if you plan on not thinking for a while, try taking the train from LA to Chicago. it leaves sometime at sunset and you'll wake up for at sunrise *if you do, if you sleep..* somewhere in the desert. beautiful. they have this car with seats facing giant windows, you can sit feet up and watch everything go by.. thoughts included..
eniuei.. enjoy mexico
Fabulous!! You came out to your 84 year old grandma!!! How Fabulous is that and she totally accepted you and shared her own story with you of having loved a woman!! That made my day!! bisou, tina
and by the way... i want to change the world!!! all of it. impossible? i say nay!!! i have big dreams, i do. it shouldn't bother anyone. does it bother you? i may be delusional, but i am utterly happy to be aware of the world's greatest problems. one can see the good after seeing the bad, no?
check this out: promise me you will read "Ecce homo" by Nietzsche, and then you will understand.
i never said.... or rather compared USA and Romania. i don't think i used any term that put america on a higher level than romania. saying that romania is a thirld world country isn't even something pertaining to a hierarchical system, insomuch that it's A FACT, not established by me. furthemore, yes, i was wrong. romania isn't a TWC, but a second-world country, a developing country.
it looks like what's happening here, is in fact, patriotism, an almost cynical apporach to those who have seen and lived in other places. i cannot blame you. you live here, and have to deal with what is here. i would have probably done the same. but in my case, having seen what "civilization" can offer to, let's say, an artist, i cannot help appreciating these resources.
go back and read the blog "viva la revolucion." i probably said as many "bad" things about the US. i didn't mean to target romania. what i said about my natal country was coming from my heart, whether you like it or not. it wasn't put there for anyone's liking. it was an opinion, and really, i didn't plan to open up any polemical discussions, at least not on this site. but as you have it, i will answer your every question, or stand up for myself.
alright. so. you don't have to excuse yourself for being a nationalist. but don't attack me for talking about what i have been offered in the states. matter of fact, it was i who chased down what was already there, in the states. and frankly, romania isn't doing well at all. look around you. you mentioned the arts. if you think the arts are treated ok, think again. go abroad. you will see the difference. really! the museums are decrepit, art events are rare and haphazard. plus, i never once mentioned there aren't any great minds in romania. in the contrary, there are so many! now, THAT makes me proud. so, i never attacked the lack of great minds, but the lack of opportunities. you see, i think change will come, and i KNOW it will be from within. never did i aspire to change something from outside romania. all your arguments are based on figments of what you "thought" i meant, not what i really meant. go back and read over the blogs. you will see that what i feel for romania is HOPE more than anything else.
and, again, you shouldn't be offended by the things i say on this blog. it's just my opinion. your reactions are, and i am repeating myself, coming perhaps from your own frustrations that so few from within teh country refuse to do anything from it.
i love romania. i do. i said in my blog that i am torn between the two countries, remember?
and one more thing: my childhood WAS difficult. believe it or not. just because your perception of it comes from what little you saw of me every year, that is not equal with truth. it may have seemed that my life as a child was glamorous, and there is one thing you are right about: i did travel, and had some things other kids didn't have, but that only came with my parents' intense love and HUGE sacrifices. logically speaking, I SAW MANY PLACES, BUT I ALSO SAW THE SACRIFICES MY PARENTS MADE. you weren't there for it, you were a simple temporary spectator. furthermore, there have been MANy times where we didn't have things to eat. hard to believe, no? well, yes. my mother chose not to eat in order to give us food. you don't know these things because you weren't supposed to know. why would you need to anyway?
look, i'm not victimizing myself here. what was, was. remember that i said "romania lacked things", i didn't say "I lacked things."
and one more thing: change will never come if you don't ackowledge romania's difficulties are real. if you go ahead thinking romania isn't so bad, then, well, good for you. but revolution never came out of complacency. you think that making statements detrimental to romania is an attack? no, no. if no one does it, than this country will fall, and will do it badly. we all need to acknowledge the corruption, and the bad things in general, in order to better them, don't you agree?
oh -- and by the way, try stay in the dorms in bucharest for a day, and see if you like it. then, only then, come tell me that this country doesn't need help!!! you have been nurtured well, treated like a queen in your family, you have been so cocooned in your world that you fail to see what is going on, and frankly, i cannot be the one to open your eyes. and i don't want to.
further more... I used a dictionary especially because i have no personal experience in America. America is good, America is better. It is your dream coming true. No one is saying differently. But, you seem to say that nothing is good in Romania. You underlined only the negative aspects and said nothing about the good things in it. Just because you didn't have any happy experience here, and because you "met" with your ideals there, doesn't mean that Romania is all bad.
If you don't think i can compare the 2, why are you doing it? There is no comparison between ROM and USA because they are 2 separate worlds and you lived in the first one as a child thus with a limited perspective.
