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THE EMERGENCE OF THE ROMANIAN PROFESSIONAL CLASS (1)

June 5th, 2010 · No Comments · PEOPLE, Uncategorized

With the occupation of the Soviet armies in 1944 and sudden imposition of a new (communist) order those professionals who resisted the change, who run liberal professions (in Pharmacy, medicine, law, finance or other businesses) and did not join the Communist Party were at best expropriated, or marginalised without means of survival or simply sent to prison camps of hard labour, digging the Danube-Black sea canal, harvesting reeds in the Danube Delta or as political prisoners in the Carpathians copper mines. From 1949 a fast track for “reliable” replacements was set up for people with no previous college education to “qualify” as engineers, leaders of Industry or hospitals following a few months of “intensive” education (…).

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QUOTATIONS: How other people see us (1) – Margaret THATCHER

April 10th, 2010 · 2 Comments · Uncategorized

Interesting insight on her visit to Ceausescu in the mid 1970s: “Margaret Thatcher – the Path to Power” (Harper Collins, London 1995, ISBN 000 255806 8, 656 pages)
pp. 354:

“Ceausescu was playing a ruthless game in which ethnic tensions (with Hungary), East-West competition (between NATO and the Warsaw Pact) and rivalry within [...]

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Book Review: “Once Upon Another Time” by Jessica Douglas-Home

April 4th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Books, OPINION, PEOPLE, Reviews, Uncategorized, quotations

Once upon another time
by Jessica Douglas-Home.
Quotation from page 169-170;
"the Arbuthnots (British Ambassador to Romania, – LC note) second party took place that evening – a lavish buffet for twenty. As with the first one, people sat in huddles whispering on the stairs and in corners. A gaunt professor of architecture entered and for a time seemed frozen by the sight of the two tables piled high with unheard of delicacies. A waiter broke the spell by handing him a glass of wine from a silver tray whereupon he fell on the food like a starving man.

(LC note- Romanians had next to nothing to eat under Ceausescu in the 1980s, except chicken claws).

I have a picture of Plesu and Liicianu stretching their legs out from the deep velvet sofa, arms clasped behind their necks, their eyes glinting amusedly at me, relaxed and at peace with themselves.

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Curierul Romanesc, Suedia (nr 4, 2009): Interviul luat de Silvia Constantinescu autorului Antologiei ‘Blouse Roumaine -the Unsung Voices of Romanian Women’ (partea II-a):

February 13th, 2010 · No Comments · Books, Diaspora, OPINION, PEOPLE, Reviews, Uncategorized

Cum a întâmpinat Institutul Cultural Român si alte institutii de cultura din România aceasta lucrare? Ai primit vreun sprijin?

C.R.: Institutului Cultural Român si editurile din România au aratat un dezinteres total!Explicati-mi, va rog, ce anume s-a schimbat în mentalitatea Tranzitiei, chiar dupa ce am intrat cu oistea româneasca în gardul Europei?

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Curierul Romanesc, Suedia – Interviul luat de Silvia Constantinescu despre ‘Blouse Roumaine’ – o Antologie a Femeilor din Romania (Partea I-a)

February 13th, 2010 · No Comments · Books, Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Reviews, Uncategorized

Silvia Constantinescu, editor, “Curierul Romanesc”: În meseria mea de bibliotecar de informatie în Suedia, am întâlnit zilnic elevi, studenti, cercetatori care s-au izbit de lipsa de informatii despre acea Romanie care n-a fost creatia ”partidului comunist si a lui Ceausescu, fiului cel mai iubit al poporului”, ci despre adevarata Românie, care dainuie de secole, înaintea comunismului si a ”eliberarii” tarii de catre armata rosie.”
Lucrarea lui Constantin Roman si-ar fi capatat, desigur, un loc în istoria literaturii române, dar ar fi ramas limitata la aria limbii române, falindu-ne noi între noi cu personalitatile feminine din istoria noastra. Lucrarea lui Constantin Roman si-ar fi câstigat, desigur, un loc în istoria literaturii române, dar pe plan international n-ar fi ajutat sa se împrastie ignoranta cititorilor despre o tara despre care informatiile existente sunt numai despre ”Dracula, Ceausescu, orfelinate, coruptie si infractiune”, informatii primite prin scurtele buletine de stiri din ziare, de la radio sau TV.

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SFIDAREA IDIOCRATIEI, Constantin ROMAN, Prefata – John F. DEWEY (Recenzie Partea III)

February 9th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Books, Diaspora, Reviews, Uncategorized

Ca si gastronomia placerea infinita care rezulta din admirarea arhitecturii, picturii si ale gradinilor care il inconjoara reprezinta un fundal mereu prezent: aceste toate formeaza un comentariu, ca un hemiciclu, sau o tema muzicala, o reflectie permanenta a fiecarei miscari, o bucurie pe care autorul o impartaseste pe indelete cu cititorul, pe masura ce intoarce paginile cartii.

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Cambridge Memoir (II) – Peterhouse

December 3rd, 2009 · No Comments · Books, Diaspora, PEOPLE, Uncategorized, quotations

Cambridge Memoir (II) – Peterhouse
17. Lord Dewar’s rescue
No sooner that I accepted, with great glee, my Presidency of the Peterhouse Grad. Soc. the style of leadership had to change. New blood was needed to inject some tonus in the proceedings and I was determined to encourage more social contacts amongst its members, [...]

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Cambridge Memoir (I) – Peterhouse

December 2nd, 2009 · No Comments · Books, Diaspora, Uncategorized, quotations

Peterhouse has the oldest Hall in Cambridge, going back to its foundation, in 1284. The Hall was restored in the 19c century when it was decorated by William Morris. It could take up to over one hundred undergraduates, but as their number grew, two sittings were introduced and eventually a self-service system. Formal dinners got fewer and attendance was no longer compulsory. However, as meals were heavily subsidized from college funds and benefactions,

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Romanian Royals – Queen Anna de Romania, Pss. of Denmark and of Bourbon-Parma

May 12th, 2009 · No Comments · Diary, Diaspora, PEOPLE, Uncategorized

Queen Anne of Romania, Princess of Denmark and of Bourbon-Parma – a descendant of the princes of Moldavia

HM Queen Anne de Romania, Princess of Denmark and of Bourbon-Parme
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http://www.blouseroumaine.com/orderthebook_p1.html
Regina Anna de Romania, Printesa de Danemarca si de Bourbon-Parma se trage, asa cum spune numele, din Bourboni, care au fost regii Frantei [...]

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AMICI DE DEMULT (Mes amis d’hier) cantec pentru Melina MERCOURI in romaneste de Caonstantin ROMAN

August 20th, 2006 · Comments Off · Poetry, Translations, Uncategorized

AMICI DE DEMULT
Amici de demult, tovarasi de drum
Cu pasii pierduti
Prin ce tari ratacind prin coclauri de scrum
Sunteti toti disparuti?
La ce lupte ne luam
Trup la trup inclestati
Ne credeam neinvinsi, desi fragezi eram
La cei doua’s’ de ani.
Rasul nostru voios rasuna peste tot
Cand pe lume-am venit
Cu nevolnice maini ne strangeam cot la cot
Rascolind din adanc un oras amortit.
Printre [...]

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