Hello, dear readers!

Today I'm opening a new section Interesting people.

And within the framework of this emerging direction, I propose interview with an interesting person.

You are already familiar with it. This is Natalia Khorobrikh. She is a sponsor and is on the jury of the competition, which recently launched on the site.

Why Natalia?

In my opinion, Natalia is a wonderful, thoughtful, mature person. I found out about her about a year ago. I don’t even remember which link I followed and ended up on her blog. Then I immediately felt that Natalia was a strong and deep person.

She writes interestingly about what she has figured out herself, applied in life, and what really works in practice. And now, when I visit her project, I know that I will find something useful, wise, and vital for myself.

Interview with an interesting person Natalia Khorobrikh about success about herself about life

So, let's take a closer look.

Snezhana: Hello, Natalia!

Snezhana: Okay, let's begin. Natalia, tell us briefly about yourself. How would you describe yourself in a few sentences? What are your main qualities?

Natalia: Snezhana, I, like any person, have both good and bad qualities. I think to strengths We can include learning ability, determination, efficiency, although sometimes there is an inflection towards workaholism. And from those that sometimes interfere with life: short temper, lack of communication, restlessness. I can’t do one thing for a long time, I always alternate between several things, otherwise I lose it.

Snezhana: Three events in life that changed you for the better.

Natalia: The first thing I remembered was a boycott at school. I moved to a new school in the 5th grade, my classmates seemed too smart, and a couple of times I answered something sarcastic. And they declared a boycott on me. Which lasted more than a year. This year I have matured by 10 years.

The second, perhaps, is ruin, going into the red, into huge debts, along the way this was accompanied by the betrayal of partners in the MLM business, this still resonates with me.

It’s strange, it turns out that mostly negative events changed me. Of course, there were many positive ones, but they rather strengthened self-confidence, but did not change. It was from crisis situations that I emerged more... stronger. They were the ones who benefited me.

The third event would probably be the theater. For me it is still a sacred place.

Snezhana: Thank you for your frankness, Natalia. Your story once again confirms the famous phrase “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

What, in your opinion, is the most important thing in a person’s life?

Natalia: The ability to rise for the 101st time after falling the 100th.

Snezhana: Great! Action guide for everyone. Natalia, what is it for you?

Natalia: I have a whole blog dedicated to this! But I still couldn’t give a clear formulation. For me personally, this is probably internal harmony.

Snezhana: Do you consider yourself a successful person?

Natalia: No. And not from internal dissatisfaction, but because I understand how powerful the potential is, but it has not yet been sufficiently realized. It’s not about money and status. I had periods when I earned 10-20 times more than now, but at the same time the feeling of dissatisfaction was stronger. The main thing, it seems to me, is to never stop there, never consider that you have already achieved something, but constantly look for new ways, set new goals.

Snezhana: It is clear that you are very demanding of yourself. Three qualities of a successful person - what are they, in your opinion?

Natalia: Self-confidence, ability to get things done and great hard work! Success is a huge amount of work, like the invisible part of an iceberg.

Snezhana: Do you agree with the expression “success is a set of right habits”?

Natalia: Completely. There is a very good course from Og Mandino on working on habits. It lasts 45 weeks. I once passed it, and I had an incredible breakthrough in all areas of my life! Now I have made a motivating newsletter about it on the blog, because I am sure that everyone needs it. And you can change yourself at absolutely any age. The main thing is the desire to change.

Snezhana: I was interested in the course. I'll definitely check it out. Have you ever experienced periods of bad luck, a “dark streak”? How do you deal with this?

Natalia: There were dark streaks, of course. Without them there are no takeoffs. I was philosophical about this, because if there are no dark stripes, then you cannot fully appreciate the beauty of the light ones. I reassured myself with a simple phrase: “The darkest is always before the dawn.” It helps me.

Snezhana: What to do if you find yourself in a difficult situation life situation? How to get out of it faster?

Natalia: Take action. Even if it’s something distracting to do, or something completely new. But just load yourself up with activity so much that there is no time for worries and bad thoughts.

