smile, live, travel, take pictures, remember...

The Ice (cream) Age...

2011-08-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

... will always be a very important period in my life, as it developed in a paralel period with my studies in Belgium. In some years it will be the job that you are talking about in a funny way, the job that paid your studies, the one you had just before starting your real carreer... This "age" was pretty tough for me, and this job very exhaustive and boring, but it did learn me many things and I already believe that it was a precious experience.

Working as a waiter or a sales person when you have a strong education and very nice skills is not that fun or interesting, but it does learn you a lot about people, human contact, patience and management.

During these 17 months I learned that people are rude and don't know how to behave in a shop, because marketers told them that the client is the kink and is always right. But this turns in a wonderful experience, as you really learn how to deal with difficult people and to learn how to speak to them.

Working with so many people and in a stressful atmosphere, where things had to be done fast and good, but with a smile on your face even if you worked for the last 9 hours just standing and surrounded by unbearable collegues, learns you a lot about prioritising, human contact and stress management.

The best collegue I had was the one that showed me that you have to relativize and to give less importance to people's reactions, as the most of the time they are not so important. This doesn't mean that you have to be indiferent and do your job less seriously, but just to take it easy. Believe me that this reduces by far the stress and the fatigue.

The best manager I had learn me that being nice and funny with your collegues brings you more that being too serious and rigid, especially when you have to make a remark or even to criticize.

My ice (cream) age lasted 17 months, and still counting at this time, but even if I don't enjoy what I'm doing, this experience learnt me to have a discipline in my work, to prioritize, to work fast and good, to deal with difficult clients and collegues, to fight for my interests, to make concessions, to respect orders (and to understand them moths after), and many many more that I will realize once I will move on...

Broken relationships...

2011-08-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

There are these awkard moments is our lives when you just have to say goodbye to people you love, and not because they are dying or leaving far away, but just because the relationship is dead.

This is a big dilemma for me in this period... It's true that these are very instable times, I just graduated my masters, I am looking for a job, I'm not sure where I am going to be in the following months... It is again the time of questions, that kind period when you have to take important decisions and to choose your way in life. This makes me be more sensitive and more fragile, and I analyse more what is happening in my life.

But, exactly, how can be ended a relationship with somebody you love and care for? How can you react when your closest friends are changing the place that you had in their lives, when you don't see that light in their eyes anymore, when they no longer seem that interested in you...

All you need is love... or not

2011-04-25T03:45:00.000-07:00

During these last years I have learnt a lot about relationships, and this, as it usually happens, through pretty much suffering and frustration. But I can't complain, life gave me a good lesson... No matter how much love is in a relationship, if we don't put attention and tenderness for the other, if we don't find common interests and activities, or if we don't give enough attention and show our feelings, everything is terring apart. And I personnally think that there is no bigger frustration than having so strong feelings for somebody, but having to let him go because there is no relationship, and you get bored waiting for attention and tenderness.

It's been a long long time since I realized how important is to really spend time with the ones you love, to give them full attention and proves of your feelings. This is the most of human relationships, but unfortunately there are very few of us that really understand this and put it in practice in their daily lives. And, franchement, it's a pitty! Life can be so special and wonderful!

Romania, o tara a frustrarilor...

2011-03-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

E a nu stiu cata oara cand vin acasa de cand am plecat in departari, dar parca de data asta mi se pare atat de trist... Poate si pentru ca numai ce s-a topit zapada si e totul prafuit si gri, sau poate e doar o reflectare a tot ce se intampla acum alandala in Romania...

De cate ori vin acasa, o data la cateva luni, ma sochez de ce preturi sunt. Sincer, admir marea majoritate a romanilor care castiga foarte putin si reusesc sa o scoata la capat. Pur si simplu nu inteleg cum unele preturi la niste lucruri banale sunt mai mari decat in Belgia de exemplu. Si atunci cum sa nu fie romanii frustrati si sa plece?

In Romania exista un altfel de regim de slabit, adoptat de majoritatea populatiei: mersul la cumparaturi. E foarte simplu. Mergi la cumparaturi intr-un Carrefour, de exemplu, si dupa ce iti lasi la casa toti banii din portofel, ajungi rapid la concluzia ca ar fi bine sa mananci mai putin pe viitor. Asta daca vrei sa mai ai si bani pentru altceva care iti umple si capul sau inima, nu numai stomacul. :)

a one week walk in Brasov...

2011-03-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

I'm coming home, coming home...

