lost in words, sights and people

farewell

2010-02-01T21:23:00.003+02:00

My dear readers!

As with everything in life, my blog suffered changes. To be more exact, I will move my creations to my very own, personal website: http://www.fiy3ro.com/

Thank you all for reading my ramblings, thank you for posting comments, and I will be more than happy to know you will follow my path on the new site.

If you choose not to, there will be no hard feelings.

Thank you once again for being by my side!

Love you all!

the mirror never lies - part 5

2010-01-22T23:18:00.008+02:00

'You see, you are part of an ancient story and now that I have my two players, I will be able to finally be free of this body and revel in my immortality'
'Two players?' Deanna asked confused.
'Yes, you and Lucas'.'You see, long ago there were two lovers, Adrian and Ramona. They both were skilled in the arts of magic, but decided to live their lives as mere mortals. They protected their land and its people and peace ruled. However, there was a great power, a sorceress by the name of Alana. Although she was powerful, she craved the power the lovers had and fought them. It seemed her wish of power was about to be fulfilled, but Adrian and Ramona made the ultimate sacrifice. In order to destroy the sorceress, they released their souls, thus ending their lives, but the power of their souls and purity of their love was enough to bind the sorceress' powers, cursed to live among mortals, frozen in time, not being able to die. The souls of Adrian and Ramona could not move on, so instead they reincarnated, sensing the approach of the sorceress once again. Those people who they reincarnated to are you and Lucas. Two people born into families with special abilities.'
'So that means...'Deanna said weakly, 'the dreams I had...'
'Yes, they were glimpses of your past life, and I had to send them so you would find your way here, to Lucas and the mirror. The mirror is a conduit of power, a gateway between the material and spiritual realm. I need your souls to be banished to the spirit realm, so I could be free' said Ana/Alana as she came closer to Deanna, her eyes glowing a bright red.
'STOP' came a strong voice from where Ana stood not too long ago. In the doorway was Lucas.
'How sweet' said Ana mockingly, 'the knight in shining armor has come to the rescue'.
'Get away from her Alana' said Lucas.
'So, you know who I am. How charming!'
'Yes, I do, I know the real you, and I also know who we are. We swore we will protect the world from you and so we will. Your cheap tricks will not work on us anymore'."Speak for yourself" thought Deanna, thinking back on the sleepless nights she had due to the nightmares. Oddly, since Lucas showed up, she felt a latent power awakening inside her and felt more confident.
'OK then', said Alana triumphantly, 'let's finish this quickly, so I can enjoy my victory as soon as possible'.

Lucas came to Deanna's side and prepared for the ultimate battle. The sky turned suddenly black and lightnings started crackling in the background, followed by thunders.Nature itself was ready to assist in the fight. Alana released a streak of black energy towards them, but it bounced of the shield conjured by Lucas. Each side launched spells at each other, releasing elemental powers of fire, water and air. In the end though, when it seemed Alana was gaining the upper hand, Deanna recited a spell. She didn't know how she knew it, but it gave her a strong sense of power. When she finished casting the spell, she joined hands with Lucas and at that moment the frame of the mirror started glowing. The symbols detached themselves from it and surrounded Alana, whose body starting quivering. She gave out a loud shriek and was absorbed in the mirror, bound for eternity. The symbols took their place on the frame once more, and the mirror glowed for the final time. Remembering her dream, Deanna touched the mirror and it cracked. Lucas touched it as well, and the surface broke into tiny pieces.
'There', he said,'now she won't be able to get away!'
They looked at each other, not needing words to communicate. The sky cleared as fast as it turned black, revealing the sun which bathed them in golden light.

The next day, Deanna and Marina, who suffered no injuries, just a potion-induced deep sleep, were headed towards the pier. The ferry was already waiting for them.
'Had a good vacation, my ladies?' asked the captain merrily.
'Yes thank you, although we are anxious to go home' said Marina, sounding sincere. She was a bit shaken up, even though she didn't participate in the fight.
The ferry's engine started and slowly left the island behind. Deanna was sitting by the rail, her mind playing the past events over and over again. Lucas remained behind to look after the house, feeling responsible for it now that Ana was gone. He also said he felt more grounded there, and didn't wish to experience the city life just yet.
'Are you alright?' asked her mom.
'Perfect' she answered, feeling more confident in her powers.
'Next time when I suggest a vacation to an island, talk me out of it, please', said Marina.
'Oh, I don't know, it all feels like an adventure now, mom' replied Deanna, smiling. And besides, she had a very good reason to return to the island. Soon!

The end

the mirror never lies - part 4

2010-01-22T23:16:00.003+02:00

This time she wasn't running in the forest, but in a desert.'The sands of Time' she heard someone say, but didn't dare turn. She ran and ran just like in her previous dreams, but the sand made it more difficult. The sinister laugh that haunted her was ringing in her ear again and she found no place to escape.In a flash she made a choice. Stopped abruptly and turned.
'Who are you?' she asked, with what she hoped courage in her voice.
'You already know, Ramona' said the evil voice.
'Why are you calling me Ramona?', but the question was not answered, but met by the same sinister laugh. Confused, she looked around and there, on top of a dune was the black mirror again. She headed in its direction and approaching it, saw the same man, with outstretched hand, whispering 'Help me'. A loud crash and a flashing light startled her. She felt raindrops on her cheeks and when she woke up she was amazed to find herself standing in front on the house, and the rain was pouring."I must have sleep-walked" she thought, once again bewildered as she never sleep-walked before.

The next morning, she headed to the dining hall for breakfast. Her mother was already there and upon entering, asked her 'Did you get some sleep?'...Deanna pondered whether to tell her mother about the new dream and the sleepwalking, but decided against it."There is no need to worry her just yet, she's on vacation too". Suddenly the front door closed with a loud bang and a strong, deep voice said 'I'm all done, boss'. The women turned, and when Deanna saw the figure, she froze. It was the man in her dreams. He had green eyes, his hair was shorter than in her dreams, his built was muscular. He was wearing faded jeans, a black t-shirt and boots.
'Oh, Deanna, Marina' said Ana,'meet Lucas, he is our handy man and gardener'.
'Pleased to meet you ladies' said Lucas, kissing each customers' hand. The moment he touched Deanna, an electric jolt crossed her body.Her mind was invaded with images as from a distant and past life: a girl who looked exactly like her, and Lucas, only this time the Lucas from her dreams, locked in a tight, desperate embrace, knowing it would be their last one. Lucas looked at her for a long moment, as if trying to tell her something through his gaze.'I just came in to tell you the roses are taken care of, boss' said Lucas as he turned to Ana.'What's next?''For the time being nothing, so you can take some time off' told him the manager. After he left, Deanna decided to enjoy the morning sun and take a look around the hotel. As the storm passed, the air felt fresh, everything looked untouched, but the sea was a bit restless, crashing its ways into the cliffs. Wandering around, Deanna found a forest in the distance, and decided to explore. As she got nearer and nearer, she felt the same unease as the previous night when the thunder was heard. Continuing her walk in the forest, she realized..."this is the forest from my dreams" and her heart leapt. Feeling closer to unraveling the mystery, went on, but found nothing.

When she returned to the mansion, there was no one to be found. She called for her mom, but found no answer."Maybe she did some exploring on her own" she thought, but that nagging feeling in her mind and heart would not ease up and lead her upstairs, towards the west wing of the house, a part which was off limits as Ana told her...'we are doing some renovation as the house is falling apart, being old as it is, and the work started on the west wing'. Still, her intuition told her things were not as they seemed. Stepping carefully on the old creaking floor, she saw a soft light coming from the end of the corridor.When she reached it, she saw that the source of the light was coming from the window of a large room. The room was empty, no furniture, but on the wall next to the window stood...the black mirror. She couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't understand how it got there.
'I thought I mentioned this room was off limits' a soft voice came from behind. Turning, she saw Ana standing in the doorway, but she didn't have that sweet demeanor as before, she looked rather...frightening.
'Sorry' said Deanna 'I'll be on my way, I didn't mean to intrude'.
'I'm afraid that is no longer possible' said Ana, her voice cold as steel now. 'You see, I went to great lengths to get you here on the island, and now that you are here, there is no escape'.
'Where is my mother?' asked the girl, fear gripping her throat.
'Oh, your mother is fine, but I'm afraid she won't be able to join us just now. Her morning tea was a little bit...strong' said Ana, and smiled cruelly.
'What do you want from me?'
'Your soul' came the simple answer.

- to be continued-

the mirror never lies - part 3

2010-01-22T19:50:00.003+02:00

Several days later, Deanna and Marina arrived to Mirror Island. The trip wasn't entirely unpleasant, but Deanna's fear of flight added a slight discomfort. The flight lasted for only 2 hours but she was glad her feet touched solid ground. Not for long though, as they needed to take a ferry to the fairly remote island; the sea was calm, its gentle waves hitting the sides of the ferry, the seagulls were screaming in the distance.

'Isn't this lovely, my dear?' asked Marina. 'The sea always relaxes me.'

'Yes, there's almost something primal about it' responded Deanna, feeling at peace.

'The weather seems to be changing, my ladies' called out the captain pointing at a distant spot on the horizon. The edge of the crystal blue sky was darkening and suddenly Deanna's sense of peace started to crumble. This was not a good omen.

Reaching the island, they headed off to the tasteful hotel located close to the beach, on a hill. It was an imposing mansion-type building, with wide windows, a large lawn in the front of it, all of it expressing a past wealth. Inside everything was in good taste. Large paintings were covering the walls, the drapes were of heavy, thick fabric, dark-blue, the furniture was hand carved. 'Welcome to Oak Manor' said the kind, elderly lady at the front desk. 'I am Ana, the manager. I hope your trip was safe. It seems you are the only guests at the moment, but during the weekend we expect more company' she told them, sounding almost apologetic. 'But, since you are the only guests, we made sure you get the best rooms, the view of the sea is spectacular'. As she handed them the keys she went on 'dinner is served at 7 pm so until then feel free to rest'. The ladies departed for their respective rooms, and upon reaching them it dawned on them just how tiring this trip was. Deanna's room was, in lack of other words, perfect. It was spacious, with a king sized four poster bed, with sheets so delicate it looked like they were going to melt any second, the windows were indeed huge, from the floor to the ceiling, and presented a splendid view of the sea. The closet was a lot larger than the one she owned. The bathroom was like a dream come true. The shower area alone was so big you could have thrown a full party in it. All in all, she felt like a princess in this space. She did a twirl in the center of the room, feeling her heart lighten in a long time.'This is going to be an amazing vacation' said to no one in particular. Unpacking, she decided a short nap was in order, to ease the tiredness that wrapped itself around her whole being.

