Newest pictures

Delighted by nature

Bowing to the Sun

Sun set on the lake

Rooster crest

The scented linden

Sour cherries

The fields blanket

Sun worshipers

Daisies

Poppy flower

Immortal flowers- we used to gather them as to enjoy their colour in the winter

Raspberry

Ready for a feast

Hidden away swallow chicks

Daring chick rady to try a flight

The mom chatting on the vine

The mighty oak

Sanziene

Past nostalgia

 A friend has sent me this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXRtL-rFKwA&feature=related
I watch these images with a bit of envy. I know that those people had a harder life than ours and they had to work a lot, but I can't stop feeling that they were happier. They had a much simpler life, less stressful, regulated through ancient customs and superstitions. I know that my image of those times is a bit embellished by what I heard from my parents, grandparents and great grandparents. Last summer I camped for some nights in a village museum in Maramures (Sighetu Marmatiei). I was the strangest feeling to stay there among those very old houses. I could almost see the past generations stepping barefoot on the rich grass and the children running on the wooden porches; the birds' song seemed to carry their voices from the past too. One morning I woke up in a powerful fragrance of fresh cut grass. outside a young peasant couple was reaping as their ancestors have been doing for thousands of years. And, of course :), the woman was far ahead and hurrying him.
I got the same feeling of "at home" when I visited this summer the village museum from Bucharest. This was even more fantastic than the one from the North. I was overwhelmed - I didn't know where to go and look first. Three were so many details to notice, so much life moments to imagine...I felt that I wanted to move there. It was part of that old world I fantasise about. I really have a past nostalgia ...I don't know how entitled. Maybe these people were fantasising about these times and their comfort.

Pelicans

Invasion of pelicans

Seeing these rows of pelicans descending towards the water reminds me of this spring and the thousands of storks seen on the fields around. I've seen this year more birds together than ever. Maybe it is a sign that they like these places again. Maybe we have less pollution, overcrowding than other places they used to dwell. All the same, I am always glad to see these guests, especially because I find birds very funny.
Thinking of pelicans, I remember a a very clumsy pelican seen in the zoo. It received a fish but it had problems finding it. Other birds in the enclosure tried to steal it away, but fortunately for the pelican, the fish was too big for them. When it finally managed to grab it, it kept dropping it on both sides of its beak. I laughed my head off, but it was very patient and it didn't give up. Finally it managed to take the fish in its beak and make that pelican characteristic membrane bag under the beak. I always thought that when they have that bag, they resemble Hardy from the famous Laurel and Hardy comic couple.

Upcoming Fairies' celebration

Seeing some flowers can trigger memories and feelings. This happened to me these days and it reminded me about an upcoming date in the Romanian calendar. They always make me think of the supernatural. Here is a picture of the flowers - Sânziene and info about what they represent.

Fairies’ Night -Every year on June 24, Romanians celebrate Sânzienele. The night preceding this day is believed to be magic - miracles are possible, beneficial and negative forces reach their peak. It’s an annual festival in the fairies' honor.

This is similar to the Swedish Midsummer holiday, and is believed to be a pagan celebration of the summer solstice in June. According to the official position of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the customs actually relate to the celebration of Saint John the Baptist's Nativity, which also happens on June 24.

Sânziană is the Romanian name for gentle fairies who play an important part in local folklore, also used to designate the Galium verum or Cruciata laevipes flowers. Etymologically, the name stands for sân (common abbreviation of sfânt - "saint", "holy") and zână (a word used for fairies in general). Another likely etymology is that the word comes from the Latin Sancta Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt and moon, also celebrated in Roman Dacia (ancient Romania). Diana was known to be the virgin goddess and looked after virgins and women. She was one of the three maiden goddesses, Diana, Minerva and Vesta, who swore never to marry.

The dance of the fairies - The legend says that Sânzienele are some very beautiful girls who live in the woods or fields. They come to dance and "empowering" special flowers and weeds, making herbal medicines, good for all diseases. People believe, in the Sânziene night, fairies fly through the air or walk on earth. They sing and share the fruit crops, impregnate wives, breed birds and animals, heal the sick, protect crops from hail. If people do not celebrate them properly, they get upset and become like bad fairies. Sânzienele revenge on women who do not hold celebrations on June 24, cursing their mouth. Not even men do easily escape. Those who had sworn falsely before, or have made others bad things, can expect terrible punishment, because Fairies are great lovers of justice.