Snezhana: What advice would you give to people who are not confident in their abilities and do not believe in their success?

Natalia: Probably the advice will be quite banal: start increasing your self-esteem, learn to love yourself as much as possible. After all, if you don’t love yourself, who will love you? If you don’t believe in yourself, why should others suddenly believe in you?

Snezhana: Agree. Tell us briefly what your blog is about? What task did you set for yourself when creating it?

Snezhana: Do you believe in miracles? Are they in your life?

Natalia: No I do not believe. I'm a pragmatist. Although I believe that when you follow your path, the Universe helps you. Although he is experiencing it, of course.

Snezhana: Please tell us about your books? Which ones have been released? What's planned?

Natalia: Two have been released: “Dream Collage That Really Works” and “100 Diets That Helped Me.” I have been dealing with nutrition issues for more than 10 years.
Before the New Year, I also plan to release a book on vision (this is the topic of my second blog). In general, my dream collage contains the themes of 13 books that I want to write.

Snezhana: ?????

Natalia: Why exactly 13? This is a lucky number for me. I don't write quickly. Nowadays it is customary to recite books with a voice, and they are translated into text. It’s very uncomfortable for me; my thoughts form more clearly when I write. That is, I type the text myself. And then I proofread. I shorten, redo... This is exactly how they used to work on books. For me, the issue of quality is paramount.

Snezhana:“Dream Collage” - who needs the book first?

Natalia: First of all, for those who have already started making collages, but nothing worked out for them, or “did not come true.” I have my own technique that works. Although sometimes people come who are very far from planning, who have never set goals. They take it and simply do it step by step according to the method, and get the result. You can read at least 20 books, but if you don’t start doing it, then nothing will happen.

Snezhana: The book is valuable. By the way, the winners receive it for free as a gift.

One more question. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Natalia: Theatre, book, spiritual conversation - anything can serve as a source. But, if I worked only by inspiration... I really like the words of Jules Verne about the secret of his efficiency: “I get up very early and immediately sit down to write. And I write until lunch. And I have dinner late in the evening.”

Snezhana: A good example of efficiency! They say that in life you have to try everything. Are there things you will never try?

Natalia: Good question. I don’t know who benefits from telling people that they have to try everything. It seems to me that this is a destructive attitude. For example, I know something can have bad consequences, so why would I try it? For example, drugs. I have never smoked, never even tried. When I entered the theater school, everyone laughed: you’ll smoke like everyone else. No. I just didn’t need it, I didn’t understand the point of smoking. Of course, I tried to drink. But I haven’t been drinking for several years now, even on holidays. I don’t need this to become cheerful and relaxed when necessary.

Snezhana: Natalia, in this regard, I am your like-minded person and I also have fun without strong drinks. Let's please the readers - what's your favorite joke?

Natalia: And I’ll tell you my favorite joke with pleasure. By the way, it’s just about success.
“A chicken got caught under a tank. The tank passed. The chicken stood up and brushed itself off: Ha, we weren’t even trampled like that!”

Snezhana: The joke is spot on! Step over difficulties, be reborn after failures and success will come. Natalia, what would you wish for our readers?

Natalia: First of all, find yourself, your calling, follow it without changing, and believe in yourself. And then everything will happen: success, and harmony in life.

Snezhana: Great words! And let them come true for everyone. Thank you, Natalia! Good luck to you and all readers.

What journalist does not dream of doing at least one interview in his career that will be remembered even years later. And what PR person doesn’t dream of an interview with his protégé being like this? Of course, a lot depends on the personality of the hero, but even the most interesting interlocutor can become withdrawn if you ask him about the wrong things. We really love interviews and decided to collect in one place those that we consider almost standard. So, our selection of the best interviews. Read, watch, learn the art of building an interesting conversation and just have fun.

1. Interview with rapper Basta to Yuri Dudu

Yes, perhaps Yuri Dud later had even better interviews, but this conversation deserves special attention. After all, it was with her that the YouTube channel “vDud” began, and Dud himself then announced himself to a wide audience and, as a result, in less than a year became one of the most significant characters in the media community.

