miercuri, 25 august 2010

Sicilia

Ca de obicei, nu stiu cum sa incep, si de unde sa incep dar am asteptat pana acum nu din cauza asta ci ca sa se linisteasca toate in capul meu, sa arunc toate din valiza la locul lor sau in masina de spalat si am asteptat sa imi dau seama ca s-a terminat si am asteptat sentimentul ala pe care il mai am doar atunci cand termin de citit o carte buna.
Cum a inceput...cu mine si cu Andreea facand planuri prin primavara... Unde mergem la vara? La Paris... Nu!! La Londra... In Amsterdam! Bineinteles ca a ramas doar o gluma proasta dupa prima cautare de oferte spre respectivele destinatii. Dar Andreea are prieteni in Sicilia. Putem sta la ei. Biletul de avion e destul de ieftin, ne scutim de cazare, mancam din supermarket, ne abtinem de la cumparat prostii.Si uite ca plecam! Si am alergat in Roma cu papucii in mana ca sa nu ii pierd in aeroport, si am ajuns si in Catania. Unde ne-a asteptat Marco la aeroport. Si de aici incepe "aventura" noastra. De la aeroport pana la o casuta de vara de langa plaja, intr-un sat uitat de lume, Anio a mers cu Elio si Vespa lui, iar eu in masina cu Marco.
Ajunsi prima intrebare a fost: Aveti costumele pe voi? (asta dupa un drum de o noapte cu autocarul pana in Bucuresti si doua avioane pana in Catania) Ne schimbam si mergem la balaceala. Dupa o ora jumatate era evident ca suntem putin obosite asa ca ne-am intors si cat ne-am uscat si ne-am racorit in leagane, la umbra unui pin, baietii ne-au facut paste cu pesto si ragu.
Dupa care ne-am facut siesta tot in leagane si partea a 2a de siesta acasa la parintii lui Marco. Comediile cu sicilieni sunt de-a dreptul rasuflate pe langa ceea ce vezi acolo. Trebuie sa spun ca pe de o parte ii invidiez somnul lui Anio. Eu m-am trezit cam dupa o ora pentru ca un nene a venit in casa si a inceput sa cante la acordeon, apoi la tobe, iar dupa ce a terminat, vecina de peste drum a vorbit cu cineva din casa dar fara sa se miste de la ea din bucatarie. Iar in fata casei era un "Club Vegas" de unde muzica rasuna in tot satul. Era dealtfel, si punctul de reper ca sa stim pe unde sa ne intoarcem de la plaja. Follow the Laser!! Traficul se desfasoara, nu numai in satuc, ci si in Catania, dupa regulile fiecaruia, iar trecerea prin intersectii nu e marcata de oprire, asigurare, sau macar incetinire ci de un claxon care spune..."da-te ca eu vin". Evident ca nu am vazut nici o masina care sa nu fie macar zgariata. Si "nu merita sa le repari pentru ca oricum le busesti din nou". Cristina si-a gasit masina in parcare julita destul de serios, paznicul i-a explicat ce s-a intamplat in limbajul tipic, "un bastardo!!!", iar reactia a fost..."pfsst. asta este... multumesc la revedere!"
Dar ospitalitatea si veselia pe care am intalnit-o acolo e de nedescris. Cina era un fel de adunare si discutie a evenimentelor din ziua respectiva. Si totusi nu inteleg de unde aveau atat de multe de povestit cand ziua decurgea asa: Mic dejun, piscina sau mare, pranz, somn, cina. Dar de fiecare data erau rasete, suspans si tot felul de povesti, din care nu am inteles mare branza cu italiana mea de 2 lei. Si se tot adunau, pana la 21 de persoane, si cina care incepea pe la ora 8 se termina in jur de ora 2. Acolo am mancat prima oara, carne de cal la gratar, convinsa fiind, din engleza lui Marco ca e Ox Meat. El se chinuia sa spuna Horse, noi intelegeam Os si deduceam Ox. Dupa ce am aflat, dupa ce m-am abtinut sa nu plang, m-am dus si mi-am mai luat un sandwich pentru ca era buuuuuna. Dupa pranz, toata lumea se intindea fie in hamac, fie intr-un sezlong sau intr-un leagan si isi facea siesta.


-o broscuta mai timida, "ia nu ma mai pozati atata!"