When she woke up she felt refreshed, and after a well-deserved shower she noticed it was time to head down to dinner. Since they were the only guests there was no need to dress up. She settled for a long white dress, simple yet elegant and comfortable. As she entered the hallway, her mother met her. Marina opted for an aqua-blue dress that brought out her beautiful blue eyes and long blonde hair. 'Shall we?' she asked with a glint in her eyes.

The dinner hall was spacious and decorated in the same good taste as the rest of the house. Dinner was served as soon as they sat down and it was delicious. While they talked, they could hear the distant rumble of thunder, announcing the upcoming storm. Following the thunder a lightning bolt appeared and at the same time Deanna felt a chill run down her spine, fear gripping her heart. 'Are you alright?' asked Marina in a concerned voice. 'I'm fine' answered Deanna, although not too convincing. 'I think I need to lay down a little' and she excused herself from the table. Reaching her room, she changed into her sleeping attire and let the soft bed claim her, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, despite her afternoon nap. And that's when the nightmare started, while the storm was rapidly approaching the island.

- to be continued -

the mirror never lies - part 2

2010-01-14T23:30:00.001+02:00

'Deanna, this is a surprise' stated her mother. 'It's been a while'.

'I know', said the girl, feeling a pang of guilt. The relationship with her mother was not always what you would call "normal" by any standards. There were just some things in which they didn't see eye to eye. 'How are you?', she asked, taking a stab at an everyday conversation.

'I am trying to be better', answered Marina, 'you know, taking care of this and that and sometimes wondering why my only daughter doesn't call once in a while'.

'Sorry Mom, have been busy lately'..."if you could call being a librarian, busy" she thought to herself.

It was a job she loved, and being fond of books ever since she could remember helped a lot reaching this career path. She didn't know how to slip the recurring dreams into conversation, so instead she listened to her mom's ramblings about her old friends, and crazy ideas. While doing so, she glanced in the mirror above the telephone. A young woman stared back. Her long, raven black hair glowed in the morning's sunshine, and the emerald green eyes looked troubled, encasing the remnants of last night's dream.

'You know', said Marina, 'I've just had a crazy thought'. Deanna was accustomed to her mother's crazy thoughts so she braced herself. 'Why don't you and I go on a trip? I saw this ad the other day about a charming little place called Mirror Island...'. "How appropriate" thought Deanna, considering the object of her dreams. 'So what do you say?' finally asked Marina.

'I don't know, Mother, I'm not sure I can'. 'I understand', said Marina, sadness and disappointment lacing her voice, 'I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to spend time together. But enough about this, tell me about these dreams that trouble you'.

Deanna didn't even pretend to be shocked. Her mother, like herself, possessed special abilities. All the women, and some men in their family had them. Growing up, Deanna realized there was no point in lying to her mother, as she always found out what was going on, no matter what. She never liked being 'special' but soon realized there was nothing she could do to be otherwise.

'Well, it all started a month ago and it's been evolving ever since, and to tell the truth I don't know what they mean. It feels like I'm on a path to find out the truth about something, but I don't know what about', confessed Deanna, frustration creeping lightly into her voice.

'My dear', said Marina, switching into wise-mode. 'These dreams come to you for a reason, and the key to solving them lies within you'.

'Great', replied Deanna, 'instead of getting an answer, I get another mystery'.

'You know how our way works' said Marina sternly, as if talking to a five-year old who just got caught stealing a cookie from the jar.

'Yes Mother, I know, but that doesn't make it any easier. My nights are terrible, I'm truly afraid of going to sleep and the evil laughter haunts me even during the day'.

'I can only give you an advice' Marina offered. 'You need to look behind the mirror, take note of everything around you: sounds, images, feelings. The key is in the little things'.

Deanna sighed. She knew her mother was right, and even though the topic of the conversation was less than thrilling, it was great to hear her mom's voice again. She did feel bad about not spending enough time with her, considering all the special ties that bind them together, and she knew just how to make it up to her..."and my conscience" she thought sheepishly.

'On second thought Mom, I think the trip idea is great. We should do it. I really need a vacation, and who knows, I might even get a good night's sleep'.

But that was not the case. It seems that Mirror Island is expecting its guests with more than its beauty.

- to be continued -

the mirror never lies - part 1

2010-01-11T22:26:00.005+02:00

The fog was everywhere, surrounding all in a cold, clammy white blanket. Wisps of smoke and clouds created an eerie scene to the already desolate forest. The trees were tired, without leaves, their ghostly branches moving silently as if avoiding the air and one another. In the deafening silence footsteps could be heard. They were quick as someone was running. The young woman ran as fast as she could, her heart beating like a hammer in her chest. She didn't know what was following her, but the instinct of escape was too powerful to ignore. Her white shirt was wet from her sweat and stuck to her thin body like a second skin.

When she felt she couldn't run anymore, the forest opened in a clearing. The sunlight did not manage to penetrate the thick fog so everything was a dull grey. As her heart started to calm down, she could hear soft noises, as if water was dripping. Following the sound, she saw a mirror, located in the center of the clearing. It looked ancient. It was black, made of what looked like carved marble, with engravings on the side, though she couldn't understand the symbols. Approaching the mirror an image appeared, but was surprised to find it wasn't her reflection. It showed a cliff above a foamy sea, with a grey sky just like the one above the forest. On that cliff, a man was standing in the grass, looking at her. He was about her age, with piercing green eyes, long brown hair moving in the wind, and dressed in black clothes. He came closer and closer and reached out to her, whispering "Ramona!". She reached for him as well, and when she touched the cold surface of the mirror a cruel laugh pierced the air. Turning around, she saw the fog has disappeared. The sky has turned ink-black and the moon has risen. What she saw made her gasp. The moon was red. Panic seemed to settle on the young girl's heart once again. When she turned to the mirror, the man has disappeared and where their fingers almost touched, a crystal-clear crack appeared, spreading like a spider's web, and in a flash the mirror fell to pieces. The laugh could be heard once again, this time much nearer. Where the mirror was, a figure now stood. The cold, evil laugh came from the creature in front of her. She felt fear, pain and anger, all at one. "YOU!!!" said accusingly.

At that moment Deanna woke up, startled. The same dream again. It has been haunting her for the past month now, and each night the dream evolved. At first she dreamt the forest and heard the sinister laughter like an echo. But now she discovered its source. Looking out the window, she saw it was almost dawn. The apartment was cold and her t-shirt was soaking wet. Since she couldn't go back to sleep, for fear of continuing the dream, she crossed her tiny bedroom and headed for the kitchen to prepare some herbal tea. A soft meow let her know she was not alone. Her cat, Peppermint, came graciously at her feet.
'Hey Minty, have trouble sleeping? Want some herbal tea?' and she chuckled at the cat's curious look.
'OK, how about some warm milk then?' This time her question was answered by a meow which could only mean 'yes, please'.

She heated some milk and let her pet delight herself, while she enjoyed a steaming cup of tea.

Feeling somewhat relaxed, she decided to take a walk, since the sun began to release its first rays over mankind. Walking down the narrow streets she remembered her recurring dream and several questions invaded her mind: 'was does it all mean? why was she running? who is the man in the mirror? why did he call her Ramona? and who was the creature with the cold laugh and why was he following her?'. She wanted some answers and knew just who to ask.

Getting home, she went to the phone and dialed the numbers. On the second ring, somebody picked up.

'Hi Mom!'

- to be continued -

silent friends

2010-01-05T14:01:00.008+02:00

Ever since I was a kid I was a loner. Of course being an only child and painfully shy helped a lot in achieving this. While growing up I saw my parents read. A lot. One room in our apartment had a huge (when you're a kid everything is huge) bookcase, full of books. I didn't understand what it was all about, until I learned how to read. And that's when the miracle began.

It started with fairy tales (the classics - Hans Christian Andersen, brothers Grimm, Immortal fairy tales, 1001 Arabian nights), then I turned to Greek mythology (which I have read at least 5 times and know it by heart).

Books have always been a part of my life. Mind you, I was not an avid reader all the time. While in high-school, I was reading the novels we were studying either before or after learning about them - somehow being forced to read did not agree with me. It happened once, my grandma forced me to read 60 pages from the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn - to this day I haven't read it.

After high-school I discovered English literature. My first ever English book was "Little women" by Louisa May Alcott. I loved the cartoons, so I said I'll give it a go. The book is amazing - I know, it's not something a regular guy would read, but then again, I'm not a regular guy. That book opened a whole new world for me. I loved English since the 4th grade, and I felt that what they taught us in school was not enough. So, thanks to our city's library I was able to read a lot.

When I went to the US I bought a lot of books. They are my obsession. When I went the second time, my mom pleaded not to buy anymore (since they are heavy, etc etc). In 2004 I became a Harry Potter fan. Before that I just couldn't comprehend all the commotion about this child-wizard, so going to Wal-Mart one night, I saw the first book and bought it on a whim. Reading it, I got more and more excited about what would happen next. Needless to say, I bought the other books as well. When the last book came out, it was already pre-ordered through amazon, and upon receiving it, read it in 14 hours.

My taste in books is varied. I enjoy reading fairy tales as much as reading novels by Garcia Marquez. The pages of a book make me forget about the world around me (up to the point that I almost missed my bus stop reading Twilight), with each word I travel alongside the characters (through the Alps with Heidi, through Vatican with Robert Langdon, through the desert with Wanda, etc), I discover new emotions and views of the world we live in.

I made it my point to buy at least one book no matter where I go, but it has to be in English. Kind of snobish of me, but there you go. Since I travel quite often, a good book is a must in my bag - I even have a book in my everyday backpack and read on the bus if I have to, and you should see the looks I get. I decided to take this to the next step, and got the Harry Potter audio books. So now, I enjoy a leisurely stroll around the city while listening to the book. Nothing compares to that. 

