Fair report

Psst! Come closer! I wanna tell you something, but it's kind of a secret.... Ok, are you listening?

Psst! Hai mai aproape! Vreau sa-ti spun ceva, dar e cam secret... OK, asculti?

 

A few weeks ago, She took us to a fair. We are used to them already: she puts us on display and people come and look and touch and say oh-look-how-cute and some of us even get adopted, which is a bit heartbreaking, if you ask me, as I never get to see my brothers again, but I guess it's also a good thing, as we muckla are curious beings and it's always good to see other places and live in other people's drawers, since frankly I'm quite sick of the shelf I have to live on at home, where She puts us for weeks on end and nobody comes to play with us unless maybe that new baby comes to visit and nibbles on us a little.

Acum cateva saptamani, Ea ne-a dus la un targ. Deja suntem obisnuiti cu ele: ne expune si vin oamenii si se uita si pun mana si zic vai-uite-ce-dragut si unii dintre noi sunt chiar adoptati, ceea ce e un pic tragic dupa parerea mea, pentru ca nu mai apuc sa-mi vad fratii niciodata, dar presupun ca e si ceva bun, fiindca noi mishumacii suntem fiinte curioase si intotdeauna e fain sa vezi alte locuri si sa locuiesti in sertare la altii, ca sincer sa spun m-am cam saturat de raftul pe care trebuie sa locuiesc acasa, unde Ea ne pune sa stam saptamani de-a randul si nu vine nimeni sa se joace cu noi, numai daca nu vine copilu' ala nou din cand in cand si ne rontzaie un pic. 

But what She doesn't know, and I bet you didn't know either, is that we don't really stand still. I mean, come on, we are alert intelligent inquisitive extremely bright beings, and shelves are just too boring. So, whenever people aren't looking, we wander in search of shiny things. We love shiny things. Some of us go shopping...
Dar ceea ce nu stie ea, si pun pariu ca nici tu nu stiai, este ca noi nu prea stam linistiti. Adica, sa fim seriosi, suntem fiinte inteligente, curioase, extrem de alerte, si rafturile sunt pur si simplu prea plictisitoare. Asa ca, ori de cate ori nu se uita oamenii, noi plecam in cautare de lucrusoare stralucitoare. Ne place tare mult tot ce straluceste. Unii din noi merg la cumparaturi...

I swear, if she brings home any more shiny stuff, I'm going to throw her off the shelf, we are crowded enough as it is, fabrics and us and button jars and more of us and boxes and all.
Pe cuvant, daca asta mai aduce acasa multe chestii lucioase, o arunc de pe raft, deja suntem destul de inghesuiti si asa, cu materiale si cu noi si borcane cu nasturi si iarasi noi si cutii si tot felu'. 

I personally am one who appreciates art, so I wandered onto Carmen's shelves, to admire her creations. Exquisitely crafted, I tell you!

Eu personal sunt un admirator al artei, asa ca m-am plimbat un pic pe rafturile lui Carmen, ca sa-i admit creatiile. Impecabil executate, va spun!

Greenie here is the more studious kind, and he always manages to find something to inspect, research or explore: fimo creations...

Greenie al nostru e genul mai studios, el tot timpul gaseste ceva de inspectat, de cercetat sau de explorat: creatii din fimo...

...or even new species. Much to our delight, he discovered these creatures that are called stripeys apparently and they are all a bit silly but then who am I to judge, since many people call us silly too, which we most definitely are not.

...sau chiar specii noi. Spre marea noastra incantare, a descoperit creaturile astea care cica se numesc stripey si sunt cam natangi dar in fond cine sunt eu sa judec, doar si noua ne zice multa lume ca suntem natangi, desi nu-i adevarat deloc.

 

The stripeys are friends with this big creature the name of which I don't know and Greenie didn't manage to find out either, even if he looked through his books and even dared ask the thing what it was, but it didn't say anything.

Stripey astia sunt prieteni cu o creatura mare care nu stiu cum se numeste si nici Greenie n-a reusit sa afle, desi s-a uitat prin carti si chiar a indraznit sa-l intrebe pe animal ce e, dar n-a zis nimic.

