flash back into memory

Placebo. Pure morning in urechi acum. and ... flash back la o imagine inregistrata de ochi si minte acum doua zile si asociata cu muzica si starea

devreme. ora 8. noembrie. ger. vin de la doctor. spital alb. calm. soare. crisp air. contururi ascutite. obiecte poleite sau colorat translucide. parcul de langa muzeul de geologie peste drum de MTR. soare orbitor dinspre cladirea Orange, accentuand verdele ramas in copaci si iarba. piata Victoriei e inca pustie. o gura de aerisire scoate abur dens, alb, compact. Abur viu proiectat pe imaginea curata. pe alee o silueta neagra, impinsa de soare, catre mine. aburul ii fura un picior dar silueta razbate spre mine. resipir aer curat si zambesc. E plin de poze perfecte dimineata in oras. Pure morning.

we went insight hunting

today with a very good actor and seller. Bleontz. This is where I start to trust my instincts and believe in what I do. Me and a colleague managed to gather 30 people around Claudiu Bleontz who acted as a catalyst in a workshop about insights in theatre and advertising. And he us all talk about our own relation with advertising, with the industry bad, with our egos and frustrations. We got to be honest out-loud in front of colleagues. We made decisions and we motivated each other. Using 0 motivational phrases except "What the fuck?!" and "Bottom line, everything sucks" Good night!

se cauta scurt-metraj

si viziune personala despre fenomenul discriminarii romilor. Daca exista sau ba, cum se manifesta, cum ne afecteaza, cine e de vina, ce facem? e totul de spus intr-un film de maxim 10 minute. In cuvinte oficiale:

Creatorii campaniei „Discriminarea romilor se invata acasa” prezinta concursul DOI PE UN BALANSOAR - Concurs de scurt metraje pe tema discriminarii romilor. Intra pe www.sper.org.ro si inscrie-te la concursul de film pe tema discriminarii romilor.

Filmeaza un scurt metraj de maximum 10 minute si uploadeaza-l pe site pana pe 20 ianuarie 2008.

Filmul castigator va fi premiat cu o pelicula in valoare de 3100 euro. Din juriu vor face parte: Catalin Mitulescu – regizor; Catalin Cristiutiu – editor montaj, Andrei Butica – director de imagine, Claudiu Mitcu – producator

Discriminarea romilor se invata acasa. Cunoaste-i inainte sa-i judeci!

zi trista

prietenii si-au luat ramas bun de la Pilu
S-a dus si Bejart

Thalassa, Thalassa, acolo unde ochii dor

Ce bine ca ne reaminteste Mirona de DaKino si mai ales de filmul pe care vreau neaparat sa-l revad. "Thalassa, Thalassa, acolo unde ochii dor", un road trip prin ochi de copil, cu mare si nemaginire, poveste si chipuri frumoase. Ce bine ca e!!! Ce bine ca mai e!!! Felicitari DaKino! Filmul (facut in '94) e premiat la Rotterdam dar nu a fost difuzat decat o data in Romania (si asta acum vreo 3 ani) la Elvira Popescu. Atunci am vazut eu filmul si pe Anuta, personajul feminin principal, in carne si oase.
Un film despre care povesteam, entuziasmata, acum cativa ani, Sandrei only to find ca Silvia (Anuta din film) este "her best friend". Asta asa, ca mi s-a parut mie simpatic sa-mi amintesc...

