vineri, 5 iunie 2015

Volunteer la Ruse (4)

 
So today! It's all about "now", dance, music and people. I catch in flight a smile... the wind. So many voices around - I already know them all. Everyone has something special and lives a common life. Running with life. Having a silent moment with the rain. A little disco, a bit traditional, some funky or even electric. Opened to connect their own life with the world. And when the sun sets, light it's like a warm embrace. I know clouds already. So, I'm asking myself: what did I do to receive all of this? Do I deserve them?

We weren't pleased at all when the local police interrupted our taking the stairs promoting action, but we could get drunk with cold water by appearing in the local newspaper. And here I come asking: where the democracy is, good people?

One evening, we've been invited to watch a modern ballet show: lively, colored, exhilarating, gentle sometimes, but too long, though.




Working on the presentations we needed to hold in schools, I remembered Sheppard Cartan secretly distributing books in Romanian schools and about him traveling by foot to Rome, about magical Gentle Fairies Night when girls with wreaths in their hair dance in circles in a fairy summer garden and other legends and habits we strive to keep alive. The others seem impressed by this cultural richness hidden in our country nooks but they don't know how mixed things are right now.

Food in the student canteen is not that good, but it's cheap and if you quench it with a sip of palinca, then happiness comes. Andhappiness needs to be shared, otherwise it can't find its place.  

How would I describe them so far? Ramon - warm and communicative, Jose - a lively full time dancer, Carolina - always cute, Silvia - a nice girl, Maria - exuberant, Alvaro with beautiful eyes - a likable man,  Lucian - the talker, Georgiana - feminine, Noelia - a happy smile every moment, Zuzanna and Aleksandra - "vodka" flat mates, Karolina - a shy girl hiding inside hot desires, Sergiu - the NO man, Francisco - the only one I didn't change any word until now, Dani - on his cloud, Despina - like a little childish bee, Monica - peaceful and fearful and Vincent... who IS.




I received my first swimming lessons. It's not a simple thing, especially when you find out that you are afraid of water. I started technical lessons, I ended the same, I didn't move forward that much on the first glance, but I feel I'm on the good way. I was a bit amazed by rediscovering that we, as human beings, tend to float. It was a deigned gift I received from two trembling hands and one warm chimes. When I was a little girl and went to bathe, I used to let my hands floating on the peace of silent water. The same I felt then, laying on my back: that every piece of me calmed down while flying with water. In fact, more than half a day spent in water and under the sun made me remember the vegetation moments of a world where chimes can be heard, where people are fish, skin is getting a sun bath, feelings are combined. If you ask me, Spanish guys are the happiest in water, under the sun while singing, dancing, enjoying. Imagine a picture with teenagers holding on their shoulders their friends, with dances and waving, with brown sugar bodies, with someone dancing in an incomprehensible mediation, with towels and desires mixing. And that silence in which noise is not noise, but part of the total. 


Parks smell like fresh mown grass and white flowers in this town. Linden is everywhere. Its suave fragrance is floating all over the place. I hear only voices from the terraces. Noise is not to be found in here. I wish Bucharest were that beautiful scented and quiet. And a wench is not wench enough if she has no flowers to her ears, so I brought some with me. Aahh... and the mulberries... how can I forget them? They are all over in the parks and we are like monkeys looking for them. There are also cherries, so no worries, we won't starve after money will finish.
One evening, Polish girls organized a vodka contest along which I discovered that this is a rigorous tradition with very strict rules: you are allowed to drink the same quantity as the others along the entire contest and only when the contest leader sets the pace. Polish people consider that, if you drink in the morning, you are an alcoholic. And this was all I remember because I fell asleep after first rounds. Party continued without me wrecked in my own bed. At least, I tried.