Doing a head-count on books in my library, I've got almost to 200. And I'm sure there will be more.
And as a last thought - I love books so much, that I'm getting a tattoo of one this summer. Kind of crazy, but I'm sure I will never tire of it, and as long as my eyes will allow it, I will keep on reading! 

Books are my friends - they don't judge you, they don't fight, they are accepting and love you for who you are!

40

2010-01-04T15:55:00.003+02:00

I will not talk about the desire of being 40, rather than the experience that enabled me to reach my 40th flight. This time the destination was Germany. My best friend moved out there a couple of years ago with his wife and beautiful baby girl and they've been nagging me about visiting them. So in the end I thought I'll go through the "sacrifice". I booked the plane ticket and 2 days before New Years I was on my way to Munich. At the airport I had to wait 4 hours until I was ready to board (thanks to dad's idea of going "early" as the roads were not quite safe due to the snow - well, the roads were safe and there I was, getting bored out of my skull). After going through security, I was looking for a socket to plug my computer into - no such luck. And since I didn't bring a book with me (fatal mistake, but I was listening to my mom - never again on this topic) the boredom was even more powerful. The flight was uneventful, the food delicious, the magazines entertaining (for about 30 minutes - that's how long it took me to read both of them) and finally I reached the destination - Munich.

Chris and his little family were waiting for me - something I was really glad for. We were on our merry way towards their town in the mountains - Oberstaufen. It's a quaint little town, more of a ski-resort type town, but nonetheless very charming. We got to lay down the plans on where I wanted to go. They live very close to Austria, Lichtenstein and Switzerland, so I opted for those destinations. The next day we visited the absolutely gorgeous castle of Neuschwanstein. It is like a fairy-tale castle and I've read it served as inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland. The castle is breathtaking and near it there is a bridge that is also breathtaking (not in a good way - boy did I have issues crossing that damn thing, me having a fear of heights and all). The really weird-as-in-lucky moment came when I bought some souvenirs. The amount of them was 20 euros and when I paid, I gave the guy a 20 euro bill. After they wrapped the gifts, the cashier hands me 30 euros back (he thought I gave him 50), so the souvenirs were for free and got some more money - talk about lucky *smug smile*. After the whole trip we were very tired so we went home. The next day was New Years Eve day, and Chris brought me to a waterpark. I loved every minute of it. As soon as we got in, the scent of chlorine hit me full force and my brain brought me back to the Bay of Dreams (indoor waterpark at Mount Olympus in Wisconsin). After 2 hours of frolicking around (went down tube slides, body slides, almost-free-fall-rides - Chris offered to pay me to go on one, which I did so he paid up) we left, picked up the girls and went shopping for the NY feast. The swimming took it out of us so I had to take a nap, which turned into a full-on 2 hour "nap". We watched a cartoon ("The emperor's new groove" - for role-playing of course as we know it by heart) then several minutes before midnight we left the house to go to the hospital (not as casualties but the hospital is located on the highest point of the city and the view of fireworks was the best from there). It was really great, I even made a wish (well, two wishes) on the full moon - they said that if you make a wish on a full moon at midnight between the years, the wish will come true *keeping fingers crossed*.

The fireworks were amazing, the champagne really good and around 3 a.m the Sandman claimed his prize and went to bed. The 1st of January was a day for relaxing (or so I thought). Chris insisted on dragging us on a rainy day to the town of Lindau. And I have to give him credit, it was really nice - narrow streets, cool little shops, lovely town square, colorful buildings. And what can make this day perfect? a meal at McDonalds *evil grin*.

On the 2nd of January we headed on the big trip. It was snowing like crazy, the roads looked dangerous, but we were all safe. Getting to Lichtenstein on a very windy weather, we wandered around, shopped for souvenirs, taking pictures - basically being tourists. From Vaduz we headed towards Switzerland.

Now, I know a lot of people think this country is all that, and I couldn't agree more. The scenery was simply out of this world - small villages, large ski slopes, mountains covered with brilliant white snow and green trees - simply postcard material. We got to Rheinfal, a cool waterfall and done the touristy stuff again. This all ended around 7 p.m when we decided to call it a day and head home. On the road Chris and I did some soul-talking, the way we did when he was living here. Back home we watched a movie and then talked some more into the wee hours of the morning. My last morning in Germany found me at a waterpark again, this time a different one, smaller than the first with one slide, one swimming pool, lazy river and the main attraction - a round pool around 15 feet deep (4,5 m) and 2 diving boards 3 and 5 meters high. And being challenged, I jumped from the 3 m board - 3 times, and each time wondering what the Hell was I doing there. After the fun and games, we were on the road again, with a heavy heart(me). The security check went well, but again, no socket in the waiting lounge. The flight was normal, but my neighbor was not - she had her cell-phone turned on the whole time - seriously, was that really necessary? And that was officialy my 40th flight! A reason to celebrate.

The hard part of the trip was the road back home. It was snowing like nobody's business and there was an extra stress factor - mom. Reasoning that she would have gone mad staying at home waiting for us, she came with my dad to pick me up. No matter how much I told them about my german adventures, I'm sure that more than half was not heard, due to stress and anxiety (may I suggest Paxel?). But at 2 a.m we got home, ate and went to bed.

All in all, my trip to the land of ski and bratwurst was amazing. I had a really great time, saw amazing places, lived great moments, I laughed a lot, so now I can sit back and enjoy my post-trip depression. Until the next trip that is!

100 things about me

2010-01-01T02:23:00.014+02:00

I thought what better way to start the year than with a "100 things about me". I know it's not an original idea but hey, nobody's perfect. So, here goes!

1. I believe distance should not get in the way of friendship.
2. My favorite movies are: any Harry Potter, The sweetest thing, Sister act, Dirty Dancing.
3. I am not a fan of chocolate.
4. My favorite language is English.
5. My mother language is not English.
6. I speak fluently 3 languages and understand 3 more.
7. I love to read in English.
8. Hearing people chew gum and popping them drives me crazy.
9. My favorite books are: Harry Potter series, The Vampire Chronicles, the Twilight series, The Host.
10. My least favorite character in Twilight is Edward, my favorite one is Alice.
11. I own a Twilight t-shirt that says: "When you can live forever, what do you live for?"
12. I hate Tuesdays, but love Fridays.
13. I love highways.
14. My favorite type of food is spicy one.
15. For some time I had a crush on Hermione (Emma Watson that is), but my favorite character is Luna.
16. I wish I had received a letter to Hogwarts - luckily I discovered the books as an adult.

17. I wish I could live in a castle on a cliff, overlooking the sea.
18. I do believe in magic and in Santa Claus.
19. I own a set of tarot cards.
20. I don't believe in superstitions, religions or the church.
21. I strongly believe in God and I feel He's everywhere.

22. My favorite holiday is Christmas.

23. I know for a fact that I am not normal - normalcy is highly overrated.

24. I believe that being different is not necessarily a bad thing.

25. I hate it when people ask me the meaning of a word and I can't explain it to them, even though I know it.

26. I don't like Easter - I understand the religious symbolism but I don't regard it as a holiday.

27. I believe each of us has a personal Heaven and Hell.

28. I strongly believe that you have to try everything once.

29. I love to write.

30. Most of my stories represent my experiences.

31. Some of my stories started from a picture.

32. When I write I know the end, and built it towards the beginning.

33. I love to write ghost stories, or thrillers.

34. My next story is based on a dream I had.

35. I love to read and will read almost anything except sappy love stories or war-stories.

36. When I was little, I started talking first, then started walking.

37. My earliest memory is of a beating I received from my mom. And I deserved it. I would have beaten me.

38. When I started school, I loved it. It all changed in second grade.

39. When I started the university I wanted to be a pediatrician.
40. I chose laboratory medicine to avoid direct contact with patients.

41. My favorite subjects were: biochemistry, microbiology and neurology.

42. I miss going to school.

43. I hate rats.

44. I have a fear of roller-coasters, free fall rides and champagne-corks.

45. I am not ticklish.

46. I have a tattoo, and plan on getting another one.

47. I get carsick if I sit in the back.

48. I almost drowned when I was little.

49. I learned to swim when I was 18. My dad taught me.

50. I worked as a lifeguard for 3 summers.

51. I love to sing when I'm driving.

52. I can't pinpoint one favorite artist/band. I like so many of them.

53. I am extremely stubborn. People learn that the hard way.

54. When I'm upset, I stop talking.

55. The only aches I truly despise are stomachaches.

56. My first job ever, was as a lifeguard in a waterpark. I was 22.

57. Facebook is my favorite social network.
58. I traveled outside my country for the first time when I was 13.
59. I am addicted to the internet - messenger, wikipedia, etc.
60. I hate parasites and loathe teaching them. I think they're disgusting.

61. I love computer games - especially Tomb Raider.

62. All my friends are weird in their own special way.

63. I love visiting museums, castles and churches.

64. I do not want to live in a remote place, without human contact.

65. When I was a kid I really wanted to work at a radio station.

66. I discovered American football last year and I love it - unfortunately I can't watch it in my country.

67. I drink tequila by itself. As a cocktail I prefer Long Island Ice tea.

68. I don't practice sports, but I love voleyball, figure skating and diving.

69. Swimming relaxes me. Snorkling is also great.

70. My first ever flight was Bucharest - Amsterdam. Since then flying is the best way to travel.

71. Traveling is almost an obsession for me.

72. I have a world map with colored tacks - places I want to see(red), places I've been to(blue).

73. My favorite city in Europe, so far, is Budapest.

74. My favorite city in the world is San Francisco.

75. My next destination in the US is Disneyland.

76. I cry at certain movies.
77. My favorite vegetable is the tomato.
78. My favorite fruit is the peach.
79. My favorite candy - Twizzlers.
80. When I was younger I had severe depressive episodes.
81. I love cartoons - the japanese ones have a special place in my heart.
82. My favorite stand-up comedian is Ellen de Generes.

83. Recently I've grown to like sitcoms - at the moment really enjoying The Big Bang Theory.
84. My absolute favorite TV show - Charmed.
85. I know how to make friendship bracelets with intricate patterns.

