my someone

Hello, my someone!

Are you there?...do you know?...can you feel me?...maybe not...i see you every day, but I don't think you see me....I always want to talk to you, but I can't....fear is gripping my throat and all I could feel is the faint scent of despair...

Where are you?...I haven't seen you in a long time....are you ill? are you hiding?

Finally, I saw you today...your eyes were sad...I wanted to ask you what's wrong, but again, I couldn't find the words....please forgive.

I know I shouldn't, and it's breaking my heart, but since you don't know me, maybe it's for the best if I end it...there is no hope for me, so...this is good-bye. I need to rest, I'm tired....

It's morning...with trembling steps I head towards you...i pass the door, turn, look in the mirror, look into your eyes that smile this time, and with a clear voice I say....Hello my someone!

love story

The ocean breeze stirred the light curtain of the bedroom. It was morning, the first rays of sun sliding into the room, shining on their faces. They looked content, finally finding each other, locked in a tight embrace as if afraid of losing themselves in the depths of their love.

The breeze got more daring, entered the room and caressed her hair, making her open her eyes. They were blue, the color of the carribean sea, full of wonder, innocence and love. Slowly she got out of bed, making her way to the glass door overlooking the ocean, dressed only in his shirt. She felt him in the fabric, sensed his warmth and without realizing, she smiled. Stepping outside, the warm ocean air surrounded her, the breeze dancing in her hair, her gaze meeting the ocean, calm, its waves hitting the shore silently, breaking into tiny droplets, each with its own music. Everything takes time. Just like their love, and their road to find one another.

It all started a few years back. They met by chance, not even face to face. He liked her after seeing her picture and wanted to know her. They talked for a long time, defying the limitations of space and time, feeling as they've known each other forever, the bond growing stronger with the passing of each day. Love had no boundaries. Soon he came to see her, which brought a short time of happiness. When he left, he took a piece of her heart with him, but promised to see each other again, soon. She wanted to go with him, but it seemed impossible. Time went by, they missed each other terribly, words not being able to describe the longing and the heartache. 

Still, good things come to those who wait. She finally managed to be by his side, and upon meeting, a silent conversation took place, each discovering the other through touches and smiles.

She woke from her reverie when two strong arms embraced her from behind, making her melt into the embrace. At that moment she realized her heart finally found that place called home. Turning around, she looked at the face she loved, her blue eyes meeting his sparkling ones.

"Good morning!" he whispered and kissed her, making her heart dance with joy and float at the same time. While they kissed, she smiled again, and sensing this, a curious look spread on his face. "What is it?"..."It's just, for the first time...I feel wicked!"....Finally she lived for herself and for the man she loved. 


They shared another kiss, celebrating their union of souls and hearts!

I want

We all have hopes and desires. Here are some of the things I want :

• to learn yoga
  
• to write a book
• to see a musical
• to see as much of this world as possible
• to swim with the dolphins
• to see a volcano erupt - as close as safety allows
  
• to buy a TWLOHA T-shirt
• to make love under a full moon
• to learn the full tai chi routine
• to taste gumbo
• to behave like a kid in Disneyland
• to attend a PostSecret event
• to learn a foreign language, and perfect those I already know
• to do the splits
• to be part of a threesome
• to ride in a convertible 
• to mud-wrestle
  

The list is unfinished and I'm sure more things will be added!

Vienna

This traveling experience began with spending New Year's at my friends' place in Hungary, as well as being reunited with some great friends from the US : Karen and Joelle. That NY was a memorable one, especially when we went to the hot baths at night with our friends and their friends, entered the steaming water while our towels were freezing - literally.

Then came another adventure : me and the girls (Karen, Joelle and Viki) went to see the old town and the river (Tisza that is). The bank of the river was frozen, so after gliding a couple of times on the ice, Joelle comes up with the bright idea "if you guys give me 10$ i'll run into the water". Of course, not being one to pass an opportunity to be a retard, I say "me too"... in the end, all of us got into the FREEZING COLD river, dressed only in our underwear - i was the only one to go neck deep. Getting back to the house was an experience to say the least, and after washing our feet (the climb up to the car had to be done on the muddy bank side) and taking a well deserved HOT shower, took a nap - we were entitled, wouldn't you say?

