Cand ti se ia de Bucuresti....iar altii abia se indragostesc de el...

E frumos Bucurestiul cand nu stai zi de zi in el. E ca un print poleit cu aur care atunci cand se intalneste cu vizitatorii isi ia aere de gentelman si foloseste cele mai bune maniere. Insa daca ajungi sa il vezi zi de zi un an, doi, vezi de fapt ca in spatele aurului poleit e o mare rugina....cu oameni frustrati si rai fara nici un sens, cu tipete si vorbe grele spuse de amorul artei....de praf care-ti ajunge pana in stomac si un parfum greu respirabil in mijloace de transport....Si ascunde in spatele sau oameni aparent fericiti dar care sunt prea obositi sa se mai joace cu copii lor, care cred ca un job intr-o corporatie care ii exploateaza este un privilegiu si ca dragii de copilasi pot trai si cu bonele sau mai nou in afterschool...poate mi s-a luat mie de el....poate doar parcurile imi mai plac....si alea cand sunt populate doar de pasari...dimineata mult prea devreme pentru oameni....poate ca mi s-a luat mie de el.....si ti se ia din pacate....

E un oras care iti poate oferi "posibilitati" dar care iti poate fura usor timpul cu cei dragi, cu familia ta, cu animalul tau de companie. Ma uit la oamenii care ma inconjoara...Sunt mereu pe fuga...mereu nu au timp.....Sunt prea preocupati sa faca bani....sa mearga la un job....prost....bine platit....ce conteaza.... Sa munceasca si la cate doua trei joburi....Si uita....uita sa traiasca....

De cand nu au mai tras acesti oameni aer profund in piept si sa ii simta gustul aerului dimineata cand roua abia se asterne pe iarba?

Weekend Berlin

I am in Berlin for almost one and a half month. At the begging I didn't like this city very much. For about 2 weeks I haven't visited because i was working quite much during the week, so in the weekend i was sleeping, cooking and aranging all the things i need it for the next week. After 2 weeks I was invited to go out with the other 2 interns from ESNA. The spanish girl has many friends here because she is going every day to a german course. So, because of her I met 3 other persons: two interns from Medecine University in Siria and one girl from Bulgaria who was working in Berlin.

W e started to be good friends and we decided to go out to visit Berlin in the weekend because is the only period from the week when we don't have to go to work and stay there 7-9 hours per day.

I saw many important monuments in Berlin and i stayed out many hours just walking, making photos and trying to know better Berlin. When you have nice people around, when you are with your friends everything is just much more easy and nice. Being alone made me hate Berlin for a couple of weeks because i was just working, working, working and trying to sleep as much as i can.

I traveled with s-bahn, u-bahn, buss...but not yet with the tram because i did not need it. Even if the transport here is quite expensive (50 euros per month/ 26 euros per one week/ 2 euros one ticket for 2 hours/ 6.5 euros one day ticket) berliners have a good network of transport. The greatest thing is that all the transports are working 24h/ 24h in the weekend and during the week they work from 4 a.m- 1 a.m and then they have a breack between 1.30 a.m- almost 4 a.m.

As an advise, if you want to come to Berlin don't forget your umbrella because here is raining a lot. Also, take some warm clothes because in the autumn you can have the surprise to see that outside are maybe between 0-5 degrees. From the airport you can take TXL buss and is taking you to Alexander Platz and from there you can take almost everything: s-bahn, u-bahn, buss, tram to go to your hotel.

After one and a half month I can picture out a small and naive portret of Berlin. During the week, berliners are going to work using mostly bikes, s-bahn etc. In the s-bahn and not only, you can see people reading books, newspapers, searching for news online through their computers or phones. The picture is serious, quite, with worried people going to work, with children going to school. You have the senzation you are in a robot world where everything means work. During the weekend (starting with 9 p.m friday, ending 00.00 sunday) the picture of Berlin change 180 degrees. Taking s-bahn, or just walking around you see people drinking, speacking loud, laughing, making jokes, fighting. You start to ask where are all the serious people you saw during the week. In the weekend they are not serious at all. For them weekend means alchool, parties, sex, no sleep. After one weekend you start to ask yourself: how can they live like this? They don't get tired? Actually they don't. They are robots created so well than nothing can make them stop.

