Iceland

Finally, I have downloaded (and selected) the pictures.  Lots of green and blue, makes sense for Iceland. Helps me keep my cool in the middle of summer, while in Bucharest. Enjoy!

Any Familiar Face Here?

Nope, I doubt any of my friends looks like this..

Jump!

So I finally did it!

After an almost two week delay (sick days, weather was against me, thunder storms, too much work and so on), I took the plunge!

Went up in a sort of basket lifted by a huge crane, very excited and decided to jump. But once there at 51 m altitude, I needed a few minutes until being sure that I actually wanted to do it. I kept having thoughts (such as: what if I lose me earrings?, are my shoelaces OK?, should I wait more and enjoy the view? maybe I need to go to the bathroom? why did I forget to call my grandma today?), until the guy that went up with me went crazy and said that I needed to jump, otherwise the crane would let us down soon. So I decided to act as an adult and do whichever was expected from me.

The fall was very fast, and after that I started to go up and down like a yo-yo, which was not as bad for my back as I expected. Here's a movie about it, if you want to make an idea about the "process" - They were also supposed to film me yesterday, but the camera was bad so unfortunately I only have some pictures: few, but good. Now I'm happy and still full of adrenaline.
Thanks to Anca for the pictures and for the support! 

The Things I'm Reading: Not Always the Best Choices

Gypsy Boy On The Run by Mikey Walsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It started good, but it got disappointing after a while...
My rating just dropped from 5 to 3.

View all my reviews

German Humour

Yuhooo! Messenger

Don't know why, but I love it when such things happen. In the end we're all humas, aren't we?

Mirando hacia adelante a satisfacerle en persona!

This is going to make sense only for the English-Spanish speakers. Or not :D

Just when I was almost ready to call Google Translate my newest best friend (had lots of translation to do lately - so we spent a lot of time together, or better said: Alexandra + translations = LOVE), I got a surprise from it:

Had a lot fun about it for a while. And I was disappointed somehow because the translation is not like this.. I really liked the beginning: mirando hacia adelante.. it's almost like a magical incantation, in a musical way.


I suppose there is a connection between meeting some requirements and satisfying them, or someone. Anyway, I'm happy I didn't end up my email like that.

Found a better version: "Espero que nos encontremos pronto" :)

Funny, huh?

Long time ago, when I had nothing better to do - this translates as 'I was a free person with no job', I used to have big plans with this blog, and I made a short video to promote it.

Now I just found it uploaded in my youtube account and was pretty surprised :)

It's been almost 4 months since my last post.

Shame on me, shame on me, shame on me.. !!

When you do something that seldom, it should better turn out to be delicious...

Following Mihai's example, this is what I have done today.
I'm not going to give you the full recipe, it's a secret. All I can tell you: I did it with love!
Pictures HERE :)

Dog Project

 

 Not too much for a 26 year old, but it's not as easy as it looks like either.  A few days ago, made my first cartoon, and probably the last one as well. I just don't get much satisfaction out of it.

Can't complain about the lack of ideas, but I think I reached the point when I agree my kindergarten teacher, who so kindly told me I have no talent for drawing. 

Maybe I should take some singing classes instead.

Full story:

-FIN -

De ce?

Daca nu sti sa scri corect in limba romana, macar engleza sa o inveti!
Mi-a luat ceva timp sa-mi dau seama ca nu e o gluma atunci cand am vazut asta.

Poate au facut-o intentionat, ca sa atraga atentia de la "24 de zile". Observati cum vor sa sugereze de fapt "24 de ore"? Strategie de marketing!

Small Little Things: "Did You Mean to Attach Files?" - sais my Gmail to me

.. and just when I was sure I knew all the Gmail secrets, I run into this: (click on the picture bellow)

If you're the type of person that likes well done stuff from the first try, it can definitely save you from the embarrassment of  sending the classic "and this time with the attachment.." - email.

Else, it's just interesting to know that google is parsing what is supposed to be your personal messages.

Not such big news though, they do it in order to display the famous adds, anyway, and most people can live with it :)

Some particular reasons why I loved this Easter

Easter was almost a week ago, but I still feel like I'm on holidays.

Of course that there are the usual reasons - mostly religious - or related to the fact that most people have a few days away from work.

