A Bohemian Court

The Timeless Transylvania of my Heart and Soul

2011-11-30T19:36:00.000-05:00

A Wandering Weaving Shuttle

2011-09-29T00:00:00.001-04:00

An antique shuttle from Țara Făgărașului (the name of the land near the Carpathians that covers part of the area of Brașov County in Romania), has been traveling for some time over meridians, connecting them by an invisible thread. It is the weaving shuttle of “mama Ruța” from Mândra, and you can find its story by clicking here. (Use Google Chrome for an almost instant translation).

The citadel of Făgăraș, Brașov County, Romania

I have been honored to be the shuttle’s host for a while, proud that it comes from my mother’s birth place, especially since my own maternal grandmother, “mama Maria” from Vad, Șercaia Parish, used to weave yards and yards of rugs, blankets and all kind of wondrous cloths. I don’t remember her shuttles, just her loom, which used to fascinate me. Holding mama Ruța’s shuttle, I felt the same thread connecting me to the amazing guild of the weavers from Țara Făgărașului, and I realized that this guiding thread was always there, weaving a fabulous tapestry in my spirit; the details of this tapestry were just beginning to reveal themselves…

First, I took the shuttle to the Wesselényi castle in Jibou, my native town, where I happened to be for a few days in August. The former park of one of the most beautiful Renaissance castles in Transylvania has been functioning since 1968 as a Botanic Garden and it harbors the Biological Research Centre.

Then, with the loom shuttle in my purse, like an unmistakable identity sign, I returned to the metropolis that I call home since 2008: New York!

And here is the antique shuttle enjoying views of the East Coast megalopolis:

watching Manhattan’s skyline from across the Hudson and from Liberty Park, towards Lady Liberty,

and taking a stroll through Central Park.

I must admit I cheated on this one – I took this picture at an art opening that featured photography from New York.

The shuttle’s next destination? Not just one, but a whole bunch of them, in an extended world tour, beginning October 14! You too can request the shuttle by writing to the email address provided on its blog. It is a magic traveling shuttle, carrying a spark from the sprit of mama Ruța from Mândra, Romania, the relentless weaver who wanted so much to see the world. Host it for a while, and you will realize that by doing so, you are strengthening the warp of one of the world’s oldest and most mysterious tapestries…

Old Loves, Eternal Loves

2011-07-06T17:39:00.000-04:00

Follow me on Grooveshark.com for more melodic beauty.

Tourism Cares Invites Letters of Inquiry for Worldwide Grants Program | PND | Foundation Center

2011-06-06T16:16:00.000-04:00

Tourism Cares Invites Letters of Inquiry for Worldwide Grants Program | PND | Foundation Center

May 22, The International Day of Biodiversity

2011-05-22T02:35:00.001-04:00

Video message by Edward Norton, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for biodiversity on the occasion of the global launch of the International Year of Forests 2011.
The global launch of the International Year of Forests 2011 has been held in conjunction with the High-Level Segment of the ninth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests.

International Year of Forests 2011 website.

World Day for Cultural Diversity

2011-05-20T23:02:00.001-04:00

A subject that always stirs my interest and activism. Accused during my teenage years in communist Romania of being “too cosmopolitan” and interrogated by the overly nationalistic authorities, as a consequence, at the age of seventeen, I can say I have been keeping a very keen interest in other cultures than mine for all of my adult life.

I was looking with a pleased smile over the suggestions of the UNESCO Facebook campaign “Do One Thing For Diversity and Inclusion” for this day – pleased because I have checked almost all those thought starters for individuals.

It’s no wonder to me that destiny has led me live in one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods that I have ever encountered. Jersey City, at least its downtown, where my home is, not only has that refreshing urban variety that I have always favored, but it is also amazingly tolerant and peaceful. (Maybe I shouldn’t say amazingly, but unfortunately tolerance seems not to be yet the working norm in the world). I have no doubt that this harmonious patchwork of cultures has a lot to do with the fact that the place has become a thriving hub for a lot of free-spirited, creative people attracted by the affordability of living in a place so close to Manhattan.

I can only hope that more and more neighborhoods in the US and the world will become just as welcoming and peaceful.

What Makes You Tick?

2011-05-06T11:36:00.001-04:00

…was the prompt that showed up on my visual journal page for today. Then I started drawing random shapes and writing quickly what I saw in them. And these were my answers: arabesques, coat of arms, colorful gems, mozzarella and basil, hand-made slippers, grey stones, upholstered chairs, papyrus scrolls, artwork, doodles, exuberance, yarn, heirloom yarn, vintage everything, heirloom everything!

So, what makes YOU tick today?

The Latest

2011-03-16T23:42:00.002-04:00

I have been invited to participate in the eyeJAZZ training session that will begin tomorrow, March 17 2011. I am supposed to post my videos online, so be warned.

Why Jazz?

2011-01-25T22:22:00.000-05:00

In short, because it is a lifelong love story.

