2 Years Anniversary of ALICE & Friends Circle™

A literary evening celebrating the 2^nd Year Anniversary of ALICE & Friends Circle™ 

as well as Spring, Friendship, Hope...and Mother's Day 

Given that the entire world these days is still facing an unprecedented situation, on Monday (May 4, 2020) I organized a teleconferenced gathering together with a small group of loyal friends so we could celebrate together the 2^nd anniversary of “Alice & Friends Circle” as well as few other subjects.

Definitively it was different that I would’ve imagine happening, but I was glad we were able to connect with the available ones and have some heart to heart talks.  

Before the theme of the evening was fully approached, I was presenting my guests with a well-known Romanian composition called “Balada” (by Ciprian Porumbescu). We all love Porumbescu’s music, and no matter how many times we listen to it, the notes still bring upon our hearts lasting peace and a special joy, which re-connects us with our roots. 

Further, the program of the evening continued with a number of personal impressions, sonnets, poems (personal compositions or written by renowned poets), legendary quotes issued by famous thinkers, as well as life stories and memories from the recent or from the distant past.

Also, while at this point, I would like to emphasize yet again (as I’ve done many times before) the importance of communication (in any way, shape or form we could afford it) as it brings people together, closer to each other, while bridging the gap (between them) and at the same time allowing the flow of information and understanding to occur freely (of course, between them).

Now, back to our gathering, just to give you a general idea about the discussions in focus, below I will enumerate several points:

Our dear friend Dorina recited the sonnet called “A revenit frumoasa primavara”, by Alexandru Vlahuta (published in comments section), followed by Teodor (who recited several personal compositions, and some of them are called  “Craiasa Primavara”, “Paste”, “Invierea” & few more – some are published in comments section) and then Ileana shared with us the poem “Primavara” (by George Toparceanu – also, published in comments section). Few other friends shared personal stories featuring the relevance of spring – in their hearts, lives, perception/s & experiences. After that, I presented my guests with another well-known musical composition, called “E primavara, iarasi primavara” (interpreted by Tudor Gheorghe). Needless to say that shortly after our imagination spread its wings far and wide, bringing back to us dear old memories filled with the refreshing fragrance of the spring flowers, the way we know them.  

Well, this segment of our discussion brought in focus several important aspects, acknowledging how important, rare and noble the true friendship really is, as well as a brief comparative analysis of friendship/s vis-à-vis of the current pandemic and planetary shutdown. Without any doubt, we all agreed that in general, friendships bring more meaning and make our lives more beautiful! 
Some of the related poems are published in comments section.

The conversation gravitating around hope truly emphasized how important it is for each of us not to lose it. You know, even when the sun goes down, stars would still come out. The trying times the entire humanity is going through these days are totally unexpected, but none of us should abandon hope. Once you choose hope, anything is possible!

At this point, I was happy to present my guests with another song, which we all love so dearly, called “Strada sperantei” (interpreted by Corina Chiriac).

As we all know, soon, on this part of the world, people will celebrate Mother’s Day, fact which allowed us to comment on the occasion ahead of time, while honoring each of our mothers. A lot has been shared, a lot has been said and due to the privacy matter I won’t go into specific or personal details, but I just simply want you to be reminded that no matter the age you reach in life, a mother is the only person on Earth who can divide her love among all her children (regardless of age) and each of them still have all her love! There is no role in life that’s more essential than of a mother, and her love will never end - it is there from the beginning, and it will last until the end. Indeed, a mother is a walking miracle! Those friends whose mothers are still alive, are truly blessed! For others, whose mothers departed, we would always honor them to the best that we each can.

After we all finished commenting about our mothers, I was glad to share with the group another well-known song we all love, called “Măicuţă, îţi mulţumesc!” (interpreted by Dan Spătaru).

The time we spent together flew by very quickly and brought back to each of us tons of precious memories! As I’ve already mentioned (few times by now) the given current world-wide shutdown, we couldn’t celebrate this anniversary like we would’ve done otherwise (with festive cake & champagne), but we all agreed to save these treats for the next time we would be able to meet in person. We wrapped up the evening with good cheers, closing with another song, very near and dear to our hearts, called “Veniti, privighetoarea canta” (interpreted by Mirabela Dauer).