Listening to rock music on the radio in the morning feels so good after a few days of not hearing any music sound. A seagull is doing its siesta very consequent and meticulous. Another seagull appears: it flaps its wings very satisfied, as if now it will start yawning and stretching like a man after a good sleep. It was the day we had to clean the park in the Mausoleum area. Before we started, I met an old lady sitting on a bench, with her white hair pouring down on her honorable shoulders. So beautiful and powerful! I took two photos with her, none of them clear. Maybe not without purpose. There was something special about this lady. I think I scared her when returning to have a talk through signs and no ones language, but I followed my urge to do this. One look coming from both past and present. One mysterious existence.




Parks are very clean in Ruse, so we had to handle only maggots, paper, plastic, broken bottles,caps and some suspect syringes. We ended by playing with a ball we found in the garbage. We cooked fries and salad in the afternoon and ate together like a bunch of flappers. It felt like last year spent in the students dorm. There were intercultural night arrangements waiting for us, but Spanish guys burst into the room dressed with the carnival costumes. Work, man, if you still can!




Dumplings with plums, sarmale, music, traditional dances and presentations. And, as Romanians are wranglers sometimes, we didn't miss the ardent souls. This is the way it goes when people from different regions meet: with sparks. But there is no love without quarrel so, little by little, we managed to prepare piles of food, ideas and cultural exchanging. For me it's clear: everyone cooks differently from a home to another, not to say from a region to another, but for sure, people from Arad are very proud with their traditions they have inherited. Maybe from little things start big divisions, I don't know. The problem is that after we learned together how to dance brasoveanca, after all the cooking and all the energy I gave so that the things work out, sleep didn't want to visit me anymore. I was hoping for a silent night after making circles in the park while lost on the alleys. Very strange for me, I enjoyed that dark and insecure walk, gathering inside a linden night. But no, that night I stand awake and listen to the seagulls grumbling, Polish girls talking in the other room, cars groping on the streets, laughs and voices coming from the balconies. My skin was itchy  all night and I sprained my thoughts all the way around. I don't know what rumbled through my head that moment, but it seems I wasn't the only one passing through this. Not even the rule of 4-7-8 or reading a book trick didn't work this time. I only slept three or four agitated hours. Morning light came with me reading and coolness coming through the window.


 



The day of holding the presentations in school came! I can not say I got emotive, but this thing really preoccupied me. We walked by foot through the poorest part of Ruse (sincerely, for me it didn't seem like that) until the German School, a high level teaching and selecting school, looking very communist and deteriorated. It seems that Merkel was here a few years ago. I would like to know if she used that Turkish style toilets, so rusted and damaged. Also, I am curious to find out where the funds that they receive for this school goes to. The thing is that the presentations went from bad to worse. Lucky us who were the second group from all four. All started with the misinformation, but we are here to adapt, huh?  More difficult for those who fail it.

We left that place disappointed of us, of them, of everything. Even so, I easily passed over. I can not say the same about the others, unfortunately.




Did you know that a possible future civilization on Earth, much more intelligent than the others, is formed by octopus beings?  There are theories with them resisting a collapse on Earth and then populating the planet. At least, this is what I found out on the way back home, in a torrid day, while planning spaghetti with vegetables for the lunch. And... not to forget the stops we had in two second hands: 3 leva for one Marks and Spencer's blue jeans short pants it's not a little thing.



Our spaghetti were awful, but we ate them adding all the ingredients we could find not to feel them so sticky anymore in our throats.  We drunk some concentrated mint tea and everything was good. As Romanian intercultural evening was near, we let Lucian finish the cooking while taking the chief role over pans and spoons. The result: a not so good looking "cake" with polenta, fried sausages, sour cream, cheese and pepper. But you have no idea how fast this thing would've been eaten. So, bravo Lucian!

One pot of sarmale, 3 dumplings with plums plates, one polenta cake, red wine, juice, beer, blueberry jam made by my mum, one wood spoon, a mandrel and a 50 years ball of wool, one traditional costume made by my grandmother ageing 50 years the same, three clay cups (one with broken tail) for tuica, two sewed table clothes, two flags were our props for a stuttering but ending well evening. Palinca was already finish, so none of this for this evening.





