Napoli 2013

Revival of my blog with a text in Romanian from this June:

Poate intodeauna am fost atras de ceea ce “nu trebuie”, desi acest “trebuie” nu poate fi altfel decat o sentinta pur subiectiva, chiar si cand vine din partea unui juriu (inclusiv al unuia bine pregatit in acel domeniu). E ca si cand spectatorii neutrii isi doresc automat la un meci de fotbal ca echipa mai slab cotata sa castige, fiind astfel contra-curentului si a asteptarilor.  Ar fi explicatia simplista, atat de comun intalnita.

Fosta capitala a regatului celor doua Sicilii, locul unde altadata trebuia sa vii sa il vezi si apoi sa mori, cade in dizgratia juriilor actuale. Nu puncteaza conform standardelor civilizatiei actuale, incercand brutal sa alerge dupa criteriile pe care altii i le impun, in anii pe care azi ii traim.

Fatade ale unor case impozante, plang pierzandu-si culoarea sub arsura soarelui de sud.  Infinitele randuri de haine, asezate la uscat sub puterea acestor raze puternice, completeaza imaginea diferita, imaginea care “nu trebuie”. Strazi inguste, noaptea lipsite de atat de necesara lumina, vantul ce adie luand in dansul sau hartiile aruncate aleator. Mirosul intens.

Dar se poate citi si mai departe, in functie de imaginatie, de dorinta, de viata. Se poate citi rosul caramiziu care aminteste de simbolistica orasului, de sange si pasiune. Caramiziu prin atenuarea adusa de secolele de glorie ale fostului regat. Se poate citi rostul palmierilor cocotati incapatanat pe strazile serpuite din Vomero. Se poate intelege altfel raza unui soare puternic, daca ai mereu pregatit un plan de evacuare in cazul unei noi eruptiei a Vezuviului. Se poate descifra altfel tunsoarea ragazzi-lor, atat de scurta in zonele temporale, lasand imaginatia sa se ocupe de design-ul partii superioare.

Poti simti unic mirosul intens de espresso pregatit rapid intr-un bar pe una din strazile in care in urmatoarele minute iti poti pierde…portofelul….sau ceasul. Sau viata. Conform ziarelor si a presei nescrise care circula anonim.

Oamenii bronzati, tineri in special, la marginea drumului, vorbind la telefon (oare pe ce plan tarifar?), privind forfota strazii, parand fara noima, fara viitor, fara sperante. Sperante de a  fi inregimentati in sistemul capitalist, adus la rang de “trebuie”. Gli ragazzi nu se trezesc dimineata, alergand prin trafic la un “job” capitalist. Gli ragazi nu platesc nici impozitele, nici asigurarile, nici primele sau dobanzile bancilor zilelor de azi. Conform acestor standarde, ei sunt pierduti si la marginea societatii moderne. La fel ca si cariocas din favelele indepartate ale Braziliei.

Gli ragazzi, la fel ca semenii brazilieni, nu isi realizeaza libertatea, la dolce vita di far niente intr-o atmosfera mediteraneana. Spera inca la un scudetto si la o reinventare a micului pibe d’oro, ce va readuce in oras faima anilor ’80. Si probabil mai viseaza si la a marsalui in ritmul impus de noua capitala europeana, girata de blondul nou motor economic al continentului. Invidiaza probabil si rigoarea si ordinea germanica, care conform legilor noastre nescrise, le-ar aduce “prosperitate” economica.

Nici nu isi imagineaza ce vor pierde odata cu iesirea din “saracie” si “mizerie”. Capitalismul va curata orasul…de ultima lui splendoare a unui regat apus.

Unic sa pot inca sa il vad asa cum este el, si cum toti ceilalti il urasc astazi. Si cum il critica. Pentru ca nu este cum “trebuie”.

Napoli. 24 Iunie 2013

America’s going to socialism…

The so much expected healthcare reform by the democratic administration will soon start to make the first steps.

As with any reform made by a government it is easy and predictable: anyway we have a limited amount of money. If we want to cover more population with it, the only way to do it is to lower the “per capita” benefit. In other words, those who pay more for the federal government will get a lower quality healtchare than now, because those who until now didn’t have at at all any healthcare will get some sort of protection.

Congressman Mike Rogers reminded about Lincoln statement, one which I like so much (click it HERE) .

