Moments Without Time

Change of address

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 07:50:00 +0000

The version of this site is obsolete.

The new address is:

www.mowiti.com

All's right with the world

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:53:00 +0000

When you understand, when you see, the world becomes right. We're always bothered by the problem of evil. There's a powerful story about a little boy walking along the bank of a river.

He sees a crocodile who is trapped in a net. The crocodile says, "Would you have pity on me and release me? I may look ugly, but it isn't my fault, you know. I was made this way. But whatever ...

my external appearance, I have a mother's heart. I came this morning in search of food for my young ones and got caught in this trap!" So the boy says, "Ah, if I were to help you out of that trap, you'd grab me and kill me". The crocodile asks, "Do you think I would do that to my benefactor and liberator"? So the boy is persuaded to take the net off and the crocodile grabs him. As he is being forced between the jaws of the crocodile, he says, "So this is what I get for my good actions". And the crocodile says, "Well, don't take it personally, son, this is the way the world is, this is the law of life". The boy disputes this, so the crocodile says, "Do you want to ask someone if it isn't so"?

The boy sees a bird sitting on a branch and says, "Bird, is what the crocodile says right"? The bird says, "The crocodile is right. Look at me. I was coming home one day with food for my fledglings. Imagine my horror to see a snake crawling up the tree, making straight for my nest. I was totally helpless. It kept devouring my young ones, one after the other. I kept screaming and shouting, but it was useless. The crocodile is right, this is the law of life, this is the way the world is". "See", says the crocodile. But the boy says, "Let me ask someone else". So the crocodile says, "Well, all right, go ahead". There was an old donkey passing by on the bank of the river.

"Donkey", says the boy, "this is what the crocodile says. Is the crocodile right"? The donkey says, "The crocodile is quite right. Look at me. I've worked and slaved for my master all my life and he barely gave me enough to eat. Now that I'm old and useless, he has turned me loose, and here I am wandering in the jungle, waiting for some wild beast to pounce on me and put an end to my life. The crocodile is right, this is the law of life, this is the way the world is". "See", says the crocodile. "Let's go!" The boy says, "Give me one more chance, one last chance. Let me ask one other being. Remember how good I was to you"? So the crocodile says, "All right, your last chance".

The boy sees a rabbit passing by, and he says, "Rabbit, is the crocodile right"? The rabbit sits on his haunches and says to the crocodile, "Did you say that to that boy? The crocodile says, "Yes, I did". "Wait a minute", says the rabbit. "We've got to discuss this". "Yes", says the crocodile. But the rabbit says, "How can we discuss it when you've got that boy in your mouth? Release him; he's got to take part in the discussion, too". The crocodile says, "You're a clever one, you are. The moment I release him, he'll run away". The rabbit says, "I thought you had more sense than that. If he attempted to run away, one slash of your tail would kill him". "Fair enough", says the crocodile, and he released the boy. The moment the boy is released, the rabbit says, "Run!" And the boy runs and escapes.

Then the rabbit says to the boy, "Don't you enjoy crocodile flesh? Wouldn't the people in your village like a good meal? You didn't really release that crocodile; most of his body is still caught in that net. Why don't you go to the village and bring everybody and have a banquet". That's exactly what the boy does. He goes to the village and calls all the men folk. They come with their axes and staves and spears and kill the crocodile. The boy's dog comes, too, and when the dog sees the rabbit, he gives chase, catches hold of the rabbit, and throttles him. The boy comes on the scene too late, and as he watches the rabbit die, he says, "The crocodile was right, this is the way the world is, this is the law of life".

There is no explanation you can give that would explain away all the sufferings and evil and torture and destruction and hunger in the world! You'll never explain it. You can try gamely with your formulas, religious and otherwise, but you'll never explain it. Because life is a mystery, which means your thinking mind cannot make sense out of it. For that you've got to wake up and then you'll suddenly realize that reality is not problematic, you are the problem.

Couch Surfing Meeting - Part II - Călan - The Ghost Town

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:23:00 +0000

I wish I could turn back time and change my route to Sălaşu de Sus, if I knew what sadness this road would give me. Sadness that is easily translated with disappointment. It was like passing through a war zone where everything turned to dust.

Between Simeria and Haţeg lies the remains of a great city, the heart of old Romania (pre. '89), a city that actually built Romania as we know it. What happened to it? Well, it had the same fate as everything that worked in this damn country...

This region has been inhabited since neolithic. Proof of that is in two caves where there has been found tools, pottery and animal bones. Since the Roman Empire, this place is well known for the treatments with thermal water, a place that Romans called Aquae.

Coming to modern times, the settlement became a town in 1961 and developed into a very powerful community. During the communist period here was one of the biggest steel plant in Romania. Basically, this steel built Romania. Most of the people from the region worked here and a lot of them died here. It's true, people didn't die of hunger, they couldn't complain that they didn't have work, but they had to sacrifice their lives for that. How many people died in that factory or how many are crippled still, I don't know. All I know is that the people were happy when the factory closed. And after that...the deluge.

After 1989 it started the campaign of stealing. Nothing new under the sun. That's why we are as we are. You needed something, everything is free from the former plant. And why shouldn't you steal, everybody else was doing that. Are you stupid not to try? Well, actually, people were stupid and unfortunately they still are. It is easier to destroy than to build. No one had the idea of building something good, something for the community. They all took for themselves and did nothing with it, so now, the landscape makes you cry.

All that's left is regret and a serious economic and social problem. They have their hand tied and they don't realize that they did this to themselves.

Couch Surfing Meeting - Part I - Fagaras Fortress

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:15:00 +0000

Some of you may be wondering what is Couch Surfing. You've seen the logo for quite some time in my promoting area. Couch Surfing is a non-profit network that connects travelers all over the world which can come together for cultural exchange, friendship and especially for experiences that otherwise couldn't be possible so easy.

But if you want to know more about this organization, please go to the website www.couchsurging.org. This past weekend, taking advantage of the free day (Monday) I decided to go on my first Couch Surfing meeting outside the city. I already had plans to go in the Danube Delta, but due to the rain and because some people couldn't make it, I decided to go in an instant. I found about...

the event from another CS friend from Bacau and decided to go. We've made all the arrangements but on the last moment my friend couldn't make it. He traveled in Ukraine for 3 months and now, that he was finally home, he decided to have some rest. It was fine by me. I wanted to go together, but I understood him. Probably I'd have done the same.

I left from Bacau with my brother Saturday morning at 6 o'clock traveling to Brasov, where, at 10 o'clock were supposed to meet another Couch Surfer that would join the meeting. We spoke at the phone late that night and everything was planned. But you know, most of the time, things don't work as planned. Vlad took a a student train ticket, but he forgot his Train Student ID at home. You see, here, it's not enough to be a student, you need another special ID to certify that you can buy low cost tickets. We got used to it. So, guess what, he was forced to get off the train at the next train station. But that's how it goes, you find solutions of any given situation. Who's in for hitch hiking? Of course, he was :). I had to wait for him one hour in Brasov, but this was perfect. I was a little tired and I managed to get some sleep.

