nu mai inteleg... i don't understand anymore...

... vremea asta!

saptamana trecuta cred ca am fost cea mai fericita persoana de pe fata pamantului cand, intr-o dimineata m-am trezit, m-am uitat pe geam si am vazut ca "toarna cu galeata"... ploua! prima ploaie de la inceputul lunii noiembrie... primul gand care mi-a venit in minte "vine primavara!" radiam de fericire... in drumul spre birou am fost tot un zambet... cea mai fericita persoana de pe strada. chiar ploua, tare de tot si batea un vant de te lua pe sus... da' vant cald de primavara.

au urmat cateva zile de vreme calda, mai ploua da' mai iesea si soarele din cand in cand... soare cald, zambaret... si nu acel soare cu dinti, ci un soare frumos de primavara.

in weekend am plecat la pärnu, un oras in sud vestul estoniei, la malul marii baltice.... hihihiiii ma si vedeam balacindu-mi picioarele in apa.

nu mi-am luat haine groase... un tricou si o bluza banala de trening... si geaca de iarna bineinteles... totusi inca sunt in estonia :)

am plecat din tartu pe vreme buna... in pärnu, cand am pus piciorul pe pamant am crezut ca inghet instantaneu, un frig, un vant... care iti patrundea pana in maduva cioantelor...

plimbandu-ma prin oras, dau la un moment dat cu ochii de rau, care-i poate de dimensiunea somesului din cluj... inghetat bocna! cu pescari care dadeau la copca pe el... asta ca sa va dati seama ca nu va vand gogosi :P cred ca erau vreo 200 :)

duminica mergand spre statia de autobuz... am crezut ca am o iluzie, din pacate nu era! a inceput incet... cate un fulg din 2 in 2 minute. "madli ninge!" am spus... "nu-i cum, nu vezi bine! e o iluzie, e zapada din coapci suflata de vant" mi-a raspuns. eu: "uita-te la pomi, daca vezi o urma de zapada in vreun copac il mananc cu radacina cu tot"... dupa 10 minute a inceput furtuna de zapada... care m-a condus pana in tartu. 2 aprilie, ca sa nu zic ca era ziua pacalelilor...

a nins doar duminica, luni a fost frig, marti dimineata innorat si vreme urata... dupa-masa a iesit soarele si dint-o data s-a incalzit. m-am plimbat 2 ore prin oras pe o vreme calda de primavara...

acum parca mi-e frica sa ma bucur de ea... daca fuge iar?

bebule pentru tine... bebu, for you... tallinn :P

estonia in doliu... estonia mourns...

Lennart Meri primul presedinte al estoniei (1992-2001) dupa castigarea independentei in 1991 a decedat ieri. a fost o persoana respectata si populara in estonia. a fost cunoscut la nivel international pentru inteligenta, fermitatea si atitudinea sa independenta. atat in tara cat si in afara a fost considerat un lider influent.

in 2003 reiesea dintr-un studiu realizat in 26 de tari ca Lennart Meri este cel mai recunoscut estonian la nivel international. unul din cinci respondenti au recunoscut ca Lennart Meri este cel mai renumit cetatean estonian.

azi e zi nationala de doliu. steagurile din oras sunt in berna sau au alaturi o panglica neagra.

"Lumea a pierdut un mare estonian, un mare politician si un adevarat european" - vaira vike-freiberga presedintele letoniei.

Lennart Meri estonia's first president (1992-2001) after the restoration of independence in 1991, died yesterday. he was very respected and popular in estonia. he was known internationally for his intelligence, determination and independent mind. both at home and abroad, he was considered to an influential and effective leader.

according to a survey of tourists from 26 countries by es turu-uuringute as in november 2003, Lennart Meri is the best internationally recognised estonian. every fifth respondent answered that Meri is estonia’s most famous citizen.

today is national mourning day. the flags are in bern or have attached a black ribbon.

"the world has lost a great estonian, a great statesman and a true european" vaira vike-freiberga latvian president.

www.kirjasto.sci.fi/lmeri.htm
www.balticsww.com/news/features/meri__portrait.htm
or www.google.com

luna in seara asta... moon tonight...

tocmai am aflat ca in seara asta, pe la miezu noptii este ceva eclipsa partiala de luna. in estonia se vede faza maxima a eclipsei si un fenomen de genul asta se intampla o data la cateva sute de ani... hahahaaaaa... ce tare... fac poze si va tin la curent ;)

am intins-o afara... la inghetat si admirat...

i just found out that tonight, at midnight there is some partial moon eclipse. estonia is one of the countries where one can see the maximum phase of it. a phenomenon like this can happen once in hundred of years... hahahaaaa... that's cool... i'll take pictures and send them to you ;)

go out now... freeze and admire...

n-am vazut nici o eclipsa... a fost innorat :o(

i couldn't see anything it was cloudy :o(

limba estona... estonian language...

