I haven't posted anything lately, as I was pretty busy working, studying and traveling. My boyfriend and I just came back from Austria, where we had a lovely trip. We spent two days in Vienna and two other in Seefeld, an amazing ski resort.
I couldn't believe how cold Austria was, but we're preparing for an even better and a lot warmer trip to Mexico.
I can't wait to get there and forget all about the nasty weather in Europe.
I'll post some cute pics from Austria:)
My mom and I at the restaurant where we spent Christmas Eve.
Claudio and I after skiing..
Jurgen and Claudio on Christmas Eve
Back again
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Studying in Germany
Monday, December 10, 2007
Ever since I was about 10 yo I dreamt of studying abroad. I would have normally preferred an English-speaking country, but actually, I would have studied anywhere that wasn't Romania. I was really happy to be given the opportunity to study in Germany and took it without thinking twice.
But I couldn't start studying as soon as I got to Germany, because I had to take various language tests before being able to apply to a university. My whole German-training lasted for about 8 months, given the fact that I had already had German in school for about 6 or 7 years.
Studying German in Germany was great. Language schools are really fun and the great part is that you are given the opportunity to make foreign friends, thing that I consider critical here. You will always need your foreign friends in Germany. I was lucky to have met many people from South America and some of them are still my best friends here.
University started and with it, I started to wake up from that lovely dream I my first year in Germany seemed to be.
Studying here is not easy at all. I'm not only talking about classes. It would be rather easy if I spoke the language properly. The main issue here is that if you're studying in a small university, where more than 90% of the students are Germans, life as a student is going to get a bit difficult.
I've never been extremely sociable, but people here really don't talk to you. It often happened to me and my other(few) foreign friends to be completely ignored. So you're right in front of them, talking to them and looking them in the eyes and they ignore you. They simply act like you're not there and look away.
This is what makes my life here a bit difficult.
Apart from that, Germany is ok. It offered me many opportunities ... to go abroad... and I can't wait to move and finish my studies somewhere else.
I would live in Germany if I were to be mostly surrounded by foreigners, which is definitely possible here. The country is beautiful and they have a great system. There are definitely a lot more +++ than ---, so I guess it depends on each person's priorities and criteria.
Smallest Horse
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
One of the most advertised tours lately is the 40.000 miles tour of Thumbelina.
Thumbelina has been awarded the Guinesss Record of ¨The smallest horse in HISTORY¨ (well..maybe in the recorded history..hmm)
Anyway, Thumbelina is completely adorable and her tour has a very admirable purpose. She( and her owner) are visiting sick children to bring smiles on their faces.
Apart from Thumbelina being totally CUTE, her owner also draws attention by the way he talks about his little horse. He is really proud of her and talk about her with so much love.
They are both really worth watching.
Let´s hope they've achieved their goal of enlightening the life of sick children.
Our bodies are polluted!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
During recent studies scientists have discovered that our bodies are way more contaminated that we would have thought. It's a shock and we should all become aware of it. Not only factories and cars are to blame. It's actually up to us to reduce a large part of the pollution in our own bodies. Please watch the video and find out more!
Eating Healthy
Sunday, November 4, 2007
My last post also dealt with health. I hope you don't find this subject boring or rather uninteresting. The idea is that it's better to prevent than to cure and luckily Earth still offers us the opportunity to have almost total control on our health. Let's start leading a healthy lifestyle before it's too late!
WATER
I have noticed that people nowadays are extremely open to issues that concern their personal health. Many of us are ready to pay more for healthier food, for a more expensive medicine and why not, for cosmetic products. But little of us know, that a lot of that money could be saved if we finally accept that WATER is one of the best substances for our health. And best of all, it's cheap...for now.
Peace Video
Thursday, November 1, 2007
This is the video I was telling you about. It has a strong message. It's a bit long, but it gets better at the end, so it's really worth watching. Enjoy:)
Peace Message
This video was posted on YouTube 8 months ago as a message of world peace but also as a request for more videos bearing peace messages. It got about 215 video responses by now. I will post one of my favorites later. Please watch it. It's a simple home-made video, but bears a strong message that all of us should spread.
FREE RICE
Saturday, October 27, 2007
While checking out somebody's blog a few days ago, I stumbled upon a post he/she had written about a great organization called "FREE RICE".
Maybe some of you already know about it. For the ones who don't, Free Rice was open on th 7th of October this year(2007).
They have developed a great and original way to help the people in poor country: Free English Vocabulary!
So, you just play a game of words and for every correct answer you donate 10 grains of rice. While you play, you see the bowl filling up. It's really cool!