2. Svetlana Bodrova: “We just lived by it. And they were happy." Colta

The first interview with the widow of Sergei Bodrov, which caused a great public outcry and discussions on social networks. Be sure to read and understand why.

3. “Nose to nose #media.” Conversation between Elizaveta Osetinskaya and Demyan Kudryavtsev. Sostav

In general, the Sostav.ru “Nose to Nose” project, in which famous media characters interview each other, is all good. But we personally like this interview the most.

4. “The formula is simple: all swear words must be replaced with “I love” or “I don’t like.” "Afisha.Daily"

She’s like a medical cat, naked, who has absorbed all the disease, went and jumped out of the window, and her owner got into a car accident and survived... well, what?!

No problem, continue.

An excellent conversation between Roman Volobuev and the notorious director Valeria Gai Germanika.

5. Tatyana Tolstaya: “I can hit you in the face with a stick and a nail.” Magazine "Sho"

Brilliant, without exaggeration, interview with Tatyana Tolstaya to the Ukrainian magazine “Sho”. Links to the original are not publicly available, but the Internet is not without good people, so enjoy.

A lot of interesting things about the “School of Scandal” and famous people.

6. Jack Ma: “I haven’t received a salary for 12 years.” RBC

The first interview given to Russian media by the founder of Alibaba.

7. Interview with Mila Kunis. Radio 1 BBC

A funny interview between BBC radio presenter Chris Stark and Mila Kunis. The young journalist was very nervous because he needed to communicate with the star, which he told her about. "It's not the same chatting with friends in the pub that I'm used to," Stark admitted. After which the journalist and the actress begin to discuss cocktails, dishes, football, and in the end Stark even invites her on a date. And at the end of the conversation, the actress admitted that it was one of the best interviews in her life.

A video on YouTube with a recording of this interview has currently collected 14 million views and more than 11 thousand comments, and many Western publications have written about it. And Chris Stark himself subsequently made this informal approach his feature.

8. Faina Ranevskaya: “But I don’t know how to play at all. I don’t understand what it’s like to play.”

The only interview with the great actress Faina Ranevskaya, which she gave in 1979, when she was already 83 years old.

Watch from 4 minutes.

9. Interview with Princess Diana. BBC

A text version of Princess Di's very personal video interview she gave on the BBC's Panorama show in 1995.

1) informational - when a person is asked what he saw or heard;
2) interview-comments - when a person is asked for his opinion;
3) interview-portrait.

Rules for writing an interview

Prepare carefully for the conversation. Contact will not work if you do not understand who you are talking to and what you are talking about. You need to spend several hours studying a person: look through his blog, find out what they write about him on the Internet, etc. Only in this case will you understand why your character is interesting.

Be sure to read previous interviews with this person and do not ask questions that have already been asked. When you are asked for the tenth time about the origin of your nickname, it gets annoying.

For the same reason, do not ask questions whose answers can easily be found on the Internet.

Ask about things that interest you personally. Routine questions lead to routine answers.

How to arrange an interview

Try to illustrate the text with photographs whenever possible. Visualization of the image is very important.

If you are given a written interview, try not to edit the text.

Once again: the text can be shortened and re-edited only in exceptional cases when it comes to an obvious error.

Never publish an interview without agreeing on the final version.

Hi all!

Today our guests are our old friends, like-minded people and just good people- Tanya and Vanya. We decided to torment them with questions and extract the invaluable experience of becoming two freelance travelers.

After all, every thing heard or read real story about how people realize their dreams brings us closer to understanding - everything is possible and everything is in our hands.

And now I suggest you get comfortable, pour some tea and get to know two very creative and very brave people.

1. A little about myself. What are you doing now and what were you doing before you started traveling?

T: I'm studying psychological counseling , graphology And photography, and various hobbies and projects periodically appear and disappear. Before I began my travels, I tried myself in many areas of activity - I worked in design, illustrations, handmade work, and writing articles, worked as a psychologist in a government agency and as an administrator in a photo studio. On our first six-month journey, I earned money through photography (on site) and design (freelance, remotely), and also drew pictures for a children’s website. Later she went into photography, and then into psychology - her main specialty.

