We have time

Today I’ve been put to the wall by Octavian Paler’s death. He was a Romanian poet, writer, well-known journalist and editorialist, a spectator of the political and cultural phenomena, but nevertheless… in my own words… not only a believer, but also the reality-maker.

Listening to his thoughts and comparison on every talk-show was so moving, due to his strong arguments that sometimes all the time it made you think and analyse more and more.

Little is left to be said now, but even more should be sad. Like him, there have to be more. It simply has to!

We have time
poem by Octavian Paler

We have time for everything.
To sleep, to run around
to regret that we’ve done wrong and to do wrong again
to judge others and to forgive ourselves
we have time to read and to write
to correct what we have written and regret what we have written
we have time to do projects and not to stick to them
we have time to cherrish illusions and search their ashes later.

We have time for ambitions and diseases
to blame destiny and details
we have time to watch the clouds, the ads or whatever accident
we have time to chase the questions away
to postpone answers
we have time to break a dream and reinvent it
we have time to make friends, to lose them
we have time to take lessons and to forget them afterwards
we have time to receive gifts and not understand them.
We have time for it all.

There is not time but for a little tenderness.
When we do this as well, we die.

I have learned that some things in this life that I’m sharing with you !!
I have learned that you cannot make somebody to love you.
All you can do is to be a loved person.
The rest… depends on the others.
I have learned that no matter how much I care
others might not care at all.
I have learned that it takes years to win the trust and only a few seconds to lose it.
I have learned that it doesn’t matter WHAT you have in life
but WHO you have.
I have learned that you get by and that the charm is worth for 15 minutes
afterwards, however, it would be better to really know something.
I have learned that you don’t have to compare yourself with what others can do better
but with what you can do.
I have learned that it doesn’t matter what happens to people
but what I can do to solve it.

I have learned that anyway you cut it
anything can have two sides.

I have learned that you have to say goodbye from the dear ones with warm words.
It might be the last time you see them.

I have learned that you can go on for a long time
after you said that you can’t do it any longer.

I have learned that heroes are those that do what it is needed, when it is needed
no matter the consequences.

I have learned that there are people who love you
but do not know how to show it.

I have learned that when I’m upset I have the RIGHT to be upset
but not the right to be mean as well.

I have learned that true friendship continues to exists even when you are far away
and this is true even for true love.
I have learned that, if somebody doesn’t love you the way you want
it doesn’t mean that you’re not being loved from the bottom of the heart.
I have learned that no matter how good a friend is to you
he will hurt you from time to time anyhow
and you have to forgive him for that.

I have learned that not always it is enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I have learned that no matter how much you suffer
the world will not stand still for your pain.

I have learned that the past and the circumstances could influence your personality
yet YOU are responsible for what you become.
I have learned that, if two people are fighting, it doesn’t mean that they don’t love each other
and also if they don’t fight, it doesn’t prove that they love each other.
I have learned that sometimes you have to put the person itself on the first place
and not the actions.

I have learned that two people can look at the same thing
and can see something totally different.
I have learned that no matter the consequences
those who are honest with themselves get farther in life.

I have learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people that don’t even know you.

I have learned that even when you believe that there’s nothing left to give
when a friend calls for you, you will find the strength to help him.

I have learned that writing
as well as speaking
can comfort grief.

I have learned that people that you care about the most
are taken away to quickly…

I have learned that it is too hard for you to realize
where to draw the line between being kind, not hurting people and to speak up for your opinions.

I have learned to love
so that I can be loved.

Facts! (and not) my Facts! — Part One

I haven’t been blogging for a while, but I think I’ve gathered a lot of energy (and at the moment, a lot of headache), so I’m writing. What about? What else to write about?! 

About Nobody’s Land - Romania

But I won’t go on stating my view, but stating pure facts as well. Something that many journalists failed to do. But then again… the Romanian journalists weren’t even sure how many deputies voted for, how many against and how many were present upon the debate over the suspension of Traian Băsescu!

Though there’s a big ammount of excerpts in order to have a comprehensive picture, I suggest you read the full texts, by clicking on the links!

 

1. Băsescu - Reuters’ key facts [Full article]

* EARLY LIFE: [...]
– A rank-and-file communist party member, a must for any ocean-going captain in the 1980s during the rule of former dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu, Băsescu’s only claim to fame was praise from the party newspaper in 1985 for being a good sailor.

* BECOMING MAYOR:
– After communism collapsed in 1989, he became transport minister in a centrist government, spearheading the privatisation of Romania’s vast but rusting commercial fleet.
– In 2000 he won a landslide victory against the Social Democrat Party (PSD) candidate for Bucharest mayor, Foreign Minister Mircea Geoană, with a campaign whose symbol was the red pepper — a staple of Romanian cooking and a warning to his rivals that he stings.
– Famous for trying to rid the capital of hordes of stray dogs, he dismissed angry reactions from Western animals rights activists. “I am elected by the people of Bucharest, not the dogs,” he told Reuters at the time.

