101 BrandManians: Boromir, Your Festive Soulmate

            

   Easter is over. However, the "festive" food might not be. I know mine is not! :P

  Therefore, the first BrandManian I will introduce you to is a major sweetness provider of your Christmas and Easter meals, coffee companion, and not only. Its name is Boromir, and in my not-so-humble opinion, the best cozonac manufacturer in the whole of Romania.

   Cozonac is one of the must-eats of Romanian desserts. It's a fluffy loaf cake, with a dough similar to the Italian panettone, but the shape of a bigger loaf of bread.  It takes ages to bake at home and also lots of technique, so most of us, especially in cities, buy it. Not all those you find in the supermarkets are good. But Boromir is the cozonac. 

                                  

   

Why? It has the right amount of softness, sweetness, buttery texture, and last but not least, creativity. The classic cozonac recipe contains mashed walnuts, raisins, and a little bit of cocoa. But apart from the classic stuff, these guys are experimenting with lots of filling combinations: cream, chocolate cream, chocolate chips, orange zest, Turkish delight, dried fruits and so much more. For all preferences. Whether you come here in the festive season or not, don't leave Romania until you try it!

101 BrandManians is about Romanian brands, in our 101st year as a country. It could have been 101 Brands, 101 Romanians, but it came out something in between. Brands worth knowing, of good quality, of a likeable personality, all made in Romania.

How I Became a Certified Translator: Tips, Tricks and ...Traps

        

     

     Those of you who know me, or who have been following my activity, know that I am not a languages graduate. Mind you, I did have this inkling since I was a kid, it is something I am passionate about, and also the fact that I've lived abroad for several years helped a lot. 

       Therefore, this newly-found translator occupation is something that started from the bottom-up. Friends and family members often turned to me to help them translate stuff into English or Italian, or from one of these languages to Romanian, although I had never really considered making a living or a career out of it. But eventually I thought: why not? Even if perhaps I wouldn't do it as a main, or only occupation, I decided to give it a go.

        And there I was. Last autumn I passed the certification exams organized by the Romanian Ministry of Culture, both for Italian and English, and today I went to withdraw the certificate. It was an interesting experience, and I wanted to share with you how it went, what I liked and what I disliked.

• You must sustain these official exams, unless you are a languages graduate, specialized in Translation and Interpretation (different from Foreign Languages and Literatures). Otherwise, you are not recognized as a translator.
• You can choose a working domain for your exam: legal, economic, technical, social and political sciences, medical, literature, art, etc.
• Now that we mention, if you want to translate for notaries, law firms or state institutions, you must sustain the legal module of the exam, and afterwards obtain also an authorization from the Ministry of Justice. I didn't go for that one, as it wasn't my priority. 
• The exam is not cheap, and I have to say that it is yet another display of useless greed by the Romanian state, but I digress. :P Think about 90 euros per exam (which is quite a lot for an average Romanian), including only one language combination (source language A > target language B) + one domain. If you want to translate from language B to language A, you have to pay for another exam. Not justified, if you ask me! 
• The exam itself (or exams, two of them, in my case), were the most enjoyable part, as far as I was concerned. It wasn't too difficult, nor too easy. You have to translate a short text in two hours, which is reasonable enough. 
• Be careful about how the text flows, and don't be afraid to play with words, especially if you pick literature or art.
• The text might contain one or two words that you don't know even in your native language what they mean. A good way to escape is to use an alternative that wouldn't change the sense of the phrase very much. ;)
• You will be allowed to have bilingual dictionnaries with you during the exam (but some of the aforementioned words cannot be found in the dictionnary either :P ). Make sure you buy some good dictionnaries, with new and updated terms, and even specialized terms, according to your exam domain, but also to the domains that you intend to work on in the future. 

 And this was it. I saw it more as a formality (although quite expensive), and a go-ahead to do this activity officially. However, my advice for anyone doing this job is to never stop learning, never stop developing your vocabulary, or even studying new languages. Especially more "exotic" ones, if you are brave enough, as these are better paid than mainstream European languages. Good luck to me and to all those of you who embarked on this path! :)

        

Digitally Blonde - Episode 1: Why Your Facebook Page Is Your Own PR Tool

                                      

   Recently I had a discussion with a friend about the tendency to evaluate people based on what they post on Facebook. And let's admit it: we're all doing it, to some extent. "Ah, but it's just Facebook! Facebook is not who you really are!", you will say. But it's not really like that, simply because it is YOU who chooses what to post. Yes, YOU and nobody else (unless you've been hacked, or your friends decided to write naughty stuff on your profile while you were out of the room). 