After the NY party, our friends' parents came home and brought the amazing idea of seeing Vienna. So far, my european experience consisted of seeing Budapest. Thus, the next day we hopped on the highway and off we were to see the home of the wiener schnitzel and Mozart chocolate. Finding a parking spot is harder than spotting a star on the sky in broad daylight, but the task was managed. 

I found out that our visit had a purpose - we were going to a museum *happy dance*. At said museum (don't remember the name) we say the exposition of Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, a well known french painter who depicted "la vie boheme" of Paris at the end of the 19th century. His work is mostly made up of drawings (at least that is what we saw) and though it doesn't compare to the classics, it definitely holds its own charm. I later came to find him as a character in the movie Moulin Rouge!, alongside Satine (Nicole Kidman), Christian (Ewan McGreggor) and Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent). After the museum visit the time came for some sightseeing - during our walk Viki tried to teach Joelle how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are called in Hungarian.

We got to St.Stephen's Cathedral, located in Stephansplatz (Stephen's square - original, no?). We got inside, marveled at the imposing structure, climbed all the way to the top, bought some souvenirs - a beautiful snow globe that met its tragic end by the hands of my little cousin. After this, we wandered around the square, and i got in contact with a window. How you ask? Simple. I was checking out a crystal collection displayed in one of the windows and I got closer..and closer...and closer...BOING - the sound of my forehead against the glass. Genius, no? In my defence, I would have to say the window was so damn clean you couldn't even see it.

In the afternoon we said our goodbyes to the parents and done some bar-hopping (or rather pub hopping), tasting different (delicious) wines, listening to music, writing funny messages on coasters, so basically enjoying ourselves. Our last stop was at McDonalds, where i got a battery running deer named, you guessed it, Rudolph. He is really cute and he sings- the kid in me was happy.During this little trip I became acquainted with Dan Brown (not personally of course). Karen, being the avid reader she is, told me about this fascinating book called The DaVinci code. By coincidence, she had the book with her, and after telling me the general aspects of the book, I bought it from her. Since then, I've been hooked on Dan Brown's books, although I have to admit I liked Angels and demons better.

On our way back, we sang and danced (believe me - although Karen's knees will never be the same after this trip) in the car and recounted different events of the summer (2003 - waterpark life). The night was spent in Budapest and the next day I got on the bus, waving my friends goodbye with a heavy heart, promising to see each other soon. It turned out to be sooner, as my papers were being processed to be part of the lifeguarding team once again in 2004.

So, in the next episode....summer (that never was) of 2004!

music

I'm sure all of us realize music has amazing power...it has the power to make you happy, sad, help you remember things lost on the pathways of your mind, helps you relax or make you dance. 

Music is communication. There were times when I had the feeling this song was speaking directly to me, or about me.  Of course, songs don't necessarily need to have lyrics to provide a desired effect. One song that comes to mind, DJ Tiesto - Adagio for strings, made me realize how music can express exactly what you feel. Some songs get you with the lyrics, others with the beat, and some (those rare ones) come with the whole package. For me, these are : Within Temptation - Angels, Blue Stone - Worlds apart.

Some songs are perfect to shake that booty. They give you the foundation for movement freedom, when all that matters is you and the beat : Pussycat Dolls - When I grow up,  The Fat Boys - The twist, Pink - So what, etc.

As so many things on this earth, music has encountered evolution. Each decade provided its stars, each generation grooved to their idols : you had the 60s with The Beatles, Bee Gees, Sonny and Cher - just to name a few. The 70s gave us ABBA, Boney M, Chicago, Neil Diamond, Elton John. 

My personal favorite decades - the 80s and 90s, whose music enriched my life brought : Kim Wilde, Sandra, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Roxette, Depeche Mode, Alice Cooper, A-Ha, Within Temptation, Mylene Farmer, Kylie Minogue and many many more (not to mention the explosion of boy/girl bands).

Most of my life I was a huge fan of pop music, then rock sneaked up on me (to my delight), however lately I'm focusing on more "abnormal" music so to speak : trance, new age, electronic.Therefore I enjoy the music of Enya (with whom I share the same birthday, 20 years apart), Amethystium, Sleepthief, Blue Stone, DJ Tiesto, Enigma.