Nu ratati filmul. E frumusete care doare. Am cele mai frumoase amintiri. De-abia astept sa ma re-imbib. Sambata aceasta la Sala Auditorium a MNaR.

fara vorbe

s-a dus Pilu. un om tanar. repede si pe nepusa masa. si ne-a uluit. l-am cunoscut la un brainstoming pe o campanie sociala si am stiut de la prima vorba ca e un om pasionat, cu valori, autentic. Cata nevoie am mai fi avut de el!

azi e ziua mondiala a toaletelor

Am primit azi pe mail un reminder cum ca azi ar fi ziua Mondiala a Toaletelor. Am constatat amuzata ca exista organizatia Worldtoilet preocupata de imbunatatirea toaletelor si a igienei in lume. Organizatie din care Romania, fireste, nu face parte.
Noi consumam putin sapun, hartie igienica si pasta de dinti. Noi ne descurcam si fara toalete din alea care se curata dupa fiecare vizitator cum au fandositii aia de francezi sau insipizii de britanici.
By the way, my most favourite toilets sunt alea la care s-au gandit americanii din Houston.


Cititi va rog si nr. 196 al Dilema despre locul unde tot omul e imparat. Tema numarului este Closetul la nevoie se cunoaste

get a life

asta mi-a spus mie doctorul. renunta la simbioza cu birou-computerul si da-ti o sansa sa traiesti...nu doar mental, nu doar in imaginatia ta, nu doar scriind copy-uri bune pe hartie virtuala. get a life as in lasa-i corpului timp si sanse sa existe.
faza asta cu biro-patia ne-a lovit pe prea multi. Moi de exemplu. Traiam cu senzatia ca am o viata. Lucram dar impleteam in fiecare zi (in masura posibilitatilor) asta cu o activitate din cele multe pe care iubessc (citit carti, reviste, web-browsing, vazut filme pe computer. "In masura posibilitatilor" stroke often facand din ce in ce mai imposibil sa am parte si de doze mici din activitatile alternative job-ului. Nu mai vorbesc despre cat de usor am renuntat la evadarile alea, reale, pe bune - in aer, in verde, in zapada. Argumente se gaseau mereu. Mereu au existat "ceva de lucru" lasat pentru week-end, ceva de citit pentru job, dupa care oricum nu mai conteaza pentru ca ziua s-a dus deja, nu pleci la munte doar pentru o zi, bla-bla.

Pentru ca nu intelegeam cat de important e de fapt pentru mine sa fac toate astea, in ciuda job-ului, am amanat si urcat pe munte si schi (cu adevarat, nu o data pe iarna)si fotografie si dans si teatru si prieteni si lectiile de spaniola si filmele la eforie. am amanat sa traiesc.

Si acum e rau. Pentru ca nu voi putea face multe din lucrurile pe care le doream, pentru ca a mea coloana vertebrala s-a mulat dupa chipul si asemanarea scanului din fata computerului. So no ski-ing this winter (si acum e zapada cat poftesti! spre deosebire de alte ierni) and no hiking. Corpul meu imi spune, the hard way, to stop. si de la capat, sa-mi regandesc felul in care muncesc si traiesc, sa-mi reevaluez atitudinea fata de mine, de corpul meu si calitatea vietii pe ca o s-o mai duc. Sa planific si sa reusesc sa fiu eu.

So far, am planificat doar pentru a doua zi la job ( si ce mai ramanea pe langa) sau cel mult in saptamani si etape din project management calendar.

Oare ce-o fi cu noi de ne permitem sa dam declaratii de genul:
"In rest, nu prea fac planuri pe termen lung decat pentru brandurile pe care lucrez.... si asta pentru ca pur si simplu cred ca e mai strategic asa."
declaratia ii apartine unui planner din industria locala de advertising si a fost data in iqads. Articolul complet aici

Unmarketable

A cover (featured in Best Book covers of 2007 boing boing mentioned)that made me more than curious and a book I deffinitely will read. It looks like a down-shifting-like story about the marcomm world. Still, the name and cover made by a great copy & art. And a truly marketable and marketed product. Looking forward to finding it or more about it.