Here are my personal reasons why this Easter was special:

• I was home - Such a small detail, I never gave it too much importance. Not until last year when I was coming back to Denmark, after 2 vacation weeks spent in Romania, right before the Easter Sunday.. that was sad, being alone in the airport, waving to my mom, so close but yet so far way, going to Denmark, where they already had Easter a week before (the Protestant one).. but this time I got to spend the day with my family at home. 
• The Greek Orthodox Easter was on the same day as the Catholic and Protestant Easter. Not to many non-orthodox people in the area I'm living in, but still, it gave me the feeling of a more global-christian reason of joy :) This is a rare event, it only happens once in a few years.
• It was on the same day as my birthday - what a coincidence, huh? Couldn't hope for a better present!
• Weather in Romania was wonderful - we went to visit our grandparents and had our first family lunch out in the yard (first one, this year, I mean). Plus a long walk through the woods nearby. Pictures here.
• One thing I DO HATE about Easter, didn't happen this time.

I'm speaking about those pathetic messages people usually send at midnight(when Jesus resurrected) to all the persons in their address book. At least this is how the 'tradition' goes like in Romania. I used to get them from people that I only met once, and somehow got to exchange numbers, from ex-classmates that usually don't call me at all during year, or from people that from some objective reason I periodically meet, but somehow they don't inspire very positive and Christian feelings (you see, I tried to put it in a nice way).

Of course, totally unpersonalized messages, speaking about the Easter bunny (it's the real spirit of Easter, according to some people), presents such as Ferrari cars (the best way to show our love to our friends and family, according to the same people from before), chocolate bunnies (eating them is the best way to feel loved, in case you're alone on Easter - this is what I heard). Of course, the best ones are those combining the upper themes with things such as crucification, light, faith, Jesus Christ, God, sacrifice, etc.. and the list of blasphemies could continue.. :D

And if someone's feeling uninspired (just as me today), here in Romania we even have specialized websites where you can find them ready-made. Just take care that your friends don't use the same ones, then you're in trouble!! Or not, if you're not like me and you don't care that much about what you say, to whom you say, bla-bla-bla...

Well, this year I got none of these. I only got in return (and sent) normal messages, emails and phone calls, personalized, warm, and decent.. Thank you all!

Just curious, is it because customs changed in Romania while I was away, or maybe because meanwhile I have been deleted from a few address books? And if the customs changed, what's the new fashion like nowadays?

Bergen Trip - So Long Ago

This was in November, last year, when we decided we want to explore Norway's fjords.

So we did one of the 'Norway in a nutshell' trips. Me and FA (aka Fabulous Ana) decided that was the right time to do it, since we were both in Denmark at that time. And since DK is reasonably close to Norway..

I remember we carefully organized the trip in every detail, and afterwards we sent an invitation to all the people/foreigner groups/students we could think of - more than 100. Moreover, we also specified that friends of friends are most welcome to join. Of course, by the end, people came up with various excuses (like too expensive/too cold/too boring/too Scandinavian). But we still found Faye that joined us :D So it turned out to be a girls' trip out in the wild Norway (ha-ha), with lots of eating, drinking, chatting, picture-taking, and laughing. 

And now, here comes the big mystery: the was one more guy who said we would join us and had already bought the plane ticket. At least this is what he replied to me by email. Indian, studying robotics at DTU. I remember nothing more about him, we never met. I kept sending him messages, about when and where to meet, until the last day. He never showed up at the airport. We spent like 20% of our chatting time making assumptions about what really happened to him. Until this day, I didn't find out whether it was just a bad joke (if yes, then why?) or something bad happened to him (I still hope it's my first guess).

The tour itself was made out of small parts, where we were supposed to travel either by bus, train or boat. The landscape there is beautiful. Still, my best memories consist in three other things:

• 1- the fish soup we had in one of the villages - something creamy with pieces of salmon - it was yummy... oh yeah, sine we're talking about fishy food (yum yum), the fish market in Bergen really got my interest..
• 2- all the troll stories I heard from a guide, quite intriguing. Now, I'm sure she only told us the same story that she keeps telling to tourists each day, but somehow the combination between her short stories, the wet and rocky landscape, the roofs with grass on top and the small ugly troll figurines I saw in shops managed to raise my interest. I became fascinated by Scandinavian mythology, traditions, old beliefs etc after this trip.
• 3- listening to Edvard Grieg's 'Morgenstimmung' -  Morning Mood - on one of the tour buses. Quite-spring inspiring..

Didn't take too many good pictures of the nature there, the light was not strong enough to make the green-‘autumnish’ colors look right.

That's why I think most of them look faded and boring. Anyway, played a long time ago with the pictures, - (see them HERE) now it's time to upload them, no matter how bad they look like..

