Relax!

http://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/

 

27th of May

Happy Birthday, my dear sister! Happy birthday to me, too! x

27 Mai

La multi ani, iubita mea sora! La multi ani celor nascuti azi! La multi mie! M-am nascut azi dimineata, chinuind-o pe mama si in acelasi timp aducandu-i atata bucurie, cu doua luni mai devreme chiar. Nu mai stiu exact cat aveam dar stiu ca eram mica, mica, pana intr-un kilogram si jumatate, destul de creata la piele si galbejita, uratica chiar, dar in acelasi timp superba. Ca orice bebelus din lumea asta. Nu stiu daca se dadeau note pe atunci, nici nu o intreb pe mama. Probabil ca nu si fi luat 10, dar ce conteaza. Parca un copil sau o viata de om pot fi notate in vre-un fel. Mai stiu ca am stat intr-un incubator cateva luni, ca sa mai cresc, ca aveam sanse slabe de a trai, dupa spusele doctorului (nu stiu daca a vrut sa fie crud de realist sau doar crud, dar a fost alegerea lui la momentul respectiv) si in toate pozele din acele vremuri, alb-negru, evident, aveam o figura mirata si niste ochi mari si curiosi. Ce vedeam asa interesant, nu stiu, dar acum stau si ma gandesc, ce pacat ca primii ani din viata nu mi-i amintesc. As avea tot felul de intamplari si senzatii si povesti de spus, pentru ca totul era nou in ochii mei. Faceam cunostinta cu mama, cu tata, cu maia, care venea sa ne scoata pe mine si pe sora mea la plimbare si stiam ca asta urma, de cum o vedeam si nu mai puteam de fericire. Atat de fericita sa fiu ca ies la plimbare in parc, oare de ce eram asa? Acum, daca ies in parc, nu mai traiesc asa intens momentul, dar ma bucur sa fiu in mijlocul naturii. Are si copilaria farmecul ei.

Mama mai spune ca eram destul de cuminte, nu plangeam dar si cand plangeam, faceam concert, pentru ca indiferent care din noi incepea, cealalta urma. De mici “cantam” la doua voci si uneori se alatura si a “treia”, de stres si neputinta, cand nu mai stia ce sa faca. Si uite asa, sa te tii. O aventura totala si eu nu imi amintesc nimic. Noroc cu mama si pozele pe care le am ca sa stiu cam cum eram mica. Dar am crescut si trecand peste o bucata mare din viata, iata-ma azi, scriind impresii si amintiri pe blog.

Acum cateva saptamani, din intamplare, am dat peste o melodie care se intituleaza exact 27 Mai, adica ziua in care m-am nascut si mi-a placut foarte mult sa stiu ca exista asa ceva. Povestea din spatele piese este alta, dar eu ii dau intelesul meu, deoarece coincide cu ziua mea si ma bucur de ea. Ce e mai frumos decat sa am propria melodie? Poate doar o imbratisare si sentimentul ca sunt iubita. Si un desert minunat, pe care il fac oricand cu placere. 🙂

Elena and Constantine

On the 21st of  May, the Orthodox Christians celebrate Saint Emperors Constantine and Helena. So, all those named Constantine and Helen or derived from these have a new reason to have a good day today. Happy name’s day to you Elena and Constantine! And me!

For those who would like to know more about the meaning of Elena, here is what I found on the internet. If you want to know more, click on the link below the info.

Elena (spanish source)

Nombre de origen griego que significa “antorcha“. Muy extravertida, sociable y amable, disfruta de la compañía de los demás y del bullicio de la multitud. Una polvorilla.

Elena (italian sources)

English equivalents: Ellen, Helen, Helena. Derived from the Greek name Heléne, Latinized into Helena or Helene. Taken from hele meaning “splendor, vigor of the sun.”

In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War.

One of her name days is on August 18 – in memory of St. Flavia Julia Helena Augusta, mother of Constantine the Great.

Elena (russian sources)

The name is of Old Greek origin with its meaning being still not quite clear – it might be “clear, chosen” or “bright, light, torch“.

One of its Russian versions is Alyona.

Since early childhood Elena loves fairy tales. She is a bit reserved and is never is complete tune with other children – she is always slightly aloof engrossed in the world of her imagination. Elena is trustful but if she faces deception based on her credulity she will definitely try to punish the person who has deceived her demonstrating remarkable creativity and imagination in the matter. Elena is kind but in childhood her kindness is not of energetic nature. For instance she can bring home a stray kitten, give him hot milk and mourn over his deplorable fate but she is not able of being firm enough with her parents so that it would stay at her place. She is slightly interested in everything. She is attracted by the beautiful and tries to embroider, sew and knit.

Elena does her homework from time to home; however at school she does fairly well owing to a great extent to her retentive memory and a teacher she likes. Elena often takes after her father, at any rate as far as her character is concerned. On the basis of her father’s disposition Elena develops emotionality and intolerance. In generals emotions play a significant role in Elena’s life. In youth she comes across as timid and reserved but on further acquaintance she comes out in her true colours and it gets clear that she is cheerful, optimistic and dreamy. Elena can do the best in the sphere involving communication.