86. I love Garfield.
87. I can't play any musical instrument.
88. My only wish in life is to have enough money to travel around the world.
89. I really want to see Thailand, Japan and Easter Island.
90. I collect fridge magnets.
91. In Rome, I loved the Trevi Fountain the most.
92. At some point I wanted to study Russian, but I was too lazy to continue.
93. If I was to settle down somewhere, it would have to be with a warm climate - San Francisco is a safe bet.
94. The full moon relaxes me.
95. I always carry a book in my bag/backpack.
96. Clowns freak me out.
97. I am truly afraid of heights and failure.
98. I take naps as often as I can.
99. I've grown to despise cell phones.
100.I think friends make your life a whole lot better and you should cherish them.

Tunisia - the vacation that didn't appeal to me

2009-12-31T22:17:00.003+02:00

 As you have probably read, this year has been crazy for me - exam in February, Turkey & Israel in June, but the biggest hurdle was my surgery. Of course most people around me were more panicked than I was, but I was too preoccupied to get home as soon as possible. After the hospitalization, I lived with my parents. Don't get me wrong, I love them to death, but being smothered is not my style. I know they meant well, but at some point I had to tell them - ok, I love you, but I need to go home. During my recuperation I attended Dina's wedding, which was a blast. Around August, the parental unit brought up the idea of traveling again - one more reason I love them for. However the destination was Tunisia, a place they have visited the year before and they've been praising it back and forth. I was not thrilled at all to go, but they insisted - and i do mean insisted - it got to the point that they paid my vacation AND got me a separate room (dad is snoring like a machine and I refused another vacation in the same room with him). That being said, we were on our way.

The flight was from Cluj to Tunis (last year they landed smack near the resort, but this year it was not the case - from the airport a "mere" 4 hour trip by bus awaited. The flight was ok, but when they brought the food we thought it was a joke - one tiny sandwich with chicken and a glass of water. By the time we reached the hotel it was almost 2 a.m. The front desk clerk told us he only had rooms on the ground floor - I knew the instant we approached the front desk that it wouldn't be easy, it never is. We spent one night in those rooms, famished, then went back to get other rooms that were promised. Needless to say we were told to return at 9 a.m and got the rooms a little after 12 p.m. By that time I was too tired to care, and after lunch I went straight to bed. Having our nerves stretched to the limit, of course we snapped. Dad was not happy with anything, Mom was disappointed in everything, saying that last year it was much better, and I pointed out, quite subtly that why did they insist on coming when we are treated like vermin (forgot to mention that we saw to guide the day we got there, and the day we left) - the time of departure was sent via text message (some service I have to say). But after some much deserved sleep all was good in the land of Tunis. We spent many lazy mornings and afternoons by the poolside and seaside, ate very good food, swam in the pools (cold water) and sea (warm-ish water) - my Dad even challenged me in swimming - silly, silly man. My favorite activity was walking on the beach at night before dinner, listening to music, and making up stories.

When we left, we were supposed to pick other passengers on the way. Of course there was a 40 minutes delay because some of them had no idea when they had to be ready. The airport affair was one marathon, but managed to stop to buy some souvenirs. The flight back was not spectacular, considering the sandwich being the same size and some students gathered and chatted it up. Lovely!

Returning to Cluj, I couldn't wait to get in the car and drive home - another one hour and a half. By the time we reached the apartment, I promised I was done with traveling this year. Yeah, right! October found me in a new state of being - a student. That miracle lasted for one month, as I got fed up with them - I mean when you have the subject "English literature" you are not supposed to study grammar - there are other times for that. So the second university was a disappointment but I sucked it up.

November not rich in experiences, but December had a lot to promise - more traveling. At the beginning of the month just stepped over to Budapest for 2 days and right now I am writing from Germany where so far I have spent some amazing moments with some amazing people!

As I end this entry, I wish everyone a very Happy 2010, full of joy, laughter and good luck!

Russian experience by the Mediterranean Sea

2009-12-29T13:33:00.005+02:00

This year started crazy - passing an exam to become an official teacher at the University, crazy schedule, working at the lab and university. So by the time summer came, I was burnt out. I needed a vacation, badly.

When the parental unit offered a trip to Turkey with them, I did not jump at the chance - some bad memories from the Egyptian trip. However, they managed to convince me, so the beginning of June found us in Turkey. Antalya to be more precise.

The hotel was a mere 15 minutes bus-ride from the airport, and it was amazing - just glass, wood and steel, smack right on the beach. The room was on the 8th floor and we had a beautiful view of..the hotel next to us. You can't have it all, I guess. The food, well delicious doesn't even cover it - salads, steak, soup - whatever you wanted, you had it. They won my affection by serving pancakes for breakfast, with chocolate cream.

The first day on the beach was a complete failure. The walk on the hot sand (and I do mean HOT) was anything but pleasurable - you could almost hear my feet sizzling in the cold water (sea water that is). SO, after this let's call it high-temperature-experience, we redirected our attention to the swimming pools - the water was cold here as well, but plus side - no hot sand. And, we had music by the pool, and as neighbors - another pool with water-slides - tried them all...summer pavlovian reflex.

The tour guide offered some optional trips, and we chose the Pamukkale *short stop for tour-like information* - pamukkale means "cotton castle" in Turkish and is a wonder of nature - the site has hot springs, rich in calcium and travertines - little terraces. The water flows really slow so the calcium has time to settle and everything becomes white. It's truly a sight to behold. Next to the travertines are the ruins of ancient Hierapolis - the climb up there was MURDER.At the base of the hill is the legendary Pool of Cleopatra - it is said that if you bathe in it, you'll feel and look younger - well I bathed but didn't feel a darn thing - the old russian ladies fell for it though and you should have seen them shoving each other to get to the spring. What a performance!!! Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time we got to the hotel - extreme cold and heat does that to people.

Another trip the tour lady presented was a one day journey to Jerusalem. Being the quintessential traveler, and some heavy persuasion from the parents, I signed up - another trip by myself. The tour-guide tells me there will be no Romanian or Hungarian guide (not unless I was willing to pay 200$ for the service - I wasn't) but there will be an English one. I was supposed to leave on Thursday and on Wednesday afternoon I was still assured everything is fine. Yeah, right!

Thursday 4 a.m. The minibus came for me, almost packed with ONLY Russian tourists. To say I was the odd one there would be an understatement. At the next hotel we were supposed to pick 2 more tourists and waited 40 minutes for them - they overslept, bless their souls. We make it in good time to the airport, go through security, reach Tel Aviv and....showtime. There was no one waiting for us. I wandered around the airport like a stray cow caught in the hurricane and eventually found the bus with the agency's logo. I get on the bus, and when I ask the guide "do you speak English?" she calmly replies "no'. Booooooooooooooy, you should have seen my face. I text the guide back in Turkey - dude, they screwed up, I'm in a bus full of Russian people and besides "Da" and "Nyet" I have no knowledge of the language. The tour-guide kept on rambling on and on about this and that, I'm sure it had something to do with the sites. I decide to suck it up and act touristy - that is open mouth, take as many pictures as possible and pray the day ends well.

We visited the Church of all Nations, the Garden of Ghetsemane, the Olive Mountain and then lunch. After lunch, the russian guide-lady tells me there is another group whose guide speaks English, and I can join them. Cool. I join the other team, another Russian one at that, and the guide spoke Russian too. No English. This got me wondering "what in the world is going on here? Am I some human ball between the tow guides?" So I continued being touristy, wandering around, keeping a close eye on my new "family".

Together we saw the Holy Tomb, the Hill of Golgotha - now don't be fooled - everything is inside this huge church, the elements mentioned here are symbols. After this came the Wailing Wall (actually we went to it) and it is here that God showed me his mercy. While staying in the shade, I was eavesdropping on the team next to us. They were Americans. Hearing them speak English was an ointment for my soul. I almost wanted to tell them "please, take me with you" but I composed myself.

Leaving Jerusalem, we got to the Dead Sea. We were allowed to swim, but had to be careful - the water is REALLY salty, you can't submerge even if you wanted to. Not that you want to, because ingesting that water or even get it in your eyes is a big no-no. So guess who got water in their eyes and walked out to the HOT beach to dry their stinging ocular aparatus? You would be right, me. So after such an eventful day, I felt I deserved a beer. Got to the bar, ordered a cold one and everything was alright in the world. Stopping for dinner and souvenir shopping, another group of Americans joined us, so I was happy again. This state of happiness continued throughout the evening, when I was able to walk inside the airport wearing flip-flops (it was summer, people so it seemed appropriate). While heading to the check-in, I find my original group and got in line. Here once again God smiled at me - the beautiful lady at the check-in desk spoke only English and Hebrew (I was avenged) so imagine the middle-aged ladies trying to understand a word (mu-ha-ha-ha). Naturally my seat was the one next to the emergency exit, so praying was an ever-present element throughout my journey. We made it to Turkey safe and sound and you can only imagine the looks on my parents' faces when I told them about my Russian experience in the Holy Land. But I don't regret it at all. I saw some amazing sites, felt amazing things, and got water from the Dead Sea in my eyes. Now tell me how many people can brag about that?

Next episode in the saga - my patience is pushed to its limits in Tunisia!

USA - this time in the winter

2009-12-27T12:55:00.005+02:00

Last year I wanted to go to the States, so I asked my boss if there was a chance I might get some sponsorship so I can attend a conference in Boston. Naturally the answer was NO (not a direct answer, rather a well-I-m-not-sure-it-is-possible kind of way), so I decided "if you want something to be done, you have to do it yourself". I applied for the visa on my own and joy of joys, I was granted the tourist visa for 10 years *insert celebration dance*. So, after much debating, I decided to spend a month in the country of my heart, US of A, this time no work, just travel. So the middle of November found me in the Bucharest airport where the adventure started. I got my plane ticket online, and it seems the system (or the lady at the counter) would not find my ticket. My blood pressure was rising. Eventually, after waiting almost an hour, another fine dame appears and tells me everything is OK, and prints out a paper ticket, mentioning that if I lose it, I would have to pay for a new ticket. I wanted to hurt her. The flight to Bruxelles was enjoyable and no incidents. We land, and I check my cell-phone. No signal. Groovy. I run like a crazy person to find my gate, fill out the papers and get on-board in time.

