Monday, December 31, 2018

2019 – Happy NEW YEAR!

Good bye, 2018! Welcome 2019!

Dear friends,
As the wheel of time is turning once again making another spin, I wish you and yours a wonderful 2019, filled with peace, joy, prosperity and good health!
Wishing that this New Year all your dreams turn into reality and all your efforts into great achievements.


HAPPY NEW YEAR! FROHES NEUES JAHR!  LA MULTI ANI PENTRU NOUL AN!  BONNE ANNÉE!  FELICE ANNO NUOVO! FELIZ AÑO NUEVO! ΕΥΤΥΧΙΣΜΈΝΟΣ Ο ΚΑΙΝΟΎΡΙΟΣ ΧΡΌΝΟΣ!

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

December 2018: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is the perfect time of the year to express our love for those we care – Merry Christmas, dear friends!
 FRÖHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN!  CRĂCIUN FERICIT!  BUON NATALE!  Καλά Χριστούγεννα!

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Charity on the 1st day of winter (December 2018)

Winter has arrived, and outside it is cold, wet and windy! It is December (December 22, 2018) and the entire world is preparing for Christmas, but unfortunately there are still many people without a warm shelter, seriously incapacitated and in a dire need of some basic, simple necessities.

With a few modest donations collected from several friends as well as my financial contribution, today I’ve managed to organize a small group of dear friends so together we could prepare a number of bags filled with some basic winter necessities (such as winter toques, gloves, wool socks & scarfs) for the homeless people on East Hastings Street. 
Regrettably, we couldn’t comfort them all, but at least we were able to offer a shy help to a handful.

Why am I sharing this gesture with you? Definitively not to show off, but rather to demonstrate (to ourselves & to whoever is willing to listen) that IT IS possible to make a good difference in the world without being filthy rich. 

On the other hand, by this note, I’m also extending my sincere appreciation to my husband and to my dear friends who, at this busy time of the year (right before Christmas, when everybody is super busy with cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc.), found few hours so we could work together on this charity project.

In closing, the message to pass along it is more of an encouragement, as any time you can, wherever you can, be good & do good, because kindness it is always free!
Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Friday, December 21, 2018

December 21, 2018: Joyful WINTER, dear friends!

Blessed it is the season which engages the entire world in a conspiracy of love.
 “In the midst of winter, I found within me an invincible summer.” (Albert Camus)
Winter solstice: a short scientific briefing 

From an astronomic perspective, on December 21st, 2018, it is the winter solstice (also called the ‘hibernal solstice’), which marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year for all the people who are living in the Northern Hemisphere. 

According to the definition of the seasons, the winter solstice also marks the beginning of winter season, which lasts until the vernal equinox (March 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, or September 22 or 23 in the Southern Hemisphere). 

After the shortest day of the year slowly turns toward a greater length, this will embrace again the return of the sunnier days and the coming of spring.
WINTER (by Antonio Vivaldi) – audio

Saturday, December 15, 2018

December 2018: Celebrating the Romanian Centenary

~ An evening of poetry, history & Christmas cheer, featuring Romania's National Day ~
Before too long, I am glad to share that on Friday (December 14’18) I was truly happy to be able to meet with a fairly large group of dear friends in order to celebrate the Romanian Centenary as this special year would end up soon. Our gathering this time was a bit different than usual, but without any doubt, enjoyable in every way.
The evening together unfolded with a cheerful & well garnished potluck & after that we all settled around, in a large circle so we could start with our cultural section. 

We began our program with the Romanian Anthem (since we were honoring the Romanian Centenary), followed suit by the Canadian Anthem….needless to say that our hearts open widely, as the musical notes filled the room with such a profound sense of unity and heart touching national pride, in the most genuine sense.

The evening continued with a number of interesting presentations, when my friends evoked important pages of Romanian history; they brought along old photo albums with dear ancestors who created those pages of history, they shared original compositions (poems, songs & essays) especially created for the occasion, a large genealogical tree and many heart warming life stories that were shared in such a genuine manner….some of them I will elaborate below.
For instance, we were pleased to have with us that evening our friend Doina, whose ancestor is the Greek-Catholic Bishop Iuliu Hossu.   