Una cervesa por favor en Punta Leona, Costa Rica

Citizen Moissanite is off... or cast-away as he mumbles on the daily phonecall. Off in Costa Rica, somewhere in the middle of a rainforrest, on the coast of Central Pacific. Still jet-legged and amazed, Moissanite promisses to send pictures asap. And by asap he probably means whem he'll be back from the wild. Vodafone has no roaming agreements with Costa Rica so the blackberry can't do much but rest (it was about time, anyway) and the internet didn't penetrate as far as the wild exotic beaches. The optic fiber and wires might have scared the very rare species of birds happily dwelling there.
Well, until Moissanite is back with nice pieces of writing and shooting, here's some net-enabled findings about the place he's been cast-away.

Holiday's goodies for relatives in Spain

On my way through the city I am privileged to see the most surprising or impressive things, happenings and sceneries. I will post some stories and call the series .... "corner-eye shots".
Today, for instance, I came across a van, the colour dark navy blue, surrounded by pakages, big-size, small-size, almost all bearing at least one brand-logo on the carton box, and a lot of people.
They all flocked an area where a lot of electoral panels lay and my first thought was, oh! they're campaigning, in the streets, giving stuff to the people!!!
Coming closer I noticed that people were writing on the boxes, or taking them to their car, or securing them with scotch straps, weighing them and counting money.
And snap-shot! one box went to Nicolae T, Zaragosa, Spain.

And bingo! Every box was going to the Romanians working in Spain. Goodies for Christmas for the ones who miss the taste og winter holidays at home. I know a few stories about this phenomena and I would've loved to stop and do a quick inquiry and see what each box contains. But the branded boxes gave some suggestions: Bors Magic, 7days Croissants, Elita (cheap) Coffee, Rieni Palinca (in plastic bottles). I bet there was also some traditional smoked cheese, home-made fruit syrups and jam, some medicines, corn flower for mamaliga...

Vera Montero's show: echos

"un chagrin", "une impossibilité", "une tristesse", "une mauvaise volonté", "une chute", "une absence", "un mal de vivre", "un aveuglement", "un abime", "une mauvaise vision", "une honte", "un non-vivre", "une non-vision", "un non-vouloir", "un non-pouvoir", "une non-construction", "une non-possibilité", "une tête tanchée", "une vision", "un non-exister", "une absence de volonté"
ATROCE

This is Josephine Baker in a nutshell, as seen and interpreted by Vera Montero. Josephine Baker, a "mysterious thing, neither primitive nor civilized nor beyond time, at least not in the sense where emotion is beyond mathematics" said E. E. Cummings

Vera Montero's Josephine confrunts the audience naked and in the dark, hesitating on the brink of some existential abyss, somewhere beyond glitter, spark and savage erotism. She is tragically tied to this world, with the tragism of every moment of a human life.

This show has been a tyrany of words experienced both by the performer (a very expressive, versatile Vera Montero) and by the audience. In a dimming dark, discovering a sculptural body, balancing on some cow-shoes. Tyrany of words. some most serenity-killing words. Tyrany of phisical and pshicological balance. ATROCE.

Image from LeMonde Journal Photographique

Passe-ist advertising

Wispa Cadboury's. Another brand reminding us how it was when we were young. Suitable for Igu's passe-ist project

There are others made in RO. Simona Firtat (currently PR at The Group) wrote a nice analysis when she worked for (iqads)* Banii nostri.
Victoria Salami for Caroli by Saatchi&Saatchi
ROM chocolate (Excelent) had the Rom Tricolor campaign made by McCann Erikson
Bucegi was rooted in the past by Leo Burnett.
I'll be back soon with pics.

*Later edit: Simona Firtat was kind enough to drop me line and remind me that she, in fact, never worked at Iqads and that the article I was mentioning was written for Banii nostri and only featured by Iqads in their Media Digest (Revista presei) section. I have to take more care when writing my posts. All apologies.

Unde a disparut reclama L'Oreal

de pe IQads? stiti, aia cu Claudia Schiffer, al carei obraz cremuit si forever young se intindea peste tot articolul cand ti-era lumea mai draga. Culmea! fix peste articolul lui Alexandrescu de la Ogilvy One despre cum sa faci un site sa NU functioneze.