       Therefore, given the fact that the whole situation lies in your own hands, your profile does say things about you, unless you are a very idle user, who rarely ever posts anything. In this case, this post will not apply to you. But for the rest of us, myself included, here are some things that, as a former media professional, I believe we should take into consideration, no matter what our offline lives look like.

1. Avoid intimate details of your life. What happens behind closed doors should remain that way.

2. Keep the posts low in number, but interesting in content. There are people I know who post 10 to 20 items a day. Guuuuys, don't you have a job / school / house / family to concentrate on? Better to have just a couple of good or useful posts, and use the rest of your free time otherwise.

3. Speaking of content: is it informative, important for people to know, or at least simply entertaining? If none is the case, maybe it's not worth posting.

4. I always appreciated original content. Such as perhaps photos you took or videos you made, or your own thoughts and ideas about life in general, or one specific topic. Also, if you share someone else's works or ideas, what are your thoughts about it?

5. Keep the posts brief. Your followers may not have time and patience to read very long texts. If you have more to say about something, such as book or movie reviews, or detailed analyses of current affairs, why not start a blog?

6. Try to keep the posts varied. That is, avoid focusing only on one topic in particular, or one kind of post. It makes you look boring and predictable, which I know you're not! ;)

7. If you share posts you had from other sources, such as internet sites or other Facebook pages and profiles, be very careful of fake news and click-bait articles, with titles meant to create unjustified panic. Where did you get the news from? Is that source reliable or just some godknowswhat.com site that focuses on cheap sensation news? An old journalists' tip is to verify the news in at least 3 sources. And for the way the media looks like nowadays, I would add 3 serious or reliable sources. Or even more sources, for that matter.

8. Here we are, with another delicate topic. Charity deeds, such as blood donations, money donations for terminally ill patients or extreme cases of poverty, or even pet adoptions. I know, we all want to help. But I came accross various cases which were not actual anymore, or, even worse, were plain fake. Do you know that case personally? Or do you know someone who does? Or is there a way that you can obtain more details, and verify the information? Take it from there. 

9. If you are doing something good for society, such as participating in an organized charity event, or run a marathon for some noble cause, or volunteer for an environmental cleanup day, let us know. It's not an ego trip, but it's something that should inspire others to do the same. And God, do I admire these people! 

10. Avoid posting disturbing images, such as terminally ill or dead people, or tortured or dead animals. Yes, we know these horrible things happen, and we all want them stopped. But being simply verbally informed, without the visuals, is more than enough. 

11. Avoid offensive posts, especially for things that are nobody's fault: gender, disability, nationality, race, poverty, and so forth. These are things that you don't choose for yourself, and nobody needs to apologize for them. And if you make fun of them, you are just an a@/&*# (I am a lady and don't use insulting words :p). 

12. Don't be shy about your own achievements or happy events, or photos in which you look like a movie star (I said movie star, not Playboy bunny :p ), and also praise your close ones for their own good deeds. But beware: I'm not talking about flashing material possessions. Positivity and good news is something we all crave for in this mad world! 

13. I left this one for the end, as something of vital importance. Do not, and I really mean, do NOT film live videos while driving. And for your own good, also when crossing the road. Many accidents happened recently because of this, and most often the victim was someone innocent.

    When Facebook entered my life, I was already in my mid 20s. I might not have been some genius, but I had already learned to avoid embarrassing situations. But apparently, not many people have, and those are the online behaviours which I came accross most often, and which gave me food for thought. By all means, I am an active Facebook user, I have found out many things because of it, including activities and information that changed my life for the better. And now probably I shall end my day with some '80s song from my childhood, and I will post it to wish my friends good night.... :P

Gimme Something for the Brain!

                                       

      When I started this blog, just a little over five years ago, what I had in mind was to learn about cultures of the world, as well as my own, and share everything with my readers. Gradually, and according to what I noticed about the readers' preferences, I focused more on traveling rather than anything else, and on promoting Romanian culture, especially during the past year, to mark our 100th anniversary as a nation. 

