Rainbow child

Currently:

• Feeling: good
• Listening to: Billy Idol - Dancing with myself
• Reading: Lighioane si supralighioane - Saki si Cartea de capatai a hedonismului - Michael Flocker

Every time I go to my aunt’s all these crazy thoughts come rushing through my mind. But today it was different. Today I felt different. I kind of have a lot on my mind lately. Yes, I know, my existential problems aren’t such a fuss, but they’re mine and this is what makes them the biggest and the most important in this world. Like I was saying, I’ve kind of been under the weather lately and that’s simply not me. And what worries me, is that I have no idea why I have felt that way. There were so many things that annoyed me, so many activities that I didn’t want to do [going to classes - top place], so many people I didn’t want to talk to [sorry mum ]. Definitely not me.

But today, as I was going to my aunt’s, I felt so relieved, so easy, so happy inside. It was nippy outside and I kept hiding my nose in my green scarf and stuffing my hands in my pockets. But I was smiling. And I kept hearing Dancing with myself in my head: Oh, oh, oh dancing with myself /Oh, oh, oh dancing with myself /Well there’s nothing to lose /And there’s nothing to prove /And I’m dancing with myself /Oh, oh, oh, oh. Yeah, I know, so gay! :)) And as I was humming along I forgot all about my so-called problems. So what if I have to finish translating that Budapest guide? It can wait! So what if I have lots to study for my exams? I still have time! So what if I broke up with Cata, for good this time? I’ll meet another guy! So what if I still don’t have anyone to wander around Bucharest with? I can do this by myself, thank you! So what if I feed only on oranges, chocolate and biscuits? I haven’t heard of anyone dying cause of this!

Damn, was I happy! I kept looking at people and wondering how diverse we are, how different and special each and every one of us is. In days like this I love all mankind. And on the way home I bought 2 oranges and ate them while walking. I loved how they smelled in the cold December air. I peeled them and put the peels in my pocket then ate them piece by piece. And they were so sweet and smelled so lovely! Some people looked strange at me, but I couldn’t even care less. It was my own special moment and I savoured it till the last bite If you want to make my day, give me an orange :)) You can buy me with an orange/ I’m so cheap :))

I don’t look forward to the holiday. I have to go home and meet all my relatives and spend Christmas at my grandma’s [no matter that she's not here anymore, the family tradition still remains; happy happy joy joy] then I have to study, study, study! It’s going to be strange to be in Baia Mare again and to see all my former friends and not talk to them. No, I haven’t changed my mind: I’m never-ever going to forgive them! But on the other side, I’ll eat food, real food, cooked food, I’ll meet some of my ex-classmates and I’m gonna do some real shopping.

And about the New Year’s Party… bleah! I’m sure I won’t go to Cluj. Firstly, I wasn’t invited and secondly, there would be too many days wasted. I can’t afford to lose 3 days for a party. Nope. Guess I’ll just stay home with a good book, many cups of tea, oranges and sweets. That sounds just fine with me.

In the end, I still have some questions left. At the end of a one-year relationship, when you say you truly love the other how can you so easily accept the break-up? How can you let go without a good fight? How can you say “fine” and then keep complaining and feel sorry for yourself? How can you accept to come home and not meet the other? How can you accept it without demanding face to face explanations? Cata will never cease to amaze me.

I’m starting to believe that bitching about your life IS the right way for things to improve. Let me make myself understood.

Today started just like any other Sunday: woke up, fell asleep again, woke up, fell asleep, finally got up. After that I hung around the house doing practically nothing. At about 2 o’clock, Otilia called and said to go and eat with her and her boys. Happy happy joy joy! This meant I didn’t need to buy food and I could spare the money and put it my piggy-bank. I got dressed, took the tube and found the restaurant. I ate a pizza, had a lovely time with them and hurried back home to my Hausaufgabe [my German homework].

I was about to cross the street to reach the tube station, when I man with a map in his hand and a very puzzled face asked me: “Do you speak English?” “Yes, I do.” “Oh, great! Could you please tell me, where the hell I am?” :)) We were on Amzei Street and he wanted to reach the railroad station. He was a 27-28-year-old American visiting Bucharest. He seemed like a nice person and I volunteered to show him the way from Piata Romana to the station. We started talking and talking and talking and before I knew it, I was accompanying him to the station!

