English Section  Introduction

Here ,in the English section ,we try to bring our readers closer to the English-spoken universe. 

„Laughter is America’s most important export.”  -Walt Disney

Body soul and mind

to be lonely in a room full of people is another level of pain

i gave everything i had, my body soul and mind, yet have nothing to gain

i had to prove i was worthy while going through hell

still here i am, witched under your spell.

dreamed one day i'll here the bells ringing

i saw it close, now i can't remember how they sounded

i feel the anger rising, 

leaving marks deep in my palms,

now i dream 'bout being dead.

the love went away, vanished like a dandelion,

still hearing you lying on and on,

i feared love, now i'm going through weaning

i looked at you like a prize, now i see how much i was loosing.

so naive, so dumb to think you'd love me

but i'll go soon, i'll finally let you be,

hope i didn't break you or your spirit,

you won't have to see my body going rigid.

miss me or don't, i was still right

look at how we are and still not even a fight

i loves your green eyes

now they are something i despise!

Stavre Claudia Ioana

Thursday, 22.May.2025

Nr.52

Take me to the sun  

We are now stuck like glue 

Our love will forever be true 

Let’s spend this summer together  

To see if we can really last forever 

We can finally learn to swim 

Careful to not lose a limb 

Eat how much ice cream we want  

Our brains won’t even put up a front 

Last but not least  

We go towards the east  

We will unleash our wist 

So let’s melt in each other’s eyes 

Till the sun never dies.   

Thursday, 22.May.2025

Nr.51

Thargelia – The Festival of Purification and Renewal in Ancient Greece

Thargelia was an important religious festival in Ancient Greece, especially celebrated in Athens during the month of Thargelion (approximately late May in the modern calendar). The festival was dedicated to the twin deities Apollo and Artemis, marking the beginning of summer and symbolizing collective purification as well as gratitude for the first fruits of the year.

The rituals of Thargelia had two main components: one focused on banishing evil and impurity, and the other on thanksgiving and fertility. On the first day of the festival, the community took part in a purification rite involving two individuals known as pharmakoi. These people, often marginalized or condemned individuals, were chosen to symbolically absorb the city's sins. In some accounts, they were driven out of the city or, in earlier times, even ritually sacrificed,to protect the community from misfortunes, disease, and famine.

The second day of the festival was more joyful and optimistic. Offerings of the season’s first fruits and vegetables were made to Apollo as a sign of gratitude and hope for a fruitful year. Processions, songs, and poetry contests were held, emphasizing Apollo’s role as a god of light, music, and reason.

Thargelia reflects a profound aspect of Greek religious thinking: the balance between destruction and renewal, punishment and blessing. Through the symbolic removal of impurity and offerings to the gods, the Athenians sought to restore harmony between humans, nature, and the divine.

Petrache Maya

Thursday, 22.May.2025

Nr.50🎉

Summer Activities

Even if you don't have any vacation plans yet, we've got the perfect list of summer activities that'll help you relax, refresh, and enjoy every single moment of the season. Whether you want to spend more time in the great outdoors, have a little throwback fun, or just savor every bit of summer flavor out there, you'll find something to cross off your summer bucket list.

• Walk on the boardwalk and listen to the boards creak under your feet.

• Blow bubbles.

• Play tag, hopscotch, or one of your favorite childhood games.

• Ride a roller coaster.

• Play miniature golf.

• Win a prize at the fair.

• Catch fireflies at night.

• Build a sandcastle at the beach.

• Cruise around town on a bike, roller skates, or a skateboard.

• Do a cannonball into the pool.

• Enjoy the view from the Ferris Wheel.

• Have a water balloon fight.

https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/entertainment/summer-activities

Why Summer is the Best Season of the Year

According to several online surveys, summer is the preferred season for many Americans.  One reason for this is because of the warmer weather.  With temperatures that are generally warmer, individuals can enjoy many outdoor activities such as swimming, hiking, barbecues, bicycling and walking.  In contrast, outdoor activities such as those previous listed are oftentimes less pleasant during the winter months.

Another reason why summer is frequently seen as the preferred season is due to the longer days.  The days are longer due to the earth’s tilt on its axis. This can be especially pleasant for those spending time playing sports or gardening. 

Summer is also frequently associated with vacations, as numerous people take advantage of the warmer weather to travel to different places.  Whether one likes going to the beach or the mountains, summer is a popular time to travel and relax.  Travel during colder seasons may not be possible if there is snow or ice on the roads. 

https://library.bellevue.edu/articles/why-summer-is-the-best-season-of-the-year/

Thursday, 22.May.2025

Nr.49

The season has changed and so did I

Everything in bloom again but nothing really matters.

The same bench where i sit and wonder why the wind blows so slow for the new chapter our lives,we are reborn again.

 Nothing makes sense, but all the memories that stay when i wonder astray away from my problems.

The only compensating truth is that one day ill be far from here and do the things i love and cherish.

Friday, 18.April.2025

Nr.48

Veneralia: The Festival of Love and Purity in Ancient Rome

    In the rich tapestry of Roman religion and ritual, the Veneralia stands out as a unique celebration that blended love, beauty, and moral reflection. Observed annually on April 1st, this ancient Roman festival was held in honor of Venus Verticordia, the goddess of love, beauty, and the "changer of hearts." More than a romantic occasion, Veneralia symbolized the moral and spiritual purification of women and reflected the Roman effort to harmonize sensual desire with societal virtue.

   The epithet "Verticordia", meaning "changer of hearts," reveals much about the purpose of the festival. Venus was not only seen as the bringer of romantic love but also the divine force capable of turning people away from immoral behavior and toward virtue.    According to Roman tradition, the cult of Venus Verticordia was established during a period of moral crisis, when a series of scandals among the Roman elite had sparked fears that traditional values were in decline. In response, religious leaders introduced the worship of Venus Verticordia as a way to promote chastity and ethical behavior, particularly among women.

    The Veneralia was primarily observed by women, though men also participated. One of the central rituals involved the bathing of Venus's statue—a symbolic act of purification. Women would carry the cult statue to public baths, undress it, and cleanse it in sacred water. During this rite, they would offer prayers for love, successful relationships, and inner virtue. The bath itself served as both a physical and spiritual cleansing, reflecting the desire to align the heart with moral ideals.

   Participants wore simple garments and adorned themselves with myrtle, a plant sacred to Venus, symbolizing love and immortality. Unlike more exuberant Roman festivals, the Veneralia maintained a reflective and devotional tone, focusing on personal renewal and virtue through the influence of divine love.

   Though the Veneralia faded with the decline of Roman paganism, its themes continue to resonate. The idea of love as a transformative, redemptive force echoes through Western literature, philosophy, and even modern spirituality. Festivals of love and beauty, from Valentine’s Day to springtime rituals, retain traces of ancient customs like those of Veneralia, where emotional connection and moral reflection went hand in hand.

Petrache Maya 

Saturday, 22.March.2025

Nr.47

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet, probably the most popular love story in world history, written in 1594, is a tragedy in five acts, based on a true story that took place in the 14th century. 

The two important families of Verona were the Capulet and the Montague. The disagreements between the two families were so great and had lasted for so long that it was not possible for a servant of the Capulet house to meet a servant of the Montague house without a quarrel arising from it. 

 William Shakespeare 

The writer's father was John Shakespeare, a prosperous glove, wool, hide and cattle merchant and a member of the municipal council, originally from Snitterfield. Quite a nonconformist, a trait that he would pass on to his son, the great writer's father quickly lost his respectable social status so much so that his application for a family coat of arms was rejected. His mother was Mary Arden, the daughter of a prosperous farmer.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, his true date of birth being unknown, but it is attributed to April 23, 1564. Also on April 23, but in the year 1616, he passed away, being buried in Trinity Church in Stratford, leaving an inscription-curse for those who in the future would have wanted to move his remains elsewhere:  

Good friend, beware, for Christ's name, 
To dig up the earthenware enclosed here; 
Blessed be the man who spares these stones 
And cursed be he who shakes my bones.  

              There is no certain record of his early life, but most biographers agree that Shakespeare attended King's New School in Stratford. 

At the age of 18, in 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, a woman from a farming family, 8 years his senior. They had three children: Susanna (1583) and twins (1585), Hamnet – who died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried on 11 August 1596 – and a daughter, Judith.  

It is not known exactly for what reasons (for example, Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first biographer, told a Stratford legend in which Shakespeare disappears from the town to escape the accusation of deer poaching), the writer leaves his family and settles in London, where we learn that, in 1589 and 1592, the three parts of the historical play Henry VI were performed. It seems that he is doing well, financially, if in 1597 he has enough financial means to buy a large house in Stratford. It is a time when Big Will is said to be involved in real estate and usury, an activity in which he was very harsh, and it is also during this period that he buys part of the Globe Theatre, today called Shakespeare's Globe. At the same time, his notoriety (also certified by an accusation of plagiarism from a fellow playwright, who criticized him by calling him "a cheeky raven who preys on our feathers") was growing, since, in the following year, 1598, Francis Meres named him, along with Sir Philip Sidney, Spencer, Daniel, Drayton, Warner, Marlowe (one of Shakespeare's great rivals) and Chapman, as being among those who enrich the English language "with rare ornaments and wonderful turns of phrase". 

Source:https://www.edituracartex.ro/produs/romeo-si-julieta/#:~:text=Romeo%20si%20Julieta%2C%20probabil%20cea,in%20secolul%20al%20XIV%2Dlea.  

Thursday, 20.March.2025

Nr.46

The Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox, occurring around March 19-21, marks the transition from winter to spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It happens when the sun crosses the celestial equator, resulting in nearly equal daylight and nighttime worldwide. Many ancient civilizations saw this as a time of renewal, balance, and fertility, incorporating it into myths and festivals.  

The ancient Egyptians aligned monuments like the Great Sphinx of Giza with the sun, symbolizing rebirth and the renewal of life. In Mesoamerica, the Mayan and Aztec civilizations built the Temple of Kukulkan at Chichén Itzá, where the sun creates the illusion of a serpent descending the pyramid’s steps during the equinox, representing the god Kukulkan.

The Persians celebrated Nowruz, the Persian New Year, for over 3,000 years, marking it with purification, feasting, and fire-jumping rituals. In Celtic and Druidic traditions, the equinox was linked to Ostara, a festival honoring Eostre, a goddess of fertility and renewal, with symbols like eggs and hares, which later influenced Easter. In Japan, Shunbun no Hi is a time for honoring ancestors and celebrating the balance of life and nature.

The Ancient Greeks connected the equinox to the myth of Persephone and Demeter, explaining the cycle of seasons. Demeter mourned when Persephone was in the underworld, causing winter, and rejoiced upon her return, bringing spring. The Greeks also held festivals such as Anthesteria for Dionysus, the Eleusinian Mysteries for Demeter and Persephone, and Daphnephoria for Apollo, celebrating fertility, renewal, and the power of the sun.

The Spring Equinox remains a powerful symbol of balance and new beginnings, influencing modern celebrations like Easter and Earth-centered spiritual traditions. Today, it is marked by festivals, meditation, and nature ceremonies, continuing the ancient legacy of honoring the cyclical nature of life and the changing seasons.

Petrache Maya

Friday, 14.February.2025

Nr.45

Valentine’s colours 

It’s Valentine’s Day of course, 

and because our relationship took a recourse, 

I’ve prepared some gifts for her 

I got her a pink fur, 

perfect to hide those scars made in a blur 

I also bought her favourite flowers, 

some white lilies to smell for hours  

something to care for, she said 

But for the colour red, 

talking about it makes my heart speed 

she gave this gift to me 

now from my mind I can’t set it free 

a vague memory of her standing uprise 

looking at me with her bloodshot eyes. 

Friday, 14.February.2025

Nr.44

My dear lover,

 I do care, love is not simple it’s a choice I make. My heart aches in your absence and my tears run burning on my cheek when I see sadness in your pretty eyes, and even then, I wonder who dare hurt you. I would avenge you if needed and I would laugh by your side, sorrows or happy moments, it’s all eternal when embraced with you. Your arms are the home I seek, our future endless when we hold each other.

So, my dear lover, forget who you were before we met, let our love run deep as the skies and oceans that your eyes keep and the flame of our symphony down below.

Friday, 14.February.2025

Nr.43

The Origins of Valentine's Day

 Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th, is often seen as a day for lovers to express their affection through gifts, cards, and romantic gestures. But have you ever wondered how this holiday came to be? Its origins are steeped in mystery and a mix of ancient traditions, all of which have contributed to the way we celebrate today. 

The Historical Roots

 The most commonly accepted origin of Valentine’s Day traces back to ancient Rome. The day is believed to be named after Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr. However, historians disagree on which Valentine is the one commemorated by the holiday. There are multiple accounts of saints named Valentine, but the most prominent story involves a priest named Valentine who lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius II in the 3rd century.

 Emperor Claudius is said to have outlawed marriage for young men, believing that single soldiers fought better than those with wives and families. Valentine, defying the emperor’s decree, continued to marry couples in secret. When his actions were discovered, he was arrested and executed on February 14th, around the year 269 AD. Over time, Valentine’s selflessness and devotion to love became associated with the celebration of romantic affection, and he became a symbol of love. 

The Role of Pagan Celebrations

 In addition to the Christian influence, Valentine’s Day coincides with ancient Roman and even earlier pre-Christian traditions that celebrated love and fertility. One of the earliest connections is with the Roman festival of *Lupercalia*, held annually on February 15th. This was a fertility festival that included rituals meant to ward off evil spirits and promote the health and fertility of the community. During the festivities, young men and women would participate in matchmaking events, which some historians believe might have influenced the later romantic associations with Valentine’s Day. 

In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I decided to replace *Lupercalia* with a Christian feast day to honor Saint Valentine, though many elements of the earlier celebrations remained ingrained in the holiday’s spirit. 

The Emergence of Romantic Love 

Valentine’s Day as we know it today began to evolve during the Middle Ages. In the 14th and 15th centuries, during the era of courtly love, the idea of romantic love became more central to the celebration. The earliest known Valentine's Day love note is attributed to the French duke, Charles of Orleans, who sent a poem to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. This shift toward love and affection became more formalized in the 18th century, when exchanging handwritten notes or small gifts became popular.

By the 19th century, the industrial revolution played a role in shaping modern Valentine's Day celebrations. With the rise of mass production, Valentine’s cards were made commercially available, allowing people to send messages of love more easily. The tradition of sending cards, flowers, and chocolates became increasingly popular, and by the early 20th century, Valentine’s Day was firmly established as a global celebration of love.

 Modern-Day Traditions

 Today, Valentine’s Day has become a global event, marked by a variety of expressions of love and affection, from romantic dinners and flowers to heart-shaped candies and expensive gifts. While its origins are steeped in both religious and secular traditions, the modern-day celebration emphasizes the universal theme of love, whether between partners, friends, or family members. 

Valentine’s Day serves as a reminder of the power of love, whether it be romantic, familial, or platonic, and how its expression has evolved over the centuries. It’s a day not just for lovers but for anyone wishing to celebrate affection and connection. 

From its mysterious origins in ancient Rome to its present-day global celebration, Valentine’s Day is a rich tapestry of history, blending together various cultural, religious, and social influences to become the holiday we cherish today. 

Friday, 14.February.2025

Nr.42

Valentine’s Day & Greek Mythology

Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love, passion, and devotion, finds a powerful connection in the myths of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and her son Eros, the god of desire. Both deities embody different aspects of love, Aphrodite represents its beauty and sensuality, while Eros symbolizes its uncontrollable and fated nature. Their stories, particularly Aphrodite’s affair with Ares and Eros’ romance with Psyche, echo themes of passion, longing, and the trials of true love.

Aphrodite, though married to Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, was irresistibly drawn to Ares, the god of war. Their love was intense and full of passion, representing the dual nature of love and war—both powerful, consuming forces that often go hand in hand. However, their affair was not without consequence. Hephaestus, upon discovering their tryst, ensnared them in an unbreakable net and revealed their infidelity to the other gods, leading to their humiliation. Despite this, Aphrodite and Ares continue to be linked, symbolizing love’s ability to defy convention and thrive even amid conflict. Their relationship reflects the fiery, passionate love often celebrated on Valentine’s Day, where desire and devotion can sometimes overpower reason.

Eros, known for striking mortals and gods alike with his arrows of love, once became a victim of his power. His story with Psyche is one of love’s endurance through trials. Psyche, a mortal of unparalleled beauty, was cursed by Aphrodite out of jealousy and fated to fall in love with a monster. However, Eros, upon seeing her, fell deeply in love and took her to his hidden palace, visiting her only in the darkness so that she would not see his divine form. When Psyche, urged by doubt and curiosity, broke his only rule and looked upon him, he fled, wounded by her betrayal.

