People and places: Life and wild life

Seven days already in California and I can say here is life and wild life.

Seven days, driving on the cost of California from L.A. towards San Francisco with two days in Yosemite Park…

I did not write anything until now because I was hoping to understand more of the life here and change my feelings... Los Angeles immediately after Fiji was feeling like a slap in the face. Yes, here are clean hotels like I know them from Europe, yes, there is wi-fi everywhere, civilization…restaurants and expensive shops…but no humanity. Seven days in US and I did not talk to anybody then the hotel clerks, waiters or shop sellers. It is very strange though. They are all very polite and smiling. In every store one enters is welcomed with « How are you doing? » which is quite annoying…in case you are not doing well ;)

I have no story about anybody I met here, but I know there is life and wild life in California.

It is the life of humans and the life of wild animals, which are really wild, and that one can admire. Since we are here we have seen: seals, elephant seals, sea lions, sea otters, two different kinds of squirrels, condors, hawks, dolphins, pelicans, ducks and a lot of other birds I do not know the name. This is amazing here and I have never seen anywhere else until now so much wild life one can simply observe (without being in a Zoo). I felt really small in the middle of all the mightily nature in Yosemite Park and thankful I did not see the bear J.

But there is another type of wild life in California: all the homeless people that are everywhere: in the streets, in the stores, in front of the churches, in the parks etc. There are young or old, men or women…there is a huge number of them everywhere. I have even seen a small report of about 7 minutes at the main news about homeless people, entire families living in the sewers of L.A. It is because of them I did not write until now. I did not know how to write that in spite of the beautifulness of the wild nature o this part of US there is always a certain sadness filling the air… and the difference between the rich people, luxurious houses and places and the site of these homeless people is huge and extremely obvious. Only a blind could ignore it. During my life I never saw such a number of homeless people in any country of Europe, including in my own where those having my age remember the streets of Bucharest after the 90s.  I do not know why they are in this situation…I can only observe that between people with a 9 to 5 job, near reach people wearing on them more the ten thousands dollars, near all the wonderful things of California are living them: a special category of people, some having still a human look, some just deteriorating and having an empty gaze in their eyes.

More the society is “civilized”, more we are independent, “free”, less we care about the others…and still I haven’t been to Africa or India…Overall in Fiji probably were more poor people but the fact that there were living in families, villages, clans, the poorness was not so obvious because there were living a community. The lost souls of California are alone.

Seems that California (and I say California because I do not want to generalise to all US) is full of contrasts. So, yes, California is great, I have seen on one hand wonderful things but on the other hand also other kind of things showing or just confirming me that nature is better then what we call humanity…or that somehow humanity can act unnatural. 

People and places: Laughing - the best Fijian feature

The Fijians* are big, no matter if men or women. There are strong and happy. Fijians are laughing almost all the time: when working, when there is a joke, when they play or talk, when there is an embarrassing situation and even when is dangerous. They are helping and laughing…it is like a therapy: the danger does not seem so big anymore; the embarrassing situation is becoming just funny. No wonder that there are considered as one of the most happy nations. Their laugh also is from the heart; from deep down their belly…one can hear it and start laughing as well. It is like pure happiness, like there is no bad in the world, like there is just that moment going on forever.

Fijians sing a lot too. They sing when they are not laughing ;) and they do it in church as well… as Fijians are very religious.

I would like to be able to transfer the feeling I had being in this country…because I was not feeling as visiting but as being, living, changing…The way Fijians live is contagious: strongly connected to their culture, to their small piece of island, to their way of being: happy, warm and welcoming. Besides this the food is just amazing. And this again I cannot make travel through my writing: the taste of food, the smile of people and the deep happiness of the moment. The only thing I could do and I am gladly doing it is to enclose all of this in my heart, in my being, in the cells of my brain…hoping that from this small seed will grow a tree…I seed of myself, of my feelings and perceptions here about this people I met. A moment in life that I enjoyed as a saturation of natural beauty, of nice people and of love.

I came here to meet my friend from childhood, to keep this relation alive and as strong as possible. I leave with much more then that…

I’ve learned a very nice lesson from this simple living people and maybe making stronger the belief that what we call poor people live their life more fully then us, the ones from "civilized" countries. Vinaka**!

