It comes a time when ...

you shout out loud your happiness, when you love life like you never did it before, when you sing in the heavy rain, when you see only the good things around you ... almost in the seventh heaven :)
I confess, I'm not always like that, but it happens and it happens pretty often. It starts with a song, or with an anonymous smile, or with a hello, or some other word, or I "turn my head upside-down" and see things from a different light, or I feel my friends so close to my thoughts. It's like enjoying every piece of things that surrounds you: a leaf, a rock, a building, a view, the wind or the singing birds, or a warm bed, or just a color.
For the last months I have developed a bad habit of mine: I wake up in the morning smiling, looking forward for the new day ... and I cannot help myself doing that. I'm sorry :P
It's crossing the line to wonderland; enjoying moments of happiness; exploring the world that lies in front of your eyes; discovering your life; going higher and higher than you have ever been.


That's my "Happy New Year!" wish for you :)

Step on it (14)

Maastricht: with AIESEC trainees in the Netherlands. It was a Christmas celebration, but about it I’ll write later :).

I’ve taken a city tour … and it’s truly a very old city, from the Roman times. I’ve saw the defending walls (they remind me a little bit of Sibiu, just a little bit :)). Close to them I’ve seen the classical “zoo” park that I’ve saw almost everywhere in this country: the usual trees and grass and benches, but in the middle you can see dears, goats, all kind of birds, and sometimes donkeys or ponies. We’ve taken a long walk on the streets of the city and I’ve felt the scent of the city: it is much more similar to Belgium and a little bit different from Dutch; in fact I think it’s a mixture of the two cultures.

In the main square there was the Christmas market with all sorts of amusements for kids (I hardly stopped myself not to try them :) ), places to enjoy a hot tea or boiled wine and … the huge vertical spinning wheel, bigger than the one in Groningen … and I’ll say it again: I’m a foul for views from high above :).

P.S.: stay tunned for the pictures

Step on it (13)

Groningen: with AIESEC people. Friday, after work, I’ve cooked and eaten quickly my dinner and jump on the train (delayed bus, crowd and empty trains :) ).

In a few words about this week-end (I left at 18.30 on Friday and got back to my room at 23.23 on Sunday): green and white party, lunch and dinner with around 30 people, skating (for the first time, really good, only one funny fall on my ass :) ), darts, bowling (for the first time, nice playing), pre-party and party, city tours. I enjoyed meeting old friends, new friends from all over the world that I’ve made in the Netherlands, so many friendly and smiley AIESEC people. I’ve got the chance to get to know new lovely people ;).

I have heard so many things about Groningen and now I’ve got the change to taste it; it tasted really good: parks, old buildings, new places, the smell from the sugar factory.

Right now I’m speechless; I don’t have words to describe all the great places I’ve seen and all the great persons I’ve met (or met once again).

Later edit:
I tasted a little bit of the night life too. On Saturday night I went To the Grote Markt and saw all kind of people: hungry, drunk, fancy dressed girls, homeless, from teenagers to old ones, getting out and in from full clubs and bars, a lot of mess, police on bikes, vans, horses, not too many internationals ...
I danced and danced on great music: electronic, house, happy hardcore, AIESEC dances, rock mixes and a little bit of latino and hip-hop kind.
I've taken a ride in a huge spinning vertical wheel (for the first time :)): a great view of Groningen from up above.

Step on it (12)

Gouda: with Anne; feeling the Christmas spirit. Gouda by Candellight

After work I grabbed a shoarma and my backpack and went for the train. I’ve meet with Anne in the train; she jump up in Utrecht (nice way to establish a meeting point :) ) and soon we were in Gouda.

We’ve listened to the mayor and the crowd singing carols. A band of Santa’s were singing instrumental versions of the carols, choirs were singing all around the center, the city hall was enlightened by candles, in the cathedral (a superb building) also Christmas songs … before leaving we’ve stopped near the Christmas tree: a band of around 15-20 young and old people were playing at drums, trumpets and all sort of instruments. I didn’t have to close my eyes to live the Christmas dream.

There were 4 full hours of Christmas for me; I felt it so deep and so warm (even thought it was a rainy and windy weather). A great present from someone up in the sky.

Step on it (11)

Wageningen: by bike on a cold clean Sunday sunset. I was getting bored in my room; a day before I’ve been to Rotterdam and today I missed the change to go further … so … I love my bike :) . I take it out for a short walk on the Rhine valley at noon.

And I couldn’t help myself in the afternoon: I went to the center of the city to do some stuff and I end up taking a tour outside Wageningen. I discovered a little pound next to my ex‑hostel and a bike route on this region. The sun was going down and the sky was coloring in pink, red, violet and to the darkness of the night. Me feet were frizzing; the wind was biting from my cheeks. I was on my bike and I was happy.

Do you remember when I’ve told you that I felt like the blond boy from “Bob Sinclar – Love generation”? Well, … I did it again :)

step on it (10)

Rotterdam: Happy and sunny Saturday morning: wake up let’s go traveling. I was ready faster than ever and had the greatest mood to walk; it was a gorgeous December sunny day. Today I also felt how it is to wait for a Latin person … I don’t want to experience that again; even though Latin persons are much more closer to my feelings I prefer to struggle to get in time with the non-Latin précis time from Nord Europe :)And I’ve been in Rotterdam: a long and very “gezellig” street from the train station to the harbor. To be sincere we were just walking ahead (we: means me, an AIESEC-er from Brazil, a guy and a girl from Spain). While we were still in the train station area I’ve seen my beloved rainbow over Rotterdam … speechless; I hope I will get somehow the pictures to share it with you. And we’ve walked near the canal straight ahead … and we’ve met with Anne and a German friend of her (also a very friendly traveler :) ).