I find it really original. Let me quote from their webpage:
"Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your vocabulary can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.".
To play, you aren't required to register or give any information. You just enter Free Rice and play!
HAVE FUN!!
Pics from Transylvania
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The 2000 years old Roman ruins from Sarmisegetusza
Claudio and I at the"Bus Stop" in the village..hehe!!!
The lovely Huniazilor Castle from Hunedoara!!!
This is my grandparents' house from the village of Valea Brad !I'm Back
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
I haven't posted anything lately, as you might have noticed. That is because I had a long trip to Romania, where I visited my family. I had a great time and I will post some photos in the following days.
Apart from that, classes started:(((( and well, they take up my precious free time..hehe.
Another great past-time in these last weeks was going to the Film Festival held in Mannheim and Heidelberg. We saw 5 films and my favorite was : Cover Boy !! It's an Italian-Romanian production about the romanians that go to Italy in hopes of a better life. The protagonist fulfilled his dream in a somehow unusual way. It's really worth watching !!
We also saw a lovely phantasy movie from Portugal and Mozambique, called Sleepwalking Land. I loved it !
Well, that's my short review on the past month:)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!! 
Wilber Pan-Bu de bu ai
A lovely chinese song and very nice video. A bit too romantic, maybe..hehe
Here are the lyrics:
tian tian dou xu yao ni ai,
wo de xing shi you ni cai,
I love you,
wo jiu shi yao ni rang wo mei tian dou jing cai
tian tian ba ta gua zhui bian
dao di shen me shi zhen ai
I love you
dao di you ji fen shuo de bi xiang xiang geng kuai
shi wo men gang qing feng fu tai kang kai
hai shi shang tian ang pai
shi wo men ben lai jiu shi na yi ban
hai shi she bu de tai guai
shi na yi chi yue ding le mei you lai
rang wo ku de xiang xiao hai
shi wo men ji zhe zheng ming wo chun zai
hai shi bu ai hui fa dai
baby
bu de bu ai, bu zhi kuai le chong he er lai,
bu de bu ai, fang xia bei shang chong her er lai,
bu de bu ai, fou zhi wo jiu shi qu wei lai
hai xiang shen me you qi bu neng zhi ji shi bai
ke shi mei tian dou guo de jing cai
tian tian dou xu yao ni ai
wo de xing zhi you ni zai
I love you
wo jiu shi yao ni rang wo mei tian dou jing cai
tian tian ba ta gua zhui bian
dao di shen me shi zhen ai
I love you
dao di you ji fen shuo de bi xiang xiang geng kuai
RAP :
I ask gal fren how you been
lai qu le ji hui
wo chong lai mei you xiang guo ai qing hui bian de ru chi wu nai,
shi ming yun ma, nan dao nan guo shi shang tian de an pai,
mei ban fa,
tian tian de mei tian de xing shi dao di you shui lai pei,
wo cheng xin, ni cheng yi
dan zhou wei rao ren huan jin shi zhong rang wo men wu fa zai zhi li zhi you xiang lian
wo jin cai, ni fa dai,
liang ke xin bu an de yao bai,
ying gai you de wei lai,
shi fou zhen ne na me wu fa qi dai
she bu de zai shang hai,
you're my girl my girl my friend
how much I love you so so much
kan zhe ni ai chou
yao wo ru he zhen me cheng shou mian dui
I'm sorry you're my sweetheart
my love
my one and only baby
hui bu hui you yi dian wu nai
hui bu hui you yi dian tai kuai
ke shi ni gei wo de ai
rang wo yang cheng le yi lai
xing zhong chong man ai de jie pai
tian tian dou xu yao ni ai
wo de xing shui you ni zai
I love you
wo jiu shi yao rang ni mei tian dou jing cai
tian tian ba ta gua zhui bian
dao di shen me shi zhen ai
I love you
dao di you ji fen shuo de bi xiang xiang geng kuai
Another favorite song/video!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
I can't believe I haven't posted this yet. I love the song and the video is also great and well made!
Save the Internet!!
