Ana-Maria Bogdan — Questioning the Status Quo

Thomas Patterson

Published on November 19, 2020December 23, 2020

The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. It’s about igniting the fire within he student, breeding confidence and curiosity, inspiring. As I discovered, Thomas Patterson—director of the Bolton Guitar Studies program at Fred Fox Music School at the University of Arizona, is such a gifted professor.

This interview came as a surprise for three reasons. First, I never planned it! Meaning it was just an idea I followed when finding out that his student, Ana Maria Iordache, won the first prize at Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Madrid. She’s one of the most talented Romanian classic guitar players of her generation. And I am not saying this just because I’ve known her since birth! Secondly, I did not anticipated that he would so kindly say “yes” to the interview for iscodescu.ro. Thirdly, because Ana Maria had no idea I would consider an interview with her guitar professor and mentor.

Once discovered, talent must be helped, guided, protected, kept safe from corruption (namely, cheap success pursuits, from the practice of clichés, hooks, platitudes), sheltered from death and from faux guides who force it to play as they should not.

Camil Petrescu (1894-1957)

Romanian novelist, philosopher and poet

That is one quote represents well my personal belief of what it takes to grow a natural talent of any kind whether is classic music guitar, robotics, writing, acting and so on. Yes, some would argue that a proper educational system is also needed. I totally agree, but that’s not the main topic of this interview. That being said, I now invite you to discover Thomas Patterson own thoughts.

Music - life's destiny

Ana Maria Bogdan: Mr. Patterson, one might say you are an extremely lucky man! 🙂 You discovered your passion for the classic guitar at an early age and yet after so many years, it does not seem to have faded? Is there something in particular that you do to keep alive the fire of passion?

Thomas Patterson: I was fortunate to come from a musical family. My grandmother taught piano and my mom was a choir director and organist for the church. Music was just part of life, so at the point the guitar revealed to me my destiny, I never looked back.

Of course, there are points where we lose a bit of energy, but I have been on a mission to create something special here in Arizona since I arrived in 1980 and I am very goal-oriented by nature.

The fact that I have wonderfully talented students like Ana Maria Iordache to work with and a very supportive local audience makes my work a pleasure and keeps me striving for excellence.

Bolton Guitar Studies - world's best

You have been leading Bolton Guitar Studies Program at The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music for almost 40 years. Today is considered among the world’s best guitar programs. It offers students from all over the world a home and opens them the doors to a future of music. It’s an amazing accomplishment, congratulations! So, tell me, what makes this program great?

We have a community that loves classical guitar — their support fuels the students’ work. We have generous patrons who help our students with everything from the basics of food and rent to the cost of tuition. There is also a diverse and talented group here from very different cultural backgrounds– presently the class is from Romania, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, China and the USA.

The cultural exchange plays a huge part in their experience and will lead to exchanges professionally in the future — I must state that the comradery this group exhibits makes my job a pleasure. The Tucson Guitar Society has a wonderful series and we work together as a team sponsoring concerts and masterclasses that only major cities would normally have. David Russell and the Sergio and Odair Assad are key to our success with their annual residencies. Finally, we have 5 in-house competitions to keep our students focused throughout the year.

Best of the most talented students

Your students have won countless prizes at prestigious international competitions including the GFA, Tarrega, Segovia, Montreal, and Stotsenberg Competitions. As far as I know, and please correct if I am wrong, each year you have a very small class of students you prepare, around 10-11. Yet, the number of candidates is far larger and they are all extremely gifted. So, my question to you is what are those treats you are looking for in a guitar student besides the talent?

I absolutely love what I do! I think it is paramount to place the student’s success as your own, to create trust that you would find in a family so that the very intimate process of constructive criticism can occur. There are generally between 15 and 18 students in my studio and 20-25 in the program overall. I look for a level of talent that shows me there is flexibility for change and improvement. Often, I will receive tips about a talented student from a former student or from colleagues in the other parts of the world who are well aware of my values.

Feeling lucky

How does it feel to nurture such talented young guitar players from all over the world? Is there a secret for being a great teacher and mentor?

I must say that I feel lucky in life. I am an optimistic person by nature, but I am very fortunate to be in the position to work with so many talented students. I love different cultures so the fact that we have such diversity in our group is an enormous source of pride for me.

Celebrating success as a family

I believe recognition, whether it’s an international contest award or a great performance enjoyed by many, is one of those rewarding moments for any professor. Only yesterday, one of your students, Ana Maria Iordache, won the first prize at Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Madrid. How does it feel when you see such accomplishments?

Summertime in Arizona is quite hot, so I wake up at 4 AM to walk my dogs. I received a wonderful news email from Ana at 3:45 AM and I immediately called her – we were both exuberant. This is fabulous for me because it validates to some degree the work we are doing here. It provides a huge amount of positive energy not only for Ana and her family and teachers but for my entire class, even those who have graduated and are leading their own programs. We celebrate as a family here. This is fabulous for me because it validates to some degree the work we are doing here.

What makes you unique

There is something Jimmy Page once said and stuck with me … “every guitar player inherently has something unique about their playing. They just have to identify what makes them different and develop it.” Would you agree? And if yes, what makes Ana Maria’s guitar playing so special?

That is a great quote from Jimmy Page! Ana has extraordinary clarity in her playing – every note stands out like a shining jewel. Her Scarlatti and Bach performances are absolutely fabulous.

Romania's got talent

And one final question … you have travelled, worked and played with people from all corners of the world.You had the chance to get to know a little bit about their culture and the music of their native country. Romanias have a strong connection with music in general. There are Romanian names knows across the world – music composers and violinists such as George Enescu, Ciprian Porumbescu and Alexandru Tomescu, Sergiu Celibidache (conductor), Vladimir Cosma (music film composer) or performers such as Maria Tănase (folk music singer), Gheorghe Zamfir (pan flute) or Angela Gheorghiu (soprano). So, I would be extremely curious to know about your experience with the Romanian music?

We all know about George Enescu, the teacher to Yehudi Menuhin and Arthur Grumiaux. Pablo Casals described Enescu as “the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart”. I have been introduced to the Romanian guitar school through Ana Maria Iordache. And just a few days ago, I watched the Guitar Foundation of American Youth Competition, the most important for young guitarists. Tudor Torge a young Romanian boy was a prize winner and must say he has a very bright future as does the guitar in your country.

What about Prof. Thomas Patterson?

Ana Maria Iordache

What Professor Thomas Patterson did not know during the interview 😊 … my last question when talking to Ana Maria Iordache. And it had nothing to do with her prize at Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Madrid!

“Ana Maria, we have known each other our entire lives, and prior to this interview, we had talked leisurely. It was then, as well as today when mentioning Tom Patterson’s name I felt respect, a special dose of admiration, I would say even reverence. Am I mistaken?”

Ana Maria Iordache: No, you are not wrong at all! Prof. Tom Patterson is an extraordinary human being and an extremely dedicated and gifted teacher. He has a huge talent in modeling and guiding students. He notices the strengths in each one of us and knows how to insist on grinding them. Plus, he is very perceptive and always tries to propose to you the most efficient way to solve a problem. What I like about him is that he doesn’t monopolize his students. He even suggests that we go and ask other masters for opinions in order to have an overview of things, and only then to make our own decision. He is the kind of mentor who allows you to grow, to evolve, in our own way. He does not create a dependency type of relationship with us, even though it would come him easily. He encourages us to discover ourselves as artists.

“You know, there’s a Romanian saying: “nothing grows in the shade of big trees.” Tom Patterson totally contradicts this saying, and I am extremely happy about it!

One personal last thought ...

Talent is not everything

Talent determines what you can do, motivation and passion within determine how much you are willing to do. As well, your attitude determines how well you do it. Yet, as life proves it over and over again, having a good professor who nurtures our natural talent is not enough! The golden secret key is the way he does it! Reaching excellency requires a teacher or a mentor who knowns and altruistically awakens the joy and freedom in your creative expression.

Key Takeways

Thomas Patterson

Takeaway #1

Mutual trust is built by the professor who treats student’s success as his own.

Takeaway #2

Success is a family celebration – students, parents, professors, friends

Takeaway #2

Cultural diversity nurtures camradery and inspiration

Note: This interview was first published in Romanian language on iscodescu.ro, July 2, 2020.

The Suman – A Romanian Folk Coat Fit for a Queen

Published on November 11, 2020November 19, 2020

Romanian DNA

When I wrote When Fashion Designers Forget to #givecredit article, I promised I will come back with a story about “the suman”. It’s a piece of the Romanian traditional costume which Tory Burch used in her 2018 Resort Collection without giving credit to its source of inspiration.

This article gives you a better understading of the history of the suman. Plus, bring to your attention few things that Tory Burch and many other designers probably have no idea about:

Almost 100 years ago, so, way they discovered the beautiful Romanian suman, there was an extraordinary woman who promoted it. Her name is Queen Marie of Romania!
There are important museums around the world which have in their exhibitions for tens of years some amazing sumans, vests, coats and entire Romanian folk costume;
Few years prior to Tory Burch, Ioana Corduneanu and Alina Elena Iancovik, two Romanian designers, used the suman and its stylish intricated black embroidery as a source of inspiration. And they did all this not just by giving credit, but also but reinterpreting it.

The Romanian SUMAN

“Suman” – that’s how Romanians call it for some hundred of years; it comes from the Bulgarian word “sukmanŭ”, meaning peasant coat.The suman was wore (and still are) by both women and men in various regions of Romania during autumn-winter time. In the old days, it was hand-made 100% by women of all ages. Passing the art of weaving and embroidery was done from generation to generation along with all the hidden meanings of the symbols and patterns.

These were hand woven from wool and embroided by women. The embroided symbols and colors may vary depending on the region, yet black is the dominant color of the embroidery.

The Suman fit for a Queen

Queen Marie of Romania

Five years ago I posted a story — Falling in Love with My Romanian IA, depicting Queen Marie of Romania, the 22th granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She married Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Prince of Romania and followed him to Bucharest.

She came at a very young age to a foreign country, full of hopes and questions, not knowing much about Romanians. She fell in love with the people and their heritage.

Yet, God gave some of His greatest gifts a Queen can enjoy. A country which became her heart’s home. Traditions, customs and beautiful landscapes which inspired her to write about and fight for Romania. The love a nation who honours and remembers her even today.

"I came to this country at very young age, yet I became one of you."

Queen Marie of Romania (1875-1938)

The Queen of Our Hearts

And, if you knew her story, you would know that the above quote is an extremely accurate representation of the truth. Queen Mary found inspiration in our cultural heritage and in return she inspired us back. She was a queen proud to wear her adoptive country’s folk costume. And, as you can see Queen Mary and her daughters were extremely proud to wear the Romanian suman.

There are hundreds of pictures of the Queen wearing the out national costume. The picture above is just one proving how she passed on her love for the folk costume to all her daughters. It’s also shows you the sumans and the IAs made especially for the Romanian Royal family.

In many of the pictures I have mentioned, Queen Marie appears proudly wearing a suman she had made for her. It was a much modern interpretation and cut of the traditional Romanian suman.

The Romanian suman - on display for the world to see

Maryhill Museum of Art

Sumans, vests and other clothing pieces of similar type of embroidery continued to be made and wore without interruption for hundreds of years. Their beauty and amazing embroidery turned them into real treasures for museums around the world. And I picked two of these museums which started collecting various pieces of the Romanian folk costumes since the beginning of the 20th century.

Not by chance, I shall start with Maryhill Museum of Art (Portland, US), one of the Pacific Northwest’s most enchanting cultural destinations. It is housed in a Beaux Arts mansion on 5,300 acres high above the Columbia River.

The museum was founded Northwest entrepreneur and visionary Samuel Hill (1857 – 1931). Lawyer, railroad executive and “an eccentric Washington State millionaire with a passion for the Columbia Gorge”, as Oregon Portland Encyclopedia contributor Kristine Deacon calls him, Samuel Hill substantially influenced the economic development of the Pacific Northwest region in the early 20th century. He purchased the property and began building the house with dreams of establishing a Quaker farming community. When the goal proved untenable, Hill was encouraged by friends actresses Loïe Fuller, Queen Marie of Romania, and Alma de Bretteville Spreckles to establish a museum. And so he did, despite all challenges he had to face.

An ambitious visionary and “inveterate globetrotter”, Sam Hill was a long-time friend of Queen Marie of Romania. Besides being considered one the most beautiful royals of Europe, she was an influential monarchs and political figures of Europe at that time. Therefore, it is no wonder that her visit to the United States (1926), prompted a media frenzy like no other. On November 3, at Samuel Hill’s invitation, she presided over the yet-unfinished Maryhill Museum of Art’s dedication ceremony. Later on, in her diary Queen Marie called Maryhill:

“that strange uncouth cement building erected by the just as strange old Samuel Hill. ... I knew when I set out that morning to consecrate that queer freak of a building that no one would understand why; I knew it was empty and in no wise ready to house objects for a museum. I knew there were scoffers about me, even hostilities, but a spirit of understanding was strong in me that day and I managed by my own personality, by my words, by my spirit, to move all the hearts beating there this morning. ... I knew that a dream had been built into this house, a dream beyond the everyday comprehension of the everyday man”.