Berlin is a combination of new and vintage, of serious and craziness, of young and old. The better way to visit this city is with friends or people you care. If you come alone you feel absorbed by all the atmosphere and you will feel tired and wishing to go home.

Me on the website of Volda University College. Just happy ;)

The first 48 hours in Berlin

20^th of Octomber 2010, I arrived in Tegel Airport (Lufthansa) at 9.00 a.m in the morning, Germany hour. All around me I heard German language and I understood that for that moment I am far far away from home. Lucky me, my boss, Kalle K. from ESNA Higer Education and News have been waiting for me in the airport. He is a really nice guy and he is helping me a lot here. After I took my luggage I bought a bus ticket and we went directly to the office. After one bus ride, two trains, some steps to claim and a nice walking one the street, we finally arrived in the office. I presented myself and Kalle started to laugh when I said: “Hi! My name is Bianca and I am from Romania”. I said to him: “I have to present myself. I just arrived.” After I took a seat and I opened my computer. I was tired, hungry and a bit lost because it’s the first time when I came in Berlin. I couldn’t see almost anything from this city but as I saw in the first day, they have a very good transport network. They have busses, trams, subway, trains and of course taxi. People are nice with each other, children are smiling to their parents, and the atmosphere is quite calm and nice. After 5 hours of staying at working and trying to understand what is going on in this news agency and what will be my work here, Kalle and me decided to go to my “one week home”: his apartment. This is Kopenick area. As I said he is a really nice man and he is helping me a lot. For the first time, I did not have to help the others; now I was me who was helped. I did not know how to react when we arrive home and he gave me the keys and said: “this week this will be your home”. I said wow thanks a lot. I repeat, it was the first time when I was helped so I did not know how to react and what exactly to say. After, we went to a shopping center and he helped me to buy a German phone number. I walked with him to the train station and after I came back to the shopping center to buy some food. Because I am not used to look in others person stuff, I found very hard the pillow and actually the bad. His apartment is really nice and interesting. He has a lot of space, big windows, books, movies, many flowers and old photo cameras. I really like his room because it has a strong personality compressed in it. So, the bed was somewhere up, quite hard to find it if you are not used with this. Because I was afraid to fall I decided to sleep on the couch. It was quite cold in the night but I did not care because I was really happy that I actually have a place to live.

