Saturday, October 14, 2006

Home at last


Good evening,

After a month of absence, here I am back to Resita, to my parent's house. It feels so cosy, so warm, so...like home, I am sure you all know this feeling. It's like nothing matters outside, since you are home again, with your loved ones, and you feel like you've come under a shelter from all things that could possibly harm you. You feel like you belong here. You feel you are welcome here. You feel loved here...

My visits to my parents have been more and more rare since I got the job at ETA2U in Timisoara. Since then, it's been so many weeks I haven't spoken to them, and I know they must be feeling lonely sometimes. I miss them too, but sometimes I am too busy or too tired to think about it. But what makes me mad is the fact that I know that someday I shall regret that I haven't passed more time with them, the fact that I sometimes preferred staying in Timisoara and doing something else rather than spending a weekend with them...

You can see above a picture of them, it's a picture taken about one year ago... Yeah, smoking IS a bad habit, what can I say! :) Anyway, they were so glad to have their both sons at home for a weekend. I brought along my keyboard, and I played a little bit for them. They have been thrilled to hear me. Of course they were, after all it's their son we're talking about right? :)
Andy, our band-mate has called me today, saying that he arranged for us to record two songs in a professional studio. Jesus, that sounds great! But I still have some doubts about that, since we haven't been able to meet for about a month or so, and I fear our future is a little uncertain. Well, we'll see about that...Tommy said he's been talking to Cristi "Freak" and the later said he would speak to his wife about his continuing to play with the band. He's been reluctant to inform her so far, because he'd been promising her to quit playing with us. However, he loves playing with our band, and I feel there's no way he could keep his promise! That was the reason why he couldn't come to the rehearsals with us, since he couldn't find a reason to leave home on Sundays. I know it sounds a little bit strange, but that's us...The Paladins!
Moreover, we need to have our own songs. So far we've been working on our first single "Never let me go", but I'm not very happy with the sound of that, or maybe we just need to work a little more on it. Anyway, we need to speed up the whole thing, if we want to record something - because at this moment, we're only playing other bands' songs (Guns n'Roses, Nightwish, Cargo etc.). But I would surely love to have our own CD, a CD recorded in a studio - you know it helps a lot, it's a whole different sound and you can work a little bit on your voice, on equalizers etc. But the greatest challenge is Raul, our drummer. He's an absolute beginner in this business and he's having a hard time learning to play the drums. One of the most important assets of our band is, undoubtably, Tommy. He's been very helpful when composing our new song, he cand play the guitar and he's OK with the drums. He's got a good voice, although he lacks self-confidence.
Anyway...Monday I'm going back to work and I feel it's gonna be a tough day. I'm still enjoying the last hours of my vacations, with my parents, trying to grasp the best of it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Feel free to comment...any words would be appreciated :)
Peace&Love to You All!
Razvan

Monday, October 09, 2006

On vacation...back to school



Good evening,

Well I know you are a little surprised by the title above, but believe it or not, it is true. I got a week of vacation so that I can go back to continue my studies at the faculty - Communication and PR at the University POLITEHNICA Timisoara...

First impression? Hell on Earth! I mean, staying in the classroom with one eye on the cell telephone, so that the customers and the colleagues are able to reach you. Besides, they're all overloaded with work, as it is a period of high activity, and they are having a hard time finding a little space for my clients too...That's just the way it is, but it seems so unfair the fact that you just can't leave behind your work, not even for a week. Although I am sure that they could manage without calling me, since they did while I was away, in France, where I could not be contacted by telephone for 10 days. Anyway...nevermind.

School seems to be same old, nothing much has changed. Right now they are no longer focused on translation, which can be a good thing; however, I will have to pass some exams from the 1st and 2nd year, a thing I shall have to check later on. The subjects are quite different from what they used to be 5 years ago (Jesus, already 5 years gone?), and they seem more business-focused. However, it remains to be seen at the seminars, if they shall bring any good in my training as a PR specialist.

My school mates are OK - mostly girs ha ha ha! - and they have made a good first impression on me (hope it's the same the other way too :) ). They seem to be willing to help me with the courses I shall surely skip in the future, which can only be a good thing.

Right now I feel like I have been working all day long, or even more tired - I'll get used to it, no doubt.