Sânzienele represents an opportunity for young people, who want to unite their destinies, to meet, a celebration of love, rightly honored with song and dance. On the eve Sânziene, girls and boys who are to marry in the village gather in the evening. Everybody has fun. Boys lit pyres. Unmarried girls (virgins) pick up the representative flowers and intertwine garlands. Then they throw these crowns over their houses. If they crash or hang on the horn, they announce a forthcoming wedding.

In some regions, the girls may keep the wreaths until the following year's Sânziene. This, they believe, ensures a fertility for their family's land. In addition, if they place the wreath under their pillow the night right after Sânziene, it is possible that they would have a premonition of the man they are to marry (ursitul, "the fated one"). Another folk belief is that during the Sânziene night, the heavens open up, making it an adequate time for making wishes and for praying, as God is more likely to listen.

At dawn the boys gather in bands and cross  the village with Sânziene flowers on their hats.  The village chooses a "Dragaica". She is proposed from a group of seven girls. She must be the most beautiful, the best and the most diligent of the village girls. She will be adorned with ears of wheat. The other young women will dress in white. This is the procession Dragaica which goes through the village and the fields. At crossroads, girls dance and sing cheerful.

Bathed in dew
This ceremony includes the whole village. Households receive an ear of wheat, which is placed on the beam in the barn. They hope the crop to be that tall. Elders say that during that night fairies and witches gather and dance in the woods. Who sees them gets mad or remains mute forever. They also believe that those who does not respect the Dragaica can have many misfortunes- the one who washes, sews and sweeps that day may die of lightning. People say that the girls who want to marry soon have to be wash with dew. But for this bathing ritual to be successful, there are certain conditions. It as to be at dawn, in places unseen by people before, old women gather the Sânziene dew  in a white new cloth, cloth, then squeeze it a new pot. On the way home, they do not speak at all and must not meet anyone. If all these are fulfilled, who washes with this dew  will be healthy and loving throughout the year. Married women can make this ritual too as to be loved by her husband the whole year and have beautiful and healthy children.

Paranormal
The consequences of heavens opening on Sânziene are connected by some to paranormal events reported during that period of each year. According to popular beliefs, strange things, both positive and negative, may happen to a person wandering alone on Sânziene night. Strange ethereal activities are believed to happen especially in places such as the Băneasa forest (near the capital of Bucharest) or the Baciu forest (near the city of Cluj-Napoca).
Mircea Eliade's novel, Noaptea de Sânziene (translated as The Forbidden Forest), includes references to the folk belief about skies opening at night, as well as to paranormal events happening in the Băneasa Forest.

 I don't know if these flowers trigger any feelings in you but roses surely do. Here are some- feel away.

Beautiful life

What can be more beautiful?

A swans heart

 Next generation. In absolute freedom.
The double rainbow was too big to fit in the picture. It filled the whole sky. The reed seems to raise its arms to welcome it.

 They are so cute... and so frail. Little wonders of life. I like this image with the protective mother and the little silky balls in the tree-filtered sun. I like the warmth of their little bodies in my palm when I can feel their racing heart and restless legs. I think they represent the essence of life - little, beautiful, passionate and so easy to squeeze out. Sometimes we, humans, become too involved in ourselves and our intricate plans, and we forget what it means to live in the moment. These chicks don't know anything about the world or their past but they venture head-on in everything. What they can discover is more important than anything.

