Yearly Archives: 2008

Feb
6
2008
Bucharest Coat of ArmsFebruary 2008. It's time for Bucharest , our capital city, to choose its mascot. It's a little late for that, but not too late. So many basic things need attention in Bucharest, that choosing a mascot in 2008 it's never too late. A mascot is a person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck, especially one kept as the symbol of an organization such as a sports team. The city hall did some serious brainstorming and came up with these ideas: 1. from the animal kingdom: the lion, the aquila, the ladybug and the white butterfly; 2. from the vegetal kingdom: the plane-tree, the acorn, the daisy, the snowdrop and the four-leaf clover; 3. architecture: the Palace of the Parliament, the Patriarchal Palace, the Romanian Athenaeum, the ,,George Enescu" Museum and the and CEC Palace. Wikipedia says that the rose and the golden eagles are Romania's national emblems. But we do not have a national personification. Bucharest Plane-Tree MascotThe city hall's web site will host a poll destined the find out the opinion of the people. My vote goes to the plane-tree: if this symbol will win, the city hall will have to plant a lot of these trees in Bucharest, so at least we will have more green around us. Even the snowdrop is a good symbol: it represents a new beginning, a fresh start and the power to break through the freezing snow. And Bucharest needs a fresh start to clean up its reputation of a dirty, insecure, crowded and polluted European capital city. Bucharest Snowdrop MascotStill, I agree with the opinion the professionals should decide the mascot of Bucharest, not the citizens. From my point of view, the people of Bucharest are too disappointed and angry on their mayor & co to make a wise decision. So far, all the news regarding the Bucharest's mascot is from news portals. I'm still looking for an official post or poll on the city hall's website. I'll keep you posted if I'll find something interesting :) .
February 2008. It's time for Bucharest , our capital city, to choose its mascot. It's a little late for that, but not too late. So many basic things need attention in Bucharest, that choosing a mascot in 2008 it's never too late. A mascot is a per
Feb
2
2008
I was wondering, the other day, why there aren’t pro bono lawsuits in Romania. If there are, I haven’t heard of any. In Romania, most of the people suffer wrong doings without having the power to fight back - the lawsuits are too expensive and
Jan
31
2008
driving in Romania Driving on the roads of Romania is an extreme sport. You have to have a strong heart and a huge attention span for it. One thing is certain: being so close to accidents on a daily basis, it makes you appreciate life more when you get home safely at the end of the day. My country has only 2 (two) speedways: Bucharest-Pitesti and Bucharest-Constanta. The rest of the roads are at God's mercy: big pits, garbage, blocked lanes. Carriages, cows, sheep or drunken bikers are part of the scenery too. Not to mention the attitude of the other traffic participants: rude, inexperienced, always in a hurry. I mean, who wouldn't want an off-road driving experience on the way to work and back? The government's efforts to repair the road are too small comparing to the problems. At this point, trying to resolve to roads problem is not enough anymore. A foreigner driver in Romania will find driving on these roads very challenging. An optimistic attitude and patience are a must because the problems and surprises are all over the road. Only your attitude will make the difference between a good and a bad driver day. Driving on Romania's roads is a luck-test in itself: you find out how lucky you are being avoided by bad drivers. So start praying before you get in the car and thank your Guardian Angel when you arrive with no incidents at destination. I love driving, especially when I'm in no rush. While waiting for the green light, it got me thinking -- regarding the state of the roads, everything should be public information. On a dedicated web site you should find detailed information about which roads are in construction, who's responsible for the repairs, time dead-lines and budget - after all, is the public money being spend. Also, a radio station with traffic information and music for the road will be very useful for long distances. Bottom line: driving in Romania is never boring and is a constant source of stories to tell around a camp fire. Driving successfully in Romania is good practice for driving anywhere in this world. What are your opinions or experiences on driving in Romania? Got any funny stories about it? Share with us
Driving on the roads of Romania is an extreme sport. You have to have a strong heart and a huge attention span for it. One thing is certain: being so close to accidents on a daily basis, it makes you appreciate life more when you get home safely at
Jan
25
2008

Romanian Folk Music I love Romania because, from time to time, I come across a piece like this that makes me glad that I am a human being. Here are the details of this marvelous creation: Title: "Nu-mi spune" ("Don´t tell me") –– genre: folk music Artist: Walter Ghicolescu Lyrics: Tatiana Dragota The song goes straight to my heart, and the lyrics are divine. A quick search on Google proves me that I’m not the only one in love with life when listening to this song. Listen to it and, if you have a Romanian friend, ask him/her to translate you the lyrics. Enjoy it with friends, alone, after a tough day or at bed time. It will bring good memories, right?