Next stop...Fagaras. I passed by Fagaras a couple of times but I never stopped at the fortress. I remembered about it just in time. Apparently, Vlad didn't know about it, so it was a perfect time to visit it.I'm not going to play the National Geographic part and tell you about the history of the fortress, but I can give you a link where you can find everything you want. Here it is: WIKI.
Click HERE for all the pictures.

My first atempt in knife making

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Sun, 09 May 2010 11:41:00 +0000

I cannot say that I have a passion for knives, but I have a little collection of my own. It's a primordial feeling that cannot be describe... to have a knife. And not just for collection, but to carry one, anywhere. How many of you do carry one? I'm sure that my hands have too many fingers.

And now, it's become a fear of anyone who is carrying a knife. Even if it's a small one. Why is that? This happened in the last century. Before, everyone was carrying a knife, even women. People are looking strange when they see my Swiss Army multi-tool. I have to explain that I use it a lot at the office and in the laboratory...you know, cutting a wire, unscrewing something, lot's of stuff, even cutting wood or metal...it happened, so....

So you need a knife. No question about it.

Now, in this post I want to show you some pictures and maybe some details of a knife that I made...more or less. First of all, I need to say that this knife wasn't build initially for me, but for a good friend of mine, Karl. Karl and I met in the DRH Experience, a story that I am still about to say in later posts. Since I left the program and Karl stayed to go on a project in Mozambique I thought that it would be nice to make him a gift. Now he is probably reading this and might be a little sad, but I say he shouldn't. Nothing is lost. This week he is leaving Europe behind for 6 months and I wish him all the luck, health and happiness that he could think of.

I wanted to make him a knife. I know that he needed one...at the moment he bought one, a good one, but it's not for my taste. The story goes like this: When I truly want to do something, I do it, even though, sometimes I abandon it in the middle of the way. I searched for some good materials for a knife.

But I didn't want a stainless steel. I wanted a carbon steel. So the only one I could find at that moment was a band saw blade.It has a very good hardness, but because of that it is brittle or tenacious as we sometimes say. If you bend it too much, you may risk to have a nasty accident (and too much for it is sometimes not enough). That's why, I decided that this first knife should be just an exercise. The knife is a full tang one, being shaped after a picture I found on the internet...again, more or less. Because the material was already hardened I had to shape it on the grinding machine. The final touch was made by a professional worker, he had the skills for that.

Now, all I had to do was to put the handle. First, I needed to make two holes for the riveting. As a first material, I used a 3mm thick textile laminate (textolite). The holes were done on a spark erosion machine (EDM machine). Yes, I know... I used a Hi Tech operation but no drill could enter in the material. I should have tempered it first... but now... it's too late. Second, I used some cotton string (leftovers from the bullwhip) to cover the textolite. The final material used was 550 paracord, having aprox. 4 meters in length. You never know when you might need some cord. This is for extreme times only, of course.

I have another narrow tang blade. I will temper this one first. I want to make a wooden handle, probably from a cornel tree (Cornus mas). Let's see how I will manage this one.

Starting my own motorcycle diary

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:22:00 +0000

I have a dream, for a long, loooong time. To see the world as it is. To travel around places and meet people that are interesting. And since every person is interesting, well... maybe my aim is too far from reality :D

No, ever-since I returned form Norway I have only one thought...to begin my dream. And I'm not the kind of person that leaves unprepared. Well...maybe sometimes, but that's just because I don't know what to expect. Frankly, if something unexpected appears I tend not to have a problem with it, but deal with it victoriously. So, logically, I started to...

Prepare myself. Psychically I think I am ready, I'm just waiting for the right moment. Physically, maybe I need some work on my endurance.

I made a little plan. If all goes well, this summer I am leaving. First...we take Manhattan, then, we take Berlin, :) Hehe, no. My main concern is the transportation. I have 2 cheap ways of transport. First...hitch hiking, second...by motorcycle. It's true, the second needs more money to travel, but there are ways of earning them. About that, in another post though. This summer...Europe...mostly, the northern part. Something attracts me there.

Well, I said something about a motorcycle. I don't have one yet, but I already started to look for one. And, what's most important, I started the driving school. I now have 5 hours of riding a motorcycle. After 10 hours I can take the exam. It's strange to see others having only 3 hours and taking the exam...well, they have experience with a moped, I have only with the bicycle.

I started the school with another friend of mine.It was more like a team project, even though we aren't a team. Now I can understand the feeling of riding a motorcycle. Everyone was telling me about it. The feeling of freedom, the wind blowing through your hair, being all in one with your motorcycle, knowing that you can reach the highest peaks or cross any beach...and maybe, someone to hold you tight all time through the journey. At the moment I can say that I ride pretty well and I'm looking forward to finish the school and start my dream. Meanwhile, all I can do is to watch some pictures. :)

DRH Experience - Budapest

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:44:00 +0000

The minibus left from Cluj at exactly 22:00. For a daily route, I can say that this one was pretty crowded. I'm not (or let's say I wasn't) the person to speak with any stranger, so I kept quiet until we reached the last Romanian city, Oradea.

The driver was speaking mostly in Hungarian so I couldn't understand anything. Everybody was laughing, but I was just ... looking like a stupid cat :)). I found out that we will be arriving at 4 o'clock in the morning in Budapest and that, at the border, there shouldn't be any problems. I heard a lot of stories in the past. You never know for sure what will be. Fortunately, since we are in the UE everything is more or less normal. So...

After making two important phone calls (one at home and another at my very best friend Madalina) I tried to sleep and I actually succeeded.

Now, it didn't cross my mind that Hungary has the time with an hour less (GMT +1). So, instead of 4 o'clock, it was actually 3 o'clock. And the funny part was that the bus station opened at 6:30. Funny because I had to stay outside, in the cold, without being psychically prepared . But, I had the pleasure to meet another Romanian girl, Oana. We managed to kill the time until the bus station opened. First thing on the list...leave the baggage safe. Second, find me a place to stay for the night. I planned to sleep a night in Budapest, so...

At 8 o'clock in the morning, helped by the GPS and internet, of course, I managed to find a worker's hostel. I didn't realized that I was so early, for me was already afternoon =)). The guy from the reception was still sleeping I think :)). I managed to get a room for... 4000 forints. Pretty OK I might say.

After that...there was nothing left to do. Oana had to wait for a bus for Prague. It wasn't until 16:00, so we had time to kill together still. We started walking and walking and walking. The pictures will guide you through the city. I won't be a pilot guide for this. Not yet, anyway. One advice though. Don't wear boots while walking on asphalt. You can imagine why.

For more pictures, you can visit Budapest album on Facebook.