Once again, dear friends, many thanks to each of you for being able to join me at this festive time. An anniversary is an occasion to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of the past time spent together and all the hopes for the future. Until next time, my best wishes to each of you!
With much appreciation,
Alice

Mesaj personal din partea lui Alice, adresat la ceas aniversar

Dragii mei,
Si cu aceasta ocazie aduc calde multumiri tuturor celor care au putut participa la intalnirea noastra aniversara!

Implinirea a 2 ani de la nasterea initiativei ALICE & Friends Circle™   este importanta pentru mine si pentru concept in sine, dat fiind ca se petrece intr-un mediu nu neaparat super prietenos….cu toate ca in general romanii au un potential absolut extraordinar, din multe puncte de vedere, totusi noi cu totii stim foarte bine cat de greu se incropesc cu unii dintre ei proiecte comunitare armonioase, pozitive, echilibrate si de durata pe aceste meleaguri.

Faptul ca noi am rezistat 2 ani pe aici, in aceasta formula, este super incurajator si multumesc fiecarui participant pentru sprijinul acordat! Am ajuns pana aici impeuna si mi-a facut o placere absolut deosebita sa exprim acest lucru in plen.
De asemenea, teleconferinta nu este neaparat modul meu favorit de conectare, dar date fiind circumstantele prin care suntem cu totii nevoiti sa trecem am apelat la aceasta alternativa. Este un gen diferit de comunicare, dar totusi o comunicare ce pana la urma reuseste sa transmita ceva….cum ziceam, nu este ideal, dar nici neaparat gol, fad, rece si distant...asa cum este (totusi) ajuta continuitatea si in opinia mea acest lucru conteaza…. nici soarele nu straluceste mereu cu aceeasi caldura / intensitate dar chiar si cea mai pala raza cand o simtim ca ajunge pana la noi ne bucura.  Pe de alta parte, daca mesajul (indiferent cat este el de elaborat sau sumar) pleaca din suflet cu siguranta va ajunge la un alt suflet, acoperind o alta fateta importanta a relatiilor inter-umane. 
Deci, inca odata, dragii mei, SINCERE MULTUMIRI pentru neintrerupta sustinere, participare si colaborare! 
In continuare va doresc numai bine, sanatate, pace si bucurii alaturi de toti cei dragi voua, cat si o primavara calda, inmiresmata si linistita! 

Cu multa apreciere,
Alice
 “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” AliceFriendsCircle.blogspot.com

“One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.” (Seneca)

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

● A previous anniversary of ALICE & Friends Circle™ – 2019
NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

April 22, 2020: INTERNATIONAL EARTH Day

Humanity was always passionate to understand how Earth came into existence, how the entire flora and fauna emerged, and how everything is co-existing in such a balanced manner. Needless to mention, that’s truly fascinating of how Earth is giving us all the resources needed to survive and evolve, encompassing the entire spectrum: from a small flower to a big tree, from a small bug to a giant elephant, and on top of that the multitude of human beings…to each and every life, Earth is offering the necessary resources to nurture, grow and develop. Unfortunately, human being’s greed perturbed the balance of our Earth. The exhaustion of natural resources, colossal level of pollution, and deforestation have rattled the health of Earth and its resources beyond any repair. If the pivotal actions are not taken within reasonable time, things will really go out of hand. 

earth day commenced in 1970 (initially proposed at UNESCO convention in 1969), and currently, this day is celebrated by more than 193 nations of the world.
International earth day is all about rising world’s citizens together to discuss the most challenging issues humanity is facing and finding the most ingenious and sustainable solutions to overcome the existing challenges. On every celebration (each year) a unique and quintessential theme is picked up that covers the challenges humanity faces.

The International earth day 2020 marks the 50 years anniversary of this initiative and the theme is climate action. Currently, the climate change of Earth is the most uphill task to be concerned about and overcome. Small actions, big meaning...protect nature, preserve life! 

Treat the Earth as if your life depends upon it. (Genesis 2:15)

PS

"Nature is speaking" (video)

Given the current world wide situation, I find appropriate to share here a text (which lately has been circulated extensively on many social media platforms), worth paying attention to:

“We fell asleep in one world, and we awoke into another. Suddenly, Disney has lost its magic, Paris is no longer romantic, New York is no longer standing, the Chinese Wall is no longer a fortress, and Mecca is empty.
Hugs and kisses have become weapons, and not to visit your parents and friends become an act of love. Suddenly you realize that power, beauty and money have no value and can’t offer you the oxygen you struggle for.
The planet continues its life and is still beautiful. Only people are put in cages. I think we are sent a message: «You are not really needed. The air, the Earth, the water and the sky are fine. When you return, remember that you are my guests, not my masters.»”