What I’ve saw there: a platform full of flags (don’t remember exactly the meaning), the old harbor (with superb old boats), the oldest sky-scraper in Europe (I think just 15 floors high), the houses in a cube shape, a small and spectacular chess museum (every theme you can imagine for a chess table was there) … and back on the streets of the shopping center and main market to the train station.

Ohhh … Before we proceed to the old harbor we saw a double rainbow embracing the city and a fairy tale sunset.

Going to work

As every person that works on a daily schedule, I wake up in the morning and go to work. As an authentic Dutch employee, I take my bike from the garage and “let’s go”. Nothing special so far.

Let me show you the road I take every single morning: on the middle is the street (I go on the left or right side of the street on the bike roads); on the right some trees, a canal with ducks (one morning I’ve almost went with my bikes in some of them; I was so sleepy) and a very green park; on the left lots of trees and bushes (you don’t see the residential area that is near) … and beside some little car noise I hear the birds singing, no matter if its night or day, sunny or rainy, hot or frizzing (crazy birds, but they know how to cheer you up :) ) .

Then I turn left: one small street with a car once in a while, lots of trees with birds, no canal this time.

I really like going to work :). Unfortunately I have to move in a couple of days and I’ll take another route … don’t take my morning dream away from me :(

Christmas wish

It is again an early morning for me (one hour early morning) … and the clouds are running through the sky and it’s warm outside. From time to time I ask myself: what do you want for Christmas? Want to go back home? Why don’t you want to go home? … and you are asking me the same things.

Everywhere you look and anything you see it’s Sinterklaas; almost the same commercial madness as the Santa Claus that I know from Romania. Now I’m used to it and I just ignore it. But I cannot help myself to have a wish for Christmas: I dream of snow, of a warm place, of a hug, of friendly faces … I wish for the Christmas feeling.

My room is warm, a hug I can give to anyone and anyone can hug me (almost :) ), a smile is everyone these times, I’ve already smelled the snow air … I’m not wishing for this things that I already have.

I think you know what I am speaking about … there are some particular people for each one of us ... they give and receive, smile and are sad, cry and laugh, run and sleep, dance and fly. I’m not thinking about a specific person, a specific name, I’m just dreaming the dream of a child.

Time to wake up!

step on it (9)

Utrecht: with my traveler friend. I tried to get there in time to catch Sinterklaas coming … but it looks like I’ve been a bad boy this year and Sinterklaas went way before seeing me.

In the afternoon we were lucky and I could borrow a bike (thank you :) ). We went to a small park with some kind of zoo in the middle; this kind of parks are really popular in the Netherlands; I have one also in 2 minutes from my place, with doers, ponies, wild chicken or goats. It was funny to met the keeper of the place; we went inside with the bikes even if we weren’t biking there (and it’s not allowed at all); so the keeper came to after a while and begun looking to me from my feet to my head, up and down (come on, say something, I know you can speak :) ). Suddenly he begun speaking Dutch (even if I’ve asked him to switch to English); neither Anne didn’t succeed to make him speak in an understandable language for us; luckily she understood a little bit of Dutch: we weren’t allowed to get our bikes inside the park and it was closing time (around 17.00). So we had no other choice but to go and see the Rhine passing Utrecht :).

In the night we have delighted our mouth with a tasty Mexican meal together with other trainees and AIESEC members from Utrecht. As a bonus we had lots of laughs ( she really knows how to have fun, our good Mexican cocker :) ) and we’ve experienced also a typical Dutch “party” in a bar (lots…not lots, but lots of lots of people were inside… no room to turn around … some old Dutch music … some old Dutch people … not my taste at all).

Sunday was the time again to see Utrecht. We’ve went by foot to some spots that I’ve already visited (but really liked them), to some new spots … and I haven’t seen yet all of Utrecht.

step on it (8)

The Rhine near Wageningen: by myself; with the same AIESEC traveler. Yeap, the Rhine that I’ve only heard or seen in TV is 10 minutes away from my room :).

First, I’ve been there with my bike, in a sunny and windy Saturday a while ago. I went straight to the ferry crossing point and I was really close to take a bath; luckily my pinky bike had good brakes. It remembered me a little bit of my loved Bistrita river (I won’t compare them). Unfortunately there was no way to go on the riverside further, so it was quite short my first date with the Rhine.

After some weeks, I went again. This time I was with my new traveling friend and we have taken another path to walk really close to the Rhine. Some cows welcomed us there (they really have a dump face :) ) and the rain and the wind took care of us all the way.

It’s been a while since I have walked through the forest or near a river, without asphalt or cement on my feet.

La multi ani Romania!

For those of you that don’t know, today , the 1^st of December, is the national day of Romania … and I’m really celebrating it. I’m proud to be a Romanian and I can enjoy it.

Why do I feel proud? Just because I have chosen to see all that good things and values that you can find there, in that peoples, in that places. Because there I grew up, there I have knock at the door and I have found a friend, and another one, and another one, there I met her and walked and talked with her for hours, there is my family, there are the places that I love, there it is a huge part of my life. I feel connected with all this stuff because I have found something inside of me that is really linked with them … or it just happened to be Romania instead of Vanuatu ;)

And I celebrate this day … not really today (I’ve begun working 1 hour earlier … really dark outside) … but the previous 2 days. I have given a presentation about Romania (“Salut .RO”) for AIESEC in Wageningen and people that wanted to join AIESEC or it just happened to be there, and also the same presentation I have given inside my working place … and I want to do it again. I really felt the smile rising on my face while I was preparing photos (so many memories were coming back) and while I was listening to Romanian music during the presentation … I don’t know why but they gave me a good feeling.

La multi ani, Romania!