In Lentini: oraselul in care am stat, lucrurile erau putin diferite. Dupa ora 6 seara toti se ascundeau si trageau obloanele, magazinele se inchideau si doamne-fereste sa iti fie foame si sa n-ai mancare in casa sau masina sa te duci undeva. Cartierul era un fel de Nicolina mai aerisita, si cu strazi bine asfaltate. Discutiile se purtau la fel, de la un geam la alt geam, de la geam la masina, din la masina la magazinul din colt. Inevitabil toata lumea se cunoaste cu toata lumea. Gunoiul atarna de o sarma cu carlig de la etaj pana la parter si este cules in fiecare dimineata de masina de gunoi.
Bar2000 era locul unde luam de cele mai multe ori micul dejun, un arancino, sau o cartocciata
si un ceeaaaai!

Catania: By night: Este superba!centrul este plin de lume, de galagie si de agitatie, incat te uiti la ceas si te astepti sa fie ora 10 si e deja ora 1. Cofetariile sunt deschise non-stop si dupa un tur al orasului, rasete si glume, nimic nu merge mai bine decat un cannolo urias, inghetata, babba si alte delicii. Dupa care am fost luate sa gustam "bautura pe care o bea toata lumea vara si care e foarte buna." Un fel de suc de la dozator de ala cum era in piata cand eram eu mica, singura diferenta e ca asta e facut din pastile efervescente si ceva suc de lamaie... eu l-am gustat si am pasat paharul unui dude care era foarte incantat de bomba chimicala.

cannolo!

by day: in timpul saptamanii in fiecare dimineata, in centru este o piata uriasa plina de chinezarii, papuci la 3 euro, indieni cu genti de la "Praba", "Gummi" si "Armahi", si alte prostioare. Dar sigur sigur se gasesc si chilipiruri si chestiute dragalase pe care inevitabil le iei la un pret si mai redus decat ti-l spun ei la inceput. Macar pentru atmosfera trebuie vazuta! Dupa, de contrast, din piata se iese pe Via Etnea unde nu sunt decat magazine de la Swatch, Gucci, Ferrari and co. Si tot in timpul saptamanii, este piata de peste, pe care o gasiti dupa miros :)
Si se gaseste la un chiosc, in fata Amfiteatrului Roman, o inghetata foarte proasta, dar delicioasa daca o imparti cu 3 oameni minunati, cu fundul pe trotuar si cu waffles.

In rest, timpul nostru s-a petrecut, in mare, la plaja: San Lorenzo: ei ne-au spus ca e un fel de Caraibe in miniatura; Andreea e de parere ca nici in Caraibe nu e asa de frumos.
Aci Castello: Castelul e cocotat pe o stanca si se termina la marginea ei, iar sub stanca este marea. De aici m-am intors cu talpile taiate si pline de zgarieturi, si chiar azi am mai descoperit una de care nu stiam, cu o zgarietura mai serioasa pe o coapsa, cu genunchii juliti (asa cum ii aveam cand eram mica), cu otita si cu un deget taiat (asta de bleaga ce am fost). Dar cu toate astea se merita! Nu mai conteaza nici o talpa, nici un deget dupa ce te cocoti pe stanci si iti faci vant in apa. Am luat si o hidrobicicleta si ne-am dus departe, am sarit, am inotat, ne-am mai facut cateva julituri, dar a fost una din cele mai frumoase zile.


-cu otita si cu zgarieturi dar fericita!

In Taormina, La Isola Bella, plaja e in chinuri. Un fel de masaj fortat daca ai curaj sa te intinzi, o piatra intr-o coasta, un bolovan in spate, capul iti atarna de pe alt bolovan, dar peisajul..... intr-o parte, printre stanci trece trenul, un tren ca in filme, de ala vechi, dar silentios, cu vagoane verzi si bej, intr-o parte se vede stramtoarea Messina, si in fata se tot vedea marea cu stanci iesind din loc in loc. Si pe o stanca de aia am stat noi fara sa auzim nimic si pe nimeni, doar cate un val care se lovea de stanci. Dupa care Andreea a incercat sa ma invete sa "sar in cap" dar tot ce am reusit a fost un "belly flop" si alte aiureli.
Taormina, e un orasel ca in povesti, cocotat si el pe o stanca asa mai mare, cu casute mici, cu strazi la fel de mici, cu restaurante si cafenele mici si cochete, unde am mancat cel mai bun arancino. Cu somon si branza. Si unde am dansat cu Elio pe muzica de strada, sub luna. Si am mancat o inghetata uriasa de ciocolata amaruie.-vedere din Taormina


In Pantalica e un canion, prin care trece un rau rece rece rece si curat! In piatra sunt sapate in jur de 5000 de morminte. Si e plin de libelule negre si rosii ca de catifea dar care nu au stat la pozat.

