Face a Book: The Overcoat, by N. V. Gogol

Face a Book is the second edition of the successful annual Book Review Contest launched by Humanitas, in an open quest for book adventure and lifelong wisdom. Here's my take on The Overcoat, by N.V.Gogol, the text Dostoevsky referred to with these famous words: "We all come out from Gogol's 'Overcoat"...


Care a fost cea mai solemna zi din viata ta de pana acum? - ziua in care ai simtit ca beatitudinea iti inunda corpul, dar nu datorita vreunui vin moldovenesc, ci pentru ca esti plin de dragoste de viata - delirant, iremediabil, ireconciliabil! - ziua cand slujba sacadata, anosta, enervanta nu-ti mai intra pana-n maduva oaselor reumatic si nevrotic, ci ziua in care te-ai imbracat cu haina noua iar cea veche a iesit definitiv din viata ta - un nou "tu" cel eliberat, in sfarsit...

"Mantaua" lui Gogol exploreaza tocmai adancimile unei astfel de transformari si consecintele ei comunitare. Functionarul tipic Akaki Akakievici isi face treaba cu cea mai precisa constiinciozitate pe o leafa perfect mizera. Se intampla de ani de zile intr-un minister oarecare din Sankt-Petersburgul eclectic si eminamente injust, pana cand ziua imbracarii mantalei celei noi ii marcheaza definitiv ultima parte a vietii.
Incredibil de actual, Gogol intuieste miezul problematicii urbane - cum poti trai fara demnitate? Fara respect fata de tine insuti si fata de ceilalti? Indiferent si ignorant? Si cu ce pret?
Umbrele noptii pe stradutele orasului ascund voci nebanuite, soapte, franturi - "aaa, asta...", "lasati-ma in pace, de ce ma necajiti?", "dati-mi mai bine sa copiez ceva", "mantaua asta-i a mea", "da-mi-o pe-a ta!"...Orasul le ascunde dar asta nu inseamna ca ele nu exista.

Poate exercitiul nostru de reflectie de la inceput e unul reusit dar ma intreb ce l-a facut oare pe Gogol sa remarce "Sfanta Rusie, totul este contaminat de imitatie!" spre sfarsitul cartii.

Indubitabil, Mantaua lui Gogol e un text acid dar foarte placut prin vocea domnului Razvan Vasilescu, ceea ce este o adevarata incantare si un privilegiu al multor audiobook-uri.

130 Years of Diplomatic Relations

The year 1880 marked the beginning of the modern Romanian diplomacy, with most distinguished scholars and ambassadors like Ion Ghica in London, Vasile Alecsandri in Paris and Mihail Kogalniceanu in Berlin, who set a high morality and character standard (how seldom can we see this nowadays!) and who succeeded in defining Romania on the map of Europe at that crucial time - all under the careful scrutinizing gaze of King Carol I.
The temporary exhibition "130 Years of Diplomatic Relations from 1880. Partners in Europe" at the Union Museum in Iasi has been set up with the mutual help of the German, British and French Embassies in Bucharest.
It's a unique experience the cool majestic feeling inside the intimate yet imposing House in Lapusneanu Street that used to host so many of the royal and noble family members, while taking a quiet tour of what was and still is a truly remarkable episode in the history of Europe.

TED - in Iasi: What makes you happy?

Under the well-known motto "Ideas worth spreading", TED began its first edition in Iasi in a very creative and relaxing atmosphere on June, 13th. The audience was young, fresh, smart and distinctive - 99 people who gathered up to share not only ideas but spirit in its youngest form.
Speakers had a difficult task - to try to tackle the ever-lasting question: What makes people happy? and answers were as diverse as the speakers - from Maia Morgenstern, the renowned actress who sparkled around the very concept in full energy as usual to Vali Tatar who shared with us his passion for tennis in amazingly striking images.
But Razvan Crisan was the one who really caught the eye and heart of everyone in the room - with his authentic way of living, of building his time against social prejudices and restrictions and at the same time in a very simple, essential way - by being true to himself.

Celebrated Women in Romania

The well-known Romanian business woman and teacher Monica Tatoiu has initiated a most inspiring project around the country - to bring to light the voices of many women who are not so famous on TV but who do make a huge difference in their own communities through the way they lead their lives with a great impact on the people around.
The natural result of this was the book titled "The Four Dimensions of Romanian Femininity" - a moving book containing texts written by more than 70 women whose lives are not so ordinary after all.
I personally find this book amazing regarding the multitude of things we can learn from life experiences which, despite being perfect, are so beautiful in revealing realities of life itself.