Unfortunately, after 16:00 I was so tired that I went to the hostel and slept till the next day. At 11 o'clock (the next day) I took a taxi from the bus station to the airport. I bargained a little with the taxi driver (I hate that), and at the end, I gave all the forints I had on me (aprox. 3200 forints). A little expensive, but after speaking with a Hungarian friend, not bad at all (300 forints/km - for a stranger, it's ok).

Next stop...Oslo, Norway.

DRH Experience - Leaving Romania Behind

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:56:00 +0000

At least, for a little while. After almost six months of waiting, the moment was finally there. 28 June 2009, date of departure. Time...early in the morning. Point of departure...Bacau. Companion...my brother and my father. Means of transport...Opel Astra Caravan. Gear...two backpacks. Total weight...30 kg.

Intermediate point...Cluj. Time of departure from Cluj...2200 hours. Time of arrival in Cluj...approx. 1800 hours. Time of waiting....4 hours (obviously). Time for wasting time... not too much. State of mind...Happy and a little nervous. State of mind of the others.... uncertain (probably restless). So...

Early in the morning, I prepared the gear, I put the GPS on the route and away we went. Of course...I didn't drive at first. My father said that I should rest. Well, I tried, but in vain. I needed to check again that they, those from the DRH, knew when I was coming. I called my promoter (Andreea - for those who know her) and I repeated again my itinerary, just to make sure.

But, it doesn't really matter all the details. I want to talk a little about something else. Well, the most important thing, unfortunately....money. First...the pocket money. I had only RONs and Euros. But I was going to Norway where they don't have euros as main currency.Where was I thinking when I changed the RONs into more Euros? Maybe I wasn't thinking at all. So in Cluj I made a big mistake. A life lesson that most of the people know about, but not me :)). I will tell you more about that in a next post.

Second, I want to say something about the cost of the transport. The final destination was in Rygge, Oslo, Norway. But of course it's final. What else could it be...that's what it means...destination..destiny, final. Stupid! But, as I was saying I had some intermediate points. First was Cluj Napoca, Romania, after Budapest, Hungary.

Bacau - Cluj Napoca, by car -50 euros (as an alternative, by train would have been 16 euros - for almost two days of travel)
Cluj Napoca - Budapest, by minibus - 16 euros (more or less)
Budapest - Rygge, by plane - 90 euros - but I got 30 euros in another flight (another post)

Total cost: 156 euros + expenses (water, food <other than that brought form home>, toilets, taxi). Some will say it's a bargain, some will say it's too much. Now, I am on the other side, of sorrow and despair :)

What do you think? Was there another way? Except hitch hiking, of course :D
This is the main objective of the post. To find the best, sorry, the optimal way to travel inside and outside the country. For those with some experience, share you knowledge to the others :)

Following Indiana Jones on a bullwhip making adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:09:00 +0000

Indiana is my childhood hero. I have always dreamed of becoming an explorer and so far, I tend to have this path in life. Unfortunately, nobody was smart enough (including me) to guide me through archaeological studies. Well, at least some historical studies.

But never mind that. This is a different story. A story about an object that Indiana had with him all the time and saved him when his life was in danger. His whip! I always wanted to have one of those, but not an imitation, like a toy, but a real thing. Always wanted but never looked for it (not on the Internet anyway). So, as this year started I searched on Google. And it was so easy to find them...and sooooo damn expensive. Suddenly my mind stumbled upon a thought. Why shouldn't I make one? And, as you've seen my last post, you can imagine what has happened...

Indiana's whip is made of leather, careful and masterful braided into the final shape. As I said, I wanted to buy one, but the prices easily go from 300 dollars to... an unlimited amount :). So the next step was to find and buy some laces of leather. It turns out that the lace is as expensive as the whip. The prices start at 50 dollars I don't know how many meters. So... for my money, and just to learn how to do one, I realized it's not worth it.

I saw whips made of paracord, which I think is the best alternative solution. But no, I gave some more thoughts and decided that paracord would be expensive too for learning. You guessed by now, as in my last post, I used cotton strings (or thin rope - aprox. 2 mm).

Now, Indian's whip has actually a name. It is called a bullwhip and it is used by the cowboys to drive the herds from one place to another. It is not used for hitting the animals, just to scare them, as they have a cracking noise when they are used. Yes, they are used also as entertainment, because of that cracking noise and...we Romanians know that when it's New Years Eve, it's nice when a friend has one. It might as well be you :P. If you are wondering why it makes a cracking noise, well, it's because the tip is "traveling" with such speed that overcomes the sound barrier. So, this is not intended as a weapon even though you can use it with success. You've seen Indiana Jones's movies. Either you use it for enemies (I can only imagine...predator animals) or to cling to a log and swing from one place to another.

BUT, before using cotton, I used some hemp strings. I bought from a workshop two coils of hemp string, each weighting 100g. I don't know exactly the length of one coil, but I can tell you , it was made out of small pieces. Bastards... The biggest strings I used had more than 10 m...because I bent them in two. The whip has a special shape, like a cone, as it's thick at the handle and getting thinner and thinner as you follow along to the tip. This shape is made in layers. Or, as whip masters call them..bellies. A good whip has at least 2 bellies. Well, a leather whip. When you're braiding with string, the shape becomes more difficult. But, no worries, I managed to make the shape with 5 bellies at this hemp one. It took me two weeks to complete, braiding more or less one hour and a half per night. For the first one, it's quite OK, and I had some days that I was too tired to do something. I started with a long braid of 5 strings (as the first layer). I started the last layer with 16 strings and ended with 8 strings. The longest string had 5 m (as I sad, I bent a 10 m one into 2 pieces) and the final length of the whip is approx. 2 m. As a handle I used a plastic pipe, 3 bellies inside the pipe and 2 outside. The cost of the materials used? Roughly 2.5 euros. The cost of the whip? Priceless.

As I was not pleased with the first one, I tried finding some leather but with no luck, so I turned to cotton. And it was a good choice. This time I had some experience and managed to make it with 3 bellies in one week. The length of the whip exceeds the first by more or less 25 cm. And again, very important...16 strings again were used, but ended with just 4. As a handle I used a stainless steel bar of 6 mm in diameter. Even though it had less bellies, the effort was pretty much the same. Now I braided approx. 2 hours a night and I managed to make some small, well hidden blisters, as the cotton is pretty hard. The cost of materials....2.5 euros (again), but this time without the stainless steel bar (which I took it for free from recycling center). The cost of the whip? Unknown yet.

As the whips looked a little strange, like there was no beginning or ending, I made some ornamental knots, turk's head knots. You already know this from my last post.

I was thinking to start a business with this...it's a shame to go to waste. What do you think?

How I braided a knife lanyard from 4 strings of cotton

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:34:00 +0000

From time to time we tend to get bored. Lately...I mean...for the past 3 months, I get bored a lot. And it's strange because I have what to do, I just don't like it so much. Partly, that's why I get bored, because I HAVE TO do things :)

And I am not that kind of person to just relax. I cannot. I have to do something else, something I like doing. And if I don't know what to do, I start to learn not useful things for this "society". I tend to make something practical. Nowadays I run from the computer as soon as I can.
As my first little project I made an lanyard, for one of my knives, out of four strings of ...

