╫ from Bucharest, with love ╫

Romania in photos

2012-02-03T21:39:00.000+02:00

Kindle your mind,

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2012-01-26T22:15:00.000+02:00

Winter is finally here (and protests go on, attended by ~ 100 people, as far as I could see it), but my mind goes back.

Picture taken five years ago, on January 9th, 2007.

No comment

2012-01-23T23:35:00.000+02:00

No comment

2012-01-21T23:59:00.001+02:00

No comment

2012-01-20T23:59:00.001+02:00

Protests in Bucharest. My view

2012-01-19T21:43:00.002+02:00

After 4 days of taking contact with Piata Universitatii, I think I have an opinion about the events and I can let you know about it.

I saw different kinds of people in Piata Universitatii: 1. people politically involved (former revolutionaries and members of the Social-Liberal Union); 2. hooligans; 3. (most important) people who are really unsatisfied with the way things go. To those, I add a fourth category: 4. spectators, people who preferred watching events live, and not on a television screen. In my view, this category is the most numerous, but the less important.

Violence is not the issue in these protests. What happened on Sunday night was just another episode of the confrontation between football hooligans and gendarmes (observation: I noticed every time groups trying to incite to violence). But the hyper-mediatization of the events was also a reason for violence: the omnipresence of mass-media excites the hundreds of people who protest in the square and I witnessed that. This can also explain the paradox that violent protests were only in Bucharest (while people protest in tens of Romanian cities), even if the average income here is much higher than in the rest of the country. Normally I would expect people really hit by austerity and crisis to have a harsher reaction, but it was the other way around.

An observation about figures. There are not many people protesting in Piata Universitatii. Generally their number was less than 1,000, now they are about 2,000. For comparison, tens of thousands of people are the rule in important religious celebrations, aproximatelly 40,000 would go to a match between Steaua and Dinamo and 60,000 people attended the concert of Madonna in Bucharest. So, I would say society is not fully focused on these protests, and I would say that is because many people see these protests as nothing more than political combat - credit goes to the media for that.

What is happening in Piata Universitatii is not (or not intended by most of the active protesters) partisan combat. There are a few hundreds of people who remembered that, before being voters to a party or another, they are citizens, ignored by politicians, and they remembered that they profoundly dislike the Romanian political class, mostly because of its arrogance. The entire Romanian political class, not only the government party, because the entire Romanian political class is a result of the National Salvation Front (thus, indirectly, a result of the Communist party). In my view, what protesters try to do there is to carry on the spirit of Piata Universitatii of 1990 and 1991. And the key of the protests is this: will protesters be able to ask for a de-Communization act ("legea lustratiei")?

The reaction of the politicians is predictable and, in my view, simply disastrous. The governing democrat-liberals hope these events will vanish quickly, as the protests are the result of an unhappy decision of the government party to change the health act without consulting the society, and they are frozen silent. The socialist-liberal opposition acted just like the former FSN: members of the opposition parties tried to infiltrate the protests, they mainly failed, so the opposition organized today, elsewhere in Bucharest, a manifestation attended by 7,000 political supporters brought from the entire country, attempting to steal the attention of the society and to change the essence of the protests, by transforming them into a partisan fight. In my view, they failed in this attempt too.

My conclusions:

1. There is a huge lack of communication between the society and the political class. The actual Romanian political class cannot save itself anymore. It is too late for that now.

2. The Romanian political class is definitely and completely compromised and illegitimate.

3. The tension in the society is high. Even if people do not protest, people in Romania watch the events and care about what is happening.

4. The protests in Piata Universitatii are not approved legally and there is no institution cautioning them. Protesters express their dissatisfaction and their desperation, but most of them do not know what should be done. They want to replace the government, but they do not know whom to vote for, as the opposition is out of question.

Simply put, the message of (most of) the protesters in Piata Universitatii towards the Romanian political class is: You ignored us. We have enough. Stop and leave.

Kindle your mind,

Protests in Bucharest

2012-01-18T23:23:00.000+02:00

No comment

2012-01-17T23:53:00.000+02:00

No comment

2012-01-16T20:59:00.000+02:00

Pictures taken today.

Words, a bit later.

Protests in Bucharest

2012-01-16T00:13:00.002+02:00

Some hundreds of people protest in Bucharest at this very hour. Confrontations with the gendarmerie are taking place, and wounded people got to the hospitals.

Some of them protest against the Romanian government, (most) others protest against the crisis and because they feel the need to protest. I do not blame them - they have the legitimate right to do it. We are a democracy. But I question the succession of events.

