Sunday, February 24, 2008

Travelling around the world

When God created the Earth He did create all those amazing places, so different from one another, He created continents and oceans, created beaches and shores, created trees and hills and even desserts, then He created animals to populate the Earth.
And then God created Man. It was mankind that created towns and cities - each of them unique in its way. So many and spread across the whole globe, encapsulating secrets awaiting to be discovered in order to reveal their own 'world'.

I've been passionate about travels since always - I used to say that there is a little dwarf inside my brain always screaming for more adventure and more countries to visit and he would not let me in peace until I will fulfill his wish :)
I've mainly covered the whole European countries - Spain remains my big love among those. Barcelona is almost unreal, Venice was the most romantic city I've ever been to, and London is the royal city full of memories for me. Surprisingly, I didn't like Germany, I found Paris rather common (maybe because it is resembling Bucharest a bit - or maybe it was because i haven't been there with the loved one..) and I've sworn that I will never go to Vienna again (been there 3 times already, for whatever reason, I didn't like anything about it..)
America was my big Love. After years dreaming about the magic land overseas, I got to see it.
My first contact with the US land was Phoenix, Arizona. From Phoenix and Scottsdale I've been to the fascinating Grand Canyon, then to the Sin City in the Nevada Desert - Las Vegas, thereafter on the ocean coast, in Los Angeles or beautiful Santa Monica.

Berried deep down in my heart:
1. USA
2. Spain
3. Italy

On my wish list are:
1. South Africa
2. South Africa
3. South Africa :)
4. Peru
5. Thailand
6. Jamaica
7. Egypt
8. Brazil
9. China
10. Return to USA...

I would go to Sweden and Norway for a city break. I would also like to see Amsterdam.
And maybe one day to return to fabulous Venice.

But nowadays, all I can think of is: South Africa! Why? because of:
- Cape Town
- its wildlife and Kruger Park
- its Beaches
- Zulu-Natal
- bungee-jumping (only for the brave ones)

I wish that there were cheaper ways to travel, that time would not be such a big problem so that I'd get to see all those beauties from far away..

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

About taking responsibilities

Usually i tend to be a very responsible person but sometimes I just avoid taking any responsibility. Today was one of those days. I was being told that temporary, the project i was working on would fall under my own responsibility. Instead of being proud, the whole thing scared me a bit.
I'd say it is the same in life: sometimes the fact we are assigned a responsibility just pumps up our enthusiasm, as it is a way of recognition of our capabilities to cope with something and at the same time a way of being told 'I trust you can deal with that' - but other times, responsibility is seen as a burden and it just scares a lot. When I am talking about life in general I mean both professional and personal. It is not enough to be a responsible person professional - as well as it is not enough to be responsible in your personal life. We should be responsible of ALL our actions. Is that so hard?

Monday, February 18, 2008

Din categoria: de invatat si de copiat de la altii...

Astazi am decis sa scriu in romana pentru ca astfel imi pot exprima mult mai bine ideile si cel mai important, scriu mult mai repede! :) besides, ceea ce am astazi de zis este ceva valabil pentru romani deci e mai bine ca doar ei sa inteleaga ce scriu.
Inca de cand am fost in America, acum mai bine de un an, mi-a venit ideea asta de a tine un carnetel cu tot felul de inventii si lucruri utile pe care le vad la alte natii si de care romanii ar trebui sa afle pentru a putea beneficia si ei de ele. La un moment dat, fiind in State, ma gandeam ca as putea chiar sa incep niste afaceri serioase daca ar fi sa implementez respectivele 'inventii' pe meleagurile noastre. In primul rand pentru ca ele mi se pareau utile si in al doilea rand pentru ca sunt convinsa ca ar avea si priza la public. Din pacate, nu imi mai aduc aminte mare lucru din multele Remindere pe care vroiam sa le scriu in carnetelul meu cu 'De implementat si in Romania' dar uite ca de data asta pot pune in practica prin tinerea unui 'carnetel' cu utilitati de implementat din Anglia...
Pai sa o iau cu inceputul: joi am fost in Londra... ( o sa urmeze in curand un posting si despre Londra - se prevede unul destul de lung insa deci va trebui sa imi aloc o zi doar pentru asta). In Londra, pe langa ca este o mare nebunie, mai mare decat in Bucuresti sau in oricare alt oras in care am fost pana acum, am dat fara sa vreau si peste o gramada de ciudatenii care mi-au placut si pe care vreau sa le 'import' si la noi in tara.
Sa o iau cu inceputul: joi dimineata am mers la pas prin cele 3 parcuri mari ale Londrei. Am inceput din Kensington Gardens si am continuat cu Hyde si cu St. James Park. Era un frig ingrozitor dar din cauza oboselii am fost nevoita sa ma asez pe bancute.. spre deosebire de parcurile romanesti, unde efectiv nu te poti apropia de nici o banca pe timp de iarna, vizualizand deja ce o sa se intample in nefericitul caz in care ai indrazni sa te asezi si pt cateva secunde (turturi, sloi, etc), in Londra, bancutele erau fabricate exclusiv din lemn, iar in al doilea rand erau foarte vesele si te imbiau parca sa te asezi. Nu doar ca am stat sa admir lebedele si ratele de pe lac, dar chiar am stat sa beau o cafea pe bancuta.. So this is a must! Bancute calduroase si in parcurile din Romania.
Datorita distantelor mari pe care le-am parcurs, am recurs si la metroul londonez - aici ce mi-a placut cel mai mult a fost faptul ca nu m-am lovit de absolut nimeni in drumul meu grabit spre urmatorul tren.. de ce? pentru ca cele doua cai de acces - intrarea si iesirea la o anumita magistrala erau frumos separate printr-un gardut, astfel incat pe o parte circulau doar oamenii care intrau la metrou si pe partea cealalta a gardutului circulau doar cei care ieseau. Minune mare! In Bucuresti mereu ma izbeam de cate cineva... Ca sa il citez pe P: ordine mare la metrou desi traficul era de 10-20 de ori mai mare ca acasa. Tot la metrou am fost placut surprinsa de reclamele colorate care aveau toate aceeasi marime, nu una mai mare si una mai mica, atarnate pe pereti in cuie, ca niste tablouri - un adevarat desfat mai ales pentru turistii care se afla pe lungile scari rulante ce coboara 'underground'. Aceleasi reclame (actualizate, continand evenimente care urmau sa se intample in saptamana in curs) le-am regasit, in aceeasi ordine, de data asta ca intr-un album de poze, pe peretii trenurilor, asezate cu foarte mult bun gust. Prilej pentru mine de a ma informa asupra muzeelor sau a orelor in care expozitiile sunt deschise, sau a filmelor care ruleaza, etc.. Ne-ar trebui si noua asa ceva, sa mai omoram din plictiseala din mijloacele de transport.
Alta idee mi-a venit in restaurantul indian, unde am comandat o portie de Tandoori Chicken si care a fost servit cu o feliuta de lamaie care nu era pur si simplu asezata deasupra puiului ci a fost adusa intr-un fel de presa care se strangea si lasa sucul din lamaie sa curga..

