I’m OK!

Wonderful sunny morning! This means it’s time to bike to work. I take my small red bike and head to Amstelveen. People are slow on a Tuesday morning… I’ll go faster, I’ll get in front of them. I pass by other bikers. I’m passing by another biker----BOOOOM!! ---- A car explosively hits me and I fall. One – two freaking seconds and I’m on the ground, hitting it shockingly hard! Ouch!

It’s not true what they say – that you see your entire life in 2 seconds. Not true at all. I had 2 thoughts, only 2 thoughts came across my mind at that moment: 1) F/&@*$g bastard! I can’t believe he just hit me!! And 2)

My head! So while I was falling, I brought my arms to my head so to protect it. I fell on one side, so I seriously injured my elbow and my hip. The sudden impact of the hit made the wheel of my bike turn to 90 degree and it immediately fell touching the bike of the woman whom I was passing by. From behind there was a guy on a scooter speeding up, so he hit the break just before running over me. They all stopped, even the idiot in the car.

Such nice people in Amsterdam, why do I need to meet them in these kind of situations? They all stopped, gathered around me, asked me if I was fine.. I was a bit shocked, I don’t even know what you’re supposed to do in situations like this.. I exchanges phone numbers with the witness and the murderer took me to my doctor.

I discovered he has the same type of stupid humor I have.. on the way he was afraid of bikes, he was letting every one bike in front of his car.. So we were saying at the same time something like, oh you don’t have any more place in the car?! And we laughed. Then he asked me if I was ok – NO I’M NOT OK!! It freaking hurts, you idiot! But I’m not going to cry!

The doc says nothing’s broken. Oh yeah! Bike’s also ok, only the bell is total damage.. I get a brand new Ozzy bell on the wrong (right) side. After one more day I re-start biking carefully.. veeerryyy carefully! For one week I drink daily, ‘cause I realize life’s so short and we can die every moment. Or we can chose to live every moment!

I chose life!

I'M OK!!

March in Amsterdam

Seems there’s a company theme to go out to the same bar. Last company van Puffelen was the favorite, for this one is Green Light. I’m curious where other people from other companies go.. In the Green light you can smoke the water pipe, that’s about the only advantage I can see. The good thing’s I can ze Polish with her getting in love stories and new life in Muenchen city. She’s so efficient in getting a new life for herself. I wish I were the same when I got here.. every one has her own rhythm. Mine is on the slow mood.

I was late again with cooking the big dinner and moving on to the Gotan Project concert. My Sailorboy was sailing somewhere in Germany. I was in charge of drinks as well. This is mostly unfitting

for a lady. So we arrive late at the venue, but well enough to see the sangre getting caliente! I love this band. I get high on the images and hot music. I can feel the passion all around me. I feel like I want to dance with 10,000 people, I want to change my voice for the singers and fall in love with Buenos Aires. We have some drinks to cool off after the party.

I’m biking with 2 huge bags, feels a bit dangerous, I can barely catch my breath. What a girl needs to do to look nice on a picture. I got a photoshoot arranged by Sailorboy. All I need to do is look pretty. It takes two huge bags for me to comply. I’m packing clothes, make up and cream, nail polish and smiles. 3 fashion and backstage ladies guide me through the scene. I’m not allowed to smile, I feel artificial, it’s not really me if I’m not smiling.. But here are some pics.

As if I didn’t have enough bruises on my body from the MMA, I go to a more dangerous sport. Pole dancing it is, repeat after another workshop I had, getting better. Better watch a real sport instead. I got tickets to Ajax – Spartak Moscou. It’s the first time I go on the Ajax stadium. It looks great! Much better than Ghencea, Steaua’s place, my team.

The Ajax fans are not as warm as the one of Steaua. They don’t keep on screaming, cheering, feels like the football players work in accounting. Yeah, whatever, just doing our job. Seems for the fans it’s more important to sing everything’s gonna be alright during the break. But anyhow, the fan tells me they’re only like this when they’re playing home, otherwise they’d cheer more. I sure hope so! Good match, too bad Ajax lost.. I had good tickets, so I could watch them closely. I just love football!!

Back to some girlie stuff, I meet Latina’s next to Café Nol. We’re chatting about languages, future and past, education and men. The latter is a theme with predilection on our table.

Hot weather in Amsterdam.. well, what can be considered to be hot weather. We need to take advantage! First barbeque this year will take place in March! Visit Carmen and her man for some really nice food and catch up on our lives.