It was a lovely weather and we were constantly smiling and talking. He was such a nice company! A smart, cute, funny man, I may say. And we stopped for a tea and talked about, oh, so many things! We then resumed our walk, reached the railroad station, he bought a ticket for Bulgaria and headed back to Piata Romana.

Now here comes the juicy part. I know you’re just dying to hear the whole story, but have a little patience. After we finished with the “oh, what I lovely evening this was! What a character you are! I’m so glad I’ve met you” he said “Can I hug you?” “Why, yes, of course!”. Then he said “Can I kiss you?” “Hmmm… ok.” Yeah, we kissed ;)) In the middle of the street, with people walking by us, with the cars speeding past us… And I really seized the day. I won’t ever see this man again. I haven’t exchanged e-mail addresses or something.

You know, I’ve longed for such a day since immemorial times: to meet a man in the street by coincidence and then hang around with him and never see him ever again. He’s going to be a simple memory, but a precious one. And nothing’s better than such memories. I’ll be 50, married with children, and I’ll think of him and start to laugh and nobody except me will know why. It’s going to be my little secret. So, yeah, I’ve kind of seized the day, haven’t I?

Currently:

• Feeling: happy
• Listening to: Barry White - Heavenly that’s what you are to me
• Thinking about: today

Today was definitely Freak Day. Saw some weird people-related stuff today. It all started when I had arrived half an hour earlier at the Opera. I wanted to buy tickets for tomorrow’s performance: Rigoletto [ I'm going to the Opera!!!! I've waited for this moment for such a long time!] but didn’t know that it opens only at 10 o’clock. No problem; took the book from my backpack, sit on the stairs of the building and started reading. Well, shortly after that, a man appeared out of nowhere and started talking to me:

‘I’m X [can't remember the name] and I’m George Enescu’s great-grandson. We lookalike, don’t we?’

And after this shortly presentation the man started talking on and on and on and on… He was a man in his late-sixties, neatly dressed and smelled of cheap soap. You could see that he had just shaved, from the little red cuts on his cheeks and chin. He told me he had studied at 3 universities and had a very rich family and had had several wives. He studied at 3 different universities and he had seen every performance from the Opera and the Athenaeum in the last 15 year.

The man looked normal, but from the way he was talking you could realise that, well, he’s nuts. And he kept blinking rapidly and closing his eyes for 3-4 seconds very often. It was really disturbing. But I kept a smile on my face and simply nodded to all the things he kept talking. I guess he liked that cause he said that if I go on Friday at another performance, he would make sure I won’t have to pay. x_X Was that a date? God, I hope not!!! I managed to buy the tickets and then I abruptly departed the half-mad man. Hope I won’t bump into him the next time I’m going to the opera.

Then… then I felt awkward. You can’t believe how beautiful the beginning of autumn is! Dried leaves everywhere, the sun shining, people coming and going, people having pleasant conversations in cafes, a certain feeling of laziness in the air. I wanted so much to stroll through a park with somebody, anybody. No words, just the rustle of the yellow-red-ish leaves… just the soft breeze singing in my ears… just the autumn calling out my name. Unfortunately no one was available for a violently lazy autumn day. Maybe I’ll have more luck the next days.

Getting back to freaks. In the tube, coming home from my evening classes, I managed to find a seat. Happy happy joy joy! Again, I took out my book and started reading… until I felt something on my left should. Slowly I turned and saw that the man next to me had fallen asleep and that his head was resting on my shoulder. My first reaction was to brutally shake his head off my shoulder, but as I was just about to do that, I started giggling. For I don’t know what reason, the situation seemed so funny to me! The man woke up muttered some apologies, tried to remain awake but fell into slumber again. This time he managed not to use my as a pillow. But still, as I was looking at the other passengers and I was peeking at him from time to time, I simply couldn’t stop giggling!