After 9 hours, I reach good old O'Hare and the first order of business, after passing through security, is to check my cell-phone, to let the parents know I got there in one piece. And pray. And wonder of wonders, I got a signal *sigh of relief*. I reach my friends' place where I got a good night's sleep, as the next day I was heading to San Francisco. Early in the morning, with my trusted backpack on my back I was going to catch the bus, then train to the airport, but being the absolute tourist, I was heading in the opposite direction. I get on the bus and ask the driver if this is the way towards the airport - he says no, and that bus will come in about half an hour. Great. However, being the amazing person he was, and since there were no other passengers, he turned the bus around and took me to the train station. I thanked him profusely and was on my merry way. I had a muffin and Starbucks (what else) in the airport, then ZOOM - destination San Francisco. Getting there in the afternoon, I checked into my hotel then got to planning.

The first day was reserved for: Alcatraz island (I left my ID at the hotel and used my best puppy-eyed face to tell the lady at the ticket counter what happened, she let me pass)- the audiotour was amazing, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Hill, Coit Tower, up and down those crazy hills - but it was all worth it, after all it's San Francisco we're talking about.

The next day a meeting with the beach was in plan. So, not suspecting anything, went on foot. Now, I've always wanted to see the fog in San Fran, and boy did I get my wish. Not 20 minutes have passed since I left the hotel that the fog came. Thick. Fast. Cold. I was searching for a store to buy a sweatshirt but all I came across was: laundry, restaurant, laundry, psychic(?!?!?!). In the end I manage to buy one, reach my destination, visit the Palace of Fine Arts, go to the beach, immerse my feet in the EXTREMLY cold water, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge (for the second time) and was ready to call it a day.

Third day was more of an in-town-sightseeing day: went with the cable car to the Financial District, visited the Haas-Lilienthal house, then spent the day with a friend.

The journey however ended to soon, and I was really sad to leave the city, but I knew that more great stuff and friends were waiting for me so I cheered up. I reached Wisconsin, went to see the premiere of Twilight with my friends, attended a Thanksgiving dinner at Karen's grandparents, shopped during Black Friday, stayed one week in Minnesotta (and walked in the snow around the university campus), shopped till I dropped, stayed a couple of days in a resort, with its own waterpark, visited the places I spent the summers - what can I say, a great experience.

But alas, I had to come home (always dreaded these moments). So there I am, with my extremly heavy suitcases in the airport, praying to the Lord they are not overweight - set them on the scale and each has 22,7 pounds (the limit is 23) - somebody up there loves me. Went through security, ate some lunch and patiently waited for my flight to be announced. When I got to my gate, it was empty. Weird. Then I hear that my flight left from a different gate. Finally on-board we get settled. At some point the captain lets us know there is some trouble with the air-conditioning system and the software needs to be updated. No problem. The update lasted about an hour, but it had to be done twice. When we are ready to leave the airport, apparently a plastic bag flew straight through the engine - seriously! So by the time we were ready to leave, we had a 3 hour delay (just the amount of time I was supposed to spend in London between flights). The flight was very pleasant, saw Mamma mia twice, and in the morning we got to London. I had to go through 2 security checks and was told that I was issued a new ticked, but it was not a direct flight to Bucharest, rather London-Munich-Bucharest. I was too tired at this point to care, I just wanted to go home.

Finally I reach Bucharest, without the luggages of course, but no wonder with all this airport hopping I was doing. When I saw mom waiting for my, all was good in the world. We got home, and just then started freaking out about the suitcases because all the presents were there and there were only a couple of days till Christmas. But all was well, the luggages arrived, and I was one happy camper!

Naturally I vowed I would return to the States (gotta use that visa) so the next trip there will be this summer - have to see Disneyland and many other places!

The next episode of my traveling saga - Turkey and my russian experience in the Holy Land!

in the land of Pharaohs

2009-12-26T13:21:00.004+02:00

2007 was my first year of official work - sure, I've worked in the summer as a lifeguard and front desk clerk in the States, but this was my first JOB - the one I studied for 6 years (and left me with almost an empty head) and the one where I can learn and use specific skills. To tell you I was excited would be a gross understatement - I LOVED every minute of work, truly enjoying being there, learning, working, and just getting to know the lab personnel. We were supposed to switch departments every month, but I spent 6 months in the biochemistry department (they told me I was trusted and reliable - now who can say no to that). Being an official worker, I was to tell them when I would take my vacation, so after debating with the parental unit, the month of September was declared the lucky winner. Destination - Egypt!

I can't say it was my lifelong dream to see Egypt, but it was my mom's so I said let's go for it.

The road was a bit tricky - we drove to Budapest (a trip I was not very fond of, due to my dad's "interesting" driving). We were left at the hotel for a well deserved rest, and were told to prepare for the next-day trip. We spent 2 days in Cairo, during which time we saw: the pyramids (truly amazing, like you see them on TV, if not even greater), the Sphynx (who had a really bad nose-job), the Perfume museum, the papyrus museum (where you could buy personalized papyrus, which I did), the bazaar (which did not impress me that much, but it was cool), the Egyptian Museum (with its own wing for mummies - and maybe daddies too, I don't know). driving - I almost did that scene from the cartoons where the shipwrecked people reach an island, bend down and kiss it), and from Budapest we flew to Cairo. When we left Hungary it was raining and pretty gloomy, but reaching Cairo, the wet heat hit us in the face! It was a welcomed change.

When we left for Aswan, we had to get up at 2.30 am (a crime I say, a CRIME), to catch the flight. Now, if it was even possible, it was hotter in Aswan than in Cairo, but we stood our ground. In Aswan we saw the dam, the Botanical Island and the Island of Elephants (though none of its previous inhabitants), Horus' temple in Edfu and Sobek's(the crocodile god) as well. From Aswan we took the boat (an amazing trip) up the Nile towards Luxor.

At some point one day, I got to see my favorite place in Egypt - Abu Simbel. It's truly magnificent with the temples of Ramses and Nefertari (his favorite wife). The sitting statues are impressive, but what's more impressive is the location. Initially it was where the lake is today, and back in the day they built is so that when the sun rises on February 20 and October 20, its rays would shine on the sculptures located in the depth of the temple. However, when the dam was built, the temples had to be moved, and in the 60s they were. Truly a marvel of technology. One evening I managed to photograph the sunset on the Nile - beautiful.

Upon reaching Luxor, we visited the temples of Karnak and Luxor (positioned as to represent the journey of Ra), the Valley of the Kings (where I experienced the hottest weather ever), the temple of Hatshepshut (apparently the first female pharaoh, and it's said she was kind of bitchy but I guess she had to).

Leaving Luxor behind, we set for Hurghada, a resort by the Red Sea, where we were to relax for 6 more days. And relax we did: swimming, eating great food, enjoying some great massages, going on a trip in the desert, snorkling, collecting shells from the bottom of the sea, watching dolphins swim by. It was great. However, all this constant sunshine and non-activity was getting to me, I yearned for rain, big cities and all that comes with it. When we got to the airport in Cairo I spotted it, Starbucks coffee shop *insert angelic choir*. I drank a caramel latte while my parents watched me acting like I was out of my mind (they can't understand my addiction to Starbucks coffee).

Eventually we reached Budapest where we spent 2 more days, and then I was steeling myself for another 10 hours on the road, with dad behind the wheel. Luckily we made it in one piece, tanned, with a lot of pictures and memories, not to mention a strong desire of not going back to work, which was not an option. Still, the winter holidays were just a mere 2 months away. And, in October of that same year I started teaching. Cool, no?

Next destination - US of A (for the 4th time) - this time no work and all play :)

adventures of 2006

2009-12-26T00:15:00.013+02:00

2006 was the "Hell-year" of my life. So many things happened that I don't even want to talk about them - those who know me well, know what I've gone through. But anyway, in spring I found out that, curtesy to AEGEE (a European student association) I would be visiting Italy. Finally, something to look forward to. So the summer came, with all its exams, the final paper (done in 3 weeks while others struggled with it for months) - which was finished on a Friday, 5 minutes before midnight (thus avoiding the turning-into-pumpkin stipulation of the contract) and after 4 hours of sleep, I was on my merry way, with my good friend Chris towards Budapest. We were supposed to stay for a couple of days there, and I was to fly to Rome after said time frame.

We went by train, and after a grueling (for me)/delightful (for Chris) 11 hour trip, we got off at the Eastern Station in Budapest. For a couple of days I showed Chris the sights, he brushed up on his Hungarian (which was rusty to say the least) and finally, there I was, at the airport, eagerly waiting my journey to Icecream-land.

The trip included: flight (Budapest - Rome), bus (airport - Termini railway station), train (Rome - Termoli).

I got to my destination (the lovely city of Termoli) dead tired, in dire need of a shower and some food. This whole italian experience was a summer university, gathering people from all over Europe: Hungary, Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Bulgaria. That first night I thought I would get a good night sleep. Yeah, right. Around 2 a.m I feel my bed being moved (with me in it). Turns out, they (the organizers) thought it was funny to deposit me in the hallway (we had lodging in a school) - I should have freaked them out, but instead voted for slow and painful revenge (mu-ha-ha). Which never came, since they turned out to be a pretty cool gang. All of them. So we bonded over field-trips, wine-tasting (which was done A LOT). There was a party every night, but my personal favorite was, when it was held on the beach, and I was dancing, only in my pants (sans shirt or shoes) on a bench. At some point I stopped, and a guy turns to me and says "why did you stop? you are great!"...so, thanks to the ego-boost, I kept on dancing.

The organizers took us on a 2 day trip in the mountains, where it was EXTREMLY windy, but I loved it (went horse-back riding and with the ATV cars) - you should have seen the other participants freezing and me only in a t-shirt and sweatpants - lovely.

By far my favorite moment of this whole summer university was the trip to Tremiti islands. Imagine a tropical island with beautiful blue waters, sandy beaches, gorgeous flowers and you get the picture of these islands. They had to take us by boat (a 1 hour trip) then we went exploring, swimming, snorkling, taking in the sun, basically having a great time.