Queen Marie of Romania (1875-1938)

On this occasion, Queen Marie donated more than 100 works of art and personal items to the museum. This donation included

For those who would love to explore the story of the Queen’s Marie Collection, I warmly invite you to watch this short video.

Queen Marie of Romania’s gift served as the basis of what today is an impressive collection of over 450 pieces of Romanian folk costumes, textiles, icons, paintings, manuscripts.

Last but not least important, in January 2020, Maryhill Museum of Art announced that it will open its 80th anniversary season on March 15 a special Romanian Textiles Exhibition.

“A Particular Beauty: Romanian Folk Clothing” Exhibition features 20 fully dressed mannequins and numerous individual garments including coats, chemises, blouses, and vests. Visitors can admire a variety of Romanian embroidery techniques, mediums, and styles. According to Curator of Art Steve Grafe, “This marks the first time that we have mounted an exhibition of this scale of Romanian textiles. (…) It will give the public an opportunity to see many objects that we have recently acquired as well as pieces that were gifted to the museum when it was first established.”

The Romanian suman - on display for the world to see

Horniman Museum & Gardens

Opened to the public since Victorian times and located in South of London (UK), The Horniman Museum & Gardens mission is to connect us all with global cultures and the natural environment. It’s on Horniman website photo gallery I found these amazing Romanian sumans, coats and vests. Photo credits belong to Horniman, I only put it together in these collages for you to enjoy.

The Romanian National Rugby Team

Ioana Corduneanu

Graduating “Ion Mincu Institute of Architecture” (Bucharest), Ioana Corduneanu is recognized in Romania as one of the most important contributors for preserving the tradition of the national folk costume. Many years ago she launched Semne Cusute project where she meticulously started documenting the symbols and patterns embroided by the Romanian women from all corners of the country on their family’s folk costumes.

The reason I mention has to do with the fact that she was one of the first to bring back to the attention of the international and local public the Romanian suman. And this is the story of how she did.

On December 17, 2013, the Romanian Rugby Federation officially announced the long-term partnership with Semne Cusute Association founded by Corduneanu. This meant that starting the beginning of 2014 Stejarii, the Romanian national rugby team will wear the symbols of the Romanian traditional culture on their equipment.

When asked about this initiative, Lucian Lori, Communication & Marketing Director of the Romanian Rugby Federation, said: “We wish Stejarii to be the essence of what Romanian means. We all know the sport is the best ambassador and we would like to take advantage of this opportunity and show the world proofs of our culture. Out of the dozens of Romanian traditional motifs, we chose the strongest ones for what they signify inspires us. Moreover, the symbol we chose for 2014 will be embroidered on the t-shirt to strengthen the message linked with the preservation of our tradition.”

It is an honour for us to support the connection between our Romanian tradition and such a sport with a long history, by ennobling Stejarii t-shirts with ancient symbols expressing the values of our people. Taking such responsibility is is a step forward towards rediscovering our identity.

Ioana Corduneanu

Founder, Semne Cusute Association

IIANA 2015 - Queen Marie Suman

Alina Elena Iankovic

Back in 2015, Alina Elena Isakovic, founder of IIANA, an online fashion shop brand of ethnic inspiration, revived the classic peasant winter coat called “suman”. Back in 2015, Alina Elena Isakovic, founder of IIANA, an online fashion shop brand of ethnic inspiration, revived the classic peasant winter coat called “suman”.

It is not by chance that now I bring to your attention IIANA’s 2015 collection. Yes, it has everything to do with Tory Burch copy-cat Romanian suman.

My inspiration comes from old books I have been collected along the years from antique shops. I believe that the best source of inspiration is the one from coming from the old Romanian books. In my design shop, we do not necessarily take into consideration the fashion trends. We rather prefer to think of new ways of how to integrate an old traditional Romanian piece of clothing into a stylish modern urban outfit.

Alina Iankovic

Fashion designer, Founder of IIANA

One of the pieces is a suman named “Queen Marie”. It makes a meaningful connection with Queen Marie of Romania, one of the most elegant and influential royals of her time. The pictures are self-explanatory, yet I added a few details below.

It is worth mentioning that all these pieces use natural fabrics and the hand made embroidery is mostly by local artisans in Gorj area, Oltenia. It’s a region well-known for the suman both men and women wear for centuries. This means a lot when it comes to preserving the authenticity of the embroidery and respect for what it means. As you know, symbols carry meanings and when put to together, they tell a great life story.

Just a brief conclusion

Marrying original folk pieces and modern clothing

To the present days, Queen Marie of Romania remains the greatest promoter of all times of the Romanian traditional folk costume. The sumans, the IAs, the rich and amazing folk costumes she so proudly wore were not just an inspiration for the fashion designers across the world. For Her Majesty, wearing the Romanian folk costumes was a way of connecting with the energy of the people who welcomed her as their Queen of Hearts. Queen’s Mary legacy is today carried out by fashion designers and folk costume curators such as Alin Gălățescu, Iulia Gorneanu, Ioana Corduneanu, Alina Elena Iankovic, Philippe Guilet and many others.

Bibliography:

ARTICLES & BOOKS:

Corduneanu, Ioana — About me, ioanacorduneanu.com
Clay, Henry L. — A Rumanian Quee in the West, Frontier Times, April-May 1968
Deacon, Kristine — Queen Marie of Romania’s 1926 visit to Oregon, The Oregon Encyclopedia,
Edwards, Tom — Queen Marie and Her 1926 Visit to the Pacific Northwest, Maryhill Magic Newsletter, 2008
Galescu, Roxana — IIANA, eleganță cu influențe tradiționale, Fashion Premium Magazine, January 16, 2019,
Marie, Queen of Romania — America Seen By A Queen: Queen Marie’s Diary of her 1926 Voyage to the United States of America, Bucharest, The Romanian Cultural Foundation Publishing House, 1999
Moldovan, Medeea — Gypsey Vest – cojoc tradițional românesc, made in India, vândut de un brand celebru la un preţ exorbitant, November 19, 2018
Neblea, Andreea — Cum a ajuns cojocul românesc să fie made in India şi vândut de un brand celebru la un preţ exorbitant, Adevărul Newspaper, November 19, 2018
Pakula, Hannah — The Last Romantic, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1984
Însemne solare și modelele pandurilor pe tricourile de cupă mondială, Romanian Rugby Federation, August 18, 2015
Simboluri ale culturii românești vor fi promovate de Sttejarii începând cu 2014, Romanian Rugby Federation, December 17, 2013
Maryhill Museum of Art Opens 80th Anniversary Season with Romanian Textiles Exhibition, Maryhill Museum of Art, January 31, 2020
Maryhill Museum of Art, January 31, 2020

PHOTO CREDITS:

I I highly encourage you to click on these links and enjoy even more amazing images.

Bran Castle photo gallery
Horniman Museum & Gardens, London, United Kindom
Maria, Queen of Romania, Maryhill Museum of Art, Portland, USA
Romanian Rugby Federation @ Facebook Page

When Fashion Designers Forget to #givecredit

Published on October 20, 2020November 19, 2020

Romanian DNA

The fact that the Romanian IA continues to be an is amazing source of inspiration for fashion designers all over the world is a fact. The Romanian IA – The Fashion Icon Designers Love is one article I wrote many years ago, but updated it recently. It honors those fashion designers who, continuing Henri Matisse’s work, spread the word around the world about the beauty of the Romanian IA. Sadly, this new article about the Romanian folk costume tells a different story … about those fashion designers who forget to give credit and honor the Romanian local culture which inspired their collections. I am talking about Tom Ford, Tory Burch, Carolina Herrera, Valentino, Isabel Marant, Joseph Altazzura, Nili Lotan and others.

Fashion designers who forget to give credit

One needs to understand that in the fashion industry, the use of local cultures symbols, patterns, cuts and so on is not something new. Some fashion designers acknowledged their source of inspiration. They gave credit to the local cultures, this way honoring generations of women who preserved these traditions. To be very clear, they adapted those elements in a manner fit for the contemporary women. It’s not something they just copied and pasted.

In the recent years, the online space talks about fashion industry’s unfairness towards local cultures and cultural appropriation is a hot topic. If fashion houses like Gaultier or Valentino are great examples for crediting their source of inspiration, some of fashion designers did exactly that. They just took credit for something it was never theirs. Or, in other cases, as you’ll see, they attributed to other cultures.

Tom Ford (2012)

Tom Ford’s 2012 spring collection was one of the most well-kept secrets in the fashion industry. Critics and fashion lovers had to wait for 2 months before seeing a glimpse of the mesmerizing collection. There were lots of pencil skirts with tops, raffia, lace, beading, intricate embroidery, fringe, leather and sex appeal, but also many folk-inspired pieces. Spain, South America and Romania were the main sources of inspiration.

Hamish Bowles, mentioned in his Vogue article dedicated to Ford’s 2012 spring collection:

" (...) there was a thread of Pre-Raphaelite romanticism in embroidered peasant blouses (of the type Matisse loved to paint), and even frothy, Renaissance-sleeved dresses that evoked the work of the great sixties and seventies London designer Ossie Clark."

Hamish Bowles

English fashion journalist and editor

Singer Adele made Vogue magazine’s cover photo (2012) wearing Tom Ford’s outfit inspired by the Romanian IA from Sibiu area (Transilvania). What is representative for the peasant blouse of Sibiu is the harmony of the white and black colors; the thin and intricate embroidery is mostly done with black threads. In rare cases, it has some red, green, blue, golden or silver threads.

In an interview with Laura Kathleen, Fashion Magazine, Tom Ford himself makes some kind of acknowledgment to Yves Saint Laurent’s influence.

“I’ve streamlined things more this season. I think I’m very classic, because what I do is always based on something you’ve seen before. And yes, maybe there’s something YSL about it. When I left off designing for women, I was at YSL so I’m working through that to be me, asking myself, What do I like? What defines your brand?”

Tom Ford

American fashion designer

Carolina Herrera (2013)

Carolina Herrera 2013 Spring/ Summer collection uses embroidery elements that look quite similar with those found on the Romanian folk blouse.

Joseph Altuzzara (2014)

French-born, luxury women’s ready-to-wear clothing designer Joseph Altuzzara, launched his brand, Altuzarra, in New York in 2008. The patterns from some of the pieces of Altuzzara’s Pre-Spring 2014 collection are not similar or inspired, but quite identical! No personal touch, no real contribution of his own. The gallery below illustrates quite well, I would say, this resemblance. I was really happy to easily find great quality online resources documenting Romanian traditional embroidery. Ioana Corduneanu’s Semne Cusute blog is just one of them.

Yet, Altuzarra told Vogue magazine that this collection he designed this supremely elegant collection “in the heat of summer—in Greece” and the clothes certainly seemed ready to waft into an Aegean island wardrobe.

Don’t get me wrong, Greek traditional embroidery is amazing, yet has nothing to do with Romanian tradition. You will never see a meander (aka meandrous), the so well-known Greek decorative motif on a Romanian IA. Oh, yes, I forgot, when it comes to marketing, Greece or Aegean Sea sound much better than Romania!

Emilio Pucci (2015)

Peter Dundas injected a Sixties’ vibe into his pretty Emilio Pucci 2015 resort collection. Inspiring and feminine at the same time! Yet, what caught my attention was once the incredible resemblance of certain patterns and motifs he used with the Romanian symbols of the hand-made embroidery from Muscel area. To see for yourself, I’ve put together some examples of such Romanian authentic embroidery next to Pucci’s creations.

Isabel Marant (2015)

French fashion designer Isabel Marant, known for her bohemian aesthetic and fervently coveted creations, caught the attention of the public eye with her collection. What she failed to mention was the fact that some of her most representation pieces were inspired by the Romanian folkloric costume.

Some of her pieces are identical with the modern folkloric blouses you can buy anywhere in Romania. The starting price s around Euro 50 for less embroidered IAs. For those handmade IAs that long sleeves and are almost entirely embroidered, the price can go up to Euro 250-300. In Marant’s case, the retail price is USD410. If you loved it, definitely you should try finding some authentic IAs. There are plenty of online Romanian shops that sell and deliver them abroad!

The Romanian "Suman" VS Burch copy-cat coat

Tory Burch - Resort 2018

Tory Burch 2018 Resort collection – when first made public, the American designer claimed it was inspired by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Princess Elizabeth of Toro, an Ugandan lawyer, diplomat, model. If you want to dig for more, enjoy what Vogue Magazine had to say on this matter. Below the initial statement made by Tory Burch on her website.

“We looked to two women: Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Princess Elizabeth of Toro, the stunning diplomat, lawyer and model who lived here, in New York, in the late Sixties. They both had a unique style — they epitomized elegance in simplicity and as consummate travelers, they had a cosmopolitan sense of ease and far-flung references…"

Tory Burch

American fashion designer

What you’ll be reading next is the beginning of what today is known as #givecredit movement. I say “movement” and later you’ll understand better why. Yet, a brief explanation would be that people and communities from all over the world joined around #givecredit campaign. Truth to be told, Romanians are not the only one facing such issues.