Now the third and last freaky person. I had just got on the bus when two old men started fighting ON the bus. You could see [and smell] that they had been drinking. They were about 70 years old and looked kind of poor. They cursed each other, they pushed each other… I fearing they will start slapping themselves. Brrr… that was rather disturbing. I mean, they were old people! Old people don’t do that! They are nice people who take care of their grandchildren, cook good food and give you money when you visit them. Or, at least, that’s the way they should be

That’s about everything for today… [a sudden feeling of loneliness simply hit me while I was typing these last lines... I'm all alone this weekend, cause Andra went to her grandparents in Vatra Dornei. And I don't have anyone with whom to enjoy a lazy autumn day... *sigh sigh sigh*]

Just one tiny little thing: I’ve discovered which my favourite flowers are: the sunflower! I think it’s the happiest, most beautiful flower!

Currently:

• Feeling: m’kay
• Listing to: Dave Brubeck - Take five
• Thinking about: nothing in particular
• Reading: The remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro

I can’t believe it’s almost a month since I’ve moved here! And what’s more, this city doesn’t cease to amaze me day by day. I discover new places, I meet new people, I continuously feel that I’m developing my inner self, that now I’m really defining my personality.

Yesterday my aunt make me take a shortcut to her house. Of course at one point I got lost, but I don’t regret I did so, because I had the opportunity to see some very beautiful houses. Bucharest is a mixture of late 19^th century architecture and modern one. You can see quaint old houses and 20-floor high buildings. But I love those dusty, century-old houses and I’ve promised myself that one day I’ll stroll through the city in search for such wonders.

Then I went with Adina and Mihnea in the park. I had a great time! I never thought you could have fun while keeping an eye on a very active kid and while being surrounded by many other active kids. Well, it looks like I was wrong once again. Mihnea played with other kids while me and Adina had a pleasant conversation about whatever crossed our minds. She remembered how my mum looked like when she was pregnant, how I looked when I was little, we talked about dear people who passed away, we talked about our loved us, who, thankfully, still are part of our lives. Yeah, it nice to have someone whom you can share your memories with.

And talking about memories… God, how time flies! I still can’t believe it’s almost November. Where did October go? Why didn’t I feel it? Where’s that melancholic autumn mood I used to have each and every year? It seems that since I’ve moved here, everything is rosy and bright. I even like the work I have to do for school! I’m so busy during the day, but I love it! Oh, but I have to confess that translating something is quite a piece of cake as I thought [nr2]. You constantly have to check the meaning of the words your not sure of in the dictionary, you have to find the right word to equal the original word. The best part is that I’m loving it! And as my flat-mate is studying at the PR&Journalism University, she tells me what she’s doing there and to tell the truth, it doesn’t like the sound of her courses. Maybe this IS the university which I right for me. I know it’s too soon to say this, but I hope time will prove that I’m right.

What more can I say? Everything is in its right place in my life. I’m more than satisfied with what I already have and asking for more would mean to be greedy. Now, please, don’t start envying my perfect little life

Talked with Green on YM today. I’m still waiting for her to come here and visit. The sooner the better cause I there’s a big bear hug waiting for her Said I would call Jen and set up a meeting [oh my, how formal it sounds] and I can hardly wait to talk with another book freak. Gave my YM id to DeviL and again, I’m waiting to got to a cup of hot chocolate with him, too. I’ve met so many great people through this blog and I can only be thankful for this. Yeah, we bloggers rule!

As I mentioned one of my favourite words - books - I have to tell you that these last 2 day have been book days. What do I mean is that, thanks to Jen I found out about a bargain book fair and went to take a look. I have already bought 5 books and if I had more money I would have bought many others. A thing like this would have never taken place in Baia Mare. Another thing to be thankful for Praise Bookarest

Oh, I just remembered. Among so many good things related to Bucharest, I’m sorry to add another on to the list of “things which I hate about Bucharest“: the packs of high school kids which take over the tube in their return home odyssey from school. Man, are they nosy! And they act as if they’d own the tube. They don’t care that there are lots of people who are tired after a day’s work and who can hardly wait to get home and to relax. They keep on babbling and laughing and pushing into you… damn, where’s the education should have received from their parents?