Determined to prove her love, Psyche embarked on a series of near-impossible tasks set by Aphrodite, including a descent into the Underworld. With perseverance and the help of divine aid, she succeeded. In the end, Zeus grants her immortality, and she and Eros are reunited, proving that love, when tested, can emerge stronger than before. Their story captures the essence of Valentine’s Day, not just passion and attraction but love’s ability to overcome hardship and endure against all odds.

Together, the myths of Aphrodite and Ares, as well as Eros and Psyche, reflect the many facets of love: its passion, struggles, and triumphs. Valentine’s Day, like these ancient stories, reminds us that love is both a force of beauty and a challenge, but one always worth pursuing.

Petrache Maya

Thursday, 13.February.2025

Nr.41

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, holiday (February 14) when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. Given their similarities, it has been suggested that the holiday has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring included fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I forbid the celebration of Lupercalia and is sometimes attributed with replacing it with St.

Valentine’s Day, but the true origin of the holiday is vague at best. Valentine’s Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century.

The day is popular in the United States as well as in Britain, Canada and Australia and it is also celebrated in other countries, including Argentina, France, Mexico and South Korea. In the Philipines it is the most common wedding anniversary, and mass weddings of hundreds of couples are not uncommon on that date. The holiday has expanded to expressions of affection among relatives and friends. Many schoolchildren exchange valentines with one another on this day.

Romanticism, attitude or intellectual orientation that characterized many works of literature, paintig, music, arhitecture, criticism and historiography in Western civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century. Romanticism can be seen as a rejection of the precepts of order, calm, harmony, balance, idealization, and rationality that typified Classicism in general and late 18th-century Neoclassicism in particular. It was also to some extent a reaction against the Enlightement and against 18th-century rationalism and physical materialism in general.

Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental.

Romanticism in English literature began in the 1790s with the publication of the Lyrical Ballads of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Wordsworth’s “Preface” to the second edition (1800) of Lyrical Ballads, in which he described poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings,” became the manifesto of the English Romantic movement in poetry. William Bake was the third principal poet of the movement’s early phase in England. The first phase of the Romantic movement in Germany was marked by innovations in both content and literary style and by a preoccupation with the mystical, the subconscious, and the supernatural.

Friday, 24.January.2025

Nr.40

The Little Union – A Symbol of National Unity

The Union of the Romanian Principalities on January 24, 1859, known as the Little Union, represents a defining moment in Romania's history. The election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as ruler of both Moldavia and Wallachia was an act of courage and national solidarity, laying the foundation for the modern Romanian state.

The historical context was marked by the influence of major European powers and the Romanians' growing desire for unity and modernization. Despite political constraints, the double election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza showcased the ingenuity of the leaders of the time and the power of collective will. This event was not only a political act but also a symbolic one, bringing the two principalities together in a shared project of development and progress.

The Little Union paved the way for essential reforms. Under Cuza's leadership, major changes such as land reform and institutional modernization were implemented, strengthening the new state's foundation. Although full independence would be achieved later, the Union of 1859 was the first concrete step toward this goal.

Today, January 24 is more than just a date on the calendar. It is a symbol of unity, a lesson about the importance of solidarity and shared vision. By celebrating this historic moment, Romanians reaffirm their national identity and respect for the values that shaped the modern Romanian state. The Little Union remains, therefore, a source of inspiration for the future.

Petrache Maya

Monday, 20.January.2025

Nr.39

"I only want to fill my rotten body with sweets"

My body is rotten and so i give it what it deserves. 

I pull out my lighter and a cigarette when i feel the hunger that lurks , maybe a redbull if i let it.

Stare into the celling when boredom creeps in,

Becuse at least my imagination is deeper

Like an ocean full of melancholic memories."

Friday, 17.January.2025

Nr.38

Playboi Carti: A Pioneer of the New Wave in Hip-Hop

Playboi Carti, born Jordan Terrell Carter on September 13, 1996, in Atlanta, Georgia, is an American rapper, songwriter, and fashion icon. Known for his avant-garde approach to music and style, Carti has solidified his place as one of the most influential figures in modern hip-hop. His unique vocal delivery, innovative production choices, and enigmatic persona have captivated audiences worldwide.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Carti grew up in Atlanta and was heavily influenced by the city’s vibrant hip-hop culture. He initially performed under the name “Sir Cartier” before adopting the moniker Playboi Carti. In his early years, he worked closely with local producers and gained attention for his experimental sound. Carti’s big break came when he signed with Atlanta-based label Awful Records, where he collaborated with artists like Father and Ethereal.

In 2015, Carti moved to New York and became closely associated with the A$AP Mob, particularly A$AP Rocky, who mentored him and helped refine his artistry. This connection provided Carti with a platform to expand his audience and develop his signature style.

Breakthrough Success

Playboi Carti’s self-titled debut mixtape, released in April 2017, catapulted him to mainstream fame. Featuring hits like “Magnolia” and “Wokeuplikethis*,” the mixtape showcased his charismatic delivery and the minimalist, bass-heavy beats that became his trademark. “Magnolia,” in particular, became a viral sensation, earning Carti widespread recognition and chart success.

Following the mixtape’s success, Carti released his debut studio album, Die Lit, in May 2018. The album, which includes standout tracks like “Shoota” featuring Lil Uzi Vert and “R.I.P.,” received critical acclaim for its boundary-pushing production and Carti’s playful, ad-lib-heavy style. Die Lit cemented Carti as a leader of the new wave in hip-hop.

Artistic Evolution and Whole Lotta Red

After a two-year hiatus filled with cryptic social media posts and leaks, Carti released his long-awaited second studio album, Whole Lotta Red, on December 25, 2020. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, demonstrating his growing influence. Whole Lotta Red is characterized by its punk-inspired aesthetic, aggressive beats, and experimental vocal performances. While polarizing upon release, the album has since been praised for its innovation and impact on hip-hop’s evolving soundscape.

Influence and Legacy

Playboi Carti’s influence extends beyond music. He is a fashion icon, often collaborating with high-end brands like Givenchy and Balenciaga. His bold, gender-fluid style challenges traditional norms and has made him a fixture in the fashion world. Additionally, his mysterious persona and cult-like fanbase have elevated him to a near-mythical status in contemporary culture.

Carti’s ability to merge hip-hop with elements of punk, electronic, and experimental music has inspired a new generation of artists. His minimalist yet impactful approach to songwriting and production has redefined the genre, making him a trailblazer in the industry.

Conclusion

Playboi Carti continues to push the boundaries of hip-hop, both musically and culturally. With his fearless creativity and ever-evolving artistry, he remains a vital figure in shaping the future of the genre. Whether through his chart-topping music or his influence on fashion, Playboi Carti’s legacy as a pioneer of the new wave is undeniable.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playboi_Carti

Ogbimi Chelsea

Monday, 13.January.2025

Nr.37

Oboseală

Sunt fericita ca s-a dus aceasta oboseala,

Ce neincetat mi-a dat un gol ce nu se poate umple ,

In piept si in stomac, totul e launtric.

Dragostea mea pentru melancolie este totodata cerul, ca un tablou al diminetii.

Zilele in care vara, noaptea, este a mea,

Cară rani adanci ale frumusetii pe care le cunosc doar eu.

Wednesday, 18.December.2024

Nr. 36

        Before Christmas

    Saturnalia

 What is Saturnalia ?

Saturnalia, the most popular holiday on the ancient Roman calendar, derived from older farming-related rituals of midwinter and the winter solstice, especially the practice of offering gifts or sacrifices to the gods during the winter sowing season.

The pagan celebration of Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture and time, began as a single day, but by the late Republic (133-31 B.C.) it had expanded to a weeklong festival beginning December 17. (On the Julian calendar, which the Romans used at the time, the winter solstice fell on December 25.)

How the Romans Celebrated Saturnalia

During Saturnalia, work and business came to a halt. Schools and courts of law closed, and the normal social patterns were suspended.

People decorated their homes with wreaths and other greenery, and shed their traditional togas in favor of colorful clothes known as synthesis. Even enslaved people did not have to work during Saturnalia, but were allowed to participate in the festivities; in some cases, they sat at the head of the table while their masters served them.

Instead of working, Romans spent Saturnalia gambling, singing, playing music, feasting, socializing and giving each other gifts. Wax taper candles called cerei were common gifts during Saturnalia, to signify light returning after the solstice.

On the last day of Saturnalia celebrations, known as the Sigillaria, many Romans gave their friends and loved ones small terracotta figurines known as signillaria, which may have referred back to older celebrations involving human sacrifice.

Saturnalia was by far the jolliest Roman holiday; the Roman poet Catullus famously described it as “the best of times.” So riotous were the festivities that the Roman author Pliny reportedly built a soundproof room so that he could work during the raucous celebrations.

Temple of Saturn and Other Saturnalia Customs

Constructed in the fourth century A.D. to replace an earlier temple, the Temple of Saturn in Rome served as the ceremonial center of later Saturnalia celebrations. On the first day of the festivities, a young pig would often be publicly sacrificed at the temple, which was located in the northwest corner of the Roman Forum.

The cult statue of Saturn in the temple traditionally had woolen bonds tied around his feet, but during Saturnalia these bonds were loosened to symbolize the god’s liberation.

In many Roman households, a mock king was chosen: the Saturnalicius princeps, or “leader of Saturnalia,” sometimes also called the “Lord of Misrule.” Usually a lowlier member of the household, this figure was responsible for making mischief during the celebrations—insulting guests, wearing crazy clothing, chasing women and girls, etc.

The idea was that he ruled over chaos, rather than the normal Roman order. The common holiday custom of hiding coins or other small objects in cakes is one of many dating back to Saturnalia, as this was a method of choosing the mock king.

How Saturnalia Led to Christmas

Thanks to the Roman Empire’s conquests in Britain and the rest of Europe from the second century B.C. to the fourth century A.D.—and their suppression of older seasonal rites practiced by the Celts and other groups—today’s Western cultures derive many of their traditional celebrations of midwinter from Saturnalia.

The Christian holiday of Christmas, especially, owes many of its traditions to the ancient Roman festival, including the time of year Christmas is celebrated. The Bible does not give a date for Jesus’ birth; in fact, some theologians have concluded he was probably born in spring, as suggested by references to shepherds and sheep in the Nativity story.

But by the fourth century A.D., Western Christian churches settled on celebrating Christmas on December 25, which allowed them to incorporate the holiday with Saturnalia and other popular pagan midwinter traditions.

Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?

Pagans and Christians co-existed (though not always happily) during this period, and this likely represented an effort to convince the remaining pagan Romans to accept Christianity as Rome’s official religion.

Before the end of the fourth century, many of the traditions of Saturnalia—including giving gifts, singing, lighting candles, feasting and merrymaking—had become absorbed by the traditions of Christmas as many of us know them today.

Early Roman religion

For the earliest times, there are the various finds and findings of archaeology. But they are not sufficient to enable scholars to reconstruct archaic Roman religion. They do, however, suggest that early in the 1st millennium BCE, though not necessarily at the time of the traditional date for the founding of Rome (753 BCE), Latin and Sabine shepherds and farmers with light plows came from the Alban Hills and the Sabine Hills, and that they proceeded to establish villages at Rome, the Latins on the Palatine Hill and the Sabines (though this is uncertain) on the Quirinal and Esquiline hills. About 620 the communities merged, and c. 575 the Forum Romanum between them became the town’s meeting place and market.

Purpose of sacrifice and magic

These gods and sacred functions and objects seemed charged with power because they were mysterious and alarming. In order to secure their food supply, physical protection, and growth in numbers, the early Romans believed that such forces had to be propitiated and made allies. Sacrifice was necessary. The product sacrificed would revitalize the divinity, which was seen as a power of action and therefore likely to run down unless so revitalized. By this nourishment he or it would become able and ready to fulfill requests. And so the sacrifice was accompanied by the phrase macte esto! (“be you increased!”).

Prayer was a normal accompaniment of sacrifice, and as a conception of the divine powers gradually developed, it contained varying ingredients of flattery, cajolery, and attempted justification; but it also was compounded by magic—the attempt not to persuade nature, but to coerce it. Though the authorities (e.g., c. 451–450 BCE, Law of the Twelve Tables) sought to limit its noxious aspects, magic continued to abound throughout the ancient world. Even official rites remained full of its survivals, notably the annual festival of the Lupercalia and the ritual dances of the Salii in honour of Mars. Romans in historical times regarded magic as an oriental intrusion, but Italian tribes, such as the Marsi and Paeligni, were famous for such practices. Among them curses figured prominently, and curse inscriptions from c. 500 BCE onward have been found in large numbers. There were also numerous survivals of taboo, a negative branch of magic: people were admonished to have no dealings with strangers, corpses, newborn children, spots struck by lightning, etc., lest harm would befall them.

Importance of ritual

The Etruscans felt profound religious anxieties and were more devoted to ritual than any other people of the ancient Western world. Though sources are, again, late and unsatisfactory, it appears that they possessed a comprehensive collection of rules regulating these rites. Etruscan culture was heavily based on influences from Greece in its orientalizing period, conveyed mainly through Greek centres (such as Cumae) in Campania, colonized by Euboeans, who were also prominent in Syrian markets. But the religion of Etruria proclaims a very un-Greek view of the abasement and nonentity of man before the gods and their will.

The Etruscans felt profound religious anxieties and were more devoted to ritual than any other people of the ancient Western world. Though sources are, again, late and unsatisfactory, it appears that they possessed a comprehensive collection of rules regulating these rites. Etruscan culture was heavily based on influences from Greece in its orientalizing period, conveyed mainly through Greek centres (such as Cumae) in Campania, colonized by Euboeans, who were also prominent in Syrian markets. But the religion of Etruria proclaims a very un-Greek view of the abasement and nonentity of man before the gods and their will.

Influence on Roman religion

The Roman religion continued to display certain obvious debts to the period when the city had been under Etruscan control. It is true that the Roman shades (Di Manes) were much less substantial than the fantastic Etruscan conceptions and, although Etruscan divination by the liver and entrails survived and later became increasingly fashionable in Rome, Roman diviners in general, products of a more realistic and prosaic society, never aspired to such precise information about the future as the Etruscans had hoped to gain. Yet, it was the Etruscans who first gave a vigorous definition to Italian religious forms. Indeed, many of the religious features that patriotic historians preferred to ascribe to the mythical King Numa Pompilius (who was supposed to have been Romulus’ Sabine successor in the 8th century BCE—the man of peace following the man of war) date, in fact, from the period of Etruscan domination two centuries later. Nevertheless, Romans acknowledged a debt to Etruria that included much ceremony and ritual and the plan, appearance, and decoration of a number of temples, notably the great shrine of the Capitoline Triad, Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. The Romans also were indebted to the Etruscans for their first statues of gods, including the cult image of Jupiter commissioned from an Etruscan for the Capitoline temple. Such statuary, showing the gods in human shape, encouraged the Romans to think of their gods in this way, with the consequent possibility of investing them with myths, which thereafter gradually accumulated around them in the form of Hellenic stories often infused with a native patriotic element.

Above all, Rome owed to its Etruscan kings its religious calendar. In addition to poetical works discussing the calendar in antiquarian fashion, such as the Fasti of Ovid, there are extant fragments of about 40 copies of the calendar itself, in a revised shape established by Julius Caesar. Besides the Julian revision, there is an incomplete pre-Caesarian, Republican calendar, the Fasti Antiates, discovered at Antium (Anzio); it dates from after 100 BCE. It is possible to detect in these calendars much that is very ancient, including a pre-Etruscan 10-month solar year. However, the basis of the calendars, in their surviving form, is later, since it consists of an attempt to reconcile the solar and lunar year, in accordance with Babylonian calculations. This endeavour belongs to the period of Etruscan domination of Rome—for example, the names of the months April and June (in their Roman form) come from Etruria. Moreover, the presence or absence of certain festivals permits a dating approximating to the time of Etruscan domination in the later 6th century BCE. Additional modifications were introduced in the following century and again when the calendar was subsequently published (30 BCE).

The festivals it records, of which the earliest are indicated in large letters, reflect a period of transition between country and town life. Though local cult continued to remain active, many forms of worship hitherto maintained by families and farms had now been taken over by the comparatively mature Roman state. The state management blocked any tendency toward spiritualization and removed the need for any vigorous individual participation; however, by ensuring that the gods were conciliated by a schedule corresponding to the regular process of nature, it made the individual citizens feel for centuries that relations with the supernatural were being maintained safely.

Religion in the early Republic

Even if, as tradition records, a coup d’état dislodged the Etruscan kings before 500 BCE, in the first half of the 5th century there was no weakening of trade relations with Etruria. Its southern cities, such as Caere (Cerveteri) and Veii close to Rome, had long used the Greek city of Cumae as a commercial outlet, converting it into an important grain supplier. And now Rome, faced with a shortage of grain, arranged for it to be imported from Cumae. The same city also influenced the foundation of Roman temples in the Greek style. Rome, which had already become accustomed to Greek religious customs in the Etruscan epoch, now showed a willingness to absorb them. This forms a strange contrast to its deeply ingrained religious conservatism. Moreover, at some quite early stage (though there is no positive evidence of the practice until the 3rd century), Romans borrowed from elsewhere in Italy a special ritual (evocatio) for inviting the patron deities of captured towns to abandon their homes and migrate to Rome.

