Group celebration – ROMANIA’s NATIONAL DAY 2021

~ A yearly Romanian socio-cultural evening featuring Romania’s National Day ~ 

As the wheel of time is turning once again, we were glad to welcome a new December 1^st, occasion which gave us all the opportunity to bring our annual tribute while celebrating together Romania’s National Day (on Wednesday – December 1, 2021).

This time, I also chose the ‘on-line’ option for my event, given that out there a pandemic related anxiety is still sensed by many.

At this reunion, once again, I enjoyed having with us a dear guest of honor – Dr. Ovidiu Grecea, who is the General Consul of Romania and the Head of the Romanian Diplomatic Mission in Vancouver, as well as Plenipotentiary Minister of Romania in Canada.

After my opening remarks were delivered, the program began with the Romanian Anthem (since we were honoring Romania's National Day), promptly followed by the Canadian Anthem (since this is our county of adoption) – needless to say that those musical notes deeply touched our hearts!

Then, I proceeded with a concise slide show I’ve prepared for the occasion, meant to emphasize the uniqueness of Romania and I was truly happy to hear from all my guests that they really enjoyed and much appreciated my lecture; their in plenary remarks were very flattering for me.

On the other hand, most of you know that my website is read by many Romanians, as well as many fellow Canadians, friends and professional colleagues, let alone lots of friends from around the world, & as a courtesy to all, in order to help my readers learn more about Romania, below I’m publishing my presentation. Enjoy it!

Further, the program progressed with Consul Grecea’s talk who emphasized the significance of unity, refreshing that “union brings the real growth – intellectual, moral and spiritual, as well as the continuity of the Romanian spirit in Vancouver”.

Consul Grecea also recited a splendid poem, composed by Nichita Stănescu, which I’m publishing in comments section.

Next, almost every guest of our gathering expressed different heart-felt remarks about our homeland, and here are only few highlights:

- Our dear friend Dorina talked about Dr. Victor Babeș (who was a Romanian physician, bacteriologist, academician and professor, as well as one of the founders of modern microbiology). Dr. Babeș introduced rabies vaccination in Romania, only three years after its initiation by Louis Pasteur, and he is considered to be the second radiologist in the world (after Pasteur), as well as the father of serotherapy (precursor to modern immunology). In recognition of his innovative work in medicine, Dr. Babeș was elected member of the French “Académie nationale de médecine” and received three times the award of the “French Academy of Sciences”. Likewise, he was awarded the title of Knight of the “Legion of Honor”.

Additionally, Dorina mentioned few heroes of the nation (men & women), recalling their enormous courage, sacrifices, defeats and cherished victories over time.

Also, since the current year almost reached its completion and many people have an overall review analysis, our dear friend Dorina wrote an article (here is the link) for “Observatorul” Magazine from Toronto, including a descriptive paragraph about the activities of ALICE & Friends Circle™ during 2021. Definitively, a beautiful gesture deeply appreciated! 

- After that, our friend Sandu gave a descriptive summary of his mentor from a personal perspective – an angle that very few people knew the man Pavel Corutz (who recently transitioned).

- Then our friend Victor brought into conversation several well-known Romanians, who brought significant contributions to humanity, and these are:
● Dr. Ioan Cantacuzino (a renowned Romanian physician, bacteriologist, & professor at the School of Medicine & Pharmacy of the University of Bucharest),
● Dr. Nicolae Paulescu (who was a Romanian physiologist, professor of medicine, and politician, most famous for his work on diabetes, including patenting pancreine, which is a pancreatic extract containing insulin), and
● Dr. Mina Minovici (a Romanian forensic scientist, the founder of the modern medico-legal system in Romania; he was one of the most prominent personalities in this field of activity in Europe at that time).