Blue Stone holds a special place in my heart. I came in contact with their music about 2 years ago when a dear friend of mine, Vlad, sent me a song from their album "Worlds apart" called "Worlds apart (Searching for you)" - go figure. The vocals were provided by Sheyenne Rivers and the song is simply breathtaking - I call it my soul healing song. Whenever I'm sad, or feel lonely, I listen to it and it helps me cope. Their new album just came out in July and of course, being the fan that I am, bought it - the sound is different, but nonetheless amazing - personal favorite "Moving forward".

I could talk on and on about the artists/bands I admire, or the endless list of songs I listen to, and it's constantly changing, but it would take me FOREVER to do that.

So bottom line, for me, a world without music is a world I don't want to live in. To me, music is as important as breathing. Music does make the world go round!

tai chi

Yesterday I attended my first tai chi class. I've been interested in this type of activity for a couple of years now, but so far my experience was limited to reading books and occasionally watching some type of videos. Knowing there are many styles of tai chi out there, I knew I had to come in close contact with it in order to get a feel of what it's all about. So imagine my joy when a friend calls to tell me they are having a tai chi class in my city. After getting hold of the time and place, got my gear and was off. 

Of course we were the only beginners, but the instructor took the time to explain the basics - relaxation methods, breathing exercises, stretching and basic steps. At first I felt kind of silly, doing this, but quickly overcame the awkwardness. 

Now, if you watch someone performing tai chi you can say "so what's the big deal about it? it's just a bunch of movements done in slo' mo". Believe me, it is anything but easy. In order to achieve that level where the movements seem to flow one into another, you need practice practice practice....and practice we did. It didn't occur to me that I would be sweating, since tai chi movements are slow and don't seem to take a lot of effort. Wrong. When the class ended, I was in need of a shower. But I was happy and calm. It is said that during tai chi routines, the center of the brain that deals with everyday chaos is inactivated.

Though it was just the first class, I know I'm hooked. There are 2 classes/week, and tomorrow we are doing the routine outside *happy dance*. Can't wait!

Right now my only concern is whether the instructor will be able to help me train to do the splits, thus fulfilling a lifetime dream of mine! Hope he can.

the haunted house

The sun was setting, and as soon as it  disappeared, the wolves from a nearby forest started howling. The house was on top of a cliff, overlooking the restless ocean, saddened by time and the wind. At the rusted gate stood a lonely man, despair and exhaustion etched on his face. He didn't know whether to enter the house or not, but felt he had no choice. The gate opened with a sinister creak, allowing entrance. With unsure steps, he approached the house.  The ocean breeze grew stronger, bringing a chill from the shore. Pulling his coat closer to his body and slightly shivering, not sure if it had to do with the cold or the strange feeling in his stomach, the man climbed the few stairs leading to the porch. Even though it was pointless, he knocked. There was no answer, so he tried to open the door. It gave way and he entered.

It was quiet inside, the darkness thick. He made out the skeleton of a staircase and decided to head in that direction. While climbing the aged stairs, he thought he heard some children laughing. Stopping, the noises disappeared. "I must be imagining things", and continued his ascend. The first floor was made of a large hallway, with several doors on each side. Trying the doors, they were all locked. "I just need a place to stay for the night" said to no one in particular. While walking down the hall, he found a painting on a wall. It looked ancient, depicting a family portrait : the father was a tall man, stern looking, with dark eyes that held no kindness, firm nose and thin lips; he was wearing a dark suit and was sitting down. Behind him stood his wife. She was pretty, with her hair tied behind her back, blue eyes that seemed restless, a delicate nose and full lips. She was wearing a light colored dress and lace gloves. The children stood next to the parents : a little boy, blond hair and blue eyes, and his sister, dark hair and blue eyes, both wearing sailor suits. The expressions on their faces gave the visitor an unnatural feeling. 

He seemed to notice a chill in the house and once again heard the children laughing. Turning, he found no one. Reaching an open door, he discovered the library. There were many shelves, reaching the ceiling, holding thousands of books. The furniture was covered with white sheets and the curtains swayed slightly, as if a light breeze was moving them. 