One Man Show 5th: 281, by Radu Largeanu

I was pleasantly surprised by the great number of people who came to see the performance under the title 281, by the young artist Radu Largeanu on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Actually, there were not many things to see - but to feel. The audience was invited on stage through the back door. In silence, under a dim light, on stage and in the middle of his audience, the actor Radu Largeanu started his monologue with a list of the names of the people who died in Communist political prisons, while inviting us further into the backstage - the 'prison cell'. Largeanu's monologue was based on the renowned texts written in prisons by Paul Goma and Radu Gyr.
Despite the most effective start of the play, the actor's focus was rather on the postmodern schizophrenia than the salvation through faith, missing thus, too much of the original text message.
Overall, I truly believe that the stage directions were worthy of an Edinburgh Festival presence, as well as the performance taken as a whole. The chemistry among the people in the audience was authentic and remarkably powerful.

JCI National Conference - Success and Young Spirit

The 1st JCI Conference in Romania was held in Iasi these days, organized by JCI Iasi - Mr. Mircea Giosan and his fantastic team - and gathered over 100 participants nationwide, as well as the renowned international trainer, Mr. Filipe Carrera.
The event was a real success due to the business and cultural focus of the conference activities and its networking feature proved to be invaluable for everyone...

Iasi Book Fair - Style and Freedom

As a huge fan of books, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the CAMUFI book fair in Iasi these days enchanted its visitors not only with selected good books, music and films but also with a special kind of tranquil stylish atmosphere. Whether you wanted to enjoy an international bestseller, an IQ game or a Discovery documentary and an organic cup of tea, you had all the space to do it - and the space was not accidentally one of the most interesting in Iasi - the famous Hall of the Lost Footsteps.
In a time when we are under the pressure of larger-than-life book fairs with their addictive rush and tension, a book fair like this one can re-invent the original idea of an exquisite book meeting with good taste.

Iasi International Film Festival - A New Beginning

Iasi International Film Festival took place in the cultural capital of Moldova between the 25th September and the 3rd of October and marked the first edition of a new film festival - young, dynamic and energetic.
I particularly admired the documentaries section, which proved to be extremely new and fresh, and the special vibe of the energies of a new beginning. I can hardly wait to see this film festival grow in the years to come.

"George Enescu" Music Festival 2009: The Legacy

George Enescu Music Festival and Competition - the 19th edition - is already a cultural brand with international recognition. Between 30th August and 26th September, classical music lovers are spoilt for choices in Bucharest at some of the most beautiful and impressive locations in the capital (National Opera or The Romanian Athenaeum).
There are also additional concerts in Tescani, Sibiu and at "Mihail Jora" Classical Music Concert Hall in Bacau.
Divided into 8 sections, the Festival and Competition will be attended by great musicians of the world: Joshua Bell, the pianist Christian Zaccharias, Martha Argerich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Alexandru Tomescu, Diana Rotaru, etc. and orchestras: "The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra", from Amsterdam, "Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks", "Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse" and many more.

Faust at Edinburgh International Festival

Edinburgh International Festival is getting very close now and great performances are ready to be shown on stage. "Faust", directed by Silviu Purcarete, is one of them. It seems to be a massive undertaking - like any other play directed by Silviu Purcarete...
Laura Barnett from The Guardian writes the review of this ambitious play.

S. Purcarete and D. Buhagiar: The Mountain Giants

The last unfinished play written by Luigi Pirandello - The Mountain Giants - is a real challenge for any director, set designer, actors and entire team.
But the internationally awarded director Silviu Purcarete and the highly talented young set designer Dragos Buhagiar, together with the actors from the National Theatre in Iasi have taken up the challenge and came up with a remarkable production to experience. I saw the play in Iasi 2 months ago and I took part in the talk with the actors after the play and I can say it was indeed a remarkable play - the very thin line between fiction and reality and fictitious reality is a real delight of both the intellect and the senses. The very complex structure of images, sound, lights, costumes, high tech, make-up and messages could only be mastered by masters...Spectacular!

Anamaria Marinca: The new 'Meryl Streep'

Anamaria Marinca is a young actress that I personally admire - for her mysterious grace and for her intense and controlled force as an actress. Every time I see her I admire her spiritual balance that comes from the inside - from hard work, fight with texts but also personal character. Inevitably, she reminds me of the force of Meryl Streep... Probably already famous for her awards and also intriguing but warm smile, Ms Marinca, I'm sure, has many more things to show in both films and theatre.
At the moment, you can see her in 4.48 Psychosis, by Sarah Kane at Young Vic in London. As we know, this text is hard even to read let alone to act on stage - but Anamaria is ready to take the plunge and act it as a solo monologue - ay, I'm so sorry I'm gonna miss it! I hope some of you can make it tough...

