Winner

My dear nephew gave me this drawing of bunnies. Today, the bunnies met and said hello to Shugu, before he left. 

Shugu is leaving in order to meet the rightful winner of the giveaway on goodreads.

The bunnies wish you a pleasant trip, Shugu!

The Student, 2016

I am writing under a strong impression left by the movie “Ученик” (in English, The Student).

One of the main characters in the movie says, at a certain moment, that puberty is a mental illness that is surpassed once adulthood is reached. I liked this phrase very much; even more because the adolescence period seems to always include elements impossible to be explained or anticipated. The movie centers upon an adolescent, Veniamin, who is looking for himself and finds comfort and support in the values described in the Bible. Being convinced that he must give himself entirely to the cause of the Bible, Veniamin refuses other alternatives and thus appear various conflictual situations. But Veniamin is not the only one refusing to consider other opinions or options. An entire world around him seems to live like he does, only not to the extremes.

A multitude of things appear in antithesis and I will not expose any of them, but there is an extremely touching metaphor at the end of the movie. That uneasiness dominating our society for a while now. Namely, having to choose between zealotry and the attempt to remain equidistant, taking evidence as guidance.

I also recommend this movie because you will be more surprised than you'd think.

Book launch

The “Adventures of tourists” returns with fresh forces. Now, in Romanian and in English.

The authoress and two lovely she-guests are happy to invite you to the launch of the bilingual edition of the short story collection entitled “Adventures of tourists”.

'Adventures of tourists' in bilingual edition

'Why don't you publish your books in English, too?', I was asked by non-native Romanian speakers.
And that's how the bilingual edition of the short story collection 'Adventures of tourists' appeared.
Do come Thursday, the 6th of April 2017, in the lobby of the County Library 'Octavian Goga' in Cluj-Napoca, to celebrate it being published.
I cannot wait to see you there! I, the authoress, and two very special guests.
See you at the library!

Professions

The other day, I was watching an episode from the series The Wonder Years and I remembered the first time I found out the names of my parents’ professions. I knew, for example, that father worked with leaden letters. And that was how I had all those notebooks with my name engraved and a stamp for the family’s library. But I had no idea about the name of his profession. And one day the question was raised. By the schoolmistress, who was ready to fill in the chart at the end of the class register where the parents’ professions were noted.

Many of my colleagues replied to the question, boasting about seafarer and housewife. Afterwards, I found out that neither of these words meant some sort of medicine specialist and, respectively, someone who kept yawning. When I arrived home that afternoon, my father presented me with type setter, and mom with reeler. I was very proud to communicate those professions the following day to the schoolmistress.

And I do believe that, back then, us kids didn’t have a clue about what any of those professions meant; we were proud of our parents, proud to know they had another name beside the family name that we also carried. It’s true that sometimes it was obvious that some professions were impressive to others, but I never stopped and wondered why. I was proud of my parents, they worked and people were satisfied with their work. What else could I have wanted?!

I often think that it is the same way with my nephew. He is proud of us, knowing that we are busy working, and he even nicknamed us some years ago with the title workies. 

The Theory of Tips in Romania

A restaurant somewhere in Romania. A foreigner asks for the bill. The way he talks Romanian, stressing the letter r, gives him away of not being a native speaker. The waiter comes with the bill and explains in Romanian.

- You know, in Romania the tips are not included in the bill.

- Yes, I do know. This is the reason why you mention this in English on the bill. So that foreigners know.

- Oh! And the waiter remains silent.

It makes me wonder; why did the waiter believe that a foreigner that speaks the language of the country they're in would not also know its 'traditions'? Moreover, should have the waiter considered the man a tourist and oblivious to the traditions, how could he even think that a tourist learns to speak the language of the country to be visited before visiting it?!

“The Surrogate” by Petru Popescu

Whenever I read or see videos about people managing to escape from North Korea and I find out about the way life is lived there, I cannot but fearfully think that probably it would have been our way of living too, hadn’t been for the Revolution that took place in 1989. Adelin Petrișor’s documentary makes me think that I am not so far from the truth. 
Especially, since he mentions that after his visit in 1971 to Pyongyang, Ceaușescu was so much impressed with the sumptuous receptions that he copied them in Romania, too.

“The Surrogate” centers upon the connection with Zoia Ceaușescu, the first impressions, the agitation that followed, the unexpected things she did or said. And less upon the setting; even though there are some mentions regarding the abuses, the privations, and even Romania’s fame in Germany for certain privations. The Decree 770 hovers about the entire novel like a hawk flying in circles until deciding which prey to clinch into its claws.

Usually, each reader keeps within a small part of the books they had read. From “The Surrogate”, I choose to keep that passionate longing and search for freedom.