The Romanian coat (above) dates from the early 20th century and is credited as a 1981 gift of Christine Valmy. For those who do not know, Valmy was was born in Romania, but she made a great career in America as an esthetician, consultant and entrepreneur. She is known as a pioneer in the fields of skin care and esthetics and recognized by the United States Congress …

“for her contributions to education in America […and for] creating a new, exciting avenue of careers for the young people of America.”

United States Congress

about Christine Valmy

Suman - The Romanian autumn-winter coat

Suman is the name of this pieace of the Romanian traditional coat used by Tory Burch. The suman was wore (and still are) by both women and men in various regions of Romania, Gorj region being one of them.

As you know, the African continent is one of the hottest on Earth. The lowest temperature ever measured in Africa was −24 °C (−11 °F) at Ifrane, Morocco. That was on February 11, 1935!!! In Romania, during winter the average temperatures are between 3˚C and -15˚C. And it is not uncommon to go below −15 °C (5 °F) in the highest mountains. The lowest temperature was −38.5 °C (−37.3 °F), registered near Brașov in 1942.

I truly doubt the African tribes need such winter coats! I am sure if they ever needed ones, they would have made and looked totally different.

The Suman – A Romanian Folk Coat Fit for a Queen

by Ana-Maria Bogdan

Published on November 11, 2020November 19, 2020

Romanian DNA

Way long before Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Dior, Tory Burch and other famous designers discover the beauty of the Romanian folk costume, there was an extraordinary woman who loved and promoted the suman. Her name was Queen Marie of Romania.

As claims must supported by evidence, I tried to find for you some of the oldest documented Romanian folk winter coats. What I thought to be just few sentences came out as a new article. Therefore, I invitee you to read The Suman – A Romanian Folk Coat Fit for a Queen. I believe you will love the beautiful images and footage!

Going back to designers who do not #givecredit

The copy-cat “suman” she took credit for creating it got Romanians outraged. What happened then is a life lesson everyone working in creative industries – fashion, design, music, publishing, literature, architecture, film and video, crafts, visual arts, advertising, the performing arts, should learn from. Learn it well!

On June 10, 2013, after La Blouse Roumaine community asked Tory Burch to kindly #givecredit for the source of inspiration of one of the central pieces of Resort 2018 collection. Actually, there are few pieces, but the main one is just a copy-cate.

So, wonder what happened next? Burch PR team got involved. First thing they did was to delete the offended Romanians’ comments and even block them form posting further.

That was not the smartest idea! Not only that’s not the way to react during a PR crises. Theory already tells you that when you react this way, you risk making things worse than they already are. It may come as a surprise (for some), but this in part of the world, we also know how to take a screenshot!

Now, let’s take a look at the other “smart” thing Tory Burch PR team did. The official public statement made on Facebook page. Personally, eve today I find it difficult to believe that there was not one single person in that PR team who did not raised a concern. But, let’s see the statement! v

“ Resort 2018 is about the unique friendship between two inspiring women, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Princess Elizabeth of Toro. Both were style icons, global travelers, and art lovers. In our effort to summarize the collection, we missed a reference to a beautiful Romanian coat which inspired one of the pieces. Whether it’s Romania, Uganda, or France, we are a brand that strives to celebrate, honor, and be inclusive of women from all countries and cultures, in the broadest way possible.”

Tory Burch - Facebook page

June 13, 2018

Again, I am not sure what Tory Burch PR team imagined or expected when publishing this post, but for sure and good reasons, Romanians were not happy with the answer. If put yourself in our shoes, you would feel the same. Here are just some the 781 replies they got. Trust me, when I say it was hard which one to pick to reflect the best Romanians’ feelings.

With such a lame and late excuse, you can imagine that things got bigger and bigger and I’ll let you the pleasure to see some more … there’s plenty of Romanian humor as well as irony!

According to Andreea Tănăsescu, Founder of La Blouse Roumaine online community, the initial campaign post had over 23.000 de shares. In her IQads magazine interview, she mentioned that the overall campaign reached more than 3.500.000 million people.

No proper apology was ever presented to the Romanian people. I guess for any arrogant designer’s ego this would be too much! Truth hurts, yet it can be healing!

Before letting you enjoy a great lesson advertising people got from David Ogilvy, there’s one more thing I want to add. If you think that “the telenovela” or “the soap opera” about the designers who do not give credit ends here, you are mistaken.

“The consumer is not a moron; she is your wife.”

David Ogilvy (1911-1999))

"Father of Advertising"

The new episode is coming soon! Dior VS Bihor!

Bibliography

During the researching process for this article, the following resources have been used for documentation and photo collages above.

ARTICLES:

Blouse, Roumaine — Tom Ford, Adele și “IA” de 4900 de dolari, August 9, 2020
Bowles, Hamish — Tom Ford’s 2012 Spring Collection, Vogue Magazine, September 11, 2011
Corduneanu, Ioana — About me
Galescu, Roxana — IIANA, eleganță cu influențe tradiționale, Fashion Premium Magazine, January 19, 2019,
Maize, Laura Kathleen — They said/We said: Tom Ford’s Spring 2012 collection photos are finally released to the public. What say you?, Fashion Magazine, November 18, 2011
Moldovan, Medeea — Gypsey Vest – cojoc tradițional românesc, made in India, vândut de un brand celebru la un preţ exorbitant, November 19, 2018
Neblea, Andreea —
Cum a ajuns cojocul românesc să fie made in India şi vândut de un brand celebru la un preţ exorbitant, Adevărul newspaper, November 19, 2018
Phelps, Nicole — Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2006 Ready-to-Wear, Vogue Magazine, October 4, 2005
Phelps, Nicole — Valentino Spring 2015 Couture, Vogue Magazine, January 28, 2015
Tănăsescu, Andreea — Interview IQads, April 28, 2016
* Founded in Excellence and Expertise — Christine Valmy website

PHOTOS:

New York Times Archive
Time Magazine – Vault Digital Archive
National Congress Library

A Long Overdue Explanation

Published on October 15, 2020November 3, 2020

Metamorphosis

This is a long overdue explanation I need to write, but I promise to keep it as short as possible! For a long time, I have kept quiet, meaning I did not publish anything on my personal blog. That did not happen for I had nothing to say! :-))

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy, for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another."

Anatole France (1844-1924)

French novelist, poet and journalist

What happened

Lots of things happened, but to keep it brief, here’s a bullet point list. Some of these deserve more attention. Most probably I am going to talk about them in my future blog posts.

The sabbatical year – I needed it and as I hoped it paid off! It gave me plenty of opportunities to reevaluate at a more deeper lever my life with all its aspects … career, family life, friendship, things I enjoy doing etc. To do so, at least for me, does not mean “a tell it all approach”, meaning revealing it on social media. Evaluating and rediscovering yourself is internalized hard work. It takes time, confronting your hidden inner fears, but also learning to appreciate better all your gifts. And, it’s only fair to say that it also brought me a lot of (un)expected joys!

A new career challenge. Back in November 2017 I decided I to try something new … use better and differently my expertise.

After all, I had over 15 years of experience – played many roles; diversified digital and marketing projects across all major industries; mentored many people and startups! Plus, I wanted to develop more projects with some of the business partners I already knew as being great. So, I started working as a digital & business transformation consultant. That’s how Business Booster was born. And, in the past months I even got the time to do what I preach, writing some business cases and sharing knowledge. You can check the latest article on 7 innovative indoor gardening solutions

I was very much enjoying my work and personal freedom when I met Liviu Cristea, an extremely experienced media production consultant.

We were telling each other “good morning” almost every day when zipping our coffees and remotely working from a nearby coquette terrace cafe. It took us one year to actually talk to each, but less than a month to decide to launch iscodescu.ro. We had mutually shared beliefs about Romania’s potential, complementary professional knowledge, personal drive and willingness to try “something impossible”. The latter one meaning talk the good things happening in the country, and not the bad ones! Plus, we knew many like minded people!

This is definitely the closest to my heart personal project.

It started back in 2015 while I was with R/GA Bucharest and went through challenges of all sorts. The reason for for overcoming all this is simple. Consciously or unconsciously, personal transformation is one thing life guarantees. To those aware of this fact and willing to openly embrace change, Chakana.ro is a generous source of inspiration.

Setting expectations

Having gone through so many professional and personal changes, it was only natural to draw some clear conclusions. Therefore, herețs what you should expect finding on this blog from now on:

New topics – so far I kept privately or shared only with my closest friends certain thoughts related to human treats, politics, people, life experiences and so on. This is about to change! And here’s the first two stories about Cuba: Hemingway’s Floridita and Papa’s Daiquiri
Posting frequency – yes I know, frequency matters, but with the things I do and my unwillingness to write just for the sake of numbers, I shall only publish when I feel like it. The topics tackled here are of personal interest and written by Ana Maria, and not by the digital and business transformation consultant.

All being said, I can only hope you’ll enjoy the things I share with you. And feel free to comment!

P.S. The old blog posts on content strategy, information architecture, technology, innovation and other digital topics I wrote here were recently moved to Business Booster website. Redirects are done, so no worries about not being able to find it. It’s only here I’ll continue to write about “all digital stuff”, leadership, startups and business strategy.

The Romanian IA – The Fashion Icon Designers #GIVECREDIT

Published on September 27, 2020October 25, 2020

Romanian DNA

What today we know as the Romanian IA or “La Blouse Roumaine” represents the most representative clothing piece of the Romanian traditional ethnic costume. The first type of Romanian blouse is considered to have been born in Cucuteni Culture starting as early as the 6th century BC.

The Romanian IA

The detailed and colourful hand-made embroidery always bore the weight of numerous popular Romanian motifs, patterns, sacred geometry elements and mystic symbols. No element was left to chance. Each one of them was embroidered for a very good reason as by itself or all together they were telling a story. A story of the women who wore the Romanian IA. They were directly linked with the traditions and specificity of the region the IAs were made. The cut, the embroidery and even the colours on the IAs had a direct connection with the region of Romanian where they were made. One might say the IA comprises the life and history of the people living in that region.

Paul Poiret - opening the doors of tradition

It is only fair to say that it was Paul Poiret, the most fashionable dress designer of pre-World War I Paris, who got charmed by the beauty of the Romanian folk costume. Queen Mary of Romania, herself one the main promoter of the Romanian folkloric costume enjoyed wearing Poiret’s gowns. Most likely it is through this connection that the French designer got to know the Romanian traditional costume. Paul Poiret made some of his the most beautiful designs for his wife based on the elements of Romanian folkloric costumes.

Poiret opened the Romanian IA’s doors to the world’s fashion elite. Many years later the beauty of the handmade embroidery of folkloric costumes captured the attention of designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Tom Ford, Emilio Pucci, Isabel Marant, Joseph Altuzzara etc. So, it’s no wonder that many actresses, singers and TV stars were spotted wearing blouses inspired by the Romanian IA: Gwyneth Paltrow, Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, Ali McGraw, Emma Stone, Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Kate Moss, Katie Holmes, Kirsten Dunst, Adele, Khloe Kardashian or Rita Wilson.

Yves Saint Laurent's "La blouse Roumaine"

Yet, despite Poiret’s efforts, it was Yves Saint Laurent, the world’s first famous designer, to officially introduce the Romanian IA into a fashion his collection back in 1981 in Paris. Almost 50 years later after Henri Matisse finished his painting “La blouse Roumaine”, Yves Saint Laurent launched his autumn-winter haute couture collection. It was as a homage to Matisse’s famous painting and as you can below the resemblance is astonishing, yet you can easily spot the designer’s personal touch.

A Romanian blouse does not belong to any period. All the peasant clothes are passed down from century to century without going out of fashion.

Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008)

French fashion designer

Yves Saint Laurent, also reimagined a stylized skirt inspired after the Romanian folk skirt “fota” that is usually worn by Romanian women. It’s probably by chance that Yves Saint Laurent’s Romanian-inspired pieces made the tour of museums around the world.

„A fost, în mod clar, o poveste de dragoste. Când a decis să facă o colecţie “românească”, a fost cu totul neaşteptat. La vremea aceea locuia în Marrakesh, dar a fost oricum o dorinţă reală. S-a inspirat din ceva ce îi plăcea extrem de mult.” (2009 – Didier Grumbach, decan Institutul Francez de Modă și Președinte al Camerei Sindicale de Haute Couture)

Didier Grumbach

Dean, The French Fashion Institute

In 2009 with the occasion of Fashion Festival “Pasarela”, Laurent’s collection was on display at The National Art Museum in Bucharest.

Chapeau to all designers giving credit!

Philippe Guilet (2011) - 100%.RO PREJUDICES

In November 2011 Phillipe Guilet, a French designer based in Romania launched an entire Romanian-inspired collection called 100%.RO Prejudices. It was a special project aiming to show the world a different face of Romania. The collection aimed to promote Romania’s cultural patrimony and image abroad. A daring response to the negative stereotypes against Romanians at national and international level.