This other brother of mine is such a sucker for cuddly things, and I just couldn't get him to stop throwing himself in amongst the cushions. But I have to say, Flavia's pillows were just thoo thoft...
Alt frate de-al meu adora lucrurile moi, si nu l-am putut opri sa se arunce repetat intre pernele Flaviei. Dar trebuie sa recunosc, pernele eu sunt asa de moooi...

ahh...

Oh, did I mention we like shiny stuff?

A, oare v-am spus ca ne plac lucrusoarele stralucitoare?

All in all, we had a great time, even if we have to interrupt our activities and pretend we're sitting nicely on the shelf every time someone turns around. It's a tough life, but someone has to do it, otherwise there's be no more fun left in this world, and that would be such a pity. Wouldn't it?

Oh! As i said, don't tell anyone! Deal?

Pana la urma ne-am distrat foarte bine, chiar daca trebuie sa ne intrerupem activitatile si sa ne prefacem ca stam frumos pe raft de fiecare data cand se intoarce cineva. E o viata grea, dar cineva trebuie s-o faca si pe asta, altfel n-ar mai fi niciun pic de veselie in lume si asta ar fi mare pacat. Asa-i?

A, si, dupa cu spuneam, sa nu spui nimanui! Bine?

Another fair!

Ladies and gents, we are doing it again! This fair is not of my making, but I can't wait to take part in it. If you are in the area, come visit!

Doamnelor si domnilor, o comitem din nou! Acest targ nu e creatia mea, dar de-abia astept sa particip. Daca sunteti in zona, haideti si vizitati-ne! Detalii pe afis :)

Prof. Rashid

As you might have figured out already, Falushtain is a nation of sophisticated intellectuals. Professors, musicians, philosophers, be they dead or alive, have all found a good home in this realm.
Dupa cum va imaginati deja, Falushtainul este o natiune de intelectuali sofisticati. Profesori, muzicieni, filozofi, fie ei morti sau vii, si-au gasit cu totii caminul pe acest taram.

A while ago, I introduced to you Prof. Basil, the die-hard erudite tutor. Now is the time for you to meet one of Basil's closest friends, Prof. Rashid.
Acum catva timp vi l-am prezentat pe Prof. Basil, meditatorul erudit si greu de ucis. Acum este timpul sa-l cunoasteti pe unul din cei mai apropiati prieteni ai lui Basil, si anume Prof. Rashid.

 

Actually, time or no time, his fame can hardly be contained any longer. His knowledge of ...well, everything, his accessible but highly informative style of writing, as well as his legendary good looks have made him known all over the world.  But let me talk about each in turn.
De fapt, fie ca e timpul sau nu, faima lui nu mai poate fi stavilita. Cunostintele lui in materie de...pai, cam orice, stilul informativ dar accesibil in care scrie, precum si frumusetea lui legendara l-au facut cunoscut peste tot in lume. Dar sa vorbesc despre fiecare pe rand.

Born in Calcutta, India, Rashid grew up speaking three languages. Sometimes all at once, much to the confusion of his parents, who were in awe of his precocious linguistic intelligence. Recognizing their son's potential, they sent him to Falushtain, to the Kindergarten for Freaks and Unusually Clever Kids (K-FUCK, as it is more commonly known). This penchant for multitasking did not leave young Sheik; he read 3-4 books at once, went to 2 high-schools at the same time and obtained three PhD's. Just because he could. One from the University of Sorbonne, with the paper The Philosophy of Punctuation; One from the University of Uppsala, with the paper Separation Anxiety in the Marauding Nations of the North; and one from Cambridge University, for his invaluable research work into Coulrophobia.

Nascut in Calcutta, Rashid a crescut vorbind 3 limbi. Uneori pe toate deodata, spre confuzia parintilor sai, care erau uimiti de inteligenta lingvistica precoce a fiului lor. Recunoscand potentialul copilului, l-au trimis in Falushtain, la Gradinita pentru Ciudati si Plozi Deosebit de Destepti. Inclinatia lui spre multitasking nu l-a parasit  pe micul Sheik  nici in anii ce au urmat; citea 3-4 carti odata, a mers la 3 licee in acelasi timp, si a obtinut 3 doctorate.  Numa de-aia. Unul de la Universitatea din Sorbona, cu lucrarea Filozofia Punctuatiei; unul de la Universitatea Uppsala, cu lucrarea Anxietatea de Separare la Natiunile Invadatoare din Nord; si unul de la Universitatea Cambridge, pentru munca sa de cercetare in domeniul coulrofobiei.

