Liviu Vasilica - Pe ulita de mi-e drag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkJsc5iUomg

Music is...

All of my dear ones create the music I live by.

Eros Ramazzotti - Musica e

musica è
la danza regolare
di tutti i tuoi respiri su di me
la festa dei tuoi occhi
appena mi sorridi
tu e il suono delle labbra tue
tu sempre di più
quell’armonia raggiunta in due
ti ascolterò perché
sei musica per me, per me

io sento ancora le voci
della strada dove son nato
mia madre quante volte mi
avrà chiamato ma era più
forte il grido di libertà
e sotto il sole che fulmina
i cortili le corse polverose
dei bambini che di giocare
non la smettono più
io sento ancora cantare
in dialetto, le ninne nanne
di pioggia sul tetto
tutto questo per me
questo dolce arpreggiare
è musica da ricordare
è dentro di me...
fa parte di me...
cammina con me... è

musica è
l’amico che ti parla
quando ti senti solo
sai che una mano puoi trovarla
è... musica è
da conservare,
da salvare insieme a te

Moon

A few months ago my nephew used to call any lighted bulb as moon.

Christmas is almost here and whenever I hear carols, I remember the lights of the Christmas tree from my uncle's house. I do not know why, but the lights installation in his house seemed magical. I used to watch it in silence while I was perking up my ears, hoping to catch uncle G. slipping the present right in my hands. I loved spending Christmas day in uncle G.'s house. Maybe because of the happy face my father had when together with his brother, my uncle, started carolling. They usually sang old carols, honoring the memories they had together.

All around people are talking about Christmas spirit, about the goodness and joy, about giving, and most of all about cherishing. I cannot say for certain if I trully understand the Christmas spirit, but I surely have memories to keep it alive.

Moon!

No more playing hide and seek

Rough diamond ready to shine

Lisa found me one day in a secret hidding place. John had left me there. Tired. He did not say it, anyway not to my face, but I knew that he was having a hard time trying to commit.

Everybody knows that in order to shine, a diamond must be polished every now and then. It is not enough to make promises. On the contrary, I should say I am against any pompous vow. But most of all, I think it is better to stop if one feels that one is "giving" too much.

There is no secret ingredient, nor is there any perfect recipe to a successful relationship. I think that a relationship should constantly go through an examination. Almost as thorough as a medical checkup. Moreover, partners should be able to equal their efforts in a relationship. And each of them should watch over the other's goals and needs.

I am a diamond. Therefore, it is easier for me to see love/ relationships from a pragmatic point of view. I must shine, I must be polished. To this end, I want to keep company with light-lovers that are not afraid of a dusting cloth.

Today's issue: 30 roses

I was very sleepy this morning on my way to the office. But my sleep was chased away by a conversation between two men. Apparently, they could not decide upon the proper number of roses to give to a woman. One claimed that considering her coming of age, thirty is a good number. Then, of course, the issue of color was debated, and the meaning of each.
I did not have the chance to witness to the end of their conversation as they got off one stop before I did. But I very much enjoyed it. And they say men are not thoughtful...

Santa's friends

Emilio Pucci

Arad

Arad is a sonnet of 15 lines. It is a beautiful mingle of European and Romanian, of quiet and noise, of traditional and modern. Arad has its own charm, but if I may have to describe it I would say that it is a little bit of Oradea, Alba Iulia and Sibiu. I had the most wonderful stay at Pensiunea Christiana, which is not very close to the centre of the city, but is very clean and cozy, and the staff there is really nice and hospitable.

Response

Yesterday I saw a snail jumping out of a window. He was happy. Happy to finally try out the sensational bungee-jumping. I met him afterwards at a dinner table. He was sitting right next to Robin Hood. He told me that he had given it a lot of thought and decided upon joining a different kind of Army. I asked him if he really still believed in the power of good. Snail told me he was fed up with such a question, turned on his spirally coiled shell and flew off using his stalked eyes.

Since then I have been hearing about various attacks upon rich people. And about snails.