The "official" reason of these protests was the new health act promoted by the government. However, this act was no more than a pretext: the government renounced a few days ago and most of the people protesting have absolutely no idea about the content of the law. They protest against the government, not against a health act they do not understand. My question is: does this protest solve anything ? Does anybody have better solutions for the present situation? Cui prodest ?

An observation: there is a lot of vandalism. These are the most violent protests in Bucharest, since 1991 (even if most of the people are not violent). Some of the protesters (a minority) look like they have protesting as a job (like: football galleries). I do not consider this protest as an exercise of freedom and democracy. So I take this post as a personal defeat: I have to write about things I do not want to write about.

Protesting comes with an unnatural feeling - a feeling I had, as a Romanian, back in 1989, 1990, 1991 or 1999. I wish you, my friends, that you never know how it is to go abroad and to be questioned by foreign friends what is happening to your country. It is a undeserved feeling of shame I hope you will be spared of.

On the other hand, I wanted to go in the centre tonight and take some pictures, but taking pictures is not allowed if you are not a journalist. I'm considering getting a press pass from now on.

What I want to say: it might be exaggerated, but I believe there are foreign forces interested in harming things around. My interpretation on these events is geopolitical and thus hazarduous, but this is it, I assume it. Most of the internal actors are, logically, overwhelmed by the outcoming of events. Personally, I see these events as nothing less than a deliberate attack on the Romanian economy. Most of the foreign companies active in Romania are based in Bucharest, the city generating a huge 20 % of the Romanian GDP. Their activity can be compromised by prolonged protests. And Romania will be considered as the likes of Hungary and Greece. Which - in my view - is definitely not the case.

Others seem to think otherwise.

PS: And by the way: if you live in Bucharest - avoid these areas. There is a lot of manipulation there. My advice : do not go to Piata Universitatii. Clever people know when their protest is needed, and this is not the case. Some people confiscate historical symbols of the city - like its center - for political purposes.

PPS: I am not pro- nor anti-government, this article is my exclusive and subjective view. I think a new political class is needed in Romania, but also new voters - people not willing to sell their vote for a few bucks. Our problem is not the political class. Our problem is this : most of ourselves, and the way we conceive politics, and the state.

Best wishes

2012-01-02T22:23:00.000+02:00

As 2011 stays back and 2012 comes along, I am taking a few minutes and trying to think what should I wish you, my friends.

Many people around me are actually happy that 2011 is over and, somehow irationally, hope for the better in 2012. I don't know what to say - I am not a prophet, I cannot tell that 2012 will be better than 2011. But look: I have to go to work if the sun shines or even if it rains. We have to live our lives and fight for our lives, no matter that the years we cross are good or not so good - or even bad.

So I say : may your life be good in 2012, my friends. May each of us get the opportunity to struggle for a better life, this year. And may each of us use it.

With love,

season greatings

2011-12-25T21:50:00.000+02:00

Merry Christmas, my friends.

I am not in my best mood, as you might have guessed, due to my prolonged absence. But I am OK, I am always here, and I wish you all the best and a happy celebration, together with those dear (and close) to you.

Merry Christmas (or Happy Hannukah, if you please).

With love,

Romania in photos

2011-12-15T23:16:00.000+02:00

Ţara Loviştei.

Translated to 21st century geography, that is a place somewhere between Piteşti and Sibiu. You can get to actually see this sort of image, without much effort, if you only have the guts to go 15 minute outside the main roads.

Kindle your mind,

Romania in photos

2011-12-11T22:10:00.000+02:00

Kindle your mind,

Bucharest in photos

2011-11-22T23:39:00.000+02:00

Street art.

Kindle your mind,

Bucharest in photos

2011-11-21T23:54:00.000+02:00

2011-11-14T21:42:00.000+02:00

An epitome of loneliness.

Kindle your mind,

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-11-13T15:24:00.000+02:00

Taken one autumn ago, in Parcul Icoanei, not far from Piaţa Romană.

The moon is my friend. And the night, too.

Kindle your mind,

Bucharest in photos

2011-11-02T23:51:00.000+02:00

The Romanian metal band RUST launching their last album. Not so long time ago, in Fabrica.

A little explanation: there are two things I like about this picture: the blue and the artificial smoke. I also liked the guys (so shy in personal relations as opposed to what they showed on stage that night), but I couldn't say I'm the typical metal fan, although I enjoyed the Iron Maiden concert in Bucharest back in 2008, for instance.

