Belarusian(national) Cuisine

Wondering what to expect on your plate in Belarus? Meat and potatoes is a bit of a stereotype in this part of the world, but it's certainly not far from the truth. Similar to the cuisines of neighboring countries Ukraine, Russia, Poland and Lithuania, Belarus puts a lot of emphasis on pork, dumplings, soups, as well as the mighty potato.

Common in Belarusian cuisine were dishes from potato which is called among people "the second bread". For example, pancakes (draniki, in other words).  To my mind this dish is a speciality of our country, it is delicious. If you don’t mind I will give you the recipe. First you should peel some potatoes, then you should grate them, add an egg , some flour, some salt, mix everything and make little pancakes on a frying pan . Serve your draniki hot with sour cream or butter. Bon appetite!

A traditional Belarusian dinner must always start with a soup.  You can taste borscht and khaladnik. Borscht is popular in many Eastern and Central European cuisines. It is made with beetroot and beef as the main ingredients. It usually contains heavy vegetables including potatoes and beets, but may also contain carrots and peppers.  
The Belarusian khaladnik , a cold borscht made of beets, beet leaves and served with sour cream, hard-boiled eggs, and boiled potatoes  will be pleasant on a hot summer day. 

Most of all I prefer pancakes of various thickness, plain and filled, made mostly of wheat or buckwheat flour, but also using oatmeal.

Тraditional liquid desserts that accompanya meal include kompot, normally made of dried or fresh fruit, boiled, and then cooled, and kvass.

As you can see Belarusian cuisine has colorful history and a great variety of dishes for every taste. But the best way to understand it all, is to simply get eating!

Healthy way of life

A wise man said, “Never hurry. Take plenty of exercise. Always be cheerful. Take all the sleep you need. You may expect to be well.” Actually these are the basis of our health. I would add to this list of advice healthy eating habits and avoiding bad habits.

When you speak about healthy way of life it’s very important to stress that you should follow a daily regimen that has  enough  sleeping hours, regular meals, proper time for work and relaxation.

Today you have a great variety of ways to stay healthy and keep fit: doing morning exercises, working out in a gym, swimming, jogging, cycling, walking, yogi, fitness training. Sport also gives energy and makes better disciplined. Today everybody wants to be fit, feel well, look slim and stay young.

The next important thing I’d like to mention is nutrition. Nobody denies that home-made food is really better than junk or fast food. Specialists say that we need more than 40 different nutrients for good health. Our daily food should include bread other whole grain products, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, dairy products, nuts and vegetable oils.

But all your efforts will be in vain if you have any of bad habits like smoking or even worse if you are addicted to something. It’s known from statistics that smoking kills 5 million people a year. Moreover, this habit may cause heart diseases and spoil your teeth and skin.  Alcohol causes heart diseases and brain damage. A drinker becomes nervous and aggressive, loses friends, work, family.

The last but not the least factor is good mood. Having a good mood and good disposition in life makes us healthier. Being stressed and depressed could lead to  serious illnesses such as mental illnesses and could weaken our immune system in the long run. It is better to think positive and to look on the bright side.

Let's talk about sport

Sport takes an important part in our life as our state of health depends on it. Sport makes people healthy, keeps them fit, more organized and better disciplined. It can be a professional occupation, a road to records, titles, fame or self-expression. Sport is also a nice form of relaxation and entertainment, a way of spending leisure time or building up health. Today everybody wants to be fit, feel well, look slim and stay young.

Many sports are popular in Belarus. They are football, basketball, judo, hockey, shooting, figure skating and  skiing. Besides, a lot of races, competitions are held every year. Everyone who wants can participate in sports activities in our country. Many skating rinks, swimming pools, stadiums are built for people who go in for sports.

A lot of people do sports to keep fit. Fitness helps to reduce body fat, slows down the process of aging, reduces stress, helps to unwind, feel positive and full of energy. It helps you sleep better and feel more confident. It also reduces the risk of heart disease, reduces blood pressure, overall, it improves the quality of your life as a whole. Today you have a great variety of ways to keep fit: doing morning exercises, working out in a gym, swimming , jogging, cycling, walking, yogi, fitness training.