In an emergency in 399 BCE, during a difficult siege of Veii, Rome carried Hellenization further by importing a Greek rite in which, as an appeal to emotional feeling, images of pairs of gods were exhibited on couches before tables spread with food and drink; this rite (lectisternium) was designed to make them Rome’s welcome guests. From the same century onward, if not earlier, pestilences were averted by another ritual (supplicatio), in which the whole populace went around the temples and prostrated themselves in Greek fashion. Later the custom was extended to the celebration of victories.

Conclusion

Though Roman religion never produced a comprehensive code of conduct, its early rituals of house and farm engendered a feeling of duty and unity. Its idea of reciprocal understanding between man and god not only imparted the sense of security that Romans needed in order to achieve their successes but stimulated, by analogy, the concept of mutual obligations and binding agreements between one person and another. Except for rare aberrations, such as human sacrifice, Roman religion was unspoiled by orgiastic rites and savage practices. Moreover—unlike ancient philosophy—it was neither sectarian nor exclusive. It was a tolerant religion, and it would be difficult to think of any other whose adherents committed fewer crimes and atrocities in its name.

• Ionescu Irene Maria

Tuesday, 10.December.2024

December

The roads aren't covered in a white embrace, the flickering light of a stranger's face when he sees the ornaments scattered across the city, is odd.

This warm wine and the faces of old people selling their handmade treasures are so heartwarming,  at least this season has its advantages for some.

When the weather is getting colder, so do my thoughts. December was never the month where I was wishful and jolly.

Maybe this year will be different, with faces that I will cherish in the months to come that won't be a bitter memory.

The only wish I have for Santa is, if not a teddy bear or a doll, to give me someone to care for me.

When the nights get cold and my nose is runny give me medicine and tea.

10.12.2024

How Our Interests and Hobbies as Teenagers Influence Our Adulthood

At sixteen, I often find myself daydreaming about the future. What kind of adult will I be? Will I have the same interests I do now? I wonder if my love for politics and world affairs, combined with my passion for art, will shape who I become. Everyone tells me that the things we care about as teenagers have a way of influencing our lives, even in ways we don’t realize at first. It makes sense. After all, these years are when we start forming opinions, exploring passions, and imagining what our lives might look like.

Take my interest in politics, for example. I’ve always been fascinated by how societies are run, how decisions are made, and how change happens. Watching debates, reading articles about global issues, and even just discussing ideas with friends feels empowering. It makes me feel like I could play a part in creating a better world. While some people might find politics boring or frustrating, I think it’s full of potential. It teaches me to think critically, to question why things are the way they are, and to imagine how they could be better. I think this interest might lead me to pursue a career where I can advocate for others, maybe in public policy or international relations.

At the same time, I can’t imagine my life without art. Music, cinema, and other creative outlets are what keep me sane. I love how a song can make you feel understood or how a movie can transport you to another world. Art is where I find inspiration and relief from the seriousness of politics. It’s a balance for me, a way to connect with people on a deeper emotional level. Plus, art helps me express myself in ways that words can’t always capture. Whether I’m drawing, curating my playlists, or talking with friends about the latest films, I feel like I’m building a connection to something timeless.

I also think that my artistic side gives me a different perspective on politics and the world. A lot of political issues are connected to culture, like how art can be a form of protest or how movies can change people’s opinions on important topics. I’ve seen documentaries and listened to songs that made me see things differently. That blend of creativity and activism is something I’d love to explore more as I grow up.

Beyond shaping what I might do for a living, I think my hobbies are teaching me who I want to be as a person. Politics is making me more confident in speaking up, while art is helping me stay open-minded and curious. I know some of my friends and classmates feel pressured to pick one path or one passion, but I think it’s okay to have many interests.

It’s also exciting to think about how my interests will evolve. I might discover new hobbies that connect to what I love now, or I might find ways to combine them in unexpected ways. These teenage years are like a blueprint for adulthood. The things we care about now might be the same things we care about later, just with a more grown-up twist.

In the end, I believe that our teenage interests are more than just “phases.” They’re glimpses of who we’re becoming. Whether it’s through politics, art, or something else entirely, these passions are shaping our values, our goals, and the kind of world we want to live in. We overstress the idea of growing old, when it could be a beautiful experience. And even though I don’t have all the answers yet, I think that’s okay.

10.12.2024

Revolutionary Christmas

     The Romanian Revolution of 1989 marked a critical moment in Eastern European history as it led to the fall of the communist regime in Romania. This revolution was the final act in a series of Eastern European uprisings against communist governments, bringing a violent end to Nicolae Ceaușescu’s authoritarian rule. Unlike other revolutions in Eastern Europe during the collapse of communism, which were mostly nonviolent, Romania was the only one that became a violent overthrow. The revolution was fueled by widespread dissatisfaction with Ceaușescu's repressive regime, severe economic hardship, and brutal suppression of civil liberties. The Romanian Revolution was not only a fight for freedom but a transformative period that fundamentally reshaped the country’s social, political, and economic landscape. The revolution’s catalyst occurred in Timișoara, a city in western Romania with a significant Hungarian minority, where tensions were already high due to ethnic and religious discrimination. On December 16, 1989, a protest erupted in response to the government’s attempt to evict a Hungarian Reformed Church pastor, László Tőkés, who had criticized the regime’s policies. As citizens gathered to protest the eviction, they began voicing their discontent with the Ceaușescu regime, turning the gathering into a broader anti-government demonstration. The government responded with violent repression, ordering the military and police to open fire on demonstrators. Despite the crackdown, the protests in Timișoara intensified and quickly spread to other cities. The protests in Timișoara had a ripple effect, with Romanians across the country encouraged to challenge Ceaușescu’s authority. On December 21, Ceaușescu attempted to address a crowd in Bucharest, expecting to rally support for his regime. However, the crowd openly defied him, chanting against the government. In an unprecedented moment, Ceaușescu’s control appeared to falter on live television, as he was unable to quell the public’s anger. The scene marked a turning point: for the first time, Ceaușescu visibly lost his grip on power.Following this incident, violent confrontations erupted between demonstrators and security forces. Over the next few days, Bucharest became a battleground, with citizens resisting police forces and seizing control of key locations. The army, which had initially supported Ceaușescu, began to defect to the side of the protesters, further weakening the regime’s control. The fighting was intense, resulting in significant casualties. Thousands of people were injured or killed in the clashes, yet the revolutionaries were undeterred. By December 22, Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena, attempted to flee the capital, but they were captured by the army. On December 25, 1989, Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were tried and convicted by a hastily assembled military tribunal. They were charged with crimes against humanity, including genocide, and were sentenced to death. The trial, which lasted less than an hour, was widely regarded as a symbolic gesture of justice rather than a fair trial. The Ceaușescus were immediately executed by firing squad, a shocking event broadcast worldwide, signaling the end of Romania’s communist rule. The economic and social changes in post-communist Romania were marked by high inflation, unemployment, and hardship as the country transitioned from a centralized economy to a market-oriented one. It was not until the early 2000s that Romania began to see the benefits of economic reforms, with eventual membership in the European Union in 2007 providing stability and new opportunities. Despite these challenges, the Romanian Revolution remains a powerful symbol of the country’s fight for freedom and a testament to the resilience of its people.

Petrache Maya

04.12.2024

Christmas Activities 

The annual Christmas activities you grew up with are what create lasting memories and make the holiday season even more heartwarming and nostalgic 

1.Have an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest 

2.Set Up a Hot Cocoa Bar 

3.Send Holiday Cards

 4.Organize a Cookie Exchange

 5.Write Letters to Santa Claus

 6.Attend a Midnight Mass or Church Service

 7.Go Ice Skating 

8.Count Down to Christmas with an Advent Calendar

 9.Go Shopping at a Christmas Market 

10.Watch Classic Christmas Movies 

11.Make a Gingerbread House 

12.Make Paper Snowflakes 

13.Leave Cookies Out for Santa 

14.Organize a Secret Santa 

15.Get Matching Holiday Pajamas

16. Make Cinnamon Rolls 

17.Dress Up Your Pets 

18.Wrap Christmas Presents 

19.Recreate a Family Recipe  https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/holidayscelebrations/g34485059/christmas-traditions/ 

-Moraru Iris

04.12.2024

Falling

I told myself I wasn’t going to fall

I wasn’t going to fall for another boy that didn’t treat me right A boy that treated me bad or a boy that saw me as an object

I told myself I wasn’t gonna fall for any boy in fact

Even if it meant that this boy treated me like I was a princess Even if this boy cherish the ground that I walked on

I told myself I wasn’t gonna fall because I knew that if I did it  would break me But now I’m over here falling

Falling for someone that makes me smile from ear to ear

Falling for someone that I’m not afraid of being myself when I’m around him Falling for someone that I’m not afraid to let my walls down

I’m falling for someone that I can trust Now, I told myself I would never fall again But here I am falling

20.11.2024

The Enduring Legacy of ABBA: A Cultural and Musical Phenomenon

           ABBA, the Swedish pop sensation formed in 1972, stands as one of the most influential and celebrated acts in music history. With timeless hits such as "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia,"and "Waterloo," the group captured global audiences with their infectious melodies, rich harmonies, and groundbreaking production. Over their career, ABBA sold over 400 million records, cementing their status as one of the best-selling music acts of all time. 

         Led by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, ABBA redefined pop music with innovative production techniques that included layered vocals and orchestral arrangements. Their sound, polished and vibrant, set new standards in the music industry, influencing countless artists. Beyond their musical achievements, ABBA’s flamboyant stage costumes became iconic symbols of the disco era, while their songs transcended language and cultural barriers, resonating with fans around the world. 

    Their legacy was revived in 1992 with the release of "ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits," which introduced their music to a new generation. ABBA’s influence also extended to theater and film through the massively successful "Mamma Mia!" musical and its blockbuster movie adaptations in 2008 and 2018. These productions brought ABBA’s music to millions, solidifying their place in cultural history. 

         After their disbandment in 1982, ABBA reunited in 2021 with the release of "Voyage," their first new album in nearly four decades, which received widespread acclaim. They also unveiled the groundbreaking "ABBA Voyage" concert experience, featuring digital avatars performing their classic hits, blending music and technology in an unprecedented way. 

         ABBA’s enduring appeal lies in their ability to create songs that evoke joy, nostalgia, and connection. Their music transcends generations, continually inspiring and entertaining audiences worldwide. With a legacy that bridges music, culture, and innovation, ABBA remains an unparalleled force in the history of pop music.

Petrache Maya

20.11.2024

Just Some of My Thoughts

It felt like the pressure fell upon my shoulders deeper then roots could heal and the guilt of surviving this took me by surprise while I wept.

The room I once avoided just to see my friends longer, turned into the spiral that now is my reality. In which I sleep and eat and scroll thru my phone to forget the reason of my existence.
It’s hard not to feel depressed when everyone is passing by me while I remain the same. No one is gonna wait for me as I have my metamorphosis. And maybe if I try harder to forget I’ll end up a butterfly not the moth that I am.

20.11.2024

We kissed
Felt gentle on my lips
Your tongue feels like autumn
Beautiful indeed
I'd do it again
Only if you want to
Because I really like you
And with that
I start a new chapter in my life
Of loving you in October

20.11.2024

Always 

You’ll always be my muse, 

but I can’t always choose, 

between you or my issues. 

I can’t help but always accuse, 

either me, myself or I  

but in the end, I always cry 

and just wish I could die 

I always tried to trick my brain, 

into making my memories drain 

but you’ll always be the one that ends in pain. 

and I will never wish that on you. 

When I saw the sparks in your eyes I knew 

my feelings for you were always true. 

And now I try my issues to solve  

so that my love for you will never dissolve.  

Now I can’t stop thinking about you 

wishing it was just us, two. 

I love you. These are some words. The unimaginable affection I have for you can’t be described in those.
Nor even actions.
The fact that I don’t think I’m worthy of you , doesn’t mean I am not trying to be.
You deserve all the love and cherish in this frail world.
And I will give it to you.
I will grow myself, and do anything in my power for you to shine like the beautiful human you are.
Your smile makes my heart flutter like no other could.
The sound of it hypnotic as your eyes.
Blue as the sky with bits of green.
They look majestic.
Thank you for all the touches that never made me guess if our love was destiny.
All the memories we share are like a symphony.
They compel and repair all the things that were once broken inside of me,
No other medicine heals me as your actions do and the sweet words you spill like water on my heart.
You accept me and hold my inner self in a tight hold ,
You make me comfortable in such diversity of no human recognition.
I'll love you to the point I’ll live for you,  so thank you for not only teaching me how to love you but myself too.

20 Octombrie 2024

Sacramento Vampire Richard Chase

While it isn’t uncommon for serial killers to have mental health or personality disorder diagnoses, certain cases stand out from the rest. Undoubtedly, one of those is Richard Trenton Chase, the infamous “Vampire of Sacramento.”

Notorious for the murder and mutilation of six victims in late-70s

Sacramento, CA, he became a symbol of fatal madness. What’s striking about his story is, in part, the glimpse it provides into an extraordinarily disturbed psyche. However, the story also highlights the mental health system’s failures and role in creating the Vampire.

As time passed, heavy substance abuse interacted with Chase’s illness to produce vivid delusions.He was in and out of various institutions in the 70s, often checked out by family members before he could be significantly treated. In one case, he was hospitalized with blood poisoning after trying to inject himself with the blood of a rabbit. During another brief stay, hospital assistants discovered evidence of his killing and drinking the blood of several birds. They nicknamed him “Dracula.”

Chase attempted several drive-by shootings before hitting his first victim, 51-year-old

Ambrose Griffin, in the chest at the end of December 1977. He earned the “Vampire of

Sacramento” moniker in early 1978 with his second victim, Teresa Wallin. Gaining

access to her home through an unlocked door, he shot and stabbed her multiple times, removed her organs and drank her blood. Just 4 days later, Chase would commit the mass murder of four people at the home of Evelyn Miroth, who met a gruesome fate similar to what had happened to Wallin before her.

Chase was captured shortly after the Miroth mass murder, and evidence of plans to carry out more than 40 more killings was found in his apartment. His living conditions could only be described as grisly, including a kitchen covered in blood and a fridge containing human viscera. He was sentenced to death and died of suicide in custody.

https://restore-mentalhealth.com/killers-mind-richard-chase/

Moraru Iris

20 Octombrie 2024

Count Dracula- the Halloween Legend

           In 1897, the Irish author Abraham Stoker, under his pen name Bram Stoker, released the Gothic Horror novel Dracula. The title character, Count Dracula, is believed to have been inspired by a 15th-century Wallachian Voivode Vlad the 3rd, also known as Vlad the Impaler. The character is an undead, centuries-old vampire and also a nobleman from Transylvania. He is portrayed as handsome and with a veneer of aristocratic charm, contradicting the stereotypical Eastern European vampire. 

           The novel begins with Jonathan Harker's journey to Transylvania, where he encounters Count Dracula. After Dracula moves to England, he targets Harker’s fiancée, Mina, and her friend, Lucy, leading to Lucy’s tragic demise. A group of allies, including Professor Van Helsing, gathers to combat Dracula's influence. They face various challenges as they track the vampire back to his castle. The story explores themes of fear and the conflict between modern science and ancient superstition, culminating in a dramatic confrontation to rid the world of Dracula’s evil.

           Dracula became a Halloween legend largely due to his association with horror, the supernatural, and folklore surrounding vampires. Bram Stoker's novel, popularized the image of the vampire as a charismatic yet menacing figure, blending themes of fear, seduction, and the unknown.

         Over the years, adaptations in film, literature, and theater reinforced his iconic status, especially during Halloween, when themes of monsters and macabre were celebrated. Dracula’s allure, combined with the Halloween tradition of dressing up as spooky characters, solidified his place in the holiday's lore.

Petrache Maya

We kissed

Felt gentle on my lips

Your tongue feels like autumn

Beautiful indeed;

I'd do it again

Only if you want to

Because I really like you

And with that

I start a new chapter in my life

Of loving you in October 

20.05.2024

How do you feel after the first year of high school

On the first day you may feel a little scared and even excited about the unfamiliar faces you see for the first time, but you will become more familiar with them after you see them for a few weeks.You will  make new friends, you will get into conflicts, but you will also have many beautiful memories with your classmates and your new friends, which makes going to high school  more fun.