After searching other rooms he found a bedroom. There was a giant bed in the middle, and one of the walls was made of glass, overlooking the ocean. He laid down, soon drifting off to sleep and started dreaming. He was in the library, reading a book, when he heard steps. Feeling a chill running down his spine he looked up from his book. In front of him stood the children from the portrait, though he could see through them. So far he never believed in ghosts, but faced with reality he found his thoughts freezing inside his mind. 

"Play with us" said the little girl, reaching out for him. "I don't want to". "Then you will never leave", said the little boy, with a strange light in his eyes. He woke suddenly, sweating and gasping for breath. "It was a bad dream", he tried to comfort himself, but he couldn't relax. The sun has not risen yet and the whole place just made him feel....like he was being watched. Just as he was going back to sleep he heard the laughter again. Opening his eyes, the children from his dream stood by the bed. "Play with us". He panicked. The sight of the ghosts gave him enough strength to move, although his mind seemed to have shut down. He ran from the room, down the hallway and the stairs, out the door, just as it was closing. He did not stop until he reached the open gate, and looking back he found the house slowly disappearing as the sun began to rise. There was just him, on top of the bare cliff, listening to the waves crashing on the shore. Hoping all of this was just a bad dream, he left, towards the forest, towards the city, towards civilization.

The house would appear once again at night, waiting. The children are still there, waiting for someone to play with them. And when they do, they would never leave, becoming one of them.

cartoons - the way I've seen them

Back in the day when I was young, cartoons fell in the category of endangered species. They usually showed them on Saturday, and I even lied to my teacher that I had to go visit grandma and rushed home to watch those animated characters. I loved watching TV back then (this changed in time) and for me there was no greater punishment than to be denied this joy.

I can't honestly pinpoint which were my first cartoons, but the earliest memories are those of Tom & Jerry, the ageless dinamic duo. I still watch them, whenever they're on. These type of cartoons have the quality to attract all categories of age, gender, religion and so on, and you never tire of them.

After 1990, when we got cable, I got hooked on cartoon series such as : Blackstar (a human astronaut arriving on an alien planet and fighting the evil (what else) Overlord), Voltron (the giant robot made of 5 robotic lions), The pirates of Dark Water (prince Ren & Co. looking for the 13 treasures of rule), Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, X-Men - shows that had a science fiction background. I watched them all.

And there was the other category of "girly" cartoons, which were a huge hit : Sandybell - we were all cheering for her and keep our fingers crossed to find her mom - she did (yey!!!); Lydia (searching around the world the flower with 7 colors, while escaping Sabrina and Boris); Candy (an orphan who grows up to be a nurse); the Twins of Destiny (Jules and Julie - not really twins, even siblings, who unleashed supernatural powers when joining hands, head to China to free their imprisoned fathers by the Empress).

Italian television (Italia 1, Rete 4, Canale 5) opened a whole new world for me, starting with the mega-succesfull Sailor Moon series (5 young girls endowed with superpowers fight different incarnations of Chaos), Terry & Maggie (twin sisters who could teleport themselves by joining pinkies),The dream ribbon (little girl Himi receives a magic ribbon which allows her to turn into anyone she desires).

German station RTL2 cut into my morning sleep by broadcasting series like : Little princess Sara (daughter of an english nobleman, she goes to boarding school...when her father disappears, she is considered poor and is mistreated in school), Robin Hood (the younger version, aided by his friends he takes from the rich and gives to the poor), Little women (the story of 4 sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy during and after the Civil War).

Cartoon Network brought Looney Tunes (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Foghorn and Leghorn), Droopy, Super Adventures (Shazzan, Space Ghost, Birdman and the Galaxy trio), Dexter's laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Johnny Quest, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Captain Caveman and many more.