Just one more thing and then I’m off reading: I’m not a Coke addict anymore. I started drinking black tea, so my daily caffeine dose is satisfied with only 2-3  cups/day instead of 2L of Coke/day. My mum couldn’t be happier about this! She always hated the fact that I drank so much Coke. And another thing: mum still can’t believe I don’t want to go home until Christmas. But really, I feel so at home here, I’m enjoying every minute of my life here [talking about time flying, right?] and I can’t even imagine going back there so soon. Well, if she misses me that much, she can always visit Good night people!

Same old “I don’t know where to begin” phrase. I’m warning you: this is going to be a very looooong post cause I have so many things to tell you, so many experiences to share with you. But, first and foremost, I want to tell you that I’ve missed you like hell and I’m aware that I have so much catching-up to do regarding your blogs, your lives, yourselves.

Thursday night, 3 weeks ago. “How do you feel when you know you’re leaving Baia Mare for good?” “To tell the truth, mum, I don’t feel a thing right now. I’ve waited for this moment to come for such a long time, I’ve thought about it so much, that it’s not a big deal anymore.” And thus, my one-way journey started.

Friday morning, 3 weeks ago. I saw how my apartment looked like. From the first step I took inside, I knew I wouldn’t have any problems in calling it “home”, in feeling like home here; a new home, a home of my own. We’ve scrubbed and cleaned a lot, cause the bastard which stayed here last here hadn’t ever cleaned the place, but now it looks awesome and I’m so proud of it. I don’t have my camera with me, but as soon as I’ll have some pictures with it, I’ll post them and brag again with my new home J

Saturday early morning, 3 weeks ago. Got up at 4:30 in the morning to go to the railway station to see Cata. I stayed with him till about 10, when he left for the airport. I didn’t cry, I didn’t feel broken-hearted. I was more than ok about his leave and I forgave him for messing up our plans. Now he’s in Italy and he keeps on telling me he’s sociable and he talks with everyone there. Good, cause he really needs t improve his social skills. I know I’m very bitchy when it comes to his flaws.

My first days here were great. Nothing important really happened, but I felt like I belong here, in this big city. I got familiarised with the tube, the buses, the shops around my place etc. Then school started. Made new friends from the first day. I like my colleagues from both groups [the English and the German group]. I’ve met really nice people. The teachers are ok, I have some really interesting courses and not such a busy schedule. I’m thinking of getting a part-time job and Otilia [mum's best friend] is working on this one. If I’m lucky enough, I’ll work Sundays and Saturdays in a bookshop. How cool would that be? Incredibly cool. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Otilia will be able to find such a job for me.

It’s been 3 weeks since I’ve been living in my dream city. It’s completely different from Baia Mare. Well, it’s the way it should be. The strange thing is that I don’t feel like an alien here, although my accent betrays me every time I open my mouth to speak. Usually when people hear that I’m from Baia Mare, they go something like this: “From BM? Isn’t Bucharest a bit too far away? Why did you come here?” Yes, it is far [665km by train], but it has been my life-long dream to move here one day. So far I haven’t witnessed any unpleasant situations, nobody attacked nor robbed me, nobody hit on me out of the blue, and nobody cursed me. I glad I’m the kind of person who doesn’t attract attention. But my friends here tell me that I have to give Bucharest some time to unveil its real self to me. Still, I don’t think Bucharest is as bad as many of them tell me it is.

Ok, this was just the introduction. Here come the more detailed events from the last 3 weeks.

The Internet thingy. I had access to the Internet from the first week here, but I didn’t have a computer. Then, this week my mum bought me a laptop. Happy happy joy joy! The I had Internet access and a laptop, but I didn’t have a router, cause we have only an IP. On Tuesday I bought the router; so, let’s see: Internet connection, laptop and router. Sounds like I don’t need anything else, right? WRONG!!!! We couldn’t configure the damn router! Maria talked with one of her friends from Bucharest and Vic came over and tried to help us, but nothing. That bloody thing didn’t let itself configured! Then, today, a guy from the firm which provides the Internet came and tried to help us. The Horse [that's his nickname] called one of his friends, The Gypsy to come and help him. Let me tell you something about these 2 guys: they were both half gypsies, huge and fat, they had an incredibly horrible body odor, smoked cigarette after cigarette, talked trash to each other and threw us very languorous looks. It was 4 very long hours with them in the house. When I had lost all hope that that router would ever be configured, EVRIKA, they did it!!! I was incredibly happy and I was actually doing a joy dance around the room. God, the Internet has such a major influence on me!