Was your childhood that disappointing? The way you describe this country is the way your friends see it...(I am offended you are creating such an image to underline the fact that you want to help Romania --- why do you want to save it if there's nothing to save it for?)
coming back well, let us not turn to encyclopedias for such silly formal definitions one gives in writing. of course america is many things and many people, but to quote an encyclopedia is probably the worst thing one can do, in order to define this great country. i live there, breathe there, and have spoken to many, because i know i don't know everything. furthermore, my impressions are formed "on the field" so to speak, and not from readings performed in a foreign country. americans are those who have been born there, even first generations born from immigrant families. my children will probably be american, if they're born there. it's just the way it is. just because they'll be speaking romanian, and learn about romania, they will never be truly romanian. not to mention their daddy WILL NOT BE ROMANIAN.
i understand you want to show me you know about america, as well as romania, but there is so much more to your words, and mine also. once you reach amercian land you will understand.
you've gone ehi dana mentre ti scrivo adesso sei in taxi sulla strada per l'aereoporto...forse ci sarai gia' arrivata e starai facendo la fila con gli altri passaggeri. il tuo viso e' umido e hai qualche cappello appiccicato sul collo perche' oggi e' una giornata di caldo intenso, il tipo di caldo che ti invade cominciando con la pelle e gradualmente ti scioglie le ossa. un caldo che fonde i piedi alla terra, che ci soffoca nel suo abbraccio distruttivo. non c'e' ne' rifugio ne' la falsa speranza del miraggio ma fra un'ora sarai salita sulle ali dell'aereo e il ricordo del caldo fiorentino ti scivolera' via trascinata dalla gravita'...quando voli nel cielo pensa a me, sussurra una preghiera di ghiaccio che cadra' sciogliendo nell'atmosfera e arrivera' in forma di un goccio d'aqca sulla mia fronte. e sapro' che e' stata te a benedirmi dall'alto.
in addition The good news is that one can become the next “Che Guevara, Angela Davis, Rosa parks, Martin Luther King, Ionesco, or any revolutionary” anywhere in the world if he wants it so. Ionesco was Romanian and made it even if he did not live in Romania. So did Eliade. There are those who lived in Romania and when they finally understood they could not make an impact on their compatriots, they left seeking ears to listen to their message elsewhere (take Caragiale for example). But there are some who remained here and tried to evolve in a rotten society. They were a product only of this environment and the only contact with the outside world was through culture (books mainly). Someone heard their voice even as it was getting suffocated by the stupid and the unworthy.
I am surprised that you say:
“romania has been deprived of the goods that americans have had for decades, yes, DECADES!!! Everything from good toilet paper (ahem!!), to exotic fruits, to colorful clothes (oh, and how colours work on our psyche...they do, they do), to a hearty and healthy influx of art, be it music, film, literature, etc. (i didn't grow up with any of these things, so, to meet up with america, was, as one can imagine, "EUREKA!!!" )”
During the communism, people lacked many of these things, but not any more. Even then, they managed to buy from people who brought them from abroad. Nowadays, they do have good toilet paper and natural food is available at a cheaper price than it is in most civilized countries. Original clothes and exotic fruits are everywhere and, as much as people complain (because they are used to do this), they do have money to buy them.
I don’t believe YOU were deprived of any of these things while growing up. Your mother took care you had things other children never did (like exotic fruits). Your father was in America while you were growing up and he supplied some stuff children dreamed of So, your childhood was never as black as you say it was .You used to travel a lot inside the country, you skied and skated, you had a bike and skateboard, you ate everything your heart desired, so why do you complain about these things? You never missed them. They were just as normal for you as they are in America. Perhaps they were a luxury for others, but they weren’t for you or me. You are now looking at your childhood with the eyes of the adult emigrant that wants to underline the negative aspects of Romania
What hurt me most is the fact that you said art suffered and perhaps suffers now as well. It isn’t true. You got a good education while growing up and theatre, music and literature have always had a vivid existence here. You did not participate to any of the social activities of this kind because you were young and you didn’t understand several of them. I’ve seen a lot and learned many things since I’ve met people who share my passion for graphics and painting. A whole world of imagination and creativity lives in this god forsaken country. A lot of literate persons leave the country and become a “smashing success” abroad. I’m sure they wouldn’t if they didn’t have anything to say and if this environment was so poor culturally speaking.
i'm not a nationalist, but want to speak the truth I searched the word: “America” in “wikipedia” and found this:
"Ethnology
The population of the Americas is made up of the descendents of three large ethnic groups and their combinations: the native inhabitants of the Americas, being Amerindians, Eskimos, and Aleuts; Europeans, mainly Spanish, English, Irish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Dutch; and black Africans. There are also more recent immigrants, such as from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Asia.