And no entry about cartoons would be complete without talking about the cartoon "factory" : Disney. These masterpieces enchanted children and adults for several generations with their message of joy, music and love. Who can forget "The little mermaid" (Ariel, wanting to become a human even more after falling in love with prince Eric), "Beauty and the Beast" (Belle, who learns to see beyond the physical shell and into the heart of the Beast), "Sleeping Beauty" (Rose/Aurora, who can't escape a curse placed upon her after birth), "Snow White" (victim of a jealous wicked stepmother), "Cinderella" (the famous glass slipper owner), "Aladdin" (the poor boy who becomes a hero with the aid of his Gennie) and the list could go on.

Classic cartoons took a step forward, to become more "modern", without losing their touch : Shrek (everyone's favorite ogre, who finds happiness with a princess), Ice Age series (animal kingdom's most unlikely trio : Manny, Diego and Sid - sharing adventures during the Ice Age, the meltdown and the age of dinosaurs, joined by Scrat who has an obsessive relationship with acorns), Barnyard (farm animals taking life on a farm to the next level), Cars and so on.

Cartoons bring joy to anyone and I truly hope they will keep on going for as long as we live!

being yourself

The hardest lesson in life is to learn about who you are. And not from the point of view of others, but from yours. Some people tend to be too self-critics (as am I), others tend to be too indulging with themselves. Throughout your life you meet people who change you (if you let them), you find books and encounter events that change your perspective.

 I tried to discover my likes and dislikes, and sometimes fell in dispair when I couldn't find my own personal taste. It took me a great deal of time to find my areas of interests, and I know for sure I will discover more of them. Not having time is simply an excuse - you can find time for everything you want, but learning how to do that is very difficult.

 The internet helped me a great deal. Not only it provides tons of information, it allows you to connect with people, whom although are strangers, share your views and interests. Recently I came upon a blog written by one Michael Moniz (you can check his website ), who is a life coach. Reading his entries I found interesting ideas on how to simplify and live my life. I admit I was a bit reluctant at first, but putting those ideas in practice gave me a sense of freedom. 

 Through this blog website I managed to connect with people who share my interests : reading ( Heather, Fox and quil ), traveling ( Lavinia ), magic ( Lunar Wisdom ), tv shows (Criminal Minds) - just to name a few. 

It's amazing how much energy we spend living to impress others or to reach other people's standards. Even though we claim it bothers us and leaves us with a sense of emptiness, some of us become comfortable with this uncomfortable feeling and refuse to leave the "safe zone" instead of taking a chance.

Yes, standing up for yourself is hard....yes, getting accepted for exactly who you are is rare....yes, sometimes life can be a living Hell as people look at you as a freak or to put it mildly - different....yes, people are judgemental even though they won't admit it...but one thing is for sure...your life is YOURS...live it as you like it, of course within legal boundaries!

coffee

Today I did something I've never done before. I made coffee...for me. I never drink coffee in the morning, at least not at home. After getting up (the clock kept nagging me to wake up), showered and had breakfast. Then a thought hit me "let's see how other people start their mornings". From there it was just one step to the coffee machine, and within minutes I had a fresh brew of "wake-up" juice. However, being slightly late I realised I might not get to enjoy that cup. Got dressed, and just as I was about to put on my socks, a colleague of mine calls me, telling me he was swinging by to pick me up (talk about starting the day in a good mood). This gave me extra 15 minutes to do whatever. And that's when I became one of "them". Sat down in front of my computer, checked my emails and other information AND drank my coffee. Could this be the beginning of a new tradition? I doubt it, but it was nice to feel "normal" for once.

Now you have to understand I'm not caffeine addicted. I'm not addicted to anything (or maybe I don't realise it yet) : not to smoking, drinking, coffee. I'm a social drinker (alcohol or coffee). To me it's more important to be surrounded by people and if alcohol (within limits) or coffee is present, so be it. One exception would be Starbucks. My body doesn't need caffeine to stay awake, but just the thought of enjoying a vanilla latte makes me giddy all over. 

So this morning, the world around me ceased to exist and enjoyed my espresso, with sugar. How do you take yours?

USA - summer of 2003...and travel

That summer I got the chance to see a little bit of America. But let me share the details.