People I’ve met. Bozy was the first to give me the “welcome to Bucharest” tour. I know him from last.fm and he’s an awesome dude! I really like him. He’s the kind of guy mothers like: he’s cute, mannered and you can trust him and know he’ll be there when you need him. Then I met Alina. She’s a sweetie! We went for a cup of hot chocolate and we talked and talked and talked. She’s so fun to talk to! I really enjoyed our little escapades ;)) Oni was next. She’s a friend of My Maria’s and the more I get to know her, the more I like her. She’s such an open-hearted intelligent girl, that you simply cannot like her. Same things apply to Meropi as well. I’m still waiting to meet Rica, Green [btw, when are you planning on coming here after all?] and Jen.

Things I’ve done. I went to the theatre 3 times already and I’m planning on going every week from now on. I went out dancing with Oni, Mari [her sister] and Patrik and I spent 3h of the night in the University Passage. The girls had to call it a night at about 1 o’clock and I forced Patrik to go home at about 2:30 in the night. I didn’t want to take a taxi to my place [they're bloody expensive!] and I had no other option than to wait till 5 in the morning to take the first tube home. And Patrik didn’t want to leave me on my own at the tube station. He made me promise I’d give him a beep on his mobile every half and hour and sent him a message as soon as I got home. But he needed have worried. The guards from the tube station stayed with me and the guy from McDonald’s gave me chocolate to eat. I felt so protectedJ) I had my very own bodyguards. He he. I know it’s not actually safe to be on your own in the middle of the night in Bucharest, but I don’t think something bad is ever going to happen to me. And after this little experience, I’m more than convinced that I’m going to be fine. Ah, what a night that was! J) I always laugh when I remember it. Apart from this I read some books [note to self: don't be such a lazy dudette and start writing about them  

And now come 2 lists: one with things I like over here and one with things that piss me off, and that's about all for the moment.

Things which I love about Bucharest:

• The autumn: it's such a mild autumn here compared with the cold, rainy, long one from BM.
• I can walk down the street and only think about myself. I am somehow invisible. I don't have to greet everyone, I don't have to keep on smiling to people my mum knows, I am myself and that's that. I can really concentrate on my problems, thoughts, feelings.
• I have more time to read. I always have a book with me and I love reading on the tube. I always go to bed at about 3-3:30 in the morning, which means I have about 4h of reading/day and that's awesome, cause in BM my parents would have killed me if I had stayed awake that long.
• I love the feeling of independence this city gives me. I am in control of my live. I decide what/when I eat, go out, read, study. There's no one around to nag me, to boss me around. I cook, I wash my clothes, I clean the apartment. And I've realised that I'm quite good at these things [braaaaaaaging :D]. I never thought I was going to cook, but here I am, buying groceries from the market and turning them into whatever I fancy eating that day
• I can see my nephew Mihnea very often. I usually drop by every second day. He’s such a sweet boy! And I get along very well with my aunt [his mother] too. Yeah, I have great relatives here.
• My apartment [no further comments on this topic]

Things which I hate about Bucharest:

• The rush-hours cause I can’t reach and take out my book from the backpack to read on the tube
• The stupid car drivers who instead of obeying traffic rules they break them, create traffic jams and the honk like madmen. Geese, bloody stop at the red light!!! Not to mention that it’s a real adventure to cross the street. If you’re not careful enough, you could end up in hospital. They have no respect for the pedestrians.
• Bloody classes which start at 8 o’clock in the morning. God, am I tired in the morning. I kind of skipped them the last week, but I hope this won’t happen every week.
• The way people always rush. Chill, slow down, your lives won’t end if you don’t catch this tube or if you miss this bus. And the way they always cram through the tube doors. Where’s the fire?
• There’s no public transport by night and if you don’t catch the 23:30 tube, you have to go either by taxi [which costs a fortune!] either wait for the 5:00 o’clock tube. And this sucks big time.

Well, this is about all. Now I’m going to have a pleasant and long conversation with My Maria on YM. And here is a picture of me and Mihnea. My first and only picture from Bucharest. Sorry for the low quality. Anyways, I’M BACK!!!!