limba estona... nu stiam cu ce sa o compar... nu suna a nimic cunoscut. depinde cine, cand si in ce stare afla cand vorbea. de ex. mi se parea tare diferit cand auzeam o femeie vorbind estona sau cand auzeam un barbat vorbind-o, era o diferenta intre cum vorbeau tinerii sau batranii... intre cei care au baut ceva (alcoolic sau pur si simplu gazos) sau nu inainte de a povesti :P uneori seamana cu italiana... numa' ca nu intelegeam nimic, alteori cu greaca sau cu limbile arabe. asta a fost la inceput... acum, dupa 5 luni de ascultat, dupa ce am inceput sa o invat e pur si simplu estona (... si nu estoniana :P )... si acum chiar imi place

hahahaaa... totul a inceput cand virve (directoarea biroului de relatii internationale) mi-a propus sa particip la cateva cursuri de estona semestrul trecut. pe banii universitatii si in timpul programului de lucru... hahahaaaa ce oferta mai e si asta... adica de ce nu? :P

imi aduc aminte de prima lectie... nu ma puteam opri din ras... pe bune! habar nu aveam cum sa citesc, cum sa pun accentele, eram in grupa cu alti straini... fiecare cu accentul lui. mi-au trebuit cateva lectii sa ma obisnuiesc. nu e greu... sau? se citeste asa cum se scrie, se pune accentul la inceput. sunetele sunt aceleasi... exista si in estona " î " numa ca ii un caracter diferit "õ" nu au "c", da' au "k"din belsug, "j" este "i", "ä" este "e"u' nostru ardelenesc, adica ceva intre a si e, "ö" si "ü" ca in germana :) hai sa va dau si cate un exemplu: "ma lähen koju", adica "ma laehen coiu" adica "ma duc acasa". cel mai tare a fost cand am invatat "ilusat nädalavahetust!", "weekend placut". mi-a luat chiar un weekend. ma plimbam prin casa si exersam. mi se limba plimba prin gura. :)

intr-o poza mai jos este prezentat acelasi text in estona si engleza... puteti incerca sa cititi nitel sa vedeti cum va descurcati... nu-i foarte greu... sau? textul este preluat din brosura de prezentare a universitatii din tartu a anului 2005 si este folosit doar pentru prezentare generala a limbii.

estona e limba cuvintelor compuse... "nädalavahetust"... adica trecerea dintre saptamani.

in estona exista 14 cazuri... dintre care 3 sunt total diferite - nominativ, genitiv si partitiv. practic, cand inveti un cuvant nou trebuie sa inveti cel putin cele 3 cazuri (uneori trei cuvinte diferite), restul se formeaza din radacina lor. nu voi intra in amanunte si explicatii ce inseamna fiecare ca habar nu am... eu doar le folosesc...

la fel cu verbele... exista 2 infinitive si forma prezentului simplu, care pot fi total diferite. de exemplu verbul a merge: "minema" - ma infinitive,"minna" - da infinitive, "lähen" - pers I singular prezentul simplu. restu' timpurilor se formeaza din astea... sau nu?

exista multe intrebari la care ti se raspunde: pentru ca asa e! cand vorbesti (intrebi) ceva despre limba estona nu exista nici o explicatie logica... pur si simplu trebuie sa inveti.

profele de estona au fost si sunt tare de treaba. sunt bine pregatite, ne incurajeaza si ne provoaca sa ne dam drumu' la papagal... hahahaaaaa... mai primim din cand in cand cate un raspuns: este perfect, foarte bine, estonienii te inteleg da' nu-i corect! oricum am curaju' din cand in cand sa vorbesc cate ceva... mai ales atunci cand sunt singura :) din pacate nu am un vocabular foarte bine format. mai am mult de lucru la partea asta.

imi cer scuze ca trec de la un subiect la altu' in fata biroului meu este geamul si se vede o luna plina superba, uriasa si rosie... hahahaaaa... bebule nu am baut nimic sa stii :P

merg sa admir... revin in curand...

estonian language... i didn't have any language in my mind to compare it with... didn't sound at all familiar when i first heard it. depended who, when and in what mood that person was when he/she spoke it. for instance it sounded different for me when was spoken by a female or when was spoken by a male. there was a difference between the estonian language spoken by old people or by young people... between those who drank something (alcoholic or just something with gas) and those who didn't :P sometimes sounded like italian... olny i couldn't understand anything, other times sounded like greek or arabic languages. this was at the begining... now, i can say i have heard it for 5 month, i started to learn little... is just estonian... and now i really like it

hahahaaa... it all started when virve (she is the director of international relations office) told me that i can attend some estonian classes last semester. university will pay for that, it's during the working hours... hahahaaaaa... that's a good offer... i mean, why not? :P

i remember my first lesson... i couldn't stop laughing... really! i didn't have any idea how to read, where to put the accents. in the same group there were other international employees of the university... each with their own accent. i needed some classes to get used with it. is not so difficult... or? you read like you write, you put the accent at the beginngig and you are a master. some sounds are similar with ones in romanian. for instance romanian " î " is estonian "õ", there is no "c" but plenty of "k", estonian "j" is romanian "i", estonian "ä" is romanian from ardeal "e", something between "a" and "e", "ö" and "ü" similar with german ones :) so, let me give you one example: estonian "ma lähen koju" romanian reading "ma laehen coiu" means "i go home". i was so proud when i learned "ilusat nädalavahetust!", it means "have a nice weekend". i needed one full weekend to learn it. i was walking in the house practicing.