Dearest Karen attended college in Chicago (good old Trinity) and Joelle in Mississippi. So a bunch of guys decided they want to go down to Mississippi and see Joelle. Seeing an opportunity, I asked them if I can join, they agreeing - the more, the merrier. The plan was to go to Chicago, pick up Karen, then drive down 13 hours to good ol' Mizzippi. Everything went according to plan, and there we were, enjoying the warmth of the South and not understanding a word those fine people were saying.  We saw the campus (and I mean a real campus), the cotton fields (I even picked a "flower"), ate the spiciest food in my entire life (my lips and tongue were numb and this after a couple of bites). I was kind of freaking out when the guys decided to stay for one more day (I had to go back to work), but then they had me - the destination was New Orleans.

Being an avid Anne Rice fan (see Vampire Chronicles) and caving to Joelle's persuasion, we arrived in Jazzland. It was another great adventure - we walked on Bourboun Street, drank cocktails, listened to Jazz, ate at a gay restaurant (the waiter would not give Karen a knife, but I'm sure he would have cut one of the guy's hamburger in a heart beat), we fooled around in the shops (tried on different wigs, hats, sunglasses), generally having a great time.

Sadly though, this adventure ended, and the next day found us in Wisconsin again. I was sad to leave,but on the other hand I was glad I was coming home.

Take one flight Chicago - Amsterdam, Amsterdam - Bucharest and I was safe in my parents' arms. Of course I brought presents and experiences back with me (not to mention some body modification ;) ) and for the first two weeks I was strongly against the americans (they are ignorant, stupid and whatever came to mind).

Mom however, being the wise woman, left me to my business for about a month (two weeks if you count the not-talking-to-me-because-of-the-tattoo), then asked me to tell her about the summer. Needless to say, as I started talking, I missed my friends, remembered all the good times we had, forgetting the bad experiences (especially the harassment of one of my colleagues at the hotel, who was also from Romania, gay to boot and kept touching me and making propositions, even when I told him I was not interested)

And after all these stories, the following week I started the papers for another summer in the US, at Family Land.

Getting home was the real culture shock. I realized how much we are missing, both material and people wise. In the States people are not rude, they help you if they can, you just have to be a little open towards them. I don't think they're ignorant (not anymore at least) - they simply focus on a thing at a time (not like us, running around, multitasking and then getting exhausted). They are calmer, more organized and simplify things - that's what I love about them. It took me about 3 weeks to get over the jet-lag and more to overcome my depression of getting home and seeing how things work around here.

USA - summer of 2003...work...

In the Dells!!!

 After 5 grueling hours of riding a bus, I am deposited in Wisconsin Dells. At the station, a lovely lady asks me and the other 2 guys who get off the bus if we came for Family Land. It seems I am the only person, so after collecting my luggage, Karen (the lovely lady who soon turned out to be one of my bestest friends) drives me to my accomodation. While she is driving, I tell her all about my little adventure. When she manages to squeeze a word in (I talk, A LOT, some friends and even Mom told me I talk a lot), she asks whether I have ever been in an english speaking country. Saying I haven't, she praises my Englsih skills (on the inside I was doing a happy dance, but being the modest person that I am, I just blushed and thanked her). Later I would find out, she was surprised an international (non-american folks) was such a chatter-box, when normally they would manage one-word answer to questions "are you tired?", "how was your flight?"...Well, she was in for a surprise with me...the conversation went something like this "so how was your experience so far?....Well, let me tell you..." and I went on and on, and on....

We got to JetStar - our housing and finally relaxed. I was supposed to report to work the next day, get my gear, orientation and such. I was living in a room with a guy, Radek, from Czech Republic, who was quite nice and that night I met some other people : Joelle (who turned out to be another great friend during that summer), the Hungarians (a compact group, constantly having fun - great people) and other more. The next day, after orientation and getting my gear I was prepared to embrace the job....being a lifeguard - it even sounded important. We knew we had to be certified, but being in the medical business, it was no biggy for me. At orientation I met another guy from Romania, so we decided to room together (birds of a feather..you know). One night, before the certification exam, we decided (my roomie and me that is) to go to WalMart to buy bikes (it was a cool 45 minutes walk from the housing to the park). We buy the bikes and some other items, and get on our merry way. Of course, the tourist sense kicks in, and we get lost (retarded, I know), and to make matters more interesting, my roomies bike breaks. Not even 1 hour after purchase. So there we were, on a dark country road, one broken bike and thoughts of horror movies floating in our heads. Luckily a car stops and the guy takes us back to WalMart. We have to walk back to our housing (a 2 hour walk, no problem) and crash for the night, the adventure being too much for us.

