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.

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.
[...]

2. Before the grand-finale

a. Before 2004

* late December 1989 - Romanian revolution [Full Wikipedia]

* FlickR Photostreams: CNicules, AlexL, Lucian Moldovanu

The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of riots and fighting in late December of 1989 that overthrew the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu. The increasingly violent clashes culminated in a summary trial and the execution of Ceauşescu and his wife Elena. Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country to violently overthrow its Communist regime or to execute its leaders.

The total number of deaths in the Romanian Revolution was 1,104, of which 162 were in the protests that led to the overthrow of Nicolae Ceauşescu (16–22 December 1989) and 942 in the fighting that occurred after the seizure of power by the new political structure National Salvation Front (FSN). The number of wounded was 3,352, of which 1107 occurred while Ceauşescu was still in power and 2,245 after the National Salvation Front took power.

* May 20, 1990 - First elections/The aftermath [Full Wikipedia]

Ion Iliescu, a former member of the Communist Party leadership and a Ceausescu ally prior to falling into the dictator’s disgrace in the early 1980s, became the leader of the short-lived post-revolution National Salvation Front party. The National Salvation Front, composed mainly of former members of the second echelon of the Communist Party, immediately assumed control over the state institutions, including the main media outlets, such as the national radio and television networks. They used their control of the media in order to launch virulent propaganda-style attacks against their new political opponents, the traditional democratic parties, which re-emerged after more than 50 years of underground activity. In May 1990, partly due to the National Salvation Front’s use of the media and of the partly preserved Communist-Party infrastructure to silence the democratic opposition, Ion Iliescu became Romania’s first elected president after the revolution with a majority of 85%. These elections have been condemned as un-democratic by both Romanian traditional parties and by the western media.

The Revolution brought Romania vast attention from the outside world. Initially, much of the world’s sympathy inevitably went to the National Salvation Front government. Much of that sympathy was squandered during the Mineriad of January1990 when miners and police, responding to Iliescu’s appeals, invaded Bucharest and brutalized students and intellectuals who protested what they described as the hijacking of the Romanian revolution by former members of the communist leadership under the auspices of the National Salvation Front, in an attempt to suppress any genuine political opposition.

* 1990 - 1996 [Full Wikipedia]

During the Romanian Revolution of 1989, power was taken by a group called the National Salvation Front (FSN), which grouped a large number of former members of the communist party and Securitate (the Romanian equivalent of the KGB), but also a small number of dissidents and other participants in the uprising who genuinely thought the FSN to be an anti-communist movement. The FSN quickly assumed the mission of restoring civil order and immediately took seemingly democratic measures.[...]

Despite the efforts of the State media (entirely controlled by the FSN) to hide the pro-communist and pro-regime history of FSN members, public opinion regarded it as being a new name of the Romanian Communist Party. This triggered a series of anti-communist demonstrations in Bucharest and the resurrection of traditional parties which were once the main parties in Romania before being outlawed.[...]

Their rapidly rising popularity raised concern among FSN leaders who feared losing power and thus having to answer for the crimes committed during the Ceauşescu regime. According to some sources Ion Iliescu, leader of FSN, called the miners in to Bucharest to repress the opposition demonstrations. This incident is remembered as the Mineriad of January 1990.[...]

Less than a month after the January mineriad, another anti-Communist demonstration took place in Bucharest (February 28). Despite the demonstrators’ pleas to non-violence, several persons started throwing stones at the Government building. Riot police and army forces intervened to restore order, and on the same night, 4,000 miners rushed into Bucharest. This incident is known as the Mineriad of February 1990.[...]

Presidential and parliamentary elections were held on May 20, 1990 (see: Romanian election, 1990). Iliescu won 85% of the popular vote and thus became the first elected President of Romania.[...]

In April 1990 a sit-in demonstration against the FSN began in University Square, which rapidly grew into a continuing mass demonstration, contesting the results of the recently held parliamentary elections from May 1990 as being undemocratic and accusing the FSN of being made up of former Communists and Securitate members. These demonstrations (which had been peaceful) degenerated when the police attacked hunger strikers and the Architecture Institute where students had taken refuge. Events of 13 June lead to a police bus being incinerated. This incident is believed to have been fabricated by former Securitate members in order to justify the use of force against protesters (the implication of secret service in these events has been acknowledged by the Serviciul Român de Informaţii (SRI, Romanian Intelligence Service) in an open letter to the Romanian parliament sent by SRI captain Adrian Ionescu). At Iliescu’s request, thousands of miners from the Jiu Valley descended on Bucharest, under the command of their trade union leader Miron Cozma. Using wooden clubs, axes and other make-shift weapons, the miners violently cleared University Square, savagely beating anyone who happened to cross their way in the process. After accomplishing this initial task, they shifted their attention and destructive energy towards the headquarters of the opposition parties as well as the private residences of the opposition leaders. President Iliescu publicly thanked the miners for their help with restoring the order in Bucharest. This episode is remembered as the June 1990 Mineriad.[...]