IN: I'm working on it now music(writing, performing) and making exotic musical instruments, hapi drum.
Before that, he worked as a programmer in the office, and then as a web designer, freelance and remotely.

2. How did it all start? What inspired you to travel?

T: We don't like winter :)
I personally was most inspired by your example with Syoma. I was working as an administrator in a photo studio when you went on your first six-month trip. Blog entries about palm trees, the sea and sunny India were a breath of fresh air, freedom, and adventure for me.

I looked forward to each new post and made plans for the next winter, especially after our short “test” holiday in Goa. At the same time, I read the stories of the same travelers - more precisely, travellers. It seems that there is still no adequate name for this way of living :) Also reinforced my intention and received a dose of inspiration from the book “Downshifting” by Sofia Makeeva. Then - the transition to freelancing and...

IN: One winter I took a vacation and we bought a 14-day tour to Goa. This was our first trip abroad, not counting Belarus and Ukraine.

And at that time our friends were spending the winter in Goa for the first time - in fact, you and Syoma =) You didn’t let us get bored, helped us rent a scooter and took us from boring Candolim to cheerful Arambol, which we immediately fell in love with. Actually, you have become our travel gurus, role models and inspirations, no less =)

When I returned, I could no longer live as before. After some time, I quit my job and wished that we would spend the next winter in India. By the way, I was so inspired by Syoma’s example that I also started creating websites and web design, and began to try my hand at freelancing.

3. What were the difficulties during preparation and at the beginning of the journey?

T: It was necessary to resolve issues with housing, work and reassure my parents :) Well, I didn’t fully believe in all this until our plane touched the landing strip at Delhi airport. However, everything settled down quickly and the best way- The Universe always knows what is best;)

IN: Following the example of Sema, who inspired me to travel and freelance, I began making websites. More precisely, try to do them. At the beginning it was very difficult, it brought in little money, there was no experience, and laziness was strong =)
But nevertheless, by the time of my first independent long-term trip, I had already worked in this way for six months. But it was still a leap into the unknown.

4. Impressions from the start of travel. From the first country where we arrived.

T: The first country is India. Everything was new and very unusual: people, streets, houses, nature, smells, food, customs. Actually everything!

IN: The first country was India.. Mom India =) Actually, we have already been to this wonderful and controversial country, but only in Goa for two weeks. And then we arrived in Delhi.. Only a person who has been there can understand what it is =) In one word - chaos. And of course, from the very first minutes, all the “helpers” we met, starting with the taxi driver, tried to scam us out of money in the most amazing and unpredictable ways. But we did not give in. Then we had the most terrible 6 hours in the entire history of our travels in a local bus, filled to capacity with Indians, constantly chewing something and throwing garbage under them and out the window.

Only when we got to Pushkar and met our experienced friends Ksyu and Sema there, we were finally able to relax. Well, then everything was fine =)

5. Where did you go after that? Where did you like it the most? Where do you want to return?

T: We traveled around half of India, including on our motorcycle, were in Nepal, and lived in different parts of Thailand. in Indonesia (Bali), spent a couple of days in Malaysia, took a look at Singapore :) We also traveled around Russia a lot, both before and after our six-month travels.

Somehow, completely atypically for myself, I visited Turkey, Egypt, a day in Israel and Palestine, and a day in Jordan.
Not many countries yet, but with a fairly deep dive into some :)

I like everywhere we go. I was pleased to return to Bali again, to Pai (Thailand), and would also love to live once again in Dharamsala in northern India, and in Pokhara (Nepal). And, of course, Arambol in Goa is a second home.
And at the same time, I understand that there is so much unexplored, but it is not yet possible to cover everything.

IN: In my personal rating, Arambol (Goa) is always in first place; I have never met a more native place. I love Pai in Thailand, Dharamsala in northern India, I like to periodically visit Rishikesh, Pushkar, Udaipur for a few days. Pokhara (Nepal), Ubud (Bali).