M. Matica: "Everybody sells something."

Mr. Madalin Matica is probably the best Romanian motivational speaker I have ever listened to. He is part of that special category of proactive individuals in their late 30's/early 40's who act on the local markets as both business people and trainers, thus their expertise is invaluable. Madalin Matica works on devising online payment platforms in Eastern Europe and also works in collaboration with major cities in the country to elaborate city strategies. Here are some useful tips he gave at the seminar at Iashington to young entrepreneurs:

- the entrepreneurial world is getting divided into Tribes (social networks, clubs, societies) and new Barbarians (those who challenge the systems and have real competitive advantages over the big players)

- learn to be rejected and learn to be humble as early as possible

- the best time to start your business is now

- try to build lovemarks, not just brands

- "good" will kill you - good is not enough, the product you want to sell should be excellent and unique

- if you target your product at the man on the street outside you're dead - your target should be the whole world

- people shop not because of needs but because of wants

- Dunbar's number of 148 represents the number of individuals with whom we can have a stable interpersonal relationship. Apparently, our noecortex cannot process more because of its size. This number can directly affect the way in which we organize both our business and social life.

Andy Szekely - "Leadership is a State."

In a world where leaders are in great need, Andy Szekely trains high profile business people on:

- how the intellect, the "cognitive mind" works together with the body, the "somatic mind". So, by "defocusing the eyes" and losing details around, your both minds gain breadth and completeness. The best decisions are taken under these circumstances.

- the importance of good questions to oneself: what are opinion leaders beginning to say? what rules are being broken? what is important to you about...? why is that important? Which are your core values (e.g. freedom, expertise)?

- Clean your desk! our mind cannot focus effectively otherwise

- Micro prototyping : if you need to tackle a big project which seems overwhelming, then break it down into micro projects and take one step at a time.

Iashington - International Conference in Iasi

Iashington is a young international conference run by AIESEC members which is getting better every year. The young spirit of the participants is most appealing and attractive due to the innovative and creative ideas that come as a result of various workshop interactions. In addition, the quality of the speakers is outstanding.

Garett Gravesen and Kevin Scott, from Atlanta - Georgia, were surely the highlights of the event, with their pure American vibe and enthusiasm. They are 2 fantastic youngsters under 30 who managed to raise 1 million $ for AIDS kids and who are now promoting their Global L.E.A.D. program around the world, to encourage American graduates to get involved in global community service. Their useful advice was:

- "Create a Cause - not a business."

- the power of 1: when you deal with many cases that have to do with a certain problem, take 1 example and make up a story that will 'sell'.

- Be You - Brand You!

- make up your Bucket List - you'll be surprised how your mind works when forced to come up with 10 major things to do before dying.

- create a Mission Statement for your life: narrow your list down to a few key things and then stay focused on it. keep it in your handbag or close to you.

- Real happiness implies a limit - too many cars, too many trips, too much of anything does not bring authentic happiness (cf. Authentic Happiness, by M Seligman).

- the 3 Fs: Family, Friends, Faith - the most important things in life.

- “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
Mahatma Gandhi

- a new book: The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss: Tim is from Silicon Valley and delivers speeches at Princeton.

"One Man Show" International Festival in Bacau

Mid-April coincided this year with the 4th edition of "One Man Show" which drove eclectic energies onto one stage in a clear and neat manner. Great performances by master artists like Razvan Mazilu and his contemp dance style (have you seen him dance traditional music or Richard III yet?) along with big names in Romanian theatre industry, like Mrs. Tamara Buciuceanu Botez, whose humane warmth and vitality I personally miss in postmodern actors.
Also, international artists revealed their creative energies, like Mr. Kazama Morio and his fascinating "KaraokeMan".
The festival is a beautiful event every year, whose management is getting better.

Confrunting the Past and...the Future

Ana Blandiana - poet and dissident during the communist regime - and Romulus Rusan, writer and founder of the Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of Resistance in Sighet came to Bacau on Feb 6th to talk about the past, present and future.

Ana Blandiana and Mr. Rusan enchanted the youngsters who did not miss the opportunity to talk and thus confront our very disturbing past in order to understand the invisible threads that wove our history and culture and, more tellingly, understand where we are all heading to... A real essential life lesson!

Stelian Tanase: Nobility and Professionalism

It was such a great pleasure to attend the meeting between Mr. Stelian Tanase - writer (his latest book titled "Maestro"), researcher, professor, political analyst, journalist and TV producer - and the journalism students at the University of Bacau on the 22nd Jan. The pleasure came simply out of the honestly open communication atmosphere. With great personal charm and supportive attitude towards the youngsters in their 20's in front, Mr Tanase shared his ideas about television as "show lacking substance" but also as a means that teaches and measures efficiency fairly, about the empowering profession of a journalist - as opposed to that of a "newspaper clerk" - and the crucial importance of being personal and creative, irrespective of the external commands, and also about the way in which we can build credibility in a mixed (-up) society. He defined the press as "the active zone of the society", where people can exercise their will to know.