Elections gossip

Today was a very relaxing. I am writing about it because I want to remember it for its laid-back pace and sunny atmosphere. I enjoyed the attention of some boys classes. Although there was no point, well-knowing that they have all the grades they need, the boys willingly collaborated during the lesson in a greater number than usual. I sensed a bit of courtesy in their demeanor. They wanted to please me maybe thinking that we will soon part for the duration of a long holiday. I was amused especially of one boy, whom I had complimented. He was all smile and very delighted to write on the blackboard (while during other classes there is an entire process of negotiation to get them to offer to write on the blackboard).
I was amused also by another student met on the hallway. He is a handsome gypsy young man  with long ears and a big slick white smile. These days he is amused of something he heard on TV and he asks everybody he meets if they know how you say Yes in Swedish. When the other person answers negatively, of course, he has a great satisfaction in yelling a loud "Yaaa!"I had seen this scene in their class, but he forgot and tried to do the same with me. Unfortunately for him, I pretended not to understand the question and asked him to repeat the question several times. Then I pretended to misunderstand whet he was asking and started to twist the question. In the end he gave up and went on his way, without the satisfaction of saying his favourite word of the week.
Another entertaining aspect of the day was represented by the electoral talks. Some colleagues were exhausted after the night spent counting the votes for the local elections, but this didn't stop them from debating their results. All of them, regardless of the political colour, appreciated that these elections were fair, not vote theft being made. This really makes me glad. I am not really interested now about who wins the elections, but I am very happy to see that things are fair, that were are losing a bit of our Balkan corruptible spirit.
A big focus for the discussion was the fact that the most unexpected candidate won the elections in a nearby town. It seems nobody had expected this and they were making a lot of suppositions regarding this. Thus I found out some colourful details about the political games around. It's always interesting to open a window and have a perspective towards another world, and I have to admit that the local political scene has been foreign to me until recently. Only now I discover that it is as interesting as the national one. And sometimes the gossip is much juicier  :) .
So, I found out that the candidate which was expected to win had the support of two gypsy clans until two weeks ago. That meant a great advantage mainly due to the fact that in that town the gypsy population is in majority. But a week ago, the leader of a very small national party came to that town. That man is known mainly for his on-going scandalous shows aired on his private televisions. It seems he talked with the gypsy population and promised them some things if they vote for his local candidate. Of course, my colleagues, belonging to other parties, didn't have a clue about what was said then but it was funny to hear the game of suppositions and jokes about that. The suppositions went from unpaid public transport, pavement in all the neighbouring villages to helicopters and stadiums.
I found out the history of the winning candidate. He has been a student of our school two years ago. Although I vaguely remember his name, I can't match a face with it. He as been a student of mine for sure, but the fact that he didn't make a lasting impression on me makes me believe he isn't that remarkable, although the speakers considered him a cleaver enough guy. He is said to be known for  owning a shop in that town. Thus he got to know the gypsy clan leaders there. Then he got the support of my town mayor, who is a very wealthy and influential man. Our mayor even became his wedding godfather. And thus he got to became finally a mayor. The final consensus was that it doesn't matter how he won the elections, what matters what he will do as a mayor. I've seen this is the general agreement nowadays- to forgive the way the politicians gain power as long as they do what is needed for the community (the well-known motto- the purpose excuses the means).
Another funny thing was a gossip about a young town hall candidate from my own town. They were commenting about his very unorthodox declarations made during his campaign. It seems he said that he has a very strong spiritual power and he is able to attract towards us para-psychological, astrological force. He promised that if the becomes mayor he will build in our town the biggest building in the country. His plan was to build it in the shape of a cross as to attract positive forces here. I couldn't believe that such a man really had the support of a party. But my colleagues were more than willing to show me his declarations about these in local newspapers and TV stations.
Hearing all these, I felt sorry I didn't have time to follow the local election campaign. I won't make this mistake again. It's obviously very exciting and with very diverse and striking characters.