The majority of the people live in Latin America: most of Latin America is Spanish-speaking, with Portuguese-speaking Brazil as the major exception. Latin America is typically contrasted with Anglo-America where English, a Germanic language, prevails: namely, Canada and the United States (in Northern America) have predominantly British roots and are quite different in terms of linguistical, cultural, and economic situation from other countries in the Americas."
So who are the American People? They are people from all over the world who immigrated to find a better life. It's no wonder America has everything Romania lacked during the communist period or presently lacks. USA is a great place to be because everyone there wants to be the best they can be, wants to have a great life. USA is young and, like any teenager with perfect opportunities and enthusiasm, can turn the world around for itself. While hope and lust for life are normal for America, the situation in Romania doesn't look so pink. However nothing is unusual. Just think about it: the population is much smaller and financially challenged, the position of the country has made it a target or an impediment in the way of larger countries in Europe, the troubled history (and I’m not talking only about communism) has left its scars in the personality of the Romanian people. They never had it easy. They are tired of fighting and lack enthusiasm...
However bad the situation looks with us I have to underline the fact that we can not generalize. There are a lot of intelligent people in Romania, with ambition and creativity, but, as they are a minority, they don't have many options either. Come on Dana! You do have friends here, don't you? This means not everyone steals or is up to cheating...As long as there are still good people here there is hope too. After all, history is not made by the masses, but by those few exceptional individuals who can make a change.
However much you want to make a change in your natal country, your hopes are in vain and this is why: The change must come from within and this requires people in the country, good ones that sacrifice their own personal goals to open the eyes of those around them. You are not in Romania anymore and you left your natal country for your own interest: to make something of yourself, something that you could not have become if you would have stayed here. However, reaching your personal potential outside of Romania will help it very little. I’m not saying your efforts will all be for nothing, but thinking of yourself first will first do you well and only afterwards it will help your country.
hey Dana! forgive me for not getting back to you sooner but i've been out of town - away from keyboards, intels, emails, the blah of TV, and all other forms of city life ruthlessly encroaching on the liberty of the individual:)
what's the story with italy? when exactly are you heading for florence? how long are you staying in romania/europe? i'm actually getting involved with a new company in about 2 weeks' time so summer vacation this year seems unlikely - until then i've got all the time in the world to make your stay in krakow worthwhile. you're ALWAYS welcome here, and my or magda's not being around does not mean you can not stay in our flat and EXPLORE the city cafes museums shops restaurants on your own... whatever happens i guess i'd recommend flying - with deregulated air travel in eastern europe now, and a little bit of luck you could get a return flight to krakow for the price of a double cappucino at some flashy italian cafe, unless of course you're into epic train journeys:)
i'll keep my fingers crossed for your ny career plans - judging from the quality of your writing a job in the the publishing business is yours for the asking....
cheers b.
mr. b well, how are you doing? any plans of coming to visit my sweet country? you will be lodging at my spot for free. and the black sea cannot wait for some foreigners...
about the pictures -- well, i only shoot film, silly me! but i will be borrowing my friend's digital camera, to post some pictures before it's too late.
i was thinking abou tcoming to poland for a day or two, because i will be in florence for 7 days, and a train from there to your abode wouldn't be so bad to take. whaddaya say?>
i want shops hey friend! just letting you know that i've been keeping track of your whereabouts. good to hear you're back in Europe! add some nice shots of romanian cities/towns/people/shops if you can. i love photos of foreign shops.
You remind me Hi Sweet Beautiful Dana....You remind me of me in my twenties, idealistic, passionate, experimental, visionary, full of plans and angst....thank you for sharing the gift of your vision(s). Your lens-like eyes catch the details that most would miss. Keep on with your quest for finding and winnowing (is that the word?) the sacred and the profane, whether in NYC, Romania, or Berkeley. Love, Julie
And will we kindly acknowledge what has been placed in front of us? The endless bouts of water and snow, people-studded continents, the sun? For the more fortunate, all of these should already be a sight familiar...yet many more of the fortunate will drown in static contemplation of a book, if that...what a pity. I am here to indulge in all pleasures forgotten, to live the life a simple romanian folk would have never lived. I want to speak everything and anything, see even more, make myself heard, even through words, black letters on foreign flatscreens. This is the age that should begin, with... full info
ioan
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if you plan on not thinking for a while, try taking the train from LA to Chicago. it leaves sometime at sunset and you'll wake up for at sunrise *if you do, if you sleep..* somewhere in the desert. beautiful. they have this car with seats facing giant windows, you can sit feet up and watch everything go by.. thoughts included.. eniuei.. enjoy mexico