After a year, you will realize that all the unnecessary arguments about trivial things were actually embarrassing and you should have focused more on yourself and on your studies, but even if these arguments were not pleasant, you develop your character and way of thinking in a different way, by  also trying to understand their point of view.

after the first year of high school you will have moments when you will remember the people who surround you, the laughter of your colleagues and many other things and you will realize that time actually flies and does not stand still and we grow without realizing it. The first year will pass by you so quickly that you will look back and regret that you didn't do more, but you will be satisfied with the things you did.You will feel like you didn’t do enough when you had the opportunity but you will also miss the little things you had the occasion to be in ,like a project or even school practice at a restaurant or many more.

Moraru Iris

20.05.2024

The Embrace of a Toxic Lover

    How did we as a society come to associate love with toxicity? as a teenager that spends time on social media, such as tiktok, instagram, X ( formally known as twitter ), most of the media we consume has come to an agreement that love is not as pure as it once was.

    Or have we come to show what has been the real deal since the beginning ?

     From music to movies, books to podcasts, love seems to have lost the meaning I grew up with from my parents relationship, from that of unconditional support and understanding, to that of it simply being a bridge to sexual relations, which makes me question whether or not we know the definition of it.         Nowadays, saying “I love you” is like buying bread from the local market, insignificant, an everyday activity. I’d like to reflect upon a few reasons why I believe that dating has become the modern sex work, be it as a  man or a woman, and ultimately, has ruined your perception of how to love.

        Firstly, not only do mainstream people, such as “instagram baddies” engage in a way of modern day sex work, such as: being flown out by famous rappers/players, to be pampered, shopping etc. and to eventually engage in sexual activities.

       Secondly, dating has took, in the recent years, the form of transactional relationships, where people expect to be payed for their time, rather than simply enjoying each other’s company.

   As an advocate for financial independence, I unfortunately do not support such practices, as I believe that, our bodies are sacred, something to be cherished and cared for, not a simple object meant for quid pro quo, a give and take.

20.05.2024

The Strangest Dream

I woke up in a classroom. A nice and clean one. With white walls and a shiny floor.

When I opened my eyes I saw a girl.

She was sitting on the bench next to me.

Nationality...probably Japanese.

She had short, black-like silk, hair.

Pretty eyes but without life in them, and flawless skin.

Dressed in a basic Japanese high school uniform. She quickly fell asleep.

I stood up and reached the door. When I looked back, all the seats were occupied by students. Sitting neatly in their chairs without a worry.

I slowly close the door, a bit creeped out.

Walking around the school, I start to understand that all the classrooms look the same. Weirdly clean and somewhat different. Different from what I remembered a school to look like.

 I try to go back to the classroom I woke up in and see a shadow behind me.

I turn around to see a tall man standing at the end of the hall.

He was dressed in a blue suit matching with blue pants and a white shirt.

I took a deep breath out of shock and took a step back. As I opened back my eyes I saw a wierd detail that I didn't caught before.

His white shirt was now stained with something red. Dripping down his waist and now hips. I turned around and started to run when I finally understood that it was blood, and certainly not his.

Every turn I take I keep hearing his footsteps behind me, and every door I open I find blood. Blood. Blood and corpses of the children that were once staying motionless.

Hanging from the light panels, dismembered, shot, and chopped up.

I couldn't find a place where I could've hidden from this mysterious serial killer who now was after me.

I finally get out, in the backyard.

I see a pool that seems to be filled with black mud and dirty clothing, but when I take a closer look, there it is, something I've been sick of seeing from when I first woke up in this horrible school.

 Children, bloody, beaten, and murdered children. Afloat. Some of their members float beside them.

I hid inside a mush I saw next to the pool but of no use, he already saw me. I saw him too. The man in the suit now is mostly covered in blood. Smiling like nothing ever happened. Like there wasn't a pool of dead bodies behind me. Not to say about the horrific building i just exited.

I started screaming without minding the horrific sound my mouth made because of the echo.

As he got closer to me I asked him, "Why are you doing this?".

His response gave me chills.

"Because that's the only way that I won't feel numb".

He came close to me, with the creepiest smile,  right before I woke up full of sweat, yet again in my bed.

20.05.2024

Was It for Real?

      They usually say the woods at night are pretty quiet, nothing really happens because everything is asleep. But what I have witnessed is something that proves this wrong.

       My name is Michael and  since forever I've been a fan of urban exploring. This activity includes going into abandoned places or trespassing, which is pretty illegal and dangerous. My friend Dan and I found out about an old house in the woods next to our neighbourhood. Nothing really happened there: it was such a peaceful place honestly. That was all a lie, and nobody seems to belive me.

      Dan and I decided to go there, to that old house. I've felt followed all the way there. We found the house, which was in a horrible condition. Inside we had found bones. Human bones. Dan used to study biology and medicine, so he knew those bones were human ones. A spine, a lot of small bones and two ribcages. Inside the house there was a horrible smell and questionable stuff written in, probably blood.

       We ran. On our way back, we found a dead deer body, that had... human legs attached to it. We kept hearing voices and whispers telling us to go back. When I arrived home, I called the police, but everyone called me crazy. Dan tried to go back there with more of his friends and some police officers. They have been missing ever since. The scariest part? The house is not there anymore. So many people started searching for that old house that never existed.

        I am writing this from a mental hospital. I'm forced to take pills I don't even need... I've been diagnosed with schizophrenia and paranoid disorder. I do know if what I saw was real. It must have been real. Dan was a real person... I'm tired of all these people telling me I'm just mentally ill, I know the shadow watching me across my bed is real. I've seen too much... and they want me dead.

      Hopefully you, the one reading this, will belive me, and help me find Dan and the others.

21.04.2024

If I’m a person , you’re a place.

Finding someone, is also finding something and somewhere.

When you find a person , you dont see just flesh and bones .

You see their aspirations,  dreams and hopes , where they were and where they've been.

It’s like , evreything is connected.

 Places and people are the same thing , but with different fonts.

Like how the saying goes,

"Never judge someone by its cover"

21.04.2024

Strangers

  “I really hope we’ll never become strangers’’ I said. “We won’t” you said.

That was 2 words, 6 letters and a lie. It hurts me to think that this time I really thought it was gonna be different. I thought you were gonna be different, but you are like the others. You made me feel that finally someone cares about me and then left like I didn’t mean anything to you. I'm stupid because I believed you and now it hurts. It hurts me when I look at your dry texts and see you distancing yourself more, day by day. I really thought you would stay in my life a little longer.

  You brought my smile back when I thought I couldn’t smile anymore. What did I do wrong? Just tell me…don’t leave me like that. If you don’t want to be in my life just tell me because I can’t do this anymore.

28.03.2024

Dedicăm luna martie doamnelor profesoare din liceul nostru, cărora le mulțumim și le dorim o primăvară frumoasă.

Numele profesorului intervievat: Popescu Oana

1.      Cum vă numiți? De cât timp sunteți profesoară? De cat timp predați la noi în liceu?

Mă numesc Oana Popescu, sunt profesoară de 19 ani și tot atâția ani am in CEV.

2.      Ce sursă de inspirație ați avut pentru a deveni profesor? Poate un profesor propriu, familia, etc

Provin dintr-o familie cu multe cadre didactice, dar cred  ca mama mea a fost totuși principala sursă de inspirație, apoi au fost doamnele profesoare de limba engleză și de limba italiană pe care le-am admirat tare.

3.      Care a fost motivul pentru care ați ales această profesie?

Am ales aceasta meserie pentru că m-am simțit acasă in clasă, printre elevi și pentru ca, probabil, a intervenit și genetica, așa cum spuneam.

4.      Care sunt plusurile și minusurile meseriei de profesor?

Nu îmi place în general să mă concentrez asupra părților negative, așa ca încerc să nu mă gândesc la minusuri. Plusuri sunt foarte multe, dar cel mai important aspect îl constituie elevii, privirea lor atunci când sunt în fața clasei, încrederea pe care o simt și faptul că îi pot modela, ajuta.

5.      Daca nu ați fi fost profesoară, ce altă meserie v-ar fi atras?

Nu știu ce altă meserie mi-ar fi plăcut să am, însă cred că ceva care să implice haine și cărți- poate jurnalist de moda.

6.      Cum vă petreceți timpul liber? Ce hobbyuri sau pasiuni aveți?

Îmi place să citesc, să mă plimb, și iubesc marea, m-aș muta undeva la ocean. Dacă am timp pictez sau scriu, și îmi petrec timpul liber cu familia.

7.      Considerați că, pe lângă dezvoltarea școlară, îi puteți ajuta pe elevii dvs să se dezvolte și în plan personal? Reușiți să îi înțelegeți atunci când au o problemă?

Sper din tot sufletul că reușesc și să îi înțeleg și să îi ajut, este ceva ce îmi doresc foarte tare, știu sigur că mă și străduiesc sa-mi iasă, însă ei sunt singurii care ar putea confirma dacă îmi și iese. Elevii sunt pe primul plan pentru mine, și încerc sa-i înțeleg și sa interacționez cu ei in lumea lor, pe care in același timp încerc să o extind și să o îmbogățesc.

8.      Cum reușiți să îi determinați pe elevi să îndrăgească materia dvs?

Partea asta e mai puțin complicată, pentru că engleza este pe lista de preferate a majorității elevilor, așa ca utilizăm un limbaj comun încă de la primele ore. Apoi, încerc să fac activități interesante și  folosesc umorul. Sper că funcționează.

9.      De ce considerați că sunt mai multe femei profesoare decât bărbați?

Probabil că la mijlocul este instinctul  matern.

10.  Care considerați că ar fi cel mai bun sfat pe care ați putea să îl oferiți elevilor din generația noastră?

Cel mai bun sfat: să fie ei inșiși, no matter what, si chiar in spite of ceea ce se tot spune. Și in timp ce fac asta, să citească! Nu există nimic mai complex, mai cuprinzător decât cititul.

Numele și clasa elevului care intervievează: Sanjuluca Isralea, 12G

28.03.2024

Dedicăm luna martie doamnelor profesoare din liceul nostru, cărora le mulțumim și le dorim o primăvară frumoasă.

Numele profesorului intervievat:

STÂNCALĂ COSMINA

1. Cum vă numiți? De cât timp sunteți profesoară? De cât timp predați la noi în liceu?

Mă numesc Cosmina Stâncală, și sunt profesor de engleză la Colegiul Economic Viilor din anul 2011.

2. Ce sursă de inspirație ați avut pentru a deveni profesor? Poate un profesor propriu, familia, etc.

Inspirația mea a venit de la două profesoare remarcabile din facultate, prof. univ. dr. Larisa Avram și conf. dr. Iulia Waniek. Ele nu numai că m-au cucerit prin stilul lor unic și captivant de predare. La cursurile lor, simțeai nevoia să fii mereu în prima bancă, cu ochii și mintea larg deschise, pregătit să absorbi fiecare cuvânt. Aceste doamne excepționale nu au fost doar surse de inspirație academică pentru mine; ele au fost adevărate modele de profesor, care mi-au arătat că educația poate schimba vieți și poate deschide orizonturi nesfârșite.

3. Care a fost motivul pentru care ați ales această profesie?

Am ales această profesie pentru că văd educația ca pe o cheie către lumea largă, și vreau să deschid cât mai multe uși pentru viitorii noștri lideri, inventatori și artiști.

4. Care sunt plusurile și minusurile meseriei de profesor?

Plusuri: Momentul acela magic când vezi scânteia de înțelegere în ochii elevilor.

Minusuri: Gestionarea zilelor când energia scade și motivația pare să lipsească atât la elevi, cât și la profesori.

5. Dacă nu ați fi fost profesoară, ce altă meserie v-ar fi atras?

Probabil m-aș fi îndreptat către web design sau orice alt domeniu care îmbină creativitatea și tehnologia. Pasul de la concept la creație în aceste sfere este ceea ce mă entuziasmează profund.

6. Cum vă petreceți timpul liber? Ce hobby-uri sau pasiuni aveți?

Timpul meu liber este dedicat lecturii, explorând universuri și idei noi prin paginile cărților. De asemenea, îmi place să mă joc cu designul web, e ca un puzzle vizual pentru mine.

7. Considerați că, pe lângă dezvoltarea școlară, îi puteți ajuta pe elevii dvs să se dezvolte și în plan personal? Reușiți să îi înțelegeți atunci când au o problemă?

Absolut! Educația este mult mai mult decât notele. Este despre a îi ajuta pe elevi să se cunoască pe sine, să traverseze perioadele dificile și să dezvolte reziliență. Atenția acordată elevilor și capacitatea de a empatiza sunt esențiale pentru a te conecta cu ei la un nivel profund.

8. Cum reușiți să îi determinați pe elevi să îndrăgească materia dvs?

Încerc să fac materia cât mai interactivă și aplicabilă în viața reală, să le arăt cum ceea ce învățăm în clasă are relevanță și impact asupra lumii din jurul nostru.

9. De ce considerați că sunt mai multe femei profesoare decât bărbați?

Tradițional, educația a fost privită ca o extensie a rolului de a îngriji, un rol frecvent atribuit femeilor. Dar, în opinia mea, ceea ce te transformă într-un educator deosebit nu e genul, ci pasiunea și dedicarea pe care le investești în această profesie. Este despre abilitatea de a motiva, de a orienta și de a încuraja dezvoltarea academică și personală a fiecărui elev, indiferent de originea sau dificultățile sale.

10. Care considerați că ar fi cel mai bun sfat pe care ați putea să îl oferiți elevilor din generația noastră?

Pentru voi, elevii de liceu, cel mai bun sfat pe care l-aș putea da este să găsiți un echilibru sănătos în viața voastră. Într-o lume care se schimbă rapid și în care sunteți bombardați cu informații și așteptări, e foarte important să mențineți un echilibru între studii și pasiuni, să vă odihniți suficient și să vă aveți grijă de relațiile importante. Nu uitați să vă faceți timp pentru voi, să învățați din eșecuri și să le tratați ca pe niște lecții, nu ca pe niște piedici. Țineți-vă aproape prietenii și familia, aveți grijă de mintea și de corpul vostru, și nu ezitați să cereți ajutor când aveți nevoie. E o călătorie, nu o cursă, și fiecare experiență vă modelează drumul.


Numele și clasa elevului care intervievează:  -Condurache Antonia -Clasa 9j

28.03.2024

Dedicăm luna martie doamnelor profesoare din liceul nostru, cărora le mulțumim și le dorim o primăvară frumoasă.

Numele profesorului intervievat:Vătafu Laura Daniela

1.      Cum vă numiți? De cât timp sunteți profesoară?

  De cat timp predați la noi în liceu?

Mă numesc Vătafu Laura-Daniela și sunt cadru didactic din anul 2012. În Colegiul Economic Viilor am revenit în septembrie,  după o pauză de câțiva ani.

2.      Ce sursă de inspirație ați avut pentru a deveni profesor? Poate un profesor propriu, familia, etc

De mică mi-am ales două meserii. Din punctul meu de vedere erau cele mai frumoase meserii și nu am ezitat să le fac pe amândouă. La vârsta de 8 ani mi-am dorit sa fiu „doamnă”, asemenea doamnei mele învățătoare, Ullmann Stela, precum și să port halat alb în farmacie, asemenea doamnei Petrică de la Farmacia 58, de pe Calea Rahovei.

3.      Care a fost motivul pentru care ați ales această profesie?

Am ales cu inima această profesie, după 14 ani minunați petrecuți în farmacie și purtând halat alb. Iubesc ceea ce fac, îmi place să vorbesc cu elevii, îmi place să le fiu aproape, sa ii ajut, sa ii ghidez.

4.      Care sunt plusurile și minusurile meseriei de profesor?

Când iubești ceea ce faci,  exista doar plusuri.

5.      Daca nu ați fi fost profesoară, ce altă meserie v-ar fi atras?

Cu siguranță aș  fi ales farmacia.

6.      Cum vă petreceți timpul liber? Ce hobbyuri sau pasiuni aveți?

Îmi place să călătoresc și încerc să fac asta cat se poate de des  alături  de familia mea, îmi place să citesc, îmi plac zilele în care reușesc să stau împreună cu familia mea și să „punem țara la cale”.

7.      Considerați că, pe lângă dezvoltarea școlară, îi puteți ajuta pe elevii dvs să se dezvolte și în plan personal? Reușiți să îi înțelegeți atunci când au o problemă?

Întotdeauna am încercat ( și am și reușit) sa pun nevoile elevilor mei pe primul plan. Îmi place să comunic, iar comunicarea trebuie să fie la superlativ.

8.      Cum reușiți să îi determinați pe elevi să îndrăgească materia dvs?

De multe ori este bine sa înveți prin joc și joaca. Atunci când nu reușesc prin joaca, reușim să ne punem de acord, folosind, așa cum am mai spus, comunicarea eficientă.

9.      De ce considerați că sunt mai multe femei profesoare decât bărbați?

Surprinzător sau nu...la această întrebare nu am un răspuns.