in this picture there is a very good example. same text in estonian and in english. try and practice :) is not so difficult isn't it? this text is taken from tartu university's 2005 yearbook and it has only presentation purposes.



estonian is the language of composed words... "nädalavahetust"... meaning the transition between weeks.

in estonian there are 14 cases... 3 of them are totaly different - nominative, genitive and partitive. practically when you learn a new word you have to learn at least these 3 cases (sometimes three totaly different words), the rest of the cases use these 3 as roots. i will not go into detalis 'cause i don't know many things about this... i just use them...

is the same with verbs... there are 2 infinitive forms and one form for present simple. these can be totally different words. for instance the verb to go: "minema" - ma infinitive,"minna" - da infinitive, "lähen" - first person singular present simple. the other tenses use these ones as roots... or not?

there are many questions which have answers like: "just because!" when you talk (ask) something about estonian language. there is no logical explanation for some rules... you just have to learn it like that.

estonian teachers that i had and still have were, and still are great :) they are well prepared, they encourage us and challenge us to speak in estonian... hahahahaaaaa sometimes the answer we get from them is: is perfect, very good, estonians will understand you but gramatically is not corect! anyway sometimes i have the courage to speak something... especially when i am alone :) unfortunately my estonian vocabulary is not so good. i still have to work on that.

i'm sorry i change the subject. in front of my desk there is a window and i can see outside a huge, red, beautiful moon... hahahahaaaa... bebe i haven't drink anything lately :P (picture above)

i go to admire... i'll be back soon...

romania vs estonia

estonia vs romania sau invers :) e bine, nu sunt foarte multe diferente intre cele doua tari... sau? sa vedem...

in estonia oamenii - sunt nitel mai reci, mai distanti, seamana din acest punct de vedere cu nordicii. ai impresia ca fiecare isi vede de treaba lui. o data ce te apropii de ei sunt tare de treaba, prietenosi, amabili deschisi. sunt respectosi si seriosi in tot ceea ce fac si spun. este foarte greu sa obtii de la un estonian statutul de prieten, este greu in sensul ca ai mult de lucru pana a ajunge acolo... da' odata dobandit chiar inseamna ceva. comparativ, in romania, iesi cu o persoana necunoscuta la un pahar de apa plata si dupa 5 minute sunteti cei mai buni "prieteni" nu-i asa? dupa mine "prietenia" dureaza sau este atat de solida cat timpul sau efortul depus pentru a o construi. asemanare sau diferenta?

clima in estonia... brrrrrrrrrr... e 9 martie... nu am simtit deloc inceputul primaverii... daca s-a aratat nitel soarele a fost o intamplare cu -20 de grade la exterior. noroc ca in interior, suflet calduros. nu stau estonienii rau cu caldura in case... cel putin nu pe unde am umblat eu. da' am auzit ca si in romania, cam aceleasi temperaturi, aceleasi vremuri... brrrrrrrr... Ice Age'ul e pe noi... apucati si puneti ghinda la pastrare (pentru cei ce au vazut filmul Ice Age, pentru ceilalti: e un film ce merita vazut :) ) cele mai scazute temperaturi din iarna asta in tartu -34 de grade - record personal.

mancarea si bautura - aproape la fel... multe salate, multe sosuri, nu sunt traditionale, da' sunt bune. mancarea traditionala de craciun: piftie (tremuriciu' de la noi), varza acra gatita (un fel de varza calita de la noi, chiar seamana), carne de porc, carnati in sange (sangeretele din romania - poate fara usturoi) prajituri. nimic deosebit sau foarte diferit. au tzuica si slanina da' nu beau si mananca de astea cat noi (asa ca noroc ca mi-am dus de acasa). daca prefera vinurile, le prefera pe cele dulci. am intalnit aici cidru (cider in engleza, siider in estona) e bautura irlandeza - asta am aflat ieri (ce zici bogdi?). e combinatie intre bere si vin spumos cu 4,7% alcool... suc de-a dreptu'. normal ca estonienii beau si vodca, mie nu imi place asa ca nu am prea incercat si daca s-a intamplat numai cu suc... mai au un fel de lichior destul de puternic (40% alcool): vana tallinn pe care nu l-am incercat inca... da' mai am timp.