Several days later, being a lifeguard already and learning the hard way what it means to work in the "people bizz" (surveying them, giving first aid if needed, helping them on slides), Ovi and me decide it's time to take another job, to earn some more money. We land jobs in the housekeeping section of the park (basically it's a resort - one HUGE hotel, with a water park attached to it), but I quit after 3 days due to health issues (I am allergic to the chlorine in the cleaners). However, luck seems to be on my side again, as I get a job at the reservations department of said hotel (taking reservations of hotel rooms on the phone), then working at the front desk. It was a great job, it paid well but at some point I was feeling dead tired.

Now, a lot of good things happened to me during that summer - had my first crush (which kind of hit me off field since I haven't been with anyone till then), met some truly amazing people I can have the pleasure of naming friends (Dawn, Vlad, Karen, Joelle), attended cool activities (Family Land Olympics, the boat trip) and I think the most important thing - I got a tattoo (now, Mom would totally disagree with me that it's a cool thing, especially after not talking to me for 2 weeks when I showed it to her) and a really cool one at that (yes I know it's permanent, and no, I don't get tired of it, in fact, next summer I'm getting another one - there), going on movie marathons with Nana, another great friend (actually it was more like pay 1 movie and sneak into 2 others).

USA - summer of 2003...Chicago adventure

In the last episode, our hero (me that is) has landed in Chicago, USA. Of course not knowing what the procedures were, I just followed the crowd to customs. Naturally before departing I checked buses and trains for Wisconsin Dells (my home for 3 months). Last bus was heading out at 3.15 pm. So there I was, in customs at 1 pm and the line was moving SNAIL SLOW. By the time I had clearance, it was 2.30. I drew a short breath, said a little prayer and trusted the Lord Almighty to help me out.

As I exited international terminal 5, I spot a mini-van that is gathering passengers for downtown Chicago. I take this as a sign, get in, buckle up and happily stare out the window (at the same time being amazed by the sky-scrapers seen only on TV up until that point). Now, the other passengers were people living in hotels in Chicago, so the minivan's route was in downtown to take them to their place of residence. There were REALLY too many hotels for my taste. By the time I got out of the van, and reached the Greyhound bus station it was 3.30 pm (missed the bus by 15 minutes). Being the happy camper that I am, I placed a few carefully chosen words in the astral plane, rethought my position, grabbed the backpack and headed towards a general destination. After calling my employer to tell her of my situation (and being told to spend a night in Chicago as if it was something I did on a daily basis), I started looking for a place to sleep (the train station was out of the question for me). Then I remembered that I had an international student card that came with a booklet, helping out the needy (I was truly one of them at this point) to find suitable hostels.

In the process I saw a couple of sights in the Windy City - Buckingham fountain for instance, happily recognized due to me watching Married with children back home. Of course being a true tourist, I got lost - not seeing anyone on the streets (this was a Sunday afternoon after all) I lacked the source of information. Luck though seemed to be on my side and a kind lady crossed my path (well actually I crossed hers but let's not get technical). I asked for directions, but in a city as big as Chicago, to know all the streets you'd have to be....a cab driver for instance, and she did not fit the profile. She was kind enough to escort me to the Hilton hotel (classy, no? ) where the kind gentleman dirrected me to a youth hostel just across the street. I payed 37$ for a night (a high amount if you ask me), got a shower and was off to dreamland before you could say "Welcome to the US" (after all, walking aimlessly on the streets of a HUGE city for 4 hours would tire out anyone). Slept for 12 hours straight, then with my trusted backpack on its designated place, took the direction of Greyhound (of course, once again being the perfect tourist I was heading in the opposite direction, WITH a map in my hand).

