Experience on the other hand…” Having lived in Australia a little over 4 years, Lisa’s English is fluent with a mild Slavic accent. “Ah, my accent. Everyone notices it… When I lived on my own and didn’t speak with my relatives much, I could pass for a Canadian… Now I’m back living with my parents [we are building a house together] and enjoying a good mix of Russian and English. Plus I have a lot of Russian friends in Sydney now.” I wonder how much of a Russian she is but she almost disappoints me stating she doesn’t drink vodka and dislikes frequent communism, mafia and “mail-order bride” remarks. “It’s like saying that Sydney is full of wild kangaroos… It’s really quite upsetting sometimes. Few years ago when my brother told his classmates in Ireland that we had beautiful architecture in St. Petersburg, no one believed him until he actually brought a book about the city with the pictures. Even the teachers were shocked. We don’t live in the Stone Age and most of Russian people are not communists… especially the new generation. They don’t even know what communism is.” 

We talk more about Russia, Lisa’s friends over there and finally get to the subject of creativity… “Now that is something I couldn’t live without. Literally. It’s an instant relaxant and stimulator in one. I can cry my eyes out when I miss my friends or if I had a particularly BAD day… but then I drag myself to the piano and start playing something sad and writing down the lyrics… That’s my survival mechanism.” Her love affair with music started when she was 15 and had just finished her music studies, which she, by the way, hated.  “I had to change too many schools in my life… so it was hard getting used to all those strict teachers. And they were always strict.” Lisa sang professionally for 5 years before leaving for Australia, she also studied and subsequently taught drama at the Students’ Club. “I’m trying to use it all in my work now. I want my clients to have fun along the way. That is not to say it’s not going to be a real hard work for them,” she smiles and winks at me. “But I learn from my clients too. Everyday there’s something new and unexpected. People fascinate me. Besides they remind me that I need to take my own medicine.” 

And so the cheese platter is finished and so is our time. I get a big smile and “lovely to meet you” and watch her rush off with all her shopping bags and phone in one hand. Always rushing, those Russians.

Andy "the Critic" Mitchell