Love as an emotion is secondary with Elena, it displays as a consequence of pity. Elena would marry a man who arouses her compassion rather than a prosperous and a handsome one. Taking no pity on herself and her sacrificial love Elena expects the other person to do the same in return. She takes painfully everything that distracts her husband’s attention- his friends, hobbies, etc. Engrossed in the world of inner emotional experience she is indifferent to conditions of life and other daily routine issues; she can make do with the least. At Elena’s home there is usually peace. She is a home person and a caring mother. She can be a good housewife only if she is in the right frame of mind for it; otherwise she regards housework only as tedious but indispensable element of her life.

Source: http://www.orcca.on.ca/~elena/site/NameElena.html

Well, how about that! 😉

For Constantine I found even fewer info but it is still enough for a man’s name. 😉

Constantine (pronounced /ˈkɒnstəntaɪn/ or /ˈkɒnstəntiːn/; Latin: Cōnstantīnus, Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος, Kōnstantînos) is a masculinegiven name and surname which is derived from the Latin name Constantinus^[1], a hypocoristic of the first names Constans and Constantius, both meaning “constant, steadfast” in Latin.^[2] The names are the Latin equivalents of the Greek name Eustáthios, meaning the same. The name “Constantine” is still very common in Greece and Cyprus, the forms Κώστας (Costas) and Ντίνος (Dinos) being popular hypocoristics. The popularity stems from the eleven Roman and Byzantine emperors (beginning with St. Constantine I) and two Greek kings of the same regnal name.

Costel is a common Romanian form. The Russian, Macedonian and Serbian form is Konstantin, and their short forms Kostya and Kosta, respectively. The name is common among Orthodox people in Albania, in the form of Kostandin or Kosta.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_(name)

When you think that one of the most beautiful women in the world had this name, Elena, it is indeed a reason of joy, but when you think she started a war, well… you think again, because another Elena found the Holly Cross so it is another reason of joy.

Happy Name Day! x

Elena si Constantin

La multi ani tuturor ce poarta aceste nume frumoase, Elena si Constantin! Ma numar si eu printre acestia si azi ma bucur de o zi frumoasa, luminoasa, calda si ma delectez cu ceva usor de preparat: cataif turcesc.

Pentru cei care vor sa isi serbeze ziua numelui dar nu au timp, dispozitie sa faca ceva mai complicat, dar totusi vor sa gateasca ceva in casa, le recomand aceasta reteta. E incredibil de usoara si se face fff repede. Nu trebuie decat sa respecti cumva ce scrie pe eticheta. Iata varianta mea.

Cataif turcesc

Ingrediente:

• un pachet de cataif (de la alimentara, supermarketuri)
• 1 l apa
• 3 cani zahar (brun, daca e posibil)
• esente
• cuisoare
• 1 plic zahar vanilat
• 1 lamaie
• 1 lingura unt sau ulei
• 1 lingurita de coaja rasa de citrice (am inceput mai nou sa rad portocalele si lamaile, dupa o lunga perioada cand nu am mai facut asta, dar se merita pentru ca nici o esenta, cat o fi ea de buna, nu da o aroma atat de puternica asemeni cojii rase, bine-nteles nu inainte sa speli coaja bine si sa tii o vreme fructele la frigider sa fie mai tari sa le poti rade pe razatoare mai bine)
• nuca macinata
• 500 g smantana grasa

Preparare:

• Se desface pachetul de cataif. Pentru ca eu nu pot sa torn siropul in tava originala si nici nu am o alta tava sau recipient de marime potrivita, zdrobesc tot cataiful cu mainile intr-un vas mai adanc. Si asa cand il voi orna cu frisca nu mai vad forma initiala asa ca nu imi pare rau. Dar fiecaruia cum ii place. Rastorn apoi cataiful intr-o tava de iena, suficient de mare si de adanca incat sa arate frumos si cu frisca.
• Intre timp pregatesc siropul. Intr-o cratita fierb 1 l de apa cu 2 cani de zahar si 1 plic de zahar vanilat, de fapt 1 litru si un pic, ca se mai evapora oricum si decat sa fie un cataif mai uscat, mai bine mai insiropat. Here, again, de gustibus. Am ales sa pun mult mai putin zahar in sirop pentru ca nu imi place asa dulce si zaharul nu este prea sanatos. Oricum, va fi si frisca dulce, deci cumva se impaca ele. Daca nu esti adepta/adeptul zaharului (si pentru Constantinii care gatesc 😉 ), poti adauga o cana de miere dar mai pe la sfarsit, dupa ce fierbe apa si nu e prea fierbinte, ca sa nu ii strici proprietatile mierii si amesteci pana se topeste toata.
• Dupa ce a fiert siropul, adaugi 5 cuisoare, sucul stors de la o lamaie si toata lamaia taiata felii, ca la ceai, sa se infuzeze bine, mai adaugi si alte esente, dupa placere, ca esenta de migdale, esenta de vanilie, lingurita de coaja rasa, lingura de unt gras sau ulei si lasi cca 30 de minute sa se raceasca. Siropul acesta nu este incredibil de dulce dar este foarte aromat si usor acrisor, exact cum imi place mie.
• Trecori siropul peste cataif. Lasi 1 ora sa se aseze, intre timp, faci frisca.
• Bati bine smantana cu  o cana de zahar (daca e tos, e mai bine) si o pui la frigider. Dupa o ora de la insiropare, poti orna cataiful cu nuca macinata si apoi stratul gros de frisca. Daca vrei sa te joci putin, faci un smiley cu nuca macinata peste frisca. Yummy! Gata, asta e tot. 🙂

Pofta buna!

La multi ani sfintilor! x