Simple living

For the last 3 -4 months I've been working with ViitorPlus (FuturePlus) a sustainable development NGO, work that I really really enjoyed, work that brought me closer to issues that I wanted to understand better in Romania like Recycling, Climate change or other environmental issues.

I had also the first get away from Bucharest - with ViitorPlus this weekend, in a really fantastic way. We had our meeting together with another sustainable development NGO in Sighisoara
Romania. Sighisoara Durabila (Sustainable Sighisoara) is an NGO oriented towards sustainable urbanism, climate change, environment in the area and surroundings of the town.
It was great to meet like minded people, to see that there are other people in differeent parts of the country that think in the same way and try to make a difference in their environment based on their values.

Thanks to Sherry and Hans ( 2 of our hosts) we experienced a different style of lifving, a bit more sustainable, creative and bio. From eating healthy food(from an ecological farm) to having common sessions on climate change, to I enjoyed every minute of my time there.

As well I got to know the "couchsurfing" concept and a very romantic story about how an american woman and a german-romanian guy met and are living together now in Sighisoara :) through this concept. You basically travel the world and live in ppl houses and on ppls couches. Quite simple and free.

Africa in my soul

The only things that make me thick lately are comprised around 2 subjects: Africa and development.
Separated or integrated they the subjects that make me search for more, make me hungry of more and of departure on another continent.
I realize I will still study abroad, and I will still have a "european" career - but I will deceive myself if I won't give response to this powerful urge of mine of visiting and living on the black continent.

My project and my intuition of learning more on Africa is getting bigger every day...I learn new things I connect new things, and I want to get there...

But as I promised myself, I'll finish my master degree and then go there.
Development as field is very wide and I lack the people to introduce me to it. I search and search and get tired, but I won't give up, not yet.

Two of my friends who passed by to say hi in Bucharest (both are from Timisoara) told me incredible and exciting stories about Africa. One was in Rwanda and the other is going in 2 weeks in Zimbabwe at Kufunda project.

I need to...

A romanian movie...one of the best that i've seen

If you want to understand Romanian humor, and how some things seem to work in this country - illogical somehow, if you want to understand the romanian unwritten rules ...California dreamin(endless) is the movie to watch.

The movie it's a comedy and a drama at the same time and seem to explain (among a lot of symbols) exactly the way Romanians are impressed by Americans (by any foreigner actually) and how they act when the opportunity of interacting with them appears. (of course in the example of a small village - where the coming of some Americans it's a humongous thing)

The movie it has a lot of the Romanain negatives and kitch - the "spaga" = bribe - which in Romania it si used a lot as a way of making sure things get done, the stealing, the nudity, the Romanian prostitutes, the Dracula it's used, the imitation of the Eiffel Tower in the country side in Romania, the ranch from Dallas (the movie) ...etc.

Apart all this, this satire of the Romanian village where nothing happens and suddenly the Amercans are coming, explains the drama that Romanians always waited for something to happen (somebody to come) to save them from a situation.

Brilliant movie, very very ironic and funny where both the american and romanian actors and the director have done a fantastic work.

The movie has received the prize "Un certain regard" at Cannes 2007.

Transition

Both in AIESEC in Ireland and in my soul :)

Today we had our last Board of Directors Meeting and also the official take over party at School House in Dublin.
It is very confusing...i still have some transition to make (just to finish things up) and I can't say that I'm prepared to leave. Even if i sent already 50 kilos at home, i almost packed, I know that in 3 days i'm flying, it's weird. is like i'm not prepared.
So, Colleen darling, if you are reading - the time that i spent here didn't help in getting ready:) - i know that you wre saying that it is so fast for you- it is so fast anyway! :)
We had as usual our quarterly evaluation, but also we talked about what will be our legacy for the next year. We generated more revenue than last year, we have established some long term partners, branding ourselves with our existing partners, branding AIESEC in Ireland in the network, created a structure for next years, focused on a few aspects as exchange and finance.
SO, overall we had a positive year, and a challenging one as well:)
This is all for now, cuz I can begin to feel a bit tired after a busy day.


I

Just don't! Ok, don't!

This is a really sad post written in a sad moment. So if you don’t like sad posts, don’t read this one (because of course you know what you don’t like).

When will we stop making each other miserable? Do we need to get to be old and wise in order to understand that were just being mean to each other. “You’d better not cross that line, or I’ll be annoyed”, “I don’t like that that and that, so you’d better not do that and that. And on a second thought I don’t like that either. So just stop it. God!!! ”. Or “I think that like that is wrong, I have a better way”. Small things that pile up…and we’re just to not working, living together anymore because of small things. Because we fight over small things that we’re so sure that they work in just one way. Our way. Because we like to have control, over our situations, and because we need to have certainties, and to feel good that we did it our way.

What if others don’t like it? Who cares? I am ok, so. That’s enough.

Well it’s not. The worse thing is that I am becoming one of these people that I’m talking about. Or I was from the beginning. At first I thought that it is a very Western thing. After all the people that I met, I discovered that it is happening everywhere, even at home, at school, on the street, even with me and how I act with people. and maybe only the people that had real experiences will understand that fighting over nothing doesn’t bring any good to anybody. And what do I refer to when I say real – extreme situations, either good or bad.

So if I ever did this to you, I am sorry.

Love in time of cholera(the film) is completed!

Yeah - just found out today on www.imdb.com.

Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/love-in-the-time-of-cholera-jpg

A good reason to read the book again before I see the movie. And this time in spanish.
It is after all one of my favorite novels. I can't wait!!!!

funny song on a late night

Slave to the wage - by Placebo

Run away from all your boredom
Run away from all your whoredom and wave
Your worries and cares
Goodbye

All it takes is one decision
A lot of guts, a little vision to wave
Your worries and cares
Goodbye

Its a maze for rats to try
Its a maze for rats to try
Its a race, a race for rats
A race for rats to die

...
Burn away
Run away, run away
Run away, run away
Run away, run away
Run away, run away

I write these lyrics because I tend to run away, run away from my boredom, but also from the storm going on in my head, which is faster and faster and heavier.
a lot of pressure, fear, questions, answers, are they the right ones or the wrong ones, no conclusions, no convictions, just chaos , like a brownian movement.
but even if i am afraid it feels alive...it feels damn alive
and there still is a fear - a fear of not being right,
but, as a dear friend shared with me last night (one of most famous Roosevelt's quotes):

Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself

so i begin taking decisions.what decisions? I'll let you know when I know.

Diam's - Ma France à moi

I've come across this song on Margot Wallstrom's blog. It is a video that has apparently a huge success in France, after the election of Sarko, a song about immigrant France, "Ma France a moi" uses harsh words in order to bring to people's ears something that is always avoided discussion. Immigration, integration, discussion. Some of my friends wouldn't agree with the language or with the attitude. The language is necessary for bringing to the public agenda such a hot issue, or to remind people that they can fight for respect. You can see the lyrics here: http://www.lavi2rue.com/lyrics/paroles-diam-s-ma-france-a-moi-5581.html