saptamana trecuta, in 28 februarie a fost ziua nationala a saniusului, cu mic cu mare ne-am pornit pe dealurile orasului (munti de-a dreptu - cel mai inalt varf baltic e in estonia: muntele (sau dealul - acelasi cuvant in estona pentru munte si deal) numit Ou 318,10m inaltime) sa ne dam cu ceva ce aluneca pe zapada... sanii, pungi de plastic, colaci de **u. in aceasta zi numita in estona "vastlapaev"se zice ca isi rupe iarna spinarea... ha? adica se rupe iarna in doua si nici ca o ia la sanatoasa ci mai sta inca pe atat pe meleaguri estoniene... sper ca e doar poveste altfel va trebui sa iau in mai uscatorul de par si sa topesc nitica zapada pentru a vedea un fir de iarba in estonia. de "vastlapaev" se mananca supa de mazare. un fel de mazare frecata cu carne afumata. are consistenta macarii de mazare de la noi, numa ca noi pastram mazarea intreaga. cel putin asa face mama :) si desert: un fel de savarine - aluatul e mai putin dulce, mai mult sarat, neinsiropat, doar cu frisca.

1 martie... am avut noroc cu frate-mio si cu prietenii de acasa care mi-au trimis cate un martisor ca altfel as fi uitat complet de aceasta zi minunata "de primavara"...

8 martie... se recunoaste ca e ziua internationala a femeii dar nu se intampla nimic deosebit... se impart bomboane si flori... daca e ceva. am iesit cu toate romancele din tartu la restaurant - pardon, la unul din cele mai faine din tartu: wilde (cunoscut si ca irish pub). m-am simtit tare bine.

cam atat pe azi... va mai tin la curent 220V ca atat e in prize in zona ;)

is strange 'cause i don't know what else to write, i mean i know but there are so many things, i don't know how to start.

estonia vs. romania or romania vs. estonia :) well i cannot say that there are so many differences between the 2 countries... or? let's see...

people - in estonia are little colder, distant, nordic attitude - this might be the first impression. you have the feeling that everybody minds their own business. once you get closer to them they are very nice, friendly, kind and opened. are respectfull and serious in everything they say or do. it is difficult to get a "friend" status from an estonian, is difficult because you really have to work to get it, to build for it... but once you get it really means something. in romania, you go out with a totally unknown person, just to drink a glass of simple water and after that you're his "best friend". isn't it so? the friendship in my oppinion lasts as much, or is as strong as it taken you to build it.

weather - brrrrrrrrrrrr... is 9th of march... i haven't felt at all the spring... if the sun came out these days it was accidentally and it brought -20 degrees outside. luckyly that inside the spirit is warm. no problems with central heating... at least in the places i visited. i heard that in romania were almost same temperatures... well maybe 10 degrees warmer, but that's not much... brrrrrrrrrrrrr... Ice Ace is coming so take care of your acom (for the ones who saw the movie, for the others: you have to see it! :) ) the lowest temperatures this winter in tartu -34 degrees - personal record

food and drink - almost the same... lots of salads, sauces, not traditionals, but very good ones. christmas traditional food: meat jelly (piftie, tremurici in romanian), sour cabbage (similar with our chilled cabbage, really similar), pork meat, blood sausages (sangerete in romania - maybe without garlic), and cakes. nothing special or different. they have plum brandy and bacon but don't "use" them as much as in romania (i was lucky to bring some from home). if the wine is preffered, is the sweet one. i discovered here the cider is an alcoholic drink (4,7 alcohol), is something between beer and sweet sparkling wine... almost like juice. normally, estonians drink vodka but i don't like it so i didn't really drank it. i tryed it only with juice... they also have some liqueur, quite strong one 40% alcohol named vana tallinn... i haven't tried it yet... but i still have time.

last week on 28th of february it was national sleigh-riding day, so everybody went on tartu hills (i mean mountains - the highest baltic peak is in estonia: mountain (or hill - is the same word in estonian for both of them: mägi) Egg 318,10m altitude) to sleigh-ride with sledges, or plastic bags, or toilet thing (i don't know the term in english). during this day, called in estonian "vastlapaev" it is said that the winter breaks its spine... ha? the winter breaks in two it doesn't mean that it goes away, it means that is only the middle of winter... i hope is only a story otherwise i will have to take the hair drier and melt the snow to see one grass blade in estonia. on this day "vastlapaev"estonians eat pea soup with some smoked meat. similar to romanian pea dish. similar to what my mom cooks. very good! :) for dessert: estonians have something similar with rum baba (savarina), the dough is less sweet and it doesn't have syrup, only with whipped cream.

1st of march... i was lucky with my brother and romanian friends who remembered me about this beautiful "spring" day...

8 of march... international women's day, nothig special happens... maybe some sweets and flowers sharing... nice. i went out with romanian girls to a restaurant... one of the best in tartu: wilde pub (a.k.a. irish pub). i had a great time.

that's all for today... stay online! ;)

drumul spre estonia... on the way to estonia...