Money, education and romanian expats

Going to the gate in the airport I just passed near one of the most rich persons in Romania. Obviously that sort of post-revolution multi-millionaire that you just question how was able to get his first million. Because with all of them , after the first million , everything is perfectly matching and very legal.

Like most of the rich ones , he was and maybe is still involved in almost everything : business , tourism, sports, politics. And yes, because he was at one time even at the Government table I was little bit intrigued to see him today talking with another politician , completely different party, quite often really enemies in the political battle. And one of the politicians I admire a lot back home. In the end it turned out they just met by chance and changed few polite words. Like politicians.

“Our man” was with his wife and his child. Child which studies abroad. I didn’t knew so much about the child but I was impressed how modest and normal was behaving. The child came to Bucharest with one colleague from the University where they study abroad. If you see both you probably think immediately that the foreigner is the child of the multi-millionaire.

It was a nice sunny afternoon in  middle autumn Bucharest. The multi-millionaire was not in Tahiti with the mistress. The wife was not shopping with her Lady-club friends. The child was not driving a Masseratti to the Airport and was not wearing 10k Euro outfit. It was a nice, beautiful and NORMAL family. Which probably managed to better understand in the last 20 years what the power of money means and where the life values stay.

I hope that after finishing the University studies that child will come back home and run the business of the father. Romania needs those people. If we are smart enough we should not stick anymore trying to find out how that family got rich the first years after Revolution. Just think for future and the benefits this child will get to our society if coming home for good.

Will YOU go back home romanian expat ? Will I go home ?

Once in 20 years

Tomorrow in Romania it can be the first time in 20 years that a Government is democratically removed from power, thanks to the vote in the Parliament.

Should be interesting if this really happens. PNL would be than the first and single party in Romania who managed to initiate and fulfill the democratic government change. This after it was the only party that managed for 2 consecutive years (2007 and 2008) to stay in power and leading the Government, also democratic, with only 20 % in the Parliament.

I wonder if 13 would be a lucky day for romanian liberals ! Let’s hope for them and in the end for us also !

New government…hopefully it will be the beginning of the end

Hopefully this will be the last move of the actual president of Romania. I just hope people back home and also our expats will make a little effort and do a change in november/december presidential elections. It just takes few minutes and maybe half hour drive for some of us to get rid of the last 5 years of scandal and international isolation.

Liberals don’t know how to control intelligence services

During 2004-2008, while PNL was the leader of the romanian government (Tariceanu cabinets I and II), they were constant under the attack of their first partners, later enemies – PD (FSN). And of course in a permanent war with (still) the president of Romania.

Although the liberals were in charge also of some intelligence services, albeit most of them were and are in the power of the president, it never appeared in press or in public any attack with hidden information about a PD member of the government or about the president itself. And the last thing you can believe is that the president or the ex-FSN (now called PDL) party members have absolutely no connection with corruption.

One after another liberals were attacked, revealed in public and forced to resign, like D.T Remes, Paul Pacuraru, Tudor Chiuariu, C. Adomnitei. But absolutely no PDL member was under investigations.

Now, since 2008 , we have a broad coalition, the new FSN, with almost 70 % – PSD and PDL. In just 8 months 2 PDL members of the government are under attack, one resigned and one is almost to resign (Ridzi and Udrea). We have in public debate and revealed the whole list of the affairs with the defense ministry of the president’s brother (M. Basescu) . Who managed all those attacks ? Of course PNL has no more any influence in the government. But who has now influence beside PDL ? Well, obviously PSD.

It is the first time in 20 years when PDL is in a coalition and they are not anymore the ones which attack. PSD knows better than them hot to use all the black information on the market. And how to lead a guerrilla war.

This is another proof that both between 1996-2000 and 2005-2008 PNL was not able to do the dirty job of keeping in control the intelligence services. And the vivid proof that this is the party that was not at all loved by the guys with “stars on their shoulders” (intelligence officers).

We see the facts, we know them but it’s hard to understand why. I just hope for the sake of the country that less and less politicians will use those services for their wars. And that they will forget this behavior. At least one party seems that even if wanted, didn’t manage to be able to practice the dirty game.

More about liberals in Romania and all over the world next week .

Quotes

I loved the quotes recently posted by Terry Pannkuk on ROOTS. One is a re-statement of R. Reagan and second it’s Terry’s own genius inspiration . I post them here as they are not necessarily related to endodontics.

The 10 scariest words someone can say to you, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you” – Ronald Reagan.