In my view, Fabrica is a great place to attend a concert. Can't wait to get back there.

Kindle your mind,

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-10-27T23:45:00.000+03:00

Kindle your mind,

Bucharest in photos

2011-10-26T20:20:00.001+03:00

A different kind of shadows - the shadows of light, during the nighttime.

Kindle your mind,

Bucharest in photos

2011-10-24T23:05:00.001+03:00

Taken in spring.

I confess: I need a little spring.

Kindle your mind,

blogging15. Invitation to my Romanian speaking friends

2011-10-23T19:39:00.000+03:00

I just launched my online journal in Romanian. I decided a try would be useful.

If you want to read and express your views, you're welcome, my friends.

The link was also added to the blogroll.

With love,

Cluj Napoca

2011-10-22T22:58:00.072+03:00

I arrived in Cluj on Sunday evening, after a very long journey starting on Saturday evening, continuing with a stop on Sunday morning somewhere on a mountain top between Vâlcea and Sibiu and ending with 150 miles of road on Sunday afternoon.

The reason of my coming here was refiling my batteries, as I am really really tired and I could stand no longer Bucharest.

You can get to Cluj Napoca by car, obviously, by train or by plane. Going by train is frustrating - it takes almost 10 hours to get to Cluj from Bucharest (and I must express my amazement that, on Saturday, it took me 7 hours to get to Sibiu, which is less than 300 kilometers north of Bucharest, by train. A ratio of 40 kmph. No comment.). By car, coming from Bucharest, it is frustrating again, because of the underdevelopment of the national roads. By plane would be better, especially if you come from abroad. The airport is quite nice and very close to the city.

Places to see? Yes, there are a few. Basically, the center, but also the Belvedere hill (with wonderful panoramas of the city) and the Botanical garden. I also enjoyed the bridges over the river Someş and the main park nearby. I went to the elegant National Theater and Opera House, and assisted to a good performance of Carmen by Georges Bizet (with the observation that the French spoken on stage could have been better). However, the singing and, from my point of view, especially the orchestra, were very good.

On an easier note, the choice of pubs can take into consideration, but do not limit itself to, places such as: Toulouse, Diesel, Janis Cafe, Janis la Stuf, Demmers (if you like good tea) and Vertigo. A decent club is After eight. As for restaurants, the one I would recommend - and I thank the person who let me know about the place - is La Piazzetta. But I admit that I generally enjoy Italian kitchen, so that choice can be subjective.

After five days, I don't know if living in Cluj is better than living in Bucharest. Usually, it takes me a little to evaluate the place I see and the people who take part to the picture. Comparing to Bucharest, there is obviously more common sense here and people seem more civilized, but not more educated. However, when getting to know them better, they function just like the kind of people you can meet in Bucharest, keeping in mind that there is a sum of cultural differences which, from my point of view, are clearly fading away.

So, as a sort of conclusion to this rather short post, I would say, to my surprise, that I did not notice important differences between Cluj and the south of the country. People are running for their material interest, which is good mainly, but they seem to put a big emphasis on that. Somehow it was frustrating to listen to people talking only about money, even the students in the university library. I have enough of that kind of chat at home.

The photo gallery:

1-2. Janis Cafe - the library

3-4. the center square, with the cathedral and the statue of Matthias Corvinus

5. flower-shop. It was called "Casa cu flori", if I recall correctly.

6. Eroilor str.

7. side street

8. the stadium

9. the river Somes

10-11. After Eight club

12. the opera (well, a part of it)

13-14. views of the city from the Belvedere hill

15. Janis la Stuf. I loved the candles lying on the piano

Kindle your mind,

Romania in photos

2011-10-21T10:43:00.000+03:00

Taken in Janis la stuf, Cluj Napoca.

I'll write an article about my entire journey, and add some pictures too, as soon as I'll get back to Bucharest.

Kindle your mind,

Romania in photos

2011-10-20T12:27:00.000+03:00

Kindle your mind,

Romania in photos

2011-10-18T12:34:00.000+03:00

Now... is that nice or is that NICE :) ?

The picture was taken between Ramnicu Valcea and Sibiu, on Sunday, somewhere on a mountain top.

Kindle your mind,

Personal

2011-10-15T18:32:00.000+03:00

I'm leaving in 10 minutes. I got the next week off.

Consequently, my next post will be written from Cluj. I guess you want to know a few things worth knowing about Cluj, so I'll see you around here, my friends.

