Episode Transcript
Hello, my name is Aziz and I'm the son of a divorced mother.
She is my superhero.
That's why it's important for me to support women, to share their uniqueness, their personalities,
perspectives, and emotions about this world.
In these difficult times in human history, we need to bring the cultures of the world
together.
And when we listen to lives of real people, of all women from other countries, we connect
our humanity without our differences or stereotypes, and we get inspired by their stories to live
a better life.
That's what this podcast is all about.
My guest today is Valeria Stahi.
Lera is from Kriolini in the Republic of Moldova.
She studies art, music, specifically piano and guitar.
In 2019, she became the ambassador of Global Goals.
She volunteered a lot, met a lot of wonderful people, won art contests, and was a participant
at the Republican Olympics of English and biology.
Lera, how are you today?
I'm excited about this podcast.
It was so random.
It just appeared on my notification.
And when I read your message, I felt important.
I'm lucky.
I'm honored.
I'm privileged to interview you, and I'm curious about you, so I'll begin with this.
If your friends who know you very well could describe your personality, what would they
say about you?
I think they would say that I'm creative in the first place because in my country,
I'm trying every day to make a difference.
I make concerts, activities for young people like me.
I don't know.
I just like to unify people by music, by arts, by their common interests.
And yeah, creative would be in the first place.
And the second quality is describing me.
I think it's funny because when I'm with my friends, I'm trying to eliminate all the
tension, all the negative thoughts, and with my jokes, I'm trying to make every moment
special and full of joy, I guess.
But I don't have so many friends that know me that well.
So yeah, I would say creative, funny, smart.
So yeah.
Thank you.
That's wonderful.
And I noticed you said you have this desire to unify people through music, through common
interests.
Can you share why is that important for you?
Do you notice that people are not usually unified?
Is it a better feeling when they're unified?
Or is it a way to make a difference for peace or for common connection or bonding or the
shared vibes are wonderful?
Why is it important for you?
And why is it necessary among young people that you know in Moldova?
So I live in a small village, so I need to drive.
By the way, I got my driver's license this year.
So I need to drive in the city that is close to my village to make these activities.
So I make these activities to unify people that are too shy or too afraid to show themselves
and who they are.
In this way, I discovered people that have the same music taste as me.
And in this way, we made concerts, we felt connected in this way.
And also we gave awards for the best musicians in our country.
So they are not afraid anymore to show themselves.
You know, as Kurt Cobain said, I rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am
not.
So that's our principle code in these actions.
Recently, in my school, I had this activity.
It was like a prom, but we're not allowed in our school to make activities at night.
So we did this in the morning.
So we needed people who sing, who dance.
And our principal didn't knew anyone that can do this.
So she asked me and my little music club did this thing that needed to be done.
And it was amazing.
So that's it.
I hope you understood what I said, because my English is not really good and fluent,
but it is what it is.
You did very well.
I'm proud of you.
And I'm very curious to know even more.
How is the culture of Moldova?
Does it like that Kurt Cobain quote that you mentioned, encourage people to be authentic?
Or are some people feeling judged and they need to be brave in order to be themselves?
Do you find that music is a space or at least you're creating one where people can be as
crazy or as individual as they want?
And how is the culture in 2022?
Is it changing?
Is it different?
Tell me everything.
You know, I would say that culture is changing every day because tradition embrace and develop
every day.
And it's not the same like it was yesterday, a year ago, 10 years ago, and so like that.
Our culture has changed through years, mostly because of the internet, because lack of people
that are interested in changing culture.
So in a good way and also in a bad way.
Thank you.
And you mentioned that you live in a small village, you need to drive to the nearest
bigger place in order to do the activities you love.
And therefore, is your dream or would your dream be to live in a big metropolitan city,
like with 10 million people, all kinds of activities and groups and individuals?
Or are you because you grew up in a village not in love with that big urban life you would
like in an animated place, but still connected with nature, small enough to know everyone
and the kind where you can be near the beach or the mountain without too much noise and
random people all the time?
Even though I love my life the way it is in my village, along with my parents, with my
animals, cats, dogs and everything, I don't have here the chance to develop and to improve
my personality, because we don't have a lot of opportunities in village, we don't have
a lot of clubs, spaces for, I don't know, for projects and everything.
And as long as I want to stay here, I would rather to live in a big city with a lot of
noise in the morning, a lot of cars driving around, a lot of shops around me, because
I like this lifestyle a lot.
I like to be in a rush, to make everything fast, to laugh, to leave, to walk, to...
I don't know.
And at the end of the day to be relaxed and to think of the productivity that I had in
that day.