- Further, our friend John reminded several famous Romanians, and these are:
● Dr. Gheorghe Marinescu (who was a pioneer and founder of the Romanian School of Neurology),
● Emil Racoviță (who was a Romanian biologist, zoologist, speleologist, and Antarctic explorer, who together with
● Grigore Antipa ( who was one of the most noted promoters of natural sciences in Romania), and
● Dr. Emil Palade (who was a Romanian cell biologist, described as the most influential cell biologist ever. Dr. Palade was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his innovations in electron microscopy and cell fractionation which together laid the foundations of modern molecular cell biology).

- Last but not least, Ileana briefly mentioned the chronology of Romania's national anthems throughout history and at the end she did recall Badea Cârțan (who was a self-taught Romanian shepherd who fought for the independence of the Romanians in Transylvania, distributing Romanian-language books that he secretly brought from Romania to their villages. At that time Transylvania was not yet united with the rest of the country).

Our time together was pleasing in every way, making each of us realize how important and beneficial it is to surround ourselves with like-minded people.

Without any doubt, we all had a lovely evening together, abundantly filled with fond memories and special moments, and for this I’m passing along my genuine appreciation to each of my guests.

Until we meet again, dear friends, my best wishes to each of you for a peaceful and satisfying rest of the year!

Alice

Mesaj personal din partea lui Alice, adresat în limba română, la ceas aniversar:

Dragii mei,

Sincerele mele mulţumiri pentru timpul petrecut împreună cu această ocazie specială – Ziua Naţională a României, pe anul 2021!

A fost o reală plăcere să putem depăna amintiri de suflet, să evocăm mari oameni ai neamului nostru şi să aducem un prinos de recunoştinţă strămoşilor de la care am dobândit înţelepciunea, integritatea, verticalitatea, demnitatea şi respectul cinstit pentru valori şi repere, pentru cultură şi tradiţii.

De asemenea, tot cu această ocazie doresc să-mi exprim certa bucurie şi pentru faptul că în acest context putem colabora cu eleganţă, lejeritate şi eficacitate, unindu-ne eforturile pentru a păstra şi promova o imagine potrivită ţării de obârşie – România! Vă mulţumesc şi pâna la proxima revedere, vă doresc la fiecare numai bine, pace şi bucurii!

Cu preţuire,

Alice

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” AliceFriendsCircle.blogspot.com

One world – many cultures…the perfect opportunity to celebrate our similarities & respect our differences, remembering that history is the best guide to the future!

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

Also, while at this page, here I’m briefly sharing that this year (on Romania’s National Day), the Romanian Consulate in Vancouver through Consul Grecea offered a number of appreciation diplomas to several Romanians from the community for their contribution to Romanian culture and I was grateful to be one of them. 

● Previous events I organized on the same theme: ROMANIA's NATIONAL Day – 2020, 2019, 2018
● Some of my greetings referring to ROMANIA's NATIONAL Day – 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 

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). 

December 1, 2021: Romania’s National Day

On December 1^st is Romania’s National Day (also known as "The Great Union Day"), occasion which gives us all a sense of national pride given the history behind the regions that are now united under the same flag! Many events are organized throughout the entire country (in Romania) this day (lots of military parades & religious ceremonies), with all eyes being on Bucharest (the capital city) as well as Alba Iulia (this is the city where the Great Union declaration was signed).

This is also a good moment to honor the richness of the Romanian culture, by reminiscing on the past circumstances while marveling at how far this nation has come.

With much anticipation, at this time of the year, I’m sending along my best regards to my fellow Romanians, wishing them peace, good health, wisdom & prosperity!

● Additional background info:

          ARTICLE: “Romania celebrates two national holidays: St. Andrew’s Day and Great Union Day”

          ARTICLE: “Works of Romanian artists to discover or revisit this National Day”
● My previous greetings on the same theme: ROMANIA's NATIONAL Day – 2020, 2019, 2018
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). 