With love,

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-10-14T14:58:00.000+03:00

Although this picture was taken last night, the image was very familiar to me more than 20 years ago.

I used to spend a lot of my time in Bucharest as a child (meaning, generally, a few months a year), which explains why I never had a strong Transylvanian accent. Back at home, in northern Transylvania, I was asked where did I come from and why I pronounce words with a Bucharest accent.

Well, a lot of my time in Bucharest was spent next to the Parliament's Palace (back then, called "Casa Poporului"), in the yard - and the church - of a splendid monastery, called All Saints (picture to follow, btw), intentionally hidden by one of the blocks in the left of this picture. You know, religion was not welcome in the Bucharest of the '80s - dozens of splendid old churches of inestimable cultural value were completely destroyed at the time. On the very place you see now the Parliament Palace, six churches had this fate. And lots of others were translated behind blocks (All Saints monastery among them), and hidden from sights. So that you know why many beautiful things in Bucharest are so hard to spot - it was a intended Communist policy: war against the old, promotion of the Communist urban "accomplishments".

The boulevard was still in the making (I remember soldiers working at the pavement of the new sidewalks), and the palace was never finished until today (if you visit Bucharest, you can still see the cranes in the back of this huge building). The main differences, tough, between then and now, consist in the fact that back then it was much darker, as electricity was scarce in Communist Romania, and of course there were much less cars.

There are quite a few people appreciating the images of this city taken during nighttime (thank you, guys!). In a Communist Romania, it would have been impossible, if not unthinkable to take this sort of images, because of the darkness and the lack of electricity.

Kindle your mind.

Bucharest in photos

2011-10-13T17:34:00.001+03:00

The picture was taken back in 1987, if I recall properly, at the International Fair in Bucharest.

I liked that wheels, believe me, they were about 3 meters high. The truck itself - DAC 120 DE - was a curiosity and weighting about 100 tons, and was presented as a sort of a big realization of the Romanian industry at the time. 5 such trucks were exported to Australia, as far as I remember.

Imagine such a monster galloping at 50 miles per hour - its maximum speed. The back of the truck almost didn't get in the picture.

Of course, it was not a common thing to see in Bucharest, but for me it was one of the lasting memories, one of the trade-marks of the city, if you like.

PS. The blog celebrates today its 4th anniversary. Quite a performance, quite nice, don't you think, my friends? I'll celebrate this anniversary by attending a concert tonight. And I hope many years of good blogging on this very page still lie ahead. Being a blogger defines a part of who I am.

With love,

Personal

2011-10-03T01:54:00.001+03:00

Our journey through the Bucharest of the 80s' begins with the presentation of the guide.

Our guide is a young, small - and a little scared - fellow, discovering (certain parts of) the big city while visiting his grandma and intimidated by the air of a metropolis - a city of more than 2,000,000 inhabitants even back then, during the 80's.

I chose to show this picture first because this little guy will show up in the vintage part of the voyage. The picture was taken back in 1984. I was four years old.

I loved that suite, by the way. It was mostly black and white, and combined with my blond hair, it worked wonders on women. Just kidding :)

Kindle you mind,

Personal

2011-09-18T21:29:00.000+03:00

I am lurking around, my friends. More or less, but around.

My deep personal problem, though, is that I feel empty and de-motivated. And very tired. It is personal. And real.

I have tons of very good pictures of my city - Bucharest -, pictures taken for months now, but I just do not get to see them published.

I guess I'll write more, about things going through my head, rather than publishing photos. I feel the need to exorcise myself. or to confess - whichever you prefer, it is the same.

And I thought of a more personal project: I would like to show you Bucharest as I got to know him as a child, when I got to spend my summer vacations here. You see, I was a normal Romanian child, but instead of spending my summer holidays in the countryside, I would usually get to spend a few months a year in Bucharest, at my granny's. Some of the pictures - as much as possible - will be vintage. Some will be 2011, as a sort of remembrance of the Bucharest I got in touch to back then.

PS. The fact that one of my grandfathers was Bucharestian makes me a honest to God Bucharestian :) ? Just kidding.

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-08-23T22:14:00.000+03:00

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-08-21T23:57:00.000+03:00

Befriend :)

Bucharest in photos. People

2011-08-19T23:02:00.000+03:00

Maria Sgarcitu. In concert. Last week.

You've probably never heard of her before, but well, that is going to change. She plays the guitar quite heavenly.