So a big city would be a more interesting option for me.
Thank you.
You seem to love emotions and like you said, that rush and energy very much.
And so to ask you, for you, is an ideal life a life where you feel good vibes, positivity
and happiness all the time or do you desire all emotions to feel sad and heartbroken and
happy and excited and scared and all those emotions are very important for you.
You want to feel them all, not only the good positive ones.
About emotions, you know an emotion can be your enemy if you give in to your emotion,
you lose yourself.
You must be at one with your emotions because the body always follows the mind.
So you should be careful of what you feel and how you connect your emotions with your
mind.
Personally speaking, I don't let the negative vibes and the negative emotions to be in my
life.
I try, like I said, with my rush and everything to think only positive thoughts.
But yeah, I have some moments in life that negative emotions are here and I just can't
take them away everywhere I go.
So I'm trying to read the book, maybe play guitar, maybe watch my favorite series, movies
to get the positive vibe back.
So I hope this was the answer that you looked for.
That's wonderful and there is no right or wrong answer.
Everything is correct if it's true for you.
And you love music and creativity.
What's the story of you discovering more Western kind of music or rock and roll or metal or
whatever that is fascinating for you?
And what emotions or experiences did it give you that the traditional or common Moldovan
music did not give to you?
So I like every kind of music that exists in this world, believe me or not.
But my first genre of music that was a part of me, a part of my heart that got into my
soul was classical rock music.
And the first band that I heard, my mom was listening to the Beatles and I heard them
and I asked her, what is this song or this kind, what is this kind of music?
I think I was 10 years old and she explained to me who they are, where they're from.
So I got really involved in the subject, then I discovered other rock bands and when I played
this kind of music at school, people around me were staring at me like, what is this kind
of music?
This is not the normal music, like where did this come from?
Because they don't really accept what's new or not from their culture.
So I isolated myself.
So I think I made them laugh because the next day I went to school and I played metal.
But metal is a kind of music that is not for everyone.
You can get ahead from that kind of music.
So they got a little scared, but in this way I discovered people that also like rock music.
So in this way I made amazing friends that are still my friends till now.
So I think it was a good way.
But I also listen to music that is made in my country.
I'm thinking also about making a song here in my language.
I don't know, that's all about me and music.
Thank you.
And then I'm very curious, which part of the world would represent and match your personality,
a place you would love to live in?
Would it be like Italy and the emotions you'd get from those old buildings and history and
architecture or Japan and all kinds of crazy unusual people who are doing very unique things
or California so that you can live the lyrics of some of your favorite songs or New York
City or maybe on the beach in Spain?
What is a place in this world that if you could live in, it will match your personality
perfectly that you think, yes, this is perfect for me.
Although of course you love Moldova, et cetera.
We're just talking about the personality perfect fit.
As people say, everyone has that big American dream.
So I'm one of them.
I would love to live in California, specifically in San Francisco, because I've never seen
in my life a city more astonishing than that.
It has history, it has modern elements, it has everything that I want, it has a lot of
places that I can work, that I can visit, that I can see.
And I think that there people are also like it is said in the magazines, in the articles,
on the internet, so on.
And I think it'd be a great environment to develop myself, to not be afraid of being
myself and to meet new people, start a new life, live the American dream, maybe, I don't
know, find someone that loves me and building a career, a love life and so on.
Then like I said, it's my big dream.
I wish it could happen, but for now it's just in my mind.
I need to work hard for that.
Of course, I wish you all your dreams to come true.
And you said you would love to be in San Francisco and find love and someone to love you.
Could you imagine it like James Dean or someone who's like a bad boy on a motorcycle with
his leather jacket and doesn't care and is full of like risk and emotions?
Is that what drives you?
Or you think of someone more stable and with that deep connection and understanding?
Or is that boring because there is not that thrill and that extra energy?
Of course, that for me, it matters in people, not just appearance, but also their soul.
Of course, for me, I would love to have someone pretty as me, if I can say that.
But for me, all that matters is how they act around me, around my family, how they treat
me, how they understand my needs, how they have the same interest as me, how it doesn't
stop me to build something in my life, how I grow with that someone.
And I don't know, I think this thing is not my principal thing.
I think it's the last thing on my to-do life list because it's not that important for me
in the first place is family, second is school, third is career, then music, then other things.
But I don't think that it is important to talk about this at my age.
Of course.
And to ask you what do you look for in new friends or in people that you're interested
in?
Are you looking for people who also have a big American dream or people who are authentic
or people who are creative or what kinds of things makes you think, oh my God, these people
are my people?