Friendship

A lightbulb got lost in an orchard. An orange orchard. He was hanging out with some schoolmates and on their way to the sea, they found an orange orchard. As they entered, slowly the dusk was falling. All the leaves and fruits glowed redly as touched by a ferocious fire. One of his friends stopped by the smallest orange tree and laughed at its tiny leaves and fruitless branches. Then he turned left and run off to spy on a lark.
Our friend, the lightbulb, got stocked in a cobweb and while he was struggling to find his way out of it, he heard the little orange tree crying. Moved by its sobbing, the lightbulb got closer and closer to the orange tree and tried to utter some calming words. But he could not, somehow. And as he sat there, near one of its branches, the orange tree reached out to the lightbulb and thanked him for the light.
And so they engaged in conversation

Victory

Leave no stone unturned



Veliko Tarnovo

Veliko Tarnovo is a small, beautiful town situated in the north of Bulgaria. It dazzles you with its scenery, especially the way the houses are built and arranged throughout the town. You have the impression of being somewhere on a hill in Greece and the only thing missing would be the sea.

The paved, narrow streets are adorned with small houses with flowered balconies and very, very narrow paths that lead to stairs which, on their own turn, lead to other paved and narrow streets.

I have never experienced a more acute feeling of serenity and bliss. This town is a homage to life... and cats. There are everywhere, looking for food, enjoying the sun, teasing the few dogs that were left behind after a supposedly battle between dogs and cats, and it seems like the latter won.

The ruins of the castle Tsarevets are a kind of passe-par-tout of the town, ennobling its true beauty. Up the hill there is a church. I take it that everybody who has seen it, has had the most breathtaking experience. Or so I would like to think.

This church is not like any other. The way it was painted and the idea of the great genius behind it are far the most impressive things I have ever encountered. There is a certain collage between the old and the new style of painting, a mix between the glorious and forgiving expressions with the macabre, painful and sullen expressions of the saints. All figures are long and rough at margins and they convey a never ending to their sufferings. And in the place of the altar there is a large and heavy rock hanging from the ceiling picturing Mary and Jesus. There are so many things presented in such a different way that it made me wonder how the clergy accepted it.

Afterword: Do visit!

Playing stupid

There are certain rules when choosing to play stupid. The most important of them all is not trying to look smart.

A painting comes to life

Moray (Scotland)

A scent of blue beneath the mosk,
I wandered awfully astray.
A touch against your weavy mask
And you appear.... Moray.

I dreamt about you ceaselessly
And waited for a spark to climb,
While they were talking bitterly
About the years to come.

There is no turning back to this.
I praise you: Shine!
And I will give you utter bliss
Upon the day you're mine.

Elie Saab - Spring 2012

Window shopping

May you stay forever young!

May you always do for others.

And let others do for you.

May you build a ladder to the stars.
And climb on every rung.

May you stay forever young.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lPgLumPK7k

Promise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzYpHXCumII

Vienna

When visiting Vienna, you might be amazed at the crowd of tourists pouring into/ out of cafes, museums and shops. Nevertheless, such crowd is not tiredsome.
I marvelled again at the hostpitality of the Viennese people. I love the way they carry on with their lives calm and serene. And the way they are willing to help you out, even without you asking for it. I had the most wonderful experience with a Viennese woman. I was lost and I was taking the map out of my backpack. She was parking her bike and seeing me, she told me something in German. As I looked at her, seemingly not understanding what she said, she switched to English and asked me if she can be of service. I told her the name of the street I was looking for. She directed me to it, wished me a nice day and left.
Besides views, either from Belvedere Palace or Danube Tower, Vienna has many other wonderful things to offer, such as: lounges where you can have great cups of coffee, restaurants with exceptional food, chocolateries, a great variety of museums and parks, markets and most comfortable and easy to use means of transportation.
Secession

View from the Danube Tower

Butterfly in its dedicated home


Schmetterling Haus (Butterfly house)

Schonbrunn Palace

The Statue of Maria Theresa



Belvedere Palace

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Belvedere Palace

Belvedere Palace

Shapes

I often enjoy drawing various shapes: square, circle, cube, diamond, triangle, rectangle, oval etc. All of these shapes mingle into one, whenever put on a piece of paper.
The most exquisite of them all, for me, is the rectangle. It is not as complex as a frustum of a cone, but it is challenging enough.
Have you ever tried drawing one in the middle of a blank page? If so, have you ever noticed how such a page grows brighter and even squarer?
And once in a while, such a rectangle may lure you. It may tease you into drawing more, and more. Until the blank page has turned into something unexpectedly lined, and round, and square, and shaped.