MOLDOVA

Ograda e pustie iar

Pustie-i casa parinteasca

Bunelul cu ochii tristi si inlacrimati

Ne-asteapta la fereastra...

     Hello there.

    It's been a while since I didn't wrote a blog, but being a mom and a full-time student was quite challenging. Last year I graduated from college and this Summer I got my first internship in U.S. at a TV station, I was super busy but enjoyed my journey which I hope to find time and write about it later on. 

So after three years of successful accomplishments in the States it was time to spend some quality time with my family in my native country Moldova.

    I began this blog with a slogan from a song that those who live in Moldova know about it. This slogan depicts perfectly the life in Moldova, namely the life of the elders. Some people from Europe  know about Moldova, others have not even heard about it. A beautiful country rich in values and traditions, with a strong education system but with a high level of corruption. And that is why I began this blog with the slogan describing the elders waiting at the window for their children to come home, because the young generation is heading to new horizons where through persistence dreams come true, which is the main reason I left my country as well. 

    However, I'm proud to be from Moldova, I'm proud to share my traditions here in the States and I have to say that I had a wonderful childhood without the technology of nowadays. Those who have grown up in Moldova know what I'm talking about. Our happiness consisted in playing with our friends all day, without having a phone, a tablet or playstation. 

    For my visit in Moldova I had only 12 days but I managed my time to take some pictures in my grandparents' courtyard at the "new house" as our grandparents called it. In the courtyard where I spent my childhood with my sister and where every morning, in my early years, I was knocking on my grandfather's window to greet him before going to school, the same window that is in the image above. So many feelings in a single picture! He is my only grandparent still alive and my soul breaks when looking at this picture for loneliness is read in his sad eyes. 

    The farewell was tough... he knew I was going far away, in another corner of the world... but I promised to come back soon... and with my eyes full of tears I left, hoping that next time I'll come back I'll find him at the same window waiting for me...

Never forget where you came from and be proud of your roots!

New York-The City Of Dreams

                  New York 

                                 The City of Dreams 

                                                            That Never Sleeps

 [RO] In sfirsit mi-am implinit visul si am vizitat New York-ul. Los Angeles si New York au fost destinatiile la care visam sa ajung. Probabil pentru ca acestea sunt  orase mari cu multa galagie si eu, care am trait in Roma, ma regasesc in ele. In postarea trecuta v-am sugerat ca in primele zile sa vizitati partea de jos a Manhatanului. Dupa care incepeti cu partea de sus care include: Empire Sate Building, 5th Avenue, Madame Tussauds, Bryant Park, Time Square, Rockfeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, MoMA, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum si multe altele, astea fiind locurile top de vizitat. Ca si la Statuia Libertatii, biletele pentru Rockfeller Center si Madame Tussauds ar fi de dorit sa le ordinati online din timp asa cum acestea sunt vizitate de multi turisti. Am ales Rockfeller Center pt a vedea privelistea New Yorkului de sus pentru ca anume de aici se vede atit privelistea uluitoare asupra cladirii Empire State Building, cit si Central Park. Timpul potrivit pentru Rockfeller Center este de la 5 seara pentru a prinde privelistea frumoasa atit prima, cit si dupa apus. Biletele la Rockfeller Center sunt 32$ de persoana, iar la Madame Tussauds 25-37$.
Va amintiti momentul cind Kevin, din filmul Home Alone, se roaga la ingeri sa-si gaseasca mama in ajunul Craciunului? Este chiar aici, in piaza la Rockfeller Center. Tot aici are loc The Tonight Show Starrring Jimmy Fallon. Vizavi de Rockfeller vedeti si Catedrala San Patrizio. Central park este perfect pentru un picnic, MoMA si Metropolitan Museum pentru a aprecia arta. Profa mea de arta mi-a sugerat sa vizitez barul de la Metropolitan Museum care este deschis seara de vineri pina duminica cu intrare gratuita, doar bauturile se platesc in jurul la 16$.  Este o priveliste frumoasa cu New York-ul de seara. Vedeti mai jos citeva poze si sper ca v-a fost de folos informatia.