19 octombrie 2005... hahahaaaaa stiu ca sunt nitel in urma cu mesajele, voi incerca sa recuperez :)

ora 23 stateam in piata unirii in microbuzul care ma ducea in budapesta. 3-4 studenti arabi de la facultatea de medicina urmau sa plece definitiv acasa - cel putin asta am inteles din tot ce s-a intamplat acolo. erau in jur de 30 de colegi de-ai lor (tot arabi) care boceau de parca venea sfarsitul pamantului, parca erau la gropaciune si se urcau in microbuz si coborau ca nu mai stiai care pleaca si care vine. am pornit din Cluj cu o intarziere de o juma de ora... eram rupta de oboseala asa ca pana la vama am dormit bustean. tin minte ca m-am trezit la metro si nu imi venea sa cred ca suntem in numai in floresti (adica la cativa km de cluj) - eram de fapt in oradea. la vama totul a fost ok, am trecut fara nici o problema. somn pana in budapesta... episodul 2. m-am trezit cand am ajuns in fata aeroportului. ciudat, au trecut 4 luni jumate de atunci si imi aduc aminte de acea zi... parca ar fi fost ieri :)

am calatorit cu easyjetu': budapesta-berlin, berlin-tallinn... distanta intre avioane la berlin de 4 ore!

in aeroportu' din budapesta ma apuca pe mine istetimile... adica sa imi cantaresc bagaju'... ca parca nu aveam altceva de lucru. nici nu aveam! si pana la urma bine am facut. 27 kg uuuuuuuups!!! puteam baga la cala 20 de kg, diferenta 6EURO/kg x 2 (adica si in Budapesta si in Berlin) ;) la ora 8 dimineata, in mijlocul aeroportului din Budapesta imi desfaceam bagaju scoteam din al' mare si bagam in rucsac... am ajuns la 22 de kg... 5 kg afara, adevarata performanta! rezultatu': bagaj mare mai mic si 2 bagaje de mana - riscant!

in aeroport am avut noroc cu un slujitor al Domnului, un nene tare simpatic care lucreaza la roma in cadrul bisericii... 6 ore am povestit cu el, si faceam schimb la paza bagajelor ca sa mai dam cate o tura la **u sa ne racorim :). tare de treaba!

tocmai cand incepeau sa ma lase emotiile bagajului se anunta check-inu'... here we go again! 22 kg al' mare si 2 bagaje de mana... ceva tre' sa se intample! ar fi prea frumos sa scap cu fata curata. stat si tremurat la coada... hahahahaaaa eram ca un student care nu vrea sa intre la examen si ii lasa pe aia din spate sa incerce... am ramas ultima :) am scapat de namila fara nici o problema, trecut tanti pe bilet 20kg. cand sa plec din fata ei ma intreaba: cate bagaje de mana aveti... am crezut ca imi inghit limba. mai bine o faceam! nu zic cum am aburit-o, ca mi-e rusine... da' am reusit sa scap! :)

in fata portii de plecare, se anunta ca, din cauza unor lucrari la pista, avionul va pleca cu intarziere de o ora jumate... am calculat rapid in minte: pierd avionul celalalt... era clar! incepeam sa ma gandesc cum fac rost de bani ca sa imi cumpar alt bilet, cand plec din berlin, unde stau... nu mai aveam nici o speranta... ce sa fac? sa ma intorc in cluj? da, ma mai puteam intoarce, credeam! pe cine sa sun? nu stiam pe nimeni acolo. cum iau legatura cu cei din estonia?... o gramada de ganduri de intrebari care imi treceau prin minte. cum e posibil? pai nu e! avionul asta are intarziere de o ora jumate, eu am timp 4 ore in berlin... nu se poate sa il pierd... recalculez si rad de mine! plec din budapesta. dorm pe avion pana la berlin!

ajuns in berlin... namila tot la cala... da' bagajele de mana tot namile erau... cel putin 10 kg fiecare. nu erau scari rulante... cand am vazut m-am albit! carat bagaje in sus pe scari, apoi in jos, la stanga, la dreapta, iar scari si in sus si in jos - de ce le-au mai pus?... mi-am asteptat bagajul (asa e cu easyjet - nu il muta ei) trecut cu bine de vama, intrat in Germania, mers direct la check-in. aici chiar nu am mai avut emotii fara sa schitez nici un gest - preluat cultura nemteasca - am dat iar namila - si dupa ce am primit biletu' am tulit-o ca speedy gonzales ca daca tanti din germania ma intreba ceva de bagaju' de mana nu mai scapam... cred ca ma bagau si pe mine la cala.