Foarte ingenios mi s-a parut instrumentul acesta mai ales pentru ca de cate ori am servit peste in vreun restaurant, nu am prea stiut cum sa manevrez lamaia astfel incat sa nu stropesc pe nimeni atunci cand o storc. 'Unealta' aceasta insa mi s-a parut utila si m-as bucura tare mult sa o regasesc si in restaurantele romanesti.
Cam acestea sunt ideile pe care le-am 'imprumutat' din Londra - ca sa fac o mica gluma, ce ar mai putea copia bucurestenii ar fi autobuzele cu etaj, asa poate se mai evita din marea aglomeratie sau calcatul in picioare din transportul nostru in comun ;)

Friday, February 8, 2008

Instead of Introduction

I thought I liked to watch the rain but everything changed after I came to the rainy city. This experience turned upside-down a few of those things I would have thought are unchangeable. However, I can still say that I like to walk for hours, visiting cities, I like to travel and to see new places and meet new people, I like to talk to strangers and ask many many questions.
I like an ice-cream in a hot summer day, I like to watch the fluffy, white clouds changing shapes in their slow movement.
I like to drive to nowhere while I am listening my favorites CDs and I like to sing when I am driving alone in my car, especially at night. While I am here - I like to talk about nonsenses while P is driving long distances and I have to talk so that he would not get asleep.
I love my cat. I like to play with it and I like to feel its warmth while she is sleeping in my arms.
I like my mother's foods almost the same as I like chocolate. Any chocolate, plain, white, black, flavored, even with mint.
I like to drink a cup of coffee in the morning, not right after I wake up but rather once I get to the office, while reading my emails.
I like my new boots that mom gave as a Christmas present. I like them so much that I keep wearing them every single day since then. They are brown, old style and they have a button on a side. They are sooo comfy, even if they are high-heels.
I love to dream about countries and places that I want to visit. I like to plan imaginary trips to unknown places at the other end of this world. I have dreams - too many dreams to be covered in this finite life. I like to dream even with wide open eyes.
I like mysteries and I like unrevealed things. I like surprises and I like to surprise others.
I like to rollerskate or ski and I would like to learn how to swim. I thought I was afraid of heights until I tried the themes-park in Alton Towers.
Sometimes I like extremes and adrenaline pumping in my veins, but other times I like equilibrium. Oh - I like a good massage.
I like poppies, cream and pink ( though my favorite color is green). I'd like to always laugh and be happy.
I love children even though I wasn't yet blessed with one.

I still love USA...........

I like my life and I don't regret anything happening to me.

Here I come

Initially I thought it would be very straight-forward and that in 2 minutes I would have my first post. The first question I was asked by a friend (the same one that suggested me I should start a blog) is: why? why did you decide to have it in the end? And my honest answer is: i don't know - the idea just hit me today, in the middle of a Google search. So a simple answer (that would not answer the question though as it would only generate a new question) is: why not? I used to keep a diary when I was younger and its purpose was not for enumerating facts and events happening in my daily life, but just to put down on a piece of paper my thoughts, ideas and feelings so that I could maybe run into them at a later date, when I would laugh or cry reading and remembering sensations and events behind them.
I am not sure yet if this would be a more advanced, techie version of that journal, but i tend to say that it would be different. Different as it is somehow public and because I allow comments on whatever thought or idea I am expressing here, whereas the older one was secretly private.
As it is different, it scares me a bit. This is like a big black-box to me, but a box that may be full of surprises, which is why I am prepared to give it a chance.

All and all, creating a layout for this page that you are reading was not an easy choice and even though it didn't really come out exactly the same way I have imagined it, I am content about it. But i'm tired - very tired. It's very late and before I fall asleep I have to think of how I would like to present you my thoughts, if I should follow a specific line or if I should mix whatever happens to be in my mind at the time I'm writing all this down.