The astonishing 34 outfits, reinterpreting the Romanian cultural patrimony were created by the designer with the contribution of over 50 Romanian artisans was presented on the 10th of November 2011, in Bucharest.

Guilet’s inspiration came from the wooden roofs in Maramureș, the hand-painted Easter eggs, the Endless Column of Constantin Brâncuși and the symbols of the old Romanian embroidery. In a modern artistic expression he combined the ship skin, pottery, glass and metal. Check Guilet’s latest Romanian inspired projects.

Back to Matisse & La Blouse Roumaine

Tata Naka, Issa London & Aquilani Rimondi (2015)

My stories about the Romanian folkloric costume started with Matisse’s La Blouse Roumaine, so I guess it’s only natural to go back to him as he continues to inspire fashion designers all over the world.

Over time Matisse’s style has evolved and so did the Romanian-inspired paintings. This is can be clearly seen in his late ’40 and ’50 pieces. Just the same, more fashion designers found their inspiration in Matisse’s paintings. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue.com‘s Editor, mentioned in one of her articles, that it was also Matisse’s “La blouse Roumaine” who inspired designers such as Tata Naka, Issa London, or Aquilano Rimondi.

Chapeau, to all those fashion designers who give credit and honor the cultural heritage and the traditions that have been around the world for thousands of year. Unfortunately, there are also some fashion designers who forget to #givecredit.

Hemingway’s Love Affair with El Floridita’s Daiquiri & Writing

Published on August 20, 2020November 3, 2020

Joys of Life

“My mojito in the Bodeguita del Medio and my daiquiri in the Floridita.” These are the words left by Hemingway himself on a signed quote still hanging on the wall of La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba. “Papa”, as he was often called, had a long-lasting love affair with Cuba and he made sure the world would know it. His love for Cuba outlives in his writings through the voice of his characters. Daiquiri and Mojito were just two of the many things he loved about Cuba.

Hemingway was a notorious boozer just as he was womaniser, fighter and hunter. The legend goes as far as saying that Hemingway outfished, outhunted and outdrank most of his contemporaries.

In order to write about life, you must live it first.

Hemingway preferred to be drunk—“not drunk in any positive sense but just enough to be careless”. He drank, he wrote, he sobered up and edited, then drank again.

We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.

Papa embraced what he called “the fiesta concept of life”. He was always seeking excitement and adventure. Always looking to have a “hell of a good time”, he had the guts to live his life as he pleased. Hemingway’s close friend, A. E. Hotchner witnessed it all:

I suppose the most remarkable thing about Ernest is that he has found time to do the things most men only dream about. He has had the courage, the initiative, the time, the enjoyment to travel, to digest it all, to write, to create it, in a sense. — A. E. Hotchner

Hemingway’s affair with drinking & writing

Hemigway was one people would call an Olympian drinker and he never claimed anything else. He liked his Martinis dry, his Mojitos sweet and his Daiquiri sugarless. Yet, beer, champagne

Papa had a passion for drinking and no one did more to play up the heroic magnitude of the writer’s drinking than Hemingway himself. He was a firm believer that drinking in the local bars is the best way to know the people.

Don’t bother with churches, government buildings or city squares, if you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars.

Despite being a heavy boozer and loving hanging out late, Hemingway had an amazing capability to wake up early and write. When looking at the daily at artists’ alcohol drinking habits, Mason Currey found that while many artists did drink a great deal, very few mixed alcohols with their working hours.

Hemingway was similarly also adept at balancing late-night drinking with early-morning work. Currey quotes Hemingway’ son, Gregory, who recalled that the author seemed immune to hangovers:

“My father would always look great, as if he’d slept a baby’s sleep in a soundproof room with his eyes covered by black patches.”

It seems all artists need to depart from their own work for a few hours and for some of them, including Hemingway, alcohol was a reliable escape.

El Floridita’s Famous Guest List

When you work hard all day with your head and know you must work again the next day what else can change your ideas and make them run on a different plane like whisky?”

Daiquiri - Floridita — Hemingway’s original autograph hanging on a wall in El Bodeguita del Medio

The big man has taken seriously his own advice and whenever someone made a trip to Havana to be introduced to him, Hemingway would meet him at La Florida bar, affectionately known as the “El Floridita.” It’s here also where he got his inspiration and got to know Cubans. This is the place where he celebrated his third marriage with Martha Ellis Gelhorn, the American journalist considered one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century.

It is Hemingway’s Daiquiri and written stories that turned El Floridita in one of the most well-known bars in the world. Referring to his preferred sugarless Papa Doble Daiquiri, Hemingway once said:

This frozen daiquiri, so well beaten as it is, looks like the sea where the wave falls away from the bow of a ship when she is doing thirty knots.

The Hemingways (1950) with friends at El Floridita with (from left to right) Gianfranco Ivancich, Roberto Herrera, unidentified man, Ernest Hemingway, unidentified woman, unidentified man, and Mary Hemingway. Two mariachi band members are sitting at table beside them. Credit Line: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

On a usual afternoon at Floridita, Hemingway had an average of 6 Papa Doble Daiquiri. He reportedly sometimes downed up to 12 Papa Dobles in one sitting. It was rumoured that later in his life Hemingway drank a quart of whiskey a day.

In 1953, Esquire magazine called Floridita one the world’s seven best bars, along with, the Pied Piper Bar in San Francisco, the Ritz in Paris and London, Raffles in Singapore, Club 21 in New York and the bar at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.

From “La Piña de Plata” to “El Floridita”

Constante El Floridita — Ernest Hemingway at El Florida with Constante

Opened in 1817 under the name La Piña de Plata (The Silver Pineapple), this historic fish restaurant and cocktail bar situated bar in La Habana Vieja (The Old Havana), El Floridita lies at the end of Calle Obispo (Bishop Street).

It’s not far away from Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana (The National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana) and Hotel Ambos Mundos where Hemingway maintained a room from 1932–1939.

Almost 100 years since its opening, the establishment changed its name to “El Florida”, but with time it became popularly known as “El Floridita”. This is the name under which it became one of the favourite hangouts of Ernest Hemingway in Havana.

In 1914, Constantino, nicknamed Constante, a Catalan immigrant Constantino Ribalaigua Vert, started working in the bar as cantinero (bartender). Four years later, Constante became the owner in 1918. According to cocktail historian and author Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Constante was known as “El Rey de los Coteleros” (The Cocktail King) and reportedly squeezed 80 million limes and poured 10 million daiquiris in his lifetime.

Constante was a major influence on Trader Vic and other tropical drink pioneers of the era, creating variations of the daiquiri, which is believed to have been invented in the early 1900s in Cuba. “By the 1930s, he had turned it into an art form.”

Constante’s El Floridita – “la cuna del daiquiri”

Daiquri @ El Floridita — Constante is credited for inventing the famous frozen Daiquiri which you can still taste in today while in Floridita. It goes perfectly with the fried bananas they bring along.

It took Constante few years and a lot of passion poured into his numerous creations (Presidente, Habana Special and many more) to turn El Floridita into Havana’s cathedral of cocktails.

Although the story goes that the Daiquiri was invented in Cuba in or around 1898, in the town of Daiquiri, by an American mine supervisor named Jennings Cox, it is Constante who is today credited for inventing the frozen daiquiri in the early 1930s.

There were several types of daiquiri Constante and his cantineros used to prepare for Floridita’s visitors, so it’s no surprise the establishment became known as “la cuna del daiquiri” (the cradle of the daiquiri).

Hemingway @ El Floridita — La Floridita, Havana, Cuba (1955?)- (from left to right) Roberto Herrera, Byra “Puck” Whittlesey, John “Bumby” Hemingway, Spencer Tracy, Ernest Hemingway, and Mary Hemingway. Source: messynessychic.com

With Papa & Constante there, it’s no wonder writers like Ezra Pound, John Dos Passos, Graham Greene, Jean-Paul Sartre, Gabriel García Márquez or Tennessee Williams stopped at least one time at El Floridita to enjoy Hemingway’s daiquiri.

When walking today through the doors of Floridita, one cannot help notice the many pictures of famous people hanging on the walls, as well as the life-size bronze statue at the end of the bar, sculpted by the Cuban artist José Villa Soberón.

Daiquiri and live music @ Floridita

El Floridita, the cradle of Daiquiri, as you can see it today

Despite the passing years, Floridita miraculously preserved much of the 40’s and 50’s. I guess this does not have to do only the with the red coats of the bartenders matching the Regency style decoration that dates from the ‘50s. It has to do with the long original 10-meter long mahogany bar that still dominates the main room. It also has to do with the same Corinthian friezes the carpentry work, lamps and the paintings on the walls. In 1991 El Floridita was totally remodelled, respecting all the original elements.

Hemingway broze statue — Hemingway’s full-size bronze statue on his favourite barstool in El Floridita.

Tourists and locals entering Floridita’s door today can also enjoy the delicious seafood served in the restaurant area. There are also many Mediterranean dishes you can try out! And, I do have to tell you that there’s also live music. You can listen to some great Latino songs!

This establishment was frequented by many generations of Cuban and foreign intellectuals and celebrities from all parts of the world. In the old days, you could spot Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, Ava Gardner, Gary or Cooper zipping a daiquiri. Later on, to this least add Rocky Marciano, Harry Belafonte, Javier Sotomayor, Matt Dillion, Danny Glover, Jack Lemmon, Jack Nicholson or Jean Michel Jarre. And, of course, the fashion industry’s celebs such as Paco Rabanne, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Giorgio Armani, and others. They all stopped at least one time at El Floridita to enjoy Hemingway’s daiquiri. Hope you will enjoy yours, too!

Hemingway Daiquiri Recipe (aka Papa Doble)

Published on August 15, 2020November 3, 2020

Joys of Life

It feels to me a little bit unfair to talk about Havana’s rum cocktails, as I did in Hemingway’s Love Affair with El Floridita’s Daiquiri & Writing, and not share with you Hemingway Daiquiri recipe. “Daiquiri like Papa” was the initial given name to this Cuban rum cocktail honoring Papa. Later on it got a second name, Papa Doble, yet today is known as Hemingway Daiquiri. This recipe is the exactly the Daiquiri the writer used to have at his beloved El Floridita Bar. He had his Papa Dobles along with some delicious slices of fried Cuban bananas.

Truth to be told, F. Scott Fitzgerald deserves the credit for being the first novelist to introduce the Daiquiri to the literary audience in This Side of Paradise. Yet, it was Ernest Hemingway who made it famous with the voice of his characters in his novels. In Hemingway’s posthumously published novel Islands in the Stream, Thomas Hudson is an artist who paints island scenes for a living. As long as he fills his days by doing what he loves most, namely painting, Thomas finds relative peace on the beautiful island of Bimini, the most western island in the Caribbean. Yet, just like Hemingway, Hudson is also known as a prodigious drinker. He loved his Daiquiris without sugar, as he could consume larger quantities without getting one sick.

Hemingway Daiquiri Recipe (aka Papa Doble)

So, as promised, here’s Papa Doble’s recipe. Below you can find all ingredients and steps you need to follow to enjoy a Hemingway Daiquiri in the comfort of your own home.

Ingredients:

2 oz white rum
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1/4 oz maraschino liqueur
shaved or cubed ice

Serving:

coupe glass
Martini glass

Garnish:

slice of lime
straw

Method:

Fill a blender/shaker with one-quarter full of ice, preferably shaved. Add rum, lime juice, and maraschino liqueur to the blender or shaker. Shake vigorously for about thirty seconds, or until the drink is foaming. Strain into a chilled fluted glass. Share your Daiquiri with your best friends. It will taste even better!

Daiquiri to enjoy

In case this isn’t enough, or you just simply want to see a properly prepare Hemingway Daiquiri, here’s your chance. Watch the award-winning bartender Jim Meehan do the work! Journalist and author of The PDT Cocktail Book and Bartender Manual, Meehan is famous for his world-renowned bar in the East Village. It’s the one place where bartenders routinely mix drinks with multiple obscure ingredients.

Watch mixologist Jim Meehan of PDT preparing Hemingway Daiquiri (external link)
Best receipe and how to make it by Simon Difford (external link)

Last Call for Participants — European Communication Monitor 2019

Published on March 4, 2019October 13, 2020

Facts & Dots

This is a quick reminder for all communication professionals across Europe to participate in The European Communication Monitor 2019 survey, which is available at www.communicationmonitor.net until March 8th. Besides the great knowledge win you get, every participant will receive a full report of the results and be entered in a prize draw for 5 Kindle Paperwhite E-Readers.

If you wonder why would you take the time to respond to this survey, here are a few possible answers. With more than 21,000 participants from over 40 countries to date, the annual European Communication Monitor is the largest empirical survey in communication management and public relations worldwide. You can get a broader perspective on hot topics such as trust and authenticity in public relations, how Artificial Intelligence impacts communication, as well as new forms of content creation and distribution. The European Communication Monitor, now in its 13th year, will also identify the characteristics of excellent communication departments and explore commonalities and differences across Europe. Country-to-country comparisons and benchmarks of different types of organisations (private and joint-stock companies, non-profit, governmental, agencies, etc.) will make the results relevant for everybody in the field.

