Tuesday, September 8, 2020

The summer dream of an ice skater

 




What would life be without the passion of doing what you love? It may compare with what we would be without breathing, but some people are not yet aware of that.

 I visualised these images even before I took them. Thea has exactly the grace that makes a perfect scene of what she loves to do. So both of us agreed to bond into this art story. Skating trough life has never been so beautiful to me, seeing through my camera. Thea is a natural born skater, who became international just because she nourished her talent by working passionately (that for some people means hard working), highlighting the best of what she could ever be. Her sport doesn’t define who she is, but it does add a light to her heart, a light that is strongly felt by those who surround her. 

We say falling in love is one of that best things that can happen in life. Thea is not only in love with her skates, she is also able to share this fire inside of her and make people smile only through her presence in a room. 

If it's for me to say, Thea is one of those people who inspire just by being their true passionate self.

For the ones still wondering where the ice is, all I can say is that there's no ice without water :)







 







Friday, September 4, 2020

Gym a la mexicana

 

 

What is the role of sport in your life? Either you want to be healthy, heal a pain, want to look better or simply just because you like your trainer, sport is also about confidence, self esteem, hobbies and get to know your limits. 

We met Dilan last year, while we stayed in a fancy hotel close to Cancun. He was the gym instructor and challenged us to some movements. What can I say? Never skip the gym sessions before you go to the spa :) 

Back to my photography 📸💪🙂






New message from Dilan:
 "It is very depressing to be in this situation where not only the global pandemic prevents you from making the most of your time, but your mind begins to be attacked with worries, doubts, and fears, we must always have a healthy and clear mind to carry out a excellent physical performance whether work or personal, healthy mind healthy body.
When these two things come together it can be fantastic, discipline, attitude and effort will always make us a better person.
Be healthy"

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Ride your freedom

You can never imagine how freedom feels like until you start chasing your dream by the instinct of faith. Be what you deserve to be just by being yourself.


 



Photo of the (August) month


Happy to find out that one of my photos has been selected to be part of Motorworks Uk calendar :). In August it will be Photografeelings' Anniversary, so I think this is a good celebration gift, in advance :) 🎉♥️✨📸