* Fijians which are not having indian origins

** Thank you in Fijian

People and places: Fabrizia from Fiji

On the 6^th of January we arrived on the main island of Fiji and we started our travelling from Nandi towards Suva stopping for a couple of days in Mango Bay.

Here is like the green house of the botanical garden: 27-29 degrees and humid, green plants everywhere, palms, papaya trees, different kind of trees with wonderful red or yellow flowers, thousand of exotic wonderful flowers.

In the first day of our arrival our friends from here took us to eat at the Eco Café of Fabrizia. I never tasted in my life such a good grilled fish with rice and, you will not believe, ferns. Seems that the local ferns are cooked a little bit steamed with coconut milk, salt pepper and is giving this amazing “contorno” as she called it. I never felt so at home… So practically we landed in a deep, wonderful Italian atmosphere surrounded by a typically Fijian environment: the house and the small restaurant are build in traditional manner with bamboo, directly on the beach, children are playing in the water…

Fabrizia is a brave, hard working, wonderful Italian woman. She married a local Fijian years ago and she build this small business: a place of Paradise that she and her husband are sharing full-hearted with their clients. Everything is home made: gorgeous lemonade, amazing marmalade, vegetables from the garden, natural growing chicken, fresh fish from the Ocean etc. Maybe you will think it must be like this everywhere on the island. Apparently not: the locals are more and more attracted if not fooled by the mirage of civilization and forgetting bit by bit their tradition. So, they started to prefer “tin houses” to the more difficult to build but much nicer bamboo houses, they prefer drinking merely Coke, Fanta or other chemicals to their natural juices (here is a paradise for bananas, pineapples, papaya and other amazing fruits).

We were going to eat there one more time, before continuing our trip. This time was a genuine Italian pizza we enjoyed in a very relaxed and happy atmosphere…I do not even remember when I laughed last time so much and so deep in my heart. 

People and places: starting and Hong Kong

I am going to start posting a few stories about our small project of travelling around the world. I say small not because the world is small but because even if we make a complete tour of the planet we stop only in Hong Kong, Fiji Islands and California (between Los Angeles and San Francisco).

We started our journey on 31st of December with a flight from London to Hong Kong. Midnight cached us in the air…almost sleeping. We just said to each other Happy New Year and we went to sleep ;) It was one of the less ceremonious New Year’s eve we have ever spent…but we were eager to arrive in Hong Kong. The start of the year was announcing itself GREAT.

On the 1^st of January we arrived in Hong Kong…and we stayed until the 5^th of January.

Hong Kong (meaning the Incense Harbour) was GREAT and did not disappoint me at all. People were smiling a lot and every time they have seen us with the map figuring out our way, they stopped and ask politely if we need help. Being jet legged had a big advantage: we were starting very early in the morning. This meant we were in the metro during the rush hour. With a population of more then 10 million people I was thinking it will be hell…worse then Rome, Paris, Bucharest and other big cities I was accustom with. In fact, not at all. No matter the hour or the place I never seen overcrowded places, I never felt aggressed or in danger. Also, I did not see angry or upset people… And I have to admit that at least the metro system was one of the most organized and I supposed the rest of the public transportation was not worse as they were very few personal cars in the city.

Every neighbourhood has its own “world”: financial place with international restaurants and stores; street markets for all kind of goods, golden fish market for aquarium fishes, flower market, traditional Chinese medicine market, dry food market, ceramics market, jade and jewellery street etc. Hong Kong has its hills with amazing nature and hiking paths, we did a few. Inside the city, wherever possible, surrounded by the forest of skyscrapers, were also parks with amazing big and almost suspended ficus trees. In these parks, the Chinese, especially the elder ones, were practicing sports of all kinds from jogging or tennis to yoga, chi qong or tai chi. Nice to see and feel this of relaxing and healthy atmosphere…Another place I liked was the sea food market. The food is also something that we enjoyed even if we were not exactly courageous in our choices: different kinds of noodle soups or dumplings, salads and some small baked bread. In any case the Chinese cuisine as I new it from Europe has not so much in commune with what I have seen on the table of the people there and in the places were they were selling the food in the street. By the way, the smell was incredible good and people were queuing to eat there.