Portrait: The Greek-Catholic Bishop, Iuliu Hossu
Iuliu Hossu was a Greek-Catholic priest, Bishop of the Cluj-Gherla Diocese (1885-1970) and a very well-known historic figure (biography), who in the year 1918, read to a 100,000 Romanians the ‘Alba Iulia Proclamation’ which officially states the unification of Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom, during the reign of Ferdinand I. 

In the comments section I am publishing few historic articles & video links (both in Romanian & English languages) with background info, featuring Bishop Hossu.

Portrait: Ligia Oancea
Also, on Friday, our friend Ligia Oancea, a talented music conductor and song writer (biography), brought along a personal composition – the poem called “Mi-e dor”, which (with Ligia’s permission) I am happy to be able to publish in the comments section.
Aside of that, we were delighted to hear from Ligia about her roots (Ligia is a descendent of St
ârcea family), as she brought along her genealogical tree covering the last 600 hundred years. 
With Ligia’s permission for this website only, I’ve put together a concise collage, which reflects her sharing. 

Further, our friend Dana offered a brief expose referring to Emmanuel de Martonne and Robert Ficheux – two French geographers who allocated many years of research accurately mapping the Central Europe, as well as Romania.
Besides, Dana presented a centenary medal produced by a group of Romanians from diaspora; this distinction is accompanied by a special parchment listing a chart of a 100 famous Romanian historical figures.   

Our evening together continued with a lovely presentation offered by our dear friend Dorina Aldea, who wrote an article about the Romanian Centenary & a beautiful, heart-felt essay  (the original versions are written in Romanian Language and Dorina sent them along so I could publish both in the  comments section).
Another meaningful input was brought along by our friend Dean P., who further elaborated on the contribution of the Romanian Bishop Hossu to the Romanian history, describing it all in an educational manner.
Then our friend Ioana shared few personal memories adjoining Christmas family traditions.
And last, but not least, our dear friend Teo Trandafir delighted us with a personal poem as well as few remarks concerning the Romanian history and the Romanian Christmas traditions.

After all presentations were delivered, we raised our voices, singing together the famous Romanian song, called “Treceţi batalioane Române Carpaţii(“Romanian Troops, Cross The Carpathian Mountains”) that made all our hearts beat faster, filling them with gratitude and appreciation for the many sacrifices our ancestors made so the Romanians would live nowadays in a peaceful, united and rejoiced country.
The toast that followed was unanimous: “TRÃIASCÃ ROMÂNIA MARE!” ("Longlive the Greater Romania") – we raised our voices & our glasses with (non-alcoholic) champagne to honor this beautiful moment of togetherness, and national pride.

Additionally, our group happiness was followed by a bouquet of very well-known Christmas carols, and with glowing hearts, we did sing them together, each rewinding in our minds precious childhood moments.

The time we spent together was relaxing and impressive in every way, without realizing that in fact we were creating lasting memories!
Now, when I write these line to you, I am deeply touched recognizing that certain heartwarming moments would be simply unforgettable, and I would like to thank each of my friends for their companionship.

On the other hand, I would like to briefly mention that at this time of the year, when Christmas is literally around the corner, all my guests were having busy agendas (mine not being an exception either), but despite the heaviness of their schedules, my dear friends walked the extra mile to spare few hours squeezing into their calendars our gathering – needless to say that my appreciation for all and each of them goes way beyond any words!
So, once again my dear friends, a big & heartfelt THANK YOU to each of you, & until we meet again, I'm wishing you all, happy, blessed and peaceful holidays!
Alice 
“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts of its people.”
     ● A page of old history: Portrait Bishop Iuliu Hossu

      ● A page of current history: Portrait Ligia Oancea
Snapshots from our time together (Friday - December 14, 2018)

This event has been delivered in Romanian Language, featuring Romanian culture. 
● An additional greeting I've created referring to Romania's National Day: Happy 100th anniversary, Romania! 
 ARTICLE featuring our event on December 14, 2018, published by OBSERVATORUL (from Toronto)

Saturday, December 1, 2018

2018: Happy 100 anniversary, Romania!

A page of history: December 1 – Romania’s Great Unification Day

On December 1st, 2018, Romania celebrates its National Day as well as the passing of a 100 years since the 1918 Great Union (a major historic event that changed the country's course forever), which is also a source of great national pride.
This is one of the most important Romanian national holidays, and it is called the “Great Union Day” or the “Unification Day” (Romanian: "Ziua Marii Uniri") and in many parts of the world it is known as “National Romania Day”. 