Cotton.

As a child I used to braid with 3 strings (like most others) and I found braiding with more strings very difficult and I just left it alone. It wasn't for me at that time :)). Now, that I think like a child, finally, I can "remodel" my childhood.

What will you need? First, some string. I bought 6 coils from Metro hypermarket, at a good price for these days...5 euros. You will not need it all, you'll see in my next post what I have done with the rest :) So... 4 strings of 1 m each and some basic knowledge of braiding. I made a video with this but I really didn't like it, so...I will give you some other Youtube videos to watch and learn.

First, I took the 4 strings and braided them at the middle of the length. I braided more or less 10-12 cm. After that I put the braid through the hole of the handle and bent it (the braided part) so it could form a loop. Now you have 8 strings you need to braid, in order to close the loop. I braided again, more or less 6-7 cm, it depends on you really. Make it as long or as short as you want. After that, I divided into 2 braids, each one of four strings. You can see this from the pictures.

The first Youtube video shows how to make a 4 string braid.

This second one shows how to braid 8 strings :)

And the third one shows how to end the braid with two types of knots (krown knot)

Do try it at home!

I believed I could fly. And I did

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:42:00 +0000

It's a man's dream. That's why we invented planes. To fly, not to travel long distances really, really fast. Nowadays, we forgot about our dream, but in exchange, we could be in Paris in a couple of hours. So what happened? Why did we missed our path?

Well, for one, we didn't miss it. We knew perfectly well where we were heading. We started to see all the advantages. Nobody knew with what cost these will come. So yes, I can be in Paris in two hours. But am I really flying? No, I am just sitting on a more or less comfortable chair, like I do at home or at my office, watching a beautiful landscape that spreads in front of my eyes, landscape that I could watch easily at home, on the computer or on the TV. Who's flying? The pilot. He is in charge of all our lives there because he knows...HE can fly, WE can't! So I dare you to dream...

It all started when a colleague of mine came and invited me to a flying session. It was near the city, so of course I went. Unfortunately the wind was blowing so fast that they (because there were ten people) couldn't fly. I wrote a post a whole back, on my other "sleeping" blog. I woke up, but kept dreaming.

Before my departure to Norway they organized another flight. It's true, not because of me :), it just happened, as if by luck. I knew that this was it. I had to go. I had to give it a try.

I went with a friend. At 10 o'clock in the night we arrived in Miercurea Ciuc (Romania). There is a hill named Sumuleu, where it is common that "the gliders" come and fly. It's like a tradition. Well, night, foreign places, nowhere to go, I called my colleague. He had forgotten about me :), so it took us some time to find him in the city. We were all sleeping in tents, but in the night, everyone deserves a beer after a hard day. So, we got lost a little bit. The GPS was no good :)) especially when you don't know the name of the street.

After 15 minutes of searching (and a lot of phone calls) were arrived just in time for an ice cream. I was like an alien. Everyone was talking about skyglinding, how they can do some techniques, I was thinking...boy, I'm in trouble. I just listened, and listened and laughed - mostly because I knew that the next day...I would fly alone with the paraglider. Interesting...for the first time...alone. Not what I had in mind, but hell of an experience.

That night was silent. The sky was full of stars, so I took some night shots with the city - not one clear. I slept like an old man - dead as a rock. It came as a surprise, because I knew that when I'm camping, I wake up every two hours, you know, like a baby...the natural sleep of someone who lives in the nature. It was like the silence before the storm. Fortunately, the storm was in my head, because in the morning, the sun smiled at me from far, far away.

If I wanted to fly, I would need some instructions and of course, most important, height. I was in the middle of the hill, but I arrived there by car. I had to climb a little more to have the necessary height and slope. The instructions were given to me briefly. In ten minutes I was good to go. My colleague made a demonstration, so I could watch him do it first. I had an extra 15 minutes to change my mind...but I knew somehow, I wasn't gonna. And because Murphy's laws are always there when you don't really want them, the wind started blowing in a different direction. It was not a problem, but I had to run a little to take off. I needed to maintain radio contact with my colleague to give me instructions from the ground. Well, I had a walkie talkie but all the frequencies were jammed. So, let me recap. Flying for the first time alone, with the wind blowing in a not so good direction and no communication. I was stupid of course, because I had a phone :)) but never crossed my mind to use it then. I was too excited.

I was warned that my first attempts of taking off could end in a failure, so I would have to try again and again and again. If that would happen, when I was running (it happens always then :D) , I had to stop and throw myself down. How would I know? Well, I had a voice that would yell at me :)

So, I run, and run, and run, and the paraglider was up in the air and I couldn't find any force left to go on, but I did somehow and just when I was about to finish the slope, I heard a voice that, what I thought then, was saying to stop. So I pulled the strings to brake, my back hit the ground and in an instance I was up in the air. Hmmm? What happened? I pulled the brake strings...What happeneeeeed :)) Apparently, the paraglider was in the right position and I heard wrong. The taking off was a success. But I was still trying to brake, even though I was 30 m in the air and going up pretty fast. All the way in the air I was braking. I was lucky the paraglider was especially design for school practice...so it could "forgive" a lot of mistakes. If it was a normal one, I wouldn't be writing this post right now. :) But anyway...I was in the air. Waiting to hear something on the walkie talkie. But ..all I could hear was... "blblblblblbl", which I figured out later that it meant left, and "igigig" that meant right. I heard one OK, when my arm were up and the paraglider didn't brake.

It's a strange, yet beautiful feeling. All the adrenaline is dancing inside your body. One thing was on my mind....I am flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyying, flyyyyyyyyyying :). I didn't see much though, I was looking down all the time, being afraid of...I don't know. I thought I was at a height of 30 m, but when I looked at the pictures, I realized I was higher. I had the "luck" of finding one spot of warm air. I went up vertically a meter or two in an instant. So, I was going left, going right, always braking :)) until the ground got closer, and closer...and....wow...the landing was pretty OK. I should have sat down but I came down with such a low speed that I landed on my feet.

I have too say, I was too tired (even though I didn't do much effort). My heart was pumping very fast. I wanted to go again, but I couldn't. I have this memory now, and another dream to repeat the experience again. I need to be freed.

How to wrap paracord to your walking stick

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:11:00 +0000

Two posts ago I had an image with a walking stick that had an interesting paracord wrapping. I must say that I took it from the Internet. It was perfect for the topic of the post. Alex gave me a comment where he was wondering how that paracord wrapping is made. This one below is mine :P

I know the basis so I decided to give it a try and make a video tutorial out of it. The only problem I encountered was with the video camera. There were too many shots and a video format incompatible with my laptop. The shooting took a couple of hours, the editing, a couple of days :)) What is more interesting is that I believe I actually have some experience with video editing.

