I am Sri Lankan but studying in USA. I am infatuated with Russia and its history, especially during the revolutionary period. For example, whenever I meet a Russian person, I ask them about the revolution and whether their families were aristocrats. Also, when I was a small girl, my mother used to play the music Rasputin Boney M and I liked the song but at the same time hated the lyrics. I loved the Dr. Zhivago movie because it was set during the Russian Revolution. I love Russian music and basically everything Russian! When I studied history in high school, we did three types of history -- American, Russian (during the period of the revolution and Communist rule) and German. All my classmates hated Russian history. But I was the only one in the class who liked Russian history, especially during the Tsar's rule and the revolution. I aced those courses.

I hated Lenin and Stalin and Trotsky but I liked the Tsar and his family, especially Anastasia Romanov. I spend hours reading about them. I was upset when the history book said that people hated the Tsar. And I felt anger towards Anna Anderson who claimed she was Anastasia Romanov.

Then one day I had a dream. I was wearing an expensive and fabulous dress with all sorts of jewelry. I found myself in a huge beautiful room. The maids were dressing me. When I stared at myself in the mirror, I saw that I was totally different from the way I am today! I had long reddish hair, green eyes and pure white skin! Then a richly dressed lady came into the room and said 'Anya,' and I woke up.

I know this sounds weird but I am telling the truth. I come from a family which doesn't believe in past lives. I have been having these experiences for many years. I now strongly believe that these events could have occurred somewhere in my past life.

Samadhee Ismail
ismails@email.uc.edu

Posted April 13, 2007