Of course, he was made for a brilliant academic career. He has received honorary degrees from pretty much every university that matters in this world. But even if he is an expert in a great variety of fields, his main specialty remains psychiatry. He has written many books on the topic, his latest one being Common Mental Disorders of the Modern Age, published in 2012. 
Desigur, Rashid era facut pentru o cariera academica. A primit titluri onorifice de la toate universitatile care conteaza in lumea asta. dar desi este un expert in multe domenii, specialitatea sa principala ramane psihiatria. A scris multe carti in acest domeniu, cea mai recenta fiind Tulburari Mentale Comune in Era Moderna, publicata in 2012.

Other titles from his prodigious bibliography include The Truth About Lunatics; Psychoanalysis for Dummies and The Undead Psyche, published in 3 volumes: The Psychological Profile of Zombies, The Psychological Profile of Werewolves and The Psychological Profile of Vampires.
Alte titluri din prodigioasa sa bibliografie ar fi Adevarul despre Lunatici, Psihoanaliza pentru Idioti, si Psihicul Nemort, publicat in 3 volume: Profilul psihologic de Zombie, Profilul psihologic al Varcolacului, si Profilul psihologic al Vampirului. 

He now holds a permanent position at Brian May University in Falushtain, where he teaches Chomskyan syntax, Oriental Studies and Klingon language, and researches the reproductive mechanisms of cuddlecreeps. He also travels extensively in order to promote his books and hold seminars and workshops on various topics of widespread interest.
Acum Rashid are un post permanent la Universitatea Brian May din Falushtin, unde preda sintaxa chomskiana, studii orientale si limba kligoniana, si cerceteaza mecanismele de reproducere ale creaturilor numite cuddlecreeps. De asemenea, calatoreste mult pentru a-si promova cartile si pentru a tine prelegeri si ateliere pe teme de interes public.

As for his looks...well, ladies, you can judge for yourselves. He is not quite a spring chicken anymore, but the few wrinkles he has only add character to his exotic face. Words such as "hunk", "steamy" and "I definitely would" are often heard whispered in the back of rooms where Rashid may be holding a lecture. 
Cat despre cum arata...doamnelor, puteti judeca si singure. Nu mai e chiar un fecior, dar cele cateva riduri pe care le are au adaugat caracter chipului sau exotic. Cuvinte ca "bine facut", "fain" si "sigur ca as" se aud adesea soptite in spatele incaperilor in care Rashid mai tine cate o prelegere. 

All in all, Prof. Rashid is a true Renaissance man, a highly accomplished citizen of Falushtain, who makes his country proud. If he were to run for mayor next elections, I think I might vote for him...
In concluzie, Rashid este un adevarat om al Renasterii, un cetatean plin de success al Falushtainului, care isi face tara mandra. Daca ar candida la postul de primar la urmatoarele alegeri, cred ca s-ar putea sa-l votez...

We Did Bring Spring

It looks like our little anti-winter campaign worked. We got the little room of the cafe full to the brim of colourful creations, people flocked to see them and what do you know! little by little, a tentative sun started shining through the fairy-guarded window. 

Se pare ca mica noastra campanie anti-iarna a functionat. Am umplut incaperea cafenelei pana la refuz cu creatii colorate, oamenii s-au inghesuit sa le vada si ca sa vezi! incet incet a inceput sa straluceasca un soare timid prin fereastra pazita de zana.

 

And the light has only grown stronger since. It looks like spring is finally on its way, which delights me to no end!

Si de atunci, lumina e tot mai puternica. Se pare ca in sfarsit vine primavara, si nici nu va pot spune cat de tare ma bucura asta!

Here are some images of shiny creative people in their natural environment. Some sketched...

Iata niste imagini cu oameni creativi in mediul lor natural. Unii schitau...

...some worked...

...unii munceau...

 ...others made sure everybody knew about the fair...

...altii se asigurau ca toata lumea stie de targ...

...and others, less fortunate, had to finish their maths homework for Monday.