In (life)long…

Music was not viewed as a suitable career in my small town bourgeois intellectual family in communist Romania. We had enough difficulties as it was. However, music, and especially jazz, has been a constant presence in my home ever since I was born. My parents were avid jazz record collectors, so, naturally, I grew up listening to jazz on a regular basis. During elementary school I took up private guitar lessons and later I taught myself to play piano, accordion and harmonica. Encouraged by my father, who is a writer, I was publishing poetry, book and music reviews in national literary magazines. However, I followed a career in science. This was due to my mother, who one day brought home a microscope borrowed from a science teacher colleague; what can I say: as a standard nine year old nerd, I was hooked.

During my teen years I started my own record collection - naturally, a lot of rock, at first. But the fascination for jazz was still present, somewhere in the back of my exploration-starved mind. Jazz was comforting. Jazz was home. My room may have been blasting hard rock, but I also had to regularly play my favorite old record: a seventies jazz-rock compilation.

After I graduated, I had the chance to substitute as a junior-high music teacher for a while, in a suburb. I cannot forget the amazement of those kids, faced with the sudden obligation of copying scores, learning music theory and sight-singing, instead of repeating the same old popular songs every time.

During that time, I began focusing mainly on jazz and contemporary classical music. It was the dawning of the internet era, so I soon started a jazz blog, initially called Jazzy Eliza’s Wor(l)d, later Hector’s Lounge, and an online jazz appreciation show at an underground radio station. Though short lived, that radio show, called Jazz Tuning, threw me directly into the realm of jazz journalism and music production. I was editing audio, I created my own jingles, I was communicating live with my audience - the works.

As I was covering each and every jazz festival and concert in the area, I eventually began collaborating with an American jazz musician (who has meanwhile become my husband), first as a promoter, then as a tour manager, as well. I produced a jazz CD. I relocated to the US. I started my own label. I managed two radio promotion campaigns and their follow-ups. I further developed my audio editing skills. Since then, we released a few jazz singles, in preparation of a big music project…

Lately I’ve been delving into animation and video editing. Mostly Corel Painter and Final Cut Pro. As a trained visual artist with a background in mass media, it was inevitable.

So what’s next?

Well, wouldn’t you like to know…

...And This Is How It Begins

2010-12-14T23:03:00.002-05:00

Why fear oblivion,

when it can harbor unutterable beauty?

Fallen angels walk among us,

trying to remember heaven,

striving to recreate it

here on Earth,

from veiled fragments

of a long lost memory...

They had to forget it;

or else how could they climb again

Jacob’s ladder

one

step

time?

Our Newest Label Artist

2010-11-01T03:21:00.003-04:00

We have the joy and privilege of representing Argentinian tango singer Gabriela Alarcón. There's a free mp3 download, as well as exclusive streaming for her subscribing fans. Enjoy!

Zentangle I

2010-10-09T20:00:00.001-04:00

Zentangle I, originally uploaded by soranatarmu.

Free track downloads available exclusively for our newsletter subscribers

2010-09-25T22:25:00.005-04:00

For your exclusive download click here. Thank you!

Story of Our Life

2010-07-14T23:21:00.000-04:00

Jazz Camp in Romania

2010-06-22T19:02:00.002-04:00

The DIY Beauty Recipes - Avocados

2010-06-12T23:37:00.003-04:00

Something I was planning for a while now - starting a DIY-for-the-girl-on-the-run- beauty-solutions series.
Who am I to share these – let’s just say that I started cooking when I was eleven – that is almost thirty years experience. Around the same age I started reading my mom’s collection of beauty books, and also trying on whatever I found useful for my skin type. That makes more then twenty years of continuous experience in natural cosmetics – more than I can say about any other current activity of mine…
A few years ago I was telling my friend Ana that my cosmetic shelf is in my refrigerator. She didn’t quite get it at that time – she is the kind of person who lived on the country side but uses the most conveniently artificial ingredients… Nevertheless, I still care for her… :P

Not only that I am in favor of all foods as close to the raw state as possible – without being a fanatic, though – but after years of using supermarket products I developed intolerances that conducted me to my current cosmetic kit – pure oils and flower extracts. Of course, when it comes to make-up - the more mineral, the better.
Fantastic in salads (whoever avoids them for diet reasons should first drop the chips, candy and ice cream they can’t live without), avocados are an equal blessing as cosmetics. You don’t have to sacrifice them as food, though. Just use the peels of a very ripe one as a leave-in-two-in-one make-up remover and moisturizer. I use them when I take a shower because I like to use them as a hair conditioner, too. After I rub the inside of the peel onto my face, neck and décolleté, I massage them, rinsing the excess in the same time. The face remains hydrated, tender and fresh; just use an optional mist of rosewater afterwards and you’re good to go.
You can find more elaborate DIY beauty recipes with avocado here.

About the many uses of rosewater, in a future post.