In December 1991, a new constitution was drafted and subsequently adopted, after a popular referendum. March 1992 marked the split of the FSN into two groups: the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN), led by Ion Iliescu and the Democrat Party (PD), led by Petre Roman.
* Traian Băsescu joined the PD faction, and in 1992, he was elected to the lower house of the Romanian Parliament

Iliescu won the presidential elections in September 1992 by a clear margin (see: Romanian election, 1992), and his FDSN won the general elections held at the same time. With parliamentary support from the nationalist National Unity Party of Romanians (PUNR), Greater Romania Party (PRM), and the ex-communist Socialist Workers’ Party (PSM), a new government was formed in November 1992 under Prime Minister Nicolae Văcăroiu, an economist and former Communist Party official. The FDSN changed its name to Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) in July 1993. The Văcăroiu government ruled in coalition with three smaller parties. This coalition dissolved before the November 1996 elections. This coincided with the bankruptcy of the Caritas pyramid scheme, a major scandal at the time in Romania.

* 1996 - 2000 [Full Wikipedia]

Emil Constantinescu of the Democrat Convention of Romania (CDR) won the second round of the 1996 presidential elections by a comfortable margin of 9% and thus replaced Iliescu as chief of state. (see: Romanian election, 1996)

PDSR won the largest number of seats in Parliament, but was unable to form a viable coalition. Constituent parties of the CDR joined the Democratic Party (PD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) to form a centrist coalition government, holding 60% of the seats in Parliament. This coalition of sorts frequently struggled for survival, as decisions were often delayed by long periods of negotiations among the involved parties. Nevertheless, this coalition was able to implement several critical reforms. The new coalition government, under prime minister Victor Ciorbea remained in office until March 1998, when Radu Vasile (PNTCD) took over as prime minister. Former National Bank’s governor, Mugur Isărescu eventually replaced Radu Vasile as head of the government.

* 2000 - 2004 [Full Wikipedia]

The 2000 elections brought Iliescu’s PSD (Social Democratic Party) — Iliescu’s party had changed its name again, from PDSR to PSD — back to power and Iliescu himself won a third term as the country’s president. Adrian Năstase became the Prime Minister of the newly formed government. His rule was shaken by recurring allegations of corruption.[...]
* It has to be noted that the elections were a delicate moment for Romania, due to the conflicts between the center-right parties who were leading 1996-2000. Therefore, in the 2nd round, Romanians had to decide between Ion Iliescu and the extremist Corneliu Vadim Tudor, president of Greater Romania Party.

In 2001, Traian Băsescu was elected president of the PD, defeating Petre Roman, who had led the party for nine years.

In 2003, Băsescu negotiated an electoral alliance for the PD with the National Liberal Party (PNL) in order to create a cohesive mainstream center-right political opposition against the then-ruling PSD. The new pact, named the Justice and Truth alliance (Alianţa DA), ran common candidates in local and national elections and agreed to vote as a bloc in the Parliament. As president of PD, he became co-president of the DA alliance with then PNL president Theodor Stolojan. Stolojan was later replaced as PNL president and DA co-president by Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu.

Following Theodor Stolojan’s surprise withdrawal from the 2004 presidential elections, Băsescu entered the presidential race on behalf of the Justice and Truth Alliance (Alianţa DA).

Romania joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

b. 2004

Romania, in 2004, after 4 years of so calm waters that everybody sane knew that there’s something fishy in Denmark… the Democrat Party came in strong, taking the Liberal Party along. They formed the “Justice and Truth” Alliance - in Romanian: Alianţa “Dreptate şi Adevăr” - which was also registered witht the name “Alianţa DA” (in Romanian, DA = YES). A very strong marketing you would say, but it was simply the obvious. Almost anything else than the Social-Democrat Party was better to lead the country.

From what I remember, on TV you would only see the Social Democrat Prime Minister, Adrian Năstase, coming on the evening news communicating the “amazing” results of the Government. Likewise, the others around him were looking very proud to be there, saying almost nothing. I guess any politician would have had a lot to learn about how to speak a lot without actually saying anything.