But anyway, let's start making this paracord wrap...

Right form the start, I have to tell you. I didn't use paracord, but some 3 mm cotton string. It is the same technique. I didn't have too much paracord left and I think, for a demonstration, it's good anything you can find. In my first video I used 5 mm hemp string, but that was no good. It was to tough and you couldn't understand what I was doing there.

You will need:

a wooden stick - doesn't matter the length if it's just for demonstration
paracord or cotton string (2-3 mm in diameter), about 10 m long
a hook, preferably made of metal
a knife - to cut the string
patience :)

The video is in Romanian, but it's easy to understand what I'm doing with my hands :). The hardest thing to understand is how to make a Turk's Head Knot. Actually, it's not so difficult once you get it. I tried my best to explain, but if you still, don't get it, click here and watch another Youtube tutorial specialized in this.

What medical supplies should I bring?

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:47:00 +0000

As it turns out from my DRH experience, nobody cares about their medical supplies. I mean, yes, of course they have some medicine like aspirin or paracetamol, but nothing else. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I saw.

On the other hand, I was concerned about this topic since I applied to be a volunteer. I kind of surprised me, because I know that I am not worried about my health as I should be. I consider myself strong enough (medically speaking) to not worry about my day to day life. But now, when I had a new experience in front of me I just couldn't be relaxed.

And, as it turned out, gathering medical supply was not so difficult for me. I have a medical assistant that happens to be my friend, so she gave me some ideas, and of course some of the supplies. Some that was kind of difficult to get in other conditions. Let me tell you more about them...

First of all, you should know, I'm not the kind of person that brings with him only the necessary stuff for one person. I always bring for two persons. I have two metal cups, two spoons and forks, two flashlights and some others which I can't remember them right now. But when it came to make my medical kit, I just couldn't resist and took for three persons. 1/3 of my luggage was filled with medical supplies: medicine and medical equipment.
So let's start. The list is not so long, but some of the items are “crazy” to think of :). And remember, these kits were made for a long journey into the wild.

NOTE!! If you have the possibility, make a First Aid course in your local city or area. Some of the items below need extra care and knowledge.

My mini medical kit contains:

metal case, of course :)
sterile dressings
sheet plaster (it's not rolled)
sterilized surgical needled suture – nonabsorbable – don't ask me why. You should know better. What if you have an accident or something. It's good to have it with you. Be sure to know how to use it.
Sterile surgical blade – disposable, but it can be sterilized on fire.
2 ml of lidocaine hydrochloride (xilina) – do you want to feel the pain while you're sewing yourself? This one is a local anesthetic.
1 ml Adrenaline – Well, if you'll be in an unknown situation, I'm sure you'll have enough, but actually, this is for something else. To be a WIKI, this is for the anaphylactic shock, which is a brutal allergic reaction to your body, triggered by multiple factors and occurs in a few minutes after coming into contact with allergenic substances. If we don't act in time,the anaphylactic shock is life-threatening for the affected person. So, it's good to have it with you.
Syringe – for the anesthetic and adrenaline. The only inconvenience is that you need to use it for only one of them. Even though is only you who uses the needle, you need to sterilize it first if you want to use it again. BUT anyway, if there is an emergency, I would use it as is.
3 ml Disinfectant – a little spray bottle. Well, no explanation needed.
Medicine: 2 aspirins, 2 x pain killers: Aulin – very strong, perfect for toothache, Gastrocalm – for a stomachache, Ibuprofen – general pain killer, paracetamol, 2 x amoxicillin – a good antibiotic.

My bigger version of my mini medical kit contains:

Well, all of those above of course without the medicine, plus...
one non-sterile latex glove
a disposable scalpel
sterilized surgical needled suture – absorbable in time
10 ml disinfectant – spray
bandage - different from the sterile dressings, in case I need to tie a wound or something else – 20 m roll
1 hemostat or hemostatic clamp – shouldn't be missed from a First Aid Kit
4 patches (plasters) – 2 x (7.2cm x 5 cm) and 2 x (10 cm x 8 cm)
1 condom – NOT used for sexual reasons :)

I also have another metal case with the medicine mentioned above, but in higher quantity. I hate pain so I have a lot of pain killers. Used correctly, there shouldn't be any problems.

These are only in two kits, and intended to be used by me or by others on me :)) in case something happens.I said at the beginning that I always think of others. Don't imagine 3 times what I just described, but I have (had) extra bandages, plasters, syringes, lidocaine hydrochloride, adrenalin and more pain killers.

It's true that in Norway I only used some plasters and some pain killers, but for others. I didn't needed anything. But as I said, the medical kits are (were) for a 2 year long journey in an unknown wilderness (Africa and India). Chances are that you will not need all of these, but what if?

I'm a volunteer. Do I need any gear? Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:10:00 +0000

For most of you, my last article wasn’t something new. Everyone who likes to travel already has this equipment, more or less adjusted to their own needs. But I wonder, do you have any idea what else you need to survive, or let’s say self-sustain, in an unpredictable situation? And remember, you intend to be a volunteer. You don’t know what places you will be in.

I was very surprised when, in Norway, my colleagues were “enlightened” about my gear.They all felt the need of having them. They suddenly felt unsecured and not ready to go into the projects. After all, Norway, or in general Europe, is not like Africa or India. You must be ready for anything. Don’t expect others to help, even though they might. Be prepared to help others, because hey, that’s why you’re a volunteer. But I will speak about this volunteer thing in a later post. For now, let me start with the next items that you might be thinking of taking with you.

1. A versatile multi-tool, something that can easily be put in your pocket or hanged by the belt. You might need a blade (preferably lockable), a can opener, a bottle opener, wood saw, screw driver, a corkscrew (especially if you intend to drink some wine) and pliers. I said you MIGHT need. I used everything in this list, and even more.

So, searching the web I stumbled upon this little guy, a VictorInox Do-It-Yourself WorkChamp Multi-tool. To find something in your country, it’s better if you check the official Swiss Army Knives website. It’s a must have, but not necessarily this one or from the same manufacturer. I chose this because I intend to have it for a long time, and the quality is unquestionable.

2. A survival knife. The blade that you have on your multi-tool is not enough. You must know that. You need a simple knife made from a quality material, something that fits your hands. When you decide to buy one, read some reviews about that knife. If it’s possible test it (if you have a local shop). I personally bought a very simple and cheap one, but still, a very good knife, Cold Steel Bushman. I was amazed after I saw some Youtube Videos, so I had to take it. It’s wonderful, a 3 in 1 tool. You can use it as a knife, of course, but as important as that, you can use it as a spear, because the handle is hollow and, why not, as an axe. It comes with a sheath that has a side pocket in which I put a FireStarter.

3. A FireStarter. Well, you might say it is for comfort, if you have matches or a lighter… that should be enough. But still, what happens if it rains…the matches will be wet (but you can find some waterproof matches over the web, or even make yourself some). The lighter cannot be trusted if you are a smoker. It wares up pretty fast; this is in case you don’t lose it first.

