Catedrala

Catedrala Ortodoxa din Sibiu. Interiorul. Cred ca am facut si refacut cadrul acesta de vreo douazeci de ori. Nu eram niciodata multumita de cum iesea. Si nici acum nu sunt pe deplin multumita. O sa mai fac o vizita pe acolo. Sau mai multe...

The Orthodox Cathedral in Sibiu. I think I must have done and redone this shot about twenty times. I was always displeased with it. I'm not quite sure about this one either. A revisit of the church is required. Or maybe more...

A short drive away

Sambata dimineata. El pleaca la examen, eu imi fac o cafea tare. Primele doua ore ale diminetii zboara pe langa mine in timp ce savurez fiecare strop de cafea. Deja e amiaza. Ce sa facem azi dupa ce termina cu examenul? Afara cerul e plin de nori care ameninta orasul cu o vijelie. Mi-am amintit de o biserica mai mica aflata la iesirea din oras. Asa ca ne urcam in masina, inarmati cu un trepied, aparat foto, energizante si o pofta de a iesi la iarba verde.

Saturday morning. He leaves to take an exam, I make myself a strong coffee. The first two hours of the morning fly by me as I savor every drop of coffee. It's noon soon. What should we do today after he's finished his exam? Outside the sky is filled with clouds that threaten the city with a storm. I remembered seeing a small church right at the exit of town. So we hoped in the car, armed with a tripod, a camera, energizers and a zest to go for a picnic.

The tree and his brethren of the wood

Daca ei ar avea glas si noi auzul destul de ascutit pentru a-i intelege, ma intreb care ar fi povestea lor.

If they had tongues to tell it and we fine ears to understand, I wonder what their story would be.

 

For Saturday, June 25th.
Click for larger view and better quality.

The Gummy Bear Army

Uite ce se intampla cand vremea e furtunoasa si stai inchisa in casa si te plictisesti. Te joci cu mancarea. Asa, pur si simplu pentru ca te amuza.


This is what happens when you get bored and you're stuck inside the house because of stormy weather. You play with your food. Just because it amuses you.

The sun crawls across a final time

Seara in Piata Mare. Eu cu un roman, el cu un laptop. Eu intr-o "minunata lume noua", el printre termeni tehnici. Amandoi inchinand cu o doza de energizant.

Evening in the Grand Square. Me with a novel, him with a laptop. Me in a "brave new world", him among technical terms. Both toasting a can of energy drink.

This is for Thursday, June 23rd. (And now I am finally back on track.)

Curious Betty

Azi mi-am amintit de Betty. Nu stiu din ce motiv, sincer... Rasfoind prin pozele din acea zi am mai gasit inca una cu ea si doi domni care i-au starnit curiozitatea.

Today I remembered Betty. I do not know why, honestly... Browsing through photos of that day, I found another one of her and two gentlemen who aroused her curiosity.

This is for Wednesday June 22nd.

Staring at your window

Intotdeauna am vrut sa incerc asa ceva. Iar Sibiul nu duce lipsa de ferestre interesante. Urmeaza una cu usi. Neaparat.

I've always wanted to try something like this. And since Sibiu has no shortage of interesting windows... The next one will be with doors.

For Tuesday, June 21th.

Santa Claus on vacation

Mos Craciun in vacanta. (Pentru luni. Am ramas mult in urma.)

For Monday. I am so far behind.

In racoarea umeda a diminetii

Luni dimineata. Oribil. As da aproape orice ca sa fiu inca la plaja in Mures. Sa simt razele soarelui si sa ma racoresc in piscina. Dar weekendul acesta, desi relaxant si obositor in acelasi timp, mi-a cam stricat planurile. Nu am reusit sa fac nimic, mai ales fotografii. Asa ca postez acum trei mai vechi, pentru zilele de vineri, sambata si duminica. Fluturii si splendidele lor aripioare.

In the cool wet morning

Monday morning. Horrible. I would give almost anything to still be in Mures, laying in the sun, feeling it's rays and cooling of in the pool. But this weekend, even though it was relaxing and tiring at the same time, kind of spoiled my plans. I didn't have time for anything, especially photography. So today I will post three photos, older ones, for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The butterflies and their splendid wings.