And no, the are NOT PhotoShoped, they're GIMPed :)

Also I got FA's permission to upload some of her pictures, much better than mine - only because of the camera :p

PS: Indian robotics engineer (who in November 2009 studied at DTU in Denmark), if you ever read this, please contact me to tell me you're alive!!! - but not before you check out the trip PICS, to see what you missed :p

Old Pics

Left Lyngby exactly 2 weeks ago. Can't say I miss it, but I felt like sharing these pictures before winter goes away and they become 'outdated'.. Anyway, they are quite old, from the x-mas in 2008. I know for sure it looked absolutely identical in 2009 (I was there), and so it will be in 2010, and so on.. with or without me being there. I'm saying that by taking into consideration the way Danes are protecting nature and generally preserving the green spaces they have left..

 (click on the image for the whole album)

So I took the pics on a winter weekend, during one of my many walks around the Lyngby Lake. It actually became a regular habit in my last year there (with a few interruptions). And yes, I know some of the pictures look creepy, but I was never the only one there - as much as I wished :D .. It's full of bikers, people running, or boring families taking their hyper-energetic kids for a walk.. and serial killers like me :D Now, seriously, it's perfectly safe, as long as it doesn't get dark, and you're all alone and cold, in the area where there are no houses, and with no phone. In which case you can save yourself by being quiet and listening from which way the car noise is coming. Once back to civilized world (the highway), you can take a bus and then get home warm and safely.

Enjoy!

Goodbye 2009, Welcome 2010!

Speaking from my own point of view (that translates as "from my own bubble", not taking into consideration the economical situation, the wars etc..), it was a great year!

Somebody recently wished me to have "a better year" in 2010. Now I admit, it can be just a cliché, people say it without even thinking sometimes, still, it made me think. What am I missing? And what more can I ask for? Does it even matter?

Spent my whole 2009 in Denmark and travelling around, meeting so many people, still always having to say goodbye to someone, going out, parties, fun parks, different gatherings (my facebook pics are a proof of that), trying to fit in among the brilliant people at MDCC, struggling to keep some kind of diet, and wondering about my future. Looking back at these, indeed, it was a great year. I don’t know if the greatest of all, but one thing I know for sure: I enjoyed every moment. I admit, I had my bad times as well, but then again, “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” – if I’m allowed to use another cliché.

So no, I don't want to have a greater year for myself, I want my 2010 to be just as great as my 2009, but still, somehow different: I need to make even happier and prouder all those people who stood by me so far. And for that I will need to change myself :D

Thank you all for everything!
and see you next year:)

(thanks Bogdan for the picture:))

Voting Day

My room is a mess, my life a total disaster - but only today, because I was sick, stayed home and got bored, and instead of cleaning up my mess and deciding what to wear tomorrow and going to bed early so that I'm fresh in the morning, I'm writing this, just because I want to share with the whole world that today I voted for the first time in Denmark.. probably the last one as well, but who cares, the first time is the most memorable one :p

So what's the big deal?

To be frank, I noticed since a few weeks before some smiley guys in front of my window (I live in the center of Lyngby) were sharing leaflets to people passing by. Since I speak no Danish, I suspected for a while that they are trying to convince people to switch to some new internet provider, try a wonder - detergent etc. The funny thing is that they never tried to approach me when passing by, I was like somehow invisible to them, even though I was staring very curious and in a more-than-insistent way at them. Even tried smiling, didn't work. So then I wondered: what's wrong with me? Do I look like I do not use detergent? Or like I cannot afford that new internet provider? But I was wrong, fortunately.

Soon after that, one day in the morning, I was woken up by workers, doing some stuff on the light pole, right in front of my window, again. They were putting posters with smiling-confident looking people (just like in a toothpaste commercial) having that visionary sparkle in their eyes, but still trying to look like normal human beings, in order not to confuse the potential voters.. Then I understood! My suspicions were then confirmed by keywords I saw on the posters: something looking like 'radikal', 'democratisk', 'social', 'venstre' - last one means left, I know it from the metro, when they tell you that you have to stay on the left side of the automatic stairs if you just want to stay still, and on the right if you're in a hurry and want to walk at the same time..
Yes, they were having local elections in Lyngby. Anyway, the moment the word 'politics' came to my mind, I was completely grateful to those people ignoring me and not giving me leaflets on the street.
"Still good”, I said to myself, “I still look like a tourist, and not like an immigrant in Denmark!"

I have no interest in politics, and I'm so disgusted by politicians (could be because I come from Romania, but that's another issue). Actually, I wish food would have the same effect on me as them, then I would be much slimmer (one can also say less fat, that's discussable).
All these events were soon followed by long rides by bus to work, seeing on every pole posters of people whose electoral premisses I could not get. But I do not complain, it could have been much worse, like being home in Romania, having to see every day on TV public debates - or circus shows (another reason to be happy I don't have a TV, or that I don't understand Danish), or hearing pensioners talking about it while waiting in supermarkets' queues. I wonder if it was different here.