As for me, I am not a sporty person . I don’t take much interest  in sports. Nevertheless, I regularly do some exercises to be more active and healthy. Throughout my life I try to lead a healthy way of life. I also walk a lot. I think walking is the best sport. You don’t have to buy any special equipment, you can do it without special training. I am not a sports fan and  I don’t watch any competitions on TV because I find it boring.

But it goes without saying, that sport plays a very important role in people’s life, not only in the lives of professional sportsmen.

Геометрия

Shopping

Going shopping is a part of our everyday life. Some people hate doing shopping, for them it’s a boring chore, an everyday routine. Others love shopping. They take pleasure in window shopping, spend hours in different stores in search of a bargain or just looking around. Some people even become shopaholics, they make purchases when they are in a bad mood to cheer up and can end up buying lots of unnecessary  things.

There are many types of shops in every city or town, such as a department store, a food supermarket, women's and men's clothing shops, grocery, butchery and bakery.

Supermarkets use different techniques to make customers buy more than they have planned. The music, the smells the arrangement of products, the reductions, all have one goal - to get as much money as possible out of our pockets. I can give you a few tips on how to avoid spending too much. First of all always make a shopping list and follow it, secondly, never go shopping on an empty stomach and limit the time spent in shops to a minimum.

As for me, going shopping is always an interesting experience. I find shopping a pleasant pastime when you can afford to buy the things you like. When I need to purchase something, I go to a supermarket, to a department store or to the market. It depends on what I need to purchase. If I am going to buy food products, I go to the supermarket or to the nearest food store. I like doing my shopping at supermarkets because they provide a wide variety of goods at reasonable prices. I like shopping for clothes. For me it’s a pleasant pastime or even entertainment. I enjoy window shopping, and just looking around. It is always pleasant to buy something new.

In our family our mother does most of the shopping. She knows what to buy and where to buy at a cheaper price. 

To tell you the truth I like going shopping. Nowadays shopping represents an integral part of our living as for many people it’s not just a need but also a great pleasure.

Алгебра+тригонометрия таблица

Sightseeing in London

London offers the visitors a great variety of fascinating places. It’s a city of dream to everybody who is interested in history and culture. London is full of things to see and do with superb shopping and world famous sights.  Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End.
The heart of London is the City. It is the oldest part of London. You can visit some interesting places there. One of them is the Tower of London. The Tower of London is a real attraction for tourists. The Tower was used as a royal palace, a fortress, a royal zoo. They say the Tower is a haunted place, people sometimes can see ghosts there. Now it’s a museum and a treasure house. Londoners also love St. Paul’s Cathedral, the largest protestant church in England. There are a lot of memorials including those to Wellington Admiral Nelson.

the West End is the richest and the most beautiful part of London, the symbol of wealth and luxury, where the most expensive hotels, restaurants, shops and clubs are situated. The place of pilgrimage is Trafalgar Square, the geographical centre of London. It was named in the memory of Admiral Nelson’s victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Opposite the Nelson Monument is the National Gallery. It contains the finest art collections in the world. The square is also used for political demonstrations and the celebration of  New Year’s Eve.

Westminster is the historic part of London. Buckingham Palace, the official home of the Queen, is situated there. The palace with 600 rooms is open to the public in summer, when the Queen is on holiday. The Houses of Parliament, called officially the Palace of Westminster, spread magnificently on the north bank of the Thames. This structure is a remarkable example  of Gothic architecture. Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock in one of the towers. Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous and beautiful churches in London. It is more than nine hundred years old. It is the place where coronation of nearly all kings and queens has taken place. 

The East End used to be the poorer part of Landon, but now  it’s an industrial district of London and you can visit some interesting places.  There are many factories and the Port of London.  

To sum it up, I’d like to point out that it’s my dream to visit London and see  all those places with my own eyes. I would like to learn more about its culture and traditions, sample English cuisine, and practise English. I hope I’ll be able to do it.