Alice’s Book Club – SUMMER session of 2019

Slowly but surely the current summer time is coming closer to the end, but this Friday (September 6’19) I was pleased to meet with my group of dear friends for our seasonal book club session. 
Upon arrival, while my guests were joyfully settling in, the soft classical music from the background along with the relaxing fragrance of jasmine & French lavender oils made everything coming together nicely and smoothly emanating at the same time a profound sense of collective peace and shared content. 

On the other hand, as some of us traveled extensively this summer or being super busy with lots of outdoor activities, rather than our usual novel this time the chosen subject of discussion was an essay on communication (called: "Psychology in Communication Process") issued by Stanford University. Additionally, this was conjugated with another brief paper, called “The Importance of Personal Boundaries”.

Needless to say how well these materials were embraced by the entire group & how extensive, interesting as well as stimulating were the subsequent conversations…true heart to heart connections & brain to brain talks. 

From a scholastic perspective, I would like to briefly state that the fields of psychology and communication are closely related, and a distinctive area which is common to psychology and communication is the study of cultural influences on identity formation and social interaction. Aside of that, we all know that psychology has a well-established tradition of examining cultural differences on how the mind functions. Over time, psychologists have also focused on how culture shapes thought by directly comparing people from different cultures, while in turn, communication scholars have theorized and examined the very acts of expression and interaction of cultural processes. Given the historical development of these two areas, psychology is more of an established discipline than communication, so communication may benefit from the consolidated approaches of psychology.

The second paper discussed that evening emphasized that in fact setting boundaries is a key concept ensuring that relationships are collegial, respectful, supportive and caring. Once clear boundaries are set in place, people would become more polite, therefore you can be yourself to a greater extent, graciously addressing your needs without the fear of judgment; as a result, the emotional manipulators would vanish away being replaced by sustainable, loving and mutually respectful relationships. 

Our group conversations that evening were flourishing exponentially making each of us completely forget the time. All participants were truly delighted with the topic, asking for a repeat session of such kind, which of course was music to my ears. 
Like usual by now, we closed the gathering with a light meal, and genuine life related conversations, abundantly ‘seasoned’ with kind fellowship. 
Once again, my sincere appreciation goes to my friends who promptly & enthusiastically responded to my invitation. Wishing them each a great rest of summer! 
Best regards,
Alice

“Only through communication human life could hold meaning.”

Inner Peace

A large amount of research has been showing that once inner peace is achieved the heart becomes happy and the mind ‘feels’ liberated, all leading to a peaceful state…at this point, you truly realize that in fact there is no greater wealth in this world than a lasting peace of mind. Our elders often said that "the true peace always comes from within". 
The short simple story below is emphasizing that self-analysis is essential to achieve inner peace. Enjoy the reading!

Story: The internal peace

“Once upon a time, a student said to his teacher: - Professor, I have an ungovernable temper. Can you please help me get rid of it?

- You have something very strange, said the teacher. - Show it to me.

 - Right now I cannot show it to you.

- Why not?

- Because it arises suddenly.

- Then it cannot be your own true nature, said the teacher. 
If it were, you would be able to show it to me at any time…so, why are you allowing something that is not yours to trouble your life. Thereafter, whenever the student felt his temper rising the remembered his teacher's words and checked himself. In time, with discipline and perseverance, he developed a calm and balanced spirit, and acquired a steady inner peace."

“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.” 

Summer Literary Evening

This Friday (August 2’19) I was absolutely delighted to be able to meet with a group of dear friends at a public library to celebrate the current summer season.
Before our evening together began, I was happy to be able to greet them all with the famous piece, called “The Lonely Shepherd“, by Gheorghe Zamfir (who is a famous Romanian Master of the pan flute). 
Additionally, the French lavender and the Egyptian geranium oils from my aromatherapy diffuser filled the room with a very suave and relaxing summery fragrance, truly appropriate for the moment.
While at this page I’m happy to share that new friends are continuously joining us, so we had a brief round of introductions around the circle, which allowed my guests to feel very comfortable with each other, and facilitated a true heart opening experience deeply enjoyed by all.

Then our program continued with a number of presentations, which I will briefly list below. 
Our dear friend Dorina Aldea brought a beautiful summer journal featuring their trip to Alaska, where they got acquainted with the existence of the Romanian historical figure, George Pomutz. 
Dorina was kind to submit the essay she wrote and read that evening to all, and for the convenience of our readers, it is published in the comments section.  