La plecare a fost randul meu pe Vespa iar in masina a trebuit sa fiu bagata cu forta de Andreea si de Cristina.
Au fost 10 zile minunate cu oameni minunati! Si cu oameni sariti de pe fix dar in sensul bun al cuvantului, care au avut grija de noi si ne-au plimbat peste tot, ne-au hranit si ne-au distrat!




happy friends!


acum mi-e dor sa ma trezesc cu muzica lui Alfio, mi-e dor sa il gadil pe Elio, mi-e dor de Zafira lui Marco unde ne inghesuiam cate 7 si mergeam pe coclauri, si de Marco mi-e dor, mi-e dor de plaja, mi-e dor de dusul cu radio, mi-e dor pana si de Ale alejandrooo dar numai ascultata in masina cu toata adunarea de zapaciti!mi-e dor de sandwich-urile de la vegas pe care le mancam cu furculita, de catelul Peter si de nisipul pe care il scoteam din par in fiecare zi ca a doua zi sa il pun la loc.

N.B.: stiu ca fac o varza in blogul asta ba cu engleza ba cu romana...dar sunt putin indecisa asa ca aveti putintica rabdare cu mine.

marți, 27 iulie 2010

MIKA

I've been waiting for this gig for nearly 4 years. I was planning to go to the Vienna gig in April but i couldn't go for loads of different reasons. (boo-oo). In a March morning, in the break of my biophysics class Bianca calls me and tells me to sit down and then asks me about my plans for the 24th of July. I told her most probably I'll be doing my summer stage... She said: "No! you'll pack your stuff and come to Mamaia. Mika's coming!" I thought she was joking, I tried to seem excited but i couldn't. I just couldn't imagine it. Actually it only struck me when I went to Mamaia and saw the double decker buses with MIKA written on them with huge fonts.

But, to start with. I finally got the chance to meet Bianca in person. :) Woop woop! and her mum and granny! Great people! I don't remember much of the first day, apart from being sleepy, (i was already awake for 25 hours when I got there in the morning, and I went to bed only late in the evening) hungry and watching the Vega hotel doors to see who's coming and who's leaving. (noooooo...we weren't looking for Mika.)
The next day we woke up pretty early, though not as early as planned, (now Bianca knows how terrible I am when it comes to being on time). Sorry! We got to the H2O beach around 9 am and the stage wasn't even up properly. So after lurking a bit there we decided we'd come back at 4 p.m to get in line for the gig. We went back to the beach, and we met Mrs. P and Jimmy. Then we saw everyone from the band, apart from Mika, getting in the van and going to the sound check. I changed into my gig clothes and we went at the H2O beach. Oh, it was only 2.30. So we spent our time there in the melting sun, writing the banner (Bianca's idea) and pretty much just waiting.
The gig was supposed to start at 7.30 p.m. They've only let us in at 7 and the gig started at 8.30 (the typical Romanian style) with Cut Copy.
After they were done, Mrs. P came to pick up Lollipop girls and Big girls. I decided I was going to be a Lollipop girl, but then I changed my mind because I wanted to see the gig. Mrs. P (a.k.a Mika's Mum) asked me if I wanted to be a Lollipop girl, and she thought I was pretty! I told her this was my first gig and she said OK! and gave me that look like...you have to stay, you can't miss that!

Finally Mika came on stage and I was wondering before what my reaction would be. I just froze. I just stared at him with a huge grin on my face the whole Relax song, while everyone else was jumping and screaming at the top of their lungs. I didn't move one finger. After that I started singing along and screaming (I never thought I could yell so loud for such a long time. Of course I could barely speak the next day). I took my camera and took a few pics. I tried not to take so many because it was finally the first time I could look at him directly.

I still can't put into words the experience. It was AMAZING! The whole show proved that he is an artist that besides the fact he respects his fans he respects himself. Being a free entrance gig, at a festival in Romania, you wouldn't expect much. He gave everything there. There was the stage set, the crowd props, the story, the interaction with the crowd and you could see he was enjoying every bit on stage like he does every time.

A few pics:

dr. John
Mika
Imma

I have more pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rxndr/

:) i know you probably can't see how excited I am and how happy this whole experience has made me. But I just can't put it into words. (and I'm extremely tired)




*all photos are my property. please do not use them without my permission, and do not remove the copyright text; thank you :)

marți, 20 iulie 2010

And so, I took the first steps...

