2008 in 37 Q&A

As seen on Stingoo's blog. I read it there and I decided that in a while or so (longer, the better) I will like going back to this post and reading my answers. I will then invite the friends that I know have blog, to do the same. I think it's a nice honesty exercise. So here we go, for 2008:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Started to live by my own, in a new country.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I always make New Year's resolutions (I even made a Rosh hashana resolution) but I always loose them somewhere so I don't remember if i kept them or not. Too bad. And yes, I will make another one also. Should I write on it, among other, "Not to loose this resolution" ? Maybe...

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
YES! My sister! To the amazing baby Eytan! The smallest baby I've ever held in my arms! And the most advertised baby ever! (people that visited my room know why)

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Unfortunately, yes. My grandmother passed away this February. She didn't get to see her third great grandson. I miss her, and even more, my heart breaks when I think how much my grandfather misses her.

5. What countries did you visit?
Israel, Hungary, Czech Republic, Israel again, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and now, Austriaaaaaa!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Butterflies in the stomach, but ones that will last and be worthed.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 6th - my grandma died
July 4th - my sister gave birth and I was dancing in Prague (damn it!)
October 19th - I moved to Vienna and my life changed
And unfortunately, a certain Friday noon, by the pool...


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
By far, deciding on leaving everything back in Romania and jumping in this new adventure called "studying in Vienna".

9. What was your biggest failure?
The fact that I still didn't learn from my own mistakes...

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Beside heart little scratches?
Not anything seriously (and, as I don't have medical insurance yet, please not!)

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Clothes and Universita for Eytan (whoever doesn't know what that is, means that he didn't have a small baby around). That and the ticket to come to the LBS assessment interview.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My mother's for everything she does.
My sister for giving birth naturally! I respect her tremendously!
Mine! For daring to take such a big decision as moving abroad alone!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Sometimes mine, sometimes the behavior of the people that dissapointed me.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Flight tickets, laptop and food (last one, since in Vienna - this is one of the best reasons for living with parents:) )

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Having a nephew, moving abroad, meeting great new people.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
"Halevai"...

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? fatter (I wonder how will I answer next year to this:) )
c) richer or poorer? moneywise - poorer, experiencewise - richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Spend more time with my mom and grandfather, Swimming, Sports, Dancing (yes, even more!), learn more salsa, Blogging (;) )

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Google-ing, facebook-ing, mailing, all in all, Internet, loosing time in a terrible way.

20. How will you be spending Christmas? What about Hanuka? (My add, of course)
Home with Dad, Grandpa and Woody. As for Hanuka, first days here, starting on ice skating with people from LBS, lighting my candles on the Hanukia mom sent from Israel, and then, the rest, at home with friends. Can't wait!

21. What was your favorite TV program?
Amazing Race 12 and 13, of course.

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't really hate. Let's just say i dislike some persons more than i did last year, or some persons that I didn't know last year.

22a (My add). Do you like anyone now that you didn't like this time last year?
YES! So many of my new friends that I made, be it here, in Austria, or in all my travelings (Summer U people!!!!).

23. What was the best book you read?
UPPSSSS..I feel sooo stupid...I know a book that I would love if i read it: "The Kite runner". Does this count?

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don't listen too much to music. But I need to say that I liked Straigt no Chaser the first time I heard them and that David Broza and Shlomo Artzi are always wonderful to listen to. But all in all, music needs to be danced!

25. What did you want and get?
To change my life, my work place, my environment.

26. What did you want and not get?
Some people's feelings.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?
"The kite runner". By far!

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Danced all day & night long in Machol Hungaria, Israeli dance camp. 150 people sang Happy Birthday to me, the teachers carried me on their shoulders and I had with me some of my best friends. 25

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having mom near me all the time, being able to control and impose myself over my feelings, eating better food (since in Austria). :)

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
As confortable as possible. And sometimes even sexy can go:)

31. What kept you sane?
Talking to mom, having friends (even far away but feeling them close) to whine to.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Sarit Hadad, the famous Israeli singer, as I saw/met her in person, and organizing the Israel 60 event in Bucharest, in which she performed, was one of my great achievements.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
Basescu, the President of Romania, but sure not MY president

34. Who did you miss?
Come on, this is what I am writing over and over on my blog. My mom, my sister, Eytan, my dad, my aunt, my friends back home, my new friends not in Austria, Woody.

35. Who was the best new person you met?
Well..can't rank them and they're so many. You know yourself and if I haven't, I'll soon tell you, you are among them! But for sure, this was one of the year with the highest amount of "best new persons".