Goran si Ursul

Ziua a doua din TIFF in Sibiu. Concert Goran Bregovic si apoi filmul Ursul, coloana sonora a filmului fiind semnata de Brejovic. Despre concert nu prea am ce sa spun. Nu e genul meu de muzica. Nu imi place, dar nici nu imi displace. E ok, daca atmosfera e frumoasa. Si a fost. Lumea dansa prin multime, copiii sareau pe umerii parintilor pe ritmul muzicii, lovindui cu palmutele in cap entuziasmati. Am asteptat un suc timp de o ora. Saracii baieti au pierdut jumatate din concert stand la coada sa cumpere bere pentru noi toti. Cata dedicatie... Dintr-o sursa de incredere, am aflat ca la conferinta de presa dinainte de concert, Goran Bregovic si-a exprimat uimirea in ce priveste faptul ca multor romani nu le plac manelele. Personal, a spus ca lui ii plac, si le vede ca un fel de turbofolc. 

A urmat filmul Ursul, cea mai noua comedie a domnului Dan Chisu. Un film presarat cu elemente ce recreaza atmosfera anilor '90: se ia curentul, nu se platesc salariile, strainul cu bani care urmeaza sa fie stors de saraci, ajutoarele umanitare ("gypsy help"), discursul directorului de circ care aminteste de cele ceausiste, masinile straine cumparate second hand din occident (Dar asta si acum se practica, nu?). La un moment dat pe zidul unei benzinarii se vad citate cu "Jos Ceausescu" si alt cuvant mai obscen asociat lui Iliescu. Filmul e amuzant, plin de personaje colorate (si la propriu si la figurat), costume si glume. O calatorie care te duce pe urmele ursului de circ.

Goran and The Bear

The second day of TIFF in Sibiu. A Goran Bregovic concert followed by the movie The Bear, it's soundtrack is by the same artist. I don't have that much to say about the concert. It's not the kind of music I prefer to listen to. I can;t say that I like it, but I also can't say that I don't like it. It's ok, if the mood is nice. And last night it was. People were dancing in the crowd, the children, sitting on their parents shoulders, were jumping to the rhythm of the music and hitting them on their heads with their little hands enthusiastically. I waited for a glass of soda for an hour. The boys, poor them, missed half of the concert because they were sitting in line to get us all beers. Such dedication... From a reliable source I found out that during the press conference before the concert, Goran Bregovic expressed is amazement that not all romanians enjoy manele. He himself likes them and calls them turbofolk.

After the concert we watched The Bear, the newest film by Dan Chisu. A film sprinkled with elements which recreate the atmosphere of the '90: power outages, unpaid salaries, the foreigner that had money and was about to be robbed of it in a subtle way by the poor, humanitarian aid ("gypsy help"), the circus director's speech reminiscent of  Ceausescu, used foreign cars bought from the West (But that happens today as well, doesn't it?). At one point you can see on the side of a gas station the words "Down with Ceausescu" and another obscene word about Iliescu. The movie is amusing, full of colorful characters (both literally and figuratively), costumes and jokes. A journey that takes you on the trail of the circus bear.

P.S.: This is for June 16th.

Claudiu Bleont, Serban Celea, Magda Catone si Alexander Mustata

(Daca am gresit cumva, va rog sa imi spuneti.)

A total eclipse

Of the heart. Nu, de luna de fapt. Aseara am incercat sa fac cateva poze cu amaratul de obiectiv din kit. Ceva, ceva tot a iesit, desi nu se descurca in asemenea situatii. Faza totala a eclipsei a durat 1 ora si 40 de minute. Daca e sa cred ce spune Urania, din cauza eclipsei totale de luna, de azi ar trebui sa incep sa am probleme gospodaresti, la fel si ceilalti berbeci. Hahaha.

Of the heart. No, actually, of the moon. Last night I tried to take a few shots with the kit lens. I manage to get a few that are....ok...Actually, not that good, but what can I do? The lens from the kit doesn't do very well in these kind of situations. The total phase was 1 hour and 40 minutes long. If I am to believe what Urania says (she is a famous astrologist in Romania) starting today I will have household problems, and so will the other Aries. Hahaha.

P.S.This is for June 15th.

Betty

 

O cheama Betty. E un bulldog francez. Linistita, curioasa, prietenoasa, si ii place sa o mangai intre urechi. S-a ferit de soare intinzandu-se in umbra mea cat timp am povestit putin cu stapanul ei. In octombrie va avea pentru prima data pui. 

Her name is Betty. She's a french bulldog. Quiet, curious, friendly, and she likes to be scratched between her ears. She sheltered herself from the sun by laying down in my shadow while I talked for a while with her owner. InOctober, she is going to have puppies for the first time.

Dragoste/Love

Nu prea cred.
Fotografia e pentru ziua de ieri, 13 iunie.


The sign says: "What are the politicians thinking?". And someone wrote underneath: Love.
I don't think so.
This is for June 13th.