European Communication Monitor 2019

European Communication Monitor is an annual poll on the status and future of strategic communication conducted by the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA).

The European Communication Monitor is led by professors from renowned universities within the framework of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) together with the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD), supported by PRIME Research – A Cision company, and Fink & Fuchs.

European Communication Monitor 2018

In case you are still not convinced, have a look at the European Communication Monitor 2018 (ECM 2018) report which explored besides key trends such as fake news, communications’ contributions to organisational success as well as the work environment for communication professionals in Europe. Just as well, it looked at work engagement and stress, job satisfaction and its drivers, the status of leadership in communication units.

The European Communication Monitor 2018 conclusions were based on almost 3,100 communication professionals in 48 countries. Detailed analyses were available for 22 countries and different types of organisations (companies, non-profits, governmental, agencies). You can download 2018 report here.

European Communication Summit 2019

Results of European Communication Monitor 2019 the will be presented at the European Communications Summit in Berlin at the end of May 2019 and at conferences worldwide thereafter.

The four tracks of the summit will discuss new approaches to stakeholder engagement, evolving communication strategies, instruments and channels, tech trends of the future and strategies to lead and manage your communication department digitally and effectively. The European Communications Summit event brings together cross-industry leaders and communications experts to discuss the transformation of community and communications across Europe. More than 400 communication experts meet at the event to talk about different areas of change and challenges that communicators are facing.

The Almighty Healing Garlic of the Ancients

Published on September 10, 2018November 3, 2020

Identity

“The almighty healing garlic” may sound pretentious, yet I assure you the Ancients would agree 100% with such a statement and for many good reasons as you shall see. One of the oldest cultivated plants on Earth, garlic has been regarded for thousands of years and much appreciated for its medicinal properties as noticed through empirical use. The objective of this review is to examine briefly the medical uses of garlic throughout the ages and cultures, as well as the role that it was considered to play in the prevention and treatment of diseases. First will have a look at the ancient medical and literary texts that talked about the healing properties of the garlic.

The garlic’s journey

Garlic has been in use for such a long time that one cannot pinpoint with certainty its place of origin. Various sources consider that garlic originated in western China from around the Tien Shan Mountains to Kazakhstan and Kirgizstan; from there it spread first to the Old World and then to the New World. According to different sources quoted by The Cambridge World History of Food, the cultivation of garlic in Western Europe is usually thought to have been stimulated by the Crusaders’ contacts with East in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries. However, much earlier, Charlemagne (724-814) listed garlic in his Capitulare de Villis and mentioned it as of Italian origin.

The Spaniards are responsible for introducing the garlic to the Americas. In Mexico, Hernan Cortes (1485-1547) apparently grew it, and by 1604, it was said in Peru that “the Indians esteem garlic above all the roots of Europe”. By 1775, the Choctaw Indians of North America were cultivating garlic.

By the nineteenth century, American writers mentioned garlic as among their garden esculents. It is also known that garlic grew wild in southwest Siberia and spread through southern Europe down to Sicily.

The Alliaceae family

Along with onions, leeks and shallots, garlic is a species in the plant family named Alliaceae. Garlic is low in calories and very rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Manganese. It also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients such as Selenium, Fiber and decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1. Garlic also contains antioxidants that protect against cell damage and ageing.

There are more than 100 varieties of garlic grown worldwide, but they are generally split into two major types. There are two major types of garlic (Allium sativum), hard-necks (Ophioscorodon) and soft-necks (Sativum), each one has its own varieties and sub-varieties.

Soft-neck garlic is most commonly seen garlic in grocery store. Its names derives from the multiple layers of creamy white or bright papery parchment covering the bulb and continuing up the neck. Hard-necked varieties are often much easier to peel than their soft-necked cousins.

Soft-necked garlic — artichoke garlic (e.g. Applegate, California Early, California Late, Chamiskuri, Galiano, Italian Purple, Red Torch etc.) and silverskin garlic (e.g. Chet’s Italian Red, Inchelium, Kettle River Giant, Polish White, Creole etc.)
Hard-necked garlic — porcelain garlic, rocambole garlic, and purple stripe garlic.
Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) — another member of the Allium clan, elephant garlic, may look like a good buy because it is so large, but its flavour is very bland and tastes more like a leek; in fact, its flavour is slight and its healing properties are inferior to those of other garlic varieties.

The healing garlic – Romania’s strongest natural antibiotic

Just as in many other parts of the world, garlic has been used for centuries not just a great condiment for traditional dishes, but also as an effective medicinal plant which can treat a series of health problems. In Romania, it is said that garlic is our strongest natural antibiotic and there are many natural remedies made using garlic used for fighting back coughs, cold or bronchitis.

When used in different mixes or tinctures (with water, alcohol, ginger, vinegar, oil, etc), garlic can help with hypertension, liver or rheumatic pains, cleaning blood vessels, or regenerates hair growing. A potion especially prepared of garlic and vinegar is a great natural disinfectant for scratches, small wounds or cuts.

The ancient stories of all-mighty healing garlic

As already said, garlic has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties and not surprisingly, it all started with Ancient Egypt. Vodex Ebers (1500 BC), an Egyptian medical text, mentions 22 different treatments which included garlic prescribed for abnormal growths, parasites, circulatory ailments, insect infestation and general malaise; garlic macerated in oil for was used by Egyptian Copt Christians for skin diseases and for the new mothers after childbirth to stimulate milk production. Assyrians also used garlic as an antibiotic and to pack in rotten teeth cavities.

The Ancient Greeks

It was the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 BC) who said “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Although he was not referring to garlic, I thought this would be a great quote to use as the Ancient Greece texts have a generous number of references regarding the use of herbs and condiments used to treat various health problems, and garlic makes no exception. Known as the father of Western medicine, Hippocrates recommended garlic for pulmonary ailments, to aid in the release of the placenta, to treat sores, as a cleansing or purgative agent, and for abdominal growths, especially uterine.

Theophrastus (371-287 BC), a brilliant Greek connoisseur of alchemy, biology, physics, ethics and metaphysic, reported that garlic was used by workers harvesting roots of the poisonous plant hellebore to prevent the ill effects of the toxic plant.

Almighty garlic ailments

In his Historica Naturalis, the Greek physician Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), also recommended garlic for 23 different ailments which treated toothache, hemorrhoids, consumption, animal bites (including shrew and scorpion), bruises, ear aches, tapeworms, epilepsy, insomnia, sore throat, poor circulation, lack of desire and neutralizing the effects of the poisonous plants aconite and henbane.

Pedanius Dioscorides (40-90 AD), the Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist, author of De Materia Medica and chief physician of Roman emperor Nero’s army, recommended garlic to thin mucus and relieve coughing, to expel worms, for protection against viper and dog bites, to stimulate menstrual flow and to heal ulcers and leprosy.

Jews – the garlic eaters

Jewish regard themselves as “garlic eaters” or “garlic munchers”. In his book called “Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and The Science”, Eric Block says that

“garlic was so indelibly associated with Jews that the Nazis issued buttons of garlic plants to demonstrate the wearer’s ardent anti-Semitism and that ‘the mere mention of garlic by a Nazi orator caused crowd to howl with fury and hatred.”

Levi Cooper from The Jerusalem Post, also reports that eating garlic was so part of Jewish identity that the Mishna rules that if someone pronounces a vow prohibiting benefit “from those who eat garlic,” the one who pronounced the vow may not derive benefit from a Jew. The Mishnah (Mishna), the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions, also known as the “Oral Torah”

The first Biblical reference to the garlic is when the Israelites were wandering in the desert and complained to Moses:

“We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge; the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.” (Numbers 11:5).

The Talmud, as well as other Jewish sages, mention several qualities of garlic: it satisfies hunger, it warms the body, it illuminates one’s face, it kills parasites in the intestines; garlic also affects a person’s mental health as it gladdens the heart and therefore eliminates jealousy.

As you read in my previous article, The Magical Garlic, Prophet Mohammed did not favour garlic consumption, yet he does recommend it to be applied externally on the sting of the scorpion or the bite of the viper.

China

The use of garlic in China dates back thousands of years and it was prescribed for removing poisons from the body, preventing plague, supporting respiration, helping digestion, treating diarrhea, fatigue, headache and insomnia, and controlling worm infestations.

It may have been used as a treatment for depression and to improve male potency. Chinese also used garlic as a food preservative, believing that it can eliminate the noxious effects of putrid meat and fish and to treat unwholesome water.

India – garlic, “a poor man’s gold”

In India, garlic is known as “a poor man’s gold” due to its healing qualities. 3000 years before Christ, Charak, the father of ayurvedic medicine, stated that garlic strengthens the heart and maintains blood fluidity. Garlic is extensively used in the three leading medical or healing traditions, the Tibbi, Unani and Ayurvedic. Just like in other parts of the world, applied externally garlic helped heal cuts, bruises and infections. Garlic was also appreciate for both its anti-aging (“Rasayana”) and aphrodisiac qualities.

There are also other medical Indian texts that talk about the use of garlic in treating various health problems:

Charaka-Samhita (written around 400-200 BC) recommends garlic for the treatment of heart disease and arthritis;
The Bower manuscript (300-550 AD) mentions that garlic is used to treat weakness, fatigue, infections, infestations, worms, and digestive problems;
Dymock, in Pharmacographia Indica (1890), reports that garlic was used to treat many ailments such as coughs, mucus, gonorrhoea, colic, fevers, swellings, rheumatism, worm infestation, hysteria, flatulence, sciatica, and heart disease;

Strength & courage

We could easily say that garlic was one of the earliest “performance enhancing” substances. A portion of garlic was daily given to pyramid workers as it was believed to improve their strength and stamina. Roman sailors and soldiers also loved the garlic for giving them strength and courage. Just like the Egyptians, Greek athletes and workers used garlic to increase strength. The story goes as far as saying that the Olympian athletes chowed down on the fragrant herb before they competed.

This would be all for now about the healing properties of the garlic. Soon I’ll be back with the second part of this article. I’m sure it will raise men’s interest. It’s called The Almighty Aphrosidiac Garlic.

The Magical Garlic of All People

Published on July 3, 2018November 3, 2020

Romanian DNA

As promised, I’m back with the second article about the magical properties of the garlic. Vampire Stories was all about how cultures across the world believe garlic to be a universal repellant against vampires and evil spirits. This time, you’ll see how garlic protection and benefits women and children, soul, crops and abundance.

Garlic protection – Romanian traditions

Help for women, children and soul

Besides the traditions related to the garlic’s protective power against evil spirits, there are also a few other traditions where it plays a part in the welfare of the young married couples and child care:

On the wedding day, in Dolj county, the couple that gets in the church must go three times by each icon; in the meantime, a woman takes seeds of barley, raisins, three garlic cloves, five coins, seeds and fruits and throws them towards them; this will bring the young couple good crops;
In Moldova, the bride who wants to have only two children puts two garlic cloves in the shoes received as a gift from the brom; also, if a woman wants to get pregnant, she must put nine garlic scapes in half a liter of rachiu (local home-made alcoholic drink obtained through twice distilling of the wine or certain fruits like plums, apples, without adding sugar or sugar syrup); the bottle is left for nine days on the chimney crown and after that the woman has to drink it;
In Suceava county when women give up breastfeeding their babies, they should rub their breasts with garlic to stop the milk.

Garlic for abundance and crops

Gorovei & Ciausanu have found in the Romanian folklore several traditions that link the garlic with rich harvests, but also recommendations on how and when it should be planted. On the morning of the Resurrection Day, when women go to the church bringing pasca, they put garlic beneath it, believing that the blessed garlic once planted will never be destroyed. Also in Suceava, once the people have eaten the garlic, the left threads are thrown on the road so that next year will bring rich harvests.

If you plant garlic in one year, then you must plant it every year; if not, things will not go well for you; Garlic must be planted on Saint Dumitru’s Day (October 26); those who do it later die; the garlic is a head and asks for a (human) head; in autumn, before planting the garlic, one must jump over it so that the bulbs will grow big for the same reason, when planting it one must take the garlic from a cap.

Ciausanu also mentions the fact that Romanians link the planting of the garlic with Moon’s phases: hard, strong seeds (e.g. rye, corn, wheat) should be planted during the Waxing Moon, while soft, delicate seeds during Waning Moon. According to him,

“Onion, garlic, potato and all eatable vegetables are grown around the house should be sowed before the sickle of the first moon quarter.”

Garlic protection – what other

“Onion, garlic, potato and all eatable vegetables grown around the house should be sowed before the sickle of the first moon quarter.”

Garlic protection – what others have to say about it

Europeans

Garlic nicknames

Ancient Greeks are responsible for spreading throughout Europe the placement of garlic braids as well as squashing garlic in the rooms were women gave birth.

There are also some Eastern Europe traditions that connect garlic with the soul. Namely, placing garlic in the mouth of the deceased prevents the soul from re-entering the body and keep wandering evil spirits from entering and re-animating the body.