No, for my needs, I bought two fire starters: one, a Swedish FireSteel, which I keep in my survival kit and another one, a Magnesium Fire Starting Tool, which is on my knife sheaths pocket. You can read some information on them if you click the links.

By the way, both the knife and the Magnesium fire starter I bought from www.arcuri-cutite.ro, a Romanian site specialized in selling bows and knives.

4. Paracord. Believe it or not, you can do a lot of things with this one. At first sight you might think you won’t need it, but really, the experienced ones know, here’s another item you shouldn’t leave home without. The first thing that pops into my mind is tying. You always need to tie something together. And sometimes, an ordinary string isn’t enough. I know, I am imagining that you might build a tree house or something like that, and you might think that I am a little crazy. But you never know what will be. You know from the stories of others that everything will be fine. But it doesn’t hurt to have it with you. For instance, I secured my luggage with it. It comes in handy to know how to make basic knots. I had a presentation back in Norway about the 10 most important knots that you might need in a survival situation. You can find over the web these knots, but anyway, I will discuss them in a later post. You can find paracord on Ebay.

In the picture below, I made the fire by using my blade form the multi-tool and the fire starter without using the magnesium. The weather was nice. At one o'clock in the morning, you could still see the sunset (it was at the beginning of July). But with all this, it was a little tricky. The problem was that the wood was wet. Norwegian mountains have these strange swampy grounds. For tinder, I used the bark on the trees, which is very flammable because of the resin.

Optional gear:

5. Foldable wood saw. I had one with me which I never got the chance to use. Why? I already had one wood saw on my multi-tool which was all the time in my pocket.

6. Axe. If you intend to make a long survival trip, then take one. I bought a cheap one, so cheap that I threw it away :) And, at the end, I didn’t need it. I had my survival knife just in case.

…To be continued…

I'm a volunteer. Do I need any gear? Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:15:00 +0000

Well, that’s an interesting question, am I right? Hmm, what kind of clothes should I bring on my experience? Well, not me, you! I already know what I took and what I failed to take. I also know what I shouldn’t have taken. But there’s nothing to fear. I have some hints for you. I’m not saying I am an expert (far from it) but really, you don’t need an expert for such things. Everything is subjective, so you should welcome anyone who can give you some guidelines. It helps.

During the years I tried, I really tried, to come up with a gear that fit my needs. Sadly, I’m still searching for better ways. You see, it’s important to have a complete gear, but still, you have to take into consideration the weight, because boy, it’s heavy!

So, let’s start.

First of all, you need a backpack. My option went with a 75+ L, Pinguin Explorer. I can easily put 85 L but remember, the bigger, the heavier will be.

It has a side zipper for easy access, two lateral pockets and is quite accessorized. I bought it from a Romanian site, but you should probably find it anywhere, if you search on Google.

Now, the following items are not necessarily in the order of importance.

Sleeping bag. You can’t leave home without one. If you ask me why, well, think of the unthinkable, or let’s say…unpredictable. This is a must take! I tried to find something small, but still with a comfortable zone under zero degrees and cheap. I settled for a Lafuma Patrol Light (Extreme -10 C). Yes, the comfort zone is +5 degrees, but hey…1.1 kg :) with a 17 cm diameter bag. This one is very small for a 3 season sleeping bag. And that’s exactly what I was aiming for. I bought it from the same Romanian site. (I am a good customer :))
A Tent or Hammock. I don’t know, this depends on the taste. I personally like the Hammock. Anywhere you find two close trees, you’re good to go. You don’t need to find a plain terrain; you don’t care how hard the soil is and it is very easy to do and undo. These are just some advantages. That’s why I decided to take a hammock. I have to repeat, this is personal and one should not listen to me, but their needs. I must admit, I wasn’t searching for one, but one of my friends wrote an article about his new hammock and I just had to take it (it’s in Romanian!). And I must say that I didn’t buy it. It was given to me in exchange for some services. You can find it at http://www.ddhammocks.com/

This was my first attempt. My brother helped me :). Actually, you don’t need any help, but he insisted and I tried to be a good brother.

Here are some characteristics (you can read more on the website):

· Two waterproof base layers, so in case you need it and have no trees, you can easily put it on the ground even when it’s raining. Also, you can put a mattress between the layers for better insulation and comfort.

· Fine Mosquito netting – I don’t need to explain you what it is for :)

· It can hold up to 150 Kg. TESTED. We slept two persons in it and it was very nice.

· It weights aprox. 1.2 Kg , webbing included

Tarp, or known by others as tent sheet. Not much to say about this. It’s the lightest roof you ever had. It weighs about 650 g and you cannot sleep in a hammock without this over your head. Well, you can sleep, but on good weather only. You can find it on the same website as the hammock.
Mattress. You’re not expecting to sleep on the ground, or in the air, without having some sort of insulation underneath you, are you? I had to decide quickly and smart. I had only a couple of days before leaving. You can choose a classic one, like an isoprene mattress. But this tends to be big in volume. It’s light, but still… I decided to go with a self-inflating mattress. It has half the length of a classic one and 3 cm thick. I must say, it is very comfortable and light. It is true that there might be accidents and it can be pierced, but it comes with a repair kit. You must be careful a little. I bought it from the same website as the backpack.

…to be continued…

Websites:

bushcraft-romania.blogspot.com

www.mormota.ro

www.ddhammocks.com

An Interesting Encounter At the Turda Gorges

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:35:00 +0000

It always happens when you are on a trip; you meet interesting people that attract your attention, and in combination with the landscape, you'll know that yours will be an unforgettable weekend. This happened to me while I was in Turda Gorges visiting a cousin.

On the 1^st of May, being the Labor Day, I told myself that I needed a holiday far, far away from the city. So I took the invitation from my cousin and paid her a visit. Fortunately for me, she was already having some plans with her colleagues from school and some students. One colleague is a sports professor and took the handball team of the school on a small trip. Sleeping outside for a night near the Turda Gorges is quite relaxing and takes your mind from everyday problems.

I arrived there after lunch, but that was no problem, I didn’t need anything to eat. I was too excited to meet the new people. While placing my tent, I had some problems with one of the tent sticks. It broke exactly at the middle and now we couldn’t stay inside. Well, I had no fear. I took out my Swiss army multitool, a VictorInox Workchamp and after a few sawing and cutting and placing into position the tent was standing perfectly. Did I mention that everybody lost hope when they saw the happening? The night came fast. The people were dancing and making jokes or theatre plays. I laughed a lot at a joke concerning Romanian and Hungarians :). But unfortunately the music played a big role there, and since it was “Manele”, I had to get the hell out of there. So I started the thing I like best; making a fire.

Well, let’s say it was supposed to be a camp fire, almost 2 meters in height but there wasn’t enough wood for that. It didn’t matter anyway. It was enough that I managed to gather the people around fire.