6. How did you choose new places to travel?

T: The places were chosen spontaneously. At some point, information began to come from everywhere - from friends, acquaintances, from the Internet. This is how you constantly hear the mention of some places and descriptions of how good it is there - and then rrrr, and you go there. Or you see some attractive picture and think - why not?

And, of course, a lot depends on the budget, work, air tickets. For example, we spent a couple of days in Kuala Lumpur, although we initially did not plan to fly there. However, such tickets turned up that it was more convenient and cheaper.

IN: Tanya usually does this; she likes to read forums and blogs about travel and be inspired by them. Of the two of us, she is more active in terms of travel. I am more often guided by my inner feelings and inspired by personal travel stories.

7. The most burning question is about money and earning money while traveling. How is it for you? What challenges/opportunities do travel and remote work provide?

T: Unfortunately, we don’t have savings, apartments for rent or other sources of income, so we earn money ourselves while traveling.
This is not so stable, it imposes certain restrictions (we constantly need the Internet, equipment for work, and if this is work on site, then the place must be quite popular and touristic, plus be constantly in touch), this slightly reduces the effectiveness of word of mouth (we now in one place, now in another, and clients also come and go).

But! For example, I find it much more pleasant to take photographs standing knee-deep in the ocean or climbing further into the jungle than in some Moscow studio.

If we talk in general about freelancing/your own business/private practice, it’s nice to know that everything depends on you. Your earnings, your schedule. No bosses, no obligations, no 9 to 18 hours.

I can’t help but note here, remembering myself 3-4 years ago: instead of “from 9 to 18,” I had from 10 to 23, without holidays and weekends. The photo shows exactly that period :) But this is already a matter of correctly organizing your schedule, your boundaries and the ability to relax. At first, freelancing is not easy for everyone, especially if it suddenly turns out that you are a latent workaholic, but at the same time you cannot adequately evaluate your work :) Therefore, at first we traveled very sparingly, and sometimes we had to ask our parents for help.

In general, working for yourself, doing what you love - what could be better? :) This approach provides a lot of opportunities. For me, this issue has been resolved a long time ago, and my freedom is much more important to me than stability, guarantees and social packages. Every year everything gets better, I develop my skills and abilities, and there is still more to come :)
As for the crisis, we organized our income in such a way that now we practically do not care about the ruble exchange rate. We earn mainly in local currency and dollars, and are not tied to the ruble exchange rate.

In general, the problem of the presence/absence of money, in my opinion, is much more connected with internal attitudes, limiting beliefs, following one’s own or not one’s path and some karmic moments than with the external situation, the demand for a specialty, crisis, etc. Therefore, working on yourself, your attitudes and beliefs is everything to us :)

IN: This question has been the most difficult for a long time. Freelancing did not bring much income; I worked for one season as a web designer remotely with an average Moscow salary. There was enough money, but there was neither time nor satisfaction. Now we have found our ways, everything is getting better and better. I have enough money and I like the work. Although the word “WORK” is not very suitable here, it’s more like your own Business. I don’t want to describe in detail what I do, I’ll just say that I found my Path. Everyone has it, other people’s recipes will not help here, but will only confuse. So, at one time, I was doing something that wasn’t my own business and for a long time I couldn’t understand why it was so hard for me and I didn’t want to develop, why did it bring so little money?

8. Another pressing question for many is about things, backpacks and their quantity. Your experience, advice for beginners.

T: We usually travel with small (50 liters) backpacks, plus small (but heavy!) backpacks with equipment. By the end of our six-month trip, we have overgrown with things, and we have another backpack or bag, plus yoga mats. Not very convenient, of course.

On our current journey, we finally gave up and bought suitcases with wheels :) So far we have little experience using them, but I can already say that they have certain advantages. It’s especially valuable when you’re walking somewhere in the heat and looking for a place to live - your shoulders don’t fall off, things obediently follow you, beauty :)
There is only one piece of advice for beginners, and it is extremely banal: don’t take too much!

IN: When traveling, the fewer things you have, the better. But there are nuances =) The number of things is proportional to the number of hobbies. The deeper I dive into music, the more instruments and devices I acquire. Recently I had to travel from Goa to Thailand with 37 kg of luggage =)
At the same time, there is always a minimum of personal belongings and clothing. Clothing in Asia is cheap, there are usually pharmacies everywhere, and household cosmetics can also be bought locally. As a rule, you won't need half the things you take with you.