10.  Care considerați că ar fi cel mai bun sfat pe care ați putea să îl oferiți elevilor din generația noastră?

Cel mai util sfat, spun eu, este să alegeți voi înșivă drumul în viața, sa nu urmați „exemple” binevoitoare din jurul vostru, care nu au nici cea mai mica legătură cu școală și învățați, că doar prin ceea ce învățați va autodepășiți, vă depășiți situația în care sunteți acum și vă deschideți noi orizonturi.  

Numele și clasa elevului care intervievează:  Pleșca Eduard Gabriel 9I

28.03.2024

Dedicăm luna martie doamnelor profesoare din liceul nostru, cărora le mulțumim și le dorim o primăvară frumoasă.

Numele profesorului intervievat: Gamureac Amalia

1.      Cum vă numiți? De cât timp sunteți profesoară? De cat timp predați la noi în liceu?

-          Gamureac Amalia

-          Din 1997

-          În viilor predau din 2003

2.      Ce sursă de inspirație ați avut pentru a deveni profesor? Poate un profesor propriu, familia, etc

-          Nu îmi amintesc exact când a început pasiunea mea pentru această profesie dar pot spune ca în copilărie obișnuiam sa antrenez familia ,intr-un joc preferat în care rolul meu era cel de profesoară și ceilalți membrii cat si păpușile mele erau elevii mei.

3.      Care a fost motivul pentru care ați ales această profesie?

-          Neavând opțiuni multe în ceea ce privește o viitoare carieră și fiind pasionată de învățarea limbilor străine,  am ales sa aleg această profesie, decizie pe care nu am regretat-o niciodată.

4.      Care sunt plusurile și minusurile meseriei de profesor?

-          Mă consider un om norocos care face această profesie din pasiune.

Poate de aceea vad mai mult partea frumoasa în a fi profesor.

Comunicarea este o parte esențială a acestei meserii.

Un profesor are o responsabilitate dar și onoarea de a forma caractere ,de a educa și de a comunica elevilor săi informații care sa îi pregătească pentru viața și o viitoare carieră.

Meseria de profesor presupune multe provocări  cu fiecare nouă generație.

Nevoia de a căuta noi metode de comunicare este partea dificila dar și cea mai interesanta.

5.      Daca nu ați fi fost profesoară, ce altă meserie v-ar fi atras?

-          Mi-ar fi plăcut sa lucrez în televiziune ca reporter.

6.      Cum vă petreceți timpul liber? Ce hobbyuri sau pasiuni aveți?

-           Este din ce în ce mai greu sa găsesc timp pentru mine  pentru ca în prezent prioritățile sunt familia și scoală. Atunci când am ocazia îmi place sa citesc și sa călătoresc.

7.      Considerați că, pe lângă dezvoltarea școlară, îi puteți ajuta pe elevii dvs să se dezvolte și în plan personal? Reușiți să îi înțelegeți atunci când au o problemă?

-          Da, sunt convinsa ca rolul profesorului nu se limitează doar la procesul de predare.

Prin natura meseriei, ne implicam în formarea copiilor și ii ajutăm sa descopere în ei abilități necesare pentru viitorul lor.

Deseori elevii îmi cer sfaturi și mă bucur alături de ei atunci când reușesc ceea ce si-au propus.

8.      Cum reușiți să îi determinați pe elevi să îndrăgească materia dvs?

-          Nu am încercat  sa influențez deciziile elevilor mei de a alege o anumită carieră.

În schimb i-am încurajat sa se îndrepte spre un domeniu care le place.

Am observat că mulți nu știu ca sunt foarte buni in acel domeniu.

Rolul meu este sa ii ghidez în acest sens.

9.      De ce considerați că sunt mai multe femei profesoare decât bărbați?

-          Cred ca este vorba de abilități pe care femeile le stăpânesc mai bine decât bărbații în domeniul educație respectiv sensibilitate, răbdare, toleranta, comunicare și…..din nou răbdare.

10.  Care considerați că ar fi cel mai bun sfat pe care ați putea să îl oferiți elevilor din generația noastră?

-          Sfatul pe care îl dau deseori elevilor este acela de a nu lasă nici o zi sa treacă fără sa învețe ceva nou. Este singura investiție sigura pe care o pot face în viață .

Numele și clasa elevului care intervievează:

 Grigore Maria ; clasa 9 A!

28.03.2024

Dedicăm luna martie doamnelor profesoare din liceul nostru, cărora le mulțumim și le dorim o primăvară frumoasă.

Numele profesorului intervievat: Chițu Corina

1. Cum vă numiți? De cât timp sunteți profesoară? De cat timp predați la noi în liceu?

Mă numesc Corina Chițu, sunt profesoară de limba engleză din anul 2006 iar din anul 2013 predau în Colegiul Economic “Viilor”.

2. Ce sursă de inspirație ați avut pentru a deveni profesor? Poate un profesor propriu, familia, etc

Încă din copilărie, de la o vârstă destul de fragedă, mi-am dorit să fac asta, să fiu profesoară, să îi învăț și educ pe alții. Prima sursă de inspirație a fost doamna învățătoare. Mai târziu, și alți profesori m-au inspirat.

3. Care a fost motivul pentru care ați ales această profesie?

Menirea unui profesor este de a educa, de a îndrepta, de a ajuta la dezvoltarea altora. Nu există bucurie mai mare decât cea  pe care o simți când vezi că informațiile transmise de tine sunt de folos celorlalți. Pentru această bucurie am ales această meserie.

4. Care sunt plusurile și minusurile meseriei de profesor?

Munca unui profesor este vizibilă și peste ani, în generații care au terminat și asupra cărora încă se observă amprenta ta, ca diriginte sau profesor, generații care încă te stimează și te prețuiesc, pentru care un sfat sau o vorbă bună le-a schimbat sau marcat viața. Nu ne gândim la minusuri atunci când intrăm în clasă, te descurci cu ce ai și cum poți, nu te dai bătut niciodată!  Mission impossible sometimes!

5. Daca nu ați fi fost profesoară, ce altă meserie v-ar fi atras?

În perioada liceului mi-am dorit, pentru o scurtă perioadă de timp, să fiu medic.

6. Cum vă petreceți timpul liber? Ce hobbyuri sau pasiuni aveți?

Timpul liber înseamnă familie. Ca hobbyuri mi-a plăcut întotdeauna să pictez, îmi pare rău că nu mai am prea mult timp pentru asta.

7. Considerați că, pe lângă dezvoltarea școlară, îi puteți ajuta pe elevii dvs să se dezvolte și în plan personal? Reușiți să îi înțelegeți atunci când au o problemă?

Categoric orice profesor trebuie să știe cum să se apropie de copii, să îi înțeleagă și să îi sprijine ori de câte ori au nevoie. Eu îmi dau toată silința să îi ajut de fiecare dată când îmi cer asta sau când sesizez că au nevoie.

8. Cum reușiți să îi determinați pe elevi să îndrăgească materia dvs?

Sunt o norocoasă, nu trebuie să fac eforturi prea mari, materia este îndrăgită de ei încă dinainte de a o începe. :) Chiar și atunci când mai dăm de greu, zâmbind și explicând cu calm și răbdare, reușim să ieșim la liman.

9. De ce considerați că sunt mai multe femei profesoare decât bărbați?

Poate pentru că femeile sunt mai empatice sau  pentru că bărbații țintesc meserii mai bine plătite. Sau doar pentru că femeile sunt mai răbdătoare.

10. Care considerați că ar fi cel mai bun sfat pe care ați putea să îl oferiți elevilor din generația noastră?

     Sfatul este sā nu renunțați la educație, așa cum spunea Nelson Mandela “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. Dacă un elev înțelege acest lucru, deja a străbătut jumătate din drum. Apelați la profesori pentru îndrumare, pentru sfaturi. Profesorii ghidează, sunt resurse de informații, restul trebuie sa vina de la voi.

Numele și clasa elevului care intervievează:

Tudorache Jasmine Florenina

Clasa a XII-a G

20.02.2024

Endless Love

Endless love, I would shower you with it, only if you let me this once.

 I would become the moon so I can call you mine,  all the eternity I'll be on it, your moon, until you become my sun.

I would be happy like I was on earth again as a child, and love would be free for ever, like my words.

 Because, as people often say, happy endings are over praised. Even tho  I would be a dead man by tonight, I would die happily if it was in your arms.

 That’s how much I crave what I don’t have.

Jessica

20.02.2024

A tragic love story -Romeo and Juliet

  Throughout the universe Love is the great source of passion. Love always remains the everlasting, if genuine.  It cares no barrier of the world and conquers all hatredness. It is such an enormous emotion built in human life that the lover can do anything to be with his/her love.

    Romeo and Juliet has been a tragic love story due to the fact that the two families – the Capulets and the Montagues had been fighting three civil wars due to their hatred for each other. Though the lovers had positive set of mind and were optimistic of their love yet it had surpassed their bravery in love and had turned out to be a tragic one.  Romeo was banished and left to see his lover killed. Both the hero and the heroine die unnecessarily without fulfilling their love to mature and ripe.

https://www.first-learn.com/the-tragic-love-of-romeo-and-juliet.html

  Romeo and Juliet can be classified as many different things, such as comedy, romance, tragedy, and other things. In the end, its two main categories are romance and tragedy, a romantic tragedy. As Juliet lays Romeo’s body in her arms, she says quietly “My body will be your sheath, rust inside my body and let me die”(Shakespeare 90).

https://edubirdie.com/examples/romeo-and-juliet-love-story-or-tragedy/

Moraru Iris 

20.01.2024

Death

Death. Peacefuly natural but inevitable. People shrink before it and fear the day  their time has to come, and still it is the most natural thing a being can experience in their cycle of life.

   And as you get older you realise that the whole meaning  was for you get to get older  and live it at your fullest and happiest moments.

  Realise that it doesn't matter how long you live if you make it memorable. The friends,  family and the people you meet so far are supposed to matter . The knowledge you seek all your life has come to an end and yet it should be enough for you to be happy in the end,  whatever your end might be.

20.01.2024

Capitalizing off of people´s trauma … slay you

As a consumer of the true crime genre I like to believe that most people only engage with such content as a way to learn and prevent.

Unfortunately, the world is not perfect so there is the occasional looking for clout people that will absolutely step on whoever s shoes they need to in order to receive the minutes of fame they think they deserve.

With this being said, I will now tell you why I hate the true crime shows that get popularized in the media. Now, I want you to imagine this: You are watching TV, as the ordinary folk do, and in comes an ad… they made a show about the killer that took the life of your loved one. Now, not only does everybody keep talking about it, mentioning how they think the killer may be attractive and whatnot, you also have to relive the trauma of losing a loved one. Now tell me, how does it feel?

I was bored, scrolling through Netflix, looking for something to watch, and I see the show “Dahmer”.  The show is based on the life of Jeffrey Dahmer, a white privileged man that targeted mainly black gay men, lured them in his apartment and later on murdered them. He was convicted for 15 of the 16 murders he had committed. However, sick, twisted people till this day are, part of a fanbase centered around him.

And now I ask you, are you a bad person for consuming such content and subconsciously creating an image in your head of a humanized version of a literal murder or is it the media´s fault for creating such a possibility in the first place?

20.01.2024

First love

How can I ever fall in love with someone else when all I think about is you? One day I am saying I am over you and the next all I think about is you. When you look at me with your mesmerizing eyes and when I hear your heartwarming voice, it doesn't matter how bad my day was because you made it better just with your beautiful smile. How can you be so stupid and don't realize how much your hurting me with what your saying and doing? I thought about it and realized the stupid one is not you. The stupid one is me. I'm stupid for waiting for you to call me or at least text me back. I'm stupid for thinking you care about me. I'm stupid because I never stopped loving you and it doesn't matter how bad you're breaking my heart, because I can't stop thinking about you.

20.01.2024

The man in my dream

   I had a lot of weird dreams which had deep meanings or just confused me. One particular dream though was one that stick with me to this day.

    The dream starts with me going to see my dad and his friends. Among them, there was also an old man that I'd never seen before but he gave me a super deep nostalgia. He had a comforting feeling around him when I got closer to them. I noticed my dad and the other men didn't really talk to him, he was just standing and staring around the garden. I came closer to them and that man talked to me. He was such a sweet man! He grabbed me by my shoulder and he was always smiling at me with such a warmth. I don't know why but I remember I grabbed my phone and went behind the group to take a picture of them. I opened the app to take a picture and... inside the phone screen, there were visible only my dad and his friends, but the old man wasn't in the picture.

        I remember I panicked in my dream, looking at them in reality, and the man was there, then looking at the phone screen, where the man wasn't there. I started crying and I asked the man "How did you die?" while staring at him, then he looked at me in such a disappointment, like he didn't want me to find out he's a "ghost" or something similar.

    I woke up and thought about this dream for a while. The dream was somehow... nostalgic, that man brought comfort to me and to this day I don't know who he is.

20.01.2024

Leonarda Cianciulli

Between 1939 and 1940, Italian serial killer Leonarda Cianciulli murdered three women and rendered their remains into teacakes and soap, an act that earned her the nickname of the Soap-Maker of Correggio.

The slayings are horrific enough. Yet it’s the rationale behind the crimes that still sends a shiver down one’s spine.

Many saw Leonarda as a nice and gentle woman who was a loving mother and a respectable neighbor.

In 1939, Leonarda learned that her eldest son planned to fight with the Italian army in World War II. Being that her eldest son—Giuseppe—was also her favorite child, Leonarda was determined to protect him no matter the costs. She was also terrified at the thought of losing yet another child, Leonarda resolved to protect him at any cost. Such a supernatural defense, she reasoned, would require sacrifice—human sacrifice. So the concerned mother set out to find her victims.

Leonarda’s first victim was lifelong spinster—and neighbor—Faustina Setti, who was desperately looking for a husband and often confided in Leonarda. 

As for the other two she told them promises of employment in the case of Francesca and Virginia. She convinced the women to keep their plans secret prior to departure. In addition, Leonarda instructed her first two victims to preemptively write letters, addressed to friends and family and postmarked from their respective destinations, claiming that all was well.

After drugging Setti, Leonarda killed her with an axe and dragged her body into a closet. She proceeded to cut Setti’s body into 9 parts and collected her blood in a basin. In her memoir—An Embittered Soul’s Confessions—Leonarada details what occurred next:

I threw the pieces into a pot, added seven kilos of caustic soda, which I had bought to make soap, and stirred the whole mixture until the pieces dissolved in a thick, dark mush that I poured into several buckets and emptied in a nearby septic tank. As for the blood in the basin, I waited until it had coagulated, dried it in the oven, ground it and mixed it with flour, sugar, chocolate, milk and eggs, as well as a bit of margarine, kneading all the ingredients together. I made lots of crunchy tea cakes and served them to the ladies who came to visit, though Giuseppe and I also ate them.

The second victim, Francesca Soavi, met a similar end. Leonarda cut Francesca’s body into pieces. Similarly, she collected the blood and placed the chunks into a pot with caustic soda, used for making soap.

Leonarda’s final victim, Virginia Cacioppo, was a former soprano. She had flesh that was “fat and white” and, according to the killer, made a “most acceptable creamy soap” when boiled down.

Cianciulli was found guilty and sentenced to thirty years in prison and three years in a criminal asylum. She died of cerebral apoplexy in 1970. While she was behind bars, she wrote a memoir called An Embittered Soul’s Confessions, in which she coolly described her crimes.

https://the-line-up.com/leonarda-cianciulli-soap-maker-of-correggio

Moraru Iris

20.12.2023

Too much thinking

What happens if I make the sky more beautiful for you? Would you even care if i’m not here anymore? Am I as important in your life as you are in mine? Or am I just a person you stay with because you can’t tell me you don’t like me anymore?

  When you ask Carla if she’s alright she will say yes, but actually this is what's in her mind. She’s a hurt child. She knows how it feels to be alone and have no one to talk to. Carla tries to offer love to everybody and makes others feel good about themselves. This makes her happy, but is this enough for her? She wishes it was, but her heart knows it isn’t. She wants to feel loved. Not necessary the type of love a boyfriend or a girlfriend has to offer. Yes, she wants to feel that type of love, but what her heart desires the most is the type of love a friend has to offer. She feels like she’s suffocating everyone. Carla can look fine from the outside, but inside her head the only words she hears are that she’s not enough, that she's annoying  and maybe it's better if she just dies and lets everyone live their lives. Is it that bad if she dies? No one would care more than two days. She really hopes that it isn’t true and that the people she would give her life for, would care even a bit.

   Why would such a beautiful soul think that about herself? Yes, she’s kinda lonely, but if she  stopped overthink so much and just looked a little bit around, she would see that there are people who care-s about her more that she imagines.

   As the writer of Carla's story, if I could answer her first question…If you make the sky more beautiful for that person, don’t  think that they won’t care. They love you more that you can imagine...Just stay for a second a think about the fact that maybe they think the same as you..that they are not enough for you…so please just stop overthinking every little thing…just for a second and realise that you are enough… and if someone doesn’t like you…it's not the end of the world..