It takes about a week for our team to decide where we go for dinner on Thursday. After making the reservation, some other option appears. Change reservation now. It’s confusing. It’s confusing when your GPS doesn’t work, the car is vibrating African music and you’re getting advice on the way from me.. so we lose our way straight to the highway. After 30 km back and forth, we finally reach destination. The one guy in the car (with 3 confused women) is seeking compassion from the other guy. We like surprises. Buenos Aires resto in Amstelveen is the place to be if you want loads of meat pilled up in front of you. Vegetarians, avoid this place! Almost felt like home; we had some good laughs and I got picked on.. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The highlight of the month was of course Familiedag. Or the family day. Sailorboy’s family was getting together. Spouses were welcome. OMG, I’m going to meet the extended family, with uncles, aunts, cousins and everything.. should I run and hide?! Oh no, I’ve been trained for this my entire life, I am such a family girl. So we start by waiting 15 minutes for Sailorboy’s sister (with bf). I’m happy. This is the first time a Dutch person has been late to a date/meeting. I’ve never seen this in my life, so they are humans after all. We find our way to Kamerick, that’s where it all happens. It’s a wonderful location, so typically Dutch: green fields, spots of water, sheep and goats, cows in sheds, 100% natural. The weather’s gorgeous. My name is too exotic for most of his family, they get it whom I’m with. We have some cake and chat with the family. Then we get sporty. We’re playing boerengolf. What’s that, aha?! It’s a sort of golf, but played with wooden stick with a klomp on top and with a bigger ball. It’s not that easy at it seems. We had lots of fun and chats in the meanwhile. All ended with a barbeque and sjoelen. Oh yeah? What is sjoelen? It’s a board game where you try to get some wooden pieces to the end of the table. It’s like a barman would send you the beer over the bar. You get more points if you get the pieces more to the center between some wooden plates. Sailorboy’s sister wins.

Kuru

Din capitolul - Stiati ca.. - Kuru este o boala a rasului?!

De unde si expresia a rade cu kuru de cineva lol

Sleep Deprivation and Stories of My Bullshit Youth in February

Am I a real woman if I like Top gear? And if I also like a good football match? And if I don’t like shopping? And if I don’t like long discussions about the color of your hair? So besides some of those beautiful roaring Top Gear shows, I’ve seen again some of my fav films: Sin City, Cleopatra, Being John Malkovich and this reminds me of Leonard Cohen that Everybody knows that the dice are loaded

Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed in Fear and Loath in Las Vegas.

My morning starts in Amsterdam aka ground zero. Get my papers going, I’m rollin’ to my tax adviser, I know my visit brings good coffee and bad news. My old aunt Maria would have seen the signs in the coffee cup after I’d drink it. So need to move on, next stop The Hague, to get my passport renewed. The officials are always so sour, feels like they drink squeezed lemon instead of coffee in the morning. They look so sad and colorless. I’ve got to see a happy person. My uncle should be the perfect fit, the funniest and merriest person ever. We’re meeting at the Plein, figure out we could better get ouzo and Olympus beer at the Greek resto. Love that food! and the people are always so friendly, home feel. Ouzo’s not my friend. Time always has different dimensions when I’m with my uncle. And ouzo’s not my friend. I get tired on the train, I talk all the way from The Hague to Amsterdam yelling in Spanish to my Latina friend that I miss her, to my uncle about some other deals and the Schiphol tunnel. Every one else in the train looks at me like I’m a loud cheeky foreigner. What’s up you people?! Get a life!

Ouch, I said ouzo's not my friend.. life’s so hard when you need to wake up in the morning and get to work especially on a Wednesday morning. The Bollywood dancers are my good friends, so we’re back to a decent dinner at our place, to talk about life and fairies. I’m the Cooking Queen for the night, nothing goes wrong.

It’s so great to have friends over, too bad they need to have a life and run away. Some I'd keep in my closet. Take them out and have some fun when I like. I suppose a little girl misses her toys. Lydie and me are the matchers of new love and old love stories, shade perfume in the afternoon air. We spoil our diets with rich salads and creamy strawberries. Then Sailorboy takes me to a birthday party, more delightful food, only to my eyes. Conversation keeps me going when I’m the only foreigner standing.

Was February the month of romantic Valentine’s day? I just felt another day coming and going. But Proef made sense to my taste in design and decoration. I just love to arrange food in the most appetinzing way. This resto just changed my perception on it, lekker! Btw, it was also a way to celebrate 2 and smth years together.. It feels very safe and accommodating.

That’s why I need some adventure on the karting day. Managed to get in front of all girls by pulling some dirty tricks, should get better at driving and being a good sports [mental note]. Got one girl’s bra pop out off function, that’s what I can do to women, yes. I can only delay men, if they’re not dangerous enough.. some men just need to be let in front.. I fail!

Need to get stronger ! Will go to MMA = Mixed Martial Arts. It feels damn good, very intensive, free and masculine, I feel like I'm in love! The next day I'm in pain. I swear I discovered new muscles in my body.. I’m happy I’m getting the move on, but not extremely happy I need to have my entire body injured.. or in pain. Though a very good training, I should do it more often. With GIRLS!!

Next day I’m off to Utrecht with Sailorboy to entertain children and parents. Chidlren are easily entertained of games of football and park, wind and other games. Parents will be entertained with talks, less difficult. We will be tasting some good food and sharing some more mango juice with the Mindi minty fans. You’ll all get it one day ;)

I hate my dentist and that’s all I want to state about him. He’s a gorgeous man I hate from the bottom of my heart. If you see my dentist and you’re a straight woman, you’ll instantly fell in love. Me, I just hate him!! He just makes me feel uncomfortable and weak, which I’m not.

