival to Canada.
But guess what: Just because you are a hot shot in your country doesn't make you a hot shot in Canada.
You know what they say: Different rules for different countries- or something like that!

The only way to be considered as a job candidate for a high end marketing position was with a completed MBA program (Masters of Business Administration).
Within one year, lots of will power and hard work the mission was completed and Anastasia landed a position as marketing director for a start-up company in Vancouver.

She did it again: Success, connections, status and money were hers again.
Now here comes the crazy part: Within four months she quit- just like this.

With four cold beer bottles in her bag she came home one Friday afternoon and told her husband: "I quit"- as I told you, just like that!

Is this lady crazy? Or true to herself?
How could she give up something she wanted to badly, she worked so hard for?

Well, her new marketing career didn't feed her soul or nourished her heart. She was craving freedom, beauty and creativity in her life. Still, would you give it all away for a feeling?

Can you imagine doing the same thing?
Creating videos was a dream for her- and she made it happen.
No, she never sat foot into a film or editing school. Everything she does is self taught. One relentless learner and achiever she is!

Nobody ever said it would be easy to make changes in life. If we want to say YES to create more fun, adventure or opportunities in our live we need to make sacrifices and keep on pushing through the hard times.
 I know, I know, it's easier said than done. But then, if it's easy everybody would do it and were is the fun and adventure in that one?

And if you didn't watch the video, here are Anastasia's three top tips to make the leap from secure job to starting your own, fat dream:

- Follow your heart
- Remember your marketing
- Invest your time and energy wisely, network well.

On this note I want to leave you with Anastasia's quote:
"Do what you love-
not what you are best at!"

Do you agree?  
What is your success story?- I know you have one, please share with us! I look forward to reading your stories!

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Here in Canada it is hard to find a true blue, 'undiluted' Canadian.
Unsurprisingly, many of our new friends are a mixture of something or from a different country altogether.

Dimitri is one of them. If you guessed he is Russian you guessed right!
He is a Russian unlike any Russian you have ever met.
He doesn't like shoes!
The first time he came to our house he showed up barefooted- which is ok-ish considering it was summer and Canada is a free country, you can wear what you want (it is socially acceptable to leave your house in your pyjamas and house slippers to go and visit the mall. However, when Christmas time comes around you are not allowed to call it "Merry Christmas", you need to call it "Happy Holidays").

 When he visited us the other day he was still barefoot - which, in my opinion is not ok-ish  'cause it is 2 degrees outside . But then, who am I?  Only a mother who wants to keep her floor clean...

Like all good Russian men he attended ballet academy and knows how to make even a piano with stuck keys sound like "The piano Man'.  Unlike Russian men, he doesn't drink Vodka;  he doesn't drink at all come to think of it.

When he talks in his native tongue I am torn between classifying him as a  porn star or mobster - (as I have no real-life experience with either one, I chose the porn category!)

Ladies, if he sounds too good to be true I have to disappoint you:
No, I won't give you his number, he is a happily married man to beautiful Estonian Beauty Katja and father of two cheeky boys.
Now, the reason I am telling you all this is, Dimitri is a very well read, smart man, he carries his iPad with him like other man would carry their man-bag, mobile phone or wallet.

Whatever you want to know, whenever there is an argument to settle, Dimitri will clear it up with one quick search on Google!

An afternoon with Dimitri can make you feel like the biggest looser ('cause there is so much shit going on in the world you are oblivious about) or you are stimulated  just listening to him.

Whatever he is telling you he is proving with  data from his iPad.
If you always wanted to know what a Russian, A German, An American and Estonian have in common and talk about?
The answers are nothing and lots.

After our latest  afternoon spent together I got interesting insights:

 The German army killed more than 20 million Russians during WW II
(check this link)

If  I am a witty, sophisticated money trader or investor I should invest in Bitcoin (if you never heard of it, check this out)

If we have any common sense in our body left and care for the future of our children we should pack our bags and get out of Vancouver as fast as possible. The nuclear radioactive waste from Japan is making its way to the West Coast of Canada and the USA.

Here is one scary article for you.
And here is one more.

From next year onwards we can't eat fish anymore (more and more fish are dying or become contaminated from the nuclear waste).

Mushrooms can save the world!
C'mon, you heard me right, mushrooms is the word. If you have some time, this Ted Talk will give you an insight into the unknown, magic components of these little buggers!

Here is the TED TALK by Paul Stamets

Dimitri gives me something to ponder about, every time!
  I will greatly miss him when he is gone.
As a good Russian he lives by his own gospel; the rain and the imminent nuclear threat has gotten to him- he is moving his family back to Russia- where he will spread love and information..
One extraordinary man!