This special holiday marks the unification of Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918. According to ‘Alba Iulia Proclamation’, all these Romanian regions joined Romania as a country, and here I will list only few significant political and academic contributors who made this historic event possible: Ion I.C. Bratianu, Vasile Goldis, Iuliu Maniu, Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, Ioan Suciu, Octavian Goga, Iuliu Hossu, Gheorghe Pop de Basesti. The proclamation was read to 100,000 Romanians by Iuliu Hossu, who was a Greek-Catholic priest, Bishop of the Cluj-Gherla Diocese. 

The Union marked the country’s history forever, but after that Romania had to pass through many other changes and challenges and some of them included the World War II, the Communist regime and the 1989 Revolution. 
Despite numerous hardships, it is also appropriate to mention that Romania still looks ahead with sound optimism, but it does not forget its past.

Every year, on December 1st, throughout the entire country are taking place various festive events commemorating the national heroes and in Bucharest (the capital city), under the Arch of Triumph, it is held an annual military parade of the Romanian Armed Forces; after the parade, people gather with their families and friends to celebrate together. Also, it is customary to wear the colors of the Romanian flag (red, yellow & blue), which represent the different provinces of the country. 

In closing of this brief expose, I would like to refresh what Nicolae Iorga (a famous Romanian historian) said once upon a time: "People who don't know their history are like kids who don't know their parents", so please be mindful of that & remember: "The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future."

Friday, November 30, 2018

Greetings for a happy Saint Andrew’s Day!

               Happy Name Day to all who celebrate St. Andrew!

November 30: SAINT ANDREW – the First Called…
Celebrating someone’s Name Day it is an old European tradition; for centuries, all across the continent people have been celebrating their first names pretty much in the same way as we celebrate birthdays on this part of the world (over there, usually birthdays are celebrated mostly with the immediate family, but the name days are widely known and celebrated in larger circles)

Generally speaking, each first name is assigned to one day of the calendar, based on different spiritual traditions, or specific historical events, or in relation with other facts.


Just imagine how pleasant it is to meet every year with dear friends for a joyful time, when nobody wonders how old you are?! In effect, it is like having a second birthday.
May the day find you close to those you love!

Monday, October 15, 2018

Alice’s Book Club – debut on October of 2018

As autumn beautifully unfolds on this part of the world, being spoiled for more than two weeks with a splendid ‘Indian summer’, on Friday (October 26’18) I was truly pleased to open my social book club – a fairly intimate gathering, which took place at a nice public library. 

Before I will give a brief description of the session in itself, I would like to quickly mention below some of the incredible benefits, in my opinion, a book club holds:
- For book lovers and not only, a book club offers a healthy intellectual stimulation
- It gives a sound sense of belonging to a community of likeminded people
- It allows for a good break from the daily routine
- It offers the freedom to be honest in sharing your views about the material you’ve read
- It is a welcoming environment, where one could make lifetime friends
- It is a good place to practice self-expression & it could increase confidence
- It helps decreasing stress & it builds teamwork
- It could aid gaining new perspectives 
- It gives a push to finish the reading on time, which would facilitate a meaningful participation to the subsequent discussions.
Summarizing here my rather brief points on the matter, without any doubt a good book club could be a nice, healthy, inspiring addition to any life style.
So, dear friends, please Read, Lead & Succeed!
Now, specifically speaking, for the opening session of my book club, I’ve selected the novel called “Behold the Dreamers”, by Imbolo Mbue, which is a book “about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream – the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy.” 
In order to give you a better sense of it, in the comments section below I am including the literary summary as well as a number of book reviews.
I was really glad to see how my group of friends deeply delved into many extensive comments, as in a way or another this book touched on a number of familiar similarities and interesting conclusions surfaced.  
Many questions were raised and answered by each participant, revealing personal perspectives about many aspects of life, and the final thought to ponder upon was: 
“What really makes life a success?”
An autumnal sketcha traditional ‘taste’ of Romania
On the other hand, because the quince fruit it is the ‘perfect autumnal ingredient’, our dear friend Camelia was kind to offer us all some quince jam, which I was truly glad to present it to all participants that night in a Romanian traditional setting. It was such a culinary delight, we all loved tasting! 
Also, from a cultural stand point, under the concept of "Tales from my native land", in Romania there is a very well-known (old) folk song called "Galbena gutuie" ('Yellow Quince'), which I find appropriate sharing here...please enjoy it!
As usual, we wrapped up the evening in a very pleasant manner, committed to continue with our reading as well as sharing in this setting.
Once again, I would like to thank again all the book lovers who joined me that night – their enthusiasm, kindness and support always give me wings to prepare the next project. Until next time, to all and each of you, my best greetings for a beautiful rest of the autumn!
Alice  