De cand l-am vazut (bannerul) am tot facut pariuri, ca e la misto, ca e un test facut de IQads sa vada cata lume da click pe banner, sau cat le scade traficul daca pun bannerul. Ma gandesc ca au poate cei de la IQads vreun teambuilding acum, mai putin chef de scris la "revista" si aveau nevoie de mai putin trafic.

Se cam verifica explicatia. Acum a disparut bannerul si parca au inceput sa apara si stiri noi pe IQads.

Explicatia ca ar fi fost pe bune o campanie L'Oreal nu tine. Ma gandesc ca IQads le-ar fi spus ca n-are L'Oreal public pe site-ul asta. Sau ca macar s-ar fi gandit la efectele negative pentru site, la dezamagirea comunitatii, la enervarea lor. Daca era pe bune ar fi refuzat bannerul L'Oreal. Nu?

Stie cineva mai multe? Speculeaza careva ceva?

PS: am vrut sa pun o poza cu bannerul enervant de la l'Oreal pentru ca meriti, dar n-am gasit pe niciunde. Nici pe ele.ro nu e nimic intrusiv cu logo 'Oreal. S-o fi intamplat ceva?

Today's obsession

Stripped. Depeche Mode. As felt in Bucharest when they toured the angel.


Let me hear you make decisions/ Without your television/Let me hear you speaking just for me! - what a deep cry for authenticity - in love or ailleurs.

One mysterious thing said ee cummings

I'm going to see Vera Mantero (Portuguese choreographer and dancer) dancing tonight at CNDB . Miki Braniste, biggest thanks for letting me know about this!

Vera will actually perform in two shows this evening: the Josephine Baker homage One mysterious thing, said ee cummings and also Perhaps she could dance first ...and think afterwards. I'm in the mood for dancing. The back-pain is only in the body...In the back...back!

Do come and meet me if you happen to be around the National Theatre in Bucharest at around 18.30. I will be there celebrating mutely the times when I used to dance. Picture courtesy of cndb.

London's burning

London's burning!/London's burning!/Fetch water!/Fetch water!/Fire!Fire!/Fire!Fire!/And we have no water
it's a song (about the Great Fire in 1666 London) I've been singing this morning quite obsessively only to later find out that there has been a fire and a lot of smoke in London. It seems that fire burst out at some deserted warehouses in the Olympic Park area. The stock went down. People fear terrorist attacks again and I guess it's no wonder.
They were fearing too when I first (and eventually) visited my most fantasized and read-about city in the world. I remember being stuck for three hours in the Underground because of some strange events on the Piccadilly Line. Everyone thought about bombs or false alarms. Instead, a woman had killed herself by jumping on the line in front of the train. I found it hard to breath and got my first delusion with London.
Now I miss that city. Take the smoke out!

We planted trees

The save the trees campaign continues with people from Bucharest volunteering to plant trees in one of the city's neighbourhoods. Unfortunately the campaign blog in only in English. But you can get the whole idea by simply looking at the posters and images from the awareness campaign. They say that "Abusive deforrestation is criminal", "The trees in the city are mourning for their dissapeared brothers in the Romanian forrests" and that basically what we are losing is life.

The first planting trees event happened the last Sunday and there were quite a lot people there (including local vips) volunteering to plant a tree. Here are some pictures taken by the organisers (The Media Monitoring Agency in Bucharest).

And here are some pictures we made at the big event. We all felt great and planted quite a few trees. So we are looking for the next occasion to plant more trees in Bucharest.

Even Tori helped with the trees. Until she met her friend Frida (the golden labrador).

