New Year | roladesocietalblog.com

I thought about what I had done in 2025. The list was long and varied: experimenting with new recipes, perfecting the art of complaint letters, supporting people in their noble battles against unfairness, and bravely wrestling with scammers. I even sold some copies of Where You Are Really From and started daily Tai Chi. There were grand and gloriously small accomplishments; I could write a book about them. However, in the interest of restraint and humility, I’ve decided to focus on just one thing — the latest public event I participated in 2025.

On 15 December, I attended the conference on democracy and human rights at the European Parliament in Luxembourg. There were six speakers; but, for now, I’ll focus on “Russians at home and abroad between real responsibility and imposed guilt” by Dr Andréy Kordochkin.

Dr Kordochkin is a Russian-born Orthodox Christian priest and theologian. He studied in the UK, including at the University of Oxford, and served for almost 20 years as dean of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene in Madrid, where he ministered to Ukrainian refugees and members of diverse communities. At the conference, he explained his departure from this post: “… – a position which I had to leave in 2023 due to my continuous public opposition to the Russian civil and ecclesiastical authorities. Since then, my life has been divided between Germany where I do academic research, dedicated to the religious dimensions of the Russian ideology, and Netherlands, where I serve a community of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Tilburg. I am not a political emigrant, but I strongly identify myself with their cases, not being able to visit my country – or, better to say, the journey is possible, but is likely to be one-way”.

In Dr Kordochkin’s speech last December, he said, “No country is immune from falling into the pit of dictatorship, militarism, primacy of force and political narcissism. This is not history, this is today’s agenda where we thought the pillars of democracy were. There have been ways in, and there have been ways out. This gives hope, but also imposes responsibility”.

Conference papers are available on https://luxeureka.lu/luxeureka-held-its-first-conference-at-the-european-parliament/

This year, I have 365 fresh opportunities to create something extraordinary. My resolution? To embrace kindness toward myself and everyone around me and to live with a little more sparkle. What about you? Any resolutions or intentions for 2026?

I wish you all a 2026 filled with peace, good health, and joy.

Cheer for 2023! Wishing you a better year

We have just been through the season of giving and receiving. Like most of you, I gave and received. For a change, I ordered groceries – as a present to one family member – from a company whose website promises a one-day delivery. To date, these groceries have not been delivered. Until now, they have not responded to my half a dozen emails. After three phone calls, a man answered the phone and said they wouldn’t deliver and could only refund me if I gave them a UK bank account, which I refused.

Lesson 1. Stick to a proven or reputable company. (Seek redress. I have contacted Customer Service Coventry & Visa Worldline and am waiting for their responses).

We’ve been receiving parcels from Australia for many years. For the first time last December, we had to pay 20 euros as Value Added Tax (VAT) on a gift that cost 100 euros. I was surprised, so I visited https://www.douane.gouv.fr/fiche/recevoir-un-colis-envoye-par-un-particulier. This is what I found out:

In the case of non-commercial mailings between individuals, VAT and customs duties may be requested upon receipt of the package. These shipments must be occasional, concern goods reserved for the personal or family use of the recipients only and sent without payment of any kind. To benefit from customs duties and taxes exemption, the goods’ intrinsic value (excluding transport and insurance costs) must not exceed a certain threshold. These value requirements also apply to gifts: No customs duties from/to the EU (VAT has already been paid in the EU country of origin); Import from a non-EU country to an EU country or to an overseas department (example: Canada to France) ≤ 45 euros – no customs duties and VAT (> 45 euros – customs duties and VAT are due). Exchanges between the EU to their overseas territories “DOM” ≤ 205 euros – no taxation and customs duties (> 205 euros -overseas taxes and VAT are due).

Lesson 2. I should not have told my Aussie family not to send us presents by post anymore, taking their joy from giving. We’re grateful for their kindness.

On December 15, I left our end-of-year party early to be home at 10 pm. After 15 minutes of waiting for the tram, my gut feeling told me it wasn’t coming. I decided to walk and jog for 20 minutes (in high-heeled boots!) to catch my bus home at 9:14 pm. I reached the bus stop, sweating at six °C, and got on in time. I would have arrived home after midnight, instead of 10:30 pm, if I had stayed longer at the tram station.

Lesson 3. Always react promptly to the unexpected and changes.

“If you can’t change your fate, change your attitude.”– Amy Ruth Tan (American author of the novel “The Joy Luck Club”, which was adapted into a film of the same name).