We, Romanians... I think we are too proud and stubborn. We miss the malleability, happiness and dance from our lives. Our presentation didn't go that good, but what did we learn from this? That haste makes waste and that wisdom comes with time. The good thing is that polenta cake and the sarmale disappeared very quick. Dumplings didn't raced that well, but they reached the finish point. The traditional dances were perfect and I received personal compliments for this. So... time for bachata, my friends! I know, I know, but you can not let the Spanish guys sitting on the chair while listening to our drawled doina.

The beauty of the evening: the circle we made in the park, sitting on grass, sharing again words from all languages we knew, telling stories about each in May and stars arising one by one.  And what a coolness that didn't keep me cool!



Today we had to hold the presentation in an old arts and crafts school. Paintings, creativity, old doors, medals showcases filled that place with teenagers and history. This time, everything went well and the children were very nice with us: we danced together and we received wreaths and cookies from them.









Polish evening, be it as they gossip in the fair, was a bit worse than ours, but I felt just great. Food was extraordinary: pel'menis with cheese, potatoes and onion, marinated fish stuffed with pickled cucumber, apple tart and caramel (I ate two servings of each). Don't worry about my silhouette, it looks great until now! Not to say I started running this morning. And why did I say I felt good? Because I just run into a child's mood, making circles like a lure I am, dancing with or without music and staying in the rain watching the sand sculptures.




 




(RO) Atat de prezenta! Totul se rezuma la "acum", dans, muzica, oameni. Prind din zbor un zambet, vantul. Atat de multe voci in jur - deja le stiu pe toate! Fiecare are ceva frumos si traieste o viata comuna. Alergand cu viata. Avand un moment de liniste cu ploaia. Un pic disco, ceva traditonal, o frantura funky sau chiar electric. Deschisi sa primeasca lumea in viata lor. Si cand soarele apune, lumina e ca o imbratisare calda. Cunosc norii deja. Ma intreb ce am facut sa primesc toate acestea. Oare merit?

Nu am fost deloc incantati cand politia locala ne-a oprit actiunea de promovare a mersului pe scari, dar ne putem imbata cu apa rece prin aparitia in ziarul local. Si aici vin si intreb: unde-i democratia, oameni buni? 

Am avut spectacol de balet modern intr-una din seri: plin de viata, colorat, antrenant, gingas uneori. Totusi, prea lung! 

Lucrand la prezentarea pe care va trebui sa o sustinem aici, in scoli, mi-am adus aminte de Badea Cartan si de cartile lui duse pe ascunzis in scolile romanesti, de calatoria sa pe jos pana la Roma, de magia noptii de Sanziene cand fetele cu coronite in par se strang in cercuri si danseaza intr-o feerica gradina de vara si de alte legende si obiceiuri pe care inca ne straduim sa le pastram. Ceilalti par a fi impresionati de aceasta bogatie culturala ascunsa prin ungherele tarii noastre, dar nu stiu cat de amestecate sunt lucrurile acum. 

Mancarea la cantina studenteasca nu e cine stie ce, dar e foarte ieftina si daca mai e stinsa si cu o gura de palinca, atunci intervine fericirea.  Iar fericirea asta trebuie impartasita, altfel nu-si gaseste locul.

Cum i-as descrie pe voluntari pana acum? Ramon - cald si comunicativ, Jose - un dansator cu norma intreaga plin de viata, Carolina - mereu o draguta, Silvia - o simpatica, Maria - exuberanta, Alvaro cel cu ochi frumosi - un om placut, Lucian - vorbaretul, Georgiana - feminina, Noelia - un zambet bucuros in orice moment, Zuzanna si Aleksandra - colegele de camera "vodka", Karolina - o timida cu dorinte arzatoare,   Sergiu - omul "NU", Francisco - singurul cu care nu am schimbat niciun cuvant pana acum, Dani - un aerian, Despina ca o albinuta copilaroasa, Monica - o pasnica tematoare si Vincent... care ESTE.

