May 1, 2022 Volume 14 Number 11
ESCAPE
Olya Bereza
Hi everybody, from Brighton Beach, England:
I got them out, Rusty, all of them. They are now with me in the United Kingdom and their journey was incredible.
They went typical refugee route first with the Red Cross to Poland, Warsaw by bus then by free trains across Europe. And then the Warsaw-Berlin-Brussels-London route. On the way, they were fed and sheltered. I am moved to tears by all the amazing people involved in this humanitarian endeavour. There were even volunteers staying with flags on stations, directing and helping Ukrainians.
Of course, lack of language knowledge caused a little bit of trouble when my family went on wrong train but luckily they managed to get changed in time so it didn’t affect much their route. You know I have always been dreaming about trans-European trains east-west and south-north, as that would be such less trouble, especially for all older people, to get the connection right. Smiling.
All the trains were free, but one needed to obtain tickets. In England it was even easier showing Ukrainian passports and tickets from Eurostar, and then to get all connections – tube, trains, ferry — free without tickets. It is so wonderful of all European countries to provide the aid and opportunities for refugees like Home for Ukraine Scheme in the UK. After almost a week in transit, they are finally in temporary new homes! What a journey.
As I mentioned before, they began their journey amid Russian land take overs in East and South Ukraine. We chose Orthodox Easter Day hoping that — even without a cease fire – it would be more quiet on all fronts. Thank God, we were correct. The next day, however, the train was delayed by Russian rockets hitting Ukrainian rail supply routes I saw smoke from the Krasne station, one of the targets, with own eyes.
Again I’m so grateful to everyone organizing help, to all volunteered. To all catchers-in-the-rye. Be safe Rusty. And thank you, cousin mine. Blessings on all of you who care.
Olya
Olya Bereza was born in the former Soviet Union and now lives in Ukraine. Fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, and English, she is a degreed psychologist with a background in international marketing and personnel management. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian
SOMETIMES IMMIGRATION WORKS
Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. Since I love my cousin Olya more than life itself, the tale of immigration you have just read hits me viscerally. It’s a gut-grabber, a heart-breaker, a sad rain song. It is also the testimonial of millions of dispossessed dating back to Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
No, it is not the first one I have ever read. It is just one of the best. Both Celtic branches of my family produced refugees. I am Irish Roman Catholic and Russian Jew. Celts, as we know, were the First Europeans, “the Continent’s” aborigines, as it were.
And, like so many Americans, I have had to totally uproot and plant somewhere else. I had a good job and a radical offset monthly magazine in Sacramento during its Camelot era. We stood for gay rights, brown rights and environmentalism. We reached intentional communities in 17 states and three provinces in Canada.
Someone started leaving a Bronx cheer on my answering machine every work day. That was all. No words. Nothing to identify. Day after day. And I had to listen to it in order to listen to my other messages. It got to the point where seeing that red light on that small brown and chrome plastic box made me nauseous.
Then came the night when someone clubbed me coming out of my apartment on a stormy night. I woke up bound and gagged in an extremely confined space. Choking back screams, I worked my hands free and in scooting around, felt the spare tire beneath me. So I knew I was in the trunk of a car. Not that great a news flash but better than being buried alive.
I got my feet free and kicked out the back seat. It turned out to be my own car, with the keys in the ignition, parked in its usual space right in front of my half of a small house owned by a real nice Greek printer named Gus, from whom I rented.
I had vacation time coming and used it to relocate several hundred miles north to the Canadian Boundary crossing at Blaine, where I found work in a tavern pulling beer. I cut all ties for a year. At the end of that year, Sacramento had forgotten me and I felt safe.
Sometimes immigration works. I’ve never been as frightened since.
Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller is a Northern California born author, photojournalist and editor. Now living in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here
IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS
Global: Anti-Semitism: Dramatic Rise In 2021, Israeli Report Says
Afghanistan: Former Army General Vows New War Against Taliban
China: Shanghai Erects Metal Barriers In Fight Against Covid-19
China: DJJ Halts Russia, Ukraine Business To Prevent Drone Misuse
Democratic Republic of Congo: New Ebola Outbreak WHO Says
France: Election Result: Macron Defeats Le Pen And Vows To Unite Divided France
France: Macron Promises To Abandon Gas, Oil And Coal, But Will He Deliver?