       However, I felt the need for a change. Whilst remaining still focused on travel, I will also direct the attention toward other things as well, things that I believe would enrich our knowledge and help us get by in today's crazy and fast-paced world. 

       I don't know about yourselves or your environment, but recently I've been seeing lots of superficiality around me, and lots of stupidity (yes, I'm harsh, but you know me - I like to call a spade a 'spade') being glorified instead of being anihiliated. Maybe it's only in Romania? Maybe it's a generational thing? I'm thirsty for people who are educated, for people and organizations who endeavour to change society for the best, for things that are done right. I happen to come accross them, everytime I attend a cultural, business, academic, or non-governmental sector event, or when I watch a good TV programme. But these moments and activites should rather be the rule, not the exception. 

   Ok, we all have our 'frivolous' moments and concerns (I do too), but we cannot let them occupy the majority of our thoughts and actions. Therefore, my 2019 promise for my readers is that I will share whatever I believe that benefits people, myself as well as those who think like me. I will try not to focus only on Romania, but that depends also on my possibility and time to travel this year. Because we are more needy than ever for positive models, whatever it is that we do for a living. Let's start our quest with this purpose! ;)

       

Romanian Holiday Spirit: What You Should Expect if You Spend New Year's Eve in Romania

      

                              

       

         At this point, I'm sure that we are all wide awake after New Year's Eve. Some of us even started work, and some of us are coming to grips with the new year, eager to find out what it will bring. I had my first walk in town since last year (wow, how does that sound?!), and, after the image of a deserted city around lunchtime, early afternoon saw the streets of Bucharest packed mostly with foreign tourists. Therefore, if next year it will be your turn, this is what you should know if you are planning to spend New Year's Eve in Romania.

    One thing that I noticed lately, compared to my own childhood and adolescence, is that many people don't pay as much importance to New Year's Eve celebrations as they used to. Yep, even amongst people younger than me! In the past, it used to be THE top celebration of the year, the one that everyone looked forward to. I remember that in the '90s, or early '00s, we used to dress up like for a wedding, or almost.

        So, you have various options...

       1. Attend the concert in the city's main square - a dynamic option especially available for more important cities. Sing, dance, mingle, and watch the fireworks. Don't focus on being elegant, but do wrap up warm, as the weather is often unpredictable this time of year. Bring your own champagne!

    2.  Go to an organized party, at a restaurant, club or disco. Keep in mind that this is the most expensive option, expect to pay even more than 100 euros per person. But meals with several courses, drinks, and lots of music and dancing will be included. Also, beware of the dress code. Some places organize even themed parties, so if that's your thing, and if your budget allows, by all means go for it.

     3. Head for a mountain resort. This is especially applicable if you like snow and skiing. There is a caveat though: traffic will be an utter nightmare, and hotels and chalets will be extra-crowded. This is why I'd be skeptical to go for that option. I did it about twice in this life, and it was more than enough! 

     4. My personal favourite: have a party with friends or family gathering at home, yours or someone else's in your circle. Here, you can do whatever you want. Dress as casually or as smartly as you like, eat only as much as your stomach allows, play the music you like, dance, watch TV, play board games, and, most of all, spend quality time with the people who matter the most, although perhaps only a maximum of 10-20, according to how much space allows.

                             

      But no matter what you do, keep in mind the following:

      ... wear something new, at least something you purchased during the year that is about to end. This way, you will renew yourself also in the year to come.

  ... the New Year's Eve dinner will comprise a bit of everything: traditional dishes, fancy dishes, starters, fish, meat, drinks - alcoholic and non, and of course, desserts and fruit. And last but not least, champagne to toast at midnight.

      ... have mistletoe in the house, hung to the chandellier. It's not as much as a thing for couples to get lovey-dovey, but it is said that it brings prosperity in the new year.

      ... don't be weirded out if you see people dressed as bears or goats, or carrying a whip, and making a lot of noise on the streets. It's part of a popular ritual which some people saw fit to transmute from the country side to the cities as well! :)

                                

       

     ... a tradition for children, rarely ever kept these days, is the sorcova. Said children of the family used to touch everyone around with a branch full of coloured flowers (made of paper or fabric), reciting a poem wishing them to "live and flourish, like an apple tree, like a pear tree, like a branch of roses". And I kid you not! :)

         That said, perhaps I made you curious, yet again. Go for it once, at least to see if you like the way we celebrate. In the meantime, I shall wish you a happy and prosperous New Year, and in 2019, I shall prepare various new surprises for my readers. La multi ani, 2019!