The point was to tell horror stories, you know, as everyone will do when they are in the wild. Just to have problems sleeping in the night. And guess who had the first story; the new guy of course. I was talking about my experiences with a bear, when I was up on the mountains (they couldn’t believe me until they saw the marks the bear left on my tent) and about a ghost bride near a lake nearby. I had my time of fear when one of the professors started talking about men turning into werewolves. You know, when he says that he saw them with his own eyes and when he has this story telling gift, you can’t help wondering, even if you know that all is fiction. :)
I’d probably tell you know something about the Turda Gorges, maybe you plan visiting some day.

Turda Gorges are a protected natural reserve, situated at a distance of 6 km west of Turda, along the valley Hasdate. Its length is 2900 m and the height of walls is up to 300 m. The Gorges have an area of 125 ha and were formed by erosion of Jurassic limestone rock by the river Hasdate.

Turda Gorges offer a karst landscape of rare wild: steep and high cliffs, sharp crests, stone towers, rocky dells, debris, arcades, etc. It contains over 1,000 species of plants and animals, some representing rare items, like wild garlic and rock golden eagle. Turda Gorges hold about 60 caves, niches and archways (remains of collapsed caves), almost all small (only 8 over 20 meters long, the largest reaching 120 m). The second day we started walking to the highest place in the gorges; a group of 8 people, 6 of them students in the handball team. The mood was a little bit cold. Nobody knew me very well and I was in charge of the “expedition”. We started taking some photos while we were climbing and we started to talk on different subjects.

Our goal was to rich the big metal cross on the top of the gorges. When we arrived there we noticed that the road is not so accessible so I had the idea to make a photo session. You know, just to take their minds off going to the cross. During this time, like an hour or two, several people crossed nearby and went to the cross. That’s when we decided that we should go there. In fact, that was the point of expedition. It would have been like an unfinished task and everybody would have been thinking about this for a long time. The road was not as difficult as it first seemed. On our way we found a lot of beetles on the beech trees, being their season.

I leave you enjoy some of the pictures I took then. CLICK HERE

A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:09:00 +0000

One would think that this must be crazy. I didn’t even read the article on <Bestjobs> and I was already making plans. Well, that’s me. If I like an idea, I can’t help imagining it becoming real. I can dream, can’t I? And others would say that this was too easy. If I wanted in this kind of project, I would have looked for it myself.

Well, not necessarily, I didn’t really have a good reason to search until then. I liked teaching (I still do), working with people, I liked the mood from the school (I still do) and I had someone with whom I could share my experience. These were enough reasons to quench my thirst for adventure, but unfortunately, there was more. Something happened. I could see clearly the reality I was in. I don’t want to repeat myself, but I really have a low tolerance level for stupid people and I don’t quite like authority, especially when it’s a dumb one.

And this doesn’t contradict my career as a professor. I like teaching, but I hate repeating the same thing over and over again to the same person. It's normal to say the same thing, but to another group of people, right? And even the atmosphere was getting a little strange. I don’t want to comment upon this right now. As for my private life…well, that was easy. There wasn’t any at that moment. Lucky me ;) I cannot live with someone that most of the time understands a different meaning of what I am saying.

So, as I was saying, I sent an email to the contact person in Norway. She answered after a few days, because she had been away from the computer all that time. She sent me all the official information that I needed to understand the idea behind the project. And of course we talked more over messenger. She was Madalina, my first promotion officer :).

She invited me to a meeting in Bucharest to talk more about the details. I think there were almost 30 people interested in the project. I already wrote about this event in my first blog. HERE is the LINK.

I know, this is written in Romanian. Some of you may not understand. But please, try using Google translate. It won't be a perfect translation but you’ll get the idea.

What I didn’t say in that article is that I had decided before the meeting that I would join. It was just the time of enrollment, but I couldn’t leave in the middle of the semester. I had to finish the classes and give the exams to the students.

The beginning

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:58:00 +0000

Now, it sometimes happens that you find yourself surrounded by good ideas. And they are not necessarily yours. And one of these ideas can strike you at a party, while having a glass of beer--or, better, wine--or even watching a good movie. Someone always says something worthwhile.

In my case, I can say it was a series of fortunate events. While looking for good movies on the Internet, I stumbled upon two interesting documentaries. Well, sort of… Zeitgeist and Zeitgeist – Addendum. I won’t say much about them, just if interested, watch them! And you don’t have to believe everything it is said there. Just watch with an open mind. I have to say that they influenced me in some sort. Let’s just say my eyes were opened for this kind of subject, at least for a while...

It was in this time that everything changed. I found another realistic documentary, Religulous, made by non other than Bill Maher. Maybe you’ve heard of him. I think I have seen this movie more than 5 times. I told my friends and watched it with them, too.

One day, which became night eventually, my friend Lucian came to me with some matter we had to solve. I can't recall what is was about. Maybe he will help me remember. Lucian, comment on this! We saw the movie; I already knew all the best parts :) and pointed them out to him. After that we started to talk about ….everything.

We even talked about this Theory of Everything, a new order of the Universe, wonderfully called The Elegant Universe. Take a look! It won’t hurt you.

Suddenly my friend asks me: “Have you looked on <Bestjobs>?”, “No, why should I. I have a good job and I don’t think I need something else.” But he knew what I wanted. And that was not a job, but an adventure. The last place you’d search, he searched it. Only luck took him there, or…I don’t know.

And then, he told me everything, about the advertisement on Bestjobs and about the DRH project. As he was telling me this, my mouth stayed open. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing (so, this is no bullshit, the mouth and ears are communicating, like biology teaches us). Immediately I realized that I have to do this. No second thoughts, no anything. I started to daydream but my mind kept wandering to the beautiful Norway, Africa and India :)

That night the future seemed brighter.

First Touch

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:29:00 +0000

This is a sort of motivation paper which I had to write to the teacher who was taking care of us, Gordon. I will start with the middle, just because now I can make a lucid and somehow objective answer.

Why I joined this program

In life, I always knew what I didn’t want. It was very difficult for me to say what I really want. But lately in life it’s becoming more clear my path I have to take.

I follow a motto: “Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”. It is not always easy to understand these lines from the first time someone’s reading it.

Apparently, all my life I have done what the motto says, but just for the past 5 years I realized this.

I must admit. Although it has its advantages, there is still a big disadvantage that I can think of. I tend to start things without finishing them. I am aware that I am not the only one that does this. Most likely, the majority of people do this every second. But I’m trying not to be a part of this majority.

I have two latest achievements which I am really proud of.

One, I am a professors assistant at the University. It doesn’t matter which one. This is not a dream of a young child, but an old one. :) I like the environment I am living in, I like the people and I like to work with people that want to do something good for all of us. I like when people come to me to ask for my help. I like intelligent people (even when they don’t know they are). I hate people who are pointing without knowledge. I hate liars and misleading persons. But most of all I hate stupid supreme authority.

My second achievement is to follow this program. And now, I think it’s time to get more into it.

