Episode Transcript
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 Maria Petru Senko. Maria is a student at Kingston College. She loves modern dance and drawing canvases, originally from the Luhansk region in Ukraine. She is now living in London, England, Maria, how are you today?
Mariia Petrusenko 0:52
Hello, nice to meet you. I'm fine with you both you.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 0:57
I'm feeling positive, optimistic, happy and very curious about you. So I'll ask you this. If your friends could describe your personality and who you are, what would they say about you?
Mariia Petrusenko 1:11
Maybe I have good emotion. In my, in my opinion. It's positive. People and who like extreme, and book books, psychology books. It's so interesting for me. I like
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 1:38
that's really, really cool. And so to ask you, because now you're living in London. Do you feel that in the beginning, people thought, Oh, my God, this girl looks like she's so serious, angry and has a bitch face. A bitch face at the beginning? Or it's not the situation and how did you try to smile more? Or what happened?
Mariia Petrusenko 2:00
It's very hard. Because now in my country, very, very, very hard. situation. And I hope it's finished. And every every Ukrainian have a smile in face.
It's very important for for brain.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 2:25
I agree with you. And yes, we will speak about the war situation a bit later. For now. You're in London? How is your daily plan? Can you describe your normal day? When do you wake up? What do you do? What do you do to study to relax, to enjoy to forget all the stress and war and all that pain.
Mariia Petrusenko 2:49
My day starts when you're awake when I wake up, but maybe eight o'clock. I'm running and make very simply exercise. I go to bathroom and region and use because it's very, it's very important. When you are looking for and no situation. What helped me maybe my family and my friends. They give me a good mood for they.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 3:33
Thank you I understand this very, very well. And well, you have been in London when they were saying oh my god, this is such a warm time. It's 40 degrees. People are in a hot weather. How did you experience it going from Ukraine? Did you think it was too hard? How did you adapt? And what is the story of that?
Mariia Petrusenko 3:58
It's very, very, very extremely. Because in my region and the neck region of our started in 2040 years for our region in Ukraine, it starts in this year. And when you don't understand what, what is happening when this finished. It's very bad. You don't understand the war. And in London, it's very good. It's very good place very friendly people. It's very big city. Maybe 8 million people live here. It's very interesting when you look for new friends who Leave here and have a practice English language. I think English now it's very important language. Because in every country have people who knows this language. I agree
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 5:17
with you so much. Is it easy to make new friends? They are in London? Or did you find it difficult? Because it's a new country new language? And maybe people are not so open even if they are friendly. Tell me what is your experience?
Mariia Petrusenko 5:36
Right? A Yes, I'm I'm agree it's very difficult. Maybe in this time, it's difficult, but I repeat, it's very friendly people. And these people want help you. If it's very big theta, and very many, many people here and my new friends. I have people who from Ukraine. It's it's very interesting people because it's, every people have East history. And when you listen in this human, you understand what this book what you want. Read, it's, it's so hard. But now in this time, it's important supporting people or for other people. It's very important, I think,
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 6:47
I agree. 100%, and you continue to dance in London? Do you find it different or difficult or what is because dance is very important for you. I think.
Mariia Petrusenko 7:02
In my country, I have a meeting with my rent every day. And when you when you in other country, it's very, very hard because you don't know where it's good when to raise good. Team. Now I have to master class with to style them. My favorite style in walk and contemporary. It's very, very, very for woman, I think. Because when you're when you're dancing is this. You feel your body, you feel your brain. It's very interesting, but very hard. And after maybe one year, I have my experience in the style. And and I share this experience with my friends.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 8:11
Thank you. That's interesting. And tell me about Milan's. I know that in 2014 The war started, but even that in February 24 You had the invasion? How did you hear about it? What did you think? What is the story of that day?
Mariia Petrusenko 8:31
My morning started in 4am. Because airport in my region is born, but it's very scary. It's very louder. But maybe it's the problem, but people in my region don't carry this. It's normal. It's normal. It's not normal, but every everyone knows this. And hope it's for three or four hours and finished but no, it's now it's six months. It's very, very, very, but
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 9:24
I agree 100% And why did you choose London? There are many Ukrainians who will go to Poland, Germany, even Paris. What is the reason why you go to London?