Rules and elections

Ok...I haven't written in a while. I have been a bit busy and then I wanted to rest and do nothing. Now, I'm back!
Ten days with a large group of Turkish people, drained my strength. This is the second unsatisfying experience with Turkish people. I have almost given up on them. I think from now on I will avoid making projects with them. It's too complicated, even if they are not bad people. I think they are not used to come in contact to other nationalities, they are not flexible and adaptable to other ways of living At thesis group I noticed the same problem with women in leadership positions seen before. I understand that this is their way of life, but I think they should come in contact more with other types of community and try to accept that people are different and they can't apply the same standards. Ok, this was all theoretical. I'll give an example. Talking, I found out that the majority of the women in East Turkey don't work and stay at home as housewives. I really see the advantages of this way of life, especially when children are concerned. The mother is always there and can help them in many respects. But, this way of life influences the community's conceptions. You can't see woman's role as much as in the west, and this really undermines woman's position in society.
I didn't like when I saw Turkish men refusing to cook. I asked them to do this as to allow the women time to do some shopping. I was surprised when a younger man, well travelled and accustomed with the western world, was very annoyed by the proposition. He stated very categorically that he knows how to cook but he won't do it. His face and his suddenly turned back were mean to end any discussion on the matter. Unfortunately for hi, I am as stubborn as an ass, so I put him in the situation to do it without a chance. Of course this didn't stop the phone calls asking about different items around the kitchen.
 I didn't like the slammed doors and the contemptuous passing-by when thee got mad. That led me to believe that they can easily brush away the thin layer of tolerance towards women, if they feel their authority violated.
 I didn't like the way they, this time Turkish women, were pulling down my T-shirt when they felt it is too short. I didn't like that they sent my students to change their outfits, when they considered they were too short or low-cut. Do not imagine that anyone was indecent, everybody was very much aware that they gave certain rules. It was just that the skirts were shorter than they admitted or the dresses were raising a bit during dancing. Usually I try to accept and understand other societies, but I have to admit I was very much annoyed by the fact that we were imposed some foreign rules in our own country. I tried to respect them and their religion, and not give room for unpleasant feelings but at a certain moment it became too much. It's very stressful when you don't know which is the frame of their rules, always stepping on eggshells as not to offend somehow. We asked them repeated times to communicate, to tell us us what they want and don't want. In spite of nodding, we were left in the dark all the time which led to reproaches and nerves from their part. It's difficult when you can't communicate with some people with whom you spend a lot of time, because I've been with them almost constantly.
I was paying attention when I was told, after seeing a teenage couple kissing  on a park bench, that in their area they are not allowed at least to hold hands. I kept myself from familiar gestures when I saw the didn't like that I put my hand around one of my students.I took note of the insistence on the fact that you are not allowed to wear shorts or short skirts there. I accepted to let the men walk in front on the street and take charge then there is a need of action. I got used to the fact that they do not pay Dutch when going out. And I will act according to all their rules - when I will go there. I like finding out about other people and their customs. It's like an interesting game to play by their rules, when you are there, in their country. I will take care I and my group will behave by their rules in their country. But here was our country and I didn't see them make the same effort to adapt to our way of life. Not to say they insisted to much to make us subject to their rules. I felt very much offended when after days of playing along and trying to accommodate them in every way possible, I felt they started behaving like dictators. I am sorry to say that I felt the need to kick back. I didn't do it clearly, by talking about my dissatisfaction, but I let something to show through a certain behavioural abruptness and cold looks.
It never happened to me to stop offering everything to guests of mine. I always offer myself and my time and I want people to feel great here, my country is like my home and I want them to know its beauty. But this time, for the first time, I felt that I shouldn't have offered that much and I was glad when they left.
Obviously, I have a lot of dissatisfaction concerning Turkish people. And this is only a trace of the feelings of revolt from a few days ago when they left.
What else happened...elections campaign. I don't know what happened, I didn't have time to take the pulse of my community, but I see that a new citizen's feeling woke up in Romanians and they've gone in great number to vote. This is after many years in which the majority of the population was indifferent to elections, being really pessimistic of the outcome, with the exception of an orange outburst a few years ago when a wish of change was felt throughout Europe. This time it's obviously different. People have gone to vote saying that they are doing their citizen duty. I didn't see the same despair to go to vote to make a change and voting for a certain political party/ person seen as a Messiah. This time it seems people have voted with the idea that this is their right and they want to take it. I saw a lot of elderly people, and maybe not enough young ones but the ones I saw I think they were there because it is a trend to go to vote. It was funny to see news about many brides and grooms going to vote in their wedding day. This is really a premiere. As I've told before, Romanians have continuously repudiated voting, so this is new. For now, I am not convinced this is not more than a trend, like a fashion trend or a summer hit we fall in love in a minute. I will be convinced that Romanians have become impregnated with democratic, citizen spirit only after I will see the same thing at the next elections, four years from now.