The last night of the summer university was european night - it's basically one huge party, where all the people bring their national food and drink - needless to say, from all the tasting we can totally wasted.

My summer university experience taught me several things: I need to be open to new experiences, being yourself is the greatest gift, people want to know you if you let them, alcohol crosses language barriers and fun is at every corner!

So after 2 glorious weeks of partying, wine drinking, field-trips,the heaviest rains in the past 10 years (seems my revenge caught up with them after all - feel my wrath muhaha) and even winning an award for "Summer's best poet" I went to visit some relatives who live about 1 hour from Rome. After the heavy experiences, some relaxation was in order. I got to see, in the little town of Terni, how the rich people live, even met some of them, I got to walk on cobble-stone streets, found clothes at bargain prices AND even got to see Rome - what was the point of going to Italy if not to see Rome as well.

In 8 hours we covered the basics - the Vatican (suddenly feeling the desire to re-read Angels and Demons), the Trevi fountain (simply breathtaking and crawling with Japanese tourists), the Pyramid, the Colosseum (in where I was slightly disappointed - not in the building itself, but in its location - who exit the subway and you're smack into the colosseum). But all in all, it was a great experience. Being in the pizza-home, I ate some - had the best and worst pizza of my life there (of course not in the same place, but in the same city).

Though I liked Italy, I said it might not be likely to return, unless it's for a very good reason! I would rather visit other places on this lovely planet if the chance presents itself.

I returned to Budapest, just in time for the National Day. So around 9 pm my cousin and I head for the major attraction - the fireworks. While on our way, I tell him there's a storm approaching - you could hear the distant thunders. Well, I was right - go figure. The storm lasted for about half an hour, but the damages were huge - 6 people killed, several hundreds injured and the city looked like a hurricane went through it...and I need to point out, the winds were so strong, the rain was "falling" horizontally (something I've never seen before and not really looking forward to it). The remaining days of my vacation in Budapest were spent walking, riding the subways, shopping during the day and partying at a local trance club almost every night - even attending a trance parade - very cool.

The trip home was a blur - I came by bus, but slept through the whole trip. At home I had to study for the license exam, and after that for the residency exam, but due to some emotional issues, I squeezed 3 weeks (once again, the magic time frame) of reading and even managed to get a decent score, thus securing a place for my desired specialization and city.

This is how the year 2006 went for me (part of it)....next episode - guess who gets to see the pyramids?

escape

2009-12-22T23:47:00.002+02:00

Have you ever felt like you wanted to escape? I mean REALLY escape.

Lately I've been experiencing this feeling. It's like my body and my mind are prepared at any moment to flee. A lot of things happened that "helped" me reach that point of "that's it...no more". This feeling is hard to describe, make me feel like I'm at the starting point of a race and all I wait for, is the gun to go off and for me to run. Run like never before in my life. It's not merely a physical run, it's a WHOLE BODY run: physical, mental and sentimental.

I feel like my mind is in a place and my body tries to keep up. When it doesn't succeed, it pulls my mind back and it's frustrating.

I feel incomplete in many fields of my life. Work is good, but I miss the challenge, the opportunities to learn - it's all a routine and when my students are not receptive, I feel down. The time does not allow me to deal with what I love the most - lab work. It's hard work, you have to pay attention to details and I love every minute of it. The social life is also good, but I don't see my friends as often as I want to, due to our crazy schedules or due to huge distances.

Career-wise I try to improve, look for new challenges, but the truth is I am lazy most of the time. I know I need a strong motivation to get me started and luckily it came, but not as a positive sign - still, it got the job done.

The only field I feel content in is my love life. Though our relationship is young, I feel really comfortable with my girl, and I feel we are connected on many levels. There are several issues we need to work through, but I know together we can make it.

Still all this does not stop my desire to escape. I need new surroundings, new experiences! After all, how am I supposed to learn about myself if I am stuck in a routine, a monotonous and dull life! Maybe that's why I love traveling so much - besides the scenery and the new cultures, it provides those small escapes, that short chance of freedom, but when I return, I miss it and feel like a bird in a cage, which is not even golden.

USA - 2004 - the summer that never was

2009-12-12T12:39:00.011+02:00

I continue my journey down memory lane, with one of the best summers of my life. 2004 that is.

Around spring I was already excited of getting back to Wisconsin as a lifeguard, and couldn't wait to finish with my exams. I passed most of them and at the beginning of July I was on my way to good old US of A.

The flight was uneventful and in Chicago I waited for Nana (she was coming on a different flight) to head together to Madison by bus. When we get there, it was 9 pm and it was FREEZING. In July. Seriously? So Karen, the dear soul came to pick us up from the bus station, told us the summer was crazy, they hardly saw any sun, but this didn't stop the customers. No sooner we arrive, we start work - it seems there was a BIG shortage of lifeguards, so we had to work a lot of hours, which was more than fine with us - the craziest day was Saturday, when we worked open - close (8.30 to 22.00).

The VERY bright side was that we had a car, and on our day off, which we named Golden Friday, took the Caddy and hit the roads - Chicago, Milwaukee, Lake Geneva and many more. Truly an amazing summer.

The weather was really crazy - we had temperatures ranging from 60 F(roughly 15 C) to 100 F(around 40 C) - I did manage to get a tan so I was happy. The days when the sun was out were truly crazy. Us lifeguards had to jump into the water several times because of the heat (one of the girls passed out from heat stroke).Naturally things have not changed: "Staying in or getting out?Yes...yes what?""turn around and sit - guest puts in foot first", and the list could go on, and on, and on.

One memory that clearly comes to mind is my audit. Each summer, a lady from the Red Cross came to the park and posed as a victim in order to assess the lifeguard activity. The day she was at the park I was a nervous wreck. Back then I knew I couldn't work under stress. So, being a breaker (a person who gives other people breaks and takes their place for that time) I asked for my half (half an hour that is for my lunch) and then to be put in rotation (the chances of being audited being that much slimmer). But the dear supervisors told me, and I quote "Sorry, there isn't anyone capable we can pull out of rotation, so you get to stay a breaker...go give whats-his-name a 10 minute break". Fuming I headed towards the dreaded spot, to relieve the lifeguard. No sooner that I sit down, I see a lady coming down the slide and my instinct screams "it's her". Of course when she get to the bottom she doesn't move, I stop the water flow, blow my whistle really loud and run towards the slide to immobilize the victim. It all goes well, and I am congratulated for a job well done. I was officially the first lifeguard to be audited on "Ketchup&Mustard" - that's not the name - it's "Thunder and Lightning" but if you see the picture you know why we chose the culinary name.

It was this fateful year of 2004 when I discovered the marvelous world of Harry Potter. On a whim I bought the first book in WalMart and was hooked ever since. Since Karen is also a fan, we had even more things to talk about. But reading wasn't my only entertainment - we went out for karaoke, went to the movies, Wizard Quest in downtown Dells, the Golden Friday trips - life was truly good.

The summer came to an end, but I was looking forward to it. Mind you not because I had to leave, but because we had a road trip planned - heading west from Chicago to see: The Rocky Mountains, The Grand Canyon, and last but not least Las Vegas. I had an alternate final destination - San Francisco (being an avid Charmed fan I just HAD to see the city).

So, October 1st found us on the road, but just like any roadtrip ours wasn't without adventures.

It went something like this Chicago - Lincoln, NE - Frisco, CO (we saw the Rocky Mountains National Park) - Moab, UT (White Forest National Park). And this is where it starts to get interesting. We didn't know that our car had so many parts and engines and such, so one of those thingies broke down in Utah. We had to stay an extra day in Moab, but on the bright side, we stayed in John Wayne's room and saw the amazing Arches National Park. By this time my nature-limit was rapidly approaching its upper limit, I needed to see cities, people and cars.

After Moab we headed further down west and came to the Grand Canyon. I must admit, I didn't understand the big fascination with the Canyon, but when I stood on the edge I totally got it. It's breathtaking. I managed to take a really cool picture, considering it one of my best.

The final night found us in Las Vegas, after seeing the Hoover Dam. Las Vegas is FABULOUS...by night. The casinos are great, the little cities - New York, Paris, Venice are really really cool, the pirate show at Treasure Island was very creative. Naturally being in Las Vegas you must enter a casino, which we did, play the slot machines, which we did, and not necessarily win, which I did.

My final destination was good old San Francisco - didn't get a chance to see much due to my HEAVY backpack, but still, being the stubborn dude I faced the challenges. Walked across the bridge, saw the Lafayette Park, The Palace of Fine arts and the Marina Beach. I vowed that I will return some day, to see the great things this city has to offer, which I did, 4 years later (but that's another story).

With a heavy heart I left the west coast, stayed 2 more days in Chicago and then was on my merry way home. As usual, I was sad to return and this time I was sure I would return the next year - however 2005 held few surprises for me and left me a bit bitter, but not bitter enough to ever forget that country or the amazing people I met there.

freedom

2009-12-10T11:42:00.002+02:00

Today I ran. After the bus, that's true, but still I ran. You're going to ask, so what's the big deal? The deal is, I ran after 5 months of non-running. And there's a reason for it - my surgery.

The end of June found me in the hospital, to have surgery for a little cyst that was on my spleen. They assured me the operation will be smooth, the cut not so big and everything will be alright. Well, the surgery lasted 2 hours, the cut is 9 inches big (they couldn't see my spleen, let alone reach it), but everything was alright in the end - 1 out of 3 isn't that bad, is it? So needless to say, as the surgery was performed on my abdominal wall, the simple tasks I took for granted implied HARD work and pain - sitting up, laughing (I had to refrain myself from laughing which was torture for me, especially since everyone who visited me told me funny stories, and I laughed more and more), coughing, but the mother of all was sneezing - and that one hurt like a mofo (how bad you ask? damn bad).

Of course I was told not to push myself to the limit, I'm not allowed to lift mostly anything, not even weights - there goes my dream of becoming the new Arnold Schwarzenegger (a shattered dream, but what can I do, I'd have to settle with starting my fitness program in spring and maybe become Brad Pitt - it's not the same, but I'll sacrifice myself). However I'm allowed to swim - now all I have to do is get over my laziness and go to the swimming pool - after all it's a huge distance - we are talking about 5 minutes walk from my house! All in due time, I always say!