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Trust your feelings and intuition and don't give in to what you believe in too quickly. Don't be afraid of change. And also, something that I learned some years ago, but still valid: Time solves everything. Ups, three lessons already!

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"It's the first day...of the rest of your life"

Later edit: Of course, among the wonderful persons I met this year, I couldn't forget to mention Sophie, my first niece ever, very very cute, with who I got to spend only a few days but I sure hope I will get to see her more often. So, Adina and Josh, we need to make this happen, ok?:)

Politics, feelings, marketing exam, (no) food in the mensa and many more...

I know. That's all i can say. I thought there is nobody else reading my blog no more. And it would be perfectly legitimate from you not to want to read it anymore or not to even remember my address no more. What can I do? All the time i want to write, i become sooo lazy with no reason. Starting is hard, but once I get going, nobody can stop me:). I can tell you from now on that this post will be a looong one because too many things have gathered since I last wrote. I even got to write the subjects I wanted to share with you on a piece of paper. See how much I am thinking about sharing my experiences with you guys? But from thinking to typing...long shot...
Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes, to me voting. Since then, parties have won, a Prime minister was nominated by the President, chosen, after was announced he refused (a gesture that he has done once again some time ago -2004 was it?), another Prime Minister was chosen, a guy that represents me as much as my President does. And now I just found out the names from our new government. Unbelievable! I am totally ashamed and dissapointed with leaders of Romania nowadays. But then again...each country has the leaders its people deserve. So no complaints. Oh, yes complaints cause I voted, ok?

Now, let's talk about things that are in my closer environment. Like snow-rain today. Bad ugly weather. And all the mood around the campus is like everybody wants to go in vacation, go home, go out, just go. In less than 1 week i am going to my homy. I so thought i won't miss it. and here I am, missing Bucharest, missing dad, missing Apu, missing Woody. Woodelutzuuuu.....he definitely deserves a walk out. This in case he remembers me...
Of course I miss a lot my family in Israel but them I will see in february! Yeeey!
And also I miss friends. I think it is already the 10th time I am telling you about what nice people I am meeting here day by day, how happy i am to spend a lot of time with some really cool guys and girls, but i still miss the old gang back home. I read on Rina's blog that she also misses home and parties and friends, so I feel better:)

Had yesterday the first big exam. In marketing. I was pretty dissapointed about it after, I feel I've done pretty bad, or at least not enough. The question that still remains in my head is why the hell is there the need to make the exam as stressfull as possible? We had 14 subjects in 1 hour and 30 minutes. Definitely not enough time. And why? You were supposed to write whatever comes to your mind first first first. Not even reflect for a second, cause ups, time's up! I don't understand! Does this show more about our knowledge? About how we react in times of stress? About how we prioritise which subjects we cover and which not? anyhow...after the exam, stressed and mad, we went to eat...guess what? Dinner is from 7-8 pm. We got to 7:30..."we are sorry, there's no more food left" (you imagine that this is my nice translation of a shoulder movement from down to up and then again down and a head dropping to the left - of the lady in the kitchen). No chicken, no jam, no chocolate, no...i felt my pressure going up. (PS: me going now to dinner not to miss this one too. I shall be back, no worries!:)
Ok, me back. so were was I? Oh, yes, at the part with no food. So we left for the city to eat something. Vienna is something extraordinary from this point. The coffee places (Starbucks is a good example) is closed after 8 pm! And everything else! Even now, some days before Christmas, in the middle of the week, in the evenings, you find all the shops closed and too few people on the streets. Unbelievable!
But, as I found out last week, in the weekends, during the day, things change dramatically! On the main shopping street, you can barely walk! In the shops, there's no place to move! This shopping day was a very educational one. I learned a lot of things. Like the fact that you can loose the person you went shopping with in the first big store you enter and then shop all by yourself all day long. Or the fact that ALL and ONLY Romanians and Hungarians do shopping in Vienna. Everywhere, but really everywhere, I heard only Romanian and Hungarian. I felt like in Transilvania:) And I learned that the sellers in Muller are among the rude and unpolite sellers I've seen. So very educational...:)

I found a very nice quote somewhere. And this while I was thinking I don't have a motto in my life. And I should start looking for one. This is not my motto, but just something that made me smile and reflect: "Listen! Today is the first day of the rest of your life! But relax, so is tomorrow!" :) Does it tell you anything? What do you take from this? I am curious on your oppinions.

