A short "chat" in 2021...

 Hello, good people! Let's have a chat! Well, sort of. I ramble and you read. Alright, now, all jokes aside, I really need - again - to do a little update and kind of a new "intro" to my blog after this long absence. I have symbolically chosen this month, March, for doing this, because all good things rise and grow in spring. Also, I have deliberately not posted anything during the odious year 2020. The reasons, I think, are easy to guess.

I want to keep this blog post as short as possible (and I know what "short" means to me when I'm writing), so I will "attack" only a few ideas.

My last blog post here dates back to December 2019. Little did I know at that time that over the next 12 months I will have to move and change my place three times, change my environment, my jobs and adapt to a lot of new things. All these apart of the THING that has descended upon us since March 2020. 

At some point in my life, during the first two or three months of last year, I was SO busy with all the abrupt changes happening in my life, that I have barely touched my laptop. So, no, I couldn't even reply to the comments, much less to post again. 

Then it came what we all know. And with this occasion, I have learned - in a hard way - how important it is not only to keep your cool in times of crisis but also to be surrounded by people who do the same. Because if you're not, then your life may be turned upside down. Being able to think clearly and be rational when anything bad happens is of most importance. Acting and reacting in a hasty manner not only messes up your and other people's lives, but it can also leave those around you with bitterness in their hearts because you give them the impression of being irresponsible and, in some situations, even cruel. I was left with such a bitter taste, so I know. 

Obviously, I am not talking here about global politics and how the general public has reacted to all this planetary mess. No, I am talking about the way THIS has affected our daily lives and our relationships with those around us. 

Also, last year in March I've lost one dear soul. Just one year earlier, in 2019, I've lost another one. I am not gonna insist on this now.

Fast forward to 2021. We are floating on the same sea - the sea of the unknown. I have recently started a training. Or, at least, I think I did... Because due to the lockdown everything is moving sloooooowwwllllyyy. Too slowly for my needs. 

And I can't wait to start real courses, you know, the "old fashioned" type of courses where you don't have to stay between the same walls, on the same chair, staring at the same screen. Not an online course, but a normal one. Because online courses, as good as they are, they all have this flaw - they require you to do the same thing. And, at some point, they all look and feel the same. Add to that the network problems and other technical issues, and you have a good reason to leave everything and go out to run to calm your nerves.

Anyway, I intend to take some information from that training and use it here - indirectly - as an inspiration for my blog. 

So, for now, that should be all. Regards!

Returning to you, my silent eyes...



In this blog post, I'm gonna do what every blogging “guru” tells you that you should NEVER do when writing in your own blog: I'll talk about myself. Well, mostly. But there's a reason why I have to do so and I'll explain it a bit later. But firstly, let me tell you a story... A real story.

I would suggest you to grab a cup of something. Quite long text ahead.

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We all come to this world with all kinds of gifts that later on in life, as we grow-up they tend to fade out somehow. In my childhood, one of my gifts was to sing. In fact, this used to happen to me in a very natural and spontaneous way.

Because of that, my kindergarten teacher (God rest her soul as she has passed away two years ago) has asked me to sing on stage. Later, my primary school teacher did the same. All my "musical performances" were part of our artistic activities at kindergarten and school. We had several such artistic events every year and it was entertaining.

Then, the '89 Romanian Revolution happened and for some unexplained reasons, they kind of stopped. One of a sudden there was no money and no interest in organizing such shows. They were considered to be... Communist.

I never understood how celebrating the seasons, wearing a bee-like costume or dancing and reciting poems about the nature of the motherland can be considered Communist. Maybe the poets themselves were Communists. Or maybe suddenly patriotism was the new enemy (as we were now embarking towards the globalist Capitalism).

Or maybe the Romanian Revolution, just like the French one, was enthusiastically “guillotining” everything, good or bad alike. Or maybe all of the above is true... But anyway, I digress.

I remember those days even today. In most cases, I and my colleagues were usually wearing costumes. Some of us were singing, others reciting poems, others playing instruments or dancing. Two of the best pupils were the presenters and “hosts” for the show. And others were just staying there and having good fun.

I wasn't nervous about singing on stage. Not at all. Singing was in my nature, and being there, on the stage was for me nothing but another interesting and fun experience. Much more fun than the usual classes.

Then, one day, it happened. I was on the stage for a final rehearsal. I was singing my favourite song: “Motherland, my mother told me, is like the swallow bird...” and then I saw the eyes. The attentive eyes of the audience - the few parents that were sitting on the chairs assisting us.