Nu-mi spune ca totu-i risipa, Iluzie arsa-n zadar. Reda-mi rasuflarea in pripaSi lasa-mi speranta macar. Vorbeste-mi de luna de stele, De tot ce-ti placea pana ieri, Cu mainile-n mainile mele Cu noi si-nzecite puteri,
Nu-ntoarce privirea in taina, Nu-ti pune nadejdea-ntrun pas, In fiece nastur din haina Un fir de-amintire a ramas. (bis) Din buzele intoarse spre mine, Soarbe-mi dorinta dintai. Hai vino ca ieri langa mine, Nu-mi spune ca pleci, mai ramai. (bis)
[Chorus] Hai fa-te comoda in fotoliu, Infrunta-ti tendinta spre nu, Renunta te rog la orgoliu Si canta-mi din nou voulez vouz. (bis)

I love Romania because, from time to time, I come across a piece like this that makes me glad that I am a human being. Here are the details of this marvelous creation: Title: "Nu-mi spune" ("Don´t tell me") –– genre: folk music
Jan
21
2008

interesting romanian blogosphere... blogging. For those of you who never heard of a Romanian blog (or even a blog written in a foreign language by a Romanian), take a look on these numbers and think again:

- 4,819 blogs rss-fed by
rss.mioritics.ro, 4,384 blogs listed on zelist.ro (link love) and 2,333 blogs monitored by trafic.ro (number of unique visitors); - 33.47% of Romanian blogs are written in English (too); - Most Popular Platforms for blogging: WordPress, Blogger and Weblog; - Most Popular Communities: Netlog, FaceBook, MySpace, hi5; We are there, on the World Map of Bloggers. The Romanian blogosphere is growing by the day, in quality and quantity. After all, leaving in Romania is far from boring; life takes care of us, throwing all sorts of challenges at us on a daily basis. Bottom Line: read Romanian blogs for new ideas and news about our country and communities. Subscribe them to your rss feeder. You never know where a good idea jumps from. Or how a simple view on life can change your point of view.
... blogging. For those of you who never heard of a Romanian blog (or even a blog written in a foreign language by a Romanian), take a look on these numbers and think again: - 4,819 blogs rss-fed by rss.mioritics.ro, 4,384 blogs listed on zelist.r
Jan
14
2008
Living in RO Colors - Welcome to my blog

Hello World! A new blog is born today, January 14th 2008, under the sign of the Capricorn, in the year of the Rat.

What is it? Living in RO Colors is a blog about life in Romania, with its ups and downs, good and bad. During its existence it will cover events, traditions, myths and truths about Romania and its people. You can ask me questions about Romania, its cities and people, information you want to know but couldn’t find anywhere. So you know any myths about Romania and want to know the truth? Ask the question and I’ll do a reality check. Why? Maybe just because I can, I want to and it’s a good thing. When? Weekly or twice a week, on Living in RO Colors, according to inspiration or challenges. The Logo. The blog’s logo is design by
Design General, a talented designer from Bucharest. This logo represents three strawberries in the colors of the Romanian flag. The meaning of these colors needs a little attention too: Red: life force, action & full of life, but also danger & anger Yellow: warmth, brightness & cherry, but also cowardice & caution **== Blue: spiritual, calm & will power, but also moody & tranquilizer I’ll look to find these symbols in my everyday life. Contact me. Please contact me with questions and (constructive) suggestions – leave a message using the reply-form from any post. Enjoy it!
Hello World! A new blog is born today, January 14th 2008, under the sign of the Capricorn, in the year of the Rat. What is it? Living in RO Colors is a blog about life in Romania, with its ups and downs, good and bad. During its existence it will