E035 Yelena Gromova

Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 0:08 femininity is powerful in all its forms exceptional women, rare girls must be appreciated in every way for their perspectives, actions, thoughts, and their unique ways of being such rare girls are inspiring. And this is what this podcast is all about. Hello, my name is Aziz and my guest today is Yelena Gromova over. Yelena is a linguistics and tourism student in the College of economics in Montenegro, and a volunteer helping Ukrainian refugees translate what they need to say, as they study abroad. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, he Atlanta lived 10 years in Montenegro and her hobbies include drawing, writing, and protecting the Ukrainian culture and language. Yelena, how are you today? Yelena Gromova 1:09 Hey, I'm great. What about you? Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 1:11 I'm feeling fantastic, optimistic, lucky to be alive. And to ask you a bit more about who you are, since you're very unique and different? How would your friends describe your personality? What would they say about you? If someone asked them? What do you think about your Lana? Yelena Gromova 1:34 Oh, I think the first thing they would say about me is that I'm so sarcastic, and that I have an armada of hobbies that change everyday like I'm different every day, I'm a mood first. And you know, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 1:50 thank you. And why do you think that is? Is it because you're someone who gets bored easily? And so new things make you excited and full of passion for life? Or is it a kind of defiance to authority? And what is normal? And so you're like, No, I will never have a pattern or a routine. I'll always break the expectations. Yelena Gromova 2:13 You know, it's kind of both because I easily get interested in something new. And I really like how, right now people can study everything they want online and knew a lot of new things like so easy. So yeah, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 2:31 I agree. It's a miracle and knowledge is power and abundant in these times. But when it comes to languages, there is a lot of daily studies, a lot of work a lot of repetition of exercises. So how do you not get bored if you have chosen languages as your field? Yelena Gromova 2:53 Well, you know, I actually know four languages, and I'm starting to more. So it's something that I just study so easy, I just listen to people speaking some language. And I get into it and understand it, and I start studying and they never get bored of it. I just love it. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 3:14 What interests you the most in languages, for example, me personally, I speak six languages. And to me, it's about not being a tourist or not being mainstream and doing what is expected. But if you speak the language, you can go somewhere, live like a local, find the gems and the hidden places and have adventures that tourists cannot have. And therefore, you can feel more bonded and connected to the culture. That's for me. What is it for you? Yelena Gromova 3:46 You know, I actually agree so much with us. Because I think that every language has a part of culture in it. So when I came somewhere where I know the language, I know something about the culture, and it feels completely different when it came there, knowing nothing. And when it came there knowing the language knowing some things about the history of the country. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 4:11 What does culture mean for you? And why is it interesting? Yelena Gromova 4:17 Culture is history. It's a boarding between some different countries, like you can never say the country is the same as any other country because they have different culture. It's a history. That means a lot of a lot of things, a lot of stuff because every culture is different in their own way. They're so interesting, and they have some values that people share with each other. And I don't know the culture is like a big family of a country. I don't know how to explain but it means a lot of Jimmy, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 4:53 thank you. But I have to challenge you on this since in the beginning, we established your religion tolerable. How do you love culture? If culture is by definition, what society loves what everybody agrees on, and therefore, you have this defiance to authority that makes you want to do the opposite of what any culture does. So how can you both be the rebel and someone who loves to be part of the culture? Yelena Gromova 5:24 Well, you know, I mentioned, we're so proud of my culture. So I think that's maybe how I explain it. Because I love saying, like, I'm Ukrainian, and my culture means that we have some great pilots, we have some politics that are so good and interesting. So something that if a culture is something to be proud of, then I love to be part of it. And I just can't explain it actually, it's something in emotions level. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 5:53 Thank you. And do you have lived 10 years, you have lived 10 years in Montenegro? How would you describe any differences between the culture in Montenegro and in Ukraine? Yelena Gromova 6:06 Oh, actually, sometimes, I would even say that they're similar, but not like, a lot of things are similar. People are different, you know, their values, their families, their opinions, some some things, it's also different. But it's also some kind of similar because, you know, there's that little country Ukraine, although a little country, Montenegro, and there's a big country like Serbia or Russia, they're constantly trying to save the culture of the smaller countries. So it's kind of similar, you know, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 6:47 thank you, and to ask you, because there is something that is very interesting, a lot of Ukrainian girls seem to have, or they admit to themselves, they have a bitch face, where they don't show emotions. And people think they're angry, but they can be happy. Well, they say people, for example, in the US, they're smiling constantly, and being friendly. You as a Ukrainian who spent I don't know a lot of your life in two places. Are you someone who has a serious poker face when you're not speaking? Or are you different? Yelena Gromova 7:22 I actually am someone with a poker face. And I always hear from people that before they met me, they told it, I'm so serious, and I'm a bad person. I don't know. I just don't show emotions when I'm not talking. But when I start talking, I'm just so emotional. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 7:41 I don't know some of the girls said, The reason for this is they grew up with teachers who are stern and have such poker faces or angry faces all the time. So they adopted other said, we're always looking at social media. So we're focused on our faces become poker face like that, because we're looking at Instagram and Tiktok. And therefore, we're not having those expressions. And some other say, I don't know, we get it from parents, we get it from the culture where in the beginning, people are cold. But when you get to know Ukrainians, you know they're funny and warm, etcetera. For you specifically, what do you think is the cause of your poker face? Yelena Gromova 8:25 Well, I think that it's about the fact that I want people to take me seriously even though I'm young so I just kind of want to look cold or when I would poker face they do a little colder. So that's the thing. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 8:40 Why do you want people to take your more seriously? And did you have experiences where they did not? Yelena Gromova 8:47 Yeah, I as I said, I'm a kind of translator like right now in some people meeting the define young, I can't translate correctly, even though I know both languages like so good. And it used to beat me up sometimes because I was really ready to do the work I have to do and people were thinking that I cannot do it just because I'm young. So yeah, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 9:15 I agree with you. Such stereotypes and projections are absolutely not only annoying, but they're wrong and unfair. But to return to something in the very beginning you said you're a sarcastic person. Does this make it difficult for you to make new friends? That people in the beginning you keep distance and a wall from them and use sarcasm as a protection before you open your emotions? Or do you get along and make friends all the time very easily? Yelena Gromova 9:48 Oh, actually, some people do not understand my sarcasm. They are like why did you say that it's so offensive. Or why do you not agree? It's something you have to agree on. And then I'm just like, girl that was sarcasm. So it kind of makes it different to make new friends. But if some people are also sarcastic we make like, friendships so easy. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 10:15 Thank you. And have you ever had the experience of meeting someone new and feeling instant chemistry? Or from the very first second, you feel like you know this person all your life and you can open your emotions? Or do you need multiple meetings to observe people to spend time before you begin to like, a person in any way and open up? Yelena Gromova 10:40 Well, it actually depends on a person. Because yeah, there were people in my life that I imagined, I constantly know, they will be my friend, like forever, and we will be great friends. And some people were so bad. In the beginning, I was thinking like, oh, no, I will never be friends with that person. Like, she's so annoying. But then we became best friends. So depends on a person. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 11:04 Thank you. And since you're a rebel, do you tend to like bad boys and guys who are full of drama and toxic and emotions? Because they're interesting? Or do you like good guys? And what do you think about this idea that if a guy is a good guy, he's boring, and therefore, the bad boy is more exciting and interesting. Anyway, Yelena Gromova 11:28 just start with the thing that I actually more like girls. So I don't, I didn't think that I look, if there's a good girl or a bad girl, I just look into their personality. And it really depends on the person because some person can be so good, but not be boring. And some person can be like, bad, and be boring. Like, I don't know who Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 11:52 what makes that girl or someone not boring. Yelena Gromova 11:57 Their interest, actually, I think their interest. And I think that it's so important, which is the person's humor. I really care about this one. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 12:08 Thank you. Do you mean sarcasm specifically, or any kinds of humor, Yelena Gromova 12:13 any kinds of humor, because there's a lot of kinds of humor, and some of them I don't really find so funny. And some of them I love and when people has the same or similar humor to mine, I just know that it will be my person. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 12:30 Thank you. And other than Ukraine, if you could live anywhere in the world that will represent who you are. match your personality, your energy, your vibe, where would it be? Would it be a specific city like Hollywood, Los Angeles or London? Or Bali? Or will it be an area? Or what would be other than Ukraine? A place that represents Yelena perfectly? Yelena Gromova 12:56 Well, I actually tell it about us. And I think that it would be somewhere in Poland. I don't know why I just feel like I need to go there. I just feel like it's my country and I eat I can't even explain it. It's on an emotional level. And I've never been there actually. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 13:15 Thank you. And as an artist, someone who loves to draw, what inspires you? How do you get that experience of getting full of emotion and feeling that you need to draw, it's time to express something on paper or canvas, Yelena Gromova 13:34 music and people like I can talk with a person and I think that I have to draw not like that person, but something about them, like their energy, I can't even explain but just or music when I listen to music, I just feel like in a different universe. And I have such great ideas for joining. So Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 13:56 thank you. And I love that you mentioned people's energy. Tell me more. What do you think is energy? How does it manifest? How do you feel it? Do you have some spiritual or metaphysical thoughts about energy people's energy together? And what is it? Where does it come from? Because you cannot see it, but it's felt so real. Yelena Gromova 14:21 Well, personally, I think this energy is something so important in people's so it's not like it No, they're how they act or something else. It is something that you feel when you talk to them. You just feel that that person matches your energy and you can tell them everything and they will understand it. They will be there and won't look at you like you're some weirdo, but they would be there and understand you like you know each other like I don't know for whole life. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 14:55 I like that and how often or frequently. Do you experience that accents you meet a lot of people at your translation volunteer work. Yelena Gromova 15:04 Actually, there are just four persons in my life that I can say, completely match my energy. But it's a different thing when you meet someone who you're just comfortable with, and you want to go outside with them. And when they're someone that matches your energy, and you want to be with them, like all the time, I have a friend that is my twin flame, like people say when your energy is like completely the same, like there's no difference at all. So I think I meet people pretty much often that are comfortable to be with, but they don't match my energy. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 15:47 Thank you. And to know you even more, and since this podcast is about femininity, and maybe it's good to contrast it with masculinity. And since you're attracted to girls, how would you define that feminine energy of girls? Why is it attractive for you? What is masculine energy? And why does it not give you any attractive quality in your own personal experience? Of course, Yelena Gromova 16:16 well, with feminine energy, I would start with the fact that women have not as much rights as men do. But they still find a way to be so powerful. And I don't know, I'm just so excited when I see a woman do something that a man does. So easy, but she has to do like a big way to come there to do something that a man gets so easily. And I just find this so attractive and so magical. And something in masculinity energy that doesn't attract me is that some men think that they are superior, they are better than women just because they are men. So I really don't like this. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 17:04 Yes, thank you. And I guess one of the biggest representations of that is the Russian invasion on Ukrainian, etc. So how was that day, February 24. For you? How did you hear about the war? How did you feel? And how did this whole war experience change you as a girl, Yelena Gromova 17:28 it was actually so scary, because it's, it was five in the morning, when my mom came into my room crying, and she said, like the war started. And I just took my phone and message my friends, because two of my online friends are from Donbass, if you know, there's like, a different word that was there for like eight years, and I was so scared of them and my different friends. So I immediately called some of them and I was there full day I was online, I was trying to be there for them just to calm them down. Even though I was crying the whole day. And it was so scary, you know it, I will never forget it. I will never forget how I grow up in one day. And all of the dreams all of the plans that I had to this summer in Ukraine, they suddenly just disappeared. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 18:30 I really, really understand what you're saying. I was there actually in Ukraine on February 24. And it was absolutely hectic and horrible and life threatening. So for now, since you meet a lot of Ukrainians who are outside, do you feel that if the war continues longer, they will settle down outside of Ukraine and therefore start a new life and not return when there is a victory? Or do you feel that all Ukrainians as soon as possible want to and will return to Ukraine to rebuild the country because it's understandable if they have a new job, new study new life somewhere it might be difficult to stop that and return to the unknown. After a war. Yelena Gromova 19:20 It's so much depends on the people because some people don't have where to come back. Their houses are destroyed their family Sorry, dad, and it's actually so scary listening to them. So some people want to return because they don't have to return like they don't have home there. They just have memories of how their home which is destroyed how their family died. But some people, mostly young people, I think the day will return because they want to be back there to rebuild our country and to show the world Rosie, how strong we are. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 20:02 Thank you so much, Elena. This was my privilege, my honor. Such a great conversation and all I can is Slava Ukraini. Yelena Gromova 20:12 Heroyam Slava. I was so honored to talk to you. It was an amazing conversation. Thank you so much.