9. What is the strangest or most atypical thing you have done while traveling?

T: It’s already difficult to say what is atypical for me :) Traveling teaches flexibility, the ability to adapt to any situation. Before all the travel started, 90% of what I do now every day was probably atypical for me. Get on a scooter and go buy fruit for breakfast, run around all day on business in several Goan villages, take off your shoes when entering a store or temple, go to watch the sunset by the sea, meet and make friends with a large number of interesting people from different countries and cities, communicate in English - all this would have seemed so strange before, but it has become so firmly established in everyday life.

One of the most unexpected things is to spend a day walking around Mount Govardhan in Vrindavan while listening to Vedic lectures and chanting mantras; ride a scooter, dodging buckets of cold water and shooting back with a water pistol; being mistaken for Iranian spies in some small Indian town and having breakfast in the company of a pot-bellied policeman there.

And a little over a month ago, we separated, completely untypically for us, and I spent a month alone in Bali, and Vanya lived in Goa for a couple more weeks, and then moved to Thailand. This experience was very interesting and productive for us.

10. What was your most vivid impression during your travels?

T: It’s difficult to single out just one thing. In addition, the emotional significance of impressions is very subjective. I can completely forget about some sight I saw, but I remember, for example, one sunset that we saw on our bike trip on the way to Goa and which for some reason evoked a lot of emotions in me.

Of course, natural beauties leave vivid impressions - the Himalayas, the sky and nature of Bali, beaches on the islands in Thailand, an incredible canyon in Jordan. And such unique cities as Varanasi.
And many bright impressions were gained in the process of communicating with people you meet while traveling. And this is also not an obvious side of travel at first.

11. Why are you returning to Goa? To India?

T: This is our home:) We have found a place that is always pleasant to return to. This is the village of Arambol in Goa - a concentration of the energies of creativity and knowledge. It’s warm here, the sea, fruits, interesting creative people, various seminars and courses, practices, concerts. I like the atmosphere, there are all the conditions for life and self-development, self-realization. This is a catalyst for development.
And India as a whole somehow attracts us the most. There is a soul here.

IN: For me, in India, in Goa, in Arambol, the fastest development is happening, here is the largest concentration of inspiring, interesting and creative people. Well, my heart just calls me to come back every time.

12. A little about India on a motorcycle. How did you decide to go on a motorcycle trip? What difficulties were there with the purchase and operation? What pitfalls can await those who want to travel around India on their own?

IN: After traveling to Goa for a couple of seasons on rented bikes and going to Gokarna, we realized that it was cool and we could travel across the expanses of India. For the next season we planned to buy a bike in Delhi, tour the cities around Delhi and then move to Goa on our own.

The first time everything was gorgeous and perfect, there were no problems with the bike at all. Only once, after several hours of shaking on gravel, which according to the map should have been a road, one of our shock absorbers broke. But 30 Indians who don't understand English and 50 rupees solved the problem. That's all, I never even checked the oil.

The second time was more interesting. We flew to Delhi again, went to the same seller from whom we took the bike, and first took the Enfield from him.

We loaded it with things and ourselves, and had already driven 100 km from Delhi, when suddenly it began to rhythmically sway from side to side with increasing amplitude at a speed of 70 km/h. We laid down a ton of bricks, but I held the bike, carefully braked, we exhaled, recovered from the stress and decided to return.

In the evening we drove back, brought the bike to the seller, and asked: “What’s going on?” He replied, “I don’t know anything, you overloaded him.” Yeah, they overloaded it. Enfield. We weigh a total of 110 kg, luggage is another 30-40 kg, like no one goes to the mountains with things on it? But no, if you gave money in India, it is very unlikely that they will return it to you. Therefore, I had to pay extra and take an Avenger, the same as last time... But it’s not necessary once in a while.