20.12.2023

It was Christmas. A white one.

Evreyone was sleeping soundlessly.

A little figure was standing besides the beautifully adorned tree. A child.

He was dazed by the colorful lights that have been lighted all night long.

He has heard the door open but with no hesitation he kept looking at the lights.

Nothing could make him look away.

The silence was Lotus. Made evreything to seem like it was out of fairy tales.

The beautiful tree, accompanied by lights and decorations.

As the lights changed colors the mesmerized child sees a shadow.

Slowly but surely coming closer as the lights changed from red to blue and red again.

As it gets closer the man sits besides him.

The child looks up and down and sees a familiare figure .

The man that now smiled warmly to the child was no other but Santa.

Even though he was skinnier than all the stories made him to be,  he was still the jolly man who always gave him presents on this wonderful holiday.

As the lights continued to change color so did the child's expression when he looked back and saw his brother's head laying next to him.

As he looked back terrified by the shocking scene, he saw Santa. Now smiling ear to ear

" Merry Christmas, kid. I've got a present waiting for you in the house. Do you know how to plan a funeral? Or maybe three."

20.12.2023

                                        Wishing upon a dead Christmas tree

Snow slowly turns red

From my bleeding nose ahead

I’m gonna freeze here to death

Without any regrets

I’m wishing upon a dead Crhistmas tree

There is no point in seeing it’s fee

I can see colorful lights

But it might just be the after life

I have no hopes in living anymore

I am lost in this special day

In the middle of nowhere

I am looking for a way out

To feel the happiness of holidays truly in my heart

But the cold is getting in my blood

My skin slowly turns red..

And blue…

And purple…

And now I see lights again

Merry Christmas everyone

Because this might be the last one.

-   Milo

20.12.2023

The magic of Christmas in London

Here are a couple things to do in London during Christmas:

-Experience Christmas at Kew Gardens

Discover a spectacular light display and winter trail through the Royal Botanical Gardens and finish your evening off with delicious independent street food vendors and tasty Christmas treats.

 -Visit London’s largest Christmas event – Winter Wonderland

Head to Hyde Park and experience the popular Winter Wonderland this Christmas. From food and drink markets and ice skating to Christmas shows and an abundance of rides and games to enjoy. There is something to suit everyone.

-Join in on the annual Santa Fun Run

Pack your running shoes and join in on the annual Santa fun run over various locations across London. Be part of a swarm of Santa’s seeing the sights of London and keeping fit all whilst getting in the festive spirit.

20.12.2023

                                                        Urban Legend

                                             ----The licked hand----

One night  not long ago , a young woman our age is home alone with her dog and reveling in solitude. Smart, practical, and self-sufficient, she doesn’t panic when an alert on her phone informs her that a serial killer has escaped from a nearby prison. With her dog at her heels, she surveys the house, locks the doors and windows, curls up with her dog in bed, finishes her book, and drifts off to sleep.

The girl soon awakens – she hears a distant dripping sound. Half-awake, she checks the kitchen faucets but gives up and returns to bed, receiving a lick on the hand from her loyal dog in comfort. Again she’s roused from slumber by the drip, drip, drip, feels the reassuring lick, and falls back to sleep. But the third time, she hops out of bed, determined to locate the source of the incessant noise, and heads for the bathroom.

When she flips on the light, the scene that greets her is horrific: her beloved dog is hanging from the shower nozzle with its throat cut, the blood dripping onto the ceramic of the tub. Screaming, the girl backs into the wall behind her and collapses, sobbing for the loss of her best friend and terrified by the unimaginable crime. Through tears, she scans and assesses the rest of the room. She stands up and turns around, and there, on the bathroom wall, someone has written in her dog’s blood: Humans can lick, too.

About the story:

“The Legend of the Licked Hand” is at least 146 years old. We know because a printed version of it was published in 1871. In 1919, a version with a young professor and a dead student appeared in British author M. R. James’s The Diary of Mr. Poynter. It has appeared in numerous collections since then, most notably in Jan Harold Brunvand’s 2001 tome, Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, and has been showing up on horror sites like Creepypasta.org for years.

Moraru Iris ioana

https://www.thrillist.com/amphtml/entertainment/nation/humans-can-lick-too-how-urban-legends-spread

20.12.2023

Christmas traditions in Germany

Christmas time is chock-full of lovely customs, but did you know that many of these traditions have German roots?

Adventskranz

Many families in Germany will put an Advent wreath on their coffee table on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, the first day of Advent. The wreath, usually made from evergreen or pine, features four large candles and is decorated with berries, dried fruits and pinecones. A candle is lit each week on Sunday until all four candles are lit by Christmas Eve.

Weihnachtsmärkte

Traditional wooden huts decked out in lights and the scent of Glühwein and grilled sausages in the air can only mean one thing – Christmas markets! Although the magical glow of Weihnachstmärkte may have spread across numerous countries and continents, most people know that the origins of this winter market can be traced back to Germany in the Middle Ages.

Santa Claus – Weihnachtsmann

Some may think that the modern-day image of Santa Claus, a kind man dressed in red, with a white beard, is based on Nikolaus – which is true to a certain extent. Although both sneak into people’s houses to leave presents for good children, the modern-day concept of Santa Claus is actually the brainchild of German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast.

The story goes that while working for Harper’s Weekly magazine during the US civil war in the mid-19th century, Nast felt that the public needed something to cheer them up at Christmas time. He drew photos of a fat man in a suit bringing armfuls of presents to the soldiers, and things sort of snowballed from there. Santa was changed for good in popular imagination – a transformation that Coca-Cola is often (wrongly) credited with.

Moraru Iris Ioana

https://www.iamexpat.de/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/8-christmas-traditions-you-didnt-realise-were-german

20.11.2023

Short story

The moon hung low in the ink-black sky, casting an eerie glow over the deserted alley. Detective James Miller stood in the shadows, the cold night air sending shivers down his spine. He clutched the dossier in his hand, the contents of which hinted at a sinister plot that had eluded the grasp of law enforcement for far too long.

The case had led him to the heart of the city's underworld, a place where secrets thrived and shadows whispered deceit. His informant, a mysterious figure known only as "Silhouette," had promised to expose the criminal mastermind orchestrating a series of high-profile assassinations. James could feel the weight of the city's desperation on his shoulders as he delved deeper into the labyrinth of lies.

His footsteps echoed off the damp walls as he navigated the dimly lit alleyways. The city's pulse seemed to quicken with each step, a pulsating rhythm of danger and intrigue. James's senses were on high alert, every nerve in his body tingling with anticipation.

Silhouette had arranged to meet him at the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. The air was thick with tension as James pushed open the creaking door, revealing a vast, empty space enveloped in darkness. The only source of light emanated from a single, swinging bulb overhead.

"Detective Miller," a voice echoed through the cavernous space, sending shivers down James's spine. A figure emerged from the shadows, clad in a long, black coat that billowed behind like the wings of a malevolent specter.

"Silhouette," James replied, his hand instinctively reaching for his sidearm. The figure raised a gloved hand, a gesture of peace.

"I have what you seek," Silhouette said cryptically, handing over a file. "But be warned, Detective, the truth comes at a price."

As James flipped through the documents, a chilling realization set in. The mastermind behind the assassinations was not just a criminal; it was a clandestine organization with tendrils reaching into the highest echelons of power. The city was held hostage by an invisible force, manipulating events from the shadows.

Before James could react, the door slammed shut behind him, trapping him in the darkness. The swinging bulb flickered, revealing the face of Silhouette – a face James recognized too late. It was the mayor, a trusted figure with a facade of virtue.

"You were never meant to uncover the truth, Detective," the mayor sneered, revealing the extent of the conspiracy. "Now, you'll join the ranks of those who dared to defy us."

The air grew colder as the realization of betrayal sank in. James Miller, the relentless detective, had become a pawn in a game of shadows. The mayor's sinister laughter echoed through the warehouse as darkness swallowed everything, leaving only the chilling certainty that the city's fate rested in the hands of those who thrived in deception.

20.11.2023

Ophiuchus

The serpent bearer (ophiuchus)is the 13 constellation of the zodiac.In the 2nd century Ptolemy documented his list of 48 constellation which he also included ophiuchus.As the constellation moves over time the zodiac moves too.From November 30 -December 18 the constellation of ophiuchus travels through the sun for 3 weeks which will make the 13 zodiac the sign before Sagittarius.The astrologist Stephen Schmidt first suggested in 1970 and again in 1995 the addition FOR THE ZODIAC SIGN to be In the horoscope.

People seemed to believe that NASA added ophiuchus and changed the zodiac in 2016 .

The traits of ophiuchus are:

• Jealous

• Charismatic

• Extrovert

• Social magnet

• Passionate

• Envious

Ophiuchus are very curious and straightforward but also very honest with people and they also tend to be intelligent. 

Moraru Iris

20.11.2023

                                                                                      Secret love

How can you erase the ghost of a dead lover from someone’s heart? This is the question that haunts Isabela. Is she feeling bad about it? Yes, but she can’t do anything to change how she feels.

She fell in love with a boy. It was love at first sight. She became his friend. They talked every day. With every day that had passed, she fell in love harder and harder. She feels like she can tell him anything. He is her entire word. How can a boy she knows for just one year, be such a big part of her life?

Is she ever going to tell him how she feels? No. Why? Because he had a soulmate, but she died two years ago. He was destroyed. He swore he will never fall in love again. He can’t. The loss of a soulmate is harder than you can imagine. Deep inside her, she knows he could never love her back, and this fact breaks her heart into hundreds of pieces. How could he love her? She is not Eliza, his lost lover. She feels like shes not enough for him. She could never be Eliza. She feels very insecure about herself. She hates every inch of her body and feels like she’s annoying everyone.

If Victor could ever get over Eliza why would he choose her? From all the girls in the world…Why would he choose her? The secret love for Victor is killing Isabela, but she can never tell him. She knows he’s not in love with her and doesn’t want to tell Victor that she loves him. What’s the point of that? The girl doesn’t want to lose Victor, so she prefers to suffer in silence rather than lose his friendship. How can Isabela ever recover from an unshared love that kills her inside?  She doesn’t know how. But she will never tell him the secret love for him she holds inside her.

Niculae Larisa-Elena

20.11.2023

Autumn peace

Crimson, amber, and homespun orange collide,

A kaleidoscope of colors, a breathtaking sight.

The world transforms, as summer takes its leave,

A soft hearted farewell, as nature starts to sorrow.

Beneath the outstanding trees, a carpet of leaves,

Crackling footsteps echo, as one winding cleaves.

The gentle rustle, a lullaby for the earth to sleep,

Embracing the serenity, as autumn's secrets seep.

Tudor Bianca

20.11.2023

I can't say I don't like autumn or winter...or spring. All seasons are beautiful, each in its own way, but I will always think of SUMMER...I don't know which of you doesn't associate summer with vacation, sun, sea, walking, love, teenage LOVE, feeling of FREEDOM.

Summer, the morning air where it's balmy warm, the sun doesn't burn, and memories begin on a terrace. . I've always appreciated summer, with going outside or lounging in the air-conditioned house, calling my friends over and chatting for hours about minor subjects or sitting alone with my thoughts. Either way, summer is a wonderful time in anyone's life. I've always loved sitting outside, smelling the pleasant smell of morning, admiring nature and sitting back to appreciate one of the few truly beautiful moments...

Each of us can tell many stories and tales about what we did in the summer, how many things happened, how many experiences came to enrich our teenage soul: who we fell in love with 😉 , where we went, what new places we explored...

For many of us summer smells of new experiences, waves, wet sand, sometimes scorching sun, holding hands in the evening on the sly and no worries...

I don't know about you but I'm already missing summer.

I embrace you with love! XoXo

Nora Spătaru

 20.11.2023

Coloured Leaves

Empty space, leaves are orange,  and the crows start to shiver as the cold sets in.

I take my jacket off from the hanger in my closet with melancholy.

And evrey cold drink that I buy reminds me of the weather outside.

It’s pretty rainy but I don’t mind.

There are puddles and heaps of  leaves,  I like this colour palete but I think I'll stay in.

Dumitru Mattli Jessica Anastasia

                                                                       22.10.2023

   Halloween Night

Halloween night, the bloody night, when the darkness shall roam free, when the dead finally was given the chance to rise once again.

The day turns into night, the portal that led humans to peace and carefreeness once, is now waiting to be open again, although behind it creatures and monsters await in the shadow. With its rupture thereby, triggering the moment where all living beings are left in complete terror, stupefied by the unknown that has yet to come.

One cry of help is one laugh of amusement, seeing them shout out in desperation of salvation, being unable to escape one grab, holding into their last grasp of breath until the light in their eyes fade away in the abyss, without to be seen again, their only hope shattered in millions of pieces.

Oh! And what a shame, the little girl that once used to daydream of unicorns and fairies, is now having her blood assembling a beautiful, yet tragic painting on the ground, her flesh now sleeping peacefully into the monster stomach.

The night just started, the moon has risen on the crimson sky not  long ago, so you, reader, care to explain me why the  sweet lullaby sang by a mother holding her new born baby, had converted into a shout of pure despair from the mother? As she had to spectate her baby being eaten alive and torn apart, driving her insane, powerless when facing the monster wrath, taking her eyes out and tearing her ears, offering her a split second in complete quietness, before her  freezing and lifeless body dropped on the cold floor. One final memory piercing her mind, as she sees a montage of her life flashing through her ,,eyes”, she died, but at least, she died smiling.

And maybe all of this was only but a dream, no one has enough knowledge to know what’s beyond, what hides in the shadows, what follows us from behind. Maybe someone fantasized, depriving its mind from reality, or this was written by a monster itself.

Tudor Bianca Andreea

20.10.2023

 Coraline

    This study deals with Coraline (2002), the novel by Neil Gaiman, and Coraline (2009), the animated adaptation directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton based on Gaiman’s book. While Gothic stories often emphasize and question human morality, children’s literature usually holds a moralizing value. Neil Gaiman’s Coraline presents a story within the genre of children’s literature that seems to be deeply rooted in the Gothic tradition. Some of the fundamental gothic elements in Coraline’s story are the presence of ghosts, grotesque beings, and the existence of a parallel and dark universe that serves as the setting for the story.

     Coraline deals with anxieties related with personal development, growing up, and the environments that surround her. Gothic content within both the book and the film contribute to the undermining of the idealization of Coraline’s family, her own process of growing up, and her coping with moving to a completely different  place. Her friends, a boy named Wybie and a stray black cat, help her set things right and become closer to her parents. The  creation of  the  gothic world  is exploited  in both  works to  represent Coraline’s coming-of-age experience and  her conflict with her family. However, despite Selick’s film being a faithful and  well-delivered  adaptation  of Gaiman’s novel,  there  are  considerable differences that affect how the audience interprets Coraline as a character and her story, which this analysis will highlight.

Serban Cristian Filip

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                20.10.2023

 The Corpse Bride

Victor (played by Johnny Depp) and Victoria(played by Emily Watson)are in an arranged marriage made by their family. Even if they like each other, Victor is really nervous about the ceremony so he goes in a forest to practice his lines for the wedding. While he was practicing he fell and put the wedding ring on a tree branch that turned into a hand and drag him into the land of the dead.The hand belongs to Emily, who was murdered on her wedding day by her fiance, who stole her family’s fortune and left her dead in the forest and now she wants to marry him.Victor needs to get back above ground before Victoria marries the villainous Barkis Bittern who wants to marry her so he can obtain wealth. His plan mirrors the one he used on Emily, making her fall in love and giving him the riches he so desperately desires.

FUN THEORY!

One theory of the movie " The Corpse Bride"  is that along with two more  creations "The nightmare before christmas" and "Frankenweenie" all made by Tim Burton  it pictures a trilogy. They  are not only within the same time-line but they are also based on similarities in physical appearance and character personalities. Starting of with frankenweenie a young boy who loves his dog,the dog gets hit by a car and he brings him back to life. Next, the Corpse Bride, when Victor accidentally marries a dead bride and goes to the underworld he sees his old dog there. Then The nightmare before Christmas that has the dead version of Victor and his best friend the ghost dog.

Moraru Iris Ioana

13.10.2023

Noise

White lime, messy wood floor, a light that misses. An agonizing sound that won't stop. Put music on. Something hard, that'll blow up your ears. Or throw a chair at the sound, and kill it.

Everything to make it stop. But what if those sounds are made by your mind? What if you don't want to stop them? But you do. What do you do when the problem is your mind? Kill it. Smash your head with a rock, or against a wall. A little price to pay for that bugging noise to stop, right?

But it's not just a sound. It's something more complex. A feeling, a place.

After everything you feel, it stops. How can you deny what you once felt? You don’t.  You accept it and move on.

Dumitru Mattli Jessica Anastasia

22.05.2023

Does social media do more harm than good?

Social media is the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks.

Besides interacting with your loved ones and meeting new people, social media can be really harmful for us and our mental health.