2011-03-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Drumul spre casa si vacanta de primavara in Romania au inceput foarte interesant… Am prins la tanc autobuzul spre aeroport pentru ca :p shhht ! secret :d, important e ca am ajuns la aeroport la timp. Am papat repede un croissant cu un latte (cum sa nu fie o zi faina daca a inceput cu un croissant si cu un latte ??? :), am lasat iar un suvenir la controlul de securitate (se intampla cam des in ultimult timp :p), cica « bombele » nu erau in ambalajul original lol :). Pana aici e totul obisnuit nu ? hehe… asta pana cand am trecut de controlul de frontiera si am dat de mini Romania de la poarta de imbarcare… cred ca nici la ambasada nu te simti mai roman, serios… era plin de romanasi din constructii, vreo 2 care aveau niste afaceri cu tiruri, fete obisnuite toti si multi de parca Romania ar fi o destinatie exotica. Dar ii inteleg, nicaieri nu-i ca acasa in Romanica. Si un tigan intr-un sacou turquoise deschis. Aaa, pardon o persoana cu tenul mai inchis :p. Stiu, stiu ca pana aici nimic nou. In afara de tigan (aaaaa stiti voi J). M-am urcat in avion si, incredibil, lumea nu se inghesuia de mama mama. M-am asezat in spate oricum, si langa mine cine se pune ? De parca stia ca turquoise-ul e culoarea mea preferata si ca imi scriu thesis-ul despre tigani, pardon, Romi :p.

Aveam un zambet in coltul gurii mai ceva ca Dr House cand eu imi aranjam articolele despre tigani din Jurnalul National si el se uita cu coada ochiului. Bineinteles ca erau articole naspa, si multe, si in care scria mare ca tiganii e hoti si manelisti. Cred ca s-a enervat putin asa in strafundurile lui (apropo, intre timp si-a pus un sacou negru, normal, chiar fain) si s-a bagat la putin somn. Dar tot mai tragea cu coada ochiului la ecranul laptopului. Bineinteles ca i se vedea pe fata cat de tigan e, dar n-a recunoscut din prima, a incercat mai intai marea cu degetul. Bineinteles ca de unde sunt, ce fac in Belgia, de ce imi pierd timpul cu scoala, ce naspa sunt tiganii si ce reputatie de cacao ne fac in Europa. :) El dadea cu noroiu si eu le luam apararea (no, vorba vine). A vazut baiatu ca nu am nimic asa pe fata cu el si toata familia lui si a recunoscut in sfarsit ca e tigan. Asta intre doua oftaturi ca wei ce naspa e avionul, ca n-are ziare si nu poate sa afle scorul de la meci si etc etc… si asa au trecut 3 ore. Nu cred ca are rost sa mai povestesc cum a decurs discutia cu un tigan cu bani si sacou turquoise, o sa las stereotipurile si ideile preconcepute sa va incante imaginatia. Dar… nenea se ducea la manichiura si pedichiura, deci va rog frumos :p. Si nu fetelor, nu se si epila ! Inca… :)

Sincer, cat de pe faza trebuie sa fi fost muza mea ca sa-l puna pe haules baules BC-BG langa mine ? Funny her ! Dar si eu m-am amuzat de minune.

Si, pentru ca oamenii vor sa ma surprinda azi la maxim, in autobuzul spre Gara de Nord era un nene batran si prafuit care vorbea engleza. Si accentul ca accentul, Iliescu style :), dar vorbea super corect. Adica « you didn’t expect me ». sincer, asta e o greseala care imi mai scapa si mie din cand in cand. Dar, serios, chapeau nenea! Ma faci sa ma simt bine acasa, saraci, dar inteligenti. :p

London baby!!!

2010-07-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find the words to describe this city, as I feel that I don't know it that well. But beware of London, as you can rapidly fall in love of it!!

3, 2,... 1.5... and back to 2... ;)

2010-07-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

hm... Exams are over and succeeded he he... Mémoire en cours de redaction... Week-end en Ardennes avec les amis multilingues réussi... Week-end à Londres avec mon cheri merveilleux à détester Bruxelles après... Roumanie pour voir ma famille et mes amis on going...

But... motivation lost, as life strikes back my family si simt ca-mi fuge pamantul de sub picioare :((.

Bon ben là faut trouver de la motivation et de la force pour écrire cette merveille de mémoire en 6 semaines... Et espèrer que ce soit le dernier coup de procrastination de ma vie :p

see photos attached ;)

le début de la fin

2010-05-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Encore one of those moments... când simt că timpul încetinește deși trece foarte repede... și pot vedea totul cum se schimbă... și trebuie să reinventez totul...

Îmi mai rămâne un singur curs din toată viața de student, o singură sesiune, o singura dizertație... Va fi un big bang după susținere, va începe o nouă eră... Și știu că mă voi uita în spate la tot ce a fost, și voi fi mândră de mine, pentru că I did it!! și c'est fini! și viața mea se va schimba pentru totdeauna...

Și acum încep să simt acel moment apropiindu-se... și e... delicios de dulce...

Dar mai e a lot of work to do, mult de învățat, încă o mică bucățică din viața de student... și marele mister de după...

Y a encore une vie après les études??? :)