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![As a writer, one of my my favorite byproducts of an article is discourse. Good writing should make people think and prompt intelligent debate. But in the age of anonymous […]](https://www.clairestamant.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/angry-commenter-115x115.png "A Comment on Comments")
A Comment on Comments
Posted on September 20, 2011 | No CommentsAs a writer, one of my my favorite byproducts of an article is discourse. Good writing should make people think and prompt intelligent debate. But in the age of anonymous […] -
In Dog We Trust
Posted on May 11, 2010 | 1 CommentI feel I should preface this post with the fact that I do indeed, like dogs. All my life, I’ve enjoyed having a furry friend scampering about the house. Even though my first dog, Blanche, bit everyone who came over—family members included, I still have fond memories of her, tolerating our presence as she did. -
All Quarantined-up and Nowhere To Go
Posted on November 14, 2009 | 1 CommentIt’s that time of year again: quarantine in Ukraine. Of course, this is no ordinary closure of schools. Generally, there are isolated outbreaks of the seasonal flu in January or February, causing individual regions and towns to shut down for a week or two. In addition to arriving in fall, this round of quarantine is nationwide for three weeks and affects all schools, universities, and public gatherings. -
A New Normalcy
Posted on October 15, 2009 | 3 CommentsEpiphanies occur in a host of places. In America, mine often came about in the shower. This is probably due to a habit I purposefully instilled from grade school. I know its cheesy but I’ve sort of always wanted to become a writer. When I was in elementary school, I remember reading an interview of a famous author who said she did her best thinking in the bathtub. I thought this was a great idea and started to sit in an empty bathtub, fully clothed to do my serious, grown-up 8-year-old-thinking. This matured into pensive showers, and I can trace many good ideas, stories or not, to soapy-lathers and pumice boards. I don’t think my pondering pattern would’ve changed had I not moved to Ukraine. I’ve been forced to find new sanctuaries in the past year, as a bucket bath is not nearly as conducive to contemplation as its cousin the shower. Lately my startling realizations have come in two far less sexy places: on the phone and in front of my laptop. -
The Year of Borshch
Posted on October 2, 2009 | 4 CommentsI’ve officially been in Ukraine for a year. In a way, it’s not hard to believe. Practically every time I met another volunteer the subject of time came up. “So […] -
Catching Up
Posted on September 25, 2009 | 4 CommentsSo much happens in life that is worth writing down that it’s impossible to record it all. Something always slips through the cracks. Stories I’ve never told come to me in the moments before I fall asleep, as I sit in hour-long meetings that I barely understand, and when I’m trapped anywhere with no escape, (over-packed vehicles of public transportation or birthday parties that last a minimum of twelve hours, to name a few). But lately, I have had a plethora of time in which to think and write. Theoretically, I’ve had two full days with no classes, no social events, and no athletic activities. The problem is I’ve also scarcely been able to move. -
Sweet Solitude
Posted on August 20, 2009 | 13 CommentsThis is my moment of zen. I hesitated to share it with you. In a culture as public and communal as Ukraine, I get territorial about my precious private moments. I took this photo on the coast of the Black Sea, after the rest of my party departed for a nap. It was pretty bold of me to stay behind. -
No Turning Back
Posted on July 28, 2009 | 6 CommentsSitting in a house-church in Burshtyn, Ukraine, I heard a familiar song. It was the only one my new friends knew in three languages. First they sang it in Ukrainian, then in Russian, and finally in English. -
Quarantine-Induced Musings…
Posted on February 24, 2009 | 2 CommentsA frosty wind isn't the only thing in the air in Western Ukraine right now. Flu season is in full-force, causing many schools to be "quarantined" indefinitely. -
Just another day in the fishbowl
Posted on February 13, 2009 | 4 CommentsI'm finally getting the respect I never deserved. As a five-foot-two basketball player, I'm not exactly a show-stopper.