Friday, August 24, 2007
A major worldwide issue that not many know about yet is that the big companies want to "take over" the Internet. If this happens, we will never be able to use the Internet as we have till now. Please watch the video and spread the word!
www.savetheinternet.com
Another DOVE Campaign
The video is a bit long, but really worth seeing. You will think differently about the fake beauty they always present in the media. The mesage at the end is very interesting, but i'll let you discover it yourselves:)
Our trip to England
Saturday, August 11, 2007
This semester’s exams period lasted till late July, so my boyfriend and I didn’t have time to go anywhere, so we have been stuck in Worms the whole summer. Yesterday we decided to go on a short and romantic trip to England. We had no idea where the perfect place would be, so we searched the internet and found this great website[http://www.hotelshopuk.com/] that specializes in holidays in the UK. They have a wide variety of hotels, for every taste and every price range. What I liked about it, is that they give you the telephone numbers of all hotels and you can personally book and make sure everything is properly prepared for your arrival. The best part is that they have some special offers, for the ones that want to visit big cities or the ones who just want to relax and enjoy their stay at the hotel. Luckily, we found this great offer, “Romantic Retreat” which offers exactly what we had been looking for: a few nights away from work and our daily routine, in a beautiful hotel, which even though is in the countryside, is not that far away from the city. So whenever you decide visiting England, don’t hesitate browsing for hotels and booking with http://www.hotelshopuk.com/ .
I'll let you know how our trip was, when we come back.
This is a sponsored post.
I have a ZOO
Sunday, August 5, 2007
As you can see at the bottom right of the page, under the archive, I have adopted new pets.They are really sweet and playful.
Feed them and play their favorite games and leave a comment on which one you like most.
I like all of them!
My new Pet
Monday, July 30, 2007
As you may have noticed, I have adopted a new pet( you can find it on the right side of the blog, after the archive). It's name is Bunny. It's a cute litlle pink..pig.
Please feed it or else it will die! You can also spray water on it on hot days, or just when you think it desperately needs a shower.
Bunny comes from Bavaria and greets you with a warm and welcoming "Guten Tag!".
My favorite songs/videos nr.2
A classic....a lovely song sung by bob marley and lauryn hill.
...Turn your lights down low...
Funny Korean guys
These guys are incredibly funny!
They have a great coreography:))) and wow!the faces they make..
Besides, the song is very .. entertaining:)
Enjoy!
Pc vs. Mac
Sunday, July 29, 2007
This is a south-park style debate between a PC and a Mac.
It's very funny!
TOP TEN EXCUSES FOR FALLING ASLEEP AT YOUR DESK
Thursday, July 26, 2007
1 "They told me at the blood bank this might happen."
2 "I wasn't sleeping, I was trying to pick up contact lens without hands."
3 "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm!"
4 "Amen"
5 "This is just a 15 minute power-nap like they raved about in the last time management course you sent me to."
6 "Whew! Guess I left the top off the liquid paper"
7 "I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work related stress."
8 "This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!"
9 "Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just won't wear off!"
10
"Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem."
Waking Life
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
My favorite independent film ever!
Many of you have probably already seen it, but those who haven't should definitely do their best to get to watch it.
It's amazing how they managed to create the lucid dream atmosphere.Full of philosophical dialogues, 'Waking Life' won several awards and is one of my favorite movies ever.
Dove:Real Beauty Campaign
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sorry to be posting about the same campaign, but this ad is extremely touching.
My own online Travel Agency
Monday, July 23, 2007
As you may have noticed, I posted a link on the top right part of the blog.
That's a really cool website for booking plane tickets, all inclusive tours, last minute tours, etc.
Please use it if you are in search of cheap and good quality vacations.
That page is mine, so if you decide to use it, please use the link posted here!!
Thanks a lot!
ps: Send any questions about the tours at liy_z@yahoo.com
German Class 1
So if you ever want to visit Germany, I feel it's my duty to help you with the basics, as I know how it is to arrive here and not be able to say:
HELLO = HALLO/GUTEN TAG
BYE = TSCHUESS[tschews]
PLEASE = BITTE
THANK YOU = DANKE
EXCUSE ME = ENTSCHULDIGEN SIE
WHAT IS YOUR NAME? = WIE HEISST DU?
HOW ARE YOU? = WIE GEHT'S?
DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISCH? = SPRECHEN SIE ENGLISCH?
I DON'T UNDERSTAND = ICH VERSTEHE NICHT
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? = WOHER KOMMEN SIE?
I DON'T SPEAK GERMAN = ICH SPRECHE KEIN DEUTSCH
I AM HUNGRY/THIRSTY = ICH HABE HUNGER/DURST
WHERE CAN I FIND...? = WO KANN ICH ... FINDEN?
HOSPITAL = KRANKENHAUS
HOTEL = HOTEL
COULD YOU HELP ME? = KOENNEN SIE MIR HELFEN?
That's it for now.Let me know if it helped.
Women in Art
This is the way western artists painted women over a period of 500 years. Observe the changes in style, it's amazing. Great job!
Real Beauty Workshop
This makes me wonder.. how can they teach us to be self-confident, to feel pretty and attractive, if beauty has become something as artificial as this...
