The Cinematic Orchestra - Arrival of the Birds

Scene from The Crimson Wing, directed by Leander Ward and Matthew Aeberhard.

Original music by The Cinematic Orchestra.

Year of the Monkey

2016 (on the Chinese calendar) is a year of the Monkey, starting from February 8 (Chinese New Year), and ending on January 27, 2017 (Chinese New Year’s Eve). 

In Chinese astrology, each year is associated with a Chinese zodiac animal sign and one the Five Elements: Gold (Metal), Water, Wood, Fire, or Earth. Both the sign and element of your birth year are said to affect your personality and destiny. Element-sign combinations recur every 60 years:

The Five Monkeys	Born	Character
Fire Monkey	... 2016, 1956, ...	Ambitious and adventurous, but irritable
Wood Monkey	... 2004, 1944, ...	Always ready to help others; compassionate, with strong self-esteem, but stubborn
Water Monkey	... 1992, 1932, ...	Smart, quick-witted, fond of being in the limelight, but haughty
Gold Monkey	... 1980, 1920, ...	Smart, quick-witted, and confident, but also irritable and stubborn
Earth Monkey	... 1968, 1908, ...	Frank, optimistic, and fearless

24 Ianuarie 1859 – Unirea Principatelor Române

Mihail Kogălniceanu şi Unirea din 1859

Astăzi, se vorbeşte mult de Unirea Basarabiei cu România. Când aud, unora li se înfierbântă frunţile şi leşină, alţii nu pot dormi ceasuri întregi după miezul nopţii.  

Unii se arată băţoşi că numai ei ţin la ideea Unirii, iar altora nu le pasă de biata Moldovioară. Unii se tem de Unire ca dracul de tămâie, iar pe alţii îi apucă sughiţul şi nu pot trăi fără ea. Şi unii, şi alţii nu au dreptate. Ideea Unirii, ideea de întregire a neamului nostru e veche, ea a fost grija de fiecare zi a strămoşilor noştri, căci altfel nu mai existam ca popor până în ziua de azi. Această idee a fost în atenţia fiecărui trăitor de pe acest pământ românesc, ea a fost idealul naţional al poporului. Azi ne-a împânzit pecinginea rusească şi Moldova e ameninţată de pieire. Pecinginea ne mănâncă pe dinăuntru şi pe dinafară. Deci, ea trebuie lecuită. Putem scăpa de „această râie”, vorba lui Alexandru Lăpuşneanul, numai prin unirea tuturor românilor.

24 January 1859 – The founding of the modern Romanian national state

It is well known that the 19th Century represents an epoch of strong affirming of nations, of national states, so it was named “the century of nationalities.” Over a relatively short time interval, of several decades, the Greeks, Serbians, Italians, Germans, Bulgarians founded national states that gradually became important actors on the international stage, some of them – such as Germany – even with hegemonic aspirations.
Romanians, too, were among the peoples that succeeded in founding the state in its modern form, although not all of them were included in it, because of objective conditions.
A neo-Latin people, continuator and heir to the ‘Oriental Roman world,’ Romanians – like other peoples of the Ponto-Baltic isthmus, had a contorted history that made them live separated, from a political point of view, for several centuries.

 

Bucharest lights

Bucharest lights

Nice Christmas market in the heart of the city.  Products ranging from traditional Romanian goods as typical food, costumes, blankets, traditional Christmas market goods as chestnuts, mulled wine to surprising things as hot beer and so on. What I liked most were the Christmas lights project onto the surrounding high, old buildings.

Happy New Year! La Multi Ani!