Mariia Petrusenko 9:40
Because I need the good education you displace to have good teacher and it's very good experience. It's help your English and before var before require, I have experienced it in my school because it's special school for language for English and Germany language. And it's very, very, very hard question, but my family and I don't understand Poland don't understand as as, for example, Italy language. And I think it's, it's good when you hear and you understand this language, it's not problem because everyone Ukrainian have a problem with document. And if you're a teenager, you have a problem with education because it's new system, it's new school in your college, university. When you in in here, land which help your understanding this people I think it's very important because when I and my family lived in Poland, for example. It's plus one problem because it's another language and they think in this time it is it's plus one problem.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 11:34
Thank you, I understand. And you're an artist, you make canvases, etc. What inspires your art,
Mariia Petrusenko 11:43
I started drawing in 12 years. It's oil colors. It's so interesting. I like looking for you there in Pinterest. I like drawing people, my friends. And the end beautiful place for example, mountains and river. And, and my favorite cartoon. It's so interesting for me. I think it helped my future indication in this place.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 12:25
I agree. 100%. And now that you are in London, and you are beginning this college, what will you study and why did you choose Kingston college?
Mariia Petrusenko 12:38
Why Kingston college, it's very easy because my school I have experience in the School of last two weeks. Because I finished 11th class in here because I'm 16. And after the school, I go into college, it's Kingston, because this college has my favorite work. My favorite course is performing arts and production arts. I want to be artists, this course have drama, have a dance have seen in and they have exam. And I learned in this college because it's very friendly teacher. And I hope my my learning in this place. It's it's good and easy. And I finished this two years. With good. Really good. Oh my gosh, I forget this word. Sorry.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 13:57
But the results are good. Yes.
Mariia Petrusenko 14:02
Yes, yes. We go through results.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 14:06
Thank you. And you said you know a lot of Ukrainians and London. Do you feel that? You know, if let's say next month, there is victory for Ukraine and everybody's happy. A lot of people will return or because they start new life new college new work. They will be like oh my god, I already have new life here. So why go and then I don't know if my house is destroyed or if maybe the economy of Ukraine is very bad. What do you think because there are many million of Ukrainian who go live all over the world.
Mariia Petrusenko 14:46
My house in Ukraine is destroy and my city, my city named the second Mariupol I have friends who from you While it's it's so sad, and I support this people, my CDs small, maybe 100,000 people, but after 2014 It's maybe one set 100,000 The Plus 20,000 people in from occupation territory from my region. Yeah.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 15:37
Thank you, I really, really understand. You said you're studying performance art and production? What is your goal or dream job? Is it to become a producer for events? Is it to become a performer and dance even more professionally? Or what is the big dream?
Mariia Petrusenko 15:57
It's my big dream from my childhood. I kept first experience in STEM, I have first experience in STEM in two years old. It's, it's danced with my teacher. And now if I want to connect this with my future job, I won't have a job, connect with choreography. And then it's so enriching for me and make me happy.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 16:36
Thank you. And for you now, how do you feel about the situation in Ukraine? Do you think the war will finish soon? Or it will be long or how do you feel? And what do you think because of all the news and what people say,
Mariia Petrusenko 16:54
I I hope it's finished the in this year. And I think it's not normal. It's not good in 21 century it's it's very read to read you looking for in paper in telegram channel, you name your friends and your family and hope she or he is leave It's so scary you when you listen this this it's so it's so scary. Because you not you not understand this you are me Ukraine or is the sound Russian army and you don't understand the view you live for the next five minutes. And I think it's not okay in this time when every country in this world to release it. And maybe it's for me, it's for my brain. It's not scary 5050 But it's so scary because in my life war with Russia starting eight years ago, and I listen this sound not every day. Maybe every moans. But I hope it's finished in this year. I repeat.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 18:43
I agree with you Maria, thank you for sharing all this and all I can say is Slava Ukraini
Mariia Petrusenko 18:52
Heroyam Slava.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 18:54
I appreciate your participation. Thank you for sharing about your life. I wish you peace, success and your studies and hopefully that you will find many, many, many friends in London.
Mariia Petrusenko 19:07
Thank you