Am primit primele lectii de inot. Nu-i usor cu apa, mai ales cand realizezi ca iti e frica de ea. Am inceput cu lectii tehnice si am terminat la fel si nu am avansat extraordinar la prima vedere, dar simt ca sunt pe drumul cel bun. M-a uimit putin cand am redescoperit ideea ca noi oamenii, in esenta, avem tendinta de a pluti. A fost o binevoire pe care am primit-o de la niste maini tremurande si un glas cald. Cand eram mica si ma duceam la scalda, imi lasam mainile sa pluteasca in pacea apei line. Asa m-am simtit eu in acele momente stand sustinuta, pe spate: ca fiecare particica din mine s-a calmat si ca se lasa intr-o plutire de apa. De fapt, mai bine de jumatate de zi petrecuta in apa si la soare m-au facut sa imi aduc aminte de momentele de vegetare intr-o lume in care se aud glasuri, in care oamenii sunt pesti, pielea se bronzeaza, sentimentele sunt amestecate. Dac-ar fi dupa mine, as zice ca spaniolii sunt cei mai fericiti in apa, la soare, cantand, dansand, bucurandu-se. Imaginati-va un tablou cu tineri tinandu-si prietenii pe umerii, dansuri si unduiri, trupuri perpelite, cineva dansand intr-o meditatie neinteleasa, amestecuri de prosoape si dorinte. Si linistea aceea in care orice zgomot nu e zgomot, ci parte din intreg.

Parcurile miros a iarba proaspat cosita si a flori albe in acest oras. Sunt tei peste tot. In tot locul pluteste mireasma lor suava. De la terase se aud doar glasuri de oameni. Niciun fir de zgomot nu razbate. Tare mi-as dori ca Bucurestiul sa fie la fel de parfumat si linistit! Si lelita nu-i lelita daca nu are flori si la urechi, asa ca mi-am adus cu mine. Aahh... si dudele... cum sa uit de ele? Sunt peste tot prin parcuri, iar noi suntem ca maimultele dupa ele. Se gasesc si cirese, asa ca nu-i problema, cand o sa ramanem fara bani, avem ce invada.

Polonezele au organizat un concurs de vodka intr-una din seri si am descoperit ca in tara lor e o traditie foarte riguroasa, regulile concursului fiind foarte stricte: ai voie sa bei intotdeauna aceeasi cantitate ca si ceilalti si numai cand conducatorul concursului da tonul. Ei spun ca, daca bei dimineata esti considerat alcoolic. Mai multe nu am apucat sa invat pentru ca am adormit dupa cateva randuri. Petrecerea a continuat si de data asta fara mine, naufragiata in propriul pat. Macar am incercat. 

Sa asculti rock dimineata, la radio, e atat de bine dupa cateva zile in care nu ai mai auzit nicio urma de muzica. Un pescarus isi face programul igienic, fiind foarte consecvent si meticulos. Apare un alt pescarus: bate din aripi foarte multumit, ca si cand acum se apuca sa caste si sa se intinda ca un om dupa un somn bun. Aceasta era ziua in care urma sa curatam zona parcului din jurul Mausoleului. Inainte de a ne strange, insa, am cunoscut o doamna; statea pe o banca cu parul alb, lung curgandu-i cuminte pe umerii demni. Atat de frumoasa si de puternica! I-am facut doua fotografii, niciuna clara Poate ca nu intamplator. Era ceva special la ea. Cred ca am speriat-o putin cand m-am intors sa ii vorbesc prin semne si prin limba nimanui, dar asa am simtit. O privire ce exprima si trecut, si prezent. O prezenta misterioasa.