There is another thing that has made me go nuts: two of my band's members - the same two as usual, Andy and Cristi FREAK - have failed to appear at the rehearsal yesterday, although we've been planning it for almost one month. I've taken back home my keyboard and will reconsider my future with them. I'm gonna give them one more chance; after that, it will be over. I also feel sorry for Raul, because he has bought himself a set of drums (and they were not very cheap, you can imagine!), and right now, if he can't continue playing with us, he would have bought them for nothing!

That's about it - not one of my greatest days, but it will take more than that to get me down! But I'm thinking about what I would like to have for diner tonight - "une quiche"!

Pour les connaisseurs... :))

Peace& Love to You All!
Razvan

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Reloaded/Repris



Buna seara,
Bonsoir,

De aceasta data nu vor fi vesti noi, ci doar voi indeplini o promisiune facuta prietenei mele Soizic, din Nantes. Adica voi traduce pasajul referitor la vizita din Paris, pentru ca i se datoreaza ei in cea mai mare parte - am avut ocazia sa vad Franta datorita invitatiei ei din aceasta vara.
Merci Soizic, Didier, Theo, Lucas, Cecile, Philippe, Lorine et, bien sur, mon grand ami Florian!

Toate cele bune,
Razvan

L'Union Europeene - tres, tres pres de nous. J'y ai ete, moi. C'est des voitures et des gens, des paroles et des autoroutes. FALCO- Out of the Dark. Tres belle chanson, ca va tres bien a cette heure, mais j'ai un peu peur qu'a la sortie du noir je serai aveugle par la lumiere. En revenant a notre UE, je disais que c'etait tres pres de nous - par exemple, on n'a besoin que de 3 heures en SAAB 2000 pour aller a Paris et prendre son petit dejuner a Cafe Montparnasse ou bien a la Maison des Miroirs a Vienne. Ben alors...si on a envie apres ca de gouter des "sarmale" roumaines pendant la promenade de Notre Dame de Paris jusqu'a la Tour Eiffel, il y a un autre avion vers Timisoara, mais le lendemain, l'apres-midi. Et que faire alors? On fait le tour des quais de la Seine et de toutes les places a visiter de Paris (je plaisante, bien sur que c'est pas possible, sauf avec les pas d'un Goliat - mais disons qu'on pourrait voir le Dome des Invalides, Musee d'Orsay et de faire une visite courte, mais extremement courte, au Louvre) et ensuite on peut se loger dans un hotel "chic" situe dans l'arrondissement X, et contempler la nuit parisienne. Son mirage sera le premier pas dans la metamorphose qui changera ta condition de commercial "corporatiste" a jamais, pour te tourner a jamais en artiste errant sur les quais de la Seine, qui joue de son orgue alimentee d'un accumulateur auto soit Edit Piaf et Marlene Dietrich, soit Erik Satie et Vangelis, soit Dumitru Farcas et Nicolae Furdui-Iancu (car ces touristes-la, ils parlaient le Roumain, n'est-ce pas?), pour que tu puisses boir ton vin au Cafe des Artistes avec Kareem, le africain au tambour qui fait sa vie dans les stations RER et avec Yasemin, la danseuse exotique qui...a toujours un tres beau sourire. Et on constate que le Paris d'autant est parti sur les ailes du Mistral, et la champagne et a sa place, a Carrefour. Ce qu'il te reste, c'est la Seine, pour trouver ta paix lorsque ton ame sera trop fatiguee pour montrer a tes doigts le accords de l'eternel "Non, je ne regrette rien". Mais d'un coup, tu te reveilles car la stewardesse (oh pardon, hôtesse de l'air) te reveille pour attacher ta ceinture, car nous allos atterir sur l'aeroport international "Traian Vuia" de Timisoara. Et tu te demandes alors...ce une belle reve?Eh oui, une reve d'un artiste aspirant, d'une ame romantique. Enfin, j'ai un contrat a envoyer demain, chez MetalCrane, car ils m'ont envoye la commande par SMS...et je reverrai Ovidiu, Gabi, Kappa, Danila, Lore si Nicu ce soir, pour boir une biere a D'Arc. Et Petrescu, comment va-t-il, est-ce qu'il a toujours mal au dos?

Voici la premiere histoire de mon BLOG. Pffff...il est tres tard, il faut absolument que je me couche!

A demain, mes amis!
Razvan

Sunday, October 01, 2006

La sfarsit de saptamana

Buna seara din nou!

