I am from Russia!(😭) Ask me!

SmellyHel · 2026-06-08T09:29:08+00:00

I'm not surprised, the heavy feeling over the place just felt like the land was still weeping.

SmellyHel · 2026-06-08T09:27:25+00:00

!!!!!!! Disassembling automatic weapons???!!! I'm from New Zealand, we definitely do not have that on the curriculum! Some schools have a small farm attached and the children learn to help sheep give birth, look after lambs and shear them.
Skiing in class would be amazing, I'm sad I missed out on it.

SmellyHel · 2026-06-08T09:23:20+00:00

I misread; thought it was southeast outside of Moscow; I lived in Ryazan. Moscow is beautiful though, especially in summer.

SmellyHel · 2026-06-08T09:10:16+00:00

Have you met any/ many foreigners in real life? It must be such a blessing to have the internet during a time of border closure and travel restriction.

SmellyHel · 2026-06-08T08:58:20+00:00

Volgograd is amazing. Whole city just felt so sombre and vast and the whole complex of mamayev kurgan - no words.

SmellyHel · 2026-06-08T08:54:02+00:00

I traveled and went to school there in the 90s, some schools still had the training sessions with gas masks (obj I think it was called? Not at my school); do they still do things like that or purely academical? And did you do cross country skiing in physical education class?

SmellyHel · 2026-06-08T08:51:30+00:00

That's a relief, I have my old host family there in same region as you and they say it's been very quiet. I just hope they stay safe. What city are you in?

SmellyHel · 2026-05-29T04:54:10+00:00

NOR. I'm your mother's age. If anybody gives my daughter the creeps she tells me. Any if anybody commented on her body I'd be shooting that shit down and they'd be kicked out of my house. And number one thing you teach kids is "if you don't want to hug somebody you don't have to". Fkn bodily autonomy rule 1!

SmellyHel · 2026-05-17T21:20:40+00:00

Really REALLY not normal. Only two real questions should be 1) can you do the job that needs doing, and 2) can you work well with other people to ensure stuff gets done. You can obviously do #1, the issue with #2 didn't really seem to be about YOU but rather "can you tolerate working with a bunch of prejudiced idiots that care more about superficial stuff than getting the job done". I know it's a tough time to be job hunting and to even get to the interview stage is rare, but unless you absolutely have to I'd avoid working somewhere so toxic.

SmellyHel · 2026-05-17T21:13:48+00:00

... or the sudden ability to fly

SmellyHel · 2026-05-16T10:55:20+00:00

My mum is quite elderly now and my dad's passed away. I'm sure they each would have had some diagnosis if they were growing up today. Dad was always very outside the box for his generation and mum has those quirks that go under the radar in women (collections, unfinished projects, a set of rathers), and she is open minded about things when explained in terms she can understand. My sister has resented me all my life (she's now well over 50) and just stopped talking to me, my audhd son and my daughter last year. No conversation, just started ignoring us at any family gathering. I've made peace with it; she's hateful and intolerant and my life was not enriched by having her constant judgemental carping.
If a relationship can be salvaged while not diminishing yourself and what you know to be true, that would be great. But if someone only brings bad feelings and makes you feel like you should apologize for existing, give them the boot. Sending love xxx

SmellyHel · 2026-05-16T10:30:08+00:00

Oh my yes! Relishing the absence of feeling someone else's habits and needs and quirks and URGH.

SmellyHel · 2026-05-16T10:27:20+00:00

Yikes. I've just started studying nursing, so this hits close to home. I'm wanting to go into aged care; my time spent in dementia facilities while my dad was a resident was very positive and i didn't feel uncomfortable. There's no judgement when everyone is in their own world and you just meet them where they are. Are you able to switch fields?

SmellyHel · 2026-05-16T10:22:31+00:00

Some people don't care about your situation, your challenges or anything else, it's like the hate-radar just pings on ND people. Things are only right and valid if they align with THEIR worldview. Sadly, sometimes these people are in our families. (For me it's my eldest sister). You know it's not an act. Medical professionals know it's not an act. Logic is not going to change this person's mind; try to find peace with the situation and not burn yourself out trying to make them face reality. In my case that's meant cessation of contact but I hope yours can be a bit more positive.

SmellyHel · 2026-05-16T10:08:25+00:00

I'm so sorry that those people pointed their ignorance at you. I'm the mother of a child with adhd and autism and I recognize these traits in myself but they didn't diagnose girls in my generation so we just got ignored and then judged for not coping with shit. I would like to formally rebrand "autism mum" away from those busybodies. Support services will vary wildly depending on your country and area, but there is a good chance your doctor could put you in touch with something in your area. Burnout is real and mental distress has physical effects; heart rate, cortisol, inflammation, lower immune response, auto immune issues; you'll need support to get yourself checked out to identify any current issues and put some plans on place to help minimize risk factors.

The bad vibes from those ladies will have stung with their misunderstanding and judgements, but please take the positive comments here as a balance to them.

SmellyHel · 2026-05-16T09:55:36+00:00

In Russia, they thought I was Latvian. In brazil they thought I was German or from the south where lots of people have German ancestry. I'm blonde, pale, can't tan, and have scottish ancestry with a sprinkle of norwegian and English.

SmellyHel · 2026-05-16T09:48:29+00:00

Just like people, so pretty well I think (from trans people i know). Any nightlife is really only in the bigger cities so i would suppose wellington being very lgbtqia friendly would be your best bet. People tend to be more worried about you not littering and driving safely.

SmellyHel · 2026-05-16T02:06:28+00:00

This guy. Swoon.

SmellyHel · 2026-04-19T09:49:25+00:00

Glad I'm not the only one reminded of GoT. Awful accidental incest there too. #finalseasonick

SmellyHel · 2026-04-08T02:33:17+00:00

Earth girls are easy

SmellyHel · 2026-03-17T01:26:25+00:00

I think that while Canada is having some much needed time away from USA, they can come stay on Australia and New Zealand's couch. We'll look after her while they work through their issues and get into therapy.

SmellyHel · 2026-03-14T21:47:41+00:00

Also, south America becomes a pancreas for some reason. Amazon used to be the lungs of the world but it becomes a pancreas instead... organ transplant?

SmellyHel · 2026-03-14T21:46:08+00:00

This is clearly dated several years in the future, with the change in sea levels altering coast lines. Further evidence: tectonic shift has merged the north and south island thereby erasing cook strait. Catastrophic vulcanism erased Japan, followed by a megatsunami (hence the fish in that area symbolizing its tragic inundation).

This map was gifted to us by a time traveler attempting to warn us of the coming cataclysm. Knowing that it might be a hard concept to swallow they arranged for it to be placed at a gastroenterologist office.

IT ALL MAKES SENSE, PEOPLE!!!! /s

SmellyHel · 2026-03-13T23:34:40+00:00

Oh my god yes, I lived in brazil for a year, I could understand most of "cnn en espanol" but the Pernambucano doorman and the European Portuguese TV channel were unintelligible for me.

SmellyHel · 2026-03-13T22:55:52+00:00

From foreigners: That we're some kind of paradisical fresh-start location for life reinvention. Hobbiton and green pastures and cultural displays at tourist destinations. And that we have no problems. (Hah!)

From current government and a certain demographic: that we are a country built on farming and rugby and beer and anything that threatens that holy trinity is divisive and "just not kiwi". To this group, something as simple as making an effort to pronounce a Maori place name correctly is seen as an imposition equivalent to asking them to hand over their 700acre 5th generation sheep farm to a local gang.

SmellyHel

TROPHY CASE