One thing I have learnt over the past few years is that 90% of the things we see on the internet are fake or photoshopped.

In this generation, it is important to let young people know that whatever they see on Instagram and Facebook is not 100% accurate. More and more children and teenagers develop many insecurities from an early age, because their body or their face ,,don’t rise up to society’s standards of beauty’’. Some of the blame is on ,,influencers’’. An influencer is a person who promotes things on the internet. They often edit their body or face to look ,,flawless’’ online.

Besides the editing and photoshopping, we also have a very important issue. Spreading false information. Fake news can sometimes be funny, but most of the time does no good to people. You can create panic all over the world with a simple click. Because of that, if you see something concerning online, do some research before you start to panic.

Overall, I think social media does something good for people, but it can really affect the world mentally, especially vulnerable people. Remember: everything you see online is fake. You are beautiful the way you are, don’t let social media tell you how you should look like.

How to improve your mental health

Here are some tips to improve your mental wellbeing:

• Relax and reduce stress

• Find ways to learn and be creative

• Spend time in nature

• Get fresh air daily

• Connect with others

• Get enough sleep

It’s important to try to have a positive outlook which includes finding balance between positive and negative emotions. Staying positive doesn’t mean that you never feel negative emotions, such as sadness or anger.

Practicing gratitude is an important aspect as well. This means being thankful for the good things in your life. It’s helpful to do this every day, either by thinking about what you are grateful for or writing it down in a journal.

You should also develop coping skills, which means to deal with stressful situations. They may help you face a problem, take action be flexible, and not easily give up in solving it.

It’s also important to recognize when you need to get help. Talk therapy or medicines can treat mental disorders. If you don’t know where to get treatment, start by contacting your primary care provider.

In my opinion prioritizing your mental health is the most important thing in the world. Having a positive way of thinking is a healthy way to think. Good mental health helps with your environment as well. With everything being said, I think that if you need help you should ask for it and never be embarrassed by it.

26.04.2023

ANYA TAYLOR-JOY

Anya Taylor-Joy is a British-Argentinian actress who is best recognized for her roles in the horror films ‘The Witch’, ‘Split’ and ‘Glass’. Her popular roles in the horror movies have conferred upon her the title of “scream queen”.

Birthday: April 26, 1996

Sign: Taurus

Born in: Miami, Florida

Anya Taylor-Joy began her career as a model at the age of 16 when she was scouted outside Harrods Department Store by an agent of Storm Model Management. In 2014, she made her acting debut with an episode of “Endeavour”.

She has multiple awards including: Golden Globe Award (2021): Best Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Fun Fact:

Her first language is actually spanish and before she began her acting classes she studied ballet.

I think she is gorgeous and her talent is no joke especially when it comes to modeling.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anya_Taylor-Joy 

About Romania

Romania is a country with a rich and diverse cultural heritage, which is reflected in its many traditions. Some of the most notable Romanian traditions include:

Folk costumes: Romania is famous for its colorful and intricate traditional costumes, which vary from region to region. These costumes are often made by hand and feature elaborate embroidery and weaving.

Folk music: Romanian folk music is a blend of traditional melodies and rhythms from different regions of the country. The most popular instruments used in Romanian folk music are the violin, the cimbalom (a type of hammered dulcimer), and the accordion.

Orthodox Easter: Easter is one of the most important holidays in Romania, and the Orthodox Church plays a significant role in the country's religious life. Orthodox Easter is celebrated with special services, traditional foods like cozonac (sweet bread), and colorful eggs that are dyed and decorated.

Christmas traditions: Christmas is another important holiday in Romania, and it is celebrated with a variety of traditions, such as caroling, baking traditional sweets like colaci (braided bread) and cozonac, and decorating the tree with handmade ornaments.

Mărțișor: Mărțișor is a traditional holiday that marks the beginning of spring in Romania. On March 1st, people wear red and white strings with small tokens, called "mărțișors," and offer them to friends and loved ones as a symbol of good luck and health.

The dance of the bears: The dance of the bears is a traditional ritual that takes place in some rural areas of Romania, particularly in the region of Moldavia. Men dressed in bear skins dance through the streets, accompanied by drummers and musicians, to bring good luck and prosperity to the village.

These are just a few examples of the many traditions that are an important part of Romania's cultural heritage.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Romania 

Magercu Ioan Mihai

Sadie Sink

Sadie Elizabeth Sink is an American actress born on April 16, 2022 in Brenham, Texas. While her brothers and sister were all into sports, she has fallen in love with arts. She began acting in community theater with a production of “The best Christmas Pageant Ever” in Brenham at age seven. She then successfully auditioned for the lead role in a local production of “The Secret Garden”. After this experience, she decided to further pursue an acting career.

She played a lot of characters, but we all know her from the popular TV show on Netflix “Stranger Things” where she played “Max Mayfield” (who was my favorite, by the way). 

She also won a few awards like “Best Young Actress”, “Rising Stat Award”, “Best performance in a feature film” and many more.

In my opinion, her acting skills are immaculate and she is a really talented girl.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadie_Sink 

25.04.2023

No one is really dead (chapter for The Last Age)

Harbourview Medical Center, a once thriving hospital with medical staff who were willing to help any poor patients suffering from ailments, either minor or severe, now  became an abandoned facility housing remnants of poor bastards possessed by something incomprehensible to the mere human understanding.

“What the hell is taking Himiko so long to respond?” Daniella asked with a voice of concern and irritability at the same time.

“You think she might’ve gotten trapped somewhere or her walkie talkie got damaged?” Tudor pointed his AWM sniper rifle at one of the shattered windows. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, only the cold claws of the dark slashing his souls, infecting him with unadulterated anxiety.

“Maybe. I hope she didn’t get hurt or worse, killed.” Benjamin placed a 12 gauge shotgun shell against the loading flap of his Benelli M4. “Tudor get to the top of a nearby building while me and Dani investigate the hospital.”

“You got it boss.” Tudor fist bumped into Benjamin’s fist.

The duo hastily walked inside the decaying hospital. The place reeked of blood and mould that spread through the walls and floors like a plague. The atrocious stench of death entered into their nostrils.

“It fucking stinks!” Daniella covered her nose with her right hand. “Wait, what the fuck is that?” Benjamin pointed the shotgun at what it looked like a corpse laying on the bloodied floor. He slowly walked towards it, his hands shuddered in fear, his mind drowned in never ending thoughts of his potential death. As he examined the body, its head was cut clean off, the entire abdomen was cut open, revealing the viscera.

“Oh my god.” Daniella walked out and rushed to the edge of the reception room where she retched up a thick stream of vomit.

“Fucking hell, who could’ve done this?” He looked around the deathly hallowed room. Corpses of people were scattered everywhere with the same wounds as the body they found.

“Ben do you copy?” Tudor’s voice came through the walkie talkie. He took it out of his pocket and placed it close to his mouth.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“There’s someone in the rooftop. A guy wearing a black duster coat and blue jeans. He also has a pair of black fingerless clothes and wears a pair of black and white Air Jordan 1 shoes.”

“Anything else? Does he have a weapon?"

“He as a sword sheathed in his back. He’s standing still, I could take him out with a bullet in his head.” His finger was on the trigger.

“Hold your fire. We still need to find Himiko.”

“She could be dead Ben. That fucker might’ve killed her.”

“It’s worth a try. Out.” He closed the walking talkie, putting it back in his back. He heard Daniella’s footsteps coming from behind.

“A guy with a sword?” She wiped the vomit from her lips. “It feels...familiar.”

“You refer to Markus? He’s been dead for seven or eight years, there’s no way he could be alive.”

“He’s been dead for seven years to be precise. He died so young.” Her voice toned down to a soft and mournful tone.

“He was just twenty years old, almost ready to have a family of his own.” A loud cry pierced their ears. It came from the upper floor.

“What the fuck was that?” Daniella pointed her XM7 assault rifle at the ceilling.

“Stay close Dani, Follow me.” Both of them rushed to the stairs, their footsteps echoed through the empty room. The hallways of the Post Anaesthesia Care Unit was smeared with blood, guts and mutilated bodies.

Children were among the scattered bodies.

It  wasn’t an abandoned hospital anymore. It was a slaughterhouse where the purest form of sadism was just shown in their faces. A short woman stood a few feet away from them. Her body shook uncontrollably in fear from the horrifying sight of so many people murdered before her eyes.

“Himiko?” Daniella asked.

“Dani? Ben? Oh thank God you guys came!” She rushed to the red haired woman as she embraced her tightly.

“Are you okay?” Ben placed his hand on her shoulder.

“No! I was attacked by those things and then a man with a skull mask slaughtered them like animals!” She babbled as she struggled to breathe.

“Calm down. Did he say anything to you?” Daniella wiped her tears with her thumb.

“He-he locked me in a nearby room. He could’ve killed me yet..he didn’t. All I heard were the screams. Oh God, those awful screams.” Her psyche reached the breaking point.

“We know where he is. He’s on the rooftop, let’s get him.”

“Here, have this.” Daniella unholstered a Glock 34 from her right leg. She handed it to Himiko as soon as she removed herself from her. The trio walked a series of stairs, passing through the Trauma Centre. Operating Room and Intensive Care Unit, each of them had the same morbid decorations. They weren’t out of the woods yet as they reached the door leading to the rooftop. Deep down their hearts, they knew what was waiting for them. That..mysterious, sadistic serial killer. The mere thought of their brutal deaths was enough to shatter their bravery. Benjamin kicked the door open. The rooftop was like how they predicted, a gory mess. The three people aimed their guns at the man, the same man Tudor described. He didn’t even bother to look at them.

“You bastard! Why the fuck did you lock me in that room?!” Himiko’s hands shook as she struggled to fight her desires to shoot him.

“All three of you would’ve died the moment you set foot in this hospital. Be grateful I killed them all for you.” He turned around to stare at the poor, terrifed souls. “I know there’s a fourth one. He’s aiming a sniper rifle at me. I have no wish to harm any of you.”

“Harm us?! You FUCKING killed children! FUCKING CHILDREN YOU HEAR ME?!” Himiko screamed at the top of her lungs.

“They were no longer human. Hasn’t a certain man taught you that? Remember that day where all of you found a poor little girl who just slit her father’s throat, begging for her own daughter to come to her senses? He did not hesitate to put her out of her misery along side her mother who she almost killled one of his friends out of grief?” He chuckled creepily under the mask.

“ Who the fuck are you? You-you knew us? Markus even?”

The man placed his hand on the metallic mask, slowly pulling it away. With his other hand, he pulled down the hood covering his head. A face was revealed. His skin was cracked, the sclera on his eyes were black as the abyss yet his iris were blue, belonging to the Heavens. His messy bob hairstyle and stubble beard were features the crew instantly recognised.

“M-Markus?!  Daniella exclaimed.

 “What the FUCK?!” Benjamin and Himiko exclaimed in unison.

“Been a while friends, you seem to be doing well." He lowly smiled at them.

"We watched you die in Romania. How are you even alive?" Daniella's eyes teared up. The rest of the crew lowered their guns.

"It's a long story Dani. I-I missed you guys. All of you."

"We missed you too Markus. You've changed."

"I have. Unfortunately, I can't stay here. I have other business to attend to." Markus pulled his hood up and placed his metallic mask back on his face. A black mist covered his body, from head to toe. "Goodbye." He instantly vanished into thin air. A murder of crows flew through the air shortly after his disappearance, all cawing ever eerily. The mysterious motive behind the sudden reappearance of the former member of the Task Force Renegade plagued the minds of everyone present.

El Abed Mark

19.03.2023

Rihanna

After an internet-breaking Super Bowl Halftime Show, Rihanna is shocking us with another live performance and a stunning appearance. Rihanna arrived on the 2023 Oscar red carpet looking so good and her baby bump was on display.

Rihanna wore a black Alaia creation that included a bandeau top, sheer underlayer with long sleeves and a low-rise draped leather skirt. She wore her hair up in a messy bun and added drop earrings and of course a dramatic red lipstick to go with her look.

She is nominated in the Best Original Song category for “Lift me up” from “Black panther: Wakanda forever”.

I think that Rihanna looked absolutely astonishing especially showing her maternity fashion. She is one of my favorite celebrities of all time and she definitely slayed this look.

You

Tell me why you keep on smiling through the pain

I’d rather close my eyes than acknowledge your pain 

I’m scared to miss you, happens every time 

So don’t go away for too long, just make up your mind.

I want you to stay, despite the distress you cause.

I will love you even if it hurts.

You may not want me, but you need me.

19.02.2023

My favourite show.

One of my favourite series is “The 100”. It is absolutely the best series that has ever existed, of course in my opinion.

The show is about a nuclear explosion that ended the world but a century later a spaceship that accommodated the last people on earth sent 100 kids on the ground to test if the earth is survivable again. The moment the kids step on earth they face numerous challenges that will make you crazy.

“The 100” has a total of 7 seasons that captivate you in a way words can’t explain. The first episode landed on March 14, 2014 in the USA and some of the genres of the show are: Science Fiction, Drama, Action and Post-Apocalyptic fiction.

In my opinion the show is one of the best that exists. The characters from the show are amazing and  the storyline will leave you speechless. “The 100” will definitely blow your mind. I think you should watch it and I guarantee you will not regret it.

Your pet is your bestfriend

I think almost everyone can agree with the fact that having a pet is great, a gold fish, a cat, a dog, a hamster or even a lizard or a snake.

Animals are the sweetest souls on earth, They are kind, playful, smart and lazy, the best traits anyone could have. The difference between animals and humans is that your pet would never leave or betray you. They will forever be loyal to you and love you endlessly.

In quarantine, the number of people who got a pet significantly got higher. Everyone was feeling lonely and in need of having someone there for them. I also got a cat in quarantine and we have been inseparable since then.

Disclaimer: a pet is a really big responsibility, it’s not a toy and it requires a lot of care and affection.

So if you feel lonely and you are responsible enough to take care of a new soul, adopt/buy a pet. I promise you, it will be your best friend.

Emma

Denisa Dragomir

Emma could not belive what she saw in front of her eyes. As soon as her vision got clear,she saw a figure. Shegot out of bed and went closer to it, or him? It was a boy, weirdly tall,with black long hair and eyes clear as water.

“Are you ok? Do you need any help or anything else?”  Emma said thinking maybe he was blind and somehow entered her house by accident.*silence*Not a single sound got out of his mouth…

”Uhm hey..hello? Who are you? What’s your name? Can you hea-“ He suddenly pointed at the kitchen.

“What-HEY ANSWEAR MY QUESTIONS!” Tired of her screaming he just whispered “Hurry.!”She decided to go there, maybe she’ll get some explanations. In there he grabed her hand and took her near the window. He pointed again at something. Emma looked outside. Nothing. “

“OK, I’m starting to get tired of this! JUST SAY SOMETHING OR I SWEAR TO GOD I’M GOING TO CALL THE COPS!” Again nothing. Fear entered her bones and rage was pumping through her veins. He got closer to her, grinning, saying

“Didn’t you ask for this? To know the truth? You’re just staring at me, with nothing to say?” She indeed had no chance of saying anything else. He pushed her out of the window and proceded to trow himself too. Emms was falling in terror screaming but landed safely in the trash.

“WHAT JUST HAPPENED? Oh no…he…” The boy was dead, he had fallen through the fence.

“WHY?! WHY ME?”*phone ringing* She woke up talking to herself. “Just a dream…calm down, Emma, you got this. Is it morning already?I sure need a coffe. She went to the kitchen. “Uh, how am I going to start the day with this bad vibe? Well, thanks brain!” While the coffeemaker was buzzing she took one glance outside the window and…” N-no…wait..h-he’s..he…”

Emma could not belive what she saw in front of her eyes.

20.01.2023

Teenage thinking and issues

Teenagers can face a lot of problems during their puberty. The  teenage years can be full of pressure, uncertainty, and change. Teenagers can be a lot more emotional rather than logical because of their hormones.

 Here are some of the problems that teens go through:

1. EATING DISORDERS

- Eating disorders are behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions. They can be very serious conditions affecting physical, psychological and social function.

2. SCHOOL BULLYING

- School bullying includes psychological, emotional, cyber, social or physical harassment of one student by another at school or within the school community.

3. LOW SELF ESTEEM

- Low self-esteem is when someone lacks confidence about who they are and what they can do. They often feel incompetent or unloved

4. ALCOHOL, DRUG AND TABACCO USE

- Factors that are related to these types of things during adolescence include poor self-image, low religiosity, poor school performance, parental rejection, family dysfunction, abuse, under- or over-controlling by parents, and divorce.

With all these being said I think that teenagers are going to a lot of stuff that affect their mental health and their behaviour. I think parents and teachers should work together in order for them to have a better mindset during this difficult period of time in their life.

Accepting yourself is ok. 

When did the constant sadness become the norm? When did self-hatred become a reality for us? 

