Notes: 5 countries in 3 weeks, Part 5

Indonesia, Bali

Heaven on Earth

Where the rhythm of life is totally different and beyond fences and bodyguards there are islands of luxury and happiness.

Eu care credeam ca doar la Giubega..ai toaleta in fundul curtii….aici, ai baie de marmura si dus in afara camerei pe care ai rezervat-o la hotel, in curtea interioara...

If you miss the sunset on the beach, take a walk on the Sunset Road and time will stop for a moment.

Best food I ever ate. Dinner at Ku De Ta or in “The Living Room”, a pumpking soup with prawn dumplings con un retrogusto di chilly…semplicemente da morire…

Letting the warm waters of the Indian Ocean to touch your tired legs and leave traces of black sand on your ankles

Finding Nemo at Tulamben, ship wreck form the second WW. Scuba diving there… sounds exciting? Well…I panicked and I realized how great it is to have someone holding your hand even for a few seconds…

The most amazing colours under water, the most peaceful faces at a temple ceremony, the highest volcano on the island, the rice terraces and the Balinese massage. Am sarit Ubud, big mistake according to my friends.

Si daca fugiti, ca si mine, de gushteri si soparle…ei bine, in Bali iti pot fi colegi de camera…sincronicitati asiatice :)

Heaven
When the plane takes off…a contradictory feeling embraces you…although you are heading towards the skies…you feel like a falling angel…
Sometimes there is no need to know the why…

Mind the…Geccos

Notes: 5 countries in 3 weeks, Part 4

Cambodia

History at every step you take
Where the entrance fee in the contry (20 USD + 1USD the visa picture if you haven’t got a passport type one with you) is lower than the fee you need to pay at departure (25USD)…you might want to stay :)

Where there is no need to exchange money as you can pay everything with US dollars and you can even get US dollars at the cash machines.
Where the blend of history and foreign tourists can drive you crazy sometimes :)

Unde la aeroport sunt 7-9 ofiteri care dau din mana in mana pasaportul fiecarui turist; bag de seama ca te fac sa te simti important :)

Where the rivers go back (Mekong) to fill in the land and change many lives.If you go to Siem Reap, take at least one journey to Tonle Sap lake to see the floating village and the bamboo skyscrapers village (15$/person each boat ride) and see as less temples as possible…and forget your photo camera at home, otherwise you will be more focused on taking pictures than enjoying the experience. A 3 days tour to Angkor Wat, the biggest religious complex in the world it’s 40 $. If you add the transport…it’s not going to be that cheap anymore.

Where a trip to the silk factory might remind you of childhood when you were a witness at the whole process…the smell took me back in time 20-25 years ago…

Where you can get lost in several sunrises at Angkor Wat Temple while your body and mind are celebrating the beauty of life, because, no matter what, you are among the lucky…

Where at karaoke, on the song list you can find the famous “Always Coca Cola” and the negotiation is the game of the day.

Where when your soul is burdened…go to the green temple and tell your secret to a stone. Your secret will be safe and your soul will be lighter…

Mind the…tuk tuk

Notes: 5 countries in 3 weeks, Part 3

Singapore

The mix of cultures, languages, taste, smell, architecture… unde singura constanta este schimbarea.
The national symbol is Merlion, an imaginary creature with a lion head and a fish body – another way of saying that the impossible can be possible…
Curat, safe, civilizat, scump, secco. Inghetata cu paine.
Intre mare si nori sunt sute de vapoare.

De dimineata, nu iti fie teama ca nu te vei trezi, singaporezii au cel mai eficient si natural ceas desteptator: tunetele.

Friends welcoming you with presents. Sincronicitati. Meeting people you have’t seen in decades. Intrebarea la moda este: “ce ai mai facut in ultimii 10 ani?”. Eating the best sushi ever. Letting your body immerse in a clear blue swimming pool, right after the rain…


Taste the Singapore Sling while the piano is taking you on an unforgettable joy ride si lasa cateva lacrimi de fericire deplina sa ti se piarda in obraz


Must see: Singapore Botanic Gardens
Must listen: the sound of the rain forest
Must wear: umbrella (just like in London :))
Must experience: swimming with pink dolphins (or you can try sharks…if you want :) )
Must drink: Teh Tarik (a delicious hot beverage made of black tea and condensed milk – combinate printr-un autentic proces de incaierare)
Must not really eat: Laksa (traditional food very much enjoyed by visitors and locals…pentru mine cu efect laxativ – in orice rau e un bine :)) or Durian (the very controversial fruit al carui transport este interzis in metroul din Singapore)

Experince living in the present through looking people in the eyes when thanking and offering something with both hands.Dacing bare feet…forget about anything else…just BE!

Mind the… Peacocks

Notes: 5 countries in 3 weeks, Part 2

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The taste of curry si senzatii tari de la pesti “ciugulitori”, oameni care (se) vand ieftin pentru ca se numara printre cei care castiga bine, redescoperiri in arta fotografica. Now it’s raining, in a few minutes…sun is shining. Seeing the world from above. Specialized malls.