Sunday, October 14, 2018

The amazing impact of ART

There are numerous reliable, scholastic, papers which over time proved that art, such as poetry, music, visual arts, drawing, painting, iconography, calligraphy, collage, sculpture, storytelling, etc. have been playing a pivotal role in one’s soothing process
while at the same time would have the capability to elevate the human spirit toward the higher realms. 

For many people throughout the history, art meant a profound state, which entails a deep transformational process involving the heart, the mind and the body – all in itself leading to a very powerful and complex restorative experience, where creativity plays an essential role. 

Generally speaking, while walking the path of life, if you ever connected with a piece of art you happen ‘to meet’ on your way, and recognized the message or the feelings the artist was trying to convey then you just experienced on your own how influential art could be! 


Whether or not art is part of your daily life, there is no doubt that it can provide a wonderful avenue which can allow you to further explore more and settle yourself, while at the same time making possible to communicate these personal experiences to people around you - all with much transparency, joy and kindness. 

Through art you can find a lot of peace for yourself & offer it to others as well; you can bring hope, you can bring happiness, and definitively you can make tomorrow better than today. 
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." (Edgar Degas)

Monday, October 8, 2018

October 2018 – Message for THANKSGIVING Day

Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday of the year when gratitude is extended for all the good things we each have acquired in our lives, celebrating the bounty of the harvest season, as well as reuniting with family and friends in thankfulness, while peacefully enjoying traditional food and autumnal activities.
A beautiful time of togetherness and sincere appreciation...HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY, dear friends!
“Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.” (Theodore Roosevelt)

Sunday, September 23, 2018

September 23, 2018: Happy AUTUMN, dear friends!

September 23rd, the first day of autumn, marks the time when days start to get shorter and nights are getting longer, while weather temperatures begin to drop significantly.  As leaves began changing colors, we are reminded that summer is over, while autumn has arrived – a beautiful season which creates a unique sense of comfort, warmth and reflection. This is also the time when farmers around the world start to collect the harvest, while many traditional and cultural festivities are unfolding, featuring abundance and thankfulness. May this autumn bring you much peace and joy! 
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” (Albert Camus)
A short scientific briefing on AUTUMN EQUINOX:
The Autumnal Equinox (on Sept.22 in 2018) is an astronomical event, nearly noticed by everyone, marking the arrival of fall in Northern Hemisphere. During the equinox, the night & day have almost the same length (12 hours) throughout the world. The word "equinox" derives from Latin, meaning “equal night". The equinox happens when the equator passes the centre of the sun; this is when the North & South Poles of the Earth are not tilted towards or away from the sun, as at other times, but are aligned so as to give, theoretically, the same amount of daylight in both of the Earth's hemispheres.
AUTUMN (by Antonio Vivaldi)  audio

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Consideration of the day: MIND clarity

Many scientific studies on the subject emphasize that usually the human mind is the place where much of happiness or suffering are happening, and based on how do we respond to each of these experiences our lives are influenced accordingly.

Not to go too fancy about ‘mind’, which in itself is such a vast subject, I will briefly mention though what some researchers believe to this regard: they consider that the sooner we learn to release all the patterns that hold us back from what do we intend to achieve in life, the faster we move toward mental clarity, which is a tedious process based on a very profound and objective self-analysis. Through this unbiased process, one needs to completely detach from all sorts of circumstances, from the usual judgmental attitudes and habits, from conditions, etc. and let the mind fly free…yes, “free” but at the same time never to forget though that freedom comes also with a large spectrum of responsibilities while the social duties and obligations should be maturely fulfilled.

On the other hand, the moment a particular judgement stops through the acceptance of what it is (facts are facts) then the mind would begin to gain clarity. A true mental clarity would eliminate completely the internal chatter, expectations, attachments, rigidity, mind sets, etc. allowing peace to come upon. Isn't that beautiful and truly desirable?!
The perfect world is shaped when our mind is clear and able to see it!

