Death

My grand-mom died. It was terrifying as always. She had a brain accident. She was taken to the hospital and after a few days the doctor said she was not gonna live so we was advised to take her home and that's what we did. after a day home she died. She was a nice grand-mom. She lived alone after my grandpa died few years ago. When I was little, mom used to took me there to play with my siblings from Brasov. I have very nice memories from then.

Olympics

I have been watching now the Olympic Games for more than a week. I was disappointed by the Romanians who failed a lot. Marian Dragulescu the Romanian gymnast failed yesterday at vaults. I rediscovered the fun of watching the Olympic games. Usain Boltt was amazing but the man of this edition is definitely Michael Phelps who won the most medals ever, I think 13. Romania wasn't very lucky at this edition but it's important to be there. I can remember when I was very young and watched the Olympic Games at a black and white TV set.

Why War?

It's war again even during the Olympics in Beijing. Greeks said few thousand years before 'Let the guns stop and the games start'. The today's empowered men did otherwise. They used this 'opportunity' to gain the world's attention on their problems. There were deaths and casualties. It doesn't matter where the war is taking place. Here on Earth. Our planet became too small to matter where it's safe and where not. Everywhere is the same. The contrast between the feast of humanity that is happening at Beijing and the horror scenes in Georgia is so huge. Russia still wants to stay in the old times. It always was that way. You cannot get freedom without sacrifices, without deaths. Freedom takes deaths. If Georgia can get through this struggle, this zone of Black Sea will develop rapidly. Georgia is a key point for the independence fight of the peoples of the former Soviet Union. If Mikheil Saakashvili, the president of Georgia can win this war all other leaders of the former USSR states will get courage and try to increase their independence from Mother Russia. The independence of those states are relative. They are still economicaly dependent from Kremlin. The natural gas becomes more a real alternative to the classic oil as a fuel, so Russia who has huge reserves of natural gas gets more power in the world. The problem is that those who manage those resourses don't think in terms of market economy. They are a monopoly. So everything goes to fuel. Everybody talks about fuel today.

At The Church

I've been at the church today. I was not feeling OK cause my toothache did not stop yet. It is a period of fasting in the Orthodox Church. It's one of the four period of fasting of the year. Now we are fasting for Mary the Virgin or the Mother of God as we call her, or Theotokos in Greek. I have not seen the mother superior Varvara there, but I saw another old nun which I have never seen before. I thought she had been removed from our monastery. That would be good news. I don't remember what the priest said. He spoke too much as usual like more than half an hour. I have to go at the church some time soon for my confession and communion.
Today I have met also the Americans from California who came in town for missionary. They are nice guys but I think they don't know much about our culture. They could learn a lot of good things. There is a nice black guy with them called Erik. He is a 'high school pastor' and he spoke very nice today at 'Clubul Tineretului'. He said he did a lot of bad things before knowing Jesus.
I definitely must go tomorrow to see the dentist so I can start to study again. Time is going so fast and I need to get my esseys done as soon as possible.

Damned Wisdom Tooth

I'm going crazy. My wisdom tooth is killing me. I had pain before but not this bad. Today is Saturday and I can find no dentist until Monday. I feel like I would do anything in the world to stop my pain. I was thinking of Cioran. He wrote a lot about pain. He says some people love their diseases, mostly the old people. I wanted to go to my father's tomb, but I could not help my pain. I wanted to go to Amara for swim but my pain stopped me. I want to go to the stadium and do some jogging, I hope I could make it. I went to my cousin Nicoleta just in case she wanna join me but she was sleeping. I wanna go out in town to hang out with the Americans, I hope I can make it.
I don't like people in my messenger list. I have only few friends in it. Most of them are students. Some of them are naughty and speak badly. I'm invisible for them or they are already blocked.

Tonight In the Park

I have been in town again tonight. I met the American people in the park. I think the guys from 'Jandarmeria' came again at the fountain and therefore everybody moved in the park. I have been there and have had a good time. Emily Iacovetti has been singing again with Claudiu from Cluj and Cristi. On another side Josh and Dany, the Asiria's boyfriend, sang together. We had light enough, even more than at the fountain. The guy who cursed me few days ago came again there and seemed friendly.
I have studied nearly nothing today. I only have read the rest of the text for one of my exams. I have to read a lot more, at least once each course so I can make a good essay for each of them. I also sorted out some of my books. I found a lot of good books and I repared them.
Some of the christian people are going tomorrow at Fundata. Maybe I will go there too. I have to check out the schedule of the trains.
John was tired, as he told me. A guy came with a bottle of beer and talked with John. He told John that he was drinking because of some problems he had with his girlfriend, love problems. The guy seemed to be under 18.
I'm sleepy. I'd better go to bed so I can wake up earlier tomorrow morning. It's 2:00 in the morning already.

