The STORY of CHEBURASHKA

Posted on Tue, 11/29/2011 - 16:40 | by The Insider

During the past couple of years many people have asked me what’s the story behind Cheburashka. Some of them have heard more detailed answers, some not so detailed, but I guess that there are still people left with questions, because the Insider team asked me to write an article covering the missing parts. So for others: sorry for “spam”! :)Actually there is not much to write about and the story is not so complicated: When I had my 18th birthday two of my classmates gave him to me as a gift. During that night for some reason I was not able to bring him home and just left the present in the school’s locker. The next day we were still having fun with him in the school during pauses, everybody loved him, thus, I kind of kept bringing him with me to school during the whole 12th grade. When I left for my exchange year in Germany, he was one of the few things that I brought with me.

In the beginning of my studies at SSE Riga I did not bring him with mae to the university, but one day when leaving, he was just sitting there at the chair and I grabbed him with me. As many other useful characteristics have been revealed, I am still bringing him with me:

1) The dip between his head and torso perfectly fits my head. :) And as I have been nominated for the yearbook’s nomination of “the one who always sleeps in lectures” two years in a row, then one might guess why I love this quality;

2) Everybody who has been sitting in the Soros or Wallenberg knows how difficult it is to see over the seats in front when leaning forwards on your forearms. With Cheburashka under the arms the sight is fabulous;

3) As I have some medical problems with my back and it hurts sometimes, then it is really perfect pillow to put behind it between the seat;

4) He always gives hugs when needed;Surprisingly he works as a really good heating device when it is cold outside. Maybe not as good as some heater, but still.

5) When the autumn and winter hits in then it is really hard to find some seats in the public transportation stops because the metal gets cold. If one has Cheburashka to put under ones bottom the problem is always solved. You just need to wash and clean it once or twice in a couple of weeks.

So you see, Cheburashka has many useful attributes and one can always come up with the new ones, but I guess the main reason for me why I am carrying him around (as some people might think) is really because I do not want to grow up. I admire the fearlessness, innocence and creativeness of little children. In my opinion, when grownups lose it, they lose some part of themselves. With a part of little child inside one can do so much better job when creating new concepts and turning the world around. It is sad that people not only lose it, but even run from it. In serious everyday life between SSE Riga, my personal company/business and various projects, I sometimes lose or forget it, too. Cheburashka is there to remind me about that!