Jean Chevalier & Alain Gheerbrant, as well as Montague Summers mention how Batak people in Borneo use garlic to bring back the soul in the body and for good luck:

“It may be noted that the Battas or Batakas of Sumatra ascribe pining and wasting away, sickness, terror and death to the absence of the soul (Tendi) from the body and the souls must be lured back to his tenement. One of the most powerful soul-compelling herbs which is used by them in their mystic rites on these occasions is garlic. At the St.John (Midsummer) Festival of Fire, on the Vigil of the Major solemnity of that Saint, 23rd of June, at Dragingnan, Var, the people roasted pods of garlic by the bonfires. These pods were afterwards distributed to every family, and were believed to bring good luck.”

Czech tradition claims garlic is an essential part of Christmas and it should not miss at any Christmas dinner. It is believed to provide strength and protection. A bowl of garlic can be placed under the dinner table.

Africa & Palestine

Stephanie Bird mentions two types of African spiritual healers from different parts of Louisiana who use garlic as a protective amulet. It is placed in a protective pouch made of symbolic cloth sealed and strung on a string. This is carefully knotted in a special manner passed down for generations. The amulet is hung around the waist of children as a vermifuge (expelling intestinal worms) or around adults to protect them from illness. Being a holy herb, garlic is used to curb evil and bring goodness, which in turns yields health and well-being. Bird also mentions that such type of amulet medicine is traditionally practised in Africa, Caribbean, various parts of South and North America, most notably Louisiana.

Since ancient times garlic was believed to be the best way to protect everyone from the bad or negative energies. In other words, garlic was a very strong protection talisman against the Evil Eye.

In Palestinian tradition, the bridegroom who wears a clove of garlic in his buttonhole is assured a successful wedding night. Also, Ayurvedic medicine practitioners regard garlic as an aphrodisiac and having the ability to increase semen.

Love and hate of garlic

Cervantes - about garlic smell — *“Do not eat garlic or onions; for their smell will reveal that you are a peasant.” Cervantes*

Although globally praised for its reputation for warding off evil and use as a medicinal herb, garlic was also deemed for its strong smell. This pungent smell of garlic is unfavourably referred to in the Talmud that recounts stories of people taking the blame for actions they did not commit, with the goal of saving another from embarrassment.

Those who smelled of garlic were considered vulgar by Roman, Greek and Indian in the upper classes or aristocracy. Egyptian priests worshipped garlic but actively avoided cooking and eating the fragrant cloves. Greeks wishing to enter the temple of Cybele had to pass a garlic breath test. Author Jason Johns mentions the fact that at the court of King Alfonso de Castile the knights caught smelling of garlic were cast out of polite society for a week.

In The Book of Garlic, Lloyd J. Harris mentions the name “pilgarlics” for bald men (lepers). Here’s his explanation:

“(…) in Medieval Europe because of their use of Allium as a scalp tonic and as an application for leprosy. Another theory is that the shape of the bad head suggested a peeled garlic bulb.”

In England, garlic breath was also deemed and considered unsuitable for refined young ladies and the gentlemen who wished to court them. Yet, even so, an English saying goes like this:

“Eat leeks in March, garlic in may, all the rest of the year the doctors may play.”

Probably it’s not by chance that also many Americans adopted the English attitude and didn’t embrace garlic until the 1940’s. Until then it was considered an ethnic ingredient and known by slang terms such as “Italian perfume” or “Bronx vanilla”. There are some of you who might not know, but the official story about the origin of the Chicago city name is the French version of the Miami-Illinois word shikaakwa (“Stinky Onion”), named for the garlic plant (Allium tricoccum), common along the Chicago River.

It is also said that Muhammad, the Prophet and founder of Islam, did not eat either garlic or onions because they conversed with supernatural beings and that he disliked its odour. Nevertheless, garlic is permitted for consumption, though Muhammad says that those who eat it should stay away from the mosque.

While in the past some did not appreciate garlic that much, the Italians from Salerno Regimen of Health (Italy) highly recommended it:

“Since garlic then hath powers to save from death, Bear with it though it makes unsavoury breath.”

And, it would not feel right to me to forget about an old Indian proverb I came across: “Garlic is as good as ten mothers.”

The magical garlic of all people

In the past decades, Dracula might have cemented into people’s the collective memory the idea that garlic is a repellant for vampires, yet looking at the long list of examples above, one must admit that garlic has far much longer affair with nations from all over the world. The beliefs related to garlic protection can be found anywhere. It’s a connection built over thousands of years and with more magical meanings we could have ever imagined.

For those of you who wonder how come I have not mentioned anything about the healing powers of the garlic, the reason is very simple. This is going to be the subject of my next article dedicated to the all-mighty garlic.

This article first appeared on Chakana.me, yet this version has been edited and updated.

Bibliography:

Aggarwal, Bharat B. Mirodenii vindecatoare. Brasov: Adevar Divin, 2016. Print
Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. McFarland, 2012. Kindle.
Bird, Stephanie Rose. The Big Book of Soul: The Ultimate Guide to the African American Spirit. Charlottesville: Hampton Roads, 2010. Print.
Block, Eric. Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and The Science. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015. Kindle.
Chevalier, Jean & Gheerbrandt, Alain. Dictionar de simboluri. Bucuresti: Artemis, 1995. Print
Ciausanu, Gh. F. Superstitiile poporului roman. In asemanare cu ale altor popoare vechi si noi. Bucuresti: Saeculum Vizual, 2014. Print.
Cooper, Levi. World of the sages: garlic breath. 2008.
Craznic, Oliviu. Despre strigoi si vampiri. 2011.
Evseev, Ivan. Dictionar de magie, demonologie si mitologie romaneasca. Timisoara: Amacord, 1998. Print.
Gorovei, Artur & Ciausanu, Gh.F. Credinte si superstitii romanesti. Bucuresti: Humanitas, 2013. Print.
Greyduckgarlic.com. History of Garlic.
Johns, Jason. Growing Garlic – A Complete Guide To Growing, Harvesting and Using Garlic. CreateSpace, 2017. Kindle.
Pamfile, Tudor. Mitologie romaneasca. Bucuresti: All, 1997. Print.
Porritt, Gwen. Garlic. 2007.
Stanculescu, Catalin. Strigoi vii, morti, moroi si pricolici in mitologia romaneasca. 2017.
Summers, Montague. Vampires and Vampirism. New York: Dover Occult, 2005. Kindle.
Voronca, Niculita Elena. Datinile si credintele poporului roman adunate si asezate in ordine mitologica. Iasi: Polirom, 1998. Print.
Vulcanescu, Mircea. Mitologie romana. Bucuresti: Editura Academiei, 1985. Print.

The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse

Published on June 17, 2018November 3, 2020

Romanian DNA

This year marks the 100 year anniversary of the modern Romanian state. Therefore, that makes The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse (Sunday, June 24, 2018) celebration even more special. On this summer day, Romanians gather all over the world to celebrate Ia, one of our national identity symbols.

Romanian folk costumes encapsulate not just simple signs and symbols on clothing to obtain an amazing aesthetic effect. For the wearer, it carries a great energetic, religious and spiritual significance. The traditional handmade embroidered motifs give the wearer different things. A cross, for example, brings protection against bad, the evil eye, or expel spells and hatred. The diamond, or flower, or sun bring harmony, happiness and peace.

Romanian ethnic blouse — Romanian Lady (1882). Painting by Frederick Arthur Bridgman (oil on canvas)

Consequently, it would have been impossible for The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse not to be given such importance. It’s also an opportunity to show and strengthen the unity of all Romanian communities living abroad. This celebrations also welcome all those who love and appreciate Romania and its culture.

Social Media hashtags you can use to promote this global event:

#ZiuaIei, #iaday2018, #ia(cityname)2018, #June24, #24iunie, #ziuaieie2018, #LaBlouseRoumaine, #RomanianBlouse, #RomanianTraditionalCostumes,

Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse – celebrations around the world

The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is a celebration of the traditional Romanian blouse (ia) uniting Romanians and people around the globe who cherish our traditional folk costume. Here are some of the major events I have gathered to share them with you. I shall do my best to update it as often as possible, so you can revisit this post.

Antwerpen, Belgium — The local organizers of the fifth edition hope to bring together this year over 100 Romanians and Belgians who appreciate our beautiful Ia.
Castellon, Spain — The third edition of the event is organized in Castellon by Asociación Rumanos en La Plana Association with the support of Centrul Civic Român, Uniunea Cultural Română and Asociación Rumanos en La Vall.
Coventry, United Kingdom — Romanians will meet in front of Lay Godiva statue and walk towards Trinity Road. Attending the event will give you the chance to taste delicious Romanians sweets and cookies. Shared, but also admire the traditional costumes.
Frankfurt, Germany — Whether you live here or you are just passing by, join the reunion taking place in front of the City Hall at 5PM local time; the event is hosted by Saint Bartholomew Romanian Orthodox Parish.
Gelderland, Netherlands — Hoge Veluwe National Park welcomes two days of Romanian customs and traditions. There are 25 traditional craftsmen from Romania, more than 30 stalls with food, drinks and Romanian folk tradition and five various exhibitions. You can also watch movies and documentaries, but the one worth special mentioning is “Between Earth and Heaven on the Path of Souls” about sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi. Music will be represented by top Romanian top artists and ensembles.
Ljublajana, Slovenia — Slovenian Ethnographic Museum with the support of the Romanian Embassy in Ljublajana will host a very special exhibition displaying traditional costumes from private collections, but also some from the Muzeului Național al Țăranului Româ. The curator of the exhibition is PhD Corina Gabriela Duma, professor at Bucharest Arts National University.
New York, United States — Dressed in Ia, the traditional blouse, or a shirt with Romanian design elements, people will gather in Washington Square Park for a celebration picnic.
Rome, Italy — The Romanian Cultural Institute along with other important contributors organize a series of events dedicated to the 100 year Romanian Union and The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse. You can attend popular art workshops or Valahia National Orchestra concert at Accademia di Romania Art Gallery. Femininity and adornments exhibition will give you an amazing view of the Romanian folk costumes from various regions of the country, hats and scarfs, hand-painted furniture and decorations, fabrics and pieces of jewellery.
Washington, United States — Washington celebration will take place in Lafayette Square in front of the White House. It is worth mentioning that this is the same location wherein 2015 the proclamation issued by the Mayor of Washington, DC was read. It recognized June 24 as the Day of the Romanian Folk Costume in the Nation’s Capital and thus conferring its first official recognition.
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada — Celebrate the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse with traditional folk dances, sewing workshop and dance workshop! Chapeau to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who officially recognized The Universal Day Of The Romanian Blouse last year on June 24.

How we celebrate the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse

As expected The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is celebrated in Romania by hundreds are events in all parts of the country. Some of the celebrations start as early as on June 20 and end on June 24. Happenings cover free markets, concerts, exhibitions, workshops, presentations etc. Below you can find some of the events designed by local organizers, so if it happens you are in Romania starting June 21st, have a look at the list below:

Constanța — Constața Casino; Culture House (Mangalia)
Cluj — The Transylvanian Museum of Ethnography
Baia Mare — Ethnography Popular Art Museum
Brasov — Oana Pavăl event, Casa Junilor event, Reduta Cultural Center
Hunedoara — Boșorod village
Iași — Universal Ia Day on the bike
Neamț — Moinești
Râmnicu Vâlcea — Village Museum
Sălaj Jibou — Botanical Garden
Sibiu — Sadu village, Astra Museum (city center), Greweln Inn (Mediaș)
Suceava — https://www.facebook.com/events/406181263231261/
Timișoara — Bănățean Village Museum
Zalău — Central Park

Bucharest loves the Romanian Ia

As far Bucharest is concerned, there are several events, but I would like to start by letting you know that there are certain hotels, restaurants and clubs that offer special treatments.

On June 24, ladies wearing the Romanian traditional blouse visiting The President club (Tei Park) will enjoy a fresh lemonade on the house. Few hotels situated in historical buildings in Bucharest together with Iiana, a local brand producing Romanian traditional clothing, decided to join forces and promote the Romanian blouse and present it to their guests in a novel way. The ladies working at the reception desk at Hotel Cismigiu, Le Boutique Hotel Moxa and Grand Hotel Continental will welcome their guests wearing the traditional Romanian Blouse. The blouses are hand-sewn with traditional patterns and symbols from different parts of the country.

June 23, Summer Solstice celebration

One of my favourite boutiques in downtown Bucharest is deDor, the place where I can always find vintage original handmade folk costumes, but also exquisite Romanian souvenirs. The reason I mention deDor is that they not only sale beautiful things but because each year they keep the Romanian traditions alive by organizing various events. And this is the case with June 23, when we celebrate Sânziene, the summer solstice!

Sânziene Day @ deDor The northern summer solstice is relevant in many Christian cultures as the feast of Saint John (also known as St. John’s Eve, Ivan Kupala Day, Litha) is celebrated from June 23 to 24. Generally speaking, the summer solstice is connected in various cultures with honouring the fertility of Mother Earth, so crops will be good. There are plenty of festivals, holidays and rituals, Sânziene is just one of them.