Portrait: George POMUTZ (1818-1882)
George Pomutz was a Romanian Revolutionary, American Civil War General and US Diplomat.  
He was “a young Romanian who had fought for freedom in the 1848 revolution, and later immigrated to America. His name in Romanian language means ’little tree’. Once on American soil, he volunteered for Lincoln's Army and fought in some of the key battles of the Civil War including Vicksburg and Atlanta. Then he went on to become a general in the army and later an American diplomat, serving in Russia where he helped negotiate the American purchase of Alaska. In 1944, long after his death, the Romanian community in the United States donated money to build a battleship, named for Romanian-American General George Pomutz. The ship named for the ’little tree’ served in peace and war, always a symbol of strength and vigilance. “

In the comments section I am publishing a more detailed biography featuring the life of this Romanian general.  

Further, our friend Doina introduced us Daniela Miga, who was the God mother of her children. Also, Doina read to the entire group a chapter from a book written by Daniela Miga (book which nowadays exists only in manuscript format), describing a childhood summer and the time she spent in her family garden, in Constanta, Romania.  

Portrait: Daniela MIGA (1917-1999)
Daniela Miga – a poet, writer and artistic decorator, was the daughter of Ernestina and Ion Miga (who was a well known pharmacist in Constanta, Romania). In the comments section I am publishing few articles in original, which refer to Daniela Miga as well. 

Then our dear friend Adina introduced to the entire group her lifelong friend, the Romanian poet, Monica Pillat and recited one of her works, called “Mergeam prin Balcic“ (the entire poem is published, in original, in the comments section). 

Portrait: Monica PILLAT
Dr. Monica Pillat is professor of English & American Literature, writer, poet, literary critic & editor, just to name a few of her beautiful professional achievements.
In the comments section I am posting few biographical notes, as publicly circulated by Humanitas Editorial House.

To our further delight, our evening together continued with the presentation of Sandu, who introduced us a book called “Toward the heights of success (The happiness formula) “, written by Pavel Corutz. Needless to say how exited everyone became when Sandu was kind to share that happiness is something we all can learn, emphasizing that after all happiness is a choice. The concept in itself ignited an interesting series of conversations, which definitively will continue to some extent during our future sessions.
At this point, our dear friend Adina, who is also a PhD. in neurobiology, confirmed that from a scientific stand point, neuropathic highways could be modified by proper thinking.
Also, a number of applied psychology remarks ensued from the entire group and the name of Jordan Peterson surfaced (Dr. Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist, a renowned professor of psychology and public speaker).   

Then our friend Ileana further elaborated on some psychological aspects of our modern society, highlighting the contemporary trends of personality transformations. Later, in order to remain true to our topic of the day, the current summer season, Ileana recited for us all the poem “Vara la tara“, by George Toparceanu (the entire poem is published, in original, in the comments section). 

Next, our friend Lidia recited the poem “Cine poate sti“, by Ana Blandiana, who is a Romanian poet, essayist, and political figure, considered one of the leading contemporary authors (the entire poem is published, in original, in the comments section).

Last, but not least, our friend Camelia recited the poem “Zi de vara“, by George Toparceanu (the entire poem is published in the comments section).

After all the presentations were delivered, I was very pleased to congratulate two of our dear friends who just recently (only few weeks ago) became grannies; a bunch of good wishes were neatly written in the greetings cards our two friends were gifted with.

Without any doubt, time was flying by very fast. We wrapped up the evening together with light refreshments, snacks many of us brought, and lengthy conversations.

As things nicely unfolded during the time we spent together, once again I realized how delightful and nourishing could be to spend time with like-minded people; the instant synergy that is created during our group conversations always is warming up our hearts from inside out and that in itself is truly beautiful!

Anyhow, once again, by this note as well, I’m extending my sincere appreciation to my dear friends who were able & willing to put few hours aside so we could meet at the end of another long week to discuss poetry, summer journals, national history, society trends, cultural movements & life in general. Kudos to each of them! 
Till we meet again, my best greetings to all!
Alice

“Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.“ 

This event has been delivered in Romanian Language, featuring Romanian culture. 

About SIMPLICITY

According to many, simplicity is the state of being simple (but not 'empty' or meaningless); concisely speaking, it is the ability of one to express in a plain while orderly manner. 

From an advanced perspective, simplicity implies living with very few personal possessions while letting go of consumerism, which significantly changes the approach to life.

For some people, simplicity is the main theme of existence, which allows focusing with clarity and purpose on the essential core rather than getting lost into traps or any interference.
Over centuries simplicity has been associated with happiness, all leading to a long and fulfilling life.
Further on this topic, here is a short tale, which makes it for a nice, quick reading. Enjoy!