Oh, yeah… and how could we forget the “huge” investments to build 400 gyms that had to be repaired a couple of months after completion, or even had to be demolished because of some fights with the rightful landlords? We should also not forget about the gym that has been built near the poet Lucian Blaga’s grave!

Anyway - control, overcontrol, super-control! You could even say that this calm waters acted like a brain-washing process.

Traian Băsescu was actually the image of “let’s end this crap” (pardon my French!). He won the elections for the position of Bucharest’s Mayor just a couple of months before the presidential elections. It was easy to understand that the change was close, but were there no breadcrumbs left after 4 years of brainwashing?

Brainwashing example: the political situation/leadership is doing so well, that we are heaving the biggest economical growth ever, after the revolution. Excuse me saying this, but the politics are only meant to provide the economical freedom, but not influence economy! Later on, the year 2005 and 2006 proved to be even better for the economy, due to the trend, but not because of the political change.

Elections:

Justice and Truth Alliance = Liberals + Democrats (candidate: Traian Băsescu, recently ellected Mayor of Bucharest, and Călin Popescu Tăriceanu as PM)
- the Alliance was formally registered, they have a protocol, etc.

National Union PSD+PUR = Social Democrats + Humanists [now Conservators] (candidate: Adrian Năstase, former Prime-Minister and Mircea Geoană as PM)
- the Union was only about supporting the same candidate, there was no protocol, it wasn’t formally registered, etc.

The presidential elections decided in favor of Băsescu, with 51.23%, in the second round, after nobody gained over 50% in the first one.

The Parliament elections gave this result:

Chamber of Deputies

• 36.8% (Social Democrats - 113 seats and Humanists - 19 seats)
• 31.5% (Liberals - 64 and Democrats - 48 seats)
• 13% (Greater Romania Party - the extremists)
• 6.2% (Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania)
• and 18 representatives - 1 for each minority

Senate

• 37.2% (Social Democrats and Humanists)
• 31.8% (Liberals and Democrats)
• 13.6% (Greater Romania Party)
• 6.2% (Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania)

Controversies [Full Wikipedia]

The opposition alleged fraudulent use by the PSD of “supplementary lists”, designed to help Romanians in transit to vote. Traditionally, Romanians voted with a cardboard identity card, which was stamped when they voted. Most Romanians now have laminated plastic IDs, to which a printed stamp is affixed when a person votes. However, the stamps can be easily removed.

The opposition claimed that there were organized “electoral excursions” of PSD supporters who were bussed to various towns to vote several times. This was corroborated by several teams of journalists, who followed the buses.

The Romanian opposition announced on November 30 that they were demanding a re-run of the election, because some of the void votes were allegedly awarded to the PSD. They showed evidence that some people voted more than once (they found about 750 persons in three counties, but their search of the supplementary lists would continue) and also showed that many of the minutes of the electoral committees were wrongly completed (the sum of the number of valid votes and null votes did not match the number of voters, sometimes by a difference of hundreds or thousands of votes) and the central software not only allowed these contradictory figures, but it also added these differences by default to the PSD[citation needed]. The opposition announced that it had started a parallel count, which showed a PSD-DA difference of only 2% between.

The government attacked the opposition by arguing that ‘rumours of fraud’ affect Romania’s economy and its external credibility.

In January 2005, the IMAS institute of statistics released an analysis of the voting results in the 16,824 precincts. In the top 1,000 precincts with the most votes on the supplementary lists, the PSD had 43% to the DA’s 23%, while in the precincts with least votes on supplementary lists, the PSD had 30% to the DA’s 34%. The same trend was true in the precincts with most void votes.[1] It has been argued that this could not have been due to pure chance, and therefore that the alleged election fraud was real.

Therefore the situation was quite delicate. The Democrats and Liberals had a harsh task of building a coalition without the extremist party and without the Social Democrats. The other parties was considered acceptable to take into a coalition, except one - the Conservators. But then again, in order to have a majority in the Parliament, it was needed to have the Conservators in the coalition.

On December 13, the PUR president Dan Voiculescu hinted that they have more in common with the DA (both have a center-right orientation) and that they might break from the PSD, but one day later said he will remain with PSD. It has been suggested by the press that this could be result of a blackmail about his communist past. By December 25 both UDMR and PUR signed a protocol of alliance with DA (Justice and Truth), with the designated prime minister being Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu.