Clearly, “excellent” is better than “good” which is better than “fair” which is better than “poor” which is better than “feces”. When one can’t attain “perfect”, a quality absent from the natural world, one shouldn’t settle for “poor” or “feces” when “excellent” or “good” is possible. – Terrel F. Pannkuk.

Valkyrie

Rented today to watch in the late night the movie : VALKYRIE .

Captured me immediately, and I liked the way it was directed, I felt really part of the scenery and of the action.

Didn’t knew until today what a Valkyrie means. Thanks again to Wikipedia, we can broader our knowledge day by day.

Few probably were interested in listening the Mozart work of Walkuere, after seeing in the movie how an old fashioned vinyl disc with this was spinning round &round in main character’s house.

We were actually more productive in inducing a CNN headline, due to one of the weirdest figure back home, a mayor which dressed up as Tom Cruise on the catwalk. Probably his total lack of culture and knowledge (and also of good advisers) didn’t helped him forecast what kind of international reaction he will start. Still, this news got more attention than the organized campaign for advertise Romania as a land of choice….

It is weird how for german perfectionism they failed about 15 attempts to kill Hitler. They should have learned from Americans, but it was too late in 1963 when JFK died….

Politics and taxes

Enjoyed today at work during the lunch break the blog entry from the ex-prime minister of Romania, Calin Popescu Tariceanu. About death and taxes. About today’s politics of our government in the time of crisis.

It reminded me of one of the greatest ever quote I keep hanging in my pictures folder, just to remind me how a proper society should actually be build up. It’s an old quote I got it some time ago from an american endodontist. It’s value today is even more appreciated:

Probably for some people back home the government’s new tax policy is a surprise. For me not. After all , we’re talking of 2 left parties, even if one of them is so called right-wing. We are governed by the ex communist party, re-united after 20 years. Both parties are build up from people from the old system, which of course will always favor the state and government involvement in economy and financial markets. Time of liberals is gone for the moment.

I just think that C.P. Tariceanu is too soft when he states that they don’t want to understand what that policy means for the business medium and for the financial market. I think they know exactly and they understand it pretty well, but they just don’t care. Those sectors will never get them votes, and never have sustained them during electoral campaigns. It is now the time of populism. After all , the huge masses of people don’t know economics, and especially don’t know free market economics. The masses still like the show, and that is how they will cast their vote.

Hemingway’s Day in Pamplona

As one of the touristic fliers announces people visiting the city, Hemingway means Pamplona and Pamplona means Hemingway. Looking at one of the cities school (escuela municipal) you cannot help but wondering how teachers are virtually explaining the young pamplonistas why they should be proud of who they are and why their city is famous. On the same scale of thinking, you probably cannot help wondering how much economical impact it might have had just one book of an american writer on this small city of Navarre in Spain.

The San Fermin festival and it’s famous Encierro dates from medieval ages, but for sure without Hemingway’s Fiesta it couldn’t have had such impact in our modern times. Almost every corner of the old city center in Pamplona is related with the Noble prize winner. You have his favorites cafes, you have his stone statue in front of Plaza de Toros, you have his wooden statue inside the Hemingway’s Rincon at la Iruna Cafe, you have a shop with his face on the glass, you have a plastic Hemingway in the Tourist Information Center. Hemingway is everywhere, but still, if Pamplona would have been an american city, I am sure that only than the business genius of the north-americans would have raised to the maximum this touristic/selling potential.

Iruna cafe, remained unchanged since the 1920’s , when he was spending his time here. Compared to the modern cafes in the city, it is hard to understand why the others did changed, since by far Iruna cafe looks the most beautiful and attractive. Probably if all the restaurants and cafes would have kept the 1920’s air, it could have been a wise choice.

About Encierro – probably on TV you don’t realize what the danger is, only here seeing the small streets, and having a red scarf tightened at your neck, you get some adrenaline push-up if you think that 6 bulls are somewhere in your back, running toward you, while you’re positioned in the middle of other hundreds of people .

Without any connection with Hemingway, it was fun to capture in the same image, few garbage containers and than the sign of the communist party (still active), on one wall of a house:

Between Pamplona and San Sebastian way back in the late evening, the promising rainbow:

Ideas, connections and thoughts of this day are way too extended to fill a blog entry. Everybody will get bored reading them online. Maybe other time at Iruna Cafe in Pamplona, on a small talk 😉