Cristina Popescu

Happy birthday Moni and many more good days to talk about!

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[...]Yesterday, while walking home from work, I hear lots of meows on the other side of the street. Of course, it’s not rocket science to understand it’s a kitten (one or more…I couldn’t find out…you’ll see why) in the country where the cats where once worshiped, but where today they look Pharaoh like as always, save for the fact they are just skin and bones and are just begging for something to eat wherever you find them. So, I go towards the sounds and I see a box from where little paws are trying to climb out. I seriously didn’t see anything else, as a shrew of a mother-cat ruffled her tale as a pheasant and started puffing like a spitting cobra. With this type of determined mums you don’t joke and wait what happens. I turned on my heels in a second and laughing my butt off I left the scene. She might have been scrawny and dirty, but this Pharaoh was still alive.

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One thing for sure: smiling always gets good responses. Even if they think you are crazy, they will still smile back. So, lacking words as much as I do right now, talking with your eyes, your face or your smile takes you far. I do hope I will speak Arabic after a month as they say, but I have my doubts. The understanding part always comes first. But as that is hard to show (only if you really want to illustrate what you know), I guess in a month I will have the ace up my sleeve, even if I don’t know how to say it in Arabic;).

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About the clothes, word of advice: don’t bring your best ones; only if you intend to replace your wardrobe in the near future you are advised to show your colored feathers. After two days in the same black pants I can tell you they won’t live till the summer. Maybe it’s the dust; maybe it’s the salty air; maybe, maybe. Even my hair looks full and pumped like I used half a bottle of styling foam. Still didn’t figure this one out…but if my hair grows faster and my childhood curls return, I don’t even care why and how.

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Despre Albastra am mai scris, incercand sa gasesc pe cineva interesat sa o adopte. Mai incerc acum o data, cu speranta ca va fi cu mai mult noroc si isi va gasi loc intr-o curte, nu intr-o cusca meschina in vreun adapost.

Albastra este un caine adult, de talie mare, un animal foarte vesel si prietenos cu aceia care sunt prietenosi cu ea. E castrata.

Mie mi-a bucurat diminetile de venit la serviciu in ultimii ani si ii doresc sa-si gaseasca un stapan adevarat, caruia sa-i daruiasca zilnic tot ce poate ea… Sunt dispusa sa contribui la “cheltuielile de intretinere”. Dati un semn daca sunteti interesati.

I owe some of my friends the story of the experience of diving in Sharm el-Sheikh and an explanation of why this story comes so late.

Sharm was a disruptive experience for me - everything I ever knew about Egypt came tumbling down. I call my personal experience with mighty Sharm the meeting with the “city of thieves” – all that I directly lived or observed the time I was there comes as a personal proof. From the taxi drivers to the sales people I met in the supermarkets or bazaars, everybody was interested only to put the hand in the pocket. Deep in the pocket, I mean, in any way that seem to involve lying, cheating and/or stealing. And there is nothing s/charming about this. The ugliest thing however was their perception that this is the right thing to do, that somehow their “victims” deserved it. This is how I came to appreciate even more the kindness and openness of those very few friends I have in Egypt, as if they are a special breed in an un-natural world. And they continue to represent true Egypt for me. The rest are just exponents of a sick world, a world without faith, without values and principles. I don’t hate it, I just look at it with eyes wide open and I am just better prepared to face it the next time.

This being said, under waters Sharm looks much nicer than outside. Soft and hard corals, many drop offs, huge napoleons, Belugas, moray eels, barracudas and turtles – this is what I saw. I just dove Tiran and Ras Mohammed. Best dive of the holiday: Canyon, DahabJ

Weather was wonderful, 25-26 C in the water, close to 30 outside :), a special winter gift for me (the next week my sister experienced rain in Hurghada and the storm that hit Egypt produced casualties).