ajuns din nou la vama la verificare. dezbracat - aveam vreo 3 randuri de tzoale pe mine... ca sa usurez bagaju'! pus totul la raze X trec de scula care verifica metalele... ma trage o tanti de o parte si incepe sa ma scaneze cu un baston... cand ajunge jos la picioare incepe ala sa sune ca turbatu'! parca era alarma politiei. "descalta-te!" era din nou sa imi inghit limba... da' nu de teama ca am ceva acolo... nu ma descaltasem de aproape o zi, eram cu ghetele de iarna ma temeam sa nu ii cada la tanti nasu'. nu i-a cazut nici atunci cand m-a scanat in talpa. mi-a luat ghetele le-a bagat la raze X si apoi mi le-a adus fericita inapoi. oare ce se astepta sa gaseasca acolo? ma incalt. ma uit catre alta tanti care statea cu unul din bagajele mele in fata. imi face semn cu degetul. merg incolo. "ai uscator de par aici?" ma intreaba. "da" zic. "deschide!" in zapaceala aia nu mai stiam unde am pus cheita de la lacat. ce imi veni sa il inchid? deschid bagaju' si incepe tanti sa scoata, si sa cotrobaie prin el... eu intre timp ii uram sanatate si fericire cred ca am luat fiecare sarbatoare in parte... am inceput cu craciunul din 1854 si cred ca am ajuns pana la pastile din 2375 - simteam nevoia sa ii felicit si stramosii si urmasii... sa-i traiasca! :) dupa ce m-am chinuit o jumatate de ora sa bag inapoi tot ce a scos si a scanat tanti aveam senzatia ca am trecut pe la cea mai incinsa sauna! scapat si de asta! am gasit 2 batranei simpatici, i-am pus de garda la bagajele mele si am dat cateva ture prin duty-free-uri. nu am gasit nimic interesant. am plecat la avion, faza cea mai faina e ca m-am intalnit exact cu vamesu' care mi-a verificat pasaportul cand am intrat in aeroport... hahahahahaaa... sa-l fi vazut ce fata a facut. tare simpatic.

am ajuns in tallinn. mi-am luat namila, am trecut fara probleme de vama ies in aeroport: nimeni! trebuia sa ma astepte cineva din AIESEC. dau cateva ture: pustiu. eram mult prea obosita ca sa ma enervez sau sa ma stresez. am schimbat cativa euro - la cel mai prost curs posibil - era singura casa de schimb din aeroport. cumparat cartela de telefon si in momentul cand martin (vicepresedintele AIESEC tartu) a raspuns a dat navala in aeroport un tinerel blond si tare simpatic, care imi facea disperat semne ca a ajuns sa ma ridice. am plecat cu el la alt membru AIESEC acasa. am mancat si m-am bagat in pat. somn pana dimineata...

19th of October 2005... hahahaaaa I know that I am little behind with postings but I am trying to catch up :)

23:00 o'clock, i was sitting in Unirii Square in Cluj Napoca, in the bus which was supposed to take me to budapest airport. 3-4 arabian students from the medicine faculty took the same bus to go home - at least this is what i understood from everything that happened there. there were 30 of their coleagues - all arabians - who were crying like the end of the world was comming, and all of them came up in the bus and then got down, up again, and so on... you didn't know who was leaving or who was staying. we left cluj with half an hour late... i was very tired so i slept till the border. i remember i woke up near metro and i thought that we are still in cluj. how is this possible? we were actually in oradea. at the border everything was ok. i slept till budapest. when i woke up we were already in front of the airport. is strange, i remember everything like it was yesterday.

i traveled with easyjet: budapest-berlin, berlin-tallinn... i had to wait in berlin 4 hours for the next plane.

in budapest i start to be smart... i take my bag to the weighting machine... like i didn't have anything better to do. i didn't! and in the end it was a very good idea. 27kg uuuuuuuuuuups!!! the maximum weight allowed was 20kg, the difference 6 EURO/kg x 2 (in Budapest and Berlin) ;) at 8 am in the middle of budapest airport i opened my bag, taking out stuff from the big one and stuffing into my backpack... i managed to take out 5 kg. real performance! the result: the bigger bag was smaller and i had two hand luggages - riscky!

i had to spend 6 hours in the airport, but i met a really nice guy who was working in the church in rome.

when my nerves with the luggage started to calm they announced the check-in... here we go again! 22 kg the big one and 2 hand luggages. something must happen! would be to nice to escape clean. i sat and trembled in line... hahahahaaaa i was like a student who didn't want to go to the exam and who kept pushing the others inside... i was the last one :) i got rid of the giant without any problem, the lady wrote on my ticket 20 kg. i was about to leave when she asked me: how many hand luggages do you have? i thought i swallow my tongue. i better did. i will not tell you how i rolled her out, i'm ashamed but i managed to escape! :)

in front of the gate they announce that because of some repairs to the runway, the plane will leave with 1 hour and half delay... i calculated in my mind: i will lose the other plane from berlin... it was as clear as blue sky! i started to think how to get money to buy another ticket, when will i leave berlin, where can i stay... i didn't have any hope... what shall i do? go back to cluj? yes, i can still do that, i thought! whom can i call in berlin? i didn't know anyone there. how do i contact the ones in estonia?... so many questions and thoughts. how is this possible? well, is not! this plane is only one hour late and i have 4 hours in berlin... is impossible to lose the other plane. i calculate again and laugh at me! i left budapest. i slept all the way to berlin!