November 11, 2021: REMEMBRANCE Day

Each year, on November 11^th is “Remembrance Day” (aka “Veterans’ Day” or “Memorial Day”), which is a good occasion to bring to people’s attention past significant historical moments & at the same time to reflect, to honor & evoke all those who served their countries with courage, dignity & devotion....lest we forget...

● CANADIAN highlights, filled with words of respect and...remembrance...
- The solider behind 'In Flanders Fields' (short documentary done by CBC News, and published under 'The National')   |   “In Flanders Fields” (youth choir)

- “In Flanders Fields”, by John McCrae (poem recited by Leonard Cohen)
● ROMANIAN highlights, filled with words of respect and...remembrance...
- An old Romanian patriotic song (Corul Armatei Române – “Pui de lei“) | Another well-known Romanian patriotic song (“Treceți batalioane române Carpații“)
- A short documentary called “Romania“
● My previous greetings on the same theme: REMEMBRANCE Day – 2020, 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). 

Alice’s Book Club – AUTUMN session of 2021

     Special edition – live session with Dr. John S. & M. Saber
     ~ exclusively for ALICE & Friends Circle™ ~

On Thursday (November 4, 2021) I was very happy to be able to organize the autumnal edition of my seasonal book club series, which is also the last session of the current year, and the topic discussed was covering stress & mental health. 

Aside of that, given the lingering shadow of a prolonged austerity in public communities and in order to avoid any unnecessary stress, I’ve decided to continue with the on-line option for my cultural events.

At this gathering, I had 2 special guest speakers – Dr. John S. & M. Saber, who professionally covered the chosen theme from a medical perspective.

As usual, ahead of time, I gave my book club participants 2 concise reading materials (first called, ”The Stress”, published by ”Cleveland Clinic”, USA, and the second one, called, ”Fundamentals of Mental Health”, published by ”US Department of Health & Human Services” – Washington, D.C.) conjugated with few audio links – all contributing to the conversation of the evening.  

The guest speakers of the evening delivered very interesting presentations, backed up with lots of valuable scientific points, including ample explanations and illustrations (all picked from the encountered casuistry incorporated into professional studies and from reference medical manuals), as well as practical tips.  

For your convenience, below I will share only few main concepts while respecting the confidentiality of the personal aspects discussed, as well as several highlights extracted from consecrated professional studies on these matters.

About STRESS:

- It has been reminded that stress is a normal reaction the body has when different changes occur, resulting in physical, emotional and intellectual responses

- Few categories of stress were mentioned, and these are: the acute stress (manifesting in small doses), the episodic acute stress (which is more frequent in people’s lives) and the chronic stress (which is the one that becomes permanent); it is important for each person to be able to identify which one is affecting his or her life

- Effective stress management techniques are available, provided by well-established medical institutions, and could help everyone deal with stressful situations in a healthy manner

- A certain amount of stress actually could be positive, keeping people alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger, but it becomes a real problem when stress factors continue to exist without any periods of relaxation

- Stress in itself is subjective and only the person experiencing it could say whether it is present and how severe it feels

- According to published medical studies, physical symptoms of stress include: aches and pains; chest pain or a feeling like your heart is racing; exhaustion or trouble sleeping; headaches, dizziness or shakiness; high blood pressure; muscle tension or jaw clenching; stomach or digestive problems; trouble having a balanced life; weak immune system

-  As stated by many doctors, prolonged stress could lead to emotional & mental symptoms, like: anxiety or irritability; depression; panic attacks; chronic sadness

- Here are few simple, effective and very well-known strategies you could use to relief stress, freely shared by many doctors, therapists, coaches, teachers, trainers: laugh, dance or exercise when you feel the symptoms of stress coming on (at times, even a short walk could boost your mood); at the end of each day, take a moment to reiterate what you have accomplished (without emphasizing the things you didn’t get the chance to do yet); set goals for your day, week, month (writing them on a piece of paper and narrowing them will help you feel more in control of your time and agenda)