Any thoughts?
I lived in...
Brad(Thank you for the photo, Bogdan)
Deva
Timisoara
Darmstadt
The lovely harbour of Soller, Mallorca
The crazy Arenal, Mallorca
Worms, simple, ancient, welcoming
About me...
Maybe you've come to know me a bit from my previous posts, but don't know any details yet(if you're not one of my friends yet).
So let me enlighten you a little...
I was born in Transylvania, Romania on a cold winter morning, 22 Dec 1986. I have lived in Brad(my native town), Deva and Timisoara, where I also finished highschool.I miss all my classmates a lot and hope to see them again some day.
After highschool I moved to Darmstadt, Germany where I went to a few language schools to learn the "lovely" german language...I met a lot of cool friends and Darmstadt and I miss them all!!If you guys are reading this..know that I didn't forget you.
After half a year in Germany, I already felt something was fishy about this country...kidding.So I decided to try out Spain, which proved to be waaay better for me.I spent 5 months in Mallorca, working, dancing, swimming, having loads of fun. All that ended one September morning, when with teary eyes I embarked on the plane back to Germany.
I started studying Tourism and Travel Management in Worms(it's one of the most ancient towns in Europe, so no Name-mocking is allowed) and everything started to get better. I met new people, new friends, my boyfriend which I totally love and yeah...I don't regret coming back from Mallorca anymore:)
Now I live in Worms with my boyfriend, we have 2 guinea pigs that are simply adorable.They're called Cartman and Metallica:)
We eat a lot of tacos and spend just too much time online, but life has been good to us, no complains.
Any questions?
Pon di River - Steps
One of my blog's main ideas is encouraging readers to live a healthy life, so for example once you quit smoking you can start enjoying other constructive and pleasant activities, like DANCING, any kind of dancing.
I personally like dancehall, so here are the steps of a very well-known dancehall video of Elephant Man, Pon di River...
I hope you enjoyed it. Have fun practicing!
Quit smoking Strategies 1
Sunday, July 22, 2007
I started smoking at a very young age, no idea why…maybe peer pressure
I never was a heavy smoker, thank God, but I never had smoking breaks.The bad news is that I have recently started feeling the effects of smoking and decided to quit.
Now…to quit smoking …honestly I have no idea what you need, especially if you enjoy it.
I personally did enjoy it, I loved having a smoke with my friends, my father, even my grandma.
Besides, there’s nothing like smoking after meals…..and then there’s smoking while you drink.
I think that’s where it gets vicious.
From what I’ve read drinking and smoking are a “great” combination: they work together to damage your brain!!?!
Have a look at this:
"As chronic alcohol drinking and chronic smoking more often than not co-occur, researchers have begun to realize that the brain effects previously attributed to alcohol drinking alone may in fact be the result of both drinking and smoking. This realization may have consequences for how we look at treatment for alcohol-use disorders."
Now think about it…don’t you smoke more when you drink alcohol?If you’re a non-smoker thinks about your friends/relatives that smoke..
So…to prove to you that it’s true..let’s see the results of a study the Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research at Duke University Medical Center developed.
The study was simple.They had some people smoke and drink and observed the changes in the amount of smoking, depending on the amount of alcohol they drank.
"Smoking-urge ratings were higher after consuming four versus two alcohol drinks, and increases were not observed after consuming a placebo beverage," said study co-author Andrea King of the University of Chicago. "These findings were observed in a nonsmoking environment, which may indicate that alcohol directly produced these effects and they were not due to direct smoking cues triggering cigarette craving. In other words, the greater the alcohol consumption, the greater the urge to smoke."
Maybe that should give us food for thought and make us reconsider our ‘quit smoking’ strategy.
After all.. it’s difficult to enjoy a cold beer if you’re not smoking, but it’s worth it.
Please give me some feedback on whether or not this was helpful and any ‘quit smoking’ strategies that you have tried, that did or did not work.Thank you!
PS:Try drinking green tea!(see my post on the “Asian Paradox”)
A super Invention!
Maybe all that discrimination against women driving has its advantages.
Wouldn't it be just great to have something like this?It's very practical, easy to use, it does all the work for you..What else could you ask for?
Vietnamese Recipe
One of my best friends comes from Vietnam.I'm very interested in her culture, her lovely country...their food..but..WOW!
BON APETIT!
Living in Germany...with germans
I moved to Germany about 2 years ago...
I loved it at the begining...I would've never left it
What did i love and still love about Germany?