Short tale: “Socrates and the Marketplace”

True philosopher that he was, Socrates believed that the wise person would instinctively lead a frugal life. Himself would not even wear shoes, yet he fell under the spell of the marketplace and would go there often to look at all the wares on display. When one of his friends asked him why, Socrates said: "I love to go there and discover how many things I am perfectly happy without."

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” (Leonardo da Vinci)

A story for anyone who's not quite perfect

Dear ones,

Recently I came across this short story, which I would like to share with you…I’m very sure most of you already know it…so do I (since childhood), but reading it again, brought into my awareness a whole new meaning for compassion, forgiveness, humbleness, gratitude and ultimately love, which I believe it could be a good refresher for all as we take a quick moment to ponder about life in general. Please, enjoy this light reading!

"THE CRACKED POT: A Story for anyone who's not quite perfect"

Once upon a time, a water bearer had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across her neck; one of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect, and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.
The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot, in comparison, was deeply ashamed of its own imperfection, and truly miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream: 
"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said. 

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.'
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming, beautiful wild flowers on one side of the path, and this cheered it some. 
But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half of its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. 

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?
"That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I benefited from it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate our table. Without you being just the way you are, we would not have this beauty to grace our house."

MORAL: Each of us has unique flaws; in varied way/s, we're all are some sort of cracked pots, but it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding...we've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them, because it is a lot of good out there.

On the road to perfection, often we forget about the flowers from our side of the path, which bring their own fragrance to the journey…please take a moment to observe them, to think about them, spend more time to analyze them and suddenly you will realize that a new dialogue is unfolding – a dialogue between you and yourself, which has the potential of bringing answers to many unspoken questions. 

 “This is the very perfection of a man - to find out his own imperfections.” (Saint Augustine)

Excerpt from a summer journal

Summer – a time to relax and replenish...a wonderful season which allows unwinding or leisure travelling with loved ones, gardening or eventually walking barefoot on the green grass, sun bathing or sun gazing (at sun rise or sunset), attending varied outdoor festivals /activities, or a time just to simply cherish peaceful moments of rest in warm stillness.

For instance, describing the feelings of sincere joy and gratitude happening in my heart during a stroll on the beach at the sunset can’t be put into words, but definitively are making for a powerful relaxing experience, with a lasting reverberation.  

On the other hand, it has been observed that peaceful walks in nature during summer time can heighten our attention toward each step we take (either horizontally or vertically, metaphorically speaking) making us feel more present and appreciative at the same time.  

Without any doubt, summer is the perfect time of the year to enjoy the rejuvenating green colors of the blooming flora, while expressing sincere gratitude for all the miracles of creation as nature is spoiling us all with such a fertile bounty and truly splendid sunlight. 

Wishing you a pleasant season!

"If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere." (Vincent van Gogh)

July 1, 2019: CANADA Day

CANADA DAY is a statutory holiday, which celebrates the 'birth' of Canada. 
From a historical perspective, I'm refreshing that on July 1, 1867, Canada became a new federation with its own constitution by signing the Constitution Act – formerly known as the 'British North America Act'. 

CANADA is one of the planet's most comfortable and caring societies. The United Nations Human Development Index cited the country as "the most desirable place in the world to live." (source: Time Magazine) 

Happy CANADA DAY,
dear fellow Canadians! 

National Anthem: ‘O Canada’ – audio

June 21, 2019: SUMMER Solstice

Without any delay, I’m extending to all my friends a bunch of peaceful greetings for a wonderful summer….hope the season brings you joy!

A short scientific briefing on SUMMER SOLSTICE:

“Summer Solstice” is a planetary event, noticed by everyone throughout the entire world, occurring this year on June 21^st – an instance which marks the longest day of the year and the beginning of the astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere. At this time the Sun is most powerful, but after the Solstice, days will start to get shorter & shorter…meanwhile, all is green & growing – a beautiful celestial reminder of the perpetual miracle of creation. 
Additionally, during the summer time, since the earliest days of the human civilization on Earth (according to a number of various historians) a large number of festivals, outdoor activities and events are happening celebrating many facets of existence, leading to a colorful, joyful and relaxed sense of community. 

                       SUMMER (by Antonio Vivaldi) – audio

June 16, 2019: Happy FATHER's Day!

I would like to acknowledge “Father's Day” (celebrated on this part of the world this year on June 16), which is an un-official holiday, meant to celebrate all the fathers, while honoring their contribution in raising children.

June 1, 2019 – INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN's Day

At this time, I would like to acknowledge “International Children’s Day” – a day which yearly is internationally recognized on June 1^st by a number of countries in the world with the purpose of drawing the attention of different governments and organizations across the globe to children’s issues.

