News: 582 posts

The Bulgarian Rose Valley in Kazanlak grows half of the world’s roses for the fragrance and pharmaceutical industries. In 2019, I partnered with Silvia Yonkova of Roseoverdose to teach a rose accords workshop during her annual Rose Retreat. Silvia was a wonderful host, and she made the whole experience magical. Now the Rose Retreat returns again, and while I won’t be teaching this time, I’m delighted to share the news.

During the Rose Retreat, which takes place from May 22nd to May 26th, 2023, you will participate in the rose harvest and learn how rose oil and rose water are made. You will have a perfume-making workshop with guest perfumer Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays. You will visit the rose museum and distillery. You will explore the Valley of Thracian Kings and discover why this region of Bulgaria is one of Europe’s hidden treasures.

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It’s a pleasure to share with you that my memoir, The Rooster House, will be published in English on June 27th, 2023 by Abrams Press. The book tells my family history across four generations as I search for traces of my great-uncle who disappeared during the 1930s, and explore Ukraine’s complex relationship with its Soviet past. It’s also a story about family ties that survive conflicts and turmoil.

As the publication date nears, I will share more details. In the meantime, here is a publisher’s summary.

In 2014, the landmarks of Victoria Belim’s personal geography were plunged into tumult at the hands of Russia. Her hometown Kyiv was gripped by protests and violent suppression. Crimea, where she’d once been sent to school to avoid radiation from the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, was invaded. Kharkiv, where her grandmother Valentina studied economics and fell in love; Donetsk, where her father once worked; and Mariupol, where she and her mother bought a cherry tree for Valentina’s garden all became battlegrounds.

A naturalized American citizen then living in Brussels, Belim felt she had to go back. She had to spend time with her aging grandmother and her cousin Dmytro. She had to unravel a family mystery spanning several generations. And she needed to understand how her country’s tragic history of communist revolution, civil war, famine, world war, totalitarianism, and fraught independence had changed the course of their lives.

The Rooster House is a beautifully written memoir of a family, a country’s past, and its dangerous present. It is about parents and children, true believers and victims, gardens and art, secrets and tragedy.

You can pre-order on Amazon or Bookshop.org.

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I have been processing lots of grief lately as I try to understand what’s happening in Ukraine. I haven’t lived there for years, but it’s the place where I was born and that shaped me, and its pain is my pain. When one feels helpless, the best thing is to reach out to others and help someone else. So I decided to hold a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF.) It’s been a while since I’ve been thinking of this idea and looking for the best way to organize it. This year has been challenging for many people around the world, and I know that our community wanted to contribute. We’ve raised over $5000.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is a reputable organization known for its projects all over the globe. They help with children care, offer help to impoverished communities and those experiencing military conflicts. Their structure is quite lean, so it means that the money, even if it’s a small amount, goes a long way.

The fundraiser ran till June 30, 2022, and the winner is Vincent. However, I will leave a link for those who would like to donate anyway.

How to Donate
Click on this link: Donate Now

The prize for this fundraiser was vintage Coty Chypre.

EDIT on March 6 2022: This list is constantly evolving, and as my readers are sending me links and suggestions, I will keep on adding the information. If you see anything that needs to be update, please let me know. Please distribute this list as widely as you possibly can so that it can get into the hands of someone who needs it.

Aiding Ukraine and Ukrainians from Abroad

This comprehensive list was sent to me by a friend from my college days. It was compiled by Aleksandr Sklyar ([email protected]), Ph. D. Sociocultural Anthropology (Colgate University, Visiting Assistant Professor of University Studies), Dvorah Southland ([email protected]), and volunteers from the Colgate University community. A full list of resources and charities. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gL0cPoZeqQlbE0Nqubqs4kNmDYjn_kw7JRvomUmqWSQ/edit

Polish NGOs working for migrants and refugees 

Cooperates with many other organizations and shares money with them according to their needs.

https://konsorcjum.org.pl/

Another Polish organization that helps refugees

https://ocalenie.org.pl

Animal Charities

I’m compiling a list of resources based on reader suggestions.

https://linkin.bio/ifawglobal

@shelter_ugolyok

@happy_paw

@1bike1world

Resources for Minorities and People of Color  

The list below was compiled by Marianne @spritzi_mcgillacutty, with the assistance of Roshan @uniquescents.co and Susanna.

OPEN TO ALL FOREIGN NATIONALS IN UKRAINE

• Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon –  comprehensive list of resources for African, BIPOC, LGBTQIA and disabled Ukrainians
  • Twitter:  @ksvaranon  
  • Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/ksvarnon

• Black Polish – Organizing help for foreign students fleeing Ukraine (in Polish & English) 
  • @blackispolish

• CARA – NGO offering help to academics in danger, forced in exile and under serious risk in their home country. Currently working with universities in Ukraine.
  • Phone: +44 (0)207 021 0880
  • Fax: +44 (0)207 021 0881
  • Email: [email protected]

• Government Resources available in Romania
  • Andreea Enache: twitter: @andreea_mihaela

• Leaving Ukraine – Support group for Africans leaving Ukraine to a Safe Zone; On Twitter lots of useful info for Nigerian students
  • Twitter: @leavingukraine
  • Website: https://lnkj.in/p/nido/
  • Instagram: @blackpeopleinukraine

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BOOKINGS PAUSED DUE TO THE SITUATION AFFECTING MY FAMILY IN UKRAINE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING. IF YOU ALREADY BOOKED AND THE TRIP NEEDS TO BE CANCELLED, YOUR DEPOSIT WILL BE REFUNDED IN FULL.

• The place where Jason and the Argonauts went in search of the Golden Fleece
• The oldest wine-making region in the world
• The country so renowned for its cuisine that its culinary traditions were honoured as Intangible World Heritage

Join us on a trip to Georgia, a country in the Caucasus region renowned for its stunning nature and rich culture with 5000-year-old roots. Despite its small size, Georgia has the largest number of UNESCO-protected properties in the region, several World Heritage sites, and many ancient traditions recognized as Intangible World Heritage—music, singing, wine-making, and even feasting. And we will experience it during our 8-day adventure for all senses. We will explore Georgia’s art, culture, and cuisine, while studying about our sense of smell in order to sharpen it and learn how to derive the most pleasure from perfume, food, and other daily experiences.

The best part of Georgia is its people, and our trip will give you a chance to meet artists and artisans. We will be hosted by a Georgian family and learn about music and cuisine from them. And we will be creators ourselves as we make our own perfume accords inspired by our experiences in Georgia.

I’m partnering with Nataliya Cummings of Experience Ukraine and Beyond, a boutique UK-based tour operator. Nataliya has done several highly rated tours to Georgia, and the particular route we have selected for our Adventure for All Senses lets us experience some of the most beautiful aspects of the country. ​

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