I do confess, i started med school a bit, well a bit more actually, scared. Scared not only that it's going to be hard, harder than i could imagine for different reasons than I imagined; but scared because I wasn't quite sure if that was what I wanted to do. Yes, I did ask myself, if this is not what I want, what else do I want to do? and the answer was always "nothing else, just medicine." But sometimes i was doubting whether I was good enough or whether I was suited for this. The first year has come and gone and I have no idea when. I finished it well; it could have been a lot better though, i'm gutted. But I know what went wrong and how I can fix it. What I managed to figure out this year were my weak points. Next year will be about how I can make those stronger. I was disappointed before the start of the summer stage. I met people who shocked me. I haven't met one single doctor that would make me think: This is how I want to be. They all scared me. I met mean people, people who despite they were there to teach us, they seemed to be afraid of us. A lot of times I felt that I was stealing the information, not being offered. I met people who seemed to have forgotten, that they once too were 1st year students who had no clue about a lot of stuff not even about how the building they enter for the first time in their lives looks like on the inside. There were two or three examples of good doctors too. But they were missing something too. (yes, I do seek for perfection - but don't get me wrong, a perfect man doesn't mean a man without flaws. It's that someone who knows and accepts his flaws and acts accordingly.)
I started my summer stage. The always negative side of me was waiting for boring useless days with no one willing to help. I still hate it that I thought like that. Yes, doctors in the hospitals are busy, yes they don't always have the time to show us stuff and go through every little detail with us. And I would be an idiot not to understand that. But I was delighted and extremely happy to see that if you show the slightest interest they are willing to teach you and guide you every time they are able to do it.
I learned a lot during the year, and I learned a lot during the first week of the summer stage. I was terrified that I had 3 weeks ahead of me, and now I'm already halfway there.
I want to keep this in my head; I'm afraid I will forget, though I know I won't. The most amazing doctors I have met this week. I know how I want to be. I know what I want to be. We all need role-models, don't we? At least I always needed, though I've only come to realize it now. All the things I achieved were because I had something/someone to look up to and say I want to get THERE! and from "THERE" the road lead only upwards. And in the past week i found at least 3 persons that I thought only existed in the Hollywood movies. People who have everything it takes: skills, knowledge, attitude, passion, compassion, ability to interact, you name it!
So, thank you! Now I know (how) I can be good enough for this and I am (can be) suited for this. It was all a matter of perspective.
Oh and did I mention that my self respect has increased A LOT in the past week just because nobody yelled at me and everyone helped me do good things, and most importantly appreciated what I did.


random notes from the stage (to be updated)
I like it (and it secretly puts a huge smile on my face) to hear the kids talking to me with: "Miss Doctor!"

I was at my happiest on my first week when the mother of a little kid said "Thank you" and shook my hand and winked. She knew I was a student and seemed to appreciate the little bits that I did. (mostly talking to the little boy and trying to keep him from crying)

Surgery is (as I was expecting) no longer on the last place on my list. It went up a few good spots.

I got a pretty drawing from a little 8 years old boy. Far better than any drawing I have ever made. The little kid has no fingers. (will post it soon)

sâmbătă, 17 iulie 2010

Quiz

I took the quiz, "what flower are you" some time ago, when I was still in highschool...the result was the sunflower. I don't remember what it said about that, but i took it again today, as a med student :)) result:
You Are an Echinacea
"You are a health conscious person, both your health and the health of others. You know all about the health benefits and dangers of the world around you."

What flower are you? http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/flower-quiz

luni, 14 iunie 2010

The almighty World Cup

To start with... i have no clue what football really is. I managed to understand last year what "a corner" was but now i swear i have no clue. I've never loved it, to be honest i hate it with a passion. What i do like these days is watching the supporters. All supporters - african, german, english, romanians and so on. I'm talking about the peaceful ones. The ones that gather in a pub in front of a tv screen with their cheeks painted, with flags and vuvuzelas, yelling from the top of their lungs when their favorite team scores. Even if it won't let me sleep or focus on what i'm doing, i do like to hear my neighbors suddenly yell and then feel the walls shaking because they're either dancing or crashing on the floor.
I was thinking these days, with all the fuss about the WC, how i used to stay up until late with my cousin and watch the game, even if i had no idea what was going on. I was just watching the scores and it was all that mattered. Sometimes we were out to play, and all the kids from the neighborhood were gathered under the windows of the first floor apartments to hear what was happening. Which wasn't really necessary because when something happened the whole neighborhood would be filled with a tremendous buzz sound and you could hear people screaming from two blocks away. And we would either do our little victory dance or be confused and worried as if that were our kids playing. I remember us swearing we would go out in the street with the crowd if our team would win, but of course, being around 7 years at that time we had to please ourselves with just watching the crowd from the window.
What i'm trying to say is, even if i'm not a supporter of something in particular, like football, i appreciate people who are and i like to be happy with them.
So may the best win! i'll be happy for them and celebrate alongside whichever team would be! :)

P.s.: i want a vuvuzela!!!
P.p.s: and we would all eat ice cream shaped in a football!

miercuri, 9 iunie 2010

The end (?)