Alice’s Book Club – SPRING session of 2019

Spring is almost over, but today (Friday – May 24’19) I was glad to meet at a public library with a group of friends for our seasonal book club. 

This time we began our evening together with light refreshments and small talks while listening to soft classical music with a spring theme. Indeed, delightful and peaceful moments of togetherness, camaraderie and settling cheer. 

After that we continued with focused conversations and the novel discussed this time was “The Camino“, by Shirley MacLaine, unanimously voted by the entire group during the past season. 

In essence, THE CAMINO is a book about a famous pilgrimage that has been taken by people for centuries called the Santiago de Compostela Camino, across northern Spain. 

“The Santiago Camino has been traversed for thousands of years by saints, sinners, generals, misfits, kings and queens. It is done with the intent to find one's deepest spiritual meaning and resolutions regarding conflicts in Self - from the Introduction Shirley MacLaine is far more than a Hollywood legend - for the last three decades she has continued with her brave and public commitment to chronicling her personal quest for spiritual understanding. A truly inspirational woman, Shirley was prompted to take part in the annual pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain after receiving two anonymous letters imploring her to take the difficult trip. In her mid-sixties, Shirley managed to finish the nearly 500-mile trek in only thirty days - a phenomenal achievement. Throughout history, many illustrious pilgrims from all over Europe have taken up the trail, from St Francis of Assisi to Dante and Chaucer. Now it is Shirley's turn. With rich insight, humility and her trademark grace, Shirley MacLaine gently leads us through the range of astonishing and liberating visions and revelations that are revealed to her as she walked the pilgrimage.“

For your convenience, in the comments section below I’m including the brief summary that has been circulated by few publishing houses.

Without any doubt, this book presented us an interesting conversational theme, based on which lots of personal perspectives emerged during our evening talks.

At the end, the thought we each were left with was that life is a precious gift and constantly we need to analyze ourselves, while adjusting as needed.

As usual, the time we spent together flew by very fast, and once again the commitment to continue with our gatherings was reinforced by the entire group. 

Also, while at this page, I would like to extend my most sincere appreciation to these dear friends, who planned well ahead of time their agenda of the day, efficiently rescheduling a number of last minute changes and marched through several unexpected life situations so we all could meet for a few hours in order to have a pleasant time amongst books, while discussing interesting concepts. Kudos to each of them for their determination!

Until we meet again, I’m wishing you a wonderful rest of spring!
Warm regards,
Alice

“The journey of a lifetime starts with the turning of a page.“

May 2019: Happy MOTHER’s Day!

~ Wishing all mothers out there to feel loved & appreciated! ~

“Mother’s Day” marks a special moment when we can unite our efforts in celebrating all the mothers in the world, while each of us could express at the same time the personal gratitude for our own mother, for her devotion and for her true unconditional love, which is profound, noble and absolutely beautiful!

Motherhood has the greatest potential to influence the human life.

Mother's Day Song: “A Mother's Love”  – audio

1 Year Anniversary of ALICE & FRIENDS CIRCLE™

                        Romanian literary evening featuring 1^st year anniversary of ALICE & Friends Circle™

On Friday (May 3’19) I was very happy to gather with a group of dear friends at a public library to celebrate the current spring time as well as the 1^st Year Anniversary of ALICE & Friends Circle™.

Our evening together began with a round of brief introductions around the circle, as new friends are joining us. Also, we all were pleased to have with us again 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 us a renewed message, re-emphasizing the importance of effective communication and co-operation, reminding as well that the good we do now will benefit the next generation/s to come. Heart-warming indeed!

Further, our program continued with a number of presentations featuring the current spring season. Additionally, each of my guests that evening shared with the group the relevance of our gatherings; in essence, what does it mean for each of them to put aside few hours, once in a while, to meet with the group to discuss subjects that are not necessarily part of the everyday talks, such as poetry, literature, biographies, arts, cultural trends, personal life changing experiences & much more. All the thoughts my friends shared openly that evening really made my heart sing, realizing once again how blessed we are to be able to have genuine heart to heart conversations & brain to brain discussions, in this consumerist world, when a significant number of people are focusing more on ‘having’ rather than ‘being’.
Subsequently, our conversations were followed by a traditional Romanian song (called 'La multi ani!'), time when we raised our glasses with (non-alcoholic) champagne, toasting for togetherness, happiness, good health, prosperity and peaceful longevity!

After that I was truly honoured to receive from Dr. Grecea the Romania’s 100 anniversary medal for my continuous community work, which reminded me that 

coming together is a beginning, keeping together is a progress and working together is a success.

