melum33

It is Palm Sunday. Or it was yesterday. People bearing flower names were in the honor spots, and I guess it is a beautiful custom.

The name of someone very dear to me and part of my family is Flower.

So, to a very favorite someone - but also to all flower-named and to the flower lovers - a most favorite aria - The Flower Duet. Interpreted by one of my favorite voices - Joan Sutherland.

melum32

This is what rock is all about.

The video could be better, though. The music is just great.

And yes, I'm angry.

Homage to Ayrton - descriptum46

He would've been 50, yesterday.

He was one of the greatest F1 pilots ever, and as I grew up he was my favorite pilot.

I remember watching the race at Imola in 1994 - on Eurosport - and everything that followed. I believe he was not only a model for the normal people, but also for his colleagues and rivals. I still remember the reaction of Michael Schumacher when he was told by the reporter that he had exceeded the number of F1 victories of Ayrton - he started to cry in front of the camera.

Formula 1 was never the same after Imola 1994.

Homage to Ayrton. Homage to Brasil.

Flirt - descriptum45

I had to take the cab today, in order not to be late at work. I was lucky, as the roads were clear and the traffic lights green, so I arrived on time.

The funny thing was that, at the Piata Romana star junction, the cab driver started to flirt with the blond female driver who had almost crossed our way, on my side (I was sitting in the front-right seat), but had to stop because of the congestion. I thought originally he was going to swear - but no; it was worse.

She was a early 20-something, she had blond hair (that is a VERY important aspect), she drove an silvery SUV vehicle; ... she was - a few years ago - a sort of iconic pop star in the Romanian star system (although calling "music" that noises would be an insult to the idea of music in a normal country). In my view, she wears an important part of the guilt for the development of the pitzy movement. And yes, she responded to the flirt of the cab driver (a pretty good exponent of the cocalar movement himself) by flirting back.

A very nice conversation started to develop between the two, with lines flying in front of my face, the windows down, of course, and me laughing out of embarrassment (I tried to control myself, but it was absolutely impossible). I spare you the details. Enough for you to know that when the traffic lights turned green, 60 seconds later, the two of them were already discussing rendez-vous options.

Charming, wouldn't you say?

I do not consider myself as an impressionable person and strong emotions are not one of my characteristics. But today, I was - to put it short - amazed by this episode. As we were getting out of the intersection, I whispered to myself: Lord, give me strength.

2:52 am - descriptum44

It took me many years to understand that any relationship with somebody else is, also, a relationship with yourself.

What I mean is that any relationship brings or brings not a degree of self accomplishment - a good relationship can make me feel accomplished, another less or not at all. I think it was too obvious for me to notice it when things were going better, so it only became visible with things going wrong.

Once I asked someone to marry me, but she said no; than we broke up. I loved her then - I don't love her anymore. But her refuse still hurts. It is not about love or hate, it is about self-esteem.

About driving in Romania - a pedestrian view

If you ever come to Romania, take good care about the drivers. They are almost as bad as the Italian drivers, one Italian friend told me a while ago. I honestly thought they are the worst in the world - or in Europe, at least.

I have my driving license since 1998. But I must admit I don't like driving and I believe driving in the crazy traffic of Bucharest is a daily adventure that I am not willing to live. I like walking, I do it intensively, and walking plus the underground transport system usually gets me where I want to. But, indeed, filtering through the cars parked on the usually narrow sidewalks - or having to walk on the street because of that - is most unpleasant.

Still, it so seems that the worst Romanian drivers are not those in Bucharest. Watch below one of my compatriots. On the highway. In Belgium. Judging by the views of the video, he must be a celebrity in my country.



The good news is that this guy just lost his license. The bad news is that he didn't lose his license because of the short movie above, but because of alcohol consumption.

R. C., rest in peace - week'toriAl44

So, it is sadly true. We have a new Raluca Stroescu. Last time, it was April 2007. Now, it is March 2010. Almost three years later.

Ramona Cîciu, 34 years old and mother of two twins, died 4 hours ago because of health problems associated with exhaustion. She was working in a private company dealing with data collecting. I do not imply she died expressly because she worked and I am not eager to accuse her company. As I suppose, she was just working hardly, in order to ensure her family a better future. I hope her soul will rest in peace.

There are hundreds of thousands of people working in the private sector, and they keep the Romanian economy going. I think we should be grateful to them - by them I mean the people who generally work 10 hours a day, spend more than 11 hours away from home almost every day - and in some cases every day - and who fall down broken when arriving late at home after a day of crazy work.

By the way, if in this country there would have existed a real socialist party, this party would have had a platform specifically for middle-class people working in the private sector, like for instance pressing the employers to take care of their employees, instead of using them until they make burn out. These are real, actual problems - and I am not surprised to see the so-called social-democrat party walking the easy way and speaking instead a lot more about pensions and retirement funds that will eventually make life of those working in the private sector even harder than it is now. It is the best proof of the incompetence and incapability of this party.