...iar altii, mai nefericiti,aveau o tema la mate de terminat pe luni.

 

But everybody, absolutely everybody smiled.

Dar toata lumea, absolut toata lumea zambea.

 

 

Well, maybe not her, but only because she doesn't have a mouth; she would definitely be smiling if she had one!

Ma rog, poate ea nu, dar numai pentru ca n-are gura!

All in all, it was pretty, relaxed, friendly and inspiring, as always. Even my mucklor were happy to lend a hand in the marketing of the products.

Una peste alta,  targul nostru a fost frumos, relaxat, prietenos si plin de inspiratie, ca intotdeauna. Chiar si mishumacii mei au dat o mana de ajutor in prezentarea produselor.

Last but not least, I would like to take a minute to say a heartfelt goodbye to Frank and Archie, who were adopted at the fair, and wish them the best of luck in their future lives.

Nu in ultimul rand, as dori sa le adresez un calduros ramas bun lui Frank si Archie, care au fost adoptati la targ, si sa le urez mult noroc in viata de acum incolo.

 

Archie did not leave before summing up the whole weekend's activity. Thanks dude, I couldn't have said it better myself! 

Archie n-a plecat inainte de a rezuma activitatile acelui sfarsit de saptamana. Mersi frate, nici eu n-o puteam spune mai bine!

For more pics of the fair, go here.

Pentru mai multe poze de la targ, mergeti aici.

Bring Spring!

Friends, brothers, fellow countrymen! Too long have we suffered the gloom of winter. Too long have we cowered by the fireside, waiting for mellower days.

Prieteni, frati, concetateni! Prea multa vreme am suferit intunecimea iernii. Prea multa vreme ne-am ascuns pe langa vetre, sperand sa se inmoaie vremea.

Well, I say no longer! The time has come for us to liberate our bodies from their wolly prisons! To roam the streets without hats and gloves, basking in a sun the existence of which we had almost forgotten!

Dar a fost destul!  A venit vremea sa ne eliberam trupurile din inchisorile lor de lana! Sa hoinarim pe strazi, fara caciula si manusi in lumina unui soare de a carui existenta aproape ca uitasem.

My army may not stand tall, but it stands ready. Come join us, come fight the Battle for Spring, today and tomorrow, between 11 and 6, at J'ai Bistrot.

Armata mea nu e mare, dar e pregatita. Alaturati-va noua, veniti sa luptati in Batalia pentru Primavara, azi si maine, intre 11 si 6, la J'ai Bistrot.

 

And let winter fight back. If it dares.

Si iarna n-are decat sa se impotriveasca. Daca indrazneste.

The Wendy Challenge - Part I

  Wendy, thoughtful as always, took note of my newly discovered passion for refashioning and sent me (among other lovely b-day gifts) some of her old dresses to use for fabric, or whichever way I see fit. It was a wonderful surprise, and I decided to give myself the challenge to turn each of the dresses into something different. So... let The Wendy Challenge begin!

Wendy, grijulie ca intotdeauna, a observat noua mea pasiune pentru modificat haine si mi-a trimis (printre alte cadouri de ziua mea) niste rochii vechi pe care sa le folosesc pentru material, sau in ce fel imi va cadea bine. A fost o surpriza minunata, si m-am decis sa-mi dau eu mie provocarea de a transforma fiecare rochie (+fusta) in ceva diferit. Asa ca...sa inceapa Provocarea Wendy!

I seek permission to place before the jury...
Cer permisiunea de a supune atentiei juratilor...

Exhibit A:
Proba A:

Stripy dress, fits perfectly (turns out we're the same size!). It has pockets and a button-down back, which make it all the more awesome. The length is not very flattering, and there's a mysterious belly hole the purpose of which I cannot fathom. Ventilation? Showing off a potential belly button piercing? Modern design?
Rochie dungata, mi-e buna la fix (cine-ar fi zis ca purtam exact aceeasi marime!). Are buzunare si se incheie cu nasturi la spate, lucruri care o fac si mai faina. Lungimea nu e chiar potrivita, si are o gaura misterioasa deasupra buricului, a carei scop nu-l pot defini. Ventilatie? Posibilitatea de a-ti arata un potential piercing din buric? Design modern?