Remember I told you I've been to a Klezmatics klezmer performance a while ago? Still didn't get to give details about that, but they sang a song that I loved. That has a very deep meaning. I knew I heard it before and searched it over the Internet. Klezmatics made only a cover, but the way they sang it is really nice. And they've added some Iddish lyrics, something that makes it even nicer. I will try to upload here a video, last time it didn't work, let's see now. And below you have the lyrics..."I ain't afraid..." Very powerful lyrics (here you can listen to the original version and also read the lyrics) and very modern nowadays. "I ain't afraid of your Allah, I ain't afraid of your Jesus...I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God"...

I have much more to write (from my list i ticked only some, but i want to post this not to loose it)...soon (very soon) another shall come...
Listening to "I ain't afraid", I leave you...
Good night

news, bla bla and other stuff...

...all of them are on my mind now. And none of them is International Marketing, the course of which I am supposed to make a summarize. But I just can't read anything...too many things are happening, too many things that should happen are NOT happening, my mood is up and down and then again up...

I wanted to tell you I voted! YEAP! Am I a great citizen of Romania or what? One day before my exam (oh, and the exam on Dec 1st, Romanian National Day), I dressed warm (it's starting to smell and feel like winter here), and went with 2 trams to the Romanian Cultural Center. Beside my adventures on the way (surprisingly enough, even the perfect-timed Vienese public transportation has its moments of break...but don't understand how come I was caught in between...), I got there and used my constitutional right and voted. Why did I bother? Beside the fact that Silvian nagged me to vote for Mr. Vainer, the representative of the Jewish Community of Romania for the Parliament, I voted because I want to complain. I want to be able to complain. And if you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain. And i sure know there will be a lot to complain about:) In the same time, I met with some friends of mine from Romania that brought me some more things that I needed from home. Thanks guys and thanks Erwin! Oh, and also on the way there I passed in front of the Rathaus (the Municipality) and saw a wonderful Christkindelmarkt (gotcha! you don't know what that is! hehe...i didn't till 2 weeks ago but not even till now I couldn't manage to get there)...It's a Christmas market with a lot of Glukwine (for sure i mis spelled it) and other yummy things and a lot of small nothings that you can buy.) I do want to go there one evening but always i am so tired to do it. note to self: Dana, please get yourself together! :)

Then, yesterday i wanted to dress myself in the colors of the Romanian flag. Of course here I feel much more patriot than back home. Being the only Romanian in the whole dorm doesn't help too much to express this patriotism. After trying some outfits that included red, yellow and blue, decided that people will not appreciate my purpose and will just see the clowny outfit and judge me for that...eh, superficials!:) But I made sure to announce all my classmates about the event, my teachers, and especially the teacher that gave us an exam on that date. And i mentioned that he should be greatful that I'm having this exam instead of celebrating at home...riiiight:) (the exam, at "Scientific methods and tools of research" went good. Got an 1:) here it means the best grade:P)
How was Dec 1st back home? Anybody wants to tell me?

Today I had the first shift in the library. I told you about the points one must collect doing different chores in the campus. So I had time to read the book for school. The fact that I didn't is something else. But at least I got a GREAT massage for my achy (no, not heart:) ) back. It was worthed!:)

Going back to the votes, we witnessed an unbelievable result: the representative of the Jewish Community received 22.400 votes. Taking into consideration that the number of members of the Jewish Communities all over the country is of only 6000(!!!) nobody can explain where does the HUUUGE difference come from. I still don't know how come, but for sure it shows that the Jewish Community is a strong one in Romania and this can't but make me very proud, knowing that I was an active part of it and I (still) am a small part. And I am really curious to see how many votes did Mr. Vainer get from Vienna...:) One is sure mine and another is Miriam's:)
Besides all these...what can I tell you? A great weekend...going to a very nice Shabat evening organised by Eytan at his house, meeting nice people, walking back (yes, on foot!!) 1 hour and 15 min by the Donau, laughing a lot, playing ping pong at 3 am (!?!):)) and waking up with a great mood at 12:00 at noon...
Oh, and I found out that it might be that next March I will be dancing at a Jewish Ball in the Rathaus! That is beyond any expectation! I'm soooo excited...yea, yea yea...
And with this excitement in mind, another thing poped out: me needing to go back to my Intl. Marketing...see yaaaa!

really?? One month??...

