About me

I think that every blog deserve a proper about section, don’t you? And I thought too that it was time to write the mine.  After all, people who read blogs like to know at least something about the author. At least, I like to; if I wanted just recipes, I would look for them in Allrecipes.com,  or similar. When we read blogs, we look for something more than information. Of course, there are bloggers and Bloggers, with a capital letter. Those whose blogs (and life) are sometimes more entertaining and beautiful written than most of the books. I would like to be someday one of that talented bloggers. For the moment, I will be satisfied if at least someone finds my little story interesting.

About my (for the moment short) life
My name is Ksenia, and I am a vegan 18 years old girl. I was born in Moscow, Russia, and I have lived there until I was seven. Then, my parents decided to move to Spain —first, they thought about moving to Canada—and I began Primary School here. This is the reason why I consider Spanish and Catalan my first languages: I use them in my everyday life, while I speak Russian only with my parents. Nevertheless, I try to read (when I have time) in Russian to don’t lose it. I have moved many times since we came to Spain, and now I am living in Cunit, a small town about an hour from Barcelona.

Living in Spain is great, but I miss a lot Moscow, with its impressive underground and grumpy passengers, its grey and cold days, the — although usually dirty — snow. People say I am crazy because I come back on holidays almost every year (Why do you need snow, cold and dirt, they ask). I just answer that they have never been far away from the place where they were born.

Why this blog and why vegan?
I love food. I love photography. I love writing. But first and foremost, I love being vegan and I wanted to share it with the world. I became vegan in December 2007, and I have never looked back. In fact, I have never been happier with a decision. Why vegan? I just discovered the truth: all the cruelty, all the horror that is hidden behind the meat and all the related industries (like egg and diary industries).
When I became vegan, I had to look for information. What to eat, in what amounts (the protein myth is just that…a myth), needed supplements (trust me, seaweed are not a source of B12)….And of course, recipes. With veganism, I discovered the joy of cooking, but also the blogosphere and all the fantastic people you can find out there. I understood that I was not alone! And believe me or not, this is very important when you are a 16 years old vegan who lives in a country where being vegan is something comparable with being an alien.

About writing in English
English is not my native language, as I suppose you already know. I speak Russian, Catalan and Spanish, but I am still learning English. This blog, as well as a way to share my edible creations and meet people with similar interests, is a way to improve my English. I understand that speaking English is important nowadays, and that you need it for everything. Writing a blog is a good way to oblige yourself to practice at least a little bit each week. And the best…it’s much funnier than thick grammar books —important to give you a base, but a drag if you have to study them everyday—which I would have abandoned a long time ago.

If you have not fallen asleep yet....more about me and my interests
A part from cooking and travelling, I love reading, graphic design and web design. I began with web site design many years ago, when my parents bought our first computer (I don’t know how we managed to survive with just one computer for years….Now we have four computers, one for each member of the family). At this moment, only one of my creations survived the corporate web site of my father’s company. All the other web sites (mainly about manga and Japanese culture) were closed before I began this blog. Nevertheless, I am working on an online portfolio of a friend of my parents who is a painter. I hope I will finish it soon!
I also love sports, especially volleyball — I have been in the school team for five years, which joined a league a year ago— and running. I have been running for seven years, and it’s my best antidepressant. Don’t you feel great after exercising?

Prague, Krakow, Paris, England...I have visited many beautiful European cities, and I hope I will visit many others. On the left, New Year's Firoworks by the river in Prague. On the right: on the top, a street in Paris; on the bottom, a town near a ski resort in Poland.