Wamintirileeeee!

Aviz din ultimele stiri: imi place muzica celor de la Alternosfera. Aseara i-am ascultat pentru prima data live. Saream ca doi copii cu mainile intinse sus spre stelele de sticla, simtind vibratiile instrumentelor sub picioare. Un val de bas era purtat prin vene, stropi de lumina ne jucau pe retina. Timpul a trecut prea repede... Ametiti de fericire am pornit spre casa prin noaptea adanca.

Breaking news: I like Alternosfera’s music. I heard them play for the first time last night. We jumped like children with hands held high towards stars of glass, feeling the vibrations of the instruments under our feet. A wave of bass carried through our veins, drops of light played in our eyes. Time passed by too quickly… Dizzy with happiness we began walking home in the deep night. 

(The title of this post is the title from one of their songs.)

On the first floor

In timp ce urcam scarile ieri in blocul meu, am gasit camera asta la etajul 1.

As I was going up the stairs in my building yesterday, I found this room on the first floor.

The rain still falls

Am iesit la o plimbare azi. Ma gandeam ca poate macar pentru o jumatate de ora nu va mai ploua deloc. Ca voi avea ocazia sa fac niste fotografii. Nu am avut norocul asta. Balansand cat am putut eu de gratios geanta, aparatul foto, umbrela si plasa cu cumparaturi am reusit sa fac cateva cadre. Acesta e unul dintre ele.

I went out for a walk today. I thought that maybe it will stop raining for at least a half an hour. That I might have the chance to take some photos. No such luck. Gracefully balancing my bag, the camera, the umbrella and the shopping bag I managed to take some shots. This is one of them.

It keeps on raining

 

Ploua. De miercuri nu am mai vazut soarele. Inchid ochii si imi imaginez o zi senina de vara. Sunt sub un copac, locul meu preferat, unde imi place sa stau sa citesc si sa ma gandesc pe unde sa ma plimb cu aparatul foto. Deschid ochii. Sunt in camera, dimineata. Si ploua…Ii inchid la loc. Simt o adiere de vant. Imi mangaie parul. Acelasi domn din fiecare zi, cu cainii sai chow chow si Saint Bernard intinsi la soare, doarme pe iarba. Aud o alarma. Ma ridic din pat. E timpul sa ma trezesc. Si ploua... 

P.S. Pentru 9 iunie.

It’s raining. I haven’t seen the sun since Wednesday. I close my eyes and imagine a clear summer day. I’m sitting under a tree, my favorite place, where I like to read and think about the places I could go and photograph. I open my eyes. I’m in my room, in the morning. And it’s raining…I close them once again. I feel the wind, caressing my hair. The same man I see every day, with his chow chow and Saint Bernard dogs lying in the sun, is sleeping on the grass. I hear an alarm. It’s time to wake up and get out of bed. And it’s raining…

P.S. This is for June 9th.

The old man and the ice cream

 

Ce zi inabusitoare! Fiecare trecator se racorea cum putea: o inghetata, o sticla rece de apa, un suc la o terasa. Eu m-am multumit cu cativa stropi de ploaie din cand in cand. Dar nu mi-a placut cand am auzit tunete. Nu ma intelegeti gresit, imi plac furtunile de vara, dar nu imi place sa ma prinda o asemenea manifestare capricioasa a vremii departe de casa, fara umbrela, in sandale si imbracata foarte subtire. Asa ca m-am ascuns sub un tei langa Catedrala Evanghelica si m-am adancit in paginile unui roman. Abia am trecut de primele doua randuri citite, cand am auzit niste acorduri de chitara si o voce cantand "Angie" de la The Rolling Stones. Minunat!...Un tanar exersa la citara. Si canta chiar bine. Lectura a fost mai placuta pe melodii de la Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones si Bob Dylan.

What a stifling day!  Everyone was trying their best to cool off: eating ice cream, drinking a bottle of cold water, having a drink at a terrace. I was pleased with a few drops of rain from time to time. But I didn't like it when I started hearing the sound of rumbling thunder. Don't get me wrong, I like summer storms, but I'm not very happy when such capricious weather catches me off guard away from home, without an umbrella, wearing thin clothes and a pair of sandals. So I hid under a linden tree near the Evangelical Cathedral and I opened a novel to pass the time. After reading only two lines, I heard the chords of a guitar and a voice singing "Angie" from The Rolling Stones. Wonderful!... A young man was doing some guitar practice. He was quite good. Songs from Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan made it much more pleasant to read.