In my opinion, with the rise of social media, different aesthetics and ‘cores’, it’s just implemented in our brains that everything is either happy or sad. You either belong with the ‘cool kids’ or you’re an outcast. The media does try to make it seem as if we should accept ourselves as we are. Love your body, they say. Love what makes you different, they say. But in the same breath they used to try and lift you up, they bash the exact same thing they’re preaching about. Body image, which is something anyone from any age, gender, or position in society can struggle from, is such a common topic in today’s world. No one can be too fat or too skinny. It appears as if society creates these bubbles where people with the same insecurities can come together, form different relationships, and go out to get the person who is part of the reason they felt insecure to begin with. And from my personal experience, it’s not worth it, building a friendship with a person based on your insecurities. As soon as you grow out of it, you’ll quick enough realize it was toxic and only worsened your condition. 

As one begins to explore these different communities, they realize that none of those actually love themselves. Or even respect themselves, if love's too much to ask for. 

And then there’s the common ground. Were they claim to care only about health, no matter which size you are. They recommend exercises, diets, showcasing their bodies and telling us of how we can get to look like that. At the end of the day, they just participate in worsening the beauty standards and creating unrealistic body images for us. 

No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be the standard for beauty or fit it 100%. That’s something we all have to learn. Easier said than done, but we should aim to actually love ourselves, not the version the media asks of you

19.01.2023

Tomorrow 

my heart feels lost

time keeps on leaving me behind 

maybe this time there’ll be no tomorrow why give myself a second chance?

this light seems to blind me

I cry for help but no one hears me 

with each day passing

I get closer to my happy death day 

why worry about the future

when we’re only mere humans 

we’re under the influence of trust 

it’s human nature 

one day waking up will be easy

on the day I care to stay here 

will you lead me on my walk to the light

or will you let the darkness embrace me ?

20.11.2022

Time, Rain, Life

Sanjuluca Israela

time, rain, life 

time, so brief yet eternal 

life, keeps getting more and more infernal

we as humans, are so scared to die 

we’ll know when it’s the last goodbye 

rain, suffocating my heart

coating/embracing the earth, strong and loud

mother nature can’t seem to cease her cries 

life, which has so much value 

so easy to take, yet painful to give 

they seem to erase our cries for help

because, as long as it’s not my son, why would i care ?

forever rain, can we survive ?

forever in pain, one day we’ll fight 

goodbyes turn into badbyes 

only when we see no tomorrow light

20.11.2022

David Schwimmer

DATE OF BIRTH: 2 November 1966

AGE: 56 years old

OCUPPATION: Actor, producer and director

The actor was born in Queens, New York and he is best known for his role on the television sitcom “Friends”.  He was raised by both of his parents in Los Angeles.

Friends first aired in 1994, quickly became a major hit, and made stars out of Schwimmer and his costars. The series remained one of the highest-rated shows on television until it ended in 2004. The cast later returned for the TV special Friends: The Reunion (2021), in which they discussed the show.

Schwimmer, who had directed a number of Friends episodes, made his big-screen directorial debut in 2007 with Run Fatboy Run, a romantic comedy about a man who decides to run a marathon in an attempt to win back his former fiancée.

Personally, David Schwimmer is one of my favorite actors of all time. I loved the series „Friends” and actually Ross is my favourite character in the show. I loved how during every episode that I have watched, he made me laugh all the time. I think his was born to be an actor and you should 100% watch his movies and work in general.

Source: www.britannica.com/biography/David-Schwimmer 

The Nightmare Begins (The beginning for Assassin’s Creed: The Last Age)- part two

The man got off from the couch. He crouched down and kissed his wife on the cheek. He went upstairs, straight to his bedroom. He took off his street clothes and dressed himself in his pajamas. He fell asleep on his bed.

For what it seemed like hours, the cold wind howled at him. He instantly woke up and he noticed he wasn’t at his house. He was in space. For some unknown reason, he could breathe, despite there being no oxygen. He saw planet Earth, but..something was off. The major continents have been turned into gold, with a white outline. Each of them had strange symbols which Markus couldn’t understand. Then, he heard the all familiar screams of humans. All of them sounded like they were in pain. Sounds of swords slashing through flesh were heard as well, accompanied by screams of agony.

“Meat! This is what will happen to you if you dare to defile the will of Queen Juno!” An unknown voice yelled out.

At this point, Markus couldn’t think straight. What was he witnessing? A terrible dream? Or something much worse?

“What the fuck am I seeing and hearing? What is going on?” He asked himself  in a panicked tone.

“You are witnessing the end of humakind, Markus Roarke” A voice said to him.

Markus slowly turned around, seeing a mysterious person standing close to him. The man wore a set of black  armour, covering his whole body. His head and back were covered by a dark blue cloak.

“How do you know my name? Are you with this “Queen Juno”?

“I am not with that...thing and her zealots. I am here to warn you of the coming end.”

“The end? I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“I know you have many questions that need answers. Time will reveal them. For now, what you need to know is the Mad Queen of The Isu, Juno is trying to reclaim Earth, to rule over it once more.

“How am I supposed to do it alone?”

“You will not be alone. You and your allies will be the ones to put an end to her plans. Seek them: Daniella Rousseau, Benjamin O’Connor, Tudor Savancea and Nova Yang.”

The mysterious hooded knight touched Markus’ forehead with is finger, causing him to collapse. Markus woke up from the strange dream, with chills down his spine, his eyes wide open.

“What the fuck was that?” He whispered.

He got up from his bed and looked at his phone. It was 3 AM in the morning. He received strange messages on his phone, three of them. The first two were from Benjamin.

“MARKUS

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT LET ANYONE INSIDE YOUR HOME. EVERYONE’S GOING FUCKING CRAZY, I’LL BE AT YOUR PLACE ASAP.”

The young man started to get worried. He never saw his friend that scared in his life. Something was going on but he didn’t have clue as of what The last message he got was an alert. It read:

“Attention to all citizens of Seattle! This is an emergency! Due to unknown reasons, numerous cases of riots are happening at the moment. All citizens are encouraged to lock all doors and not let anyone inside.”

Suddenly, his phone shut off. The battery wasn’t even low, it just shut off completely. He tried turning it on, but to no avail.

“Jesus Christ. What the fuck is happening right now?”

He looked outside his window and saw a house burning down. Some people were running from hooded individuals, wielding knives. He watched them getting killed in a matter of seconds.

“Is this even happening? Am I dreaming?” He said in a worried tone.

The man got dressed in his street clothes. A black overcoat with a black unzipped hoodie, blue jeans, white t-shirt, a pair of  black fingerless gloves and a pair of  black and white Air Jordan 1 shoes. All of the sudden, he heard a loud crash. It came from the living room, where Faye was sleeping. From his desk, he grabbed his hunting knife and a spare flashlight. He slowly opened the door, making a creaking sound. He turned on the flashlight, making light for him. Markus slowly walked downstairs, trying as much as he can to not make any sound. He pointed the flashlight to the living room and he found the source of the loud crash he heard earlier. The TV fell down.

“This is strange. Faye? Are you there?” He asked.

The response he got was a creepy giggle. His heart skipped a beat. He pointed the flashlight at a wall and Faye was there. She wasn’t looking at him, only staring into a void of nothingness. In her hand, she had a bloodstained knife. Blood was driping from the blade.

“Faye? Are you okay?”

The woman turned around, looking straight at Markus. She had blood all over her. She had huge cuts that began on her lips and ended on her cheeks. The man took a few steps away from her.

“Faye?”

The woman screamed at him and without warning, she pounced at him. He dropped both his flashlight and knife. She almost stabbed Markus in the heart, but he managed to grab her hands.

“Faye it’s me Markus! Jesus Christ STOP!”

Just as his life was about to be taken, someone threw a stone at a window, breaking it. This gave enough time for Markus to push Faye away. The already terrified man crawled away from the demented woman.

“Oh shit! OH SHIT!” He yelled out in terror.

Faye was aproaching Markus slowly, with a psychotic grin on her face. From the broken window, a tall, muscular brown. man entered his home. With no hesitation, he grabbed Faye by the throat and snapped her neck, killing her. The man turned around, looking at the terrified Markus. He shined the flashlight, revealing a familiar face.

“Ben?”

“It’s me man. Calm down homie.”

Benjamin helped Markus to get up. He looked at his dead wife, with her soul snuffed out.  He slowly walked towards her dead body.He fell on his knees, mourning the loss of his beloved. He closed her cold eyes, and kissed her forehead, one final time.

“Markus..I’m sorry man, I had to, you would’ve been-”

“No. I get it man.” He said, trying so hard to keep his composure.

“I know a place, our friends are there.”

“Where?”

“Jessica’s Coffee, it’s in Belltown. We’ll be safe here in the time being.”

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Both men vaulted the window and got inside a 2024 Ford Mustang. They knew this was the beginning of something horrible. The nightmare had begun, and the question is: Does Markus Roarke have  what it takes to uncover the cryptid warning the knight gave him and if it’s possible, to stop the Mad Queen and avenge his beloved wife?

19.11.2022

Ellen Pompeo

Ellen Kathleen Pompeo is an American actress. She is best known for her role on Grey’s Anatomy as the titular Dr. Meredith Grey. She is born on November 10, 1969 in Everett, Massachusetts. She is one of the world's highest paid actors since 2017.

She made her feature film debut in 1999 with the romantic comedy Coming Soon and also appeared in several TV shows like Law & Order, Friends, Strangers with Candy.

Pompeo was then cast in ABC's popular medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of the title character Dr. Meredith Grey. The role on the long-running series earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award. The character became widely popular, making Pompeo one of the most renowned television actresses.

Personally, I really loved her character on Grey’s Anatomy, but also her love story. She is such a complicated character and is so interesting how we can see the way she grows into a beautiful and mature woman. Her acting skills are amazing and SHE DOESN’T EVEN LOOK LIKE SHE IS 53!!!!! I think you should give the show a try because is 100% worthy!

04.11.2022

Life In Germany

Germany is a great place to live in. I went to Germany last month with the Erasmus+ project and stayed as an exchange student at a very nice family.

First of all, I think Germany is one of the best places to live because of these next things:

The people - people there are so nice and genuinely so happy and they treat you very nice. They also live such healthy lives because from a young age kids are learning about processed food, cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.

The culture -  history has shaped a culture that combines predominantly Christian values with literature, art, philosophy, logic, reason, and, of course, a love of beer and sausages.

The landscape- Germany has some beautiful tall mountains in the south, glacial lakes surrounded by a lot of vegetation. Germany also has a lot of amazing castles and palaces.

Safety- Germany is a very safe place to live in.  Most of their cities are much safer than a lot of other European countries and also the crime rate is very low wich makes it even better to live there.

For me, Germany was the best country I have ever visited and I had a lot of fun, I met people that I still talk to on Instagram or WhatsApp, I visited amazing places and I hope some day in the future I will be able to visit it again.

In my opinion, Germany is one of the best and safest countries to live in. It has a high standard of living, a strong economy and plenty of nice things to do. Also the cost of living there is cheap except for  the major cities which can be more expensive. I am so happy I got the opportunity to visit this amazing country and meet some beautiful people.

   Idioms

Idioms can be heard everywhere: in the workplace, at the local bar, and even at home. Each language has its own set of unique idioms, but they don’t often translate well across languages.

Below I'll show you some American English idioms. Try using them in conversation next time you’re speaking English with a friend.

Add insult to injury (part of a sentence)

To add another bad situation on top of an existing one.

Ex: To add insult to injury, it broke after I tried calling you.

Cut the mustard (part of a sentence)

To meet acceptable standards.

Ex: Unless you raise the stair treads up, this project won’t cut the mustard. 

Hang in there (by itself)

To wish someone to persevere through hardship.

It takes two to tango (by itself)

Two people are at fault.

Last straw (part of a sentence)

The last time one will allow this situation.

Ex: I’ve tolerated a lot, but this missed appointment was the last straw.

Out of hand (part of a sentence)

Uncontrollable, usually in reference to a person or a situation.

Ex: This rumor has really gotten out of hand.

Speak of the devil (by itself)

The person who was just being discussed shows up.

 Under the weather (part of a sentence)

Feeling ill.

Ex: She’s under the weather and cannot come into school today.

Source:www.grammarly.com/blog/ 

Why you should live your life to the fullest

I think it is really important to live every moment we have, every opportunity, every sensation.

As teenagers, or even people in their early 20’s, we have a lot of opportunities and options. Some people like to party all the time, some people like to stay inside their homes at the weekend (which is totally cool), but i think the most efficient way is to find a balance between both.

Personally, I am more of a “party person” rather than an “indoor person”. I really like to go out and have fun at concerts, parties, coffee shops. I like to hang out with people who can match my energy really easily. It’s so so important to find people that can truly understand you and who are like YOU.

I think everyone has a different definition of “fun” and that’s so interesting and unique, because most of the time we tend to overwhelm ourselves with work and forget to have a little time with ourselves, to do something we really enjoy.

Life is so short, but yet so beautiful (sometimes it can be grey, but I promise you, the sun will rise eventually) and it deserves to be lived to the fullest.

The Nightmare Begins(The beginning for Assassin’s Creed: The Last Age)

Part One

It was a  cold autumn night in Seattle, USA. The streets were empty, devoid of people, with the occasional cars passing by. The night was young, the full moon had already risen.

Markus Roarke, a 20 year old American-Romanian male just arrived at his home. He came back from his job at Walker’s BBQ, one of the most well known restaurants in Seattle. In his right hand, he had some food from his restaurant prepared for him to be eaten for dinner. The man knocked two times at the door, waiting for it to be opened.

“C’mon Faye, open up.” He whispered.

The door opened instantly. A woman looked at him in his eyes. She was wearing a white t-shirt, black sweatpants and short black socks. Her orange hair was as bright as hellfire, and her green eyes were just like emeralds.

“Welcome home, pretty boy. Come inside.”

Markus went inside his house. The woman kissed him on the lips. She looked at his right hand, seeing a bag of food.

“It seems you got dinner for both of us. I’ll prepare the table in the meantime.”

“Alright then, darling.”

Faye smiled at her husband. She gently took away the bag from his hand and went to the kitchen. Markus went to the bathroom to wash his hand. He kept the faucet lever to the middle, not hot but not cold. He washed his hands with soap.

“Markus! Dinner is ready! Faye said.

“I’m coming hold on dear!”

The man turned off the sink and closed the lights in the bathroom. He joined his wife in the kitchen and sat down. On his plate he had french fries and pulled pork burger. Faye had the same food as her husband. They both started to munch on their food, enjoying the powerful flavour their meals had.

“How was at work Markus?” Faye asked.

“Well it was average. Service being fast as usual, then me and some of my co-workers had to deal with a fucking Karen.”

“A Karen? She demanded to see the manager or something?

“Yeah, and we kicked her out from the restaurant. No fucks given.”

Faye started to laugh at it. Her laughter made Markus smile.

“Oh my god, imagine this, Marky the Karen Slayer!”

“Faye!” He exclaimed in surprise. His cheeks started to turn red.

The woman couldn’t stop laughing. The face on her husband was priceless.

“You should see the look on your face! That’s something only a mother would love!”

“ Why did I marry a woman who would tease me with that cursed name?”

“Well duh! You were the one who started to date the only Norwegian girl from our high school and we became wife and husband a few years later. As for that “cursed” name, it’s adorable.”

“No it isn’t.”

“Yes it is! And be honest, you love being called that.”

“No I...Fuck, that’s true.”

Faye stoped laughing. She stuck her tongue out to Markus, teasing him once more. In return, he flipped her off, with a dissapointed but not surprised expression.

“Bitch.”

“You know you love me Markus.”

“Yes I do love you Faye, my wife who can’t stop torturing her husband.”

“And I love you too darling. My adorable husband who just so happens to secretly love being teased by his wife.”

“ Heh. Let’s finish our meal before it gets cold.”

The couple finished what remained of their food. Both of them cleaned up their dishes. Markus and Faye sat down on the couch, watching the Daredevil series on Netflix. The woman rested her head onto his lap.

“ So, have you talked with your friends as of late?”

“Which friends?”

“The ones you have talked about. Daniella, Nova, Ben, those people. How are they doing?”

“They’re good, they moved in Seattle recently.”

“I would love to meet them to be honest.”

“In general, they’re pretty chill. Ben is your average guy from the hood, Tudor is the dumb motherfucker I know well, Dani is the “Femme Fatale” and Nova, well she’s the mom friend of my group.”

“And how would you call me if I were in your squad of friends?”

“Hmm..The Queen of Teasing, that’s for sure.”

“And I’m so good at that.”

Markus’ eyes became heavy. Fatigue started to kick in.

“Man I’m tired as hell. Well baby, I’m going to bed. Wake me up first thing in the morning, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

“You want me to turn off the TV?”

“Nah, I’ll continue watching the show. Have a good night Markus.”

“You too, Faye.”

(To be continued)