Color me Katie

Via oompa am ajuns la un filmulet haios cu un musical improvizat intr-un supermarket pe care m-am gandit daca sa dau click sau nu, fiindca nu-s mare amatoare de iutuburi pe blog. Si am dat click. Un minut mai tarziu, plangeam si radeam toata de puterea pe care o au muzica si dansul de a deschide oamenii, de a-i aduce impreuna, de a-i face sa zambeasca. De a transforma o multime indiferenta de clienti intr-un public. Minunat!

Fireste ca m-am dus pe youtube si am urmarit si alte idei traznite marca Improv Everywhere: can I get a napkin please – un musical traznit la mall, oamenii-oglinda din metrou, metroul transformat in muzeu de arta, petrecerea-surpriza pentru un cuplu necunoscut care tocmai se casatorise, I love lunch, plimbarea in lesa a cainilor invizibili, 1200 de oameni plimbandu-se cu metroul numai in chiloti! Ce nebunie! Dar pe urma am citit, tot la oompa, de unde aflase ea de traznaile astea si era iar un link pe care a trebuit sa decid daca sa dau click sau nu: colormekatie, un blog al unei fotografe din NY.

In acest moment sun fan Katie pe viata, cel putin pentru urmatoarele doua idei incredibil de minunate:

• umbra care-si face de cap pe la spatele tau
• silhouette portraits

Sa nu mai vorbim de fluturasii imprastiati prin cartier intr-o zi ploioasa, de ochisorii lipiti te-miri-unde, de toate minunile pe care le face prin casa si de cele mai colorate poze pe care le-am vazut vreodata!

Si, bine, trebuie sa marturisesc de ce o iubesc pe Katie definitiv, iremediabil si mult mai mult decat pot exprima in cuvinte: Katie are liliputani!!!!!!!! Katie stie sa faca liliputani si da liliputani la tot cartierul! Katie vorbeste direct cu Christina aia mica, careia acum mai mult de 20 de ani i se promiteau liliputani adusi de tata de la serviciu si care citea „The Carpet People” si visa sa se trezeasca intr-o dimineata inzestrata cu vedere microscopica. Multumesc, Katie :x

And, just in case any of these links brings you to my blog, dear Katie, I want to tell you that by creating the adorable tiny people you fulfilled one of my childhood dreams: that of playing with Liliputians, just like Gulliver :) Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

In timp ce scriam acest post mi-am rascolit/rasfoit/recitit blogul si-am bagat de seama ca la unele comentarii n-am raspuns niciodata. Nu stiu de ce.

P.S. Acum ca se termina vacanta porcina, eu racesc.

P.S. 2. Vreau de doua ori mai tare sa merg la New York!!!!

Abra era gata inainte de a o chema

Abra was ready ere I called her name; And though I called another, Abra came. (Matthew Prior via John Steinbeck)

Plec o saptamana in Elvetia.  Pentru ca mereu am confundat Suecia cu Suiza, evident ca zic tuturor ca plec in Suedia. In Suedia la Zurich – ce va mirati asa? Stockholm? Ala e in Suedia, e altceva! :))) Cam asa se deruleaza dialogurile mele paralele cu realitatea. Uneori ma simt ca un computer batran, care raspunde mai greu la comenzi pentru ca undeva in spate se copiaza niste poze, sau se face un download si trebuie sa aloce resurse si acolo.

O saptamana de vacanta-munca dupa care voi avea nevoie de o saptamana de vacanta-odihna, dar ia-o de unde nu-i. Deci trebuie sa-mi aranjez cumva niste odihna printre toata munca si printre munca asta alta munca (pregatirea pentru semestrul 2… so many ideas & great things to do, so lil time, ca de obicei).

Incep pregatirea pentru vacanta-munca si munca-munca uitandu-ma la episodul 13 din Doctor House. Nu-mi place de Cuddy cu copil, nu-mi place de Cameron in charge si mi se pare ca House incepe sa devina propriul lui cliseu, probabil din cauza ca de la o vreme are o singura fata: cea de doctor; nu mai merge cu motocicleta, nu mai joaca poker cu oamenii strazii, nu mai canta la pian, nu mai are preocupari si sentimente extra-work, de aceea e foarte monoton. Iar Wilson are un rol de 2-3 replici si a devenit asa de moale si sentimental, incat la fel de bine ar putea sa dispara.

Sunt intr-o pasa oarecum „hormonal” si ma amuz singura de cum reactionez la lucrurile care mi se intampla. Mantra mea azi e: „Taci din gura!” si o adresez gandurilor negative, fricilor si panicilor care ma gadila in stomac. Taci din gura, taci din gura, taci din gura, taci din gura!

Every cloud has a silver lining.

NB: I’m writing this post because I’m a sworn procrastinator, as usual & just now I have LOTS of other stuff to do – starting with shopping, packing, hair dying… oh, hell, starting with getting dressed to go shopping (or getting up from the couch in order to get dressed and go shopping!!)

Sometimes I wish I had a BOOK that told me where to start.

It’s never rocket science

Cele mai annoying expresii, decise de invatatii de la Oxford:

The top ten most irritating phrases:

1 – At the end of the day

2 – Fairly unique

3 – I personally

4 – At this moment in time

5 – With all due respect

6 – Absolutely

7 – It’s a nightmare

8 – Shouldn’t of

9 – 24/7

10 – It’s not rocket science

Foarte tare. Imi plac toate, iar azi am avut o discutie foarte entertaining cu o colega din Australia despre cultural shocks. Concluzia e, ca intotdeauna, ca romanii vorbesc de parca se cearta, ca Bucurestiul e haotic si nu se respecta nici o regula si ca, in comparatie cu recii anglo-saxoni, suntem extrem de latini. Ceea ce mi s-a parut haios a fost ca ea plasa nemtii mai departe pe scara „racelii” decat englezii – chipurile englezii ar fi mai umani, eu as fi zis tocmai invers.