I started with a strange experience with a guide (instructor!!:))) who left me behind and was doing speed competition from 30 m to about 17 m. I didn’t enter the contest, as my diving instructor’s “phantom” was already yelling at me for watching the safety rules (thanks, Hegazy, one more time you were there, even if at distance :)). Learnt to say “no” under water to stupid risky stuff - fortunately this was just for one day. After this I had some good dives with another guide, Sameh.

Turtles made my diving – this is how I started and this is how I ended the diving days, by caressing a turtle. The last day I just extended my hand and the turtle decided to paw shake with me hard to say what I felt!

Diving in Sharm is organized army style, with a lot of dead time for the divers. Transfers are killer for the moods or at least for my mood. Going in the waters only from the marina is a hassle. People waiting at the diving center to find out on which boat they are distributed for the day is not a sign of comfort; nor it was the experience of being forgotten one morning in front of the hotel.

No sharks (I understand they are easier to see during summer) and no Thistlegorm (the trip was canceled twice because of bad weather).

Overall conclusion: next time I have to find a center that is more into diving and less into snorkeling as a specialty.

If Dahab was too quiet for me, Sharm is too noisy.

Overall, Sharm vs Hurghada, for me the best choice is by far Hurghada. Many say that Hurghada is a second hand destination compared to Sharm, my perspective is however different: from the diving sites, which I find  more varied and spectacular, and up to the city life, blending old and new, traditional and modern, touristic and authentic aspects, Hurghada has much more to offer. It’s also my preference for boat diving speaking, and the rejection of being transferred from one place to another which is specific of Sharm. And I am glad to say it’s not only me speaking of it, Dive magazine has kind of the same opinion, here.  It’s true that I need from time to time a variation from my “Abu Ramada specialty”, but Hurghada remains first in my top of favorite spots in the Red Sea… and beyond, in the diving world I know till now.

As a taste for my next adventures… Nuweiba certainly has some treasures, which I must uncover one of the next timesJ Not to mention that is awfully close to Petra and JerusalemJ

Mi-e drag sa fiu parte din echipa de piar. Pen’ca suntem toate niste idealiste, pen’ca nu ne multumim niciodata cu ceea ce exista, pen’ca ne intrebam continuu cum am putea sa facem diferenta, pen’ca credem ca exista intotdeauna o alta cale, mai buna, de a face lucrurile si ca se poate, doar sa vrem. Anul asta am facut brainstorming despre ce am putea sa daruim unor copii care n-au bucuria unei familii. Asa am ajuns la ideea ca ar fi minunat daca am putea sa le transmitem ganduri bune. Si se aduna cu zecile dupa numai o zi de cand am dat startul. Ganduri bune, sa le mangiie sufletele. S-ar putea spune ca nu e decat o lumina din trista poveste a fetitei cu chibrituri… dar eu cred in mobilizare si in intentii bune, ca ele au puterea sa transforme realitatea… cuvintele atrag realul, nu?!

Gandul meu pentru toti copiii, inclusiv la cei din noi, suna asa: Nu sunteti niciodata singuri si aveti in interior tot ceea ce e necesar sa va creati o viata frumoasa. Fiecare pas e o lectie, fiecare coincidenta e neintimplatoare… indrazniti sa visati si pastrati-va credinta ca totul e posibil. Cu rabdare si determinare visele pot deveni realitatea.

Nu-i o noutate pentru mine, dar e inca un argument pro-animalutze, in articolul de aici:

Studiul, efectuat pe pacienti care suferisera interventii chirurgicale de inlocuire a articulatiilor, a aratat ca, daca aveau la dispozitie un caine pe care sa il mangaie, pacientii consumau cantitati de analgezice (medicamente pentru reducerea durerii) cu cca. 50% mai mici decat in mod obisnuit.

Si o veste buna: dupa citeva aventuri, Bibilica a ajuns in strainatate si se integreaza cu bine in familia care a adoptat-o:) a invatat si engleza dupa o sesiune de miriiala: “Bibilica, behave yourself!” :))