This meeting was also useful for all professionals as Mr. Stelian Tanase brilliantly pinpointed the importance of keeping the required distance in one's profession - outside and within - so difficult to do, indeed.

Mr. Tanase is one of the many local intellectuals drawn to the USA but one of the few ones who decided to come back. Why? Maybe because he is more useful here, in an existential way, maybe because he could soon be, as one of his characters, the one who can take responsibility and have the authoritative attitude for a question like this: "Mr. Prime Minister, why don't you step down?"
Mr Tanase is the best researcher that I know of - fully dedicated to revealing the meaning of truth.

I have also been impressed by Mr Tanase as being an interlocutor who offers you the great vast space of dialogue. He is not a speaker who crushes and enforces, but an interlocutor who knows how to add to the creation and development of authentic dialog - a true free spirit!

"Macbeth" - Questioning our Present and Power

Rarely have I seen a theatrical performance with such a deep and special impact on the audience. "Macbeth", directed by Mr. Mihai Maniutiu at The Cube (National Theatre) in Iasi and staged for the second consecutive year, is an artistic experience not to be missed, by all means.

I took my place, on the eve of November 15th, to share a very unusually disturbing space with my friends and, on my left, a 9 year-old-boy who had come with his well-built black-mustached dad, while being surrounded by mostly youngsters in their late twenties or sophisticated adult couples. The Cube, as people call it, is the new post-modern space in Iasi which looks like a big black box from outside and which was meant to host the new production of the Shakespearean play that night. The confined space, specially designated for only a limited number of people, made us all look down on the 5 square meter stage from an upper position. How can you play Shakespeare in such a small space? How can you keep your audience on their toes for 2 hours without a break? Probably only Mr Maniutiu can.

From the very beginning, present-day allusions filled the stage. We could not avoid making the direct associations with all the images of shocking violence, utmost brutality and lack of any trace of humanism of the soldiers in superior position from the current war. At times, I was wondering whether the boy on my left had the impression his video game home became reality... Shocking visual scenes (like simulating the shooting of the baby) mixed with shocking sounds and disturbing colours (the red of the rose petals with the brown of the bullets and the coral blue of the bathtub water) built up the tension only to be released at the very end.
Ms. Tatiana Ionesi, who played Lady Macbeth - probably the central character in the play - acted with huge talent and emotion.

This experience proved so valuable to me because, symbolically, it can perfectly fit in a time when power and authority are constantly threatened, confiscated by obscure characters for a temporary period that may seem endless, netted around intrigues and betrayals, and hopefully, eventually, regained and fueled by the justified, like the prophecy in the great Scottish Play: "never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him"...

Radu Beligan - "Better Than Lawrence Olivier"

This is what the well-known Eugen Ionesco stated about Mr.Radu Beligan but also added that he could not admit it publicly because of his "working relationships" with the famous actor and the establishment.
Indeed, if we think about his 70 year old acting career which has witnessed many phases in the development of the theatrical tradition and also general society, Mr. Beligan had a wealth of ideas to share with his audience on 14th November in Bacau, at his special event simply titled "Confessions about Life and Art" / "Confesiuni despre viata si arta".



For more than 2 hours, Mr. Beligan shared with us ideas, moods and exemplified values of a lifetime... What does it mean "to continuously keep the student state"? What does it mean "to come to peace with humanity"? What does it mean "to stop clinging to words and be able to swim"? What does it mean "to live at the crossroads of dead empires"? What does it mean to live a 90 year old life because of Love of life?

The history of the traditional theatre was drawn in subtle lines, while pinpointing the key personalities that had the power and will to create history itself: Mrs. Lucia Sturdza-Bulandra (with her feminine greatness), Victor Ion Popa (with his invaluable experimentation), Alexandru Giugaru, Ion Iacovescu, Elvira Godeanu, George Vraca, Sica Alexandrescu and, of course, Grigore Vasiliu Birlic.

What does it feel like, I wonder, that after 140 roles played in "O scrisoare pierduta"/"A Lost Letter", by I.L.Caragiale, Mr. Beligan can finally find "the perfect role" in Agamita Dandanache? How can talent be defined as "long-lived patience"? Only Mr. Beligan can say these, remaining what Andrei Plesu stated once: "the good consciousness of the Romanian theatre".

This was an experience which had such a great impact on the audience because this 'life and art' was intensified with more meaning and value through the very specific of the Romanian East-European spirit of the place - 100% pure culture- Absolutely Priceless!