      

      

Romania Is Inviting You to Her 100th Birthday Party. Please Study the Gift List!

           

                               
      Imagine you have a Grandma whom you love to bits, but sometimes she's getting on your nerves, so much that you want to leave home. Because she is doing things that completely lack in logic, and making your life hard, while finding your way around, even in the smallest everyday matters. Those of you who may have had a problematic grandparent surely understand the analogy. And now, guess what? Your precious Granny is turning 100 years old, as the 1st of December marks the Great Unity of 1918, the day when we became one big country. So, you decide to buy her some gifts she could use in order to make her life (and yours) easier. 

      These days are difficult though, and so have been the last two years. Bad governance, tensions, protests, and consequently people getting more and more nervous and unsatisfied about life in Romania. Sometimes we got the feeling that all the political tensions had the (good) side effect of uniting the people, but this feeling is rather short lived, or comes occasionally in hot spurs, and then we go cold-turkey on each other again.

                                    

      What do we want, in order to stop feeling so fed up with everything? What presents could good-old Romania use at the venerable age of 100 years old?

     1. Leaders who (at least) try ruling the country considering people's needs, not only their own advantages and bank accounts. 

     2. More schools and hospitals, and better conditions in the already existing ones, and less churches and cathedrals, because we already have enough of these. And that mammoth cathedral in the center of Bucharest...just don't ask!

     3. And if it really has to be churches, may the Church get more involved in helping those in need. I know that some priests do get involved, but some others just glitter...on the surface. 

      4. Decent salaries and pensions, for everyone to be able to support themselves. It's heartbreaking to see some people beg in the street, whilst some politicians have so much money that they could feed a small town each.

      5. Good roads and infrastructure. Highways. And most of all, people who drive carefully. 

       6. People who respect each other, who use common sense and common courtesy and can lift a hand to help others if necessary. People who are also givers, not just getters.

     7. Care for the environment, be it in the middle of nature or on the cities' streets, as it is already suffering. 

    8. Restructuring roads and buildings. We have jewels of architecture, which unfortunately give the impression that as soon as you touch them with a finger, they are going to crumble.

    9. People who are learners and doers, permanently evolving, without complacency and ignorance, and without expecting exclusively solutions from 'above'.

         10. People who end up in high positions because they deserve it. 'Nuff said!

          11. Obtaining basic administrative documents with ease, and without complicated bureaucratic practices. 'Nuff said part 2!

         12. Last but not least... love. People (with and without power) who love her, each other and life in this country!

          I wanted to make a list of 100 presents, but in the end I kept it simple and realistic. And in my opinion, what I wrote here is not exactly 'the sun, moon and stars', although for us this stuff sometimes feels just as unattainable as pink unicorns. For other countries, they are just normal. Why shouldn't it be like this for us too?

        As for me, I am realistic enough and I have lived abroad long enough to know that no place on this Earth is perfect. Nor do I fancy myself as some amateur political analyst who tries to interpret why some things are happening and predict what is going to happen in the future, engaging in some over-drammatic speculations, and seeing only the negative in all situations. I am just analyzing what is working and what's not, from the simple perspective of everyday life, independently from political orientation. I know that I don't like what is happening now, I know what changes I'd like to see, but I am also aware that it's highly up to ourselves as well. Oh, yeah, and that includes going to vote when elections are on! Don't say that the country is sh*tty, because you are part of it too, and besides, it's the people who create society, be it made of sh*t or creme brulee'! :P
     Nevertehelss, I am happy to be here and to be alive on this day. After all, it is 100 years old. The roundest number ever! And I bet 100% that I won't be around to see the 200th anniversary. So, why not enjoy it and be grateful?! Romania may not be world's most evoluted country, but let's keep in mind that we had it many times worse in the past.
     La multi ani, Romania mea!

