From: Cyprus
Individual account
Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal
30/05/2019 - 31/07/2021
Travelling
Hi there!
I'm Maria, Russian-born, Cypriot-bred, UK-educated human-in-progress.
Originally from Khabarovsk, a city in the Far East of Russia on the Amur river, I have lived most of my life in Cyprus (Greek Cypriot side) and so like to refer to myself as a bit of a "cultural mutant".
I have been very lucky to have been exposed to many different cultures over the years both as a tourist, and as a language student, which has provided me with some amazing opportunities to explore diverse ways of living and to form connections with people from various walks of life. Having a slightly disjointed sense of my own roots, I find it easy to adapt and thrive on learning about the languages and heritage of other people, and am particularly interested in seeing how these various values and traditions may co-exist in harmonious and mutually enriching ways.
I'm also equally passionate about art and its influence on our way of living and engaging with others, and prior to studying philosophy and literature at University, I had dedicated 15 years to classical piano.
During my studies, I have loved working on a few cross-discipline projects which have included productions of plays by Tagore and Plato followed by philosophical seminars, bringing both students and members of the public together, volunteering at a local art gallery (painting walls and generally setting it up for its opening, as well as curating exhibitions and creating video accompaniments to them), and running events ranging from concerts and charity fundraisers to guest speaker lectures for the Philosophy and Piano societies at my University.
I am really interested in broadening my knowledge and experience of organising and running such projects, especially those that aim to bring philosophical teachings and ideas outside of the academic environment, and those that aim to engage people from diverse backgrounds through food or art or other intuitive and intellectual mediums.
Currently, I am at a bit of a crossroads with my own journey, and am looking forward to using this time for sharing and learning from others, and to be of use where I can ( while learning some new skills on the way!).
Life at a Farmstay
Eco Projects
Gardening
General Maintenance
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Charity Work
Art Projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Language practice
Teaching
Hosting and organising concerts (100-300 people), fundraisers, exhibitions
Fellow of Trinity College London diploma in piano
3 years experience in teaching piano to adults and children
Translation (Russian-English-French)
Ebay store management
Cooking, baking, hosting dinners for large groups
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Russian: Fluent
German: Intermediate
Greek: Intermediate
23
Russian
I love food and cooking, and have recently gotten into sourdough baking and cheese making.
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
no
Special dietary requirements
no