Parcurile sunt destul de curate in Ruse, asadar ne-am indeletnicit doar cu mucuri de tigara, hartii, plastice, sticle sparte, capace, se pare ca si cateva seringi suspecte. Am finalizat cu cateva pase de minge gasita printre gunoaie. Dupa-amiaza am gatit cartofi prajiti si salata si am mancat laolalta, ca o gasca de copilandri. M-am simtit ca la camin, in ultimul an de facultate. Au urmat apoi pregatirile pentru seara interculturala, nu inainte ca spaniolii sa navaleasca peste noi imbracati in costumele de carnaval. Munceste, omule, daca mai ai cum!


Galuste cu prune, sarmale, muzica, dansuri populare si prezentari. Si, pentru ca romanu-i cam certaret, nu ne-au lipsit nici noua sufletele inflacarate. Asa e cand se aduna oameni laolalta din mai multe regiuni: iese cu scantei. Dar fara cearta, nu e dragoste. Incet, incet, am incropit gramajoare de mancare, de idei si de schimburi culturale. E clar: fiecare gateste in felul sau de la o casa la alta, d-apoi de la o regiune la alta. Dar, cu siguranta, aradenii sunt foarte mandri de traditiile si obiceiurile mostenite. Poate ca de la lucruri mici pornesc dezbinari mari. Problema e ca, dupa ce am invatat laolalta brasoveanca, dupa tot ce am gatit si toata energia depusa sa iasa treaba, nu prea mi-a mai iesit cu somnul. Si speram sa fie o noapte linistita, dupa o seara petrecuta ratacind in cerc prin parc. M-am bucurat, ciudat pentru mine, de acea plimbare nesigura si intunecoasa, adunand in mine o noapte cu miresme de tei. O noapte intreaga dupa aceea, am ascultat pescarusii vaicarindu-se, polonezele vorbind in camera alaturata, masinile orbecaind pe sosea, rasete si voci pe strazi si pe la balcoane. Toata noaptea m-a mancat pielea si am sucit la ganduri pe toate partile. Nu stiu ce a tot vuit capul meu, dar se pare ca nu am fost singura care a trecut prin asta. Nici macar trucurile mele cu 4-7-8 si cu cititul cartilor nu au functionat. Laolalta, cred ca am incropit vreo 3-4 ore de somn, si alea chinuite. M-a prins dimineata cu cartea in mana si cu racoarea la fereastra.

Ziua prezentarilor in scoli! Nu pot spune ca au fost emotii, dar m-a preocupat treaba asta. Drumul a constant in mers pe jos prin partea cea mai saraca a orasului (sincer, mie nu mi s-a parut) pana la scoala lor germana, cu inalt nivel de invatare si selectionare, dar aratand foarte comunist si degradant. Pare-se ca a trecut si Merkel pe aici acum cativa ani. Tare mi-ar placea sa stiu daca a folosit si ea toaletele acelea turcesti, ruginite ca vai de ele. As fi curioasa, de asemenea, sa aflu unde se duc fondurile acelea germane pe care spun ca le primesc pentru acest liceu. Treaba e ca prezentarile au mers din ce in ce mai rau. Noroc ca noi am fost grupa numarul doi din patru. Totul a pornit de la informare eronata, dar suntem aici sa ne adaptam, nu-i asa? Mai greu pentru cei care nu reusesc asta.

Am plecat dezamagiti de la scoala: de noi, de ei, de tot. Totusi, eu am trecut foarte usor peste. Nu pot spune acelasi lucru despre ceilalti, insa. 


Stiati ca o viitoare posibila civilizatie pe pamant, mult mai inteligenta decat altele, este a caracatitelor? Exista teorii conform carora ele ar putea rezista unui colaps pe Pamant, urmand o posibila ocupare a planetei. Ei bine, asta am aflat pe o caldura torida, planificand spaghete cu legume, in drum spre casa. Aahh... si nu ne-au scapat nici SH-urile. 3 leva pentru o pereche de pantaloni scurti de la Marks and Spencers nu-i de colea.