Friday, March 1, 2019

De Mărțișor




(mÉ™rt͡siˈʃor) is the traditional celebration of the beginning of the spring, on the 1st of March. The 
day's name is the diminutive of March (in Romanian Martie), and thus means something like 
"little" or "dear March". 
MărÅ£iÅŸor is the symbol of spring and also a celebration on the first of March. Its beginnings are still 
a mystery, but it is usually said that it originated in ancient Rome, because New Year's Eve was 
celebrated on the 1st of March (Martius), the month of the war god Mars. He had a double role: 
both protector of agriculture and of war, so the celebration signified the rebirth of nature. The 
duality of symbols is kept in the colours of the MărÅ£iÅŸor: white and red, meaning peace and war (it 
might also symbolize winter and spring). 
Nowadays, men offer women a talisman object also called MărÅ£iÅŸor, consisting of a jewel or a small 
decoration like a flower, an animal or a heart, tied to a red and white string. A woman wears it 
pinned to her blouse on this day and up to two weeks after. Women also offer it to other women 
and only occasionally to men. 
However, giving a little nickel tied to a red and white string is an old custom and was originally 
designated for both men and women. 
It was believed that the one who wears the red and white string would be powerful and healthy for 
the year to come. The decoration is a symbol of the coming Spring. 
In some parts of Romania such as Moldova or Bukovina the symbol of spring was a gold or silver 
medal which was worn around the neck. After wearing the coin for twelve days, they bought sweet 
cheese with the medal, because it was believed that their faces would remain beautiful and white 
the entire year. 
This custom can be found in all areas where Romanians live. Bulgarian neighbours also have an 
almost identical tradition on the 1 March, called "Martenitsa". 
The tradition's origins go back to Dacian times (Romanians’ ancestors). It was previously called 
"dachia dragobete" - the end of winter. The pin-charm could only be made during the winter 
months and worn after March 1st. In earlier times, the Dacians would hang little coins from a thin, 
twisted black and white wool rope. The coin type - gold, silver, or metal - dictated the individuals 
social status or wealth. The coin charms were originally used to provide both luck for the future and 
protection to the wearer. The ropes stood for the advent of summer, warmth, and 
regeneration (white), while intertwined with the constant presence of winter, cold, and death 
(black). The amulets were also believed to enhance fertility, provide beauty and prevent sunburn in 
women! Young girls even threw the amulets toward the sun to prevent freckles! They were worn on 
the wrist or pinned over the heart. Many wore the pins until trees began to bloom, hanging the 
amulets in the tree branches after that the pins lost their talisman properties and became symbols of 
love. The black ropes were replaced with red, possibly influenced by the Valentine practice of the 
western world. The delicate wool ropes are still a "cottage industry" among the country people 
today. They still comb out the wool, dye the floss, and twist it into thousands of tassels. In certain 
areas the amulets are still made with black and white ropes - for warding off evil! 
There are a few legends that explain this beautiful tradition. Here are two we selected for you. 
One of the old Romanian legend says that once in a fight with the winter witch, that didn't want to 
give up its place, the beautiful lady Spring cut her finger and few drops of her blood fall on the
snow, which melt. Soon on this place grew a snowdrop and in such a way the spring won the 
winter. 
Another legend tells that there was a time when the Sun used to take the shape of a young man and 
descend on Earth to dance among folk people. Now a dragon found out about this and followed the 
Sun on Earth, captured him and confined him in a dungeon in his castle. Suddenly the birds stopped 
singing and the children could not laugh anymore but no one dared to confront the dragon. One day 
a brave young man set out to find the dungeon and free the Sun. Many people joined in and gave 
him strength and courage to challenge the mighty dragon. The journey lasted three seasons: 
summer, autumn and winter. At the end of the third season the brave young man could finally reach 
the castle of the dragon where the Sun was imprisoned. The fight lasted several days until the 
dragon was defeated. Weakened by his wounds the brave young man however managed to set the 
Sun free to the joy of those who believed in him. Nature was alive again, people got back their 
smile but the brave young man could not make it through spring. His warm blood was draining 
from his wounds in the snow. With the snow melting, white flowers, called snowdrops, harbingers 
of spring, sprouted from the thawing soil. When the last drop of the brave young man's blood fell 
on the pure white snow he died with pride that his life served a noble purpose. Since then people 
braid two tassels: one white and one red. Every March 1 men offer this amulet called Martisor to 
the women they love. The red color symbolizes love for all that is beautiful and also the blood of 
the brave young man, while white represents purity, good health and the snowdrop, the first flower 
of spring. 
Literally Martisor means little March: a small trinket pinned on the lapel by which winter is parted 
and spring is welcomed.

(Text retrieved from public.asu.edu)


We keep the tradition everywhere we go. Looking back, we have a collection of "martisoare" memories :)



(2019 England)



(2018 Tenerife)

(2016 Bali)

(2015 Seychelles)

(2014 Ploiesti)





Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Tylney Hall

 I take a deep breath ... and here I go (again). My first post for a while and the first project in the new year and also in a new chapter of my life. All is new but as I like to keep saying, I always take something old with me.
 The first time in England, the first snow here, the first time in an old but so beautiful place. I take photos by eyes, by phone and by camera and at the same time I enjoy the family time.
 In a winter landscape, heavenly enlighted by the loving Sun, we enjoyed the view of a "castle", the frozen lake and the snow that was embracing all of us in a single frame.
 I always dream for more. More beauty to see, more feelings to live and "draw"all of them in photos.

  
The place is old enough to serve as a hospital during the First World War. A school unit operated from 1948 to 1984, when it was closed, being reopened on October 1, 1985, after extensive refurbishment. Since then, the Tilney Hall Hotel and Gardens has been known for its location.

The property is undoubtedly of considerable architectural and historic interest and as such is Listed Grade II. The gardens and various features are acknowledged in the Hampshire County Council's Countryside Heritage Report on Historic Parks and Gardens as being of significant historical interest.

But I'm not going to write more from "the book," but from my point of view, in photos, the way I felt the place in  winter time, at the begining of the year 2019, when there were 3 days of fairytale snow. 