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-08-18T18:36:00.000+03:00

Corso.

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-08-17T22:04:00.000+03:00

The night.

With love,

melum52. no difference

2011-08-13T18:11:00.000+03:00

And the rest is silence.

Bucharest in photos

2011-08-09T23:10:00.000+03:00

So the authorities decided to build a new passage, at Mihai Bravu intersection, over the Dâmboviţa river.

Not a long time ago, they inaugurated another passage over the river, and the new national stadium - called, in a rather kitschy manner, National Arena instead of Stadionul Naţional - was opened last Saturday.

I would say this is good, but I cannot help but to see that our Mair goes for very visible projects - the sort of projects people cannot ignore for obvious reasons (and the picture above is an example) - and also expensive projects, with costs of several hundreds of millions of euros. They also bring votes during the elections, true...

I don't say that building passages over passages inside the first ring of Bucharest is bad. My point is that more can be done with much less money, for instance remodeling the center of the city so that it becomes more walking friendly and encouraging bicycles (even if, true, it is difficult to use a bicycle in Bucharest: it's really warm from June to October and dangerous during the winter. But still.).

And if we were to speak about big projects, the first priority would be to finish the third ring, allowing cars transiting Bucharest to avoid the city itself - which is definitely not the case now.

Like this, I only get the impression that someone is running for easy votes. And I also get the feeling that the city becomes more impersonal.

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-08-08T13:47:00.000+03:00

As I have a free day today, last night I went swimming to the spa nearby... The water was very warm and I felt great. I really enjoy a little swim. As far as I can remember, this is the very first time I ever swam at 1 o'clock in the morning.

Besides that, it is quite nice to have the entire pool just for yourself.... :)

Bucharest in photos

2011-08-07T21:11:00.000+03:00

I love the colour of that sky.

Bucharest in photos

2011-08-06T16:11:00.000+03:00

Ada Milea, celebrating her 36th anniversary, yesterday, at Muzeul Ţăranului Român, in Bucharest. It was an amazing concert.

Happy birthday, Ada. And - off the record - you are not, nor cannot ever be, old.

On the Oslo events

2011-07-25T23:15:00.000+03:00

You know, this summer I intended to visit Norway. I still do, and even more now. It's not going to realize this year, but it is a personal project I cherish. I deeply admire that country and I wish Romania was more like it. On a really personal note, I like it when Romanian and Norwegian handball teams meet.

What happened there on Friday punched me just like a fist thrown straight up to my face. Some lonely right extremist killed about one hundred people. I sort of feel embarrassed for that, I am a rightist myself, but not an extremist and I am not gonna kill anybody because of my political views. You cannot create life, than why take it from others? This, I cannot understand and accept. This is illogical, and bad. As far as I can explain, and as far as I understand, the inspiration for these acts came from the Unabomber.

My deepest condolences to Norway and its people. It is a shame that things like this may occur.

For more info in English about current events in Norway, you can go to www.newsinenglish.no

Personal

2011-07-14T20:01:00.002+03:00

It is over.

My heart is broken.

I do not know when I will start posting again. It will definitely happen sometimes, the sooner the better.

I need a long break, to set things straight, inside.

With love,

PS. Oh, and a song to go with my state.

Personal

2011-06-25T13:43:00.000+03:00

This is the first post in a very long time.

You should know, my friends, that this absence was not planned - and by the way - I do not know when the next post will be. I just know there will be a next post.

My life just took an important, yet unexpected turn, time became short and some things had to be taken care of without delay - like, my house.

I had also a lot of thinking to do about my life and about what should I do in the not-so-distant future. I am deeply fallen in love and it completely changes me, and changes my perspectives.

As soon as possible, and as soon as I'll get a little time, I'll be back with more beautiful pictures from beautiful Bucharest.

With love,

Romania in photos

2011-05-18T00:01:00.000+03:00

2011-05-06T20:42:00.000+03:00

More glasses.

I'd like to write more, but time is short. One thing: every single day - within the last two weeks - I carried my Kindle DX in the underground, with me, and I opened it every day. So far, I'm simply delighted by it.

I also noted one thing: I was NEVER the only person reading in the underground wagon. So there is, still, hope.

Tomorrow, I'll try to say a few words about a Romanian legislative initiative, made public today. A initiative I consider, in very few words, very dangerous.

Kindle your mind.

Romania in photos

2011-05-03T22:41:00.000+03:00

Spring.

Picture taken in Cornu, 60 miles north of Bucharest.