Traian Băsescu pushed the situation into having this coalition, though later he named this “an imoral coalition”. But for the sake of a good change, it was the only solution with the situation in the Parliament.

Therefore the Social Democrats went into the opposition, though they often accused that the president went too far, pushing a coalition against how the votes were distributed in the Parliament.

c. 2004 in less words

1. 2000 - 2004 = Social Democrats in power, the same people that were ruling in 1990-1996. Very calm times. Too calm!
2. The Democrats and the Liberals go into the first step for building a strong right-wing pole. They create the Justice and Truth Alliance.
3. Since the Alliance was now stronger than the Social Democrat Party, they decide to form a National Union with the Humanists (a very small party), that meant nothing more, nothing less than the fact that they were supposed to support the same people for President and PM. After loosing the presidentials in the first round, the Hungarians decide to support the Social Democrat candidate, Adrian Năstase.
4. Traian Băsescu wins the presidentials, but the parliamentery elections show only one solution for the the right-wingers. After negotiations, both the Hungarians and the Humanists go into a coalition with the Liberals and Democrats. Both get ministers to run.
5. The Newly Formed Government quickly adopts a law for the Flat Tax of 16%, on the 31st of December 2004.

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!

So… to give you an idea… from the North side, where the dormitory is, to the West side… you will travel at least 1 hour by bus, with almost no traffic at all!

Yes, it’s not a residential area. There are only, or mostly, blocks of flats. With schools, banks, restaurants, etc.

The way I see it… it’s like a small city, very near to a main city. The best thing about it is that, it is quiet, nice-looking, cleaner… somewhat… not Łódź. The only thing that it is missing is… culture I guess. That part was built beginning the late 1980s, so…

Then… I understood that I was kind of right about the TV options. All Polish stations have no programme in another language, and if they were produced in another language, they are dubbed. One voice per programme! Then you have foreign stations. Discovery stations with Polish dubbing, MTV in Polish, National Geographic in Polish, etc. No subtitles whatsoever! Then you have the exceptions to the rule: DW-TV, CNN, NBC, … mostly live news channels, therefore impossible to bring dubbing to them!

Not to mention that I’ve realized yet another thing. DVDs - the same! I think that most of the people are waiting for the DVDs to be dubbed, and then rent it or download a torrent of the Polish dubbed version. It’s not like… new movie - download the torrent & watch it, or wait for polish subtitles. Not 100% sure about this. It is just a supposition, but I think it is a good one.

Next thing, information for Romanians: fac şi ei vişinată! Şi al naibii de bună! :)

Then… weird omelet =) I don’t know if it is a general thing, but yesterday omelet meant “sweet omlet” (in fact, pancake… but not our thin pancakes, but thick pancakes)… you mix eggs with white flower and milk… then you eat it with gems! It was good, but really too much for supper!

What else?.. Got a present for Man’s Day =)

Hmm… I know one more street in the city :) Even if it meant running late, though it was the shortest way to get to the “meeting point” :p

Once more, I didn’t get off at the correct busstation. It must be like the 5th time, at least :p

Hmm… and last, but not least… I succeeded in showing someone that Romanian is really easy to learn (pronounciation that is :) )

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

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!

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!

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

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

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. =)

Comments for question no. 3

It’s funny how you think of art festivals, when the hotel industry is not that great here!

Though the municipality cannot build hotels and other accommodation places per-say, they can actually provide the economical environmental to give a boost - lower taxes, special benefits, act as a mediator between central-area owners and the future investors, etc.

It’s surreal to think about international art festivals, when the venues here seem to be… wobbly.

That’s why I’ve chosen art&conference complex.. Since you have hotel(s), restaurant(s), etc.

Aqua park - ok… how feasible is this?.. You actually build an aqua park when you have lots of people with money, or lots of tourists.. and you want their money and also to create some jobs, right?!… Hmm.. did I live in another world, or did I not hear correctly that even if Lodz is the second biggest city in Poland, it is actually one of the cities at the bottom of the list when it comes to development and living-standard, etc ?!

Not to mention that you have already the fun-areas - the parks.. though I could say that you could do more about them, in order to attract money through them. Quick example: open-air cinema during spring-summer?!

Q no. 4

I voted 0 for CITY OF CARTOON because… what does that mean?!

Plus… post-industrial climate?!?!? — it’s interesting to hear that this city was a powerful industrial center.. ONCE:…. in the past!.. It can be in history books, on “tablica”, near Manufaktura… but it brings not added value to the whole city whatsoever!

