have you got a 'sunao' mind?

The sunao mind is the free mind, ready to adapt to new situations and, despite the fact that it implies certain naivety, it primarily involves one's open heart and desire to be honest with yourself and others in terms of life values.
As my Japanese friend, Etsumi, explained it to me, " sunao na hito ( person ) is the person who has very pure heart, takes a thing as it is and accepts somebody's advice with good grace. However, sometimes we say too sunao is not good. Do you know what I mean? [...] I know Matsushita and he succeeded in his business with his good heart. Lots of people respect him not only as a success man but as a great heart man." (see more in "Matsushita Leadership" John P. Kotter, Free Press, 1997)

"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!

Cumpat (Ro)

To have cumpat means to have the essential element in your life. Coming either from the Latin computus (thinking) or compitum (crossroads), it develeoped in time concentrating multiple meanings: reflection, foreseeing, just judgement, self-control, spiritual balance.
What would we be without cumpat?

Rostire (Ro)

There are words that simply do not have equivalents in other languages - either because the meanings are multiple and another combination of letters in a different language did not reach the same level of sophistication, or the concept might be missing altogether from the second language.

Romanian language has a wealth of words that run deeper than the concrete level. One first example I particularly like is rostire (from Lat. rostrum, rostra - mouth) having multiple meanings: language, speech, discourse, order, arrangement, lifestyle, meaning, story, aim, purpose,justification, reason.

A rosti something means "two things at the same time: to utter a thing and to put another one in order." (C. Noica)

There is no doubt that a whole life philosophy can rest behind only five letters. Are there any other examples you might know in your own language?

Tudor Gheorghe: Poetry of the Spirit

Mr.Tudor Gheorghe is one of the musicians who sings about love and death, grief and sorrow, awe and exhilaration, picking up on the very essence of the culture expressed for centuries traditionally on these lands. His most memorable songs include "Toamna/ Autumn", "Primavara / Spring", "Au innebunit salcamii / The Acacia Trees Have Gone Mad" - such a joy for the ear and heart!

"Song About Bucovina", by Grigore Lese: Song about Togetherness

For many times we might wonder what holds nations and people together. The answers are so difficult to find but I think it all comes down to the local Spirit. "Cantec despre Bucovina"/"Song About Bucovina", by Grigore Lese is a song which comes out of the spirit of a place - a holy one for so many - Bucovina, in northern Romania.
Mr. Lese is one of the authentic musicians who revives old traditional music by preserving it in its original forms... simply magical!