* BĂSESCU AS PRESIDENT:
– Băsescu was declared winner of the 2004 presidential election runoff, snatching victory from the favourite, former President Ion Iliescu’s hand-picked protege Prime Minister Adrian Năstase.
– In 2005 Băsescu started the process of opening of Securitate records when he ordered the secret services to transfer their files to the National Council for Studying Securitate Archives. Researchers of the country’s communist-era secret police cleared the president in October 2006 of accusations he collaborated with the feared Securitate.
[...]

What I did yesterday…

First of all, I put this post in “Trips” because I’ve realized that even if I was still in Łódź, it was actually outside the city somehow.

The Western part of the city is actually cut off from the main city. There are lots of busses and all, but they have been “enlighted” themselves even before the revolution. That the living should be done somewhat outside the city, since there’s no gain to be 5 minutes away from your work, but live in a noisy environment. We (Romanians) haven’t understood that! Nor did we understand a simple fact - that many things nowadays can be solved just by sitting on your computer, in your home!!! And we are supposed to be good IT people… aycks!

Good idea/Bad idea but still… heaven! =)

Good idea: buy & bring beer! Don’t forget the cheese chips!

Bad idea: put it in the freezer to “chill” quickly. This is what George had instead of beer =))) Half beer, 1/4 beer ice and another 1/4 beer foam!

Heaven: always have beer around you ;) Especially when you cook! It will make the cooking such a much nicer experience :p

Liver

I’m sure that Xavier will remember this =) And it is Cătă’s finding, not mine. But I cooked it :p

1. Take as much liver as you want to it :) We have chosen “cow liver” but I’m sure it would be the same with other types as well. Cut it into pieces, the size of two spoons. The following will be sized for 3 people!
2. You will need 3+1 average-size onions that you could chop in half and then slice the halves, so that you get onion-sticks.
3. You will also need a “family” of garlic beans =) (very poetic expression). Chop the garlic as you want, but not too small.
4. Put the 3 onions in a pan, with oil and cook until the onions are glassy - just before they get soft.
5. Put a cup of water, and then the garlic and the liver in the pan. Put the cap on the pan.
6. When the water if half done (like after 10 minutes), add any spices you want. We added parsley, mixed pepper and dill. Do not add salt yet!
7. Let it cook for some more time, without the cap on (some more 15 minutes), add some salt and the other onion.
8. In about 15 minutes, it should be ready. Do not throw the onions or the garlic - they are perfectly eatable :) enjoy!

Recipe(s)

Ok… I may not be a master, but I think I can manage when it comes to food.

And, if others are really in a hurry, or are simple confused about what to do, then I’ve decided to be there for you :P

No, I won’t act like the super-hero who comes to the rescue… I’ll just share my crazy/stupid ideas of cooking.

I will start with the last one, and then continue with future and past ones (I’ve taken photos of each :D ).

Oh, and there will be no names for them =)

This one on the right goes like this:

1. 1/4 of one paprika, and 125g of pasta (I’ve been using Barilla no. 5 - I know, very picky). When the pasta is half done (almost after 4 minutes), you put the chopped paprika in the same water with the pasta, and let it boil along. During and after the boiling, you can add any spices you want, but do add salt and a bit of oil (any type) while boiling. Afterwards add some olive oil and salt.
2. Take 100-150g of whatever semi-prepared meat you have (that is… not raw meat. I have used some sort of veal bacon - hard to tell with all of this Polish around :p ). You take a spoon of butter, and you warm it up in the pan, then you add the chopped “meat”. You add basil, oregano and pepper as you wish, and you cook until the oil has vanished. Then add two full spoons of tomato sauce (concentrate) and put one cup and a half of water. Add more spices as you wish, and cook until the sauce has the desired consistency.
3. You can slice some cucumber as well - it will blend well with the spicy sauce!
4. Enjoy!

My new wall :p

LATER EDIT

1. Gift for “Man’s Day”!
2. Perfect for Easter (rabbit)
3. Very good for my ego =))))))) But even so… who would have thought about something like that?!?! Ok, ok.. I have thought of buying a similar one, but it would have been too weird! But hey, now I have the excuse: I got it as a gift :p

Coming up…

I have 2 “big” posts coming up… but I think that I will delay the publishing for after-Easter, I guess. Various reasons. These posts will be related to:

1. The Skin-Affair
2. Abortion

Ankieta/Chestionar/Survey

I’ve got a mail from Agata, with a message from Monika, a student at International Relations Faculty.

She was asking foreign students to fill in a survey called Climate of Lodz “to see how international visitors (as You!) see Lodz after their staying in the city.”

I couldn’t help but send her some nice comments as well, after filling in the survey. =)

Pity for Czech People

I don’t know if they (Poles) thought about it, and I don’t know if the Czechs thought about it either. BUT

ŠKODA = Czech automobile manufacturer and one of the four oldest car producers in the world

SZKODA = pity in Polish (skoda, in Czech)

Not that nice when you see the cars in Poland, and then you think about ŠKODA, is it?!

Musical background: Sergio Mendes - Magalenha