Important: If two policemen on a scooter stop you at the crossroads, don’t be afraid…they are just willing to help you (especially if you are… blonde and lost :) )

Tips: negociate, you can get a 10-50% discount; cheap and clean accommodation (88 hotel inn, close to Time Square…in KL not NY :)); almost every 30 minutes there are buses from the main railway station (KL Sentral) to the low cost airport (warning: there are 2 airports in Kuala Lumpur, check your ticket before getting a taxi – for 100 rgt night time); go see Petronas Towers by night, they are spectacular (to go up, you need to get there before 8:30 am, get a free of charge ticket and wait for your turn, closed for visitors on Mondays); to see the city from above, try the Menara Television Tower and this way you can identify what would you like to explore more in Kuala Lumpur (for a fee of 38 rgt); try fish reflexology, the funiest thing I’ve ever tried

And if you come across “Jalan Bulan” too many times, it’s a sign: there’s gonna be full moon soon in your life.


Mind the…fish

Notes: 5 countries in 3 weeks, Part 1

Guide to the one who is adventuring in reading these notes. I will write as I will feel, sometimes in English sometimes in Romanian or Italian. I intend to share my thoughts, starile mele de gratie and informazioni on the places and people.
I invite you to fill in the gaps :)

The Netherlands, Amsterdam

Eleganta pe biciclete si berea pe trotuar.
I missed the combined sound of Slovak, Dutch, Romanian and English, the taste of Holandse Neue Haaring, the view of 2 bikes, the touch of an old map and the smell of freedom.
I got lost in the music of the planes taking off and the strong colors-red, green, yellow and blue- of a soul e ho lasciato I miei sogni riposarsi nella “camera da letto” (Van Gogh, 1888).

For 7 hours transit time in between flights we took a return ticket from the airport to the city (7,40 Euros cash, if you succeed in paying with card is only 6.40, we didn’t :)). For a 45 minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal and 12,50 Euros, it’s worth visiting Van Gogh Musem .

We made a bet on who’s going to sit next to us, my guess was a Spielberg type of man…but my calculated deviation proved to be 1 row and two seats, Edith’s option…disappeared:).
On the plane, as any adventurous blonde Romanian, was trying to watch a movie but I called the flight attendant because I was pushing each botton seeing that my remote did not work :) (it was a too early try, it takes a while before they turn on the screens with movies and games) .
Am fost intrigata ca scaunul meu nu se lasa pe spate si m-am incapatanat sa tot apas pe buton pana cand tanarul simpatic de langa mine mi-a spus foarte delicat…acela este butonul de la scaunul meu :)…noroc ca nu servisera inca bauturile :).


Mind the…Bikes and the Buttons

Despre autobiografie

"In cele din urma, la Florenta in 1904, am gasit metoda cea mai buna de a scrie o autobiografie: incepe-o de oriunde, nu din vreun anumit moment al vietii tale; vagabondeaza in voie prin intreg taramul vietii tale, vorbeste numai despre lucrul care te intereseaza pe moment si abandoneaza-l in clipa in care interesul pentru el risca sa paleasca; indreapta-ti atunci privirea asupra unui lucru nou, mai interesant, care ti s-a impus intre timp atentiei. De asemenea, fa din naratiunea ta o combinative de jurnal si autobiografie. In felul acesta obtii un contrast intre elementul viu al prezentului si amintirea unor lucruri asemanatoare din trecut – contrast ce-si are farmecul lui…”

Mark Twain

Indici

Pentru ca mi-a placut matematica si inca imi place sa ma joc cu cuvintele stau si ma gandesc ce indici se pot calcula introducand urmatoarele date?

Doi parinti buni si partial sanatosi. Un frate si o cumnata de milioane. Doi nepoti blonzi care au solo una domanda :). Doi bunici ce m-au crescut si alti doi bunici ce mi-au fost mai departe si care toti, ma privesc acum din cer.

Sapte genti si zece perechi de pantofi. Patru perechi de ochelari. Peste o suta de carti in colectia personala dintre care una este scrisa de mine si la alta sunt coautor. Vreo sase sute si ceva de metri patrati de teren intra-extravilan. Un laptop. Opt cutii de bijuterii, partial pline. O canapea, primita cadou. Nici un televizor :)

Peste douazeci de diplome, ce-oi face cu ele…habar nu am :). Cateva titluri. Mii de idei si o afacere personala profitabila. Cativa clienti, colaboratori si parteneri de afaceri care ma apreciaza si pe care ii apreciez.

O inima rupta in cateva randuri dar care are energie pentru a visa si spera. Analize care nu-s la zi…ca nu mai sunt fonduri :)

Urcusuri si coborasuri, saisprezece tari, doua continente, vacante dese si lungi, munti, campii, mari, dealuri, orase, magazine, strazi si… birturi :)

Minute de tacere, ore de conversatii, zeci de mii de intrebari cu sau fara raspuns, zambete, melancolii, rasete si plansete in hohot. Momente penibile cu caru’ :)

Si peste 45 de prieteni, adunati cap la cap…mai apropiati sau mai indepartati, mai mult sau mai putin accidentali, oameni care imi fac viata mai frumoasa cateodata si carora le sunt partener temporar in drumul lor prin viata, oameni care ma bucura, ma incanta, ma provoaca, ma fac sa zbor sau sa revin cu picioarele pe pamant :), oameni care sunt sau au fost si care isi pun amprenta asupra traiectoriei mele.
Prieteni, care sunt cel mai mare lucru cu care Dumnezeu m-a binecuvantat.


EU