[EN] Finally my dream came true and I visited New York. Los Angeles and New York were my  destinations to which I dreamed to visit. These two cities are my favorites. Probably because they are large cities with more noise, and I, who lived in Rome, find myself in them. In the last post I suggested you that in your first days in NYC to visit the bottom side of Manhattan. Then start with the upper side that includes: Empire Sate Building, 5th Avenue, Madame Tussauds, Bryant Park, Time Square, Rockfeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, MoMA, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum and many others, these being the main places to visit. Like the statue of Liberty, the tickets to Rockfeller Center and Madame Tussauds should be bought early online as they are visited by many tourists. We choose Rockfeller Center to see the beauty of New York from above because namely form here you can see both, the breathtaking view of Empire State Building and Central Park. The perfect time for Rockfeller Center is 5pm to catch the beautiful view before and after the sunset. Tickets to Rockfeller Center top of the rock are 32$ per person, and to Madame Tussauds are 25-37$. Do you remember the moment when Kevin, from Home Alone movie, prays to angels to find his mom on Christmas Eve? It's right here, at Rockfeller Plaza. Also here is recorded The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Across from Rockfeller you can see the Cattedrale di San Patrizio. Central Park is perfect for a picnic, MoMA and Metropolitan Museum to appreciate art. My art teacher suggested me to visit the bar on the rooftop of Metropolitan Museum with free entrance, only drinks are around 16$. It is a beautiful view of  New York at night. See bellow some pictures and hope this information was helpful. 

             

Statue of Liberty Cruise

[RO] Planificati sa mergeti in New York? Nu stiti daca veti avea timp sa vizitati toate locurile frumoase? Atunci aveti nevoie de un plan. Sfatul meu este ca in primele zile sa explorati partea de jos: Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center, Wall Street, Little Italy. Statuia Libertatii este prima destinatie a turistilor, deci e foarte important sa va prenotati vizita aici cu 3-4 luni inainte daca doriti sa ajungeti la coroana, plus aveti si o mica reducere. Noi nu am fost norocosi sa gasim bilete libere la coroana, insa prenotind cu o luna inainte am gasit la piedestal (adica pina la picioarele statuiei). Biletele sunt 18$ la piedestal si 23 $ la coroana. Pentru a ajunge la Statuia Libertatii mergeti la Battery Park unde are loc imbarcarea. Odata ajunsi acolo alegeti voi cand sa va intoarceti asa cum sunt multe croaziere in timpul zilei (biletul include dus si intors). Acolo gasiti si un mini restaurant (fast food). Cu toate ca statuia se afla pe o mica insula, preturile sunt mici. Spre mirarea noastra, odata ajunsi la casa sa platim am intilnit un moldovean care a venit sa lucreze pe vara. In interiorul statuiei o sa vizitati un mic muzeu si odata ajunsi sus veti vedea o priveliste frumoasa a New Yorkului si New Jersey. La intoarcere veti fi alaturi de Word Trade Center, loc mai bine cunoscut ca turnurile gemene. In apropiere se afla si faimoasa strada Wall Street. Dupa aceste vizite veti fi bineveniti in Mica Italie unde veti gasi un prinz sau o cina delicioasa la pretul de 30-40$ de persoana. Noi am ales restaurantul Ciao si am ramas multumiti. New York are o reputatie ca fiind o destinatie de vacanta scumpa. Sa stiti ca in NY nu aveti nevoie de masina, doar daca hotelul este inafara. Noi am gasit hotel in Manhattan si masina am lasat-o pentru patru zile in parcare, pretul fiind 100$ pe zi. De ce va spun ca nu aveti nevoie de masina? In primul rand imaginati-va ce trafic este acolo, in al doilea, ora de parcare e de la 18$ ajungind la 75$, si pentru ca fiind in Manhattan cu metroul ajungeti in 7 minute oriunde aveti nevoie.

[EN] Are you planning to go to New York? Don't know if you'll have time to visit all the beautiful places? Then you need a plan. My advice is that in the first days to explore the bottom side: Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center, Wall Street, Little Italy. The Statue of Liberty is the first destination for tourists, so it's important to preorder online your visit here 3-4 months before if you want to get to the crown, plus you'll have a small discount. We were not lucky to find tickets to the crown, but preordering a month before, we were able to buy pedestal tickets. Tickets are 18$ for pedestal and 23$ to the crown. To get to the Statue of Liberty you have to go to the Battery Park where the embarking is. Once arrived there, you'll choose when to return as there are many cruises during the day (the ticket includes roundtrip). There you'll find a mini restaurant (fast food). Although the statue is located on a small island, the prices are pretty good. To our surprise, we've met a Moldavian who came to work there for summer. Inside the statue you'll see a small museum and once you are up, you'll see a beautiful view of New York and New Jersey. On your return you'll see the World Trade Center, a place better known as the Twin Towers. Nearby is the famous Wall Street. After these visits you'll be welcomed in Little Italy where you'll find a delicious lunch or dinner at a price of 30-40$ per person. We chose the restaurant Ciao and remained satisfied. The Big Apple has a reputation as a pricey vacation destination. Know that you do not need a car in NY, only if the hotel is outside. We found a hotel in Manhattan and left our car for four days in a parking, the price being 100$ per day. Why I say you do not need a car? First of all imagine what traffic is there, second, an hour of parking is from 18$ to 75$, and third, being in Manhattan you'll arrive by metro in 7 minutes anywhere you need.