To put it in a better light: can you tell me which is the difference between “simple-LODZ”, with no past industry… let’s say that it was just an average, almost unknown city in the past… and “past-industrial-LODZ” !?…

What is the difference that you make in a foreigner’s mind… if he/she sees LODZ as it is now… without being told anything related to its industrial past… and if he/she sees LODZ and finds out that you had fabrics industry, etc, etc. ? I don’t think he/she will say “Ohh.. really?.. how fascinating!.. I will tell all my friends to come to this past-industrial place.. and see it!”

city for weekend trips —-. com’on! you must be joking, right?… come and visit the city + visit manufaktura + do unexpensive shopping??

every erasmus will tell you that the prices here range from 5-10% less than in their home countries, and up to 5-10% more than in their home countries

… and excuse me.. you want to become the European City of Culture with Manufaktura?!?!

Q. no 5

first thing that comes to my mind —- in order to become a real European City of Culture, in order to make the visit of the foreigners as pleasurable as possible…. tell me what will it be like if you go into the town as an English speaker?!?!…. I can give you a boost - 99% of the sellers will not be able to communicate with you. Not even in your heavenly place called Manufaktura!

Q. no 6

HARD TO SAY at all questions.. because.. pardon my French… it’s bullshit!

This is the kind of aggressive (yet very utopic) marketing that we’ve been complaining about since we arrived in LODZ, after seeing “lodz in all its glory, on the Internet” back home.

Let me take the text from the lodz2016.com website piece by piece:

a. “The economic upsurge involves the cultural reviviscence. This is one of the reasons why our city proves to be prepared well enough to become the European Capital of Culture 2016.”

I’m sorry to tell you that economy and culture doesn’t go hand in hand per-say. It is true that without a good economy to back you up, you cannot fully support culture! Another thing: remember “well enough” for just a second.

b. “Lodz does not only meet all the requirements essential to gain this title but can also boast about the characteristics which are fundamental for the European Capital of Culture program. Winning of this prestigious status would undoubtedly bring even more opportunities for development, and prove a watershed in the history of the city.”

Weren’t you saying just a second ago.. that you are prepared “well enough”.. and… how come you can bring added value to the meaning of the ECC, if actually the ECC will bring more opportunities for development!?… Hmm.. I know that there can be a win-win situation, but there cannot be a bidirectional “live-saving” process! ECC boosting Lodz development, and Lodz boosting the concept of ECC! Trust me… if you do that.. you will reinvent the wheel!

c. “Lodz possesses an interesting and manifold cultural heritage, which is primarily embodied by the ample museum collections. The artistic output is probably best represented by the Lodz avant-garde as the group’s activity influenced not only Poland but also the whole world.”

Really?.. a cultural heritage?… While I’m sure that it is like that, since it is not a new city.. therefore it has history, thus also heritage… hmm… maybe you would also want to tell me that Manufaktura is such a heritage, since everywhere you go.. you hear Manufaktura, Galeria, Piotrkowska…. Nice heritage! I concur!

About the logo — overused concept! and colors.. hmm.. nice kitsch after the TOGETHER logo of the UE, not to mention hippie era, etc. etc.

About the gadgets —- ok.. cups, everybody does that… and they will be used I’m sure.. but they will be used indoors! therefore not much exposure, then you have the T-shirts… again.. get real! nobody would wear the T-shirts.. except those who cannot get other shirts!.. and the others will maybe - maybe! - where them during the opening of the festivities! then… caps - right! .. same as T-shirts!

There are other ideas in order to market this.. but the office didn’t strive to find them!.. And I’m sorry.. but I’m not going to put them down here! Just remember.. one of them: long-time of use, but no exposure.. the other two: great exposure, short-time of use, if any!

Conclusion:
- I’m sorry but you will have to work big time - socially speaking, for 2016.
- I didn’t expect to see this aggressive style of marketing, again! Stop the lies!
- Very few English speakers in public places!
- People drinking on the streets from morning till next morning. I’m not kidding and I’m not with bad intentions!… At 3 PM.. 3 guys jumped from a taxi.. I would have given them a 9 on a scale 1-10, where 10 is being “dead-drunk”. And remember.. 3PM. The same.. you can see during the day people with a beer in their hand! Unbelievable! Why can’t they go inside a place?! I know.. you will say: more expensive drinks!.. Ok… drink inside the house! Ohh.. ok.. you will tell me: “they cannot do that.. cuz they stink”….
- Not so good travel connections. Maybe because of the vicinity with Warsaw…
- Bad streets in the center of the town.. Not to mention how some bus/tram-drivers go!
- Hotels!
And the list could go on….