Stand pe banca/Sitting on a bench

 

Ce cool arata bunicutii cu ochelarii de soare. Oare ce a vazut asa de interesant fetita la papuceii ei? Nu stiu daca sunt chiar bunicii ei, dar mie asa imi place sa imi imaginez. Intr-o zi calduroasa de vara doi bunici si-au asteptat nepotica sa iasa de la scoala si au luat-o la o plimbare prin centru. Nu suna mai bine decat: doi batrani stateau pe o banca si o fetita si-a facut si ea loc intre ei?

P.S.: Simt ca sunt in pana de idei. Fotografia e pentru 7 iunie.

The grandparents look so cool with their sunglasses on. I wonder what she found so interesting about her shoes. I don't know if they are really her grandparents, but I like to imagine they are. On a hot summer day two grandfathers picked up their niece from school and took her for a walk through the square. Doesn't that sound better than: two old men sat on a bench and a little girl made some room for herself between them?

P.S.: I feel like I'm out of ideas today. The photo is for June 7th.

Ultima zi din FITS

Am ajuns tarziu, am pierdut inceputul, dar am prins focurile de artificii. Ma rog, eu le-am prins. Baietii au ramas la terasa sa savureze cate o bere. In concert au fost cei de la Vama. Ce sa spun despre Vama...? E...Vama. Aceleasi melodii pe care le stim toti din liceu si pe care agatau baietii fete, dupa cum spunea cineva.  

We got there late, we missed the beginning, but we got to see the fireworks. Well, I did anyway. The guys stayed behind at a terrace to enjoy a beer. Vama played a concert. What to say about them...? They're...Vama. The same songs we all know from when we were in high school, songs that guys used to hook up with girls, as someone pointed out.

Taking time to smell the roses

 

Cand am pornit spre Sibiu ieri cerul nu arata prea promitator. Norii erau pufosi, albi, gri, albastrui, peisajele minunate, lumina la fel, dar eram stresati din cauza unor probleme tehnice si a norilor negri de ploaie spre care ne indreptam. Dacia nu ar mai fi Dacie daca nu ti-ar face o surpriza cand te astepti mai putin. Nu credeam ca voi sti vreodata cum sa repar niste stergatoare, cum sa schimb uleiul, sa pun lichid de parbriz, cum functioneaza schimbatorul de viteze si de ce face figuri, cum sunt franele la o Dacie si de ce suna asa… Dar nu ar mai fi Dacie fara aceste amintiri placute. Dacia: intelepciunea varstei, inima tanara si neinfricarea unui leu. Totusi, ziua a avut un final fericit. Cand am intrat in judetul Sibiu ploaia s-a oprit si la fel am facut si noi. Langa un camp, intre rapita si teren necultivat, este o parcela mica unde sunt plantati niste trandafiri frumosi, roz, infloriti. Am facut niste poze si apoi am pornit din nou la drum.

P.S.:Va recomand sa va uitati la marimea mai mare a pozei, se vad mai multe detalii. Fotografia e pentru 5 iunie.

When we left for Sibiu yesterday the sky didn’t look very promising. The clouds were downy, white, gray, blue, the scenery was wonderful and so was the light, but we were stressed out because of some technical problems and the dark rain clouds towards which we were heading. A Dacia wouldn’t be a Dacia if it didn’t give you a surprise when you least expected it. I never thought that one they I would know how to fix the windshield wipers, how to change the oil, how to put in some more wind shield fluid. That I would know how the gear lever works and what might be wrong with it, what breaks a Dacia has and why they’re making that strange noise sometimes… But it wouldn’t be a Dacia without these lovely memories. Dacia: wisdom of age, heart of a teenager and fearlessness of a lion. Still, the day ended in a pleasant way. When we reached the Sibiu county the rain had stopped and so did we. Near a field, where, between a rape plantation and an uncultivated plot of land, there’s a parcel of roses. Beautiful, pink, blooming roses. I took some photos and we went on our way.

P.S.: Look at the photo in its full size, you can see more details that way. This is for June 5^th.

Little joggers

Era 1 iunie, dar copiii nu si-au luat liber de la "jogging". Trebuiau sa dea jos cumva vata de zahar, prajiturile si toate celelalte dulciuri pe care parintii nu le-au putut refuza fiind ziua lor. 

De ce am renuntat la fuga dupa ce am crescut? Acum regret.

It was June 1st, and the children decided that they won't give up their hour of "jogging". They had to somehow burn off  all those calories from cotton candy, cupcakes and those many sweets that their parents couldn't refuse to buy them. It was their "birthday" after all.

Why did I give up running when I started to get older? I regret that now.