21 of Octomber 2010, I wake up at 7 a.m. and in a big rush I made my rucksack for work, I ate something fast and I went to the train station where I met Kalle. We went together at the office to show me the road. There he gave me a task: to make the profile of my country on education field. I started to do that. At almost 11 or something, the other boss came in the office. He said after the breack we will have a meeting all together. We had the eating break between 12.30 and 1.30 p.m. After this, me, 2 others interns (one from Spain and one from Belgium) plus a German girl who is working in the office with us came back to work. We had the meeting with the boss and he scared me a bit. He is a very smart guy and he knows very well what he has to do. I honestly said to him that I don’t know almost anything about Public Relation and I came here to learn. But, by far this wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. So, I started to feel bad and I said to myself: “what I will do now? He will surely ask me to go home to make my luggage and leave. What I will do?” After the meeting, with a serious voice he said to me: “get dressed we go for a walk”. I said then: “This is the end. For sure he will ask me to leave. German people do not make jokes. They just work.” I went with him to drink a cappuccino in a bar and we spoke more. I asked him about this news agency and what will be my job here. He explained to me anything I needed to know and he said that we have a lot of work to do. We discus in a very serious way about how much time I can spend in the office and I said it would be great for me between 9 a.m to 4 p.m. He made a fast calculation and he said: “hmm 25 hours per week. Few. We have to decide about something more. At least 28-30 hours. I said to myself. What can be worst? I don’t have any apartment where I can stay all this 3 months, my buss is already upset on me because I am not as good as he thought in Public Relation, now I say I prefer to work only 25 hours per week. This is the end.” He said we will manage after but preferable it will be to work more in the office. I said it is ok for me. “I came here to learn and work so it is ok”. We came back to the office and I started to check my e-mails and messages. I left the office at half past 5. With the good help of the Spanish girl and Kalle I manage to go to the train station. I was sitting on the platform, looking around and thinking: “I feel lost. I have a lot of work to do. These guys are not joking. I should as faster as possible to manage to learn as much as I can about public relations.” In the train I started to write a message to my parents in which I was saying: ”It is hard here but you don’t worry. I will manage myself. It is about my career so I have to be strong. As long as I have a brain and a body which are working perfectly normal I have to manage everything.” And then I suddenly remembered what I have been saying to myself when I finished the first year of faculty: “If I haven’t been loving this job, I would have been giving up for a long time ago. It is hard to be well prepared for being a journalist. You need to work to study to know to do thing right. I have to fight for wining a good reputation here”. When I arrived in the Kopenick station, I went to the shopping center to buy some sweets and a bottle of wine. I came home, I put some frozen pizza in the oven, I drop in a glass some red wine and I sit on the couch to write this article. I really needed to have a some time to relax myself, to charge my batteries and to start thinking positive. Time is flying too fast sometimes. I would have been ok if I could study 4 years in the university and not only 3. I would have been in time with the preparation of my bachelor, I would have finished mostly all the internships I wanted to do. I would have more time to spend with my boyfriend who is actually treating me very nice because he is supporting me and he always says: ”it will be ok don’t worry. I trust you and I am with you in what you are doing.” My parents also support me and for this and all good this that happened to me this is I have to thanks God because He was and He is really kind to me. I am lucky to have such great parents and such nice boyfriend. Maybe I have to be more grateful for everything I receive: a scholarship in Norway for 5 months, some internships on TVR (Romanian national tv), Europe Fm (Romanian radio), Romania Senate, a job at National Geographic, a scholarship in Berlin for 3 months; and the most important facts: great people around me, great parents, great boyfriend, great boss in Berlin, health, power to work, determination. But the most important thing is: LIFE to live, see, hear, feel and enjoy everything around me. Life is such great gift for people but it is a pity that many times they don’t or refuse to see it. I am lucky and grateful for all good and bad things that happened to me because all my experiences made me the person I am today. I wish I could have an other life but as I have only one I think is more than necessary for enjoying living.

Tribute to Volda in NG Traveler oct.2010

NG Travler from oct. 2010 has an article about both Volda and other mountains where I have been with some great norwegian friends of mine. Thanks to them and thanks to the Volda University College I could claim on few mountains and I could see a wounderfull view. If you want to go in Volda don't forget your proper shoes, a jacket, a sweater and your ski. Speack with norwegian students and people. They are very nice and they will take you with them to claim mountains. It will be a memorable time as I had.

To all devotee climbers, with love... ;)

My dream came true!

When did the National Geographic thing appear?

When I was 12 years old I was watching very much Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and National Geographic Channel and I was fascinated about those reportages I was seeing there. I wanted to have that kind of life, to see the world, to share what is beautiful and to enjoy living.

In that period of time I decided to became a journalist because my idea was: if i became a journalist i can work with National Geographic team. After I have finished the highschool, I applyed for a Journalism Faculty in Iasi and Bucharest. I decide to go to Iasi in the end.

Each night, when I went to sleep I was dreaming with my eyes open how would be for me to work at NG. In one day, in the Autumn of 2009, I applyed for a schollarship in Norway, in a country that the only thing I knew about was: aaaa this should be a country where it is very cold. And that's it! When I arrived there, in January 2010, I discovered a beautiful country where nature was very well conserved. I lived in a small village called Volda for about 5 months.