I’m sorry for the harsh tone, but once I’ve seen the lodz2016.com text… I exploded :)
It was just a way of counter-reaction with the same intensity as I felt that I had been “pushed” into “liking Lodz”.

With all the honesty.. I hope you will be ECC in 2016, but I do hope that the society will change a great deal as well!

Do zobaczenia,
Andrei

PS — I want to stress out that often in this email “YOU” means “you, the polish people” or more accurately “you, lodzania”, and not you personally! ;)

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

First trip to Krakow

LATER EDIT

without the sound delay here - http://www.trilulilu.ro/tataencu/d3614e4193e0a6

I was telling you yesterday evening about Western “Standards” in connection to our new laundry system.

Well… this morning I went back to the reception desk… told Marta (middle position between the reception people and the dormitory manager) about it, then we went to the dormitory manager. She kept on saying that the machines don’t work. Then htf?! do I wash my clothes?

I also told them that I used 6 PLN and that Dominique (the reception guy) put another 3 PLN.

Needless to say that the dormitory manager started to take the position of an electrical engineer… opening the coin-machines… taking cables out… and plugging them back in… asking me for 3 coins (?!?!!??! wtf?… she eventually went and got some coins on her own)…. then the machines didn’t start either…

Then Marta wanted to “put her hands on the matter”…

But the manager was too careful and said something “No, Marta… don’t touch… you’d break something…”

Right ;) as if there’s the specialist, and there’s the rookie!

Anyway… One of the coin-machines actually started working, so I started to put my clothes inside. I knew that I have detergent in the recipients of two machines, so I started to switch the recipients, so that I don’t have to put some more detergent - you can call me cheap-person, it’s ok… I can take it.

Then, “joke” from Marta… “uuu… men actually can think sometimes”

???????????????????? WHAT?

I am still not sure if I joked when I told her back that if she says that one more time I’m going to put the balsam from the recipient on her! It wasn’t a women-about-men issue, but a Poles-about-Romanians issue.

LATER EDIT in response to the comment from “me”

I didn’t look at it as a women-about-men issue, but a Poles-about-Romanians issue! I’m sure that she didn’t think of it this way, but since it was such not needed comment, it really got to me. For those who don’t know… so far… I was maybe the only one, or one of the few that gave her a flower on the International Women Day… and I am the only one that always says “put a smile on your face” or joke with her to make her smile.

Hmm… yes, “me”! I think you’re right. I have inferiority complexes and I am hyper-sensitive.

Pre-comment as coming from my friends: You don’t know shit about me =)

It’s like… we (Romanians) are far from perfect, but that’s not because we don’t think, but because we just want as much money as possible… so whenever there’s a chance, we just do crappy stuff so that more money is left for us. But this is almost like in the past now, since the structural funds that we’ll get from the EU are going to have a red-label on them: “Try doing something, and we’ll shit on you”

Ok… so then Marta: “You only used 6 zl, right?.. and now you are washing in two machines, so it’s ok, right?”
Me: “Yes, that’s right. But then again, Dominique also used 3 zl, so he should get them back”
Marta: “Yes, you’ve told me three times”
Me (in my mind): “Well, if I told you 3 times… why didn’t say to me at least once <Ok, we will handle Dominique’s money… you don’t have to worry!> ?”

One more thing… I was, you know, being respectful, so I was sitting there with the ladies - Marta and the manager -  for them to finish and to leave the laundry room all the three of us… then Marta says “You’re welcome”

I asked her to repeat three times… one time I didn’t hear… one time I didn’t believe my ears.

So… I am having problems with your system… I am still acting nice (believe me there’s always another way of dealing with things - I learned it from George, though it’s still not running in my blood) … Ok, we fixed the problem somehow. And ok… there’s no need for me to stay there…

But… you tell me “You’re welcome!” ??? As if I said “Thanks”? As if I should be in debt to you or something?

How come was it so hard to think of “We’re sorry for inconvenience, Andrei. But I’m glad we fixed it somehow for the moment. You don’t have to wait for us if you are busy…” ??????????????????????????????

This week, the laundry room got “upgraded”.

Instead of paying a deposit of 10 PLN at the reception desk… getting the laundry room key… washing our clothes… then getting back the deposit…

NOW you need to have coins with you… you ask for the key to laundry room… you put in your clothes… you put 3 PLN coins in some machines that control the electrical power to each washing machine…

& they are supposed to give you electrical power for 90 minutes, afterwards the machine stops.