i arrived in berlin... the giant (the big luggage) was still in the plane... but the hand luggages were also giants... at least 10 kg each. there were no rolling stairs... when i noticed that, i sudenly turned white! i carried the luggages on the stairs for 15 minutes up and down. i waited for the giant, i passed the border, i was in germany. i went straight to the check-in. here i didn't have any power left to feel nervous about the luggages so i gave the big one and without saying anything i just turned around and ran for my life... if that lady have had said anything i think they would have put even me in the hold.

i got to the custom again. i undressed. i had 3 rounds of clothes on me. i had to take some out of the big bag to make it easier! i put everything to xray they did that metal checking... one women pulled me and she starts to scan me with a stick... when she reached my foot that think starts to beep like crazy! sounded like police alarm. "take off your shoes!" i was little scared about the smell because i haven't took them off for a long, long time... but she survived. she scanned them, she scanned my sole, what was she expecting to find? i put on my shoes and i looked to another lady who had one of my hand luggages in front of her. she made me a sign with a finger. i went there. "do you have your hair dryer inside?" she asked. "yes!" i said. "open it!" i started to be nervous, i forgot where i put the key. why did i lock it? i open it and she started to take everything out. piece by piece... minwhile i was wishing her, her ancestors and her successors all the best for every holiday, starting with 1854 christmas and ending with 2375 easter. :) i fought 30 minutes to put everything back in the bag! but at the end it was ok. i found in the airport two old people i asked them to look for my bags and i took a walk in all the shops there to relax. i didn't find nothing special there, so i went to the gate. there i met the same custom officer i met when i entered in germany... it was funny.

i got to tallinn. i took my giant, i passed the border, i got into the airport and noone was there to wait for me. some AIESEC people were supposed to be there. i was so tired i couldn't get upset or angry. i just changed some money and bought a phone card. i called one of AIESEC members and when he answered the phone a guy rushed into the airport. he was little late but i was happy he got there, eventually! he took me to another AIESEC member. i went to bed right away and slept till morning...

estonia, estonia, estonia...

imi aduc aminte de cum a inceput nebunia, dorinta mea de a ajunge in estonia. in urma cu cativa ani, am cunoscut-o pe Elina Raask, prima persoana de nationalitate estona. eram un membru oarecare in AIESEC, ea facea parte din comitetul national AIESEC Romania. inainte de a o cunoaste habar nu aveam de estonia... stiam ca e o tara pe undeva pe pamant, banuiam ca e prin europa, pe undeva prin nord, mai multe nu stiam. am povestit nitel cu ea, am inceput sa ma intereseze sa aflu, sa descopar din ce in ce mai mult.

am aplicat dupa un an in comitetul national al AIESEC Estonia, nu am reusit sa ajung intre cei 5, dar nu voi uita niciodata cate lucruri am aflat atunci despre estonia... 2 saptamani cel putin am stat cu burta pe materiale, cu nasu in calculator, pe internet, fascinata de ce inseamna si ofera tara asta minunata.

dupa cateva luni am intrat in baza de date a AIESEC Romania avand astfel posibilitatea de a merge intr-un traineeship. de atunci am fost mereu cu ochii pe estonia... nimic insa. am stat in sistem vreo doi ani. in vara anului trecut (2005) m-am hotarat sa imi acord o ultima sansa, o ultima incercare de a gasi un traineeship. incepusem sa renunt la visul meu, la estonia si eram dispusa sa accept orice traineeship pe marketing. am trimis vreo 30 de mailuri - unul inclusiv in estonia... raspunsurile, daca veneau, erau negative... ba ca jobul nu mai este valabil, ba ca traineeul e deja acolo... din estonia am primit un raspuns de genul: ne pare rau, am inceput selectia, nu te mai putem lua in calcul. mi-am spus: asta e! mergem mai departe, incepusem sa ma obisnuiesc cu ideea ca s-a terminat, incepusem sa ma gandesc la alte oportunitati pe care le am, cu regret ca nu am experimentat ceea ce inseamna traineeship oferit de AIESEC.