Kindle your mind.

Romania in photos

2011-05-02T23:55:00.000+03:00

Spring.

Picture taken on Saturday, at Cornu. Prahova county, 95 kilometers north of Bucharest.

Kindle your mind.

My new friend

In Bucharest, lots of small passages like this often connect very different worlds.

Kindle your mind,

Romania in photos

2011-04-16T00:24:00.000+03:00

A poetry comes to my mind. It is a simple one, a poetry for children actually, written by Grigore Vieru. I guess it could be translated to English, but its charm would be wasted, so I prefer to post the Romanian original text:

Puişorii

- Pui golaşi cum staţi în cuib voi

Fără plăpumioare?!

- Ne-nvelim cu ale mamei

Calde aripioare!

- Dar când mama nu-i acasă

Şi ploiţa cerne?

- Ne-nvelim atunci cu frunza

Ramurii materne.

- Dacă n-o să vină mama

Şi-o să cadă frunza?

- Cum nu o să vină mama?

Cum să cadă frunza?!

I'll go to the theater on Monday. One of my friends is a good actress, she got a part in this play, she invited me and I said I would go. I bought a ticket in the first lines.

I bought my Kindle DX today. It should be in my hands within four days. I am nuts - with accessories and taxes, the whole shebang will be way over 500 $. Cultural investment, huh. Or should I say intellectual?

This is the 400th published post of this blog. Promising more to come, and hopefully better.

Photo of the day : the mist.

Kindle your mind.

With love,

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-04-13T20:01:00.001+03:00

The 90-meters-tall Intercontinental Hotel as seen from the Lipscani street.

It was one of the first skyscrapers in Bucharest, the building - with 26 floors - being inaugurated in 1971. Skyscrapers were not compatible with a communist society, such as the Romanian society of the time, and so this was the tallest building in Romania until 2004.

Although a 5* hotel, there is only one reason good enough to convince me to visit this building: the extraordinary views of the central Bucharest it should offer.

I presume, this was the reason behind the location in the first place.

PS. I watch a lot of science-fiction movies lately. It is not that I like the genre particularly (although my favorite movie ever, Solyaris, is a SF movie, I do not like it because of its genre, but because of its message), it is rather the fact that, lately, I feel more the need to think outside the box, than before. This is not about things around me, this is about myself.

Kindle your mind.

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-04-12T21:58:00.000+03:00

Columns and graffiti. On Calea Victoriei.

Kindle your mind.

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-04-11T23:01:00.000+03:00

Kindle your mind.

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-04-10T23:15:00.000+03:00

Yellow cabs.

Kindle your mind.

Bucharest in photos. The city by night

2011-04-08T23:58:00.000+03:00

Back to the city, as promised.

Picture taken this night.

Kindle your mind.

Romania in photos

2011-04-07T23:11:00.000+03:00

This picture was taken at Râmeţ, in the Sibiu county, some 4 hours driving distance from Bucharest, on Sunday afternoon.

Tomorrow we'll be back in Bucharest. The blog starts missing the city it represents.

With love,

Kindle your mind.

Romania in photos

2011-04-06T23:59:00.001+03:00

This is the monument church in Aiud.

It is a monument to those who perished during the Communist period in the Aiud prison. Too bad many Romanians do not know anything about the whole story.

In short: the prison of Aiud was a political prison, used especially in the period from 1947 to 1964 AD. The convicts were members of the Romanian elite, but also normal people fighting the dictatorship. To name but a few victims : Vasile Voiculescu (writer), Mircea Vulcanescu (philosopher), Nichifor Crainic (philosopher), Radu Gyr (poet); well-known members of the clergy, like Dumitru Staniloae, Constantin Galeriu, Arsenie Papacioc or Dimitrie Bejan, but also 240 high rank officers of the Romanian Royal Army.

Many of them were condemned because of their affiliation with a extreme-right movement - but that was a pretext, the real reason was that the new power wanted no competition in ruling Romania.

The monument was raised in 2000 AD. The seven twin-crosses at the base symbolize the unity in suffering of the victims, while the cross on top symbolizes the cross of their nation, Romania, the cross they carried.

Other two political prisons that come to my mind now are those of Sighet and Pitesti - all part of the Romanian GULAG.

In the end, I want to make clear that we, Romanians, are to be blamed because we neglect this part of our history. By ignoring our memory, we rightfully deserve our recent past - and our present.

Kindle your mind.