- We all know that it is much better to prevent rather than treat a condition, so here are few tips that may help you prevent stress, as distributed by specialists: try relaxation activities (such as praying, meditation, breathing practice, muscle relaxation, etc.); take good care of your body on a daily basis (by eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep); stay positive by practicing gratitude (acknowledge the good aspect/s in your day or life); accept that you can’t control everything and find ways to let go of worries about situations you can’t change; learn to say “no” to additional responsibilities when you are already too busy or too stressed; stay connected with people who keep you calm, make you happy and provide the emotional support you need (a family member, a friend or a neighbour could always be a good listener so your stress level won’t become alarming), but if you feel overwhelmed, you need to talk to your doctor.

About mental health:

- Untreated stress could lead to mental health problems and disorders

- According to reputable medical studies, early warning signs of mental issues include: eating or sleeping too much or too little; having low or no energy at all; feeling numb or like nothing matters any longer; feeling helpless or hopeless; feeling often confused, forgetful, angry, upset, worried, or scared; yelling and fighting with family and friends; experiencing severe mood swings; hearing voices or believing things that are not true; thinking of harming yourself or others; inability to perform the required daily tasks

- A healthy, positive mental health allows people to realize their full potential in life, to cope well with the stress of life in general, to work productively, and to make meaningful contributions to their communities

- Few suggestions on how to maintain a positive mental health include: seek professional help when you need it; stay connected with others; stay positive; get physically active on a daily basis; help others and have enough sleep

- Studies have shown that people with mental health problems get better and many recover completely; the recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and fully participate in their communities

- There are lots of treatments, services, and community support systems than ever before, and they do work well.

Our time together went by smoothly and swiftly, leaving each of us with a pleasant feeling of peace and mutual understanding.

Additionally, here is a little composition I've put together a while ago relating to stress….enjoy it!

Few suggestions from elders to overcome STRESS

Wrapping up my briefing, once again I’m expressing my most sincere appreciation to these dear friends who promptly accepted my invitation for the evening and kindly shared with our group their personal perspectives, experiences, thoughts and hopes for the future.  

Until next time, my best regards to all!

Alice

“The natural healing force within each of us is the greatest force in getting well.” (Hippocrates)

October 2021 – Message for THANKSGIVING Day

Thanksgiving – the perfect occasion of the year to be grateful for all the things we each have in life. Despite of all what is going on in the world these days, please be reminded that there is always, always something to be thankful for! Wishing you all a beautiful day, dear friends!

“Thanksgiving is a time of togetherness and gratitude.”

● My previous greetings on the same theme: THANKSGIVING Day – 2020, 2019, 2018

September 22, 2021: Happy AUTUMN, dear friends!

Dear friends, today (September 22’21) is the first day of autumn (also known as the autumnal equinox) and
at this time of the year I wish you appreciate this special sense of comfort, the warmth of your house and the reflection this season brings along.  

Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.

Autumn (a video clip with soft classical music)

● My previous greetings on the same theme: AUTUMNAL Equinox – 2020, 2019, 2018

September 21, 2021: INTERNATIONAL PEACE Day

“The International Day of Peace (‘Peace Day’) is observed around the world each year on September 21^st. Established in 1981 by a unanimous United Nations resolution, “Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace”. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations & people. 

The theme for 2021 is “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World”.

●  Additional resource details: UNITED NATIONS – International Peace Day 2021

Alice’s Book Club – SUMMER session of 2021

Special edition – live session with Dr. Diana Ionescu

~ exclusively for ALICE & Friends Circle™ ~ 

The beautiful summer we all enjoyed so much is almost over, but before it completes, on Thursday (September 16, 2021) I was truly happy to be able to organize my seasonal book club session (the summer edition of the current year), and the theme of the evening was wellbeing.  

Since the social austerity still hovers around, as a precautionary measure, and for everybody’s convenience, I’ve decided to continue with the online option for my events.