My situation, this evening

I had a bulk of white clothes and another one of dark clothes.

I put everything in, plus detergent, etc.

Put the coins in… nothing. I said “Ok… it doesn’t work… but give me the money back…” The guy at the reception desk called the manager…

In the mean time he said that I should switch to another coin-machine, meaning also another washing machine. So… I took the most important bulk (dark) and moved it to another machine. Put in 3 PLN… nothing.

The guy came back… with 3 PLN… I told him that the second coin-machine doesn’t work either, though it showed that there’s a credit of 3 PLN in it. He put 3 PLN more… nothing.

I took my clothes back from the washing machines… and now I have to wait til tomorrow morning to get my money back and get a second try at the fuckin’ washing machines!

This very last weekend I went to Krakow again. I came back. I waited for the 57 bus from the train station to the dormitory.

I had no ticket and so I hopped in the bus, and went to the driver to buy one.

A 30 minutes bus is 1.50 PLN.

I told him “jeden studencki bilet… trzydzieści minuty” and put 1 PLN and 50 grosze on the table near him.

He said something in Polish… I acted like I don’t understand.

He was going for his tickets… and I said “pfiu…solved!”.

He gave me back a ticket of 10 minutes and 40 grosze back.

Brilliant!

Gosia (my friend from Krakow) :

on today’s test we had a breast made of silicon that lied on the table….the thing is that we needed to treat it like a patient…so i had to introduce myself and than talk explaining what i’m going to do

was wierd to say “good morning madam…i’m a medical student…bla bla…may i examin you?”

q: was there someone answering you???

i was really afraid that i will start laughing
it was a very silent and probably shy patient

I wrote previously about how they don’t celebrate anything on the 1st of March.

I wonder if it has to do with the geographical positioning, because in Romania, from the day we’re born we celebrate the 1st day of March as the 1st day of Spring.

Here, they celebrate Spring on the 21st of March, as its astronomical separation happens now. It is today that kids don’t go to school, and go to some movie or museum, etc. And it is in their tradition to make natural-size people from cereal straws and let them flow on the rivers, as it symbolizes winter.

I still hang on to my idea that it is more beautiful in Romania, where you give flowers to young girls and small red-white threads. Much more soul-related, as we are Latin people ;)

POST SCRIPTUM

Iżabela has Polish Windows Vista!!!

It has to do with my departure from Łódź, Poland! Yes, it is weird to think about departure already, after just one month here, but… it is just how things go. May 20 - I finish with all my exams here, at WSHE. May 20, 13:25 - Catch a flight from Warsaw to Amman, Jordan. I’ll be there for 4 days, until May 25 This is where the split/confusion comes in: 1st option

May 25, 12:25 - Return to Warsaw, Poland and then Łódź and stay for another week in Poland… End of May - Return to Bucharest somehow (train and/or flight) from Łódź or Krakow

LATER EDIT a. After Xavier mentioned this option, I remembered that I haven’t look at connection from Budapest to Bucharest (I already knew that there’s one Warsaw - Budapest). And this is actually the best alternative to get to Romania for the option of getting back to Poland, from Amman. Taking a low-cost flight Warsaw - Budapest 13.15 - 14.25, then Budapest - Bucharest 20.00 - 22.15. About 60 euros in total. b. Stay in Krakow and then take a train to Budapest (crazy… it takes 11 hours) and then the low-cost flight to Bucharest. c. Stay in Krakow and then take a direct train (24 hours) to Bucharest.

Deal with some exams at my home university

2nd option

May 25, 9:45 - Land in Bucharest, Romania

Deal with some exams at my home university

Come on!!! Anyone… just help me with this! Any thought is highly appreciated - just add a comment!

EVEN LATER EDIT

Response from the Travel Agency:

Ticket fare, incl taxes: SEK4274 for sector Warsaw-Istanbul-Amman ( only
normal fare available)
and SEK2780 for sector Amman-Istanbul-Bucharest (low fare economy class)

[...]

A round trip ticket by Turkish airlines Warsaw-Amman would cost SEK6689,
due to lack of availibilty in cheaper class

Conclusion: 2nd option wins!!!! Thanks to all of you!

PS: It may be that I will return to Poland to have my summer here, so it looks good! =)

I have added a new page Step1 - Uni.

It has some basic and clear information on how a university can enter the Erasmus Framework.