On the night of June 23, starting 9PM, women gather at deDor to celebrate the Sânziene, the night when the gates of the sky open and fairies come down on Earth. In the Romanian folklore, Sânziene is the name given to gentle fairs. The etymology of the name goes to San which is a common abbreviation of Saint and Zână (fairs). The word Sânziana (singular for Sânziene) is also a girl’s name.

Women and men altogether will experience on the oldest tradition related to Sânziene night. Dressed in traditional ethnic blouses, women will make floral crowns of Sânziene flowers. This is Romanian name for Lady’s bedstraw or Yellow bedstraw (Lat. Galium verum). Actor Florin Nan will share authentic stories from the life of the Romanian people and read great poems, while guests enjoy a good glass of local wine. If you plan to attend this event, you need to confirm your presence by sending a message on deDor’s event page.

My Romanian IA

Romanian Wedding Day — My grandparents on their wedding day wearing hand made folk costumes (Photo: personal archive)

As some of you already know, I have a passion for the Romanian ethnic blouse, so I did write about it a few times before. I hope you will find these articles inspiring enough to get you interested in joining our celebration of the Romanian IA.

The Magical Garlic – Vampire Stories

Published on June 10, 2018November 3, 2020

Identity/Romanian DNA

Called everything from ”stinking rose”, “rustic cure-all”, “Russian penicillin”, “Bronx vanilla” to “Italian perfume“, garlic has been loved and despised throughout history for its taste and other mysterious properties. Garlic’s healing properties started a conversation thousands of years ago that still goes on. Though, the most fascinating stories surrounding the garlic have all to do with its magical attributes. This article tries to summarize the most important magical aspects as revealed by the Romanian folklore and traditions, while also taking into account what other cultures across the world have to say about it.

The birth of the garlic’s legend

The amazing world of folklore and mythology gives us a very different answer regarding garlic’s origin. In the Romanian folklore, garlic is not just a simple aromatic and medicinal plant. According to Elena Niculina Voronca, one of the most respected Romanian folklore experts, it is believed that “garlic is human; it has a head a cross, and it’s wears clothing”, and the garlic leaves are named “căței” (“puppies”). Garlic is a Christic plant as “it bears on it the sign of the cross”. It’s also a sacred plant: “God made garlic and it’s a pity to step on it. When you peel the garlic and throw the sheaths in the fire, don’t let them fall down.”

The Indian tradition gives garlic a sacred origin as it is said that it was born from a drop of amrita (divine ambrosia) unintentionally left behind by tired Garuda, a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s vehicle, drives away evil spells, black magic influences, negative spirits and removes all poisonous effects in one’s body.

A Mohammedan legend states that when Satan left the Garden of Eden, garlic sprang from the place where his left foot stepped and onion from his right foot. The Bowers Manuscript, a fifth-century Buddhist medical treatise, includes a tale that says the first garlic appeared from the blood of a demon.

According to Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), garlic and onions were invoked as deities by the ancient Egyptians at the taking of oaths. Archaeologists discovered clay garlic bulbs placed in Egyptian tombs with the dearly departed, yet they are unsure whether they were intended as funds for the afterlife or as idols to appease the gods.

Garlic – the vampire repellant

Dracula's Castle — Bran is also known for being Dracula’s castle

Although Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, had a lot to do with making famous Romania’s belief that garlic wards off the vampires, the truth looks a little bit different from this side of the world. With all due respect for those of you who think that garlic is just Romania’s vampire repellant, allow me to tell you that this is not quite accurate. Montague Summers, author of Vampires and Vampirism:

“Certain trees and herbs are hateful to him, the whitethorn (or buckthorn) as we have seen, and particularly garlic. Often when the Vampire is decapitated his mouth is stuffed full with garlic; garlic is scattered in and all over the coffin by handfuls; and he can do no harm. In China and among Malays to wet a child’s forehead with garlic is a sure protection against vampires.”

Obviously, there are numerous vampires, vampire-like creatures and all sorts of evil spirits present in worldwide mythology. Consequently, it’s not surprising that this far-reaching fears of such beings needed an all-mighty resource to ward them off, but …

“In truth garlic is not a universal deterrent; other common foods that can be used to thwart a vampire attack are poppy seeds, grains of rice, sesame seeds, iron shavings and peppercorns. Each of these items when thrown or left for a vampire to discover will compel it to stop and count each one. Ideally, this obsessive counting will take the monster all night, stalling it long enough for the sun to rise and destroy it; this is believed to be true of the Sucoyan of the West Indies.” (Theresa Bane)

Vampires – not a Romanian invention

It seems that term “vampire” appeared for the first time as “upir” (in Old Russian, 1047) in an old note written by a priest who transcribed a book of psalms. There he referred to “the evil upir”. It is also assumed that the word “upir” comes the Tatar word “ubyr” which means “witchcraft”. Another mention of the eleventh century goes back to Saint Gregory who talks about the pagan worship of the “upirs”.

Legendary healer Melampus and Theophrastus (c.371- c.287 BC) both suggested in their writings the Greeks’ belief that garlic protects people from witchcraft and vampires. Yet, if you go far much deeper and search the literature, you will realize that the term “vampire” was never actually used in the Antiquity’s texts. True, in the ancient texts across the world there are many references to supernatural creatures who feed on blood or human flesh. Vampires were presented as demons or malefic spirits. Here are just a few examples of such creatures that had vampire-like features:

- Vetalas and goddess Kali in the Indian mythology;

- Empusae, Lamia and Strix in Greek-Roman mythology;

- In the Scriptures of Delphi, a collection of myths and legends attributed to Babylon era, but gathered as a collection around 1700, there’s an entire chapter dedicated to vampires;

- Xortdan (Hortdan) is creature in the Azerbaijani mythology which raised from its grave and could transform in any kind of animal;

The Vrykolakas or Kallinkantzaros have been in ancient Greek history for centuries.

Not just vampires, but also different evil spirits

The full list is extremely long, but, that does not mean, all evil creatures of the worldwide mythology qualify as vampires in the current definition of the word. Theresa Bane, the author of Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology, also makes in her extremely documented book distinction between “vampires” (e.g. Agta, energy vampire in the Phillipines, Abchachu in Bolivia) and “vampiric spirits” (e.g. Chochonyi in Argentina, or Aipalookvik in Alaska, Greenland and Nothern Canada). As she also very well underlines, not all these creatures feed on blood and neither can be ward off only with garlic.

The Romanian mythology abounds in supernatural creatures. In his “Romanian Mythology” book, Tudor Pamfile talks about 46, out of which 37 (84%) are malefic creatures or evil spirits, while 8 % are benevolent and 8% neutral. Therefore, one can say that in the study of Romanian mythological supernatural beings, those with evil or malefic characteristics dominate.

Romanian ethnologist Romulus Vulcanescu, identifies few major categories of such creatures, namely “strigoi”, “moroi”, “pricolici”, “tricolici”. Their names are impossible to translate in English; the closest terms I would choose are ghosts, phantom or wraiths. It would not be accurate to say that they are the exact equivalent of what is generally understood as “vampire”.

Garlic – the ancient antidote for the evil spirits

According to Theophrastus, garlic was placed by the ancient Greeks on the piles of stones at crossroads, as a supper for Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. The reason behind this superstition is linked to the fact that the garlic placed at crossroads protects travellers from evil spirits and disorientates demons.

Montague Summers also mentions the use of garlic against evil spirits or witchcraft: “The West India negroes today smear themselves with garlic to neutralize the evil charms of witches and obeah men.” On the other hand, Buryat people of Mongolia believe that the presence of the women who died during birth, and who is known for coming back at night to torture the living, can be recognized by the garlic smell they spread around.

The Korean folklore mentions the garlic in the foundation myth of the ancient kingdom of Gojoseon, when eating of nothing but 20 cloves of garlic and a bundle of Korean mugwort for 100 days, let a bear be transformed into a woman. There are also mentions that eating garlic repels tigers while eating pickled garlic for those travelling dangerous mountain passes frequented by striped predators.

Romanian traditions

The ethnology and cultural studies report many customs and traditions related to garlic, yet most of them are related to specific areas, regions or villages across the Romanian land, so we cannot consider that they refer to the entire population. As in the case of other plants, popular traditions related to garlic’s magical powers are connected with some important religious celebrations (St.George’s Day, Pentecost, Saint Andrew’s Day, Christmas, New Year, etc), but not only. Garlic garlands are also seen around the houses even today.

Generally speaking, in Romania garlic is believed to be a magical plant which keeps safe people, animal stocks and households from dark or energies, evil spirits, ghosts, evil-eye and various diseases. Mainly on St.Andrew’s Day (November 30), Christmas (December 25) and New Year’s Eve locals use garlic juice to make a Christian cross sign on the door frames and locks, window frames, house eaves, stables and barns to protect themselves from evil spirits. Here are just a few examples I’ve found:

- In Transylvania it is said that those who eat garlic gloves on the eve of important religious celebrations (Christmas, Baptism of the Lord, Easter and others) will have nothing to worry about being bothered by the ghosts;

- To drive away ghosts you can ignite incense and garlic in a brass pot;

- In Moldova, on St. Andrew’s Day (November 30), there’s a traditional party where young people who are not married gather; in the meantime, one or two old women guard the garlic brought by the girls, so men won’t steal it; at sunrise, in some villages takes place what’s called Hora Usturoiului (The Garlic Dance); following this, they believe the garlic gets miraculous powers, meaning it’s good for healing; it is also believed that this garlic it’s good to be kept with them by travellers and while doing business or negotiations;

- When you are on a field and suddenly smell the garlic, it means there’s a snake nearby;

- In some regions of the country (e.g. Suceava, Valcea, Bihor), there’s a belief that if you lubricate the udder of the cows with garlic juice, they will give good milk the entire year;

- To protect the castles from being attacked or bitten by snakes or weasels, people in Olt country hang garlic yarns (threads) in the stables;
In Hațeg county, people put garlic cloves in the dead’s coffin so it won’t turn into a ghost.

Bibliography:

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Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. McFarland, 2012. Kindle.
Block, Eric. Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and The Science. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015. Kindle.
Chevalier, Jean & Gheerbrandt, Alain. Dictionar de simboluri. Bucuresti: Artemis, 1995. Print
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Cooper, Levi. World of the sages: garlic breath. 2008.
Craznic, Oliviu. Despre strigoi si vampiri. 2011.
Evseev, Ivan. Dictionar de magie, demonologie si mitologie romaneasca. Timisoara: Amacord, 1998. Print.
Gorovei, Artur & Ciausanu, Gh.F. Credinte si superstitii romanesti. Bucuresti: Humanitas, 2013. Print.
Greyduckgarlic.com. History of Garlic.
Johns, Jason. Growing Garlic – A Complete Guide To Growing, Harvesting and Using Garlic. CreateSpace, 2017. Kindle.
Pamfile, Tudor. Mitologie romaneasca. Bucuresti: All, 1997. Print.
Porritt, Gwen. Garlic. 2007.
Stanculescu, Catalin. Strigoi vii, morti, moroi si pricolici in mitologia romaneasca. 2017.
Summers, Montague. Vampires and Vampirism. New York: Dover Occult, 2005. Kindle.
Voronca, Niculita Elena. Datinile si credintele poporului roman adunate si asezate in ordine mitologica. Iasi: Polirom, 1998. Print.
Vulcanescu, Mircea. Mitologie romana. Bucuresti: Editura Academiei, 1985. Print.

About All Love Energy with Patrick Zeigler

Published on May 7, 2018November 3, 2020

Metamorphosis

I’ve attended my first All Love class meditation with Patrick Scott Zeigler more than three years ago… at the right moment for me, some would say, although I knew about him and his Seichim/ Sekhem teachings for many years. Useless to say that it was the first of many amazing experiences and I wanted to share it with my closest friends, yet when I tried to tell them about it, finding the right words to describe it was almost impossible. Later I found out I was not the only one having troubles explaining what you can experience when attending an All Love class.

Few words about Patrick Zeigler & Sekhem / Siechim…

Patrick Zeigler, the father of non-traditional Reiki and founder of Seichim/ Sechem/ Sekhem (SKM), has been working with holistic therapies for over 30 years experience and lives his live traveling the world and teaching All Love.

Zeigler took the first steps of his self-discovery path around the age of 10 when he read the first on extrasensory experiences. Readings and personal experiences with hypnosis, meditations, various techniques and therapies, personal work with different masters followed … little did he know then that all these experiences will prepare him for something much greater: the night in the Great Pyramid of Egypt he had a consciousness raising experience or initiation. The path took him took him to a wise Egyptian Sufi named Sheikh Mawlana Mohamed Osman Abdu al Burhani. He taught Patrick specific ways to deepen the experience. It was a combination of these two experiences that connected Patrick to an energy called Seichim, also spelt Sekhem. Later on Patrick developed what at some point was known as Sechim/ Sekhem system.