At this gathering, I was delighted to have a special guest speaker – Dr. Diana Ionescu, who is a very dear friend of mine for almost 24 years.

Dr. Ionescu, MD, FRCP(C), FCAP, is a Consultant Pathologist BCCA, the Medical Head of Anatomical Pathology at BC Cancer Laboratory; she is also the Medical Director of Clinical Trials (at BCCA Laboratories), as well as Clinical Professor at UBC (UBC Department of Pathology, BC Cancer Agency); for your reference, her professional biography is published in comments section.

That evening, Dr. Ionescu offered us all a very interesting presentation, with valuable points ranging from a very well-researched medical perspective, associated with lots of professional tips, reference resources, and personal viewpoints (for your convenience, several reference links are published in comments section).

Our time together was well spent, being garnished with lots of questions based on the presentation of the evening as well as lots of individual experiences, openly shared. 
Prior to our meeting, I gave to my book club members 2 brief reading materials (one issued by Berkeley University of California and the other by “Psychology Today”) concisely talking about ‘wellbeing’, which contributed to our conversation of the evening.  
Also, in the audience that evening briefly sharing his views was our friend Mihai S., who is medically involved with the well-known Canadian institution called "Fraser Health Authority".

On the other hand, due to confidentiality, I won’t share publicly the many personal aspects that were discussed, but from an educational stand point I will mention only few concepts of general interest (some of these concepts might be familiar to you, or some might not), and here they are:

- It is not what happened to you, but rather how do you respond to it (remember the famous saying: “life if 10% of what happens and 90% of how you react to it”?)

- It is very important to remember that we have the power to choose what life we want to live (it is all about the way you perceive it, it is all a matter of mentality)

- You can’t control the external factors, but you can control yourself (the way you respond or react determines the quality of your life)

- If you are overwhelmed, ask for help because there are many valuable resources that could improve your state of wellbeing tremendously

- Many times in life we can’t change the inevitable, so the only thing we could do is to adjust our attitude

- There are many effective methods to improve your wellbeing, such as: dancing, journaling, practicing kindness, different sports, spending time in nature, socializing (spending more quality time with your family and friends), etc., etc., etc.

Because our talks were vivid and truly meaningful, somehow it felt again that time wasn’t sufficient, so at our future meetings we might revisit this subject again.

Also, for your convenience and as time allows it, here I’m bringing to your attention two materials I've put together some time ago, relating to this topic:

“The ‘art’ of WELLBEING” & “Be well, be happy…”

Meanwhile, my sincere appreciation to all those dear friends who promptly and enthusiastically responded my call and were able to join our group.

Warm regards,

Alice

“Health is more than the absence of disease. It is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing.”

Be well, be happy…

More often than not, multiple situations remind us to live in the present, to appreciate more, to love more, to be better (with ourselves and with those around us), to laugh more, to enjoy the beauty of nature and (last but not least) to remember “TO BE”, rather than working hard in order “TO HAVE”.

Here are some additional thoughts…enjoy this light reading!

Why some people are happy and others are not? Simple. 

Because some people choose to be happy and others choose to always be concerned about what they lack.

Because some choose to see the beauty of everything and others remain eternally dissatisfied with the thought of what might happen in the future, losing the essence of the momentary thing.

Because some really live, putting soul into everything they do, while others are superficial, cold and selfish.

Because some are looking for their place, while others do everything in such a way as to create their own place, in which to develop harmoniously!

Because some seek happiness in money, while others build their own lives and happiness around people.

Because some choose to be human, while others dehumanize themselves every day in search of a perfect life, painted by opportunities, so that they could control other people!

Because some choose to find themselves and discover their vocation, while others get lost (lack of vision).

Because some understand that a purity of a thought is truly important and in one's own life automatically influences the world around them. The fact is that often society is just a reflection of your personality.

May we never forget that we are truly well as long as we are healthy, happy, and surrounded by wonderful, loving, people.