● A previous post on the same theme: INTERNATIONAL EARTH Day – 2019

April 2020: Happy EASTER!

EASTER (Pascha) –  honoring an old tradition while sending along appropriate compliments!

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

● A previous post on the same theme: EASTER – 2019

POSITIVITY: a flaw or a virtue?

In my opinion, positivity is fundamental if you wish to achieve lasting success and happiness in life, but before I delve a bit deeper into this matter, I would like to quickly refresh what positivity means. 

Scholars define positivity as being the capability of looking for solutions, in an optimistic manner, and at the same time being able to focus on making things better while having a positive mind frame. It sounds quite easy, isn’t it?! Yes, it appears to be, but for whatever reason, for many, it seems to be pretty difficult to achieve such a state of mind.
Well, I guess that perhaps not everyone really understands what an optimistic way of thinking is, but, regardless, the subject is really worth pondering upon.

Over time, it has been well documented by many research papers that people with a positive attitude tend to live a more prosperous life, being at the same time more hopeful and enthusiastic. Because positivity is closely linked with confidence, for positive people it would be somehow easier to know what they want and have a pretty clear understanding of how to get that, facts which might lead to a number of significant life changing experiences.

Without any doubt, the power of positive thinking is remarkable in many ways. Positivity is the greatest gift you could offer yourself, which might have an encouraging ripple effect on you and on all around you. A happy, worry-free state of mind, which is always looking at the bright side of life while is focusing on finding viable and ethical solutions, often leads to positive results and successful outcomes.

Aside of that, it has been noted in many circumstances that positive thinking helps tremendously with the improvement of stress management, consequently affecting for good your health and well-being. For more clarity, here are few additional attributes which equate with positivity, with a positive attitude, or with a positive state of mind: optimistic, hopeful, confident, cheerful and bright. A person with a positive mind set could encourage and motivate other people and help them feel good about themselves. In fact, positivity is really a choice, which allows you to be more productive with your work (whatever that might be), properly setting goals and achieving them; being able to accomplish things on a regular basis is enhancing even more your positivity.

Approaching life with a positive attitude is in essence the practice of focusing on the good side in any given situation, which means that one tackles the good & the bad in life with the expectation that in the end things will go well. If positivity is correctly applied in life it turns to be a prised virtue, similar to patience & kindness.

On the other hand, I would like to briefly ring a bell about toxic positivity, which in essence boils down to denial and minimization. Usually such people have the tendency to exaggerate their happiness and optimism across all cases, leading to situations which pre-empt the authenticity of human emotional experience/s.
We all know that life is not always offering only positive experiences and rejecting anything which might trigger negativity could lead to more complications.

For instance, false positivity refers to a test result which tells you a disease or a particular condition is present, when in reality there is no disease. A false positive result is an error, which means the result is not giving the correct information.

Aside of that, forced positivity refers to the concept that sick people need to insistently portray themselves as positive, believing that this will alleviate the problem.
Whatever situation life presents, it is very important to have a clear understanding of what is going on, and act upon accordingly.

Also, dear ones, healthy positivity doesn’t mean ignoring a given problem; it means acknowledging without dwelling in it & looking for positive viable solutions.

In closing of my short expose here, I wold like to quickly emphasize that positivity, correctly applied, helps you cope more easily  with a large array of daily life situations, as it brings optimism into your life and makes it easier to avoid worries and negative thinking.
If you adopt positivism as a way of being, it could bring significant constructive changes into your life, making you happier, brighter and more successful!

Positivity starts by seeing the world with an optimistic, but realistic, vision.

March 19, 2020: SPRING has arrived!

Warm greetings to all on the first day of spring!

Yet again, nature is blooming fragrantly, igniting colorful freshness while bringing along the excitement of endless possibilities…enjoy!

