Three days ago in Targu Mures, Romania:
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Flowers are Evil
I was never one to get flowers for girls (or boys, for that matter). The non-recipients of flowers attributed this to my stinginess, my forgetfulness or my general ignorance of other people’s wishes or feelings.
But now I have proof that God has always been on my side:
For next Valentine’s Day, just send this video.
Did you notice the Irony? (20) EXPO Milan
Ever since the Watergate scandal, the suffix -gate is used to denote scandals, cases of corruption and other complex illegal activities.
At this year’s EXPO in Milan, Italy, the planners or architects have already provided for the likelihood of corruption, bribery, waste and fraud which is usually involved in projects of such a large scale by naming it EXPOgate.
Very foresightful.
I saw a bear! (with video)
The signs pointing to the “danger of bears” had a rather alluring effect on me instead of warning me. Many years ago, I had already unsuccessfully tried to spot a bear in the wild when I was at Yosemite National Park in California. Now in Romania it had to work!
So, for the past few days I spent as much time as possible in the forests around Băile Tușnad in Transylvania. All Friday: negative. Saturday: negative. My disappointment grew. Sunday: Without much hope, I walked towards a fortification tower in the forest above the town before lunch. I would have to depart in the afternoon, so I didn’t have much time left.
I was walking without making any sound, placing my steps carefully and not stepping on any branches that could break. To make sure that nothing escapes my eyes, I even wore my glasses. Only a few minutes outside of the town, I heard a rustling to my left, in the forest. A few moments passed before I recognized it. It was indeed a bear!
The first photo shows the distance between the bear and me (around 50 meters/yards), the second one shows the bear’s contours a bit more clearly.
I stood there rooted to the ground. My legs were shaking. My heart was beating frantically fast. Should I remain, run away or slowly turn the other way? As always in such situations, curiosity prevailed over fear, the existence of which I wouldn’t want to attempt denying.
So I filmed the bear, unfortunately only for a few seconds before it disappeared in the green thicket without having noticed me at all.
Despite the brevity of the encounter, I was overwhelmed. Such a beautiful animal, so cozy, but so majestic at the same time. Lion, tiger and elephant may argue about who is the king of the jungle; the king of the European forest is undoubtedly the bear.
I needed another few minutes until my pulse and my breathing had normalized. Probably, I stood there in the middle of the forest with a sense of happiness clearly visible all over my face, as if I had discovered a treasure. I continued towards the direction in which the bear had walked off, still making no sound, camera ready. But unfortunately, I met neither this nor any other bear.
On the way back, I crossed paths with three young Romanians who asked me for the way to Apor Tower. I mentioned the bear and showed them the video which I had just recorded. They seemed almost excited, definitely not alarmed, and went off in the direction of the bear’s last known residence. Afraid of bears? Not the people here in Transylvania. But then, it’s easier to be brave when you are three.
Links:
- More reports from Romania.
- More videos, all recorded under danger to life.
The toughest Half Marathon of the Year
This year I have already run several hilly and mountainous half marathons: in Jerusalem, in Brasov, in Targu Mures. In Romania there hardly seems to be a normal running event. Somebody will always put a mountain range in the middle of the track.
This Saturday, it will become more challenging yet: At the half marathon in Baile Tusnad I will have to cover 900 meters (= 2,952 ft) in altitude. That’s more of an ascent in one race than some people in Kansas or the Netherlands master in a lifetime.
But I will be rewarded with scenic views. From Baile Tusnad the track will go across the mountains all the way to Lake St Anna, a volcanic crater filled with rainwater. I’ll probably dive right in once I get there.
And while normal half marathons are happy with 21 km, here I’ll have to run a distance of 23 km. As if the mountains weren’t tough enough.
The bear in the logo is no joke either, but a reminder of the large population of bears in the forests around Baile Tusnad. I hope that I will finally encounter a bear in the wild, either while running or during one of my hikes in the days before and after the race.
Let’s see how I’ll feel on Saturday. If I still won’t have enough of crazy challenges, I can run up the Transfagarasan road in September, to an altitude of more than 2,000 meters.
“But we can remain friends.”
“But we can remain friends,” she suggested, trying to sound reassuring.
How silly! Why would anyone want a female friend if he already has male friends?
To wait an extra 30 minutes each time we agree to meet? To talk about shopping for shoes instead of the war in Ukraine? For even more of my hair to become grey? To listen to stories about her dates with other guys?
“It would indeed be wonderful if we can,” I said.
“Let’s meet for a coffee then one of these days,” she said, visibly eager to leave.
She had forgotten that I don’t drink coffee. Or she didn’t care. Or she wanted to show me that she didn’t care. I couldn’t ask anymore, for when I looked up, she was already gone. I was left alone with my thoughts, memories, questions and regrets, wishing they all would have left with her.
Video: A Busy Day at Work
I often receive reactions of surprise when I point out that I don’t have time to accept invitations to meetings, to get something done or to answer your e-mails. But I am really extremely busy. To counter the incredulous astonishment that regularly meets this assertion, I have filmed a typical segment of a typical work day:
“But that’s not work!” I hear those of you exclaim who cling to views formed during the time of Manchester capitalism or the New Economic Policy in the Soviet Union. That is open to debate, for why should reading and thinking not count as work (let alone the rather demanding activity at 3:20 in the video)? But today, I am not in the mood to argue and thus reply: “So what? Then I am busy with something else than work. Does that mean it’s less important? I hardly think so!” Quite the contrary; it seems to me that a life in which there aren’t a few hours every day for situations and activities like I display them in this video is not very different from that of a robot or a serf.
Think about it! Or continue to enjoy life at the office or in front of your computer for the next 30 years.
After the camera was turned off, a roebuck came by. It stood still in front of me and looked at me with astonished eyes from a distance of about 10 meters. I smiled at it, cigar still in my mouth. The animal came a bit closer and continued to observe me without shyness or fear, while it walked around me in a semi-circle. The deer seemed very surprised to encounter a human who is not running, walking, talking, shouting or shooting, but who simply sits there and enjoys life.
(Filmed in a forest not too far from my apartment in Targu Mures in Romania. – Zur deutschen Fassung.)
Posted in Books, Life, Philosophy, Romania, Video Blog
Tagged cigars, forest, smoking, Targu Mures, work
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I can’t afford a bigger house.
But for a single guy living a spartan life like me, it’s enough.
The best thing are the skids. In winter, you can ride the whole house down into the valley like on a sleigh. Or you can have it pulled to another mountain by horses. Like a mobile home.
(Photographed on the way to Mount Crna Glava in Montenegro. – Auf Deutsch.)
Video Blog: Mountaineering Tips
Some mountaineering tips, all of them disregarded by myself, on the way to Mount Crna Glava in Montenegro. Oh, how I miss that view!
“Attention: Scary!”
Romania is very tourist-friendly. In Transylvania there are even signs warning of scary objects/places/stories, like this one at Bran Castle.