In other words, first experience with Hong Kong: nice people, nice places to visit (we did not cover too much in our 4 days there), nice food…and for whose interested quite good for shopping.

Iubeste ceea ce faci si fa ceea ce-ti place!

English here.

Este atat de simplu.

Ma intorc dupa o saptamana de vacanta din Italia, dintr-o regiune ce se chiama Cinque Terre. Este o regiune mica la sud de Genova formata din 5 sate cocotate printre dealuri, la malul marii, in Liguria. Este o regiune de facut drumetii si nu pde stat la plaja. Te poti duce sa te plimbi (desi unele trasee sunt destul de complicate si ai nevoie de incaltari bune) intre dealurile acoperite cu vita de vie, maslini, tot felul de flori mirositoare si colorate, fan inalt si ferigi pana la brau. Pe varfurile dealurilor sunt si ceva pini mediteraneeni si paduri de salcami. Noaptea este un spectacol feeric de licurici ce sclipicesc peste tot ca intr-o poveste cu feti frumosi.

Si in saptamana asta am mers, am mers mult si bine..peste 50 de km…si m-am gandit. Mi-am aranjat multe lucruri in cap, am realizat ca toate gandurile, faptele si sentimetele mele din ultimul timp se invarteau fara vre-un rost…ocolisera ceva important: faptul ca lucrurile simple ma fac fericita. O floare, un cal ce paste iarba vantul ce imi flutura prin par, un sarut, o carte buna…natura. As extrapola toate astea intr-o generalizare si as zice ca ca atunci cand ne simtitm inadecvat, nefericiti, stresati putem face ceva, putem reveni la lucrurile simple.

Simplifica-ti viata, gandurile, activitatea si te vei simti mai bine. Incearca! Viata este simpla, suntem noi cei care o complicam fara rost.

Ajunsa acasa, dupa o saptamana fara internet, gasesc un articol pe blogul lui Andrei Rosca care imi confirma teoria…in special micul filmulet de la sfarsit…

A glimpse of Rome

I am just back from a three days trip to Rome. I was going there for the meeting of the European Leaders Chapter of ICF. But not about this I want to write even if it was a very good and constructive meeting and I get acquainted with very nice and interesting people. I want to write about Rome. Sempre Roma. Rome like I know it, Rome now.

I have always admired the organized and specific way of Germans but in the same time I have been always amazed by the unorganized way of the Italians and by their ability to make things work in the biggest confusion and untransparency. The juicy part of living in Italy.

I have been living in Italy a few years ago for some time and in Rome as well enough to feel familiar when I am going back there. So I decided not to take a taxi but to use the cheap public transportation from the airport to the hotel. Once landed on Ciampino I knew there are some bus shuttles going into the city. In the Airport was only one information desk about these shuttles but was closed. I went outside looking around: it was raining. Probably the first rainy day in Rome of this year and probably the only one trough the spring. I see what could have been a bus stop because people were waiting. It was also a poster announcing the hours of the bus…in 5 minutes. I am lucky, I was thinking. After 10 minutes of rain and no bus, more and more people were coming from the airport. Enough to make full 3 buses. In the rain, with orange jackets a few guys are coming. They have something in their hands and yelling: Termini, Centro, Termini, Centro. I am realizing they should sell bus tickets. I go, I ask the price…I pay. I take my wet ticket already and going back under the cover of the bus stop. After another 5 minutes, I was half wet but one bus is arriving. ALLL, but ALL the people/turists/travelelrs are running to the bus. The first ones getting in are informed that they don’t have the right tickets. In fact nobody has the right tickets because they are sold only in the bus. I am not worrying about the fact that I could have fake tickets. I know how it is in Italy: very competitive...so there where is one company will be at least two more. I was right. After some more minutes in the rain the bus matching with my tickets is arriving. Another crowd running in the rain to take the bus. We just cannot go inside the bus with our luggage. It has to be put in the luggage compartment under the bus. A lot of people don’t understand Italian, the bus driver and his assistant they don’t really speak other languages. Confusion, rain, crowd. A mobile phone ringing. It is belonging to the driver. In the middle of all the mess he answers: Ciao, Cara! Come stai! Bene..anch’io. …etc. After a few minutes (!?) he finish the conversation and starts again to ”organize” the crowd/client thing. Finally after 30 minutes the bus is full of wet nervous people and the luggage is in the special compartment. Some negotiation are still going on the a funny language (mix of Italian and something else) with people that their wives/girlfriends were coming up in the bus during the time the men were arranging the luggage in the indicated place and now they do not have place anymore. The Italian driver say NO! Non e possible. In my bus nobody go standing…after 5 more minutes of negotiation the guys come on the bus as well. We are moving!!! youppy !!!But not for long: in 10 minutes we are entering the city and the traffic is tremendous…slow. Doesn’t matter for me as I am looking on the streets I know…in a neighborhood I was living for a while…here is the market. Loveley memories. Gelateria is in the same place. Roma e sempre Roma. Bella, caotica, dolce vita, tranquilla…bellissima Roma.