“Spring Waltz” (by Frédéric Chopin) – audio

● A previous post on the same theme: SPRING Equinox – 2019

Alice’s Book Club – WINTER session of 2020

Special edition – live session with author Luminita Aldea

This Friday (March 13’20) I was glad to be able to proceed with the winter session of my book club, having with us the author Luminița Aldea as special guest.
Before I continue with my usual event related briefing, I would like to quickly address a current matter: in response to the present global health situation, for our gathering on March 13, 2020, I carefully reviewed all the updates given by the local municipality

(Fraser Health Authority, BC Centre for Disease Control) for this specific day, as well as the federal Government (Public Health Agency of Canada), and concluded that our gathering for that very evening was in compliance with their recommendations. In addition, I took additional measures (and before the arrival of my invitees, I personally cleaned with alcohol all surfaces and provided all my guests that evening with sanitized hand towels) to help ensure that all participants experience a safe and healthy environment. Aside of that, for that very gathering, we all refrained from hugging or shaking hands, and the frugal snacks brought for the occasion were each separately wrapped.
We all understand that this is a difficult time and taking extra measures (by wiping down the surfaces we get in touch with & encourage anyone who is not feeling 100% well to stay home) is something everyone would benefit from.

We all stay strong and trust that in time this will pass.

Without any doubt, it was a session very different from our usual gatherings, but nonetheless, very special in every way! 

At this meeting we discussed the book "Shifting Sands" & few fragments from the book called "Acasa" ("Home").

Our special guest, brought along a charming positivism, a warm approach, and all blended in nicely and easily, as discussions unfolded.

Portrait: Luminița Aldea 

(As featured by "Suceava News"): Luminiţa Aldea was born in Mălini, but lives in Cornu Luncii, because "I like to live modestly, close to nature, among the trees, flowers and grass and I do not want changes that will wander me from my path", as she confesses.

The writer's debut novel is "Shifting Sands", published in 2005. Then, Luminiţa Aldea wrote the book called "Home", a grandiose project in which "she reveals what the holy notion of <home> means to me and my people", the author shows.

In the novel "Home", Luminiţa Aldea said that she paid her sacred duty to the ancestors, "but I also wrote my will as a toiling of the written letters." "Home" is a captivating book, in which the reader discovers the world of the orphan children, the universe of children raised by the state, in foster homes, where loneliness is also a friend and a foe, an angel and a demon. "Home" was a resounding success. Appeared in a limited edition, it made people from Suceava to sign up on waiting lists, at the Library of Bukovina, so they could borrow the book.

The third novel, an allegory, "How sweet are the bitter fruits", was published in 2014, as a result of "Culture unites Bucovina" campaign.
In the comments section, I’m publishing the links of several interviews author Luminita Aldea had been given over time.

Further, here is a brief synopsis of “Shifting Sands” novel, as circulated by “Goodreads”:
“Essentially a love story that proves love can survive against all odds - even against a tide of adversity which would cause normal humans to give up. This is an emotionally charged story, set at the time which started with the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and Adriana never gives up on finding her first and true love.”

On the other hand, if you wish to order any books author Luminita Aldea wrote, please contact her directly via this email address: aldea_luminita@yahoo.com

Via modern theology, our special guest was able to join us straight from Romania, and in order to be with us for our scheduled 6 pm (PST) meeting, the author had to wake up at 4 am (EET), so we could have a live conversation. Needless to say that the entire audience found her gesture really special!

Then the dialogue with the author launched, and each participant was taking turns in showing thankfulness for the occasion, sharing the impact materials in discussion left on each of them, asking questions and carefully listening to the answers received.

For your information, here I will share only few, rough, concepts (picked from both sides):
- How do you organize yourself and prepare for “writing”? │ When you begin writing, first allow your thoughts to clarify and then put all on paper.

- What is inspiration? │At times inspiration feels like insanity; it feels that you are in such a creative trance, hard for ones around to understand you.

- How do you manage to keep the reader interested in the story, as all the books our guest wrote are extremely captivating? │ All is based on ‘understanding’ …being capable to put yourself in reader’s shoes, and at the same time always being willing to self-improve.

- Where do you find inspiration? │Generally speaking, life situations give us so many opportunities…you just need to keep your eyes open, and at times, listening to music could also help.  
….and the evening nicely continued, while many questions / comments went on, and on, and on….all was good, rich in emotions, and truly fitting….laughing, talking, asking, sharing lead to genuine heart openings, with many sparks of light in the air….and time just simply flew by….