I am working in the private sector myself, as most of my friends do. I try to do my job the best I can, and so do they. I know for myself what being tired and burning out means. I am sure every single one of us cannot but feel solidarity with Ramona's family. I feel I didn't find proper words for this post, but I can't stay silent.

About the Romanians from Bassarabia trying to enter Romania - week'toriAl43

This is not easy. I am trying to figure out how to put it.

See, about more than 60 years ago there was a painful split. Bassarabia became a part of the USSR. And Bassarabia is a land historically inhabited mostly by Romanians. Even after 200 years of Russian and Soviet domination, their percentage is higher than 80%. Bassarabia was part of Romania until 1812, than part of the Russian Empire until 1918. Than again part of Romania until 1945, and from 1945 to 1990 part of the Soviet Empire - the USSR. Soviet propaganda told them they were Moldavians, different and better than Romanians. The bad luck of Bassarabia was that it was the most eastern part of Romania, closest to Moscow. Any Romanian land situated in the east would have sustained the very same fate.

In 2009, after 45 years of Soviet rule and almost 20 years of (very) difficult transition, the youth living in what was left out of what was formerly known as Bassarabia decided it was time to go to Europe. And time to go to Romania, their homeland. The convention signed last month allows it, within a range of 50 kilometers from the border.

I am speaking about the convention concerning free border traffic between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, signed a few weeks ago. It should, in theory, allow more than a million inhabitants of Bassarabia to enter the Romanian territory.

And here is where our bureaucracy comes in. Our consular authorities only manage to solve an insignificant number of requests per day, while hundreds of thousands of requests are already made. Even more, in order to enter the Romanian territory, people need an invitation from Romania. No wonder if, in these circumstances, persons with Romanian citizenship actually sell invitations to Moldavian citizens in front of our consulate in Chisinau. So, in the end, what was supposed to be a simple formality, meant to ease the rapprochement between two parts of the very same nation, turned out to be just as similar as obtaining a full visa.

.....................

What is my point, in short.

Some say, in good reason, that the reactions in Chisinau are exaggerated. People there expect everything to change over night, just like we did (not so many) years ago. They expect that Romania will be able to resolve all the problems generated by many years of bad post-Soviet relations in no time at all. It is impossible, it takes some time. And, in my view, it will be done, one way or another, sooner or later.

But still.

It is not about how the Romanian state treats some foreign citizens trying to enter the national territory, it is about how the Romanian state treats just about everybody - and the Romanian citizens are generously included. Our Romanian bureaucracy is one of the "best" ever invented yet.

I know that we have to be careful about our position in the EU. We are not quite the most disciplined member of the European community (to say the least), and our justice system is - rightfully - a matter of concern in the offices at Bruxelles. I believe this is much more important than most of the Romanian politicians are - or shall be - able or willing to admit. However, I fail to see the direct connection between our quality of rightful members of the EU (indeed, since 2007 only) and our politics concerning Bassarabia. I see no contradiction between the two. I don't think we have to choose for one against the other. I don't think any policy towards Bassarabia can damage our European intentions and positions. I mention this because some Romanian analysts put much emphasis on the topic.

In the larger scheme, I believe we should take good care about what happens there today - it is a crucial time for Bassarabia and its future. I repeat: since April 2009, Bassarabia entered a crucial stage of its post-Soviet development and we have to be there. Meaning: the Romanian administration acted carelessly in Bassarabia from 1918 to 1940 (let's say 1945). The worst clerks of the Romanian administration saw appointments to Bassarabia as a punishment. Let's not repeat that glorious mistake. I don't want to see another mental rapture, like that from 1940, coming around the corner. History is reversible.


P.S. As I found out, a few days ago (after the draft for this post was written) the authorities decided that the permit for the free pass of the border can be issued without the invitation I mentioned above. That is, indeed, very good.

RoBlogFest 2010

As you may see, a new widget appeared on the top of the page - it will stay there until the competition will be over. I found out about the competition a few minutes ago and I decided I would be sorry if I don't take a shot.

If you think this blog deserves a vote, and only if you think that, give it a vote. If not, no.

Otherwise, I want to congratulate the fellows at the RoBlogFest for this event. They are doing a fine job. Since 2007. And ZeList is great.

Joke

About the launching of the new Dacia Duster.

Two German guys speak about the new Dacia Duster.
- Hey, have you heard the Romanians launched the new Dacia Duster, the first Romanian SUV? says the first.
- Yeah, the second responds. Those Romanians are capable of doing anything in order not to repair their streets.

I'm looking for a wife. Preferably, 24 years only and with an IQ of 169 - descriptum43

Life is so much better when your laptop is back from the service and the cooler actually works.

As I drank my coffee this morning and was listening to the radio, enjoying the peace of the moment, one of the guys started to chat about a study recently made public, realized in Switzerland. According to the conclusions of the study, a perfect marriage recipe requires a wife who is 5 years younger and 27% smarter than the husband.

If this is true - a thought crossed my mind - I'm scr***d. Sorry for the swearing, but I actually don't know how to put it otherwise. See, last time I checked, my IQ was 133. Add 27% to that and see where it leads to.

In the end, who needs a perfect marriage anyway?...

melum31.