Gran Canaria (continuare)

Scriu in continuare despre Gran Canaria caci mi s-a parut ca saptamana a fost mult prea scruta pentru tot ceea ce se poate vedea si simti pe aceasta insula. Sunt mai multe feluri de calatori pe lumea asta dar eu fac parte dintre cei care cauta sa vada similaritatile si diferentele in felul de a trai al oamenilor din locurile pe care le vizitez. Ma bazez in principal pe similaritati pentru a ma simti ca acasa oriunde ma duc…Intr-o saptamana nu am putut sa imi fac o idee exacta dar am observat cateva chestii. Similaritati cu poporul roman: populatia bastinasa « sparge » seminte de floarea soarelui la orice colt si cu orice ocazie. Principala activitate este agricultura si nu am vazut gospodarie fara o mana de gaini si un porculet (stiu ca unii inca mai cred ca romanii sunt mai departe de atat, imi cer scuze daca ii ofensez). Principala activitate de timp liber este mersul la gratar sau picnic in munti, la niste lacuri absolut superbe. In aceste locuri bastinasii impanzesc locul cu masinile, fac gratare (e drept locul este amenajat special pentru gratare) si asculta muzica de la casetofonul masinii (spaniola ce-i drept, dar poate ca versurile nu sunt atat de departe de manele). Diferente: au autostrada si au simtul turismului. Simtul turismului la mine se refera la urmatoarele : curatenie, informatii (in mimimum 3 limbi engleza, germana si norvegiana), mijloace de transport atat in commun (e drept ca nu am utilizat autobuzele dar judecand dupa numarul lor pe strazi, precum si dupa numarul persoanelor din statie pare super ok) cat si masini de inchiriat, taxiuri si vaporase. Strazile impecabile chiar si in varf de munte. Mancarea este ieftina, in special tot ceea ce se numeste legume, fructe, paine, branza, carne si peste (poti alege dintre produse autohtone foarte gustoase sau internationale)…benzina este ieftina (chiar mai ieftina decat in Luxembourg) nevand taxe vamale.

In afara de peisajele superbe si foarte diferite de la nord la sud sau de la malul marii in varful muntilor (la malul marii erau in jur de 18 grade in fiecare zi cand am urcat pe munte au fost si 7-8 grade) se pot face o groaza de activitati : vizite in diverse parcuri si gradini cu pasari, animale sau plante (gradina botanica de langa Las Palmas era gratis si e o adevarata capodopera), sporturi (diving, golf, ciclism, tenis etc) sau pur si simplu aruncatul cu privirea. Cei intersati de localitati si cladiri, biserici etc nu vor fi dezamagiti. Nu insist prea mult caci eu sunt amatoare de natura mai mult decat de orase dar pot afirma ca centrul din Las Palmas merita toata stima.