This has already been dealt with. You'll see the results in a future post.
Pe asta am rezolvat-o deja. O veti vedea intr-un post viitor.

Exhibit B:
Proba B:

White dress, doesn't tell me much. Probably fated to become embroidered tote bags.

Rochie alba, nu-mi spune prea multe. Probabil e sortita sa devina plase de cumparaturi, eventual brodate.

Exhibit C:
Proba C:

Full, flowy hippie wrap skirt. Fits perfectly and looks fine as is. Fine, but not breathtaking. Still thinking whether I should gently approach it with scissors or leave it alone.
Fusta hipioata larga si usoara. Mi-e numa' buna si arata OK asa cum e. OK, dar nu extraordinara. Inca ma mai gandesc daca sa ma apropii de ea tandru cu foarfeci, sau s-o las in pace.

Exhibit D:
Proba D:

A sort of jumper dress. Fits perfectly, but I don't really like the fabric. Should I dye it? Or maybe  turn it into doll clothing?
Un fel de rochie-salopeta. Mi-e buna si asta, dar nu prea imi place materialul. S-o vopsesc? Sau s-o transform in haine pentru papusi?

Exhibit E:
Proba E:

Cute little navy dress, knee-length. This one fits fine too (dammit, I have too many dresses!). Not crazy about the gold thread and the buttons, but that's an easy fix. Very see-through, so it might require a petticoat of some sort. The fabric would be great for making flower-brooches, but I can't bring myself to chop it up. At least not at least after I've worn it a few times.

O foarte draguta rochita bleumarin, pana la genunchi. Si asta mi-e buna (la naiba, am prea multe rochii!). Nu ma omor dupa firul auriu si dupa nasturi, dar asta e usor de rezolvat. Materialul ar fi excelent pentru brose tip floare, dar parca nu-mi vine s-o ciopartesc inca. Cel putin nu inainte de a o fi purtat macar de cateva ori.

Exhibit F:
Proba F:

Very long, very full, very blue skirt.  Looks a bit much for me, I wouldn't wear it. So that gives me heaps and heaps of royal blue velvet to use for...something.
Fusta foarte lunga, foarte larga, foarte albastra. Cam mult pentru mine, n-as purta-o. Asa ca am stive de catifea albastra s-o folosesc pentru....ceva.
 

And, because it wouldn't be a challenge if it didn't force me to do something, I will give myself deadlines for this refashionings. And, because I tend to be lenient with myself, since I'm all I've got, I will only "impose" upon myself one refashion a month. I will keep you posted with the evolution (or lack thereof) of the garments that travelled a long long way across mountains and oceans and rice fields, to begin a new life in Transylvania. And a big thanks to Wendy for providing me with the extra impulse I needed to venture deeper into the misty woods of refashioning.

 Si, pentru ca n-ar fi provocare daca nu m-ar forta la ceva, o sa-mi dau date limita pentru modificari. Si, pentru ca tind sa fiu indulgenta cu mine insami ca doar numa' pe mine ma am, imi "impun" o modificare pe luna. O sa va tin la curent cu evolutia (sau involutia) obiectelor de imbracaminte care au calatorit peste munti si vai si oceane si campuri de orez, pentru a incepe o noua viata in Transilvania. Si multe multumiri lui Wendy pentru ca mi-a dat impulsul suplimentar de care aveam nevoie pentru a pasi mai adanc in padurea cetoasa a modificarilor vestimentare.

 P.S. for my Romanian readers:  Se pare ca Blogger a modificat marimea fonturilor, si cel "mic" e acum foarte mic. Il vedeti asa?

Green Monday

Well, I have a couple of hours left of Monday, so here's my envy target today: Elizabeth from Oh, Fransson!

Mai sunt vreo doua ore din ziua de luni, asa ca iata tinta invidiei mele de azi: Elizabeth, creatoarea blogului Oh, Fransson!

She makes wonderful, bright, fresh looking quilts.
Face niste quilturi minunate, in culori vii si proaspete.

And she came up with the brilliant quick piecing idea which helped me make this quilt.
Si a mai avut si ideea geniala care m-a ajutat sa fac quiltul asta.

Her blog is worth a visit, there's plenty of inspiration to be found!
Merita sa-i vizitati blogul, e plin de inspiratie!