That being said, you can imagine how happy I am to share with you some key insights about what experiencing the All Love energy can mean to you as I got to understand it from Patrick Scott Zeigler himself. I do hope that what you’ll read next will give you a better understanding of how this rather spiritual therapy can help you heal the blockages you might experience in your life.

Healing yourself with All Love energy

All Love / SKHM energy — All Love / SKHM / Seichim energy

All Love works with what some of you may already know as Sekhem/ Seichim. This energy is not the same with Reiki energy. The way All Love energy works and it is felt is very different. This difference is noted by all Reiki practitioners who participate in an All Love workshop. The vibration felt in the beginning by most of the participants in the beginning is generally “fine”, but it can become very strong; simply, you may simply have to sit down, that’s how strong it may come. Some even prefer to lay down and let the body do whatever it feels like. Patrick uses the terms “shakers” for those who feel this energy so, so strong.

At the same time, yet not mandatory, some participants may experience strong emotions and see all sorts of images; their role is to assist in the healing process of the blockages, whether you are or not aware of their existence. Unlike other techniques, All Love/ Sekhem works in particular on the Heart Chakra (Anahata) and the connection with the Higher Self and then let’s the energy flow throughout the body, activating and opening other energetic centers.

Attending an All Love/ Sekhem class does not require you to have prior experience of working with other energy techniques or types of therapies. Unlike Reiki, symbols are not necessary to be able to connect and open your heart. The energy has its own kind of miraculous intelligence and knows exactly what it needs to do. If I were to use a metaphor, then I would say it is like when you are falling in love. Do you need a manual?! No! All Love energy works just the same. That’s it!

All-Love is the way of healing with the heart. As Patrick Zeigler says,

“Our Spiritual Heart is at the core of our being and where the soul connects to our Emotional and Physical bodies. All-Love is the experience of the One Heart that connects us to the ‘All’ of creation. It is through the Divine Quickening of All-Love that we come to Love all the aspects of who we are and come into a state of re-union, not just with ourselves, but also with all of creation.”

How All Love energy works …

From a theoretical point of view you, here are some of the things that can happen:

The alignment between the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies;
The alignment between the superior bodies with the physical body;
The anchoring of the energy of love and opening of the heart chakra;
The recognition and embracing of our shadow;
The redetermination of negative past events;
Spontaneous initiations;
The anchoring of the soul energy in our physical bodies;
The student’s empowerment and the awakening to self-mastery.

Attending an All Love class is a great opportunity to understand through a series of guided meditations that “life is a truly master teacher” and its inescapable teachings are just ways to help us on our self-discovery and evolution path.

Many times we feel our past repeats itself through recurrent emotions, thoughts and attitudes, even when we no longer wish to behave, think nor feel the way we sometimes do. Understanding how our past affects our daily life, influencing our thoughts, emotions and actions is the key of unlocking the better and much happier version of ourselves. It also allows us to clearly see how everything that happens around us simply reflects just like a mirror what is going on inside ourselves. When we do understand this mechanism, we are able to rebuild our reality from the only thing we actually are able change in this life: yourself.

An All Love workshop consists of o series of practical exercises and meditations that aim to bring you into alignment with your true nature while letting go of your expectations. It helps you realize that you need to start living in the present moment and allow your inherent wisdom to flow naturally. That makes you feel more confident in yourself and more capable of facing the unknown. It also awakes your intuition and a consciousness more aligned to your own truth. Once we understand this and you start working with yourself, you can see and sense a lots of new good things happening:

A higher understanding blossoms;
New interior paths open and this reflect as new opportunities in life;
An increasing sensibility and a subsequent spontaneous rising of answers to recurrent questions in our lives;
A more harmonious and peaceful way of living with more joy, lightness and confidence.

All these positive changes will be easily perceived by those around you and it will mysteriously touch their hearts causing both a positive impact on your environment and everyone around.

The Macaques of Monkey Forest in Ubud

Published on May 4, 2018November 3, 2020

Joys of Life

The macaques rule over the 12.5 hectares of the The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, Bali. It’s the kind of place where you can spend a full day without getting bored. And how can you get bored when there are hundreds of naughty macaque monkeys of all ages, jumping all around always looking for something to do?

The Temples of the Monkey Forest

As one can imagine, The Monkey Forest is one of Ubud’s main attractions. The local Balinese refer to the site as the Padangtegal Wenara Wana or the Padangtegal Monkey Forest. The Balinese have been using this sacred site for over 700 years.

Located in the village of Padangtegal, the Monkey Forest is an important spiritual, economic, educational, and conservation center for the village. The Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary consists in three temples (referred to as Pura), the Pura Dalem Agung, Pura Beji, and Pura Prajapati which are surrounded by forests. Balinese people pray in the altars of these temples in the Monkey Forest and give offerings to the gods. The Monkey Forest is considered sacred among the Balinese people, as are the macaques that live at forest.

Around 700 monkeys and 186 species of trees

As currently estimated, there are around 700 monkeys living in The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. They are divided into 6 groups, each one of them consisting of 100 – 120 monkeys:

infants (0 – 1 year)
juvenile 1 (1 – 2 years)
juvenile 2 (2 – 4 years)
sub adult male (4 – 6 years)
adult female (> 4 years)
and adult male (> 6 years).

These macaques are also completely used to humans and interact with the staff and tourists who visit the forest. There are plenty of stories about how monkeys can be very aggressive, stealing things and even injuring visitors. My experience with them is different, yet I was careful about not having with me shiny objects, sunglasses, or other things that might get the macaques interested in.

The forest has 12.5 hectares and there are 186 species of trees growing all over the place. To this date, about 115 tree species have been identified. The macaques at the site have been observed eating the flowers, fruits, leaves, nuts, and seeds of these trees. The Balinese people also use some of these plants for their medicinal properties or for ceremonial purposes.

The Macaque Family

The type of monkeys that live in The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary are known as the Balinese long-tailed monkeys or simply Macaques. Their scientific name is Macaca Fascicularis. This type of primate is active during the day and rests at night. This is quite obvious once you take a long walk on the alleys of the Monkey Forest.

On a personal note, I must confess that I’ve witnessed some really touching moments with the macaque families. The pictures below are self-explanatory!

Macaque Family — Just one ordinary day in the life of macaque family

The Baby Macaque

You’ll see many baby macaques in the Monkey Forest and their games are great to watch! You’ll also see them hanging by older monkeys while being carried from one place to another.

The pregnancy takes about 6 months and generally 1 infant is born. Twins are a rarity. Macaque babies stay with their mothers for around 10 months and thereafter they will be weaned to live independently.

Female macaques are extremely careful about their babies. It is also known that even female monkeys who are not the parents are also involved in keeping the babies safe and sound.

The average weight of female monkey is 2.5 – 5.7 kg and male monkey is 3.5 – 8 kg. The lifespan of male monkey up to 15 years, while for the female monkey is up to 20 years.

The Macaque’s temptations – bananas and corn

The Macaques are omnivores and in the Monkey Forest of Ubud, their main food is sweet potato, given 3 times a day and combined with banana, papaya leaf, corn, cucumber, coconut and other local fruits and vegetables. Yet, as you’ll see, the macaques do love corn and bananas!

Macaques have fun

Here are some of my favorite macaques pics. I just hope you’ll like them! And if you do, just leave your comments below.

Macaques taking a break — Taking a break

Note: This article was written for and published on Discovery’s Pets of Champions. Pictures have been taking during my trip to Bali and cannot be used in any way without prior written consent.

Top 10 Most Fascinating Facts about Dolphins

Published on April 13, 2018November 3, 2020

Joys of Life

Do you remember dolphin Flipper, Alpha & Beta, Hope and Winter, Snowflake, Orca Willy or Jones, the retired Navy dolphin-hacker from Johnny Mnemonic? If you do, it means two things: you’ve met some of the most loved dolphins of the planet that made it to the big screen; also, you already know how lovable they are, just like their relatives swimming in the deep waters of the oceans.

Dolphins – the sacred fish

The Ancient Greeks called dolphins “hieros ichthys” which means sacred fish. They went so far as considering the killing of a dolphin a sacrilegious act and therefore punishable by death.

The name of the dolphin is also linked to the Greeks, as it originally came δελφίς (delphís), “dolphin”, which was related to the Greek δελφύς (delphus), “womb”. The animal’s name can therefore be interpreted as meaning “a fish with a womb“. The name was transmitted via the Latin “delphinus”, which in Medieval Latin became “dolfinus” and in Old French “daulphin”, which reintroduced the ‘ph’ into the word.

In modern languages we now have it as “dolphin” in English, “dupin” in Croatian, “delfino” in Italian, “delfín” in Czech and Spanish, “delfin” in Romanian, “delfiini” in Finish, “dolfijn” in Dutch, or “dolffiniaid” in Welsh.

Dolphin’s quick facts list

Order: Cetacea
Scientific name: Delphinadae (oceanic species) and Platanistoidea (river species)
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore;
Lifespan: 12-20 years
Size: 1.2-9.1m long
Weight: 40 kg to over 6 tonnes
Range: Global, typically found in shallow seawater of the continental shelves

Top 10 Most Fascinating Facts About Dolphins

Dolphins are extraordinarily intelligent, friendly, funny, playful and full of surprises. And with such treats, who can remain immune to their charm? It’s no wonder that Albert Einstein praised them by saying that “There’s no question dolphins are smarter than humans as they play more.”

Here are the top 10 most fascinating things about dolphins that we’ve dug out for you.

1. Nearly 40 species of dolphins

Well-known for their playful character, most dolphins swim in the in shallow areas of tropical and temperate oceans, yet there are some who enjoy living in the rivers. There are over 40 species of dolphins, the most common being the Bottlenose dolphin.

2. Dolphin’s amazing brain

Dolphins are not just lovely creatures, but they are also extremely intelligent. By comparing the ratio size of brain to body, scientists came to the conclusion that dolphins rank second, right after the humans! A dolphin’s brain is 4-5 times larger than those of other animals of similar size.

3. They sleep resting one side of the brain at a time

To prevent drowning while sleeping only half of the dolphin’s brain goes to sleep! The other half remains awake so they can continue to breathe! It is said that dolphins are as smart as apes, and that the evolution of their larger brains is surprisingly similar to humans.

4. Dolphins have 2 stomachs

One is used for storage of food and the other is used for digestion. By the way, dolphins never chew their food, they swallow it as a whole. Their teeth are used only to catch their prey; fish, squid and crustacean are their favourite. Also, a 260-pound dolphin eats about 33 pounds of fish a day.

5. The best sonar in the world

Dolphin sonar is the best in nature and superior to bats’ and man-made sonar. Just like bats, they use echolocation to navigate and hunt, bouncing high-pitched sounds off of objects, and listening for the echoes. Their teeth work as a kind of antenna to pick up the sounds bounced back by their prey during echolocation.

6. Babies protected by midwives

Depending on the species, dolphin’s gestation takes 9 to 17 months and mothers breastfeed calves for two or three years. Dolphins have been observed nestling and cuddling with their young. It is in the nature of the dolphins to stick with their mothers between three and eight years before they leave their pod.

7. Dolphins attend the sick relatives

It is said that elephants caring for a crippled herd member is a sign of empathy. Well, we could say the same about the dolphins who are often seen tending to the sick, the ill, old and the injured in their group, which is known as “pod”. If needed, they can help others breathe by bringing them to the surface.

8. Dolphins know how to use tools

It would be an overstatement to call dolphins carpenter, but for sure they know how to use tools! They use broken off sea sponges to protect their noses while they forage! But, make no mistake, dolphins are not the only creatures using tools. Recent studies talk about chimps who use rocks to crack nuts, while others fish for termites with blades of grass. Gorillas gauge the depth of water with the equivalent of a dipstick.

9. Great at healing themselves

Dolphins have an extremely sensitive skin, so they can easily get injured at the slightest touch of a hard surface. Despite the sensitivity, they have a great healing capacity even from deep wounds like the shark bites. The experts do not have a clear explanation for this phenomenon, especially since they claim that similar mammals suffering from similar wounds would die from a hemorrhage instead.

10. Orca, the killer whale is a dolphin

Though called killer whales, orcas are not whales! Orcas, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world’s most powerful predators. With a lifespan in the wild ranging from 50 to 80 years, Orcas can reach up to 32 feet and 6 tons. They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales. This is where they also got the nickname of “killer whales”. Orcas (Orcinus orca) are also known for grabbing seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds.

April 14, 2018 – Happy Dolphin Day!

Dolphins have a whole day dedicated to their existence for a good reason, as some species of dolphin are endangered, and the biggest threat to their future is man. Let’s raise awareness for the protection of these beautiful creatures.

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July 3, 2018November 3, 2020

Music - life's destiny

Bolton Guitar Studies - world's best

Best of the most talented students

Feeling lucky

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Romania's got talent

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The Romanian SUMAN

The Suman fit for a Queen

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Maryhill Museum of Art

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Ioana Corduneanu

IIANA 2015 - Queen Marie Suman

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Just a brief conclusion

Marrying original folk pieces and modern clothing

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