Now, very briefly speaking about music, few names of very well-known fragments of inspiration were given, and below I will list them, as some of us, from the audience, have exactly the same preferences:
-  “We are free now”  (the soundtrack/theme song from the "Gladiator” film), which I simply love it since 2012, when the movie first came into existence!!!

- “The Empire of Angels” (by Thomas Bergersen) 

- “King of the North” (epic Celtic music, by BrunuhVille)

Also, talking about life (from general to specific and the other way around), talking about the main characters from the books in discussion (and not only), comparing life-styles, discussing chances and opportunities, brought us all to an important concept: DESTINY, and here are few fundamental thoughts to ponder upon:
- What is destiny?
- How do you shape it? Can you truly shape it?
- Is really our history our destiny?

- Is our destiny written for us, or by us?
- Often the steps we take to avoid destiny lead us straight to it.
- Is destiny something we wait for or in fact we work for?

Many people believe that destiny is not necessarily a matter of chance, but rather a matter of all the choices we make.

The time we spent together flew by very fast, and as we waved “Good bye!” to our special guest, we all agreed that it would be lovely to visit again, as there are still a lot of important concepts left to discuss. 

We concluded the evening in good spirits, considering that kindness, positivism & good deeds are very important aspects of life, we all need to continue to focus on. 

Dear friends, as these days it feels the world is slowing down and stepping back, I wish you all find strength, listen to good music, study, research and reflect. Continue to offer heart-to-heart smiles, while allowing yourself and your loved ones time to respite, rest and restore.
Alice 

Mesaj primit înspre publicare din partea autoarei Luminița Aldea

Stimată doamnă, Alice,

A fost o onoare și o încântare să particip la întâlnirea cu dumneavoastră și cu invitații dumneavoastră la serata culturală pe care o organizați cu atâta drag. M-am simțit ca între cei mai dragi prieteni, de parcă nu erau între noi oceane, continente și țări. Ochii noștri, cuvintele noastre erau atât de pline de emoție încât eram tentată să întind mâinile și să fiu îmbrățișată.

Mulțumesc tuturor celor ce au participat, mulțumesc tuturor celor ce mi-au împărtășit impresii despre scrisul meu. Înainte de a-mi transmite asta cu cuvintele lor, citeam în ochii invitaților tot ceea ce voiau să-mi transmită și mărturisesc sincer că în ochi era mai mult decât au putut spune cuvintele.

A ținut prea puțin... A fost prea frumos... Am rămas cu un regret și trebuie să vi-l mărturisesc cu riscul că o să vă supărați pe mine, doamnă Alice! Nu a fost destul! Ca să fie destul, la cât drag am simțit față de mine și de scrisul meu, aș fi vrut să mă strângeți tare în brațe toți ca să fie perfect!

Toate cele bune și vă mulțumesc că m-ați invitat la unul din cele mai frumoase evenimente din viața mea!

Luminița Aldea

Choices, Chances, Changes…you must make a CHOICE to take a CHANCE or your life will never CHANGE.

March 8, 2020: Happy INTERNATIONAL WOMEN's Day!

Today, I’m sending along a bunch of warm greetings wishing all my dear girlfriends a wonderful International Women’s Day, filled with lots of special moments!

Ladies, it is your day, fill it with joy and stay grateful!

● A previous post on the same theme: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN's Day (each year on March 8) – 2019

Socializing: 2020 – INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’s Day

A beautiful Friday evening gathering (on March 6'20) when together with good friends we celebrated the elegance & the significance of womanhood. It is recognized all across the world the major contribution women bring to our society – mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, wives – regardless of the role they each play, may we always remember that they each bring with them meaning, love, kindness, and bear life! HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN's DAY!

To all the wonderful women out there: may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them! 

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

● A previous event I organized on the same theme: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’s Day – 2019

● Some of my additional greetings referring to INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’s Day – 2020, 2019   

March 1, 2020: “Mărțișor"

“Mărțișor is an old tradition celebrated all over Romania every year, on March 1^st. This name ('Mărțișor') is a diminutive of March ('martie', in Romanian language), & according to an old custom, it is believed that the person who wears the red & white string, at least that day, would enjoy a good, prosperous & healthy year ahead.
Aside of that, since old times, passing from generation to generation, the Snowdrop flowers are considered spring heralds, everybody would enjoy having nearby.

I wish you have a wonderful day together with your dear ones!

● A previous post on the same theme: “MĂRȚIȘOR” (each year on March 1st) – 2019