Ce mi s-a parut interesant insa si pasionant a fost si va ramane numarul impresionant de plante care se integreaza foarte bine cu peisajul deluros sau stancos pe alocuri. Toate plantele pe care le vazusem din cand in cand prin ghivece sau sere ale gradinilor botanice, aici erau pur si simplu peste tot si intr-o marime « explodata ». Cactusi grasi cat roata carului sau mari si inalti cat un nuc, fel si fel de palmieri, aloe si alte plante ale caror nume imi scapa…

Ne aflam la un moment dat undeva prin mijlocul insulei, intre niste munti si vai si canioane superbe unde natura isi facea veacul in stilul ei cu verdeata, ape curgatoare, cascade cand a rasarit deodata in fata ochilor o vale imensa plina de pomi infloriti : migdali cat vedeai cu ochii cu flori roz si albe. Am urcat valea iar in varful muntelui unde credeam ca doar ceva capre pot trai era un satuc de vreo 5-6 case in care banuiesc ca traiau pastori. O turma de capre si oi sareau bezmetice printre stanci si se adaposteau in cotloanele rotunjoare ca niste mici grote create de relieful vulcanic. La vederea acestor locuri de o frumusete de basm nu m-am putut intreba daca cei ce locuiesc in astfel de locuri se gandesc uneori la ceea ce se intampla in lume ? Poate da, poate nu…stiu doar ca pentru mine, in valea cu migdali infloriti si turma de capre si oi…timpul s-a oprit in loc.

2 Februarie 2011

Sunt in Insulele Canare, mai exact in Gran Canaria. De cand am inceput sa discutam despre aceasta saptamana pe insula, mi-a fluturat in cap si in fata ochilor posterul pe care il aveam pe hol in apartamentul parintilor. De fapt nu era un poster ci un fel de suvenir facut dintr-un soi de material. Fondul era negru si o schita colorata reprezenta un oras si viata de noapte a orasului. Deasupra scria mare Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Cu mintea mea de cativa anisori (maxim 10 caci apoi nu m-au mai fascinat culorile posterului) ma tot intrebam ce or fi palmele unui canar mare…cam asta era traducerea din capul meu. Acum imi aduc aminte ca ar fi fost reprezentati si ceva palmieri dar nu cred ca ei reprezentau ceva in capul meu de copil roman, care abia vedea de craciun cateva banane verzi si ananas la conserva.

Si iata-ma aici…la 33 de ani caci imi permit sa mentionez ca acum 2 zile am facut 33 de ani. In afara de faptul ca fie o gripa, fie o raceala, fie pur si simplu alergiile care ma bantuie au facut ca nasul meu sa curga ca un robinet si sa tusesc ca un TBCist de ultima speta, nimic nu ma poate opri in a admira peisajul natural al aceastei insule. E drept ca turismul de masa a facut ravagii in special la malul marii unde cladirile hotelurilor si apartamentelor de vacanta acopera fiecare centimentru de deal, stanca, faleza etc. Tot turismul de masa au facut sa apara ca ciupercile dupa ploaie tot felul de baruri si restaurante in care am observat ca populatia « pitipoanca » este foarte apreciata. Fel si fel de natii (englezi, norvegieni, nemti, ialieni etc) si-au trimis reprezentati sclipiciosi, plini de armani si d&G pe plajele facute anume pentru ei din Gran Canaria. Cand spun ca plajele sunt facute anume pentru ei nu glumesc caci exista inclusiv o plaja unde a fost adus nisip din Caraibe, alb si finut sa nu sgarie pielicica sensibila care nu a atins altceva decat stofa de mare marca !

In rest , o data ce te indepartezi de hoardele venite sa se inegreasca in mijlocul iernii europene, peisajul este ca luat din National Geografics…cred ca mi-ar trebui talentul lui Sadoveanu sa descriu dealurile, muntii si stancile nascute din vulcani, cu forme deosebite, acoperite de iarba de un verde deschis si de tufisuri din plante necunoscute mie cu un numar de feluri de cactusi absolut impresionant si presarat cu palmieri de toate formele si toata marimile. Plantatii de bananieri, smochini, papaia, portocali si alte fructe exotice acopera vaile insorite ale dealurilor. De pe stancile inalte izvorasc rauri ce formeaza cascade si vai care ajung pana la ocean…peste tot zboara fluturi si pasari colorate. Eterna primavara caci media temperaturilor peste iarna este 20 de grade iar peste vara 25. Climatul perfect. Paradisul Spaniei…