E044 Katerina Pogrebniak

Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 0:00 The 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 Katerina Pogrebnyak. Kate is a bachelor of international relations and social communications at Boris screeching Kochi of university. Also she is currently studying coaching, and psychology. Kate is a polyglot who loves learning foreign languages. She speaks Ukrainian, Russian, English, as well as developing her knowledge of German, French, and Turkish Kate is a dancer with 15 years of experience, including ballet, jazz, funk, and heels. She loves traveling, exploring other countries and cultures, and she was a productive member of iSeq. In give. Currently, Kate is a coach, psychologist, as well as an English German tutor. And she is in Germany, aiming to be an active volunteer because her goal is to change people's lives in the future. Kate wants to represent Ukraine in the international arenas and to use her knowledge of international relations to support her country. Kate, how are you today? Katerina Pogrebniak 1:49 Well, I'm fine. The weather was also so nice. So mood also is great. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 1:56 I'm happy for you. I'm feeling positive. I'm feeling grateful and very curious about you. So I will begin with this simple question which revealed a lot. If your friends were to describe your personality, what would they say? Katerina Pogrebniak 2:13 Okay, interesting question. I think they would say that, at first, I'm shy, and calls with people hurting, no. But then when they get to know me better than I am very reliable person. And they can trust me. And also, I think they will say that I'm very confidence and hardworking, because I was working. And they said, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 2:48 Thank you. So at first you have like a bitch face. And you're cold. And you don't open your emotions to people. But you're hardworking. And if people get to know you, you're trustworthy. I understand, correct? Katerina Pogrebniak 3:03 Yes. Correct. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 3:04 Why do you feel or more comfortable being cold at first? Because you know, there are people in this world who are open from the very first second. Did you ever experience that situation where you meet someone and you feel oh, wow, I feel open to them. I feel I know them for many, many years. Katerina Pogrebniak 3:26 Yes, I had such situations. Also. I don't know why I'm, at first, a little bit cold. I think because I need to get to know the person more and then I can trust this person better. But I think I'm not just so called in. You mean it? I mean, both in, I don't trust all my secrets or my histories. And like the first time I just talked with the person about I don't know, politics about myself in themselves. It's not about my, my, my moods, my thoughts and so on. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 4:12 Thank you. And you mentioned trust three times. You said you're trustworthy, you need time to trust the person. It's important for you. What does trust mean? And what are the characteristics of people that you trust? Katerina Pogrebniak 4:30 Trust for me that I can tell Samsung the person and then this person wouldn't tell nobody that I have trolls and the characteristic of trustful person that I can rely on. I think that is just close friends. At first it should be my close friends. That's like the there were situations in which I understood that I can rely on this person. And I think it will come with time. So at first I can say, is the person trustful or not trusting? Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 5:11 Thank you. You said that comes with time and that time is required. Now that you move to Germany, well, how is your experience with making new friends? Do you find it difficult? Do you find it easy? Do you find? You need much more time? How much is enough? Is it like a year? Is that a month? Is it a week? Like what is to you that concept of the time necessary for trust? And now that you're in a new environment? How did you handle new connections, new relationships, new friendships, Katerina Pogrebniak 5:47 I suppose you can say that. Here, it is more easier for me to communicate. Of course, it's looking at language. So English, German bytes, it's really easy for me, because like in Ukraine, I had, like close friends, but not so many. And here. So at first, like two months, of course, I didn't speak to anybody, I just sat in my room on its own. But then I decided I should do something. And I started to look for people that live here, German, and not only Germans, all nationalities and I started to communicate with them. And now it is really easy for me to make friends with somebody. Because maybe it's because it's I don't know, other people here. And we don't have any connections with the people who live here and descendants. If I want, I wouldn't do this, I will be alone here. And for me, I can't stay with I can trust them or something like this, because it's like, like friends, if not close friends. But if which I can just about to hang out with someone, somebody to communicate to share some thoughts, and also close relations. So yeah, it is really easy for me. And I do hear that I have never done in your career. I mean, communication with such a lot of people. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 7:31 Thank you, that seems so interesting. And I can guess that psychology was both very useful, and understanding people but they were you motivated to learn psychology so that you understand people you don't feel alone? Or was it more to understand your own self and for your own self discovery? Katerina Pogrebniak 7:54 First, it was like not direct psychology, it was in a gram, maybe part about it. It's types of personality. And first, I studied Enneagram for a year. And then I understood that I want to study something more deeply. And yeah, and then in that school, I started to learn psychology. Oh, no. Yes. Ecology without an anagram. So at first it was to, its anagram is or like both for understanding myself, and for understanding like in other people. So it is like connection. So yeah, it's really helped me and subsequent now. Psychology also understands what I feel what I need to do my goals, and I can easier talk with people to understand what they want from me from the worlds and so on, Eric, to find, like language with everybody. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 8:57 I like that. And why is that important for you? Is it? I don't know. I'm starting to imagine since you love to travel and to explore new places and new cultures, you love to learn new languages and psychology. What I can see common between them is that you want to feel connected to people anywhere you go and not like a stranger or someone who has a distance between you and the goodness of people or their nature. Is this correct? Or tell me correct me if I'm wrong? Yeah, you're Katerina Pogrebniak 9:32 correct. And I think languages also is very hard to read. Because like I know people here the grand people here who come here, and my friends for example, and the John Snow, German and even English and for them it is so difficult to just communicate with someone and for me like languages, psychology and openness to be Pull. Yeah, it's like, all work together. And for me, it's really important not to feel alone, even when I'm just far away from my family from my phone. Have people here also? Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 10:15 Thank you? Yes. You said, it's important for you to not feel alone. And before you said, you're cold at first, you don't open up easily. So it seems to me like a paradox. How can it be reconciled? That in the beginning, you can just speak about impersonal things like the news and politics, which is not really connection. And at the same time, you would love to feel like you're speaking to someone who you can trust who will never share your secrets. And that deep bond is really something that seems to be valuable for you. Katerina Pogrebniak 10:52 Maybe yes, so first point looks like this. But I think I like the first question was how my friends would describe me, I think, they will say that I'm called to this. But it's like, for a year ago, or two years ago, I was really quiet at first. But now, especially when I am here. So now I'm not completely but really different from that it was in Ukraine. But I think so. I don't know how it makes me. But I think it's also depends on person. So when I talk to persons first time, it's like intuition. I can say this, with some people, I feel very relaxed, and I'm open to them. And some people I don't want to speak yet, sometimes. So when I don't speak with personally, at first, I can think I don't want to communicate with this person. I don't know why, but I think so. In sometimes. And so in this situation, I'm called. But when I started up with person, I changed my mind completely. And you think, Oh, why have I thought about such and such way? And because this person was very lovely. And then we can become friends. So it's like something like this. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 12:19 Thank you. That's really interesting. And I'm curious about something fancier now. an anagram expert? Do you feel it's liberating, and that when you speak to people, you can understand their personality and communicate with them? In a way where you can both Connect? Or does it create some subconscious prejudice, where you think, Oh, I get along with a 123 type of personality, and I'm bad to get along with 456. And so if you find someone from the wrong personality, you don't give them a chance. You're like, no, no, no, they're not my people. Or like, because it could be you know, some people can do it, where, even with astrology or whatever, where they say, Oh, my sign doesn't work with this other sign. So if I meet someone from there, I was not communicate much with them. Because it's not useful. Yes. Katerina Pogrebniak 13:16 Yes, it was. Way just started laying in the ground. Even away, I didn't know like, what switch type Am I, I thought, Oh, I like these types. And you're done with these types. But it was only the first time and I think like when you learning something, just not only psychology, it can be so that you will divide personal people you divide or in some categories, but then when you're when I started a deeply, and my teachers, they also said that you shouldn't do this, it's, it is not a good idea to divide it. All types are good. Old types have negative characteristics and positive. And they go have an engram to understand all types of technology to say, I will speak only with this type and this type. And I can say that at first, so I don't feel that I can say, like at first glance that Oh, you're just this type of this type. So at first, like Nagrand is very deep, and knowledge, and you should really get to know the person and then only you can say, I think you'll type this because look at the first glance, it can be very confusing, because not even experts in Enneagram or the pudding say that you're just these type M's is 100%. So then it's your change of mind. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 14:51 Thank you that's fascinating and even beyond the thinking and the brain in order to analyze people Are you an empath? Have you always had the ability to feel people's energy, people's personalities, people's aura almost, or you didn't have that. And that's why you felt it's important to develop your psychological understanding. First I Katerina Pogrebniak 15:19 was to say, I felt a lot about people. And so I was not so good alone. So I mean, that's why I wasn't with my friends, when my friend is happy. I'm also happy when my Reddit friends said, I'm also sad. So it was confusing for me. And I didn't want to have the same mood that people with me have. And I started to learn a psychology to understand myself and not to be connected with people in such grade. So not to be their family be with myself, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 16:01 I understand. I'm an empath as well, I have grown up in that way where I can feel people deeply. And when they're angry, I used when I was like a kid, I thought it's my fault. What did I do, I didn't do anything. And when you try to help them, and they're not helped, and you're like, I don't know, I'm making them angry. And I don't know how to fix it. But it's not. But for now, I don't know. For me, it was more meditation, where you can meditate on the emotions. And therefore, when I walk in the street, I feel all the energies or the moods of everything, even the cats and the dogs and all that. And so have you ever, like I mean, it's part of you, you cannot really change it or stop it? Do you sometimes meet people or even see them without even meeting them? And you feel oh, my god, their energy is different. There is some glow or passion in their eyes or something like that that comes through them. Or you're like being more introspective, because it's possible. If I only look like at the sky or down or whatever, then maybe I don't get their energy, are you someone who's in tune with everybody, and you notice unique energies, etc. Or you're trying really to protect yourself from other moods and feelings? Katerina Pogrebniak 17:26 I think like with the help of psychology, now I can compare and match divide these two parts, like I feel the mood, but I don't the errand I feel them like a distance. So I can say, this person is energetic, I like this. I think he has such character and so on. So I like to read people, by I don't, I don't feel their problems by myself. So it's like, Ricky, how can I divide this so like, it's in psychology in college, it is very important not to take our problems or thoughts. In my own world, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 18:15 for sure. And it's an issue due not only to that, but to people who become therapists and coaches. I remember I had a friend, and she is a psychotherapist. And at the end of the day, because people are speaking about their problems all day long. She's like, Oh, my God, I feel full of all the problems of the world, since one of your goals or the thing you're working towards, and even your profession now is a coach, psychologist first. What motivated you to choose this? What's interesting? And second, do you use the same techniques? Or how do you protect yourself? Because often people come to you because they have a problem or they're sad? Not really, because they're so happy. They want to be happier. Katerina Pogrebniak 19:00 Why did you choose? So I was like, on the second course, in the time, international relations in my university, and I thought why not to start something different. In parallel with studying also, I can do Samsung. Yeah. So I started studying the psychology course. Because I've always wanted to understand people people more. And so I was in second course. And the time I had I don't know what exactly was that? But I felt really lonely. Just I had a lot of friends. I had people with whom to communicate, but in my head, I was lonely. So I decided to learn why is it so and yeah, and so on. And how I protect myself. Yeah, it's like a technique in psychology. I don't feel like I should tell this because it's really wrong. Write it all in mind. So you can, if you don't want to have all this world's problems into yourself, you just can't stop to you. So it's really easy, but not a lot of people do this and understand the importance of just how they think. So it will be just, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 20:24 just thank you. And you mentioned lonely or loneliness three times. What is the problem with loneliness? What is the issue? Let's say you're feeling lonely. Why is that that? Oh, well, how do you feel? And what's the opposite of it? Because what I heard is you don't want to be lonely. And you need trust in order for you to be with people where they're hanging out or being best friends so that you're not lonely. So what is for you bad about loneliness? And what is the opposite that you want? That is the thing that will make your