At first it turned out that he had a crack in his crankcase. It turned out when all the oil leaked out and the engine completely stalled. It was funny to carry the bike in the back of a cargo rickshaw, in which it barely fit, to the nearest service station. And then there is the replacement of the piston and cylinder and other small parts. In fact, we repaired it in every city we stopped in. But it is worth noting that each time it broke down exactly at that moment and in the place where we could quickly get help.

T: So you need to keep in mind that anything can happen here, and be prepared to be delayed on the way or spend a few extra thousand rubles on repairs. But now even I understand the insides of the bike and know where to look and what to check, which has already helped me when renting a scooter :)

13. What myths about India did you debunk while getting to know the country?

T: I didn’t have any special ideas about India, so I probably won’t be able to say that they would debunk something directly. I heard that India is dirty, there are a lot of poor people, the food is spicy, but at the same time it is good there, there are many opportunities for spiritual development and beautiful nature - everything is so.

As for Goa, there are many myths about it. For example, that this is an expensive resort or, on the contrary, a very cheap hippie place. That this is a purely party place, where there is nothing else to do except go to parties and lie on the beach - and that here yogis sit on each other’s heads, and clean the chakras with half a turn :)

All this takes place, but life is multifaceted, and in Goa layers of reality simultaneously coexist, which sometimes do not intersect with each other.

If you came to relax, hang out and swim, then you won’t understand how in Goa you can work from morning to evening or learn something, develop, and self-realize. And vice versa.
And if you are used to eating in expensive restaurants, then it won’t occur to you that here you can have a very hearty and tasty meal for 30 rupees or even for free :)

Everyone sees some side of themselves, hence such conflicting ideas about Goa.

14. Traditional advice and wishes for beginners and thinkers: where to start, what to prepare for. Maybe there are some secrets about buying tickets/visas/accommodation that you are ready to reveal?

T: You need to prepare for the fact that traveling is not only about beautiful views, new places, vivid impressions. This is also deep work on yourself, which is not at all obvious at the beginning. Here you leave your comfort zone, and you have to solve a bunch of issues with housing, transport, and household things every day.

You learn to be flexible, not to get attached to food, rituals, habits. You have a minimum of things, a minimum of comfort. If you also work while traveling, then you learn to work in any conditions, adapting to the presence/absence of the Internet, electricity, sockets, desk, etc. In this regard, it’s easier if you live in one place for a long time, then the level of comfort increases sharply.

We don’t have any special secrets when it comes to buying tickets, obtaining visas and finding accommodation, and even here it’s difficult to give universal advice. The only advice would be to read thematic forums, blogs, and groups on social networks. Find out how things are going with this in each specific country or city, and look for the latest information, because everything is changing quickly.
And of course, you need to be open and trust the world. Everything will work out)

All photographs in the article were provided by the heroes of the story - Tanya and Vanya.

Anahata Art Shop with Vanya glucophones and goods from India -

Hello, dear readers! Have you ever wondered why we read one interview like a fascinating story, while another resembles a standard questionnaire and makes us yawn with boring template questions? It turns out that it’s not enough - you also need to learn to ask questions!

The outcome of the interview depends on how well you prepare for the interview. Sometimes questions are communicated to the interlocutor in advance so that he has the opportunity to think about and prepare answers to them. But this is not at all necessary. If you skillfully conduct a conversation and direct it in the right direction with the help of additional questions, your interlocutor will cope quite well without homework.

What you need to know to do a successful interview

Undoubtedly, the right questions for an interview with a successful person are important, but they are not the only key to good reporting. There are many nuances that a professional journalist must consider before conducting an interview.

Topics you cover

Biographical information. You can do without it only in cases where you have an interview with a star whose main life milestones are already known to everyone. In all other cases, do not neglect this issue, but also do not get too carried away with the celebrity’s childhood years.

Professional activity. As a rule, this is what a significant part of the interview is devoted to. No matter who sits in front of you: a politician, a children's writer, a singer or a couturier, you will definitely raise issues related to their profession.

Do not limit yourself to the standard “Why did you choose this particular activity” and “Who was your mentor and helped you develop.” Prepare questions that involve exciting or funny stories as answers.