Romania in photos

2011-04-05T21:04:00.000+03:00

These are some of the pictures I managed to take in one afternoon and one morning, basically, in the city of Cluj Napoca.

It is a city I love, but a city I do not consider my home (unlike Bucharest, Bistrita and Timisoara).

Last time I've been there was June 2007 and it was my birthday. And I was together with the person I loved. Before that, I've been once in 2005, countless times at the beginning of the 90s, and one time in July 1980, when I was only six weeks old and when a doctor had saved my life in this very city.

This time, there were places I had not the time to visit, like the Botanical Garden - which is superb - and others. But I'll go again to Cluj next month, for a week, and I hope I'll have the time to do some more visiting.

The pictures were taken somehow in a hurry, but I guess you can observe that in Cluj there are quite a few statues, some numbers of Romanian flags, nice buildings in Central European style (including cathedrals), the river Somes, and - what you cannot see - a breathable air.

But also a lot of nice pubs with decent service and nice people - unfortunately, this is not yet always the case in Bucharest. I spent my night in the 4 star hotel Napoca, lovely situated on the bank of the river Somes and just refurbished, but I must warn you the price is very high, a double room is charged approximately 350 RON (about 85 euros) per night, besides some small inconveniences, and I guess there must be plenty other more affordable places right in the center. Given the lack of time, I could not take quite a proper look at the people, putting aside the obvious fact that there are a lot of students in Cluj.

I noticed a new stadium is being built. I was angry when I discovered I've forgotten my tripod, so the night pictures might have been better.

In the end, my invitation to you is that, if you have the time and the opportunity, you should pay a visit to this city - but don't do it like me, in a hurry. In my view, a visit is definitely worth it.

Kindle your mind.

Romania in photos

2011-04-04T21:16:00.000+03:00

This photo was taken in Cluj, yesterday.

This is the river Someş, and the rising sun at 8.30 am.

I'll write more about the city in my next post. I enjoyed re-visiting it, after almost four years.

Kindle your mind.

Bucharest in photos

2011-04-01T23:55:00.000+03:00

Over the week-end I'll be off to Transylvania. I'll spend 2 days in Cluj.

I haven't decided yet which city - out of Cluj or Brasov - is the Romanian city with the highest life standings. I guess Cluj wins, but Brasov comes really close. And I love both of them, but, to be honest, none such as Bucharest.

If you'd ask me, the capital of Romania should be moved to either Brasov, Sibiu or Alba Iulia. I find it only natural to have the capital of one country located in its center, in its heart, while Bucharest is situated much in the south of the country.

It is unnatural that Timisoara - an important city located at the western border - is closer to Vienna, the capital of Austria, than Bucharest, the capital city of its own country. It is also unnatural that Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is closer to the Romanian capital than Cluj, a Romanian city.

The fact of being the capital of a country such as Romania is definitely a burden for Bucharest. Many Romanians live in this city, but do not consider it their home and do not respect it - with all the dramatic consequences following.

Kindle you mind.

Romania in photos

2011-03-29T23:53:00.000+03:00

The city.

Râşnov, Braşov county, Romania.

Kindle your mind.

PS. I am tired. And I told you so. Forgive for my inactivity during the weekend past. I was - and I am - good for nothing these days.

Romania in photos

2011-03-28T22:12:00.000+03:00

I like forrests.

Kindle your mind.

Romania in photos

2011-03-25T23:38:00.000+02:00

Râşnov - Braşov county.

Kindle your mind.

A few words about Romanian politics

2011-03-23T21:06:00.000+02:00

There is one question I have on my mind today - and guys, I hope you will forgive me if I write again about Romania and about politics at the same time.

The question is this : is Romania similar to its political class ? Do Romanians deserve the politicians who represent them ?

The latest event leading me to this question is the recent bribery scandal in the EU Parliament. One Romanian member of the European parliament, the social-democrat Adrian Severin, was filmed while demanding a bribe to some British journalists. The bribe, of course, was not demanded as such by the deputy in question, it was demanded as "consultancy services", and an invoice of 12,000 euros was issued.

Many people in Romania discussed a lot about the fact that Adrian Severin is one of the most important members of the Social-Democrat Party and one of its main ideologues. That is not completely irrelevant, indeed, but the most relevant fact to me is that Adrian Severin, member of the European Parliament and leader of the Social-Democrat Party in Romania, former Foreign Affairs minister and a recent candidate for a post of European Commissar, started his public career as member of the Communist Party and professor at the Romanian Communist Party Academy, in the 80s. He was a member of the nomenklatura, but it is important to understand he was not a member of any nomenklatura, he was a member of the ideological nomenklatura, he was one of the persons responsible with the ideology.