Germany: Germany Swiftly Building LNG Terminals In Shift Away From Russian Gas
India: Heatwave In India Leaves Millions Struggling To Cope
Japan: Major Railway Now Powered Only By Renewable Energy
Myanmar: Court Sentences Suu Kyi To Five Years For Corruption
NATO Expansion: Finland And Sweden Set To Announce Plans To Join Bloc
Russia: Putin Cuts Natural Gas To Two NATO Nations
Russian Central Bank Slashes Key Interest Rate Again
US: Historic Court Martial Ends With The First Conviction Of An Air Force General
US: NLRB Sues Starbucks For Retaliating Against 3 Workers Involved In Unionizing
US: Judge Holds Trump In Contempt
US :These U.S. Cities Are Leading The Way On Solar Energy
US: Minneapolis Police ‘Engaged In Pattern Of Racism’
US: An Oval Office Visit And A Moscow Trip: Inside The Reed Deal
UKRAINE
Inside Volodymyr Zelensky’s World
Ukraine Rail Network Helps Fight Against Russia, With Weapons Shipments And Supplies
Belarusian Railway Workers Who Helped Thwart Russia’s Attack On Kyiv
Fire Engulfs Key Russian Oil Depots Near Ukraine
Putin Gets What He Didn’t Want: Ukraine Army Closer To West
At U.N., Amal Clooney Pushes For Ukraine War Crimes Justice
At U.N., Amal Clooney Pushes For Ukraine War Crimes Justice
Ukraine War To Cause Biggest Price Shock In 50 Years
QUALITY OF LIFE
Father With Down Syndrome Raises Proud Doctor Proving That Love Is Most Powerful Of All
Bookstore Helps Cats Get Adopted
Older People Worry Less About Aging In Place: Ap Poll
Our Kind Words Mean A Lot To Those We Care About. Let’s Share Them As Often As We Can.
Trevor Reed: Parents Overjoyed At Release Of US Marine In Russia
HEALTH
42 New Genes Linked to an Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, Says ‘Landmark’ Study
Alzheimer’s May Be Caused By Cell Phones, Scientists Say
Psychedelic Mushrooms Are As Effective As Antidepressants
This Weight Loss Grocery List Is Nutritionist-Approved
Things You Should Throw Away For Your Health
Almost 60% of Americans Have Had COVID-19, CDC Says
What COVID-19’s New Normal Looks Like Is Up to Us
What Is ‘One-Way Masking,’ How Can It Protect You From Covid?
Why Doctors Are Prescribing Nature Walks for Stress
HOME & GARDEN
11 Things In Your Bathroom To Throw Away Now, According To Experts
25 Products You Need For A Healthier Home
The Revival Of A Forgotten American Fruit
Your Cup Of Coffee Is Brought To You By The Birds And The Bees
Your Fans And AC Can Tag Team To Keep You Cool And Save Energy
How I Fixed My Food-Waste Problem
You Can Grow Mushrooms All Around Your Home And Garden
HOW GREEN IS YOUR VALLEY?
Agrihoods Imagine A Future Organized Around Community Agriculture?
Coastal Wetlands Have An Important Role To Play In Addressing Climate Change
Gorgeous Timber-Covered Bridge Built At Chinese Eco-Cultural Resort
How To Harvest Seaweed Sustainably
Making Electric Mobility Work For All
Washington State Passes All-Electric Heating Mandate For New Buildings
Advanced Air Mobility Plans For Vertiports
Large Hadron Collider Breaks New Record Only Days After It Reopens
Solar Energy Fabric That Shades By Day, Lights Up By Night
Using Sunlight To Cool Cars Strikes Deal With Volkswagen
EARTH
Colorado River Tops List Of Ten ‘Most Endangered’ Rivers In U.S.
Cousteau Legacy Continues With Southern Ocean Advocacy
Inside The World’s Largest Crystal ‘Cave’
A Look Inside The Lab Helping To Restore America’s Native Plants
Olympic Peninsula Glaciers Expected To Disappear In The Next 50 Years
SPACE
The James Webb Is Fully Aligned and Ready to Spy on Deep Space
When Is The Next Total Solar Eclipse In North America?
Daylight Fireball Over Mississippi: See The Video
This is one of those total waste of timers I eat like popcorn. What Kind Of Penguin Are You?
They are not PP&M. But they sure could be. Peter Paul And Mary Alive “Blowing In The Wind”
Good! Resigning Ohio Police Officer Can Keep K-9, Council Decides During Emotional Meeting
WRATH OF THE USS TESTAMENT: A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here.
ROCKY THE ROCKET by Olya Bereza/Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here.
RAINBOW RISING by Olya Bereza This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye.. Yep, go here.
ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL
Rare White Humpback Whale Spotted Swimming With Dolphins Down Under
Scientists Race To Rescue World’s Fastest Sea Star From Oblivion
These Adorable Squirrels Can Only Be Found On One Japanese Island
Why Ganges River Dolphins Are Endangered And What We Can Do
ABOUT US: We hope you enjoyed this edition. To comment To donate Thank you.
The Northstar Journal 