It would be weird, but I like people who still watch cartoons, childish, but I think it would
be a great subject for the first meeting or the first date.
And what else do I look for?
To not talk cuss words, not to swear, like not to make fun of religion, not to have a
bad influence on me, maybe to read books, but that's not important.
Just because I really like books, so I can switch books with my friends.
As you see, now I'm describing my friends, but my friends are the people that are perfect
for me.
And what else do I look for?
To be a good company and to be there whenever I need them.
Thank you.
What do you love most about books and how different or similar is your experience of
reading books to the music that you love?
So books for me are just like music.
I read a lot of types of books, but my favorite ones, I don't know, I'm trying not to look
in my library and see what have I read in the last time.
So I really like books about crime.
I know after I talked about cartoons, music, butterflies and everything, now I'm talking
about crimes, but that's something that gets me concentrated and focused when I'm reading.
I like to, I don't know, to put things together and to get to the final part faster than the
author.
So the last book that I have read is The Perfect Crime by Holly Jackson.
It was a nice book, so I recommend to everyone this genre of books because I know it's not
that popular.
Thank you.
Is this related to your description of yourself as intelligent and that's why you like to
feel you're even more clever than the author and you like to solve the crime super fast
and to feel that sense of accomplishment and proud?
Or it's not related to how you described yourself first and early that you're creative and intelligent
as well?
First of all, thank you.
I would get it as a compliment, but I don't think I am that intelligent or smart just
because I like to get to the final part first because a lot of people that are reading books
are getting the final part by themselves.
Thank you.
And you organize events and concerts, et cetera.
If there is another young person who wishes to learn your secrets of creating community,
creating an event, making it a reality, what would you recommend?
What is necessary for it and how to bring people together around some interests?
I think the secret of everything I'm doing with activities is time.
You need a lot of time to make a time management, to ask people that help you their schedule
to make a program.
If you don't have time to do that, you better stay in your place because time is the key
to everything and after time you need ambition, you need ideas, you need to have a dream that
is always there to encourage you.
It's not that much of a secret, it's not a big secret, it's just a little advice because
I also don't have a lot of experience and I'm still learning and if it would be someone
that wants to learn from me, I think I would do a good job, but I'm not a big, big person
to teach someone that who wants to do that, they can do how they feel it, just to follow
their instinct and their destiny.
Thank you and since you mentioned destiny, do you think about your own future?
What would be the perfect occupation for you?
Would you be a writer and write some of your books or a musician or an event organizer
in California, making concerts for big stars?
Or what would be your dream work and inspiration that will make you feel very happy?
Yeah, it would be a great idea to make a concert like, I don't know, Justin Bieber or Selena
Gomez, but it would be weird, but I want to be a doctor, I never mentioned it.
Everything I'm doing now is just for me, it's just a passion here.
My big dream is to be a doctor, that's why I like biology and I'm trying to do better
at school and at chemistry eventually, but if that doesn't work, then I'm going to do
what I'm doing now, like concerts and everything.
But if I would love medicine as much as I love organizing events, I would do two faculties
because you never know what comes into your life.
What attracted you to the idea of becoming a doctor?
Is it helping people?
Is it being useful?
And does it have some similarities and emotions to you organizing some successful events?
I don't know where it came from.
At a really young age, I just started to really like looking at my big brother's biology books
to see the human body, to see, I don't know, everything that is related to the human body.
So that really fascinated me, so I tried to learn it by myself and when I talked with
my mother about that, she encouraged me to do that because in this way, I can help my
family when they need it, so yeah, it's just what I want to do.
And in our country, a doctor is paid really well, so that's another reason.
Thank you.
I can see that family is so important for you.
So does this mean you would love to study your medical education in Moldova or do you
have dreams to study in Germany or in London or in San Francisco if you could?
And if so, how would you deal with being in a new place away from family and needing to
make new friends and adapting to a new environment?
I don't think it would be that hard for me because in my life I've been to summer camps
to, I don't know, a lot of activities that were far away from here and it was really
fun to be alone sometimes, like to do what kind of food I like and these small things.
I don't think it would be hard to live far away.
Of course, I would miss my parents from the first day, but I'm adapting so fast to new
changes in life, so if I would study abroad, it wouldn't be a big problem for me.
Thank you so much, Lira.
This was my privilege, my honor.
Such a wonderful way to share your uniqueness and perspective.
And I wish you success.
I wish you to create all the communities and groups and events you desire, to become a
wonderful doctor, to help your family and to live that big city life.
Thank you again for participating.
Thank you.
It was a nice time and I hope that every other girl is going to have this chance.
Goodbye.