In April I sent an e-mail to NG redaction to ask them if I can make an intership with them. They said yes. So, in July 2010 I started to work with NG. After 2 weeks they asked me to sign a colaboration contract. Few weeks ago I received this Press Card. My dream came true after 9 years! Happy! Just unreal!

Let's go climbing!

Norway is a beautiful country where in January I experimented how is to have light only 4 hours on the day and in May how is to have dark only 4 hours on the night. If in January the sun rose at 10.00 a.m and go down at 2.00/ 2.30 p.m, in May the sun rise at 3.00 a.m. and go down at 00.00 p.m. But I realised that one nice fact is that I can go on the mountains on the evening and come back at 00.00 and the sun just go down at this hour. For me, 5 months in Norway made me understand how is to miss my family, my few friends, my country. Also, I saw how is to be alone or, how is to meet great people that started to be your friends and care about you. Norway taught me that life is joy, smile and oportunities that you don't have to loose them. One good friend of mine, norwegian man, told me that "life does not have such things as problems. It has only challenges and a lot of solutions". It is true! Life is a smile; somethimes is a big smile somethimes is a sad one, but it's just a smile.

VOLDA



Finish the trip on the first mountain with this photo.
Other mountain
Now, in Norway, 10 degrees = hot!


Orsta village

Orsta village and the mountainsAll the mountains around are written

on this methalic cercle

The box with a little notebook

where you can write you name on it.
The dog of my norwegian friend

Ether. The name of the dog is

Curly :)

Alesund, Norway, football game

One of my best day ever! (12.04.2010)

What is asking you a norwegian boy when he meets you for the first time?

When you meet a norwegian boy you try to introduce yourself and talk with him maybe... But what are the questions that a norwegian boy ask you?

First, he says "Hi!" and then he starts to ask you:

1. What is your name? (of course, he wants to know your name)

2. Where are you from? (and if you say : "I am from Romania", he says...)

3. Are you a gipsy? (and if you say : "NO!", he is smiling and he breaths easily)

4. Are you coming from a poor or rich family? (and then you are thinking: "Why is this important?", and then you ask him this and he will replay...)

- Your background says many things about you. And if your family is rich this mean you had a good education. If you are coming from a poor family this mean you want to get married with a norwegian and be rich because of him.

The conclusion?

99% of Norwegians think that they are very rich people and they had great education. I do not say this is not true, but sometimes it doesn't matter if you are rich or poor. The important thing is that you are smart or not, if you are a good person or not. Money comes, money goes... Let's meet the 1% of norwegian who wants to meet you as you are and not as your parents money describe you.

Volda, the place you will never forget!

"sunset in Volda"