For a while I had this crazy thought (crazy for others) to be part of a non-governmental organization that is not my own. I already started planning and papers for my own organization.

When I first read the article about DRH I instantly said YES. I never thought for one second not to participate. I am only sad that my friend who gave me this to read doesn’t have the strength to take a similar step.

Motives of enrollment:

different challenge from life (something was missing – now I really don’t fill this)
my dream is to see the world and help others in need. This is a childhood dream. To mean something for someone (besides my future family).
I have experiences of life that are needed in the program.
I am into self- sustaining and wilderness survival
A good way to escape money dependency – but I don’t feel this anymore. I am a little disappointed. I was running form the persons that wanted money more and more and more. Apparently, here is the same. Nothing has changed.

One Man's Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:40:00 +0000

I always hated the beginnings. You don't know what to write, and when you do, you have too many thoughts in your mind to be able to say the main idea.

Well, here it is my beginning.
A lot of people were expecting this blog. Many may not know this yet, but they'll soon find out if there is so.

I know that most of us would say that traveling is one of our hobbies. But from this "most", how many actually do it?

Well, a few months ago I chose my path for at least one year and a half and that is to become a traveler. :). I know, it’s a nice way to say it, but actually…

See you on the trail

I am to become a Development Instructor in a unique international program of Den Reisende Høgskole (DRH), Norway. This stands for The Travelers School, a school that concentrates on Education for Global Development.

This blog will help me create a trail so that anybody who wants will find life signs and information about the school, the program, survival techniques and maybe, just maybe, language practice.

Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:04:00 +0000

The photos will be updated once a week or depending on the events. The albums are uploaded on Facebook.

29 June 2009 - Budapest	Hornsjo - the beginning	A night on the island
Sketches of Oslo	House of Sweden	Days of Leafleting
Bohus Fortress	Stand-up Comedy Night	Geringer Fjord
West Coast	Alesund	Trollhattan
Skygliding

Contact

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Contact Form - so you don't forget your idea

CV

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:44:00 +0000

The CV is updating as it goes, so this is my professional life so far.

Updated sept. 2009

Europass

Curriculum Vitae

Personal information

First name(s) / Surname(s)

Bogdan – Ionut Ganea

Address(es)

Not relevant

Telephone(s)

004 (0) 768 996.776

Nationality

Romanian

Date of birth

11.09.1982

Desired employment / Occupational field

Univ. prof. assistant

Work experience

Dates

October 2006 onwards

Occupation or position held

Professor’s assistant

Main activities and responsibilities

Student coordination

Practical lab activities for: Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing, Database Systems and Production Systems

Teaching the 7^th module of ECDL

Name and address of employer

University of Bacau, Faculty of Engineering, Marasesti Str. No. 157, Bacau, Romania; http://www.ub.ro

Type of business or sector

Education / Research

Dates

July 2006 – August 2006

Occupation or position held

Web designer

Main activities and responsibilities

Webpage creation

Name and address of employer

SC Gepex SRL, 9 Mai Str., no. 88, Bacau, Romania

Type of business or sector

Dates

November 2005 – June 2006

Occupation or position held

Oracle Database Referent for Technical Support

Main activities and responsibilities

Correcting errors that appeared in the system

Training for the company members (billing operators)

Name and address of employer

SC Walcris Distribution SRL, Bd. Unirii, no. 3, Bacau, Romania

Type of business or sector

Distribution in Moldova for Murfatlar

Dates

September 2004 – October 2005

Occupation or position held

Invoice operator, Cashier

Main activities and responsibilities

Cashier activities, invoicing

Name and address of employer

SC Walcris Distribution SRL, Bd. Unirii, no. 3, Bacau, Romania

Type of business or sector

Distribution in Moldova for Murfatlar

Education and training

Dates

2007 onwards

Title of qualification awarded

PhD student in the Industrial Engineering field (suspended for 2 years, starting 2009)

Principal subjects/occupational skills covered

Thesis: “Theoretical and Experimental Contributions Concerning the Optimization of Micro-cutting Processes”

Name and type of organisation providing education and training

University of Bacau, Faculty of Engineering, Marasesti Str. No. 157, Bacau, Romania; http://www.ub.ro

Dates

2006 - 2008

Title of qualification awarded

Master in “Process and Manufacturing Equipments Optimization of the Industrial Products”

Name and type of organisation providing education and training

University of Bacau, Faculty of Engineering, Marasesti Str. No. 157, Bacau, Romania; http://www.ub.ro

Level in national or international classification

Master

Dates

2001-2006

Title of qualification awarded

Engineer in the Industrial Field

Principal subjects/occupational skills covered

Machine Manufacturing

Computer Aided Design

Computer Aided Manufacturing

Production Systems

Quality Control

Name and type of organisation providing education and training

University of Bacau, Faculty of Engineering, Marasesti Str. No. 157, Bacau, Romania; http://www.ub.ro

Personal skills and competences

Mother tongue(s)

romanian

Other language(s)

Self-assessment

Understanding

Speaking

Writing

European level (*)

Listening

Reading

Spoken interaction

Spoken production

English

Proficient User

Spanish

Independent User

(*) Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Social skills and competences

Team Work – I have worked in various research teams during the past 3 years

Adaptability to the work environment

Technical skills and competences

- 2^nd prize at the National Contest for Computer Aided Design Using Autocad 2D, Timisoara, 2003

- TeamCenter User

- Tecnomatix Plant Simulation User

- CAD, CAM user

Computer skills and competences

ECDL Examinator (European Computer Driving Licence)

Very good competences using CAD Software (SolidEdge^TM, SolidWorks^TM, AutoCAD^TM)

Good skills using Web design applications (Adobe Flash Pro 8, Adobe Dreamweaver, MySQL, PHP)

Very good skills using photo manipulation software (Adobe Photoshop)

Artistic skills and competences

I graduated Art School, Piano Section

Driving licence

I am a holder of a Romanian drivers licence. Category B vehicle since 2001.

Additional information

Specializations and time abroad:

- February 2004 – June 2004: Erasmus Socrates scholarship, Valladolid, Spain

- 19 – 30 April 2007: Intensive Socrates course “Applications in Modern Automotive Engineering”, University of Applied Science, Stralsund, Germany

Specializations in Romania:

- May 2007: Intensive course in using Siemens PLM NX CAM software for computer aided manufacturing, Ada Computers, Bucharest

- December 2007: Intensive course in using Siemens PLM Teamcenter for integrated engineering of products and processes, Faculty of Engineering “Herman Oberth”, Sibiu

- May 2008: Intensive course “Tecnomatix Plant Simulation” for simulating production lines, Faculty of Engineering “Herman Oberth”, Sibiu

Thank you page

noreply@blogger.com (Another Partisan) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Thank you for taking your time to contact me. I will send a reply as soon as possible (sometimes after a few days). So please, DO be patient.

By now, you should have received a copy of your message in your mailbox.

Sincerely,
A.P.