Spaghetele au fost groznice, dar am mancat asezonand cu toate ingredientele posibile gasite pe rafturi, sa nu simtim asa tare naclaiala care curgea pe gatul nostru infometat. Cu ceai de menta concentrat a trecut orice senzatie. Si cum seara romaneasca se apropia si cum era timpul ca Lucian sa termine si ultima parte de gatit, l-am lasat sef bucatar peste oale si linguri. Rezultatul: un “tort” tare neaspectuos cu mamaliga, carnati fripti, smantana, branza si boia. Dar ce avea sa se manance treaba asta mirositoare, n-aveti voi habar. Asa ca bravo Lucian!

O oala cu sarmale, 3 platouri de galuste cu prune, un tort de mamaliga, vin rosu, suc, bere, dulceata de la mama de acasa, o lingura de lemn, un fus si un ghem de lana, un costum popular facut de bunica, trei cescute de pamant pentru tuica din care una fara coada, doua fete de masa cusute cu “muste”, doua drapeluri au fost recuzita noastra pentru o seara opintita, dar reusita in final. Palinca nu mai era demult, asa ca am trecut peste acest ingredient al serii.

Noi romanii... nu stiu... cred ca suntem prea mandri si incapatanati. Ne lipsesc maleabilitatea, bucuria si dansul din noi. Prezentarea serii a fost poticnita si ce am invatat din asta? Ca graba strica treaba si ca intelepciunea vine cu timpul. Partea buna e ca "tortul" de mamaliga s-a mancat pe nerasuflate, la fel si sarmalele. Cu galustele am avut ceva scartaieli, dar s-au dus si ele la locul lor. Dansurile au iesit nemaipomenit si am primit complimente speciale pentru asta. Dar... e timpul pentru bachata, prieteni! Stiu, stiu, dar doar nu lasi spaniolul sa sada cuminte pe scaun ascultand la doina noastra taraganata.

Frumusetea serii: cercul in parc, pe iarba, impartasind din nou cuvinte din fiecare limba, povestind despre cate in luna si in stelele care rasareau una cate una. Si ce racoare care nu mi-a tinut racoare!

Azi am avut prezentare intr-o scoala foarte veche - o scoala de arte si meserii. Picturi, creatii, usi vechi, vitrine cu medalii umpleau acel spatiu plin de tineri si de istorii. De data aceasta, totul a mers ca pe strune. Si copiii au fost foarte draguti cu noi, luandu-ne la dans, pregatindu-ne fursecuri si dandu-ne coronite de flori.


Seara poloneza, fie vorba in targ, a fost putin mai betegita decat a nostra, dar eu m-am simtit nemaipomenit de bine. Mancarea a fost tare gustoasa: coltunasi  cu branza, cartofi si ceapa, peste marinat umplut cu castraveti in otet, tarta cu mere si caramel (am mancat cate doua portii din fiecare). Nu va faceti griji de silueta mea, arata excelent pana acum. Si unde pui ca azi mi-am inceput si alergarile de dimineata. Si de ce spuneam ca m-am simtit mai bine? Pentru ca pur si simplu m-am copilarit de nu am mai putut, rotindu-ma in cerc ca o naluca ce sunt, dansand fara muzica si cu, stand in ploaie si privind la sculptori in nisip.

2 comentarii:

Claudia spunea...

Pare foarte fain la voi în „tabără”, experimentezi de toate :)
Mă gândeam că ultimul episod în vei scrie în bulgară, cât vei putea învăța oare într-o lună??!

nami spunea...

Ooohh... sa nu fie cam mult! Abia ma descurc sa invat sa citesc... si bunghesc cateva cuvinte. Daca as avea mai mult timp sa acord invatatului, poate ca m-as descurca mai bine. Dar sunt atat de multe de facut pe langa asta!