Getting there, I purchased my ticket and got in line to get on the bus. Of course, things can't run smoothly, suddenly a man starts screaming for help and before I realize what's happening he collapses on the floor in a fit. The highly efficient paramedics materialize out of thin air under 1 minute and help the poor fellow. I was glad to see that health services were better there than back home. I deposit my bag in the luggage compartment, get a seat and look around. Swear to God the bus was filled with african-americans. I have never seen one up close and to me they looked massive and bearer of a certain threat (thank you action movies - please note the sarcasm). Had I seen Shrek before, I would have sung "on the road again" but that not being the case I settled in with a book, taking naps between the lines. The whole trip lasted 5 freaking hours (I am not a happy traveler, especially on buses), but alas, the bus arrives to the Promised Land aka Wisconsin Dells.

In the next episode - culture shock and lifeguards, in the Waterpark Capital of the World!

today

Today did not start out as a good day, but luckily it became better in time. After the more-than-futile attempts to get up, I managed to drag myself under the shower. After the well-deserved cleansing process and toweling, the towel hanger went to pieces. Literally. So there I was, in the bathroom, without a stitch of clothing on, repairing my towel hanger. I'm sure I was a sight to behold. Got dressed, collected the garbage (to be disposed on my way to work) and left the apartment, being late already (of course). After taking care of the garbage, I head towards the bus station, but I realize I left my cell phone at home. So needless to say, I turned back, walked those 3 stories up, collected my cell phone, put those earphones in their designated place (my ears that is), turned on the music and was off. 

At the bus station, since I had to wait for the bus I took out my book (reading The vampire Armand by Anne Rice) at the moment. Now I have to explain something : when I read I lose all contact with the outside world. So I had to look up more than once, not to miss the bus. After a couple of minutes, the trusted mode of public transportation approaches and I settle in comfortably for my journey. A couple of minutes into said journey, I feel a pair of eyes. Actually there were more than a few. People were looking at me like I was from a different planet. Simply because I was reading. On the bus. Well, I think it's better than to stare at people or God knows what else. I was in my own little world and people disapproved of it. Like I give a damn. Let them stare. 

I'm sure most people have not read many books, nor are they inclined to change that. And since the city is invaded with banks, cell phone stores and mall-type units, while bookstores are becoming an endangered species, I'd say culture suffers a great blow. Wouldn't you?

USA - summer of 2003...the beginning

It all started in 2003, when I was young and mostly free. Being in my 3rd year of university I thought the world was mine, and I was right. I came upon an ad, where they needed camp counselors in the US. After much debate with the parental unit, I thought why not go for it. February rolled by and I was on my way to a bigger city where the job interviews were being held, with american employers. I went with a friend of mine, and after listening to what those fine men and women presented us (job offers that is), we decided to give it a shot - namely, to become lifeguards in a waterpark.

I have to admit, at first I wanted to sell icecream, mostly because of financial reasons but am I ever glad i didn't go with that. So, after a brief interview with our soon-to-be employer, we were accepted. The company in charge of such Work&Travel business took care of the visa and I was anxious to be on my merry way towards the Promised Land.

After all those grueling exams (medical school is nothing to mess around with, trust me), my dear parents drove me to the airport (some 220 miles). It was the fine morning of June 15th when I found myself in an airport for the first time. Saying good-bye was done in a flash (a bit of a shocker for me) because the lady guard told me passengers are ready to board my flight (heading to Amsterdam). So I hugged and kissed Mom and Dad and off I went. Reaching Amsterdam I was awed at how amazing and cool an airport can be, but then an alarm sounds in my brain "where is my luggage?"...so I go over to a nice lady at a desk and ask politely where I can find my luggage. She looks at my ticket and with a great smile she tells me that I will pick up the luggage in Chicago (my final destination - a movie which by the way I saw one month before flying - eeeek). So, having one less thing to worry about, I wandered on the "streets" of the airport, heading confidently to the terminal

At the designated time, the plane took off and I was getting closer to good old US of A by the minute. The food was...interesting, to say the least and the on-flight movies were ok too (Maid in Manhattan and some Colin Farrell movie). And after 9 hours of flight, we land in Chicago O'Hare International Airport...suddenly the phrase "the eagle has landed" came to mind.

More to come - the first american adventure...getting lost in Chicago, then heading towards Dairyland!