The Concert

The Americans held a concert today at 'Clubul Tineretului'. I could not make it there at the right time. I got there after a half an hour when the band was already performing on the stage. The members of the band was Emily Iacovetti - vocal and guitar, Ryan Hauter - electric guitar, Josh Nelson - electric bass guitar and Briana Case - drums. The drummer was a small girl who you would bet she could not make it a drummer, but she could very well. I was sorry I couldn't get there earlier so I could see all their performance. These Americans are so cool. I wish I was like them. Afterwards Claudiu, a guy from Cluj, performed alone and then Jessica made a testimony in front of the audience. She told us the story about how she became a Christian. She told us that when she was small her mother Rosemary, who was in the audience, had cancer and she thought her mother was going to die. Rosemary had been really about to die, very close to death, but due only to God she survived. Everybody said it was a miracle. And so Jessica got to know God. She was praying very much all that time. After the Jessica's testimony the Americans performed with a sketch about the struggle we, as Christians, have with the devil and the temptation he sends to us, like drinking alcohol, money, sex outside mariage, etc. After that John LaBelle preached and asked the people in the audience who wants to receive Jesus to come in front of the audience. A lot of people received Jesus then. At the end of the show there were snaks available and we enjoied them together. Everything was so cool. Another pastor from California came today. He is called Erick. He seems to be a cool guy. I want to talk to him more. Maybe the following days. After the show everyone went to the fountain. I stayed with the singers. It was awesome. Emily Iacovetti is awesome. She sings and play the guitar wonderfuly. There was there Cristi, a guy from Slobozia, and Claudiu from Cluj. They sang and played their guitars together with Emily. At the concert I met the guy who cursed me tow days ago. He had a bible and I asked him to let me see it. I think we will become friends. I don't know his name. I can't remember what class he was in. I mentioned earlier that he was my student. Oh, by the way, two guys from 'Jandarmeria' came over at about half past nine pm and asked us to stop singing because we disturb the people who live around the square. I hardly helped myself from yelling at them. I'll be back tomorrow with updates.

Today's Memories

Why philosophy? Is it useful? Most people say no. I say yes. I could not say otherwise, I'm a philosophy teacher. I wish I was a teacher in my home town but I found a job in a neighboring town, 25 km from Slobozia, my home town. It was my dream to become a philosophy teacher. After I finished the high school I tried at the Economics Studies Academy in Bucharest but I failed. The following year I wanted to go to the Faculty of Geology but in the meantime I changed up my mind. I started to read some books of philosophy and I decided to go to philosophy. I tried to the Faculty of Philosophy at the State University in Bucharest and I failed again with a very low mark. Very disappointed, I decided to go to a private university and that's what I did. I entered initially at an unknown university called Europa Ecor, newly founded. It was awkward. I stayed there two years and afterwards I decided to move to another private university called Spiru Haret and I stayed there until the end. Spiru Haret was one of the most important private university and still is the largest university. No, I think I stayed there at Europa Ecor three years and when I moved to Spiru Haret they accepted me under the condition to repeat the third year which I accepted. My parents spent a lot of money on me that time. when I moved there I liked very much. It was different. It was more comfortable and my colleagues was cool. I frequented the courses all the year. During that time I was staying in the Eugen's dormitory. He was very kind with me. He accepted me there to stay with him without paying anything. Actually it wasn't his room and I couldn't pay him. He helped me a lot. If he didn't tell me to come with him in Bucharest I wouldn't make it to move at the daily courses. I forgot to say, when I moved to Spiru Haret I moved at the daily courses whilst before I was at non frequency courses. I used to go to Bucharest every weekend for courses. Oh, not every weekend but every two weeks. It's been a lot of time past. After that year, I don't know exactly what year, I decided together with one of my friend from the dormitory to go get a job in journalism. We went at 'Cotidianul' newspaper and they accepted us. We didn't get a contract immediately but we could start working as journalists. It was cool, really cool experience. During that time I was with Cristina...
To be continued.

Back From the Fountain

It was a little problem at the fountain. One of my ex students spoke badly to me. I was playing the guitar and he came to me and asked to sing whatever he wanted. I told him that he was drunk and he started to insult me and curse me and I threatened him that I would call the Police. I want to call at the 'Jandarmeria' tomorrow morning and ask them to come there at the fountain tomorrow night. I am Romanian citizen, I pay taxes and I have the right to be protected by the state in the public areas. I'm going to go back there tomorrow.
I haven't talked to many people this night. I have read on my phone and listened to Josh play his guitar. I tried to play it too but unsuccessfully.
I want to read more tomorrow. I want to call at the 'Inspectorat' and ask about moving my job here in town. Now I'm a 'titular' teacher at Tandarei. It is much closer than Urziceni. It's only 25 km from Slobozia. I wish I could buy a car for going to my job by it. I need first to get my driving licence. I was thinking of trying to get the driving license for all the means of transportation, like truck, van, etc. It costs about 2, 500 RON (and a lot of time, definitely). I met Fana, my God son some day before, and he said he want to do this. I think it's an excellent idea.
I have to go to shopping again tomorrow. I have to buy some potatoes, vegetables for a soup and there must be something else but I can't remember.

My Master

I've done nothing. I should have done a lot of things. I have to do those essays for may master. I might lose the year and the money also. I should have called at the help desk to ask how many failed exam can I have in the following year without losing the year. I passed no exam. I have 8 to pass in the fall session. I have to read those texts and think of some titles for my essays. It's not unpleasant but I do a lot of other things and my time flies away. I want to stay tonight to study. I will have some coffee after I come back from the fountain.

The American Team

The American people from California came again. They are in the town again. John has been doing a great job for our community. A lot of young people are coming every night at the fountain in the town to meet the Americans. They learn about Jesus and learn to be good. John has come now sixth or eighth time. Some of the people who came last years came this year also but there are some new people also. Josh, Sarah, Chrishel, Jessica with her sister Rebeca and their mom (I forgotten her name) came again. There some new people like Tracy (a lady of about 40) with her daughter Emily, another beautiful high school blond girl called Aubree, a little sweet high school girl called Bethany, and for the rest I have to find their names and I will write them here. Sunday we went at the Clubul Tineretului (Youth Club) for the church service. Padre, Gina and some other guys sang on the stage. It was nice. The Americans are staying here two weeks. Now I'm going out to meet them at the fountain.