But the point is, after running after the bus this morning, I realised I overcame one more hurdle in my journey of recovery. Can't wait to feel fully able to perform the tasks I could perform before surgery! Even swimming and lifting weigths!

how to have a bad day in 5 easy steps

2009-12-08T22:22:00.002+02:00

Today I had a really bad day. Being Tuesday, and this day always brings me the worst there is, I felt not so annoyed, up till one point.

It started this morning, when I had to wake up earlier than usual to wait for my dad, who promised to bring the car to my place. So I wait and wait and wait, nothing. Eventually I give him a call, and he suggests I should go to their place instead, rather than he bringing the car over here. After a deep sigh, I accept, just loving when my plans change without notice, or at least on short notice - STEP 1.

Around noon I get ready to leave, and make it in good time. I have lunch at the parents' place, but dad is pretty slow so I have to eat quickly in order to get to the university in time - we had our weekly department meeting. So I rush to work, and this moron (old guy who was probably escaping Death) cuts me off and almost runs into me. No glance towards me, no sorry, no nothing, he just moves on like a brainless git. After I stop at the traffic light (after all it was red, and no matter how angry I am I always respect the law), I take deep breaths to calm down - STEP 2.

I get to the university in one piece, and after a breathless climb of 3 floors get to the meeting first and get settled. My colleagues arrive as well, and we realise, there is no meeting. So I hurried for nothing. Love it - STEP 3.

After the meeting I held my class and hit an all-time record - a 3 hour class taught in 40 minutes.

And this is where my day starts getting interesting (as if so far it was a complete bore). I was working on my netbook, using a memory stick, when all of a sudden the computer shows me it's installing the driver for the stick - i'm thinking "OK, I've been using this stick for a long time and the driver is already installed". When I try to access it, it wouldn't let me. My blood was boiling - I had ALL my data on that puppy. And now it's gone - STEP 4.

The best part of my day was the visit to my girlfriend however. I was really happy to see her, and spent some quality time.

Getting home, I sit in front of the computer to find a solution for my stick predicament. I found none.

When I check my phone, it has shut down. By itself. And now it's story. For my birthday I bought a phone, a cool one, with touchscreen and all. But it started having fits - whenever I switched it to Silent, it shut down. End of discussion. So I sent it to the service, but the problem persisted. Since I was not satisfied, the cellphone company sent me a new phone. And the new piece of technology has the same behavior as the first one. This was more than I could handle. - STEP 5.

So the only thing left for me to do is go to sleep, hoping tomorrow will be better!

at the airport

2009-12-05T21:28:00.020+02:00

My 38th flight in my young life. It's strange how up until 2003 I haven't even dreamed of flying. It all changed that fateful summer when I embarked on my first trip to the United States. Of course being a small-town guy, had no clue what to do, but in the end it all turned out for the best - my comprehension of the English language was a big plus, let me say! Ever since then, not a year passes by without me flying somewhere. And I truly love it.

The first question my family asks whenever I tell them I'm flying somewhere is "Aren't you scared the plane will crash?"...for the first dozen times I let it pass, but at this moment it's starting to get on my nerves - seriously, how many times do you have to ask that question in order for the message to sink in. I tell them that each time the plane takes off I feel a twinge of fear, wondering what if it crashes. But then I relax, the same voice telling me that if it's supposed to crash, it will - after all everything happens for a reason. Personally, I'd rather suffer a plane crash, rather then being a victim of a car accident which could cause paralysis - that is not a life. I know it seems the easy way out, but I'm a coward at heart.

Since flying so often, I tend to get bored during the basic instruction before take-off, but force myself to listen carefully. Then I settle in for the take-off itself; I love the feeling of being pushed in your chair by the centrifugal force, and being able to see as the ground gets farther (if you get a window seat that is - not always the case). What really bugs me it's people's attitudes towards the cabin-crew's advice. When they mean "keep cell phones off until the plane has come to a complete stop", they mean it. But some people refuse to listen, turning on their cells as soon as the plane has landed. Is there an emergency? Do you need to see if your network has coverage? And would it kill you to keep the safety-belt on until the plane stops? Why do people have troubles respecting some simple rules?

During the flight I have no issues. I like to watch the clouds below and get in touch with the sun/moon. Today I saw a really cool picture. We were preparing for landing, when we became the meat in a cloud sandwich. The upper slice was comprised of white clouds, the lower one of gray clouds. And where we were, the meat space, it was empty - you could see the various shapes the clouds took, and here and there some sun rays. Truly magnificent.

And during my voyages through airports, I could see people with laptops, watching movies, working and what not, and always felt a pang of jealousy. Well, NOT ANY MORE!!!! This week I bought a handy dandy little netbook, AND was using it at the terminal I was supposed to wait for the plane. Wireless internet, nice view, what could a guy ask for more? Well, I would ask for sockets to plug my little machine into. It may be tiny, but it still needs to feed. Other than that I am more than happy with it.

So yes, I barely got home from a trip, but I'm already waiting my next one - Germany and Switzerland.

When I go visit my parents and let out a strong sigh, they automatically ask "where are you heading now?" - they know me.

If I could have any wish granted, this would be it - I would like to have enough money to travel, to see the world, I feel the need to do it. Recently I got an idea - why not apply for a flight-attendant job for about 2 years? See the world, then be on my merry way. Who knows, maybe I will give it a shot. Until then, I will settle with my little travels, and big dreams and plans!

tastes and slaps

2009-12-05T12:50:00.003+02:00

Tastes and slaps have one thing in common, you'll never find two exactly the same. You won't have two different persons telling you they like the EXACT same things. The tastes vary according to music, movies, people and the categories could go on and on and on.

For instance, a very good friend of mine and I have totally opposite tastes in movies, music and women (:P). I've been told that I wouldn't like Dr.House for example, because the main character would annoy me to no end. Well, I've watched a few episodes yesterday and I must say I really liked it. And the character does not annoy me at all - he does have a strong sarcastic side I truly enjoy - I also employ sarcasm in everyday life, however not a lot of people understand it. Other people LOVE clowns and roller-coasters....well, clowns freak me out big time (the movie IT had a strong influence) and roller-coasters are the top of my "no-no" list.

For a while I felt like others' tastes influenced mine, and was pretty depressed as I felt I had no personal taste whatsoever. I tried to fight it, freaked out if someone said "hey, I really like this song - me too" and felt I was entitled to like that song, ONLY me, nobody else. But as I got older (but not necessarily wiser), I realized it wasn't such a big deal after all. I like what I like, and I don't give a damn about what other people say - you should see the eye-olls when I tell people I like Britney Spears and my favorite TV show was Charmed. Those who really know, know my tastes (although sometimes I can truly surprise people) and they don't care about it. They accept me for what I am, and THAT, ladies and gentlemen is the key to friendship!

the vampires are among us

2009-12-04T09:53:00.008+02:00

Have you noticed lately the abundance of vampire-related media? books, movies are exploding with this eternal theme. I decided to see how they came into our lives. According to the most-trusted source out there, wikipedia, the dear suckers, bloodsuckers that is, were in the public view since the 18th century - talk about immortality. The most famous piece, back in the day, was the all-known Dracula, written by Bram Stoker (later shown on the silver screen, first in 1931, then under the direction of Francis Ford Coppola in 1992, starring Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves and Gary Oldman; later on the comedy version came out, starring Leslie Nielsen and Peter McNicol - my personal favorite scene is with Madam Uospenskaya, warning Renfield about the dang-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-r of going to the count's castle, as it is said to be the home of a creature that sucks your blo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-d - you gotta see it to believe it).

One of the greatest writers to be concerned with vampires is Anne Rice. Her collection of "Vampire Chronicles" focuses on these creatures but from a more romantic-tragic point of view. The main character is Lestat, the brat-prince as they call him, who gets in all kinds of mischief, but throughout his journey, the reader meets other fabulous creatures, from the Queen of the damned - Akasha, to the twins - Mekare and Maharet, Marius, Pandora, and many more. Each book has a main character, each telling their own story. Of course in these books the vampires evolve - garlic and crucifixes do not affect them, however the sun and fire are still the mortal enemies. Naturally the books turned into movies, but they cannot express the same feeling.

Along the years many movies were vampire-centered. Some were great (Underworld - and if you take a look at the picture you'll understand why - a tough chick who looks HOT in tight black leather, Van Helsing, Buffy the vampire slayer) while some were right down awful (Embrace of the vampire, True Blood).

Nowadays it seems there are no more ideas to create good movies. The recent recipe includes : vampire tired of feeding off blood, decides he wants to turn good; meets human (most likely a hot chick) who is attracted to the dark side of the vampire and does whatever it takes to get a bite (girls love bad guys, right? - and what can be worse than a vampire? - neat package). Of course this doesn't stop people in enjoying them. Just look at the latest boom in Twilight - words cannot describe the phenomenon it unleashed (and I must admit, I enjoyed reading the books, but The host is closer to my heart).

One thing gets me wondering - what would you or I do if we meet a real-life vampire? And I must say, the chances of meeting one are in my favor since I live in Transylvania (where they're supposed to live)!

Fate

2009-12-02T20:12:00.020+02:00

The idea of Fate never entered her mind. The thought that an entity, even hypothetical, has the power to control events or the lives of others, was unacceptable. But whether you believe in it or not, Fate, teamed up with Life has a way of proving you wrong.

It started like a child's play. Both of them were in school, just at the age of first love. They met in the school yard, but never actually talked, but their eyes talked away. Whenever she went out on break, was feeling anxious, the anticipation of meeting his eyes being greater than anything else. She started looking around, desperately looking for those magic eyes, that saw her for what she was, looked into the very depth of her soul. Whenever she met them, her heart calmed down, whispering "it's OK, he was there again, all is good", but if she didn't meet his gaze, the same heart danced a crazy rhythm, almost as if trying to escape the chest, to look for him. Their silent meetings continued, until Fate stepped in, and separated their paths. Their schools were not the same anymore, and for the first time she panicked and started looking for him in the streets, trying to find out where he lived, so if they met she could say that first "Hello". But to no avail. Fate does not work the way we want it to work.