I will continue adding similar pages, which will be more specific since I know more about being an Erasmus student, in comparison to how you can get to be an Erasmus University.

Yesterday we’ve been to Ramzes. AGAIN! =)

But it was a very very long time since going there, and we decided to treat ourselves :p I think we all agree that the place has the best food for us. It’s not that expensive, and the food is almost all the time very tasteful. The only thing that we disliked was their Pizza. The other stuff was from “good/tasty” to “just perfect” and it didn’t go bellow that.

With all their poultry/beef/pork cousine and the French fries/grilled potatoes/rice as side-dish, and always with a cabbage and red beetroot… Yummy! And when you add two Tyskie or Pilsner to that… Perfect! :)

Now… we were sitting at a table, and not for the first time… On weekends, but most probably on Sunday evenings, the restaurants are almost empty. The streets as well. Just some “extreme-sports” people that were going to some clubs on a Sunday night, and, as always, getting back home drunk! :D (I just couldn’t help but mentioning that).

Ok, ok… I’ll get to that feminism that lies in the title!

At a near table there were two girls. One almost starts to cry. The other one walks away. Then comes back from the toilet. The crying one now seems to laugh. ?!?! No, it is not the time to use “Wtf?”

After some time… they kiss over the table. Not it is the time to say “Wtf?” I actually don’t have anything against gay/lesbians. I’m quite open-minded. I don’t think it’s that nice to see men kissing, so… no, thanks… but other than that - hey, if you’re ok generally, it’s your business what you do in private. Maybe I’m pro a bit of discrimination… meaning that I don’t like to see “them” kissing. Even if they are lesbians. In private, my eyes would probably pop out of the orbits, but in public… I’m pro men-women kissing but against men-men or women-women kissing. It’s just how I am…

Ok. This is not the Feminism in Łódź! I’m only starting to write about it now =)

I will start with smaller, more practical things!

In the bus, couples do not kiss and almost don’t talk. I would say that the cosiest moment is when you see drunk couples huging on two seats, while she rests her head on his shoulder and try not to fall asleep and forget to get off at their destination.

Secondly, on the streets… I’m really striving here… and I can’t say that I’ve seen people kiss. You know, that “Fuck-everything. I just wanna kiss you now and forget about everything.” Nope!

You see some girls with sex-appeal and “come-on-over” clothes, but that’s all. You have the starters but not the “meal”.

I know that since we are foreigners we pay extra attention to some things that the locals don’t see. And maybe in doing so, we extra-polate extreme moments and consider them to take place very often, but you cannot deny stuff like the crossings for bike-lanes in Krakow. So… I will continue to extra-polate, and I will reserve myself the right to say that it was doesn’t generally happen like this, and that all these following these were merely exceptions.

Cătă and George have been to Galleria a couple of days ago, and there were some festivities going on. A couple… she wanted to get a closer look… the man pulled her arm in a “No way you don’t!”… and there was no fight about it… she obeyed without any comment! Then there was the opposite, while getting off the bus… the man gets off… than she wants to get off, but stops… and put her hand in front, waiting for him to help her get off. Howwwwkiiieeeee…..Dowkie!

Now, more phylosophical thoughts! There seems to be no “playing” around here. Little romanticism floating in the air. I already told you their “tradition” about women celebration, so…

But still… I get the feeling that here it is more like… the women dress nicely for the men to look nicer (if you look at the shoes that they sell here, pff… ugly! so… since I can only understand that men don’t have high standards about shoes and all… the women must come in handy and cover the menly “minuses” ). I will also stress out the real high standards for quite a few men here: drink on the streets! When you go by bus in the evening, it is impossible not to see people with beers in their hands (after they already had a few… or more accurately: enough! ). You have the same chances to see groups of men sitting in a bus-station, or at corners of the streets, etc. drinking. Is it that they don’t have a place to drink!? Ok… so it is cheaper to buy the beer at a supermarket, than going to a pub… but… don’t you have like a home!?

For us, Romanians, I think this is also a reason why we don’t fall under the table in such a miserable way (explanation: so far tens of people that were loosing balance - both men and women, two dead - one of them unconscious, one strengthless, hundreds past the “happy-state”). And it is also like “I don’t want to get dead-drunk in my own flat, or in my friend’s flat!”, so you kind of keep it under control. You just don’t go overboard. You get “high”, but not overboard. Ok, Rux… we all love you and you can go overboard anytime. You’re simply too harmless, so… =)

And we are also a bit of a criticism-natio