• What was your first day in your new position like?
• Do you remember the funniest incident related to your work?
• What would you like to achieve in your business in 5 years?

Questions of this kind will shake off the officialdom and make your interview lively and humane.

Worldview. Be careful here - so that your conversation does not take on a negative connotation, avoid provocative questions. At a minimum, do not ask your interlocutor about his attitude to religion and. An exception is possible if one of the sensitive topics lies at the heart of the interview and your opponent has been made aware of the upcoming “uncomfortable” questions.

Life Readers and listeners are always interested in how many rooms are in the apartment famous person, what car is in the garage, what is served for breakfast and who washes the star's socks. Don’t disappoint those who like to spy on the lives of celebrities - prepare a few questions about the life of their idol.

Personal life. Such issues require sensitivity. Before asking them, carefully test the ground. Some easily share details of their personal lives, while others, on the contrary, jealously guard it from prying eyes. If you see that the interlocutor is not in the mood for an intimate conversation about personal matters, it is better to switch to another topic.

Create a pleasant atmosphere

Often, novice journalists choose the wrong tactics of behavior, which is why the invited guest closes down and answers questions crumpled or refuses to talk at all.

The most common mistake is rude, undisguised flattery. Pompous praises will appeal only to those who are blinded. In people, such praise only causes bewilderment and irritation. Talk to the star as an equal, as with a friend - this way your dialogue will be the most organic.

Another common mistake is to exercise eloquence and wit. Sometimes lexicon the guest and his sense of humor are inferior to yours and that’s normal. A good journalist will adapt to the way his guest speaks and make him feel comfortable. The desire to show off against the background of your interlocutor is a sign of unprofessionalism.

Away with cheat sheets

Of course, you need to prepare for an interview. But there is nothing sadder than a journalist reading questions from a piece of paper. Therefore, do not be lazy to study your notes in advance.

Don’t spread yourself thin and write down dozens of questions. It will be difficult for you to remember them and during the interview, instead of listening to your interlocutor, you will frantically remember your preparations. The best option is several key questions on each topic. Additional questions formulate based on the interlocutor’s answers.

Be original

Agree, it is difficult to create unique material if an interview with your interlocutor has already been published by all leading print and online publications. But difficult does not mean impossible.

First of all, study the available materials and, based on them, avoid trivial questions, the answers to which have long been known. Instead, use common knowledge to create unusual questions that will allow you to learn something new.

For example, you know what educational institution your guest graduated from and when. Instead of asking him about it again, ask him what he remembered about his student years, whether the scholarship was enough and whether he had to work part-time at night. This approach will allow you to collect unknown facts and make a truly exclusive interview.

9 questions to make your interview more interesting

I warn you right away - these are not universal questions that can be asked to everyone and in any situation. Therefore, before voicing them, try to feel the interlocutor. If he is not in the mood for a heart-to-heart conversation, most likely you will receive routine, meaningless answers.

If your guest is frank, feel free to ask him questions from the list. Interesting, unexpected answers are guaranteed!

1. If you were to be born again, what character trait would you definitely want to have again?
2. What or who can you say “I hate that” about?
3. Imagine that now you have the opportunity to gain any ability. Which one would you choose? Why?
4. Would you continue to do what you are doing now if you suddenly found out that you only had a month to live?
5. How often do you decide to experiment if your loved ones don’t believe in success and dissuade you?
6. What would you do if you lost everything and had to start from scratch?
7. Have you achieved what?
8. Is there anything you're passionate about doing but have been putting off?
9. Are you looking for opportunities to provide value to those in need?

And finally, a small but very valuable piece of advice. When your guest has answered a question and fallen silent, do not rush to immediately pick up the conversation and ask the next one. Pause for a few seconds. In most cases, this forces the interlocutor to return to the question again and add new details to his answer. This is one of the simplest and effective methods get detailed answers from a taciturn interlocutor.

You will find more working techniques that will help you get your opponent talking in Larry King’s book “ How to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere”.

Do you have any tricks or secret tricks? If you have experience and can advise readers on how to conduct interviews, be sure to write about it in the comments.