At that moment for the first time in my life, I became self-aware. For the first time in my life, the stage became a frightening place to be, where singing was torture. And for the first time in my life I had to do great efforts not to lose my voice right in the middle of the song.

Up until that moment, it was all fun. Because it was about me doing what I was doing usually: singing. And, hey, if the song is listened to by other people than, say your neighbor or your classmate then it's more fun, right?

Well, when I have realized that those eyes could actually see any of my possible mistakes I simply got scared. From that moment on, I made all that's possible to turn down any invitation to sing for other people. I preferred to stop singing at all (or to sing only when being alone) than to risk making fool of myself. That high was the level of my fear!

As you can see, it was an irrational fear. Because I already had this musical talent quite well developed and I also had some experience. But these facts simply DID NOT MATTERED to me.

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Now, how is this story connected to our subject? Well, when I have checked the statistics of my blog I saw the eyes, YOUR eyes. The eyes of the silent readers of this blog. Despite my long lack of activity on this blog, you kept visiting this corner of the web. And this honors me and also scares me. So much so, that I shied away from writing for almost 4 years.

But not anymore! I guess that my internal drive to write has become stronger than the shiness. And I feel I have interesting things to share from now on.

During the four years that have passed since my last blog post here, a lot of things have happened. I've changed jobs, devices, operating systems, intellectual tastes and even, - partially, at least, - world views.

It's only natural that all these changes have to and will be present on this blog in the future. I'll share with you the things I've learned or those I'm still learning. Things that have marked my last 4 years of online absence.

Well, actually, overall, my absence lasted a lot longer than that, as I grew kind of reclusive for some reasons, and I didn't socialized much. The reasons are too many, but one of them is work. Especially during the spring of this year 2019, I was, at a certain moment, literally so busy that I couldn't afford to chat more than, let's say 5 minutes, much less engage in long conversations.

At that time, in spring, I had 3 (yeah, three) jobs at the same time and my schedule was so, so tight and clearly planned that I could barely breathe.

I feel guilty for all those people who turned to me for help during that time. I couldn't keep up with my promises and/or their expectations of me. I apologize to them with this occasion. And I apologize not only for that particular time in spring but I also for all the previous moments when I couldn't respond and help.

I also want to thank you all for having the patience to bearing with me until the end of this blog post.

And, as a very short note, I'll just count here several word that can describe my last 4 years of absence: Dell laptops, Ubuntu, narcissism, beauty and health...

Well, now that I have finished this text, I have to admit one thing: every time when I was tempted to just restart my blogging activity here without giving any kind of explanatory intro lines, I felt instantly kind of guilty. Because I think you deserve some explanations, excuses and also, my gratitude. You, my eyes...

Thanks instead of a resolution

Anti-resolution

This being my first blog post here, in the anno Domini 2015, at first, I wonted this to be some kind of resolution. And I am not talking about the TV or PC screen. No, this fancy name is given to those ambitious and long "To Do" lists that people use to write on special occasions.

But then, I've learned that over a half of the people who make resolutions fail to make them come true. The reasons are numerous and diverse and they are not the subject of this post.

Anyway, I look back at the resolutions I have made last year. Do I need to mention that I graciously fall into the category of those over 50%? Well, yes, but instead of lamenting over this, I choose to see the full half of the glass.

I really don't feel that I can move on with this blog without talking a bit about some of the things that I have accomplished and learned during the last year. I also must mention the people who have been helping me to obtain all these. Yes, I wasn't alone on my way of self-development. None of us is alone.

I am aware of the fact that most of the modern self-help books are very vocal about how the individual can reach his targets just by using his own will. But this unrealistic and overly promoted image can create the false perception that we don't need each other, we don't owe each other anything, and thus, that we don't have to give anything back. Well, that is incorrect. We are social beings, we live in collectivity. That means that we give and receive help. And this help can be of different kinds: moral, material, spiritual, emotional... you name it. Each one of us has its own list of people who have contributed to his own self-improvement. And I have my own.

During the last year - 2014 - several people have helped me one way or the other and I feel the need to mention them here because they are very much connected to some of my accomplishments. Such lists tend to be unfair because there is always someone left unmentioned, so I'll have to apologise for that.

Last year, during the springtime, I had the honour to be invited to be part of two interesting educational projects. Both of them are making baby steps - they are small projects developed in the spare time - so they should not be judged too harshly.