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

In brief: TRUST – the ‘glue’ of life

According to a number of scholars, TRUST is ‘measuring’ the quality of a relationship, and it can’t be built in a few minutes but rather trough a lengthy and consistent process, based on which behavioral habits or patterns play a key role.
“Trust it one of the most expensive things in the world –
it can take years to earn it and just a matter of seconds to lose it.”

Over time, it has been recognized that trust does not come by the force of will 
 on the contrary, the more you struggle to impose it on yourself the farther it will become for you to reach it! Many people believe that trust is something that one is born with, and after birth one must continuously work to attain it, most of the time through the path of knowledge and observation.

The ‘attitude’ of trust toward life in general, toward oneself is a fundamental component of a healthy life, which allows hope to grow, dreams to come true, encouragement to flourish, vitality to improve and the joy of life to propagate!
“TRUST is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient of effective communication & the foundational principle that holds all relationships." (Steve Covey)

TRUST gives you the assurance and the freedom to believe that no matter what you encounter on your path, life still continues to have meaning, life still continues to be beautiful despite the imperfections as where is trust there is hope, where is hope there is life, where is life there is love – consequently trust becomes the most important step to love, and love it is the most powerful force in the universe able to melt anything. Love never fails! Lover conquers all!
Trust, but don’t be naive. May your trust flourish as time goes by! 

Monday, September 17, 2018

Few insights about RESPECT & SINCERITY

There are lots of important matters which would necessitate close attention, but from all, I truly believe that respect and sincerity require careful consideration because both play fundamental roles.

As we all know, the ancient wisdom states that respect is a universal value that each person desires not only to embody, but also to receive. In other words, respect is a two-way street...if you want to be respected you would have to respect others as well. 
Further on this, we could simply state that respect is a global evaluation you give someone based not only on words, but also on personal acts, deeds and /or attitudes. Aside, if people would understand that their feelings and thoughts are taken into consideration that would make others respectful as well. Also, it helps to refresh that true respect is earned not imposed. If one demonstrates respect toward others, implicitly the others will reciprocate on the same note, or at least they should do so.
Following that, I would like to emphasize that true respect begins with self-respect, which basically would encompass your views of how you are actually living your own life. As a result, self-respect then extends toward your circle/s, in respect of others. At the same time, true respect comes with a clear understanding of differences, in a completely nonjudgmental manner. 
From a social stand point, in our days, there are recognized two types of respect: the first one is the respect which comes from wealth or social status, and this type is impermanent because it is circumstantial (if a specific person loses all the social privileges then the related respect would vanish)and the second type is the one which comes from the virtues a person holds (such as honesty, commitment, integrity, kindness, etc.) and this type nobody can take away. 
Nevertheless, if someone gets very fond of the virtues s/he is possessing that person might begin to look down upon everybody else and as a result the value of the embodied virtues would diminish dramatically, because only the non-attachment to your virtues would bring genuine self-respect which is not to be confused with ego; ego would need another one to compare with as opposed to self-respect which is basically self-confidence or self-esteem.  
Once again, I would like to highlight that in life, true respect is earned, it can’t be imposed or demanded, and you need to give it in order to get it. Clearly, if someone doesn’t respect your feelings or your values it means that person doesn’t respect you.
As our elders would say, treat people the way you want to be treated, and talk to people the way you want to be talked to. This, very easily, could begin with any of us! Why not start trying to be more specific in showing that you respect yourself and that you respect others. What if we all start to respect each other more as human beings and then expand in respect of other people’s beliefs, opinions, and views about life in general, in a peaceful, non-judgmental and harmonious manner? Can you imagine what a wonderful place this world would be?! When people truly respect one another they cooperate well with each other and there could be less conflicts, more harmonious relationships, less wars, more peace and for sure way more beautiful projects could nicely come into existence…without any doubt, true respect has a deep significance in our society, as well as a major evolutionary connotation. 
Respect for ourselves guides our morals and respect for others guides our manners.