      

The Romanian Traveler: Cluj-Napoca, Straight to the Heart of Transylvania (Part 2)

                                    

      
       That Cluj-Napoca has an atmosphere of its own, we cannot deny, as we have discovered in Part 1. I have shown you what are the main landmarks and significant places of the city, but I haven't told you what to visit yet, have I? Fortunately, Cluj offers both indoors and outdoors options, so all we need as tourists is the wisdom to organize ourselves efficiently, especially if the weather is not entirely on our side. However, an obstacle that I wasn't expecting at all, was something good for the city, but bad for myself in these three days spent in Cluj this autumn. The fact is that, at the moment, most museums in Cluj are either completely closed, or partially closed for restoration. As I was told by museum staff and local citizens, the Municipality went for a massive revival of the city's cultural heritage using European funds.
      Nevertheless, I tried to make the most of my short city break, and this is my own favourites list.

The Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania

    My top favourite, and also a must-see for those who are into folklore and artisan works. Entire collections of household objects used by generations past for their everyday activities in the coutry side: animal farming, dairy and oil processing, bakery, wood and leather crafting, and so much more. 

                           

   Plus, what will completely catch your attention if you like fabrics and colours, is the very rich collection of popular costumes from all parts of Transylvania. Also, in order to reflect the multiculturalism of the region, you can find artworks on wood, clay, ceramic and textiles clearly indicated as Romanian, Hungarian or German. Have fun comparing and contrasting the objects!

                                   

      
      Last but not least, I found this museum the most animated and noisy place, but in a good way. My visit coincided with several visits from school kids accompanied by their teachers. So, yes, I was glad to see that teachers still care for alternative activities and are eager to disseminate culture to the little ones! :)

The "Simion Barnutiu" Central Park

In autumn colours, this place is absolutely magnificent. Although as soon as you enter it and take a few steps, it looks neat but somehow boring with its parallel alleys and cutesy mini-bridges, you have to keep walking in order to see the best bit. 

   At the end of it, there is a small lake where you can go rafting in mini-boats, and where there was once a representation of Swan Lake on ice. Next to the lake, a small but very elegant building is the former casino, where entrance is free, and where various exhibitions and events are taking place.  

                          

The Botanic Garden

                            

In my modest opinion, the Cluj Botanic Garden is nicer than the one in Bucharest. First of all, because it's on a hill, it's cured better, "greener", smells of fresh air and sounds like running water, and I got a stronger overall feeling of closeness with nature. 
                      
                             
   Heck, you even get to meet the occasional squirrell and funny-looking bird! Mind you, I tried to chase a strange bird with blue feathers on its tail and belly, just to take a clear picture! :D 
                              
               
                            

The spots you should not miss are the Japanese garden, situated close to the entrance, the Roman garden on the hilltop, and the small museum, also close to the entrance, where you can find out more about various species of plants, and how they are cultivated and used.

                     

The Tailors' Bastion

                                   

A very pretty medieval fortress-castle, located in the city center, close to the Opera House. At the moment, it is a cultural open space and the entrance is free. My advice is to take the stairs up to the top, and from there the view over Cluj is amazing.

                 

 

Morevover, on the top floor you will find an exhibition of objects belonging to famous personalities, such as writers or politicians of times past.


The Banffy Palace 

                              

Also known as the Art Museum, this one is curretly being restructured, and rightfully so. Originally a very elegant palace, its condition at the moment leaves a lot to be desired, so I am personally very eager to see it back in all its splendour. Nonetheless, it can still be visited, and it is recommended for art lovers, as they would become familiar with the works of Romania's most famous painters: Nicolae Tonitza, Nicolae Grigorescu, Stefan Luchian, Theodor Pallady, and many more.

     As far as the cultural life is concerned, on one hand, Cluj left me wanting more and in a strong need for a sequel. There is so much that I wanted to see, but I could not, such as the Museum of Pharmacy (one of a kind in Romania) and the History Museum. 

                                
  
    Not to mention the fact that Cluj is home to international music festivals Untold and Electric Castle, as well as Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF). So, I will attend at least one of them in this lifetime - just stay tuned! On the other hand, despite my incomplete visit, I am glad for the city's residents, because I got the feeling that in this city things are being done, and the society evolves. Growth is sudden, but present. 
      A friend of mine kept telling me repeteadly that he would like to move to Cluj. At first, I didn't have much of an opinion, but now I understand. This city has grown a lot in the past few years and it is not over yet. All I can do is congratulate the authorities and the population, and look forward to my next visit!