This distinction is very important: there were two millions of members of the Romanian Communist Party, but there were only a few thousands privileged guys of the -in Orwellian terms - Interior Party. And only a few dozens of them were teaching the rest the ideology.

Until recently, I did not consider this fact very important, but I discovered a few years ago that some professors at the faculty where I studied for my post-graduate studies had had something to do with the Party Academy and that most of them had been obviously involved with the Communist Intelligence Service. I also discovered they were clever - and I mean, really clever - and that they did not like to talk about the communist period and about their personal involvement with the ideology of the regime. My recent surprise was to discover that there is an extended ideological literature produced by these persons during the '70s and the '80s. And the conclusion: most of the members of the Communist ideological nomenklatura did very well after the fall of official Communism - and Adrian Severin is but one of them. The others are still there. Many of them had to do with the politics and one of them was exposed in Bruxelles during the last week. Were this to happen in Romania, it would have been forgotten as soon as possible.

So, you see, de-Communization as a organized system of sanity of mind never existed in Romania after 1989 and portions of evil still exist now. Which makes de-Communization still necessary today, just as it ever was.

I was tempted to say until recently Romanians deserve their political class. And perhaps I said it; perhaps sometime I'll say it again, when I'll be really angry and concerned.

But to say this thing would only excuse the members of the Interior Party, recycled, disguised into democrat politicians, business-men or intellectuals. This would only make their game - which consist of transforming the entire Romanian society into their accomplice and, at the same time, into their victim.

Thus I cannot do that. I am not their accomplice, and I don't want to become their victim either. No, Romania is not similar to its political class. No, Romanians do not deserve this kind of politicians. I confess: I could not keep my mouth shut this time anymore.

2011-03-19T23:57:00.000+02:00

A wave of snow.

Romania in photos

2011-03-18T23:35:00.000+02:00

View on the city of Râşnov.

Taken from the stronghold.

Kindle your mind.

Romania in photos

2011-03-17T23:25:00.000+02:00

Râşnov, in the Braşov county, some 200 kilometers north of Bucharest. And a creepy guard at the gates :)

Picture taken in February 2011. Many others from this (wonderful) place are still to come.

Kindle your mind.

Bucharest in photos

2011-03-16T20:01:00.000+02:00

Everything is blue.

And btw, the picture was not altered in any way.

Taken : December 2010, in a club in Bucharest.

Kindle your mind.

Romania in photos

2011-03-15T23:52:00.000+02:00

Predeal - february 2011.

Romania in photos

2011-03-14T20:55:00.000+02:00

I am back, for the moment. I do not know how long this moment will be, as my schedule is still very rough. So I'll try to enjoy it as much as possible. I hope you will, too, my friends - and I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all the messages received during this break.

During these 40 blogless days I spent a lot of time in Bucharest and some days in the mountains. Plus, my last week was spent in Transylvania. The happy part is that I will go again in Transylvania three weeks from now. The less happy and worrying part is that I am still tired and this is definitely not gonna change in the predictable future.

As I came back to the city I found out about the earthquake in Japan. And I want to express my admiration for how, generally, the people of this country overcame this unthinkable situation. I hope my good friend Tomi, in Tokyo, is fine. Even if the death toll will probably overcome 10,000 human casualties (by far, much less than in any other country I can think of), the way the Japanese handled this natural tragedy is nothing short than impressive.

A few words about the photo below: it was taken last month some 80 miles north from Bucharest, in a lovely place called Cornu, in the Prahova county.

And I must confess the beauty of Romania is absolutely amazing. In order to make it accessible, you must get over the very visible civilization defects, though.

My latest motto:

Kindle your mind.

And reading became, lately and again, my second nature.

With love,

2011-02-07T23:15:00.000+02:00

I'm tired, empty and taking a blog break.

I don't know if it's going to take days, weeks or months.

I'll be back as soon as I solve some personal issues - they are quite a few, lately.

With love,

Bucharest in photos

2011-02-04T22:51:00.000+02:00

Bucharest in photos

2011-02-03T23:13:00.000+02:00

Bucharest in photos

2011-02-02T23:39:00.000+02:00

Bucharest in photos

2011-02-01T23:12:00.000+02:00

The island.

Bucharest in photos

2011-01-31T23:01:00.000+02:00

I love this image.