The Bible

Two summers ago, in Spain, all women on the metro were reading these really large books I have never heard about. I got curious and that's how I found out about Larsson's Millennium. To my shame I only finished reading them two years later...

I've never written a book review and I'm definitely not going to start now. The books are frightfully thick, but you can't imagine how fast they capture you and they get glued to your hands and your mind. Larsson was about to write 12 novels with the same skinny, weird Lisbeth Salander as the main character, but unfortunately he died soon after finishing the third. I can't help but wonder whether the others would've been just as fascinating. I did most of the reading on the bus, where I've even been asked whether I'm reading the Bible :))

A series of Swedish movies has been made after the books. Saw the first one, and all I can say is that it doesn't compare. If you like the movie you're going to love the book. Director Daniel Alfredson tried to catch the essence of the books in a series of shocking movies, with very violent scenes. They are R rated for a good reason.

Management vs. Leadership

Adrian Stanciu  - How you do is more important than what you do
http://www.humansynergistics.ro/Rezultate%20ale%20cercetărilor-studii%20de%20caz-23.html

To read:
Daniel Golman - Emotional Intelligence
Dan Ariely - Predictably Irrational
Dan Pink - Drive
Kant - Introduction in the Metaphysics of Morals
Henri Fayol
Karen Horney

One year of volunteering

I have not been the most active volunteer ever, but it's been a whole year of cats and dogs stories. I decided to do this mostly because I love animals and I wanted to stop complaining about the problems Romania has and start doing something. Though it's not a "strict day to day job" its impact may be greater.

It may seem difficult to work with animals, because you have to learn want their needs are, but as long as you give them space, it will work out right. Animals express themselves easily and know how to make you see though their eyes as long as you are willing. They might be unpredictable sometimes, I almost got bitten a couple of times due to faulty communication, but the answer is to never panic and act as natural as possible. It surely helps you control your feelings better. This hobby becomes serious when you realize that you actually handle lives and just like a doctor you can never make a mistake during surgery.

It's been a great experience. I fostered a couple of cats, I saved an abandoned dog, I attended animal adoption fairs, I learned more about the medical needs of animals, even learned how to vaccinate dogs, I know what an animal shelter looks like and how difficult it is to feed and clean after 100 dogs, I know more about the Romanian policies towards abandoned animals and that the authorities ignore the problem completely, I definitely learned more about the non existing limits of human cruelty towards other beings.  All these with the help of a group of volunteers (mostly girls) who also turned a hobby into a life saving marathon.

I would like to do more this year when it comes to volunteering. It's not so popular in Romania, but I hope that volunteering will attract more people in time. Volunteering for anything helps and raises your self esteem. It adds a great value to you as a person and helps you learn more not just about different things you didn't learn in school, but also about yourself.

A new year

I spent my last day of 2010 just as I spent the rest of the year...alone...with my cats. I got dressed and ready to go out. I stayed in line at a club with my best friend, and all of a sudden I realized that I did not wanted to be there. The person standing next to me has been out of my life for half of this year for good reasons, and I realized that her return was a bad idea ... I admit my bad habit of returning behind well sealed doors. 2010 has definitely been a year of solitude for me and I feel that I closed up a lot, even if tests would prove me wrong, because I opened myself towards something different.

One of my resolutions for this year is to regain my trust in people, but now I'm not sure I'd like to do that anymore. I have a feeling that is going to be a hell of a year ... I am really confident and positive, and I definitely want to make the best of it and not myself get lost.