Time has passed, she left her home town, as did he, to pursue their ways of life. She fell in love, his memory being but a shadow that lurked in the corners of her heart, staying calm, making room for her love that flourished at that moment. The relationship evolved at its own pace, with its ups and downs. But Fate had other plans again. One weekend, she returned to her home town, and went to church with her family. The crowd was big, and after the mass made their way out. She got lost in the crowd and while looking for her family, the inner voice told her "look to your left"...she did, and saw HIM. He felt her so he turned, their eyes locking, like they used to so long ago. Her heart, sensing the familiar feeling, started its crazy dance, refusing to accept anything around, but him. Again no words were spoken, and by the time she decided to get closer, he was gone. With a heavy heart, she left.

Still, Fate brings help sometimes, help that takes the shape of Hope. One evening she went out with her boyfriend, her sister and some friends, to catch up on things. While sitting there, the same inner voice took over, and her eyes followed. Even though he had his back at her, she knew, her heart knew, that it was him again. Sensing he was being watched, he turned and their eyes recognized each other. A smile crossed his lips, his eyes lit up, as if to tell her "I know you, you are in my heart, fear not". She could not understand what happened. After all, she was in the arms of her boyfriend, her loved one and she was connecting with another man, whom she started considering hers. She grew impatient, her heart was troubled, but did not break the connection with him. Her mind denied everything, but the heart fought it "don't give in, he is interested, don't close up". Though in the arms of her boyfriend, she struggled to get free, to run to him, to talk to him, to ask him all the questions she wanted to ask. She couldn't breathe, the state of panic was overwhelming, the world stopped revolving. It was just her mind and her heart, two entities struggling for supremacy. He got up from his table, and passed in front of theirs, smiling down on her. She didn't dare look up to him for fear of losing control over her emotions. She tried to be indifferent, but her heart betrayed her once again.

In life there are signs that show us the way, but they are not always upfront, you need to listen with your heart and soul.
Though she thought her relationship was longlasting, her boyfriend wanted out. He felt trapped, needed his freedom. The break-up was painful, even though they decided to stay friends. When you invest your heart and soul into something, it's difficult not to fall apart when it ends. At night she tossed and turned, not being able to sleep, thinking things through, over and over again, blaming herself for not seeing the signs, feeling like a fool. But in the darkness of her mind there was a glimmer of hope, a small but strong light, HIM. When the pain was overwhelming, threatening to pull her under, the mere thought of him rescued her. She wondered how can she love someone when they haven't even talked yet, though they saw each other all these years. Because the truth is, she loved him, with all her heart, mind and soul. And even if she knew he was happy with somebody else, she would be happy as well, because that's what love is.

She tracked him down, and decided the time has come to take a chance. She wrote him a letter and waited for an answer, but it was delayed. The waiting made her nervous and started giving up, feeling empty. But her heart was calm, confident that things would be alright in the end.

Fate, however, needed no more proof. For the holidays she went home, for some well deserved time with her family. It was snowing, the streets were lit with a thousand lights, people walking by, the atmosphere was magical. While walking down the street they met. This time it was more than a glance, their eyes recognizing all their feelings, all the silence throughout the years, their hopes, their bond.

"Hello!" he said, in a gentle voice, one she never heard before but knew as if from a past life.
"Hello!" she said, with a shy smile.

There were no more need for words, they belonged to each other, and they knew it. The connection became complete!

my favorite month

2009-12-01T13:32:00.002+02:00

As of today it's my favorite month - December. I truly love this month. Back in the day when I was young, it signaled the end of school and the start of the winter holidays. It meant snow, letters to Santa, putting them on the windowsill, getting all excited if those letters disappeared, overjoyed when Christmas came and the tree was all set up, with the beautiful ornaments, the candles and all the presents underneath.

Christmas is the main reason I love December. For me it's not about the presents (although they help too) - it's more about the atmosphere : the tree decoration (making sure everything is set just right), the food preparation (the stuffed cabbage is exceptionally great this time of the year), the quest for the perfect present, the anticipation of the exchanges, the spirit of love, understanding and being with your family - nothing compares to that.

For the past couple of years there was no snow for Christmas. I was slightly disappointed, but I tried to make the best of it. With the climate changes, one could expect snow around March but I will not celebrate Christmas then. No sirry!

This year I'm not expecting any presents, since I already bought them, but the other presents still remain behind - what to get for the parents and such. But I'm sure I'll figure something out, I always do. And in worst case scenario, I'll just ask them what they want - simple enough, no?

things that make me happy

2009-11-12T09:50:00.002+02:00

Once again it was time for self-reflection. What things make me happy? Do THINGS make me happy? what kind of things? material things? does that make me materialistic? This is pretty much the train of my thought. I know, if you knew me you'd think I'm a nut case. And you would be right. Last week I realised, all the people I call friends are NOT within the range of normalcy. Normal is highly overrated these days. Stay strong my brothers ;)

So back to the happy thingies - here are some of the things that make me happy : decision making (and sticking to them), being surrounded by people (if it's possible family, friends or girlfriend), dancing like crazy without caring what people say (and I have a funny story related to this), reading a good book (currently enjoying one of these - granted, I almost always find good books, or they find me - it's a special relationship), listening to music (almost any kind, but my mood dictates the beat), writing (though I haven't done that in QUITE a while, it still makes me happy and try to make up for it), traveling (now THAT really makes me happy - although my trips aren't always whay I expect, but that's the beauty of it).

I'm sure there are other things that make me happy, but there just popped right out. I'll keep you posted! I promise!

a tribute to my friends

2009-10-04T00:52:00.019+03:00

Throughout my twenty-something years (please notice I have age issues - must be getting old) I have met a lot of people. I kept in touch with some, forgot others, needed to forget others and some of them managed to cross that barrier of trust, becoming what I consider to be friends. I have very specific criteria regarding this "job" and all of the people I'm describing now have met them fully. Please remember, I will always care about you and even though we don't always stay in touch on a daily basis, I think of you all the time.

So here goes :

1. Vlad - we met in 2003 when I went to the States for the first time. Because of him I had some serious self-esteem issues - I always admired the way he carried himself, the way he dressed, the way his confidence just seemed to radiate. I wanted to be just like him. Then I realized I can be his friend, and instead of desperately wanting to be like him, I can be me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Though we met in person 6 years after that summer, the friendship blossomed. He pointed out some great music for me : Within Temptation, Amethystium, Sleepthief, Blue Stone (for which I shall be forever grateful), inspired me to evolve on so many levels, always there with an advice or a funny remark. His personality is a mystery to me - he can be childish sometimes, but at other times he shows great wisdom and maturity! Vlad, thank you for being my friend!

2.Nana - out of all my friends, I've known her the longest, since we were in the 5th grade (a long time), however the friendship started when we were both at the university. Actually it is thanks to her I got to work in the waterpark, me wanting to work as an icecream vender at first (what was I thinking - listening to that musicbox song all that time). We spent 2 glorious summers in the States, enjoyed all those all-you-can-eat meals, sneaked into movie theatres - actually we paid for one movie and watched 3 (sweet). She is definitely a movie-holic - i don't dare ask her how many movies she has seen (i don't think even she knows). She likes to dance, A LOT - and has the great moves for it, trust me on that one. She travels a lot and then complains she has no money (go figure), but at least she is seeing the country, or maybe she has an ulterior motive - only she knows. Short tempered, kind hearted, pathologically afraid of dogs, she is a founding member of the CURD (that stands for COOL NERDS - we both finished medical school so that's saying something) team (me being the other and we have the matching rings to prove it). And whenever we go out, we always have truly interesting stories to share. Can't wait for the next McDonalds/KFC lunch, but first we need those meal tickets.

3.Dawn - she is my spiritual guide. I met her also in 2003, while working at the front desk in the US. There is a connection between us that only we can explain, and sometimes even we think it's a mystery. She showed me how to evolve spiritually, whenever I was suffering I knew she was there with me in thought. I received a gift from her way back then, a pentagram I cherish and wear. She also accepted me for who I was and am, the whole weird package, and for that I love her. She gives great advice and is a good listener. Loves cats, riding motorcycles, books and tea. And she has an amazing talent with the tarot cards, among other things!

4.Karen - my all time favorite american girl. She was there to pick me up from Greyhound back in the day, talked her ears off I'm sure so many times, we shared so many amazing moments : Mississippi, New Orleans, swimming in the Tisa on December 31st (it was more of a dip, most of it mine), dancing in the car while returning from Vienna. She is responsible for my financial ruin due to books. Why you ask? Simple. She keeps recommending all these great books, and me, the addicted that I am, can't help but buying them. It's a conspiracy I say. And for this, plus for the facts that she listens to me all the time, is there for me whenever it's necessary, for giving me an accurate description of my inner self on the road back from Minnesotta, for taking me to spend Thanksgiving with her family, she will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart!

5.Dina - she is my best girl friend. Have known her for 9 years but we became friends about 5 years ago. She is my "to go to" person. Whenever I feel like venting, she's there. She always gives me dirty looks for not taking any chances, always puts me in my place, rolls her eyes whenever I discover something obvious, but she's also there when I need help, of any kind. Of course I couldn't help it and fell in love with her, but from this our friendship grew even stronger. She taught me to drink and threw some amazing parties during our student years - some of the best years of my life. We spent great times together - trying to build a fire with toilet paper and a lighter (you had to see it), almost frozen in a cabin on New Years, bored to death at another New Years - what can I say, good times!

6.Cris - my best friend. We went to high school together, got soaking wet in a water fight with him in 9th grade (don't worry, it was summer, we dried pretty quick), sat next to each other since 10th grade, laughed in classes as hard as we could (him being always the one to get caught), then went to nursing school together (for a year), then university. He told me I helped him get out of his shell. The truth is, I also learned a very important lesson from him - never lose hope, always believe in yourself and never forget your dreams. They may not come true NOW, but when they are ready to. He used to drive me insane with all his lady-chasing days, but it paid off for him - he's married, a father and a doctor in Germany (he even tries to lure me to the bratwurst side, but I stay strong and not give in).

So these are my dear friends. I will always think of them as my stars - though I can't always see them, I know they are there! Love you all!