dupa 2-3 saptamani, primesc un mail din Tartu, de la AIESEC spunandu-mi ca din prima tura de candidati nu a fost aleasa nici o persoana, reprezentantii firmei (adica ai Universitatii) au vazut CVul meu si ca vor sa ia legatura cu mine... nu pot sa va descriu ce a fost in sufletul meu... apoi, cateva saptamani de pauza... nu stiam ce se intampla: ma gandeam ca s-au razgandit, imi era frica sa trimit mail sa intreb ceva, orice, de teama sa nu primesc un raspuns de genul: ne pare rau, am ales pe altcineva. dupa o luna de zile... nu voi uita niciodata ziua respectiva... eram la un client, faceam upgrade pentru noile programe de contabilitate in perioada denominarii, era 5-6 dupa-masa primesc un mail din estonia: cei de la universitate incearca sa dea de tine si nu reusesc, nu au adresa buna de mail...

am raspuns, le-am mai trimis o data adresa de mail, inclusiv numarul de mobil... dupa 15 minute imi suna telefonul: hello, we are from Tartu University... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... nu imi venea sa cred. am spus clar ca vreau sa imi ia atunci interviu... nu mai vrioam sa aman nici o clipa momentul... now or never! dupa cateva zile am primit raspuns ca am fost acceptata. am aflat in iulie, in 24 octombrie trebuia sa fiu la birou, in estonia... hahahahaaaaaa mi se parea tare ciudat. nu imi venea sa cred, discutam cu cei din AIESEC si parca vorbeam de experienta altei persoane... aveam uneori senzatia ca visez si pe masura ce se apropia data plecarii parca reveneam incet cu picioarele pe pamant. incepeam sa fiu din ce in ce mai speriata de tot ce urma sa se intample... urma sa plec intr-o tara despre care nu stiam aproape nimic, intre oameni pe care nu ii cunosteam. nu stiam ce e acolo, ce voi manca unde voi dormi, cat voi castiga, imi va fi suficient sa traiesc sau nu, cum e vremea, isi arata soarele fata sau urma sa experimentez o noapte polara... hahahahaaaaa...

la un moment dat am inceput numaratoarea inversa, da, imi doream din tot sufletul sa incep experienta asta minunata, pe de alta parte de cateva ori mi-a venit in minte ideea: las-o draku' de estonia si vezi-ti tu de ale tale! imi pare bine ca nu am facut asa si ca am avut curaju' sa pornesc la drum... mi-am cumparat pe la sfarsitul lui august biletul de avion... tocmai pentru a nu mai avea posibilitatea de a da inapoi...

i remember how it all started, my wish to come to estonia. few years ago i met Elina Raask, the first estonian person. i was member in AIESEC and she was member of AIESEC in romania national committee. before i met her i didn't have any idea about estonia. i knew is a country somewhere on the earth, i guessed it was somewhere in northern europe. after i talked with her i was more and more interested on this country.

after one year i applied in national committee of AIESEC estonia, i didn't make it. but it was a very usefull experience. i found out many things about estonia...

after few months i entered in AIESEC database having the posibility to go in a traineeship. i always kept my eyes on estonia... nothing. i was already in the database for 2 years when i decided to give a last try. i started to give up my dream about estonia and i was willing to accept everything on marketing. i sent 30 emails - one in estonia... the answers, if they came, were negative... from estonia also: we are sorry but we already started the selection procedure, we cannot take you in consideration anymore. i said to myself: that's it! i have to move on, i started to think about something else about other opportunities, regreting that i didn't try AIESEC traineeship experience.

after 2-3 weeks, i got an email from Tartu, from AIESEC. they were telling me that from the first round nobody was elected for the traineeship, the people from the university saw my cv and they want to contact me... i cannot tell what was in my heart... then few weeks i didn't get any mail or any sign from them... i didn't know what's going on: i thought that they changed their mind, i was scared to send an email and ask, anything. afraid not to receive a negative answer: we're sorry but we choose another person. after one month... i will never forget that day... i was to a client, i was doing upgradr for their new accounting software, it was 5-6 o'clock in the afternoon when i got an email from AIESEC estonia: the people from the university try to get in contact with you but they don't manage to get you. they don't have the right email address...

i answered that email right away, i sent my email address again, including my mobile phone number... after 15 minutes my phone rang: hello, we are calling from Tartu University... ... ... ... ... ... ... i couldn't believe it. i said that i want to talk with them about the traineehip then... i was afraid to postpone the interview... now or never! after few days they told me i was accepted. i got the answer in july, in 24 of october i had to be at work, in estonia... hahahahaaaaa it was so weird. i couldn't believe it, i was talking with people from AIESEC and i had the feeling that i was talking about someone else's experience... sometimes i had the feeling that everything is in a dream, and while the departure date was closer and closer i started to be with my feet on the ground. i started to be more and more scared about this. i didn't know what is there, what will i eat, where will i sleep, how much money will i get, it will be enough or not, how is the weather there, will i see the sun???... hahahahaaaa

at a certain moment i started to count the days backwards, i really wanted to start this experience but sometimes i was so scared than i said few times i want to quit. i am glad i didn't do it and that i had the courage to come here... i bought the plane ticket in august... it was written on it: no way back!