Bio
Михаил Григорьевич Хмельницкий [Mikhail Grigor'evich Khmel'nitzkiy]
Миша [Misha]
מיכאל חמלניצקי [Mikael' Hmel'nitzki]
Michael Gregorievich Khmelnitsky
Mike
クメルニツキー マイクル [Kumerunitsukii Maikuru]
マイク [Maiku]
神性 [Shinsei]
First Name
Michael is the guardian archangel of the Jews in the Hebrew Scriptures. In Hebrew, the name is a question: "Who is like God?" מי [mi (who)] + כמו [cmo, ca (is like, like)] + אל [el(ohim; God)] = מיכאל מיכאל [Mikael] was Russified to Михаил [Mikhail] (the "i," not the "a" should be stressed).
Middle Name
In the Russian tradition, the middle name of a person, called the patronymic, is his or her father's name, modified with the "-ich'" ending for males and with the "-na" ending for females. My father's name is Григорий [Grigoriy], therefore my patronymic is Григорьевич [Grigor'evich]
Last Name
My father's theory is that the last name is derived from a city in west-central Ukraine bearing the same name, since, rather than recording their actual names, Jews (and serfs) were often enumerated in census papers according to their place of birth, work or residence. Ironically, the city was named after Bogdan Khmelnitsky, a Cossack hetman of Ukraine in the 17th century who, amongst other things, was responsible for the murder of one hundred thousand to to one million Jews.
Miguelo Fernandez DeLamanche V
MiG-81
Möbius Selbstmord
(Captain) Nemo
Nemophiliac
Thomas Anderson
Neø
NeoThe1
November 3, 1981; Noon
Moscow, USSR (Russia)
Older Sister
Circa 1979, my mother gave birth to a stillborn baby girl who would have been my older sister.
Younger Brother
My younger brother, Евгений Григорьевич Хмельницкий [Evgeny Grigor'evich Khmel'nitzkiy] (affectionately called Женя [Zhenya (Genia)]), born on August 20, 1984, allegedly committed suicide on October 7, 2000, at the age of sixteen.
Male
Caucasian
Brown
Brown
184 cm (as of March 9, 2004)
85 kg (as of April 27, 2009)
Bisexual
Chaotic Good
Scorpio
Deist; studying Zen Buddhism
Jewish (by the father)
Russian Orthodox (by the mother)
Baptized in Russian Orthodox Church
Compatibilist
"Googly" Mikefish and "Stripy" Esrafish, Goldfish, (Carassius auratus auratus), Gender Unknown, (2006-2007)
Given to me by Elise before she left for Hakuba. Googly died on August 12, 2007. Stripy died on August 14, 2007.
Ebichu, Hamster, (Genus Unknown), Male, (2006)
Given to me by Nicole before she returned to Canada; released into the wild when I moved to Matsumoto.
Natalie and Fergie, House Mice, (Mus musculus), Females, (2005)
Given away due to damaging too many equipment cables and attracting male mice.
Sam and Max, Goldfish, (Carassius auratus auratus), Gender Unknown, (2004)
One died within a few days after being given to me, and the other died a couple of days later, probably due to the extremely poor conditions in which they were held beforehand.
Turtle, Red-Eared Terrapin (Slider), (Trachemys scripta elegans), Female, (2001-2006)
Turtle was given to me by my first girlfriend. She was previously owned by her grandmother, at her parents' house, where it lived in a bucket. In 2006, having to leave for Japan, I gave Turtle away to the Rainforest Reptile Refuge Society, since I could no longer care for Turtle at home.
Two Aquababy Fish, (Species Unknown), Gender Unknown, (c. 1998-2000)
One was killed in a tragic water-changing incident circa 1998-1999, another lived an unusually long life due to frequent water changes and cleaning.
Two Chicks, (Gallus gallus), Gender Unknown, (c. 1995-1996)
My brother and I grew the two chicks for a few years. Having to leave Israel, we reluctantly gave the two chicks away to Filipino workers who, presumably, eventually ate them.
Three Rabbits, (Oryctolagus cuniculus), Gender Unknown (c. 1993-1994)
All three rabbits successively died and replaced each other within the space of a few weeks, probably due to sickness and the extremely high temperatures in which they lived.
Bill and Barbara, Budgerigars, (Melopsittacus undulatus), Male and Female, (c. 1993-1996)
The male was named Bill after Bill Clinton; however, no one in my family can any longer remember why, precisely, the female was named Barbara (my mother suggests that the reference was to Barbra Streisand).
Sam and Max, Goldfish, (Carassius auratus auratus), Gender Unknown, (c. 1993-1995)
Both fish lived in a large, round fishbowl and died of natural causes.
Чапа [Chapa], Turtle, (Species Unknown), Female, (c. 1989-1991)
Chapa lived in a shoebox in Moscow and travelled with me to Pärnu, Estonia (then, part of the USSR). Circa 1991, I lost Chapa in my parents' Moscow apartment, later assuming it must have died there. Chapa was found a few years later in the apartment by my father's late sister, alive and well. Her current fate is unknown.