The English diary... I never forgot about it, but only now I realize that I shouldn't have waited for someone to tell me what to write in it, or when to write in it. And I should've written in it, because now all the thoughts are coming in my head and I don't know how to put them down in order and I'm sure I will forget some.
Overall, it's been one amazing "journey". I feel now, after this year that this class helped me overcome some of my weaknesses and develop new skills. I knew most of the hints& tips that we got, about learning or about dealing with difficult people or even common people. There were also new ones. Both were useful not only because I read them, but because I managed to put them into practice and observe them on other people. Knowing something is as useless as not knowing it if you never use it or know how to use it. This wasn't an English class as I first thought it would be when I entered that closet, sorry, that little class. I did notice after a few minutes that it wasn't going to be the typical class. Only after some time I realized that it's not a Teacher comes and gives us more or less useful information we stuff it in our notebooks and sometimes in our heads and we leave.(and that took more time than it should have taken) This was, as I see it now, a Teacher comes and we brainstorm together to come up with useful information that we chew on for the rest of the week. Because every time I left the English class I left it with my head still looking for some answers that were only going to come from me. I found answers to some questions and managed to solve some long existing issues, like self confidence and why I was missing it, and more importantly, I convinced myself that hundreds of us claiming to be so different are more similar at the core than one could ever think. We all share the same problems in a certain degree and we all want pretty much the same things, only we express it differently. I know answers to many questions, but I know it's up to me how I am going to use them, but I AM STARTING THAT REVOLUTION and i don't care who will join me or not. And this is the most serious promise I made so far. I don't have a plan, but starting now I will think twice before doing or saying something and I will force myself to get out of my shell because nothing will happen if I stay comfortable in there. Oh, as cruel as it might be, I am determined to get other people out of their bubbles!
Anyway...I am rambling :) sorry...
There was a moment there when you asked about friends that we made this year. And yes, I made 3 friends this year at the English class. One of them I had met before at other classes, but I think, no... I am pretty sure that we wouldn't have become friends if we weren't together at the English class. The other 2, those two I am sure they will be good friends even in the future. Those might just be those kind of friendships you never let go to. And I met them at the English class. It's probably because of the "magic" of the English class that made us realize what we are and realize how many great things we have in common. And I think Teacher will be a good friend for the next years! I am not going to leave you in that same darkness, because this won't be an experience i will forget. And I know these are just words, I still have to prove it!
The end of this class meant more than any other end that i have come to. It was finally an end that made me count nice memories, made me think, and made me look to the future with a bunch of useful things I have gathered and will make my way there easier. What I'm trying to say is that the end of this class wasn't really an end. It was just the ending of the first "growing process" that probably was the hardest one.
I collected a lot of quotes at every class. My turn now, here's one I found a few days ago, and fits very well here: "A teacher is a person who never says anything once" (Howard Nemerov) and I could add, that's also a person who is willing to share experience to make you better!
I am sure I had more things to say, but I think i made my point and said the more important bits. THANK YOU for making a great LEARNING TEAM! All of this wouldn't have happened without someone to open my eyes, but wouldn't have happened without me finally keeping them opened for more than a few minutes! :) If I would get the chance to do this again (no, I don't want to repeat the year!) I would do it in a completely different way, pretty much as I had started to perceive it towards the end of the semester!

joi, 20 mai 2010

How to start a fabulous day!

You wake up. you hit the snooze button 3 times. you manage to get out of bed. you crawl to the bathroom, yawning until your jaws hurt. you put into balance the advantages and disadvantages of going to the biochemistry class. you finally decide to go. you find some clothes and get to the kitchen. Open the fridge, realize it's quite empty and whatever you have doesn't please you. Therefore you decide you'll buy some cheese bagels on the road.
You get out of the house 15 minutes later than you'd normally do. You walk faster and you sweat because, contrary to what every news channel said, today it's not freezing cold and it's not freaking raining!
You get to school with enough bagels for the next 3 hours. You enter the class and.... surprise. there are only 3 other students there. Here comes the teacher who tells you there's no class with 3 students.
You decide you'll go to the lecture hall and study on your own. you get there, start reading, get bored, get sleepy and decide to go home because you should be reading other stuff for tomorrow's exam!