On the other hand, sincerity is a beautiful virtue based on which a person always speaks or acts truthfully in alignment with personal feelings or believes. Sincerity always should involve a pure mind and impeccable action/s, while simply being who you are and being OK with that. A sincere person is always a welcome addition to any environment. Aside of that, I truly believe that sincerity requires a fair amount of personal freedom as well.
Also, there are lots of studies clearly showing that lack of sincerity, basically means lack of empathy, lack of understanding, and lack of carrying. Many stories have been written over time emphasizing that sincerity is a crucial key to loyalty and trust. It is well known by now that t
rue sincerity always breeds positive and lasting relationships between all kinds of people, but be mindful though that the ones who try to fake sincerity are putting themselves at high risk, because sooner or later the true self would surface and if it is not in good standing that would lead to profound disappointment and lasting resentment toward the perpetrator. People who practice fake sincerity risk to have their credibility permanently damaged. There is an old saying, which states that “respect is earned, honesty is appreciated, trust is gained and loyalty is returned”, and time has been showing again and again that’s always the case.
Generally speaking, if people would learn to be honest with themselves first and then understand and accept that nobody is perfect, but rather a unique piece of work in progress would help immensely, leading to a more effective communication, less frustrations, an increased level of compassion, and definitively a much better quality of collaboration. Without any doubt, sincere friends and honest opinions would benefit everyone, relationships would flourish and the correct decisions are likely to be reached. Sincerely expressing our feelings, with kindness and integrity, ultimately helps each of us to learn more about ourselves, about the people with whom we interact, and all of these would significantly impact the quality of the life we live, because life, like people, deserves sincerity.
Sincerity is the face of the soul and it is desired to be kept pure!

Summarizing my rather brief thoughts on the subject here, I could mention that in many situations it has been noticed that both respect and sincerity are perceived like an oasis in the middle of large desert, and both have the potential to elevate the human thinking, to refine the social interactions at all levels, and to enhance the quality of collaboration and cooperation, while at the same time the truth is revealed and preserved. Once into the realm truth, one could graciously extend strength and wisdom, which would be quite nourishing.
May we each strive to become better and better in what we are doing in our daily lives, having deeply rooted in our understanding that certain virtues and values always must be carefully observed if we want to co-exist in a climate of joy and lasting peace.
Our values reflect what it is important to us & the most significant moments of our lives call out for our greatest virtues. 

Sunday, August 5, 2018

A socio-cultural evening of poetry & good talks

Friday evening (August 3'18) I was delighted to meet again with a group of dear friends at the Conservatory to discuss, analyze and share poetry, personal perspectives and life stories, which helped us all dive even deeper into meaningful matters. 
Also, I was pleased to welcome them with a fragment from Johann Pachelbel's sublime Canon (In the Garden“) - a piece of classical music, which brought upon a deep sense of peace. On the other hand, as usual by now, I brought my aromatherapy diffuser with French lavender, which filled the room with such a pleasant and refreshing fragrance.

This time, we had two guests of honor – Dr. Ovidiu Grecea together with his wife. Dr. Grecea is Consul General – Head of Mission and Plenipotentiary Minister of Romania, and he brought along a noble message, re-emphasizing the importance of dialogue, communication and co-operation. We all are like branches of a tree and our lives are heading in different directions, we all grow wings and fly, but our roots always would remind us where we are coming from. Truly heart felt! 

Aside of that, our subsequent group conversations were long, open, from heart to heart, from soul to soul, from mind to mind…without any doubt, genuine, deep conversations with open-minded people are the best. Specifically speaking, our friends also brought a number of beautiful poems, dear books & a patriotic song, which triggered fond memories in many of us, and some of these I will enumerate below:
- “If“, a poem by Rudyard Kipling
- “Visam sa scriu“, a poem by Monica Pillat
- "Romanta fara ecou", a poem by Ion Minulescu
- "America ogarului cenuşiu", a book by Romulus Rusan
- “Maitreyi“, a book by Mircea Eliade (briefly mentioned though)
- A beautiful poem of Queen Maria, of Romania
- A beautiful poem of Ferdinand of Romania about Romania’s Great Unification
- A patriotic song, featuring our beautiful young adults
Following these we didn’t forget the light refreshments either, which again ignited new series of pleasant conversations around the table and offered extended socialization.