And when you start to see the photos, allow yourself to create your own story. Have your own reflection of what you keep with you over the years, what makes you happy, what  you would do if you were there, wherever you wanted to go.


                                     





























Friday, August 3, 2018

Jurnal victorian- Frimley Lodge Park


De cand am ajuns in Anglia, ma trezesc dimineata la 6:33. Brusc, deschid ochii si-mi verific starea. "Sunt bine"- orice ar insemna asta 😃. E bine ca m-am trezit, ma pot misca singura si simt ca "lumea-i a mea" 😊. Bonus: afara e soare (sic), deocamdata vremea e cum era in vremea buna de acasa (inainte de ploi,furtuni si alte vremuri tulburi).
Reiau povestea. Alta zi, alt parc 😂 (Multumesc, Alina!! 💗 )

Sunt multe momentele in care zic in sinea mea: Doamne, pentru unele lucruri solutia e respectul! Atat de simplu. 

Revin. 24 ha de teren. Firmley Lodge Park. Spatii intinse, terenuri de sport, zone de picnic, plimbare si relaxare, locuri de joaca (yes!), un ansamblu feroviar in miniatura (speram sa ajungem si intr-o zi in care e in functiune), canalul Basingstoke si Memory Tree. Asta doar din ce pot enumera la prima vedere.
Alexandru "scapa"si-ncepe s-alerge. Imi aduc aminte brusc de copilarie. Alearga dupa niste pasari mari si albe, nu conteaza, el alearga, cu bucuria copilului care iubeste tot ce vede, are impresia ca totul a fost creat pentru el.

Despre unele lucruri nu pot sa vorbesc, dar am facut poze. Despre altele voi vorbi, fiindca n-am putut face poze, dat fiindca erau implicate persoane care fac sport la diverse aparate amplasate direct prin padure. De retinut: nu e nevoie de abonamente scumpe la sali de sport sofisticate ca sa te motivezi sa faci sport. Bine, poate intr-un oras poluat si fara parcuri, da. Aici vad lucruri atat de simple incat par primitive, dar in acelasi timp foarte utile. Nu mi-as fi imaginat de exemplu sa vad pe cineva ridicand un cauciuc pe post de greutate. Mai sunt si alte minunatii dar ...o sa le pozez odata :).

Calea ferata in miniatura.
Nu chiar miniatura, caci se intinde pe distanta de 1km si, cu un bilet de 1£, poti sa devii calator al trenului pentru un tur intreg. De data asta nu ne-am afat in timpul programului, dar data viitoare n-o sa pierdem trenul 😃.




Canalul Basingstoke "rasare"din padure si schimba brusc peisajul. Daca nu stii la ce sa te astepti, te ia prin surprindere.
Cu o alura nemiscata, astfel incat nu mi-am dat seama daca sau incotro curge, nu disturba cu nimic linistea de pana acum. N-am sa intru in amanunte, insa vreau sa mentionez ca, istoric vorbind, canalul a fost "construit" intre anii 1778-1794 si face legatura intre Basingstoke si River Thames. Gandit initial pentru a stimula agricultura in Hampshire, in ziua de azi poti face croaziere pe anumite portiuni.



The Memory tree.
Un copac pe care nu l-am vazut cu ochii mei 😔, am citit despre el abia dupa ce am fost in parc. Data vitoare am sa-l caut.  
 Ideea Copacului memorial a aparut dupa ce o femeie din Frimley a postat pe Facebook ca si-ar dori un loc in apropiere pentru a-si aminti de cei dragi, deoarece mersul la mormant era anevoios, distantele fiind destul de mari. Astfel a fost luata initiativa unui copac memorial "imbracat "intr-o plasa naturala si, binecuvantat de un preot, este locul unde oamenii lasa mesaje scrise pe o hartie biodegradabila (din orez).




Fiecare loc spune o poveste.
Ce am vazut insa si m-a impresionat, a fost o bancuta de care era prins un buchet de flori. Ideea este aceeasi ca si in cazul copacului memorial. 

Descoperirile din aproape in aproape.
Dupa inca o zi petrecuta in parcurile de aici, desi ma repet, incep sa realizez ca, printre multe alte lucruri de care se tine cont aici, se afla RESPECTUL.