Excluding my destructive and negative attitude towards politics and politicians, I was decided not to vote, also because I feel that just being in Denmark for a bit more than a year does not give the right to have a word about such things, when I don't even understand the language and have no idea about most things around me (although I do know when they have discounts in shops). And even if I did it anyway, who I was supposed to vote for, when I haven't bothered to find out anything about the candidates?

Having these in mind, I have completely forgotten that this is the BIG day. Until a few hours ago, when I met Momme, one of my apartment mates, on the street. He asked me if I already voted, and when I said NO, his face reaction expressed something between "Oh, so you don't believe in Santa Claus?" and "I didn't know you are such an irresponsible person". Needless to say, he convinced me to go with him. Elections seem to be a big thing in Denmark, and I was not going to miss that! After all, I always wanted to know more about foreign cultures, behaviors, habits, rituals, etc.. The Danish voting ritual was not to be an exception.

During the 5 minutes walk to the voting place (It's a big building close to me, never wondered what is for before, since it has no shops inside, but apparently it's something connected to the administration), Momme explained me a bit about the candidates, but I am not going to go into this.. nor I am going to tell you whom I voted for, or if I even voted for somebody: the vote is secret (even sacred for some), and it's my right to keep it like this :p

Anyway, there we were, waiting in a relatively short queue (which finished pretty fast).. Surrounded by blond tall polite smiling people, giving us directions where to go next. I got 2 kinds of papers (one for the town, the other for some regional thing). I handed in my 'election paper' (something they had sent me by mail a few days ago). The people weren't even curious to check if I am really the person from that paper, they only crossed out my name in a table, and that was it! Liked that: fast and confidence-inspiring! Once in the cabin, I had to make a cross in front of the name I (would have) wanted to vote for.. with a pencil! - I hope not that type that can be erased by a rubber, but I have no prove for it. Folded my shits of paper carefully, went out having a mature and responsible mimic (like I knew what I was doing) and put them in some boxes (are they called urns in English?), not before getting a free smile from a woman standing behind the boxes/urns. That was all! Simple, fast, pain-free.


All in all, I'm also happy that soon they are going to remove the posters from the pole in front of my window. The faces are right now staring at me, saying 'Have you done anything useful today?', and I don't like that. It's a man and a woman close to each other in the picture (are they a couple?) + another guy, he seems to be new in the party, and his name is Ulf (I'm guessing it means 'wolf', and he must be really popular if he's over there).
Oh wait, they're not looking anymore, they got distracted: two cars just bumped into each other on the street (no casualties, only paint scratches), and the drivers are arguing pretty loud. Lots of action, they are saying bad words, I think, I've just understood 'idiot'.. Now who says I don't have an exciting life in Lyngby?

Albacete Flashbacks - 1 - Looking alrededor

My favourite Spanish word: "alrededor" - best meaning I can find in English is "around". Alrededor can take any shape, color or smell, can be anything or simply nothing. Alrededor is a 360 taken to power 360 degree view.

I arrived in Albacete early at night, terrified that nobody would be at the student residence for my reception. Took a taxi from the train station. Think the driver gave me the whole tour of the town - should have taken some pictures. I had the impression we were moving in a circle for a few times - or maybe the Spanish air was making me dizy, not sure.

Next morning I got on my balcony and I looked alrededor: nothing but flat land covered by light. I felt like don Quijote, ready to fight against any windmill that I encounter, but more than that wishing to find one first.

...

I left Albacete late at night, or very early in the morning. After a party (Kasia's party, I think), we all headed to the bus station. Well, by "all" I mean most of the other Erasmus friends I had there. I don't remember what we spoke on the way that seemed to me so long, I can only remind the noise of my old trolley’s wheels on the rough pavement, pulled-pushed-kicked by Matteo. I was lucky my bus was almost ready to leave when we got there, I didn't want the others to stay and wait with me that late in the night -early in the morning after partying, plus, I would have risked getting emotional.

Next day, looking alrededor in the airport in Bucharest, first person getting my attention is my mum smiling to me.

(to be continued)

I guess the picture speaks by itself, I'm still enjoying Denmark for now, and will be here until begining of February next year.

Remember a time when I was a kid and together with all of the other kids of my age, we were happy to have snow.. and of course we couldn't understand the grown-ups around who were complaining about it. I still love the snow, no matter how cold it is, no matter how bad the traffic becomes, no matter how slippery the pavement is, no matter how bad my hair looks like because of it..
I just wonder what happened with the others of the same age as me, who now hate it..
(image: collage of pictures taken from my window)