Russian (native tongue)
Hebrew (can communicate with some difficulty)
French (can communicate with some difficulty)
English (fully proficient)
Mandarin Chinese (can read about 150 characters and communicate on a very limited basis)
Japanese (can communicate with some difficulty)
USSR (Russia)
Москва [Moskva] (1981-1991)
Israel
אשדוד [Ashdod] (1991-1996)
Canada
Vancouver (1996-2006, 2008-2010)
Waterloo (2010-Present)
Japan
Nagoya (2006)
Gifu (2006)
Matsumoto (2006-2008)
1987
Ukraine, USSR (visit of Izyum, my mother's birthplace)
Abkhazia, USSR (visit of Dagomys)
1988
Ukraine, USSR (stay in Sevastopol)
1989
Ukraine, USSR (stay in Sevastopol)
1990
Estonia, USSR (stay in Pärnu; visit of Tallinn)
1991
Hungary (transit)
1996
Netherlands (transit, stay)
USA (an eight-hour, police-supervised flight transfer stop at the Minneapolis airport)
1998
USA (visit)
2002
Reality Check Tour Road Trip
England (transit)
Netherlands (visit, stay)
Belgium (transit)
Luxembourg (visit, stay)
Germany (visit, stay)
Denmark (visit, stay)
Sweden (visit, stay)
Russia (visit, stay) (visit of Moscow and St. Petersburg)
Sweden (transit)
Denmark (transit)
Germany (transit)
Netherlands (transit, overnight stay at the airport)
England (visit)
2003
USA (two visits)
2004
USA (two visits)
2005
USA (visit of Skagit Valley Tulip Festival) Shuswap Lake Camping/Road Trip
Hope
Merritt
Kamloops
Chase
Scotch Creek
Celista
Magna Bay
Anglemont
St. Ives
Shuswap Lake Park
Sorento
Salmon Arm
Vernon
Kelowna
Penticton
Osoyoos
Keremos
Princeton
Manning Park
Hope American Road Trip
Washington
Oregon
California
Nevada
Arizona
Nevada
Utah
Idaho
Oregon
Washington
2006
Training in Nagoya
Tokyo (transit)
Tokai (visit)
Okazaki (visit)
Kasugai (visit)
Komono (visit)
Seto (visit)
Work in Gifu
Inazawa (visit)
Iwakura (visit)
Owari-Ichinomiya (visit)
Komaki (visit)
Ogaki (visit)
Kakamigahara (visit)
Hida Takayama (stay)
Pilgrimage to Mt. Fuji
Fujinomiya (transit)
Mt. Fuji (visit, climb)
The Great Japanese Job Hunt
Tokyo (transit)
Sendai (transit)
Furukawa (now Osaki; visit, stay)
Tokyo (transit)
Kyoto (visit, stay)
Matsumoto (visit)
Shiojiri (transit)
The Non-Rendezvous with Mite
Shiojiri (transit)
Tokyo (visit of Shinjuku and Roppongi)
Shiojiri (transit)
Passport Renewal Trip
Nagoya (visit)
2007
LADO Training Trip
Tokyo (visit of Shinjuku, Ginza and Shibuya, stay)
Mike and Paul's Excellent Adventure
Nagoya (transit)
Kyoto (visit)
Nagoya (visit)
Visa Renewal Trip I
Nagano (visit)
Visa Renewal Trip II & Pilgrimage to Zenkoji Temple
Nagano (visit)
Mike vs. Mt. Fuji, Take 2 (Failed)
Fujinomiya (transit)
Mt. Fuji (visit, climb up to station six)
Shiojiri (visit)
An Excursion to Tokyo
Tokyo (visit of the Imperial Palace, Ueno Park, Ueno Zoo, stay in Akihabara, visit of Ginza, Roppongi Hills, Shibuya and Shinjuku)
Shiojiri (transit)
Dream Thief
Azumino (visit)
The Great Escape
Tokyo (transit)
Narita (visit)
2009
East Coast Trip
Toronto (transit)
Washington, D.C. (visit, stay)
Boston (visit, stay)
New York (visit, stay)
Rocky Mountains Road Trip
Kamloops (transit)
Banff (visit, stay)
Columbia Ice Field (visit)
Jasper (visit, stay)
Lake Louise (visit)
Banff (visit, stay)
Calgary (visit)
2010
Singapore Trip
Manila (transit)
Singapore (visit, stay)
Manila (transit)
The Master of Alabaster
Calgary (transit)
Kitchener (transit)
Israel
1991-Present
Canada
1999-Present
Russia
School #597 Elementary (1988-1990)
Israel
צפרירים [Tzafririm] Elementary (1990-1991)
נוף ים [Nof Yam] Elementary (1991-1992)
אילנות [Ilanot] Elementary (1992-1994) Graduated (Grade 6)
'מקיף א [Makif Alef] Secondary (1994-1996)
אקדמא [Akadma] Music School (1994-1996) (Piano and Music Theory)
Canada
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary (1996-2000) Graduated (Grade 12)
Stratford Career Institute Distance Education (1996) Dropped Out
International Baccalaureate Program (1997-2000) Received Certificates
Open Learning Agency (2000-2001) Dropped Out
University of British Columbia - Continuing Studies (2001-2002)
Intensive Multimedia Studies Received Certificate
Langara College (2002-2004) 2-Year Transfer Program to UBC Arts - English
University of British Columbia (2004-2006) Received the Bachelor of Arts with Honours Diploma in English Literature
University of British Columbia (2009) Unclassified Studies
British Columbia Institute of Technology (2009-2010) Part-Time Technical Writing Associate Certificate Program
University of Waterloo (2010-Present) Master of Arts in Literary Studies