- Everything's a lot cleaner than in Eastern Europe
- People are very efficient
- You feel safe walking at night
- There are many FOREIGNERS (that's what I most love about Germany, and Western Europe for that matter)
But...Is it true that germans discriminate?
When I moved here, I would have argued and debated on this theme till I was too tired to go on speaking...DEFINITELY NOT!
But now...I've been starting to wonder..Why have people who have lived here for a way longer time than me come to think that?
In the last months, since I started spending more times with germans I realised that most of them are not very keen on making contacts with foreigners, except for:
-foreigners that were born in Germany or speak perfect german
-Latinos, which germans are simply obsessed with..
Is Germany becoming saturated with foreigners?
Are they afraid we will take over?
Do they feel frustrated, envious, threatened?
What do you think?? Please send me some feedback on this..I am really interested in other opinions.
Amazing Romania
Imagine a World without Romania...Maybe Romania is famous for unpleasant things,but let us not forget our contribution to the development of today's technology, art, sport,etc.
Try to visit Romania..see for yourself..It's simply amazing!
Most ancient European towns Network
The following towns are the most ancient towns in Europe.
It would be quite an interesting itinerary...a new kind of Europe-Trip..don't you think?
Argos (Greece)
Béziers (France)
Cádiz (Spain)
Colchester (UK)
Cork (Ireland)
Évora (Portugal)
Maastricht (Netherlands)
Roskilde (Denmark)
Tongeren (Belgium)
Worms (Germany)
Wow...my blog is becoming popular!
Thanks to you all that already visited the blog..!!I hope you liked it and will look at it again..Don't forget to give me some feedback...comments..suggestions...critiquesI will try to post more pictures of me ,my friends, the places i visited and to keep you posted with news.
Mallorca
This is me in mallorca last year...I miss the sun,the beach,the sea...the unbearable heat..Why is Germany so cold?...even in JULY??!!??
One of my favorite songs/videos ever
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Whenever you feel depressed, down, lonely, this video is a great remedy!Try it!
Asian Paradox
Not long ago I decided to quit smoking,finally realising all the damage it has caused my body and at the same time,wondering if this damage can be somehow reduced....Until I found this article
Green Tea and the “Asian Paradox"New Haven, Conn. — There is a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer in Asia where people smoke heavily, which may be accounted for by high consumption of tea, particularly green tea, according to a review article published by a Yale School of Medicine researcher.“We do not yet have a full explanation for the ‘Asian paradox,’ which refers to the very low incidence of both heart disease and cancer in Asia, even though consumption of cigarettes is greater than in most other countries,” said Bauer Sumpio, M.D., professor and Chief of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery. “But we now have some theories.”Sumpio, the lead author of the review in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, said he and his colleagues reviewed more than 100 experimental and clinical studies about green tea in writing the article.He said one theory is that the average 1.2 liters of green tea consumed daily by many people in Asia offers the anti-oxidant protective effects of the polyphenolic EGCG. EGCG may prevent LDL oxidation, which has been shown to play a key role in the pathophysiology of arteriosclerosis. EGCG also reduces the amount of platelet aggregation, regulates lipids, and promotes proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells, which are all factors in reducing cardiovascular disease, he said.“More studies are necessary to fully elucidate and better understand green tea’s method of action, particularly at the cellular level,” Sumpio said. “The evidence is strong that green tea consumption is a useful dietary habit to lower the risk for, as well as treat, a number of chronic diseases. Certainly, however, smoking cessation is the best way to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer.”
First Romanian Class
As my blog will focus on traveling,I thought I could help you a bit by teaching you basic phrases of different languages, in case you need them in your journeys.You can therefore learn some languages onlineI will start with my native language:RomanianRomanian is a latin language,spoken in Romania and Moldova and wherever you cand find romanian 'colonies':)So,let me start with the basicsYES=DA NO=NU PLEASE=VA ROG THANK YOU=MULTUMESCHI!=CEAU!/SALUT!/BUNA! BYE!=CEAU!LA REVEDERE(formal)WHERE?=UNDE? WHO?=CINE? WHAT?=CE? WHEN?=CAND?HOW MUCH?=CAT?Now some essential phrasesDo you speak English?=Vorbiti engleza?How are you?=Ce faci?I am looking for...=Caut...I don't understand=Nu inteleg
Well, I hope this is at least a bit helpful for the begining.Please let me know if you are interested in learning more romanian, so I'll post more stuff.
My new blog...
Hi everyone!This is my first blog entry.I hope I'll be able to provide everyone who visits my blog with valuable information on whatever it is they're interested in.I'm really excited about it and wish my blog a long and fulfilling life!
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