While at this page, I would like to say that the success of “Alice & Friends” initiative is something I’m happy to share with my loyal and supportive friends who are part of this circle…my success is their success and their success is my success. Unity is strength.

Then we continued our evening together with another Romanian traditional custom, called ‘egg tapping' (aka 'egg knocking') since the May 3’19 is also known as the ‘Bright Friday' (being the next week after the Orthodox Easter)…again, another joyful occasion to honor our roots, our traditions and our ancestors. 
Last but not least, we also commented on two coming local holidays – Mother’s Day (on May 12'19) & Father’s Day (on June 16'19) extending our greetings. 

As usual, we concluded our evening together with a large variety of light refreshments we each brought for the occasion, good camaraderie, as well as prolonged conversations among beautiful friends, with good hearts, whose common denominator is the passion for arts, culture as well as heritage and ancestral traditions. 
We all had a great time together and once again, I would like to express my most sincere appreciation to all these dear friends, who at the end of another long week they each took the time to join the group for few hours to share thoughts and to enjoy the companionship of each other, which I find truly heart touching.

Until our paths will meet again on this wavelength, I’m sending along a new bunch of best wishes to each of my friends for a wonderful rest of spring!
Sincerely,
Alice

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

Draga Alice, La Mulți Ani, încă o data, pentru acest destoinic și interesant proiect pe care l-ai gândit, muncit și transpus în practică, împreună cu niște personalități adevărate și reprezentative ale comunității românilor-canadieni din Vancouver. A fost o reală plăcere pentru mine și soția mea Liliana, nu neapărat ca oficiali de la consulat, ci ca niște oameni normali, cu simț românesc și dragoste de țara lor, cu respect față de țara care i-a primit și în care muncesc dar mai ales, față de aceste minunate doamne și minunați domni care se străduiesc să păstreze filonul indestructibil al ființei românești, pe aceste meleaguri canadiene. Interesant este faptul că, “Alice & Friends” nu este un grup strict elitist sau închis, azi ne-am bucurat că tânăra generație s-a arătat interesată și participativă, la atât de sincerul, frumosul și dătătorul de speranțe, subiect/tematică din această seară minunată, “primăvara” în sufletele, percepția, amintirile și exprimările celor prezenți iar “pruncul” de 1 an, botezat “Alice & Friends” a început să meargă pe propriile-i picioare, să reușească a se exprima și impune, ca un viitor pilon existențional și reprezentativ al comunității, al iubitorilor de cultura, de reflexie și de respect față de România și Canada. Noi încercăm să transmitem un mesaj cât mai direct și profund, cu condescendența și dorința de bine față de românii-canadieni din provincia British Columbia, de a se regăsi, reevalua și iniția formulele organizatorice și de manifestare propice, ca o comunitate puternică, unită, cu adânci tradiții în Canada și care în multiculturalismul și oportunitățile de afirmare de pe aceste meleaguri, să-și regăsească chintesența funcțională și adevăratul nivel de reprezentativitate, față de celelalte comunități integrate în societatea canadiană. Comunitatea românilor-canadieni are un potențial enorm și valori deosebite, de necontestat, important este ca acestea să se adune și să acționeze pragmatic, concret și eficient pentru binele comunității și al tinerei generații. Felicitări, mulțumiri, mult succes și cu speranțe de bine, te îmbrățișăm cu drag, Liliana și Ovidiu Grecea

*Domnul Ovidiu Grecea este Consul General şi Ministru Plenipotenţiar al României la Vancouver

Time is not measured by clocks, but by special moments.

This event has been delivered in Romanian Language, featuring Romanian culture. 

April 22, 2019: INTERNATIONAL EARTH Day

International Earth Day  is celebrated across the entire globe today (April 22), and the purpose of this is to raise awareness among people in regards to environmental issues which surround the world today.

Now, what is your ‘green’ inspiration to keep the Earth clean? A good example could be: REDUCE, RE-USE, RECYCLE, so you could make 'Earth Day' every day.
Also, I believe that teaching our children how to live green is the best way to change the world.

April 2019: Happy EASTER!

EASTER (Pascha) – a symbol of hope, revival & new life…wishing you a blessed time with your loved ones!

Also, at this time, early greetings to all my Romanian friends who will celebrate this holiday a week later.  
💮 HAPPY EASTER! 💮 PAŞTE FERICIT! 💮 FROHE OSTERN! 💮 ΠΆΣΧΑ! 💮 JOYEUSES PÂQUES! 💮 BUONA PASQUA! 💮