I cannot get to my senses again; I just go the company party. It's a bowling night. Time flies by with all the chit-chats and the beers, but we play some more in the end. It just seems like we’re having more party then we get.. people get crazy, mime blowjobs, learn to swear in different languages, dance on the table, talk dirty and then we walk away. I do everything I can to avoid bus 199. That's the touring bus, it stops at every damn corner in Amstelveen! absolutely freaking ridiculous, whoever put on such an inefficient line! I bet it was one driver who said one day - I want to make a patience test for our customers, how much can they take on line 199 until they get totally out of their minds? I had that once. I said - enough! The next day at work every one else is just themselves, the way they were.. except for some girls who wear the same outfit as yesterday.. they’re just beginners! You should always wear different clothes after a company’s party!

My beautician has priority! Then I can go to every party in the world! So then the Polish real-woman-no-bullshit-diva is leaving the company. She’s getting the most international crowd on the day she leaves. We’re all so sorry she's leaving and drowning it in playing pool. We girls suck, but suddenly boys play to the wrong hole, oh oh so wrong! Girls win! Still not sure if it was because the men lost patience and wanted to play with other men or they just missed it.. Then we go to have tapas and chat the night away… I have to run to meet the Bollywood diva at Melkweg. We’re having an Electronation @ Klinch night and all the people go crazy! And they do! And you dance and they go crazy on you or your girlfriend, but they do! Everyone's sweaty dancing, drinks fall on us, on others, we dance some more, there's an assault on the bar, we're attacking on vodca in different combinations all night long. I bike home and reach destination at 5, that was definitely a good night!

Next day I just want to take it easy, no MMA for me please.. I'm late anyways.. I just meet one of my girldfireinds at Herensgracht and enjoy a nice meal and chat. Then I see another Greek movie and don’t feel it’s good enough but just enough for a Sunday night..

Last Year's Interview

This most sophisticated chic friend of mine has decided to have a blog on custures or multicultures, she just sent me an email on it:

" I would like very much to involve you in a project I am working on with the University of Lugano and University of Geneva called "Culture-Multicultures". The final aim of this project (supervised by Professors and the Dean of the Communication Department) is to publish a blog, and further on a book with interviews, essays and visuals on this theme."

This is what I got back to her:

1. What do you think are the best and worst features of your own culture?

The best features of the Romanian culture are adaptability, spirituality and the fact that you can laugh about yourself; warm and generous people.

The worst features are the laissez-faire, go-with-the-flow, wanting to be something you’re not, not doing things because the one next you also doesn’t do it, never recycle.

But these are all stereotypes and I don’t believe in them anyhow.

2. Which were the biggest communication challenges experienced in another culture?

Personally I didn’t experience any big challenge. I think Romanians are either speaking the language of a country or using common sense to find their way around.

I would say I did face a small communication challenge: having to be too polite with friends. In other cultures being some one’s friend means treating them with great respect and consideration and constantly asking about their opinions, feelings etc. – especially for Dutch, I think. For Romanians, friends are more like my-other-me and you can grab them, hug them, impose on them, argue with them and reason with them. They will do the same with you.

3. Which were the cultural stereotypes you had to face in another culture that you disagreed with? (based on your experience)

- “Go-Dutch”, Dutch are all open-minded, “a nation of rosy-cheeked farmers who live in windmills, wear clogs, have a garden full of tulips and sit on piles of yellow cheese”

- Germans wear Lederhosen, drink beer and eat sausage

- Americans are fat

- Arabian men wear beards, are womanizers and have subservient and repressed women who wear burka

- French are chaotic, do not like to work – prefer to strike, don’t speak English, they are rude to tourists and snobs

- Swiss sit in the mountains, ‘yodel’ and milk their cows, except people in Zurich who are bankers hoarding gold and helping out corrupt politicians and gangsters, they are obsessed with cleanliness and punctuality

- Italians are passionate, pizza/pasta freaks, smooth talking, fashion-addicted Casanovas, they are mafia or gang members.

And the list can go on.. there may be some truth in stereotyping to start with, but the world keeps on evolving. I don’t believe in stereotypes. I don’t believe in any stereotype at all. People are so different and so complex that you just cannot categorize and label a nation as such.

4. Which barriers of inter-cultural communication did you need to break and how did you do it?

Time has a strange volatility from one culture to the other. When Dutch or Swiss say 12:30, you need to be there at 12:30. When Romanians say 12:30, you’re expected there after 12:30, maybe by 12:45. The Latinos tend to come later than expected. One of my best friends is from Congo; she’d come around 13:30 – 14:00. So what I’ve learned to do is “translate” my needs into my friends’ perception of time. If I want all my friends to be there at 12:30, I say to the Dutch person 12:30. I say to the Romanian and Italian 12:15 and to the Congolese 11:30 and so on.

5. What did you learn from other people cultural configuration and integrated in your own?

I’ve learned to see on daily basis so many different people and to enjoy diversity. Amsterdam is the city with the most diversity in the world, gathering more nations than New York in a small place. Being tolerant, genuinely interested in the other and appreciating other people’s cultures is what I’m enjoying to integrate in my own world.