Ceea ce-mi place de mor la jobul asta e ca in fiecare zi imi dau seama de discrepanta intre ceea ce predic si ceea ce practic, de faptul ca predau independent thinking, dar nu ma pot abtine de la stereotipuri si generalizari. In fiecare zi imi vad limitele, ceea ce e fantastic – si-n fiecare zi invat. Azi am vazut de la colegul nostru cel simpatic, Vio, un documentar cu animalute care consuma tot felul de substante halucinogene. Am vazut albine si am aflat ca stupul are un gardian (nu stiam) care nu le primeste pe suratele in stare de ebrietate inapoi, pana nu-si revin. Am vazut maimute de catifea din America de Sud si pe urma, in alt documentar, am vazut niste delfini foarte dragalasi care se jucau cu bulele de aer din bazin. Super frumos! Inca o data m-am facut mica in fata complexitatii Naturii, care, pentru mine, e creatia lui Dumnezeu.

Am uitat sa scriu ca in weekend le-am cunoscut pe Vio si pe Ionuca [n-am uitat de veterinar!!]. Vio a venit din Germania, scurt, sa petreaca niste zile in patria-muma si am apucat sa ne vedem in cele cateva ore cat a stat in Bucuresti si am fost foarte fericita. Ionuca tocmai se intorcea de la Barcelona, ceea ce m-a umplut de o sfanta invidie si-un dor cum nu va pot povesti (ma scuzati, ma duc sa citesc ce mai face Octavian).

Citesc Teoria norilor si e una dintre cele mai frumoase carti pe care le-am citit vreodata. Numai 5 lei, de la Kilipirim.

Mai ziceti si voi ceva. Mih, mergi la Gaudeamus joi? ;p

Feliz/ Happy

To Jose:

This is the most beautiful thing I’ve read in a long time. And all the more beautiful since it’s something I wanted/ desired/never expected -yet hoped- to hear :-)

Yes, I like Madrid better than Barcelona. I loved every minute of being there: even the rainy days when I had to go buy an umbrella in a Chinese shop, and the days when my camera didn’t work and it filled me with rage, and the day-and-night when I had a horrible throat ache and had to take Strepsils pills like they were candies in order to be able to sleep, and the day I broke your red plate and feared the worst :p

My friend corazón con manos knows that I liked Madrid more this time because I had all the time in the world to explore it on my own, to walk every street and enter every shop, while – at the same time – being able to count on someone very reliable to tell me all about the city and show me the interesting stuff like the 4 towers, the phantom station and many other wonders that I would have missed if it weren’t for you.

I loved the way this city grows, I loved the beginning-of-the-world feeling that I had in Las Suertes, and the New York look of the Gran Vía and calle Alcalá, and the „Bucharest” air of the La Vaguada area, and the golden leaves in Retiro and Parque del Oeste. I loved shopping for gifts, and finding the most extraordinary things. I loved coming back home with my „prey” and imagining the joy on people’s faces when they see the stuff I got them… You know, the other day I was going thru my old Yahoo mailbox and I found an e-mail that Livia wrote to me before Christmas in 2000: she was writing to wish me merry Christmas and tell me explicitly NOT to spend too much money on presents :)) Do you think I might be trying to buy people’s love or something? Highly probable, and it works! :))

This stay in Madrid will be marked – in absolutely random order – by: the book on Joaquín Sabina that I bought in Alcampo (I love it!), the lovely corazón con manos (que no es un „corazón con caparazón de roca„) that kept me company when you were at work, the steep slope of calle Buenavista, the birch trees (abedules) and the plants on the wall, the small kitchen and the teapot, the freedom of waking up late (the unmistakable mark of any good holiday!), Edith Piaf’s voice in the speaker above my head, the pleasant light of the living room, the reading room at FNAC, the souvenir shops, the sun in the leaves in Retiro park, the long walks that gave me more than enough time to collect my thoughts and enjoy every moment.

I’ve learned to make pizza (not paella!), tuna pasta with tomate frito and leche frita – well, maybe just the frying part :)), I’ve met very nice people and I might have also learned to be more orderly :)

Thanks for receiving me in your 20 sq m IKEA home and thanks again for being my friend.

Happy, shiny, sunny, light

It’s a happy rainy day, I’m looking on the bright side of things (in spite of the allergy – soon_to_be_cured_with_help_from_Medlife_doctors! \:D/), eating chocolate biscuits and sipping coffee and reading this nice piece of info about myself (via Tickle):

Christina, your vibe is Burgundy Chic. You’re one class act — the perfect balance of a cool, casual attitude and an elegant, polished style. There’s a certain grace in almost everything you do. It’s true, you make things look easy — even when they’re not.

And while there’s nothing flashy about how you present yourself, you never fail to dazzle most people you meet. You tend to take life as it comes — and it’s not easy to throw you off course. A strong sense of self and a hearty dose of confidence help you handle whatever comes your way. And usually, look good doing it.

I remember I used to have a Burgundy blouse a long time ago… and Matrix eye-glasses that I would sometimes also wear indoors… and chains dangling from my million-pockets pants. Yes, that was me. And it still is.

I’m happy and grateful for all I am and will be.