Este aproape ora 23:00, si ma gandesc ca mai este doar o ora pana la ziua de nastere a fratelui meu, Serban, care va implini 24 de ani. LA MULTI ANI, frate! Multa sanatate, reusite in viata si toate cele bune, pentru ca avem incredere in tine si in ambitia ta! Sa ne traiesti!

Pe de alta parte sunt solicitat sa merg la culcare, dar nu prea am chef inca, sunt destul de odihnit si vreau sa astept miezul noptii ca sa il sun pe sarbatorit, nu? :) A fost un weekend destul de odihnitor, cheful de la ziua lui Marius "MERCE" a fost un prilej de relaxare, n-au fost prea multi invitati, dar ne-am simtit bine. Am mai pus noi putin tara la cale...el are planuri de viitor, mult mai clare decat mine.

Maine incepe o noua saptamana de lucru - avem doua evenimente importante, cu Microsoft si Toshiba, si ma gandesc cu ceva ingrijorare ca va fi o alta saptamana plina. In mod normal, maine incep, sau mai bine zis, reincep si eu scoala ca si student. M-am inscris la continuare de studii si iata o alta provocare - sa impac si lucrul, si scoala. N-am mai avut pana acum o astfel de provocare, dar imi prinde bine sa ma pun in pielea colegilor mei de lucru care n-au prea avut de ales si s-au descurcat, fiecare cum a putut. A propos de firma - il aveti in imagine pe Ovidiu, colegul meu - bun tovaras de lucru, smecheras si viitor insuratel, sper :) Ce-i drept, poza e ceva mai veche, din 2004. Acum a mai pus ceva burta...dar nimic grav :)))

Acum ascult THE PALADINS...ah, am uitat sa va spun ieri, asta este denumirea formatiei noastre, ma scuzati :) Da, concertul de la Semenic, prima noastra reprezentatie LIVE, nu extraordinar de reusita, dar destul de buna pentru a o numi DEBUT. Poate intr-o zi se va vinde cu 1 milion de EU copia originala, asa ca am facut din timp cateva copii si le-am pus deoparte. :)
Sunt putin ingrijorat pentru ca nu am mai reusit sa repetam impreuna de ceva timp, din vari-motive, iar orga mea este la sala unde repetam, asa ca nici macar singur n-am mai putut canta. Teribil, imi lipseste asta, simt in fiecare zi...naiba stie, cand eram mic nu imi placea sa merg la scoala de muzica, acuma as tot canta. Asta e omul, isi doreste intotdeauna ceea ce nu poate avea. Ar fi stupid sa nu mai putem repeta, vrem sa cantam la cheful de Craciun de la ETA2U, dar de data asta sa avem si propriile noastre melodii. Un proiect ambitios, dar sincer, imi doresc mult asta, foarte mult. Nu ma intereseaza sa fac asta "for a living", dar nici sa fiu un zdranganici. Pentru prieteni, pentru suflet...si atat.

L-am ajutat pe colegul meu, Nicu Tapalaga, sa dea un examen HP in limba franceza, examen pe care il picase de cateva ori, si doar asa mai puteam "smecheri" sistemul. N-o sa credeti poate, dar l-a luat din prima...am sarit efectiv in sus cu totii in birou, am simtit o bucurie similara celei din meciul Steaua - Dinamo Kiev, la fiecare dintre goluri! Incredibil, chiar nu am mai avut senzatia asta de mult. Era si ultima suta de metri pe care se mai putea da acel examen, am explodat ca tribunele euforice, atunci cand echipa da golul victoriei in minutul 91, in prelungiri! Am reusit sa impresionam si managementul, bineinteles :)

"Just a little Patience" - canta Paladinii. Vocea-mi suna cam strident, intr-o incercare nu tocmai reusita de a reda pasiunea lui Axl Rose. Rabdare pana la ziua de maine, pana de Sarbatori, pana la nunta, pana la Ziua de Apoi.

Doua maini reci, dar binecunoscute, ma indeamna sa merg la culcare din nou...de data asta le voi asculta chemarea si voi lasa incheierea asta:

I've been walking these streets at night
Just trying to get it right
It's hard to see with so many around
You know I don't like being stuck in a crowd
And the streets don't change but maybe the name
I ain't got time for the game
'Cause I need you
Yeah, yeah well I need you

Pe curand, dragii mei!
Wolf