Mandria de a fi roman

Cat de mandru trebuie sa te simti ca esti roman intr-o tara civilizata precum Norvegia atunci cand un profesor de-al tau iti spune ca tiganii vin din Romania?
De aproximativ 3 luni sunt studenta la o facultate in Norvegia. Am fost astazi la facultate sa iau un dvd cu filmulete despre istoria fotografiei de la unul dintre profesorii mei. Cat asteptam sa se copie acel dvd, am luat din biblioteca profesorului un album cu fotografii din anul 2009 in care era prezentata Norvegia. La un moment dat vad niste poze cu o familie foarte bogata de "gipsy" care traieste in Oslo. Fara sa vreau fac o remarca spunand "ce bogati sunt tiganii astia", folosind evident cuvantul "gipsy". Profesorul ma corecteaza si imi spune: "nu e corect gipsy; de ceva timp s-a dat o lege in Norvegia si cuvantul gipsy a fost inlocuit cu ROM". Eu m-am blocat cand am auzit asta. Surprinsa il intreb pe profesor- "de ce ROM?", si el imi raspunde- "pai nu vin din Romania?". Am simtit fiori reci pe sira spinarii si o greata nemarginita. Profesorul a observat ca m-am schimbat la fata si m-a intrebat:"din ce tara esti tu? Cumva din Romania?". Am dat afirmativ din cap iar el m-a intreabat: "cum, tiganii nu vin din Romania?". I-am explicat faptul ca luand in considerare istoria, gispy vin din Egipt (eGIPTIan) si ca originea lor nu are legatura cu Romania.
De ce le spun gipsy? Pentru ca daca le spun "tigani" ei se revolta. Gipsy e un cuvant international asa ca nu au decat sa se revolte. Nu ma surprinde reactia profesorului meu si nici faptul ca el crede ca gipsy vin din Romania. In 2007 din Norvegia au fost deportati mai multi gipsy proveniti din Romania pentru ca venisera sa cerseasca si sa fure, sau mai corect spus, sa promoveze tara. Ce s-au gandit ei? Daca norvegienii nu au auzit ei multe de Romania si nu stiu ei nimic despre obiceiurile romanilor ar fi corect si cinstit sa promoveze ei tara pentru ca pe viitor, norvegienii sa se poata feri linistiti de natia romaneasca.
Si de ce ma simt ofensata acum cand profesorul meu a spus ca gipsy vin din Romania? Nu cumva presedintele nostru drag, marele cap al tarii ca numai functia e de el, a afirmat ca 99% dintre romani sunt manelisti? Pai si atunci cum sa nu spuna strainii ca gipsy vin din Romania? Cum sa nu facem impresia asta strainilor cand weekendul trecut la o petrecere cu studenti Erasmus o romanca nu s-a putut abtine sa nu puna manele ca sa vada lumea ca stie sa miste din fund, iar alta s-a decis sa ii invete pe straini un dans tipic romanesc: DANSUL PINGUINULUI. Mai, sincer, nu am ce spune. Daca si dansul pinguinului e dans romanesc si daca asta vrem noi sa promovam in strainatate atunci pot spune cu mandrie : MI-E RUSINE CA SUNT ROMANCA!Si pentru ca asta nu era de ajuns o parte din romancele prezente in Volda s-au decis sa faca duminica seara "gipsy" party . Nu-i tare? E minunat!
Un alt motiv pentru care ma simt extraordinar de mandra ca sunt romanca este faptul ca am pierdut o bursa la o facultate de jurnalism din California pentru simplul fapt ca fac parte dintr-o tara care este in estul Europei. Persoana de la relatii internationale de la acea facultate mi-a spus ca din cate au inteles ei din CV eu vin din Romania si ca nu imi pot oferi bursa de studii la ei la facultate pentru ca tara mea e in estul Europei. Cel putin oamenii au fost finuti. Nu mi-au zis direct: nu te primim ca esti romanca si ca ne-am saturat de toti tiganii din tara ta asa ca mai bine stai si fura la tine pe teritoriu decat la noi. Hai sa fim sinceri, daca si in dictionarul moldovenesc cuvantul "roman" este tradus ca si "gipsy" ce pretentii putem sa mai avem? Mai putem spune ceva?
Cred ca 1% dintre romani care sunt exclusi din categoria manelisti suntem prea putini sa schimbam ceva. Am face furtuna intr-un pahar cu apa. Saptamana viitoare am "seara romaneasca" si trebuie sa imi prezint tara celorlalti studenti straini. Cum imi prezint eu tara cand nu sunt mandra de ea? Voi expune cateva fotografii cu familii de tigani din Romania, le voi servi fasole cu carnati, iar ca muzica voi ruga colegele mele experte in acest gen muzical deosebit numit manele sa faca o selectie cu cele mai "șucare" melodii ale acestui gen si apoi la final le voi spune studentilor straini: "canci" cultura romaneasca, acestea sunt "gagicile" din Romania, "haleala" nu a fost prea multa pentru ca nu am avut multe "lovele", haide-ti sa ne "matolim" bine ca sa uitam de seara asta "nașpa", aplaudati ca daca nu va "caftesc" si "bafta" ca ma grabesc sa plec acasa. Cred ca acesta va fi discursul academic pe care ar trebui sa il folosim saptamana viitoare cand vom prezenta ROMania tara ROMInilor.