On top again

You know those things you fall in love it and at some point you love them so much that your afraid of getting disappointed?! This is me and the travelling mania I am slowly developing.

Last week I visited, on fast forward, two of Europe's greatest historical capitals, London and Paris. Maybe the quickness of the visit made the experience "dirty". Of all my travelling I found both as the darkest, dirtiest cities I have ever been in, Bucharest included.

London, I arrived around 6 (UK time) at Heathrow, and the second I looked out the plane's window, I remembered the beautiful Nordic sunset from Denmark. The darkness was similarly warm. I felt familiar, maybe because everything was in English :P. I went around the city only a bit (Buckingham, The Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abby, The Eye). I would have liked to see more, but it was cold and the poor illuminated streets made things look darker and colder, and I constantly had the feeling that I have to go to bed. The chaotic direction of cars was confusing and dazzling...though I wasn't scared, I felt like getting out of the streets as soon as possible. The feeling was tripled by the sight of homeless every here and there. When I got home I realized that I forgot about London's bridge, so I'll just have another reason to go there, this time by day...in a warmer season.

Paris was even quicker. I didn't even realize when the train we were on crossed the channel and got us in the suburbs of Paris. The sight wasn't so great. I've seen these gipsy built suburbs for a million times on TV, but never got goose bumps. You cannot imagine the dirt and poverty standing to be noticed next to a city of luxury and history. Once we got in the city, I had the feeling of familiarity again. The language is a complete puzzle to me, but the faces, clothing and architecture made me feel like home. The stint of the underground in Paris, could not be neutral to me. They urgently need to drop one of those famous perfume bottles in the underground. I didn't see much...but in April I'll go back and investigate :)

On top of it all, these cities are so expensive...and in my opinion....without reason. My no. 1 is still San Francisco...and my no. 1 1/2 is Madrid.

Welcome 2010

I had an odd start in this new year. I started the year with the feeling of needed change, in myself. I decided to change priorities, and switch from the naive school/university girl. I played the role for a while, maybe a bit too long and I'm starting to feel lame. I'm like the guy in those US university movies that never manages to graduate and goes with every generation through the same stupid pranks.

I had a look back at my 2009 resolution list and realized that I am so good at lying, I can actually fool myself. I have no resolution list for this year, except for managing to finish my master program. I have no wishes and no hopes, because having them would make me narrow...I prefer to walk on a wide path this year. There are some things that I know for sure will continue, and those things are related to traveling. I will be out there this year again, switching planes and looking through airport windows. These planes guided in these past 2 years my destiny and showed me that there are no limits to anything. If I can make it, if it happens to me...I believe it exists...destiny, luck, serendipity, whatever you want to name it.

My 2009:

- managed to work for three months by waking up at 5 in the morning and riding my bike, in order to sustain my studies

- managed to get to the thesis part of my master program, not with great grades, but with a beautiful life experience

- lived in Madrid for 3 months, ate the best food, drank the best "cervesa con limon" and most of all, met and lived with the best people in the world

- saw the wonders of Gaudi

- proved to myself that I can very well work for the state system as well, but would rather leave it as a last resort

- got hired by the International Executive Search Federation, in the conditions I asked - and so I have the best job a 23 year old would wish for, working with real professionals

- realized that my parents were right when I was little: there is no such thing as best friends, everybody has their own interest, the only people that will never judge or ask for anything are your parents!!!

- did the craziest thing in my life

I have no regrets, I'm just carefully paving my way to Hell.

Cheers to new perspectives!

Let the slaughter begin

The XXI century, 9.30 AM, one of Bucharest's neighbourhoods drowned in never ending hills of snow. Cars with scared drivers desperately watching through the windscreen, hoping to make through the big crossroad where a well dressed police man stands...doing nothing. I carefully step on the paths made through the snow by morning walkers. At the end of the final cross stray dogs can be heard barking. I can see one of them sacredly watching towards the loud hounds form across the street, and I thinking that the poor dog is an unwanted intruder. But I am so wrong. As a put the final step on what used to be a clearly marketed white cross, I see a confused pig. A large red skinned pig, waving his large years, seeking for the right direction. His formerly pink skin is carved by small cuts, making it look bloody red. His back legs have been tight together, to make sure he has no way to escape. Behind him, two man guiding his direction with a stick...

This officially opened the pig slaughtering season for me. Every year, my grandparents raise two pigs for Christmas. They've been going through this ritual since they were born. While most traditions were lost, this one is still vivid at the country side. This is also something I attend every year, until my grandparents will no longer be able to raise the pigs. Even if pork meat does not represent a necessity anymore, like it used to in the old days, this habit cannot be taken from them. It's cruel, but it's a tradition and an unwritten law of the people. Considering that other cultures still murder or torture people to satisfy traditions, or apply the rule of death to punish the ones that do wrong in their community in the XXI century, the pig slaughtering doesn't sound so cruel. It is though something that will disappear...

Traditions make culture, culture makes us different and unique...