Concluding, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who joined me this evening to share memories, personal journals, poems, life changing stories and special moments. Until we meet again, I send along my best wishes to each of you for a wonderful rest of the summer!
Alice
Mesaj personal din partea lui Alice, adresat direct in limba romana:
Dragii mei,
Si pe aceasta cale doresc sa-mi exprim sincera apreciere pentru participarea si atentia pe care ati acordat-o intalnirii noastre de vineri (3 aug.'18).
Poeziile recitate, amintirile enumerate, simtamintele impartasite cu o autenticitate absolut deosebita au dat un farmec unic fiecarui moment petrecut impreuna. A fost o reala placere sa depanam cu totii trairi de suflet care au re-adus pe tapet intamplari memorabile din viata fiecaruia, scrieri dragi care ne-au incalzit inimile amintindu-ne totodata de fosti profesori consacrati de odinioara, de carturari respectati, de parinti, de neam, de radacini.
Cu siguranta, dragostea pentru frumos este numitorul nostru comun, ceea ce denota multe aspecte importante. Conceptul de unitate in diversitate si diversitate in unitate a stralucit cu adevarat.
Inca odata, sincere multumiri!  
Alice
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” AliceFriendsCircle.blogspot.com

Mesaj primit înspre publicare din partea Domnului Dr. Ovidiu Grecea* şi al Doamnei Liliana Grecea

Pentru Doamna Alice şi pentru cei care ne-au impresionat plãcut, prin delicateţea sufleteascã, nobleţea intelectualã, bunul simţ, modestia şi normalitatea demonstrate într-o searã plinã de semnificaţii şi încãrcãturi emoţionale, unde nişte români-canadieni s-au reunit pentru setea lor de culturã şi de românism, pentru dorinţa de bine şi de un viitor frumos, artistic şi spiritual, cultural şi relaţional în comunitatea din care ei fac parte.
A fost un adevãrat balsam sufletesc, iar faptul cã poezia, filozofia, pildele de viaţã, cântecele şi sentimentele trainice şi veşnice faţã de România s-au contopit în prezentãrile, expunerile, discuţiile, dizertaţiile şi chiar controversele din aceastã magnificã întâlnire, demonstreazã cã românul este şi va fi, oriunde şi oricând, un cumul şi un vârf de omenie, de dragoste faţã de ţara lor şi de respect faţã de ţara care i-a adoptat, de oameni adevãraţi, nealteraţi sau schimonosiţi sufleteste şi mental, ci adevãrate repere existenţionale şi de devenire pentru noua generaţie.
Acum sunt puţini, dar sperãm şi avem convingerea cã în viitor elitele şi adevãratele personalitãţi reprezentative comunitare vor gãsi sursele, resursele, cãile şi modalitãţile viabile şi concrete de a se uni în cuget şi în simţire, de a-şi demonstra adevãratele lor calitãţi, forţa, tãria şi puterea de a fi numai învingãtori, de a-şi ocupa locul binemeritat într-o societate nouã, multiculturalã, care le-a oferit posibilitatea de a se integra, de a deveni, de a se simţi mai liberi şi mai încrezãtori, unde adevãratele valori sunt preţuite şi nu târâte în mocirla vremurilor actuale.
Noi, ca simpli oameni şi români pânã în mãduva fiinţei noastre, vom fi deschişi la orice iniţiative sincere şi benefice pentru comunitatea românilor de aici, pentru binele, propãşirea şi prosperitatea lor, pentru un viitor mai sigur şi mai demn, pentru unitate în gândire şi acţiune, pentru menţinerea, dezvoltarea şi perpetuarea unei relaţii sincere şi benefice a României în Canada.
Iar ca oficiali, noi nu vom pregeta de a face tot ce este omeneşte şi profesional posibil, în limitele şi competenţele noastre diplomatice şi de reprezentare, ca România şi românul sã fie pe primul loc, într-o armonie existenţionalã şi funcţionalã, pentru cã noi avem o istorie adevãratã, realã şi concretã de peste 2.000 de ani, iar bagajul nostru ancestral de experienţã de viaţã, de culturã şi de educaţie, de creştinism şi de respect al valorilor autentice, ne determinã sã fim numai: ’the best’, ’the first’, ’the no.1’!
Liliana şi Ovidiu Grecea
*Domnul Ovidiu Grecea este Consul General şi Ministru Plenipotenţiar al României la Vancouver
“BE LIKE A TREE. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break.
Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing. ”
This event has been delivered in Romanian Language, featuring Romanian culture. 
 Fotogallery published on their website by the General Consulate of Romania in Vancouver