life more interesting or deeper. Katerina Pogrebniak 21:06 I can see, I felt lonely. So now I don't feel like this. What it was in the time, from aloneness that I I wanted all people to communicate with me. And so I have, for example, one hand with people that communicate with me and one people person. Yes. So it's, this person doesn't want to talk with me. And so oh my god, I feel lonely. So it was, I don't know, what was it all in my head was, but now I think that loneliness is okay, but so you with the person should should learn how to be alone. So it's really hard to because when we are children, we always we are with somebody, with parents, with friends, in school, and so on. But in adult life, it's really important to be only with myself to go for a walk and to be my mind. So now I think I think loneliness is not so good words, just to be in connection with myself. So it's not loneliness, it's a little bit different. So now, different words, from loneliness, opposite words. It's like yeah, like connection with to be in connection with myself and to do not know how to build good relations with people. Anyways, Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 22:38 thank you. That's interesting DFA like if you had 100 People who communicated with you and one person ignored you, you felt lonely. Well, does this also imply because it seems to me that if you had that attitude, you'll be much more attracted and interested in Bad Boys rather than good guys because good guys will communicate all bad boys will create drama and things like that. Is this correct? And what's your opinion about like some girls will say good guys are responsible but they're so boring. Well, bad boys are risky but they make life exciting and full of emotions. Katerina Pogrebniak 23:20 I think like a girls with a bit boys are better they are not so mature. So when a girl need to this emotion so this a lot of adrenaline and so on, so it's not mature girl and it's looks for only for emotion because yeah, there's so this girl can't be alone. And she's not in connection with herself. But I don't divide us people in the bed. Voice for example, your bed voice and good voice. I don't think that good boys are boring. Because, like for me good boy is with Correct. Correct is awesome. So good one, but will be so good principles in life. So they just know what they want from himself from, from live from Korea and so on. But it doesn't mean that these boys can do something unexpected, something strange, in a positive way or something. Go for extreme sports, extreme adventure. So it isn't so like a bad boy doesn't mean that they're wearing the suit or only a home and those people. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 24:41 I understand. Thank you. And for you. How was that day of February 24. How did you discover the war? How did you hear about it? How did you feel? Tell me the story. Katerina Pogrebniak 24:55 I don't say well, it's me and my family. We are We were thought that it would be something that we didn't believe that one week. And I have packed my little suitcase, and three years, three days before, and I have a chat with my friends. And the everyday we like the one we say, oh, everything of the day, everything will break here on the 21st. And I wake up at five, or Lisa. So I heard like my mother was talking on the phone with somebody. And then I like first time. First thing that I do when I wake up every morning is like, checking my hand. So I heard my mother is talking but I it was dark, but in 7am is also dark. So I just checked my phone. I thought everything became apparent go to work, it's okay. And I saw it five o'clock. And my friends were already wake up. Yeah. And they chatted to me they have phones, me also. And then in Telegram, the relative channels, news channels in the air, I found out then a against my parents, they also tells me and we started to think what we should do. We had a plan. So we just again, we will go there. And Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 26:29 it's thank you I understand very well. And since you dream, or one of your goals is to use your international relations knowledge to help Ukraine. What are some examples of things you think you can do? Or other Ukrainians as well? who are studying diplomacy, international relations, that maybe will give them some of the ideas so that together, everyone supports Ukraine? Katerina Pogrebniak 26:57 Yes. So at first, we can say that every person can support Ukraine, it doesn't depend on diplomacy or when they started. But when I say about diplomacy, I didn't know what I will do with human future future career. But now, I just want to be a volunteer here to communicate it with two parts at one side between us in Muncie German. So it's, it's also maybe diplomacy, but then like, boom, maybe to represent really, really grain here, or when I don't know, variable returns Ukraine, so I can work from grain to also builds relations from grain with German. So I don't know yet. Exactly what it will do. But I think it will be something really important. Because one, every person can do something important, and then it will be really big on all. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 28:04 I agree. Thank you, Kate. This was such an interesting conversation, truly enriching and all I can say is Slava Ukrainy. Thank you. I wish you a good day. And thank you again. Thank you