Customer Care - How I almost got to be treated at Euroclinic

I was talking earlier about how my back hurts. This is how I've tried to solve the problem and didn't manage so far.
Wednesday
Customer Care Lady: Hello! Euroclinic, how can I help you?!
Me (Patient): Good evening. I would like to make an appointment for a Neurological check up, sometimes this week if possible. It is somewhat urgent.
CCL: Unfortunately, I could only schedule you for Monday at 12.00.
Me: Well. Ok. Thank you. I will settle for Monday, then.
CCL: Is it your first time at Euroclinic? What is your name?
Me: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, X-x-x ... x-x-x
(other details are being provided for the initialization of my Euroclinic hospital record)
CCL(summing up): The medical check-up costs 80 RON(around 24 EUR). I have made an appointment for you for Monday, at 12.00 AM with Dr. Petre Oanca

Friday
(another) CCL: Hello. I am calling from Euroclinic for the confirmation of your appointment for Monday at 12.00 with Dr. Petre Oanca
Me: Yes, of course! I confirm the appointment. Thank you for the reminder!
CCL: Thank you! We are looking forward to having you here!
Me: Thank you. I'll be there at 12.00 at noon.

Monday (D-Day) 10.00 AM
CCL: Hello!I am calling from Euroclinic for the confirmation of your appointment for today at 12.00 with Dr. Petre Oanca
Me (amused): Yes I will be there. Thank you for reminding me!
CCL: Thank you. Have a nice day! (and other farewell curtoasy phrases)

Monday (D-Day) 10.40 AM
CCL: Hello!I am calling from Euroclinic. You have an appointment for 12.00 today.
Me: Yes. I will be there. Thank you!
CCL: Actually. the 11.30 appointment has been canceled and we were wondering whether you could come a little earlier.
Me: Well. I would gladly try but I don't think I can make it. It is 10.40 already and it takes more than an hour for me to get to your address. Plus there are some things I have to do before arriving at the clinic for I had scheduled the appointment for 12.00 So the best I can do is to try to come 10 minutes earlier, at around 10 to 12.00 AM. It's the best I can do.
CCL: Well, thank you very much!


Getting ready, it's raining outside, traffic, one short stop at the self banking office to get the money for the check up, traffic, back hurts.

Monday (D-Day) 11.50 Euroclinic hospital reception
Me: Hello ! I have an appointment for 12.00 with Dr Petre Oanca. Could you please tell what floor should I go to?
CCL: We have no appointment for Dr Petre Oanca at 12.00
Me: It is impossible. You made me confirm this appointment twice so far. Please do check up again.
CCL (with disbelief): What is your name?
ME: Xxxxxx
CCL: Oh but you changed your appointment for 11.30. The Doctor is out since you didn't come in time.
Me (seriously pissed): Dear lady. I did not ask for changing of the appointment hour nor did I approve or authorize of any changes. Someone from Euroclinic called me twice today to get my confirmation for 12.00 AM. The hour remained settled. Then you called me again and asked if I could come earlier. my response was negative and I said I would try to get here at 10 to 12.00 not a minute earlier. It seems to me that there has been some miss communication or miss understanding.
CCL (plain and direct): I'm terribly sorry but there is nothing I can do. You should have come earlier. Dr Petre Oanca is not in the hospital anymore. He left at 11.30
Me (suddenly enlightened): Very well. It was my first experience with this hospital. I shall never come here again. Nor shall my friends. Thank you for your time! Good day.

And there I was, in the rain at 12.00 wondering what exactly is wrong with customer care in Romania. Coming to work (late, because I had had an appointment with the "back doctor" and thus had taken some hour off) I stopped to talk about the Euroclinic experience to a colleague. She told me immediately that she wasn't surprised and that one of her friends had to repeat various tests because Euroclinic had mixed the test results of a group of patients and consequently got the wrong diagnosis to every one of them.

I'm puzzled. This is a private hospital. And an expensive clinic that charges one 80 RON only to be looked at by a doctor. With quite an active Customer/Patient relations department. Where did my good old Doc go?

I rescheduled. I'm trying another private clinic this week. My back still hurts. Why do I have to pray for luck and good treatment when I'm open to pay as much as 80 RON per visit at the doctor?