First one of them is Humsang.com, where I've wrote a short feedback that cand be found on the "People Say" (Feedback) section.

I've been giving a hand to this project mostly by testing the website and providing feedback to the owner. By feedback I mean, everything from design and graphics to website usability.

Well, in fact, this is not the first time when I give my feedback and thoughts to an admin, but this time was different, because I know the admin, he is my old friend, and he came to me to ask for my feedback on his projects.

I must say that I was both flattered by his trust in my opinion and responsibilised. And it was one very fun and interesting experience. I was testing the site and giving my opinions via chat, while the admin was working "in real time" on the other part of the globe, on another continent. That was something overwhelming and intense. Something that made me feel the world as a large and, in the same time, a very small place! Like I was feeling the planet spinning. It's hard to explain this, but this is the miracle of technology.

The second project is called StuEase.

As part of my contribution on this website, - apart of giving feedback - I've prepared two tests in the Philosophy field, more exactly, European Philosophy. So, if you are passionate about this field and wont to try your knowledge level in it, I invite you to play the tests I've created! One thing though: finding them can be a bit tricky, so, follow my directions bellow.

In order to reach my Philosophy tests, you have to go to section "Test Yourself" on StuEase website and follow the path:

Post Graduation > Philosophy > European Philosophy

Note: To solve this test or any of the other listed tests, you will have to create an account on the website. 

Now is time to disclosure the identity of the person who's behind all these projects. His name is Pradeep, (Hi and namaste!), he is from India and he has studied Medicine and coding. So, if you got any software problem, he will dissect its codes. LOL I just had to say that! 

Another friend I wont to mention here is one who likes to sign under the nickname Camy. (Salutare, tovarășa!) I wont to thank her once again trough this post for the gift she gave me. I wont to assure her that the device - an Android smartphone - is well-appreciated and I will make good use of it in my future articles. It will be my tool and source of inspiration. ;-)

Camy is my friend from Romania and she is a quite sporty and outgoing kind of person. Exactly the one you would like to hangout with in a sunny summer weekend.

Last year I've decided to deepen my knowledge in English language. I feel the need to do that, because, despite the fact that I read articles written in this language on a daily basis, I still can't get read of a lifelong feeling of uncertainty when I have to write or speak in English. Maybe I'll never do. Gosh! What am I saying?! Even now there are rare occasions when, I feel unsure of my own mother tongue (which, by the way, is in some aspects, a lot harder than English).

Also, last year I became interested in Italian, a language that wasn't initially on my list. Turned out to be a good choice. Again, reasons are not the subject of this post.

Anyway, the important thing is, that I am not alone on this road. I have been helped by a good friend of mine who's highly skilled in teaching languages... and he likes to "collect" them ;-)

His name is Fellipe (Salve magister!), he is from Brasil, and he is a teacher of languages and he has been helping me to improve my English and also, offered to teach me Italian online (with all the difficulties that comes along with on-distance teaching and the time differences). I really have to thank him for that!

Also we had several long and interesting chats over the subject of Latin language, Latinity and Neo-Latin languages. These discussions have awaken in me some old and almost dormant questions, interests and hobbies related to the linguistical field of study. And again I have to thank him for triggering that. To put it in a few words, I am really glad that I have a skilled friend that I can count on every time I am confused in this language matter.

And last, but not at all least, I have to mention Mr. Nicolas, (Je vous remercie!) the one I owe all things I've succeed in the past two years. He is my mysterious and quiet reader of my texts and has helped and encouraged me in many ways to carry on with my writing.

I should link to one of his online profiles, but there is none that I know of. He likes to stay in the shadows (which I kinda like it, I think it's pretty cool in an old fashioned way, considering the openness required by the unwritten standards of the online presence.)

Anyway, I keep in my mind this image of him doing his researches in the most remote places of the planet...

That would be, in a sort of chronological order, my short list of some of the people I owe my gratitude to.

My future plans? Well, mostly, to continue what I've started and to embrace whatever new opportunity may appear...

In memoriam...

I dedicate this post to the memory of my grandmother who has recently passed away after a long sufferance. Today marks the day of an important religious ritual dedicated to her memory and with this occasion, my pious lack of activity on this blog has come to an end...

I ask to all my (surprisingly numerous) readers to forgive my silence from the past few months, but now, as you can see, my reasons were very serious and the emotional pressure was very high upon me. God bless you all!