Didn’t find the motivation to go buy supplies for the embroidery stuff I want to make yet. But in the meantime, I’ve finished this octopus I started more than a year ago. I abandoned the project halfway because I thought I needed to go buy filling for it. But I realized I could just gut an old pillow and complete the project! I’m happy with how it turned out.

Today's my 3rd day in Eindhoven, and it's been awesome so far. Eating delicious vegan food every day, slowly getting to know the 40 young folks in the crew, biking everywhere, barely drinking. Feels super wholesome - I think I needed that in my life right now after the crazy summer of debauchery I've had. Prepping for dutch design week right now and getting in the groove of the film crew.

I wish i could have gotten here earlier honestly, seems like it's been lots of fun and the project is wrapping up in december. But the founder is very seriously looking into buying land in Portugal and building an alternative community. Pretty much a hippy commune, but a high tech version where you document your processes and share it all open source and do R&D for sustainable living.

It’s just another excuse to do a party! Maybe i’m culturally unaware of traditions having grown up in a Russian household, but I feel there has been a proliferation of what I feel are corporation driven fake celebrations.

Take weddings with the engagement parties, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, bridal luncheons... I feel that’s a bit too much. And they all have been codified with “what you’re supposed to do” down to the decorations and games. Has it always been like this and I was just oblivious?

I feel the same about the gender reveal parties. Feels like a fake occasion invented by the party industry. But maybe it’s just because it’s never been a thing in my culture and now I see my generation of people throwing these, with the parents a bit confused about what’s going on. I mean, I’m all about parties and I don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade. We all need excuses to get together with friends and family and enjoy each others company. But there is a lack of authenticity in the cookies cutter nature of these that rubs me the wrong way somehow. Maybe it has to do with the fact that a lot of them are centered around giving someone presents and not the actual occasion.

About the transgender standpoint, maybe I’m talking out of line here, but gender does matter! If it was all inconsequential, there would be no queer movement. Celebrating that you’re going to have a boy does not mean you will not be supporting them in whatever gender indentity they will later identify as.