...exactly, to the day! I have arrived in Vienna one month ago. One month ago I left Romania to settle in a new country, new place, new occupation, new people. And so far, I can say that the choice is wonderful. As i was telling you before, I enjoy a lot of things going on here, I am (still) enthusiastic (as the dean noticed today), i am still looking forward to meeting even more new people, especially outside of LBS, and i am considering traveling a lot.

One month in which i started managing myself, my own time and activities, my room which has become my home now. For sure there are a lot of things to still do, but hey, only a month:) I am already thinking about what i will be doing the 5 days i will be home in December and how fast i want February to come to go to Israel, to see mom, Sorana and most beautiful baby in the world, Eytan. Him i miss the most! And I am sure the feeling is totally mutual:) This is how he's looking at the camera, knowing that Doda Dana will see this picture.How can't you miss such a baby? But no worries, by february, he will be 7 months so he will be for sure able to have a conversation with me...in German even, as I need to practice it:)
Besides all my family, be it in Israel or Romania, I miss Woody so much...I even dreamed of him one night...sniff sniff...
Now...happier times! TODAY I had a celebration! In the honor of my first month here, I cooked my first real meal! In the community room...And it was heavenly delicious!mmmm....Chicken breast with mushrooms ...yummmmmmmmmyyyy...In the reality it was much better than it looks here. We were laughing that the LBS horrible food regime makes you cherish on an unbelievable scale the little pleasures in life...like the pancake the Indian-that-thinks-he-speaks-Romanian from the kitchen gave me today, specially and only for me :) (i know that from that moment on i have some new enemies:P).
And also...a very important event happened yesterday: I have received a package from mom and sis!!!! You have no idea how i rushed to the offices to take it and how all cocky I was walking back with it to my room! My rich relatives didn't forget the lost daughter that they sent in foreign land!:) Not to say that now I could start some sweets illegal traffic, but also I have Bamba, soup, choco. And a lot of printed pictures (that are already on my wall). And even a bamboo that i will take care of and will grow up to the sky:) I felt so excited yesterday...little things again:)
So now, i have almost finished decorating my room so expect by the end of this week pictures with my sweet home. People say it looks really nice and cosy and i really feel it this way too.

Now, I have moved to Olga's room cause she has windows to the "outside world" which means she can reach some outside wireless networks, (yes, but me, with my inside the campus windows have the advantage of being able to put food on the window. She is not allowed, as it "bothers the neighbours with an unpleasant view!!!?!") so I came here to download a torrent as I miss my Amazing Race sooo much. And with our LBS network downloading illegal torrents is not an option.

Tomorrow evening we are going to visit the Christmas Market. I understood there are different markets but we will go to the main one and will drink also some "vin fiert" (is it mild wine in english?). Anyway, I expect some quality time with colleagues, although they announced that it will be colder and colder, reaching on Sunday the wonderful -5 degrees Celsius air temperature!!!!
Guten nacht lekulam!:)

i had so many things to tell you...

...but i am too tired. it's almost 2:30 am, the second night in a row that i am going to sleep at 2 am because i had some school assignments. Does it sound weird for those of you that know me? Me, who was learning for school only in the exam period...well, this doesn't work here. i have so much to read (especially for finance, as i mentioned in a previous post) and some projects and presentations, be them in a group or personal. Some of them are nice, others at least weird, or confusing, to say it nice. But all in all, i am learning a lot of new stuff, i don't know how i lived till now not being curious about so many things, how i passed by them, now words that till now i only knew i heard them once, make sense. And i learned once again, the big difference between a difficult subject, with A LOT of material, but with a great teacher that makes it all look pretty logical and connected and an ok subject, but with a teacher that tries to find the most complicated way of explaining a notion, that we end up being so damn confused. I hope things will clear up later.

Anyway, wanted to write more about how nice autumn is in the campus, how i collected red, yellow, brown, green leaves and put them in books as i used to do back home...how i will wait for them to dry and then put them all over my home's walls...how i went yesterday and studied in the courtyard, among leaves, me and my Winnie the Pooh Caravan pillow and how refreshing that was...how awful the food is here and how much bread, jam, pasta, rice, milk and cereal i eat no matter it's breakfast, lunch or dinner...how in the same time, i just ate (at 1:30 am) some tuna paste with about 5 groupmates in the community room, while talking about the paralell SWOT analysis between LBS and the Granz Facheschule:)...how i'm playing ping pong with boys in the dorm (yes, only with boys, and i am some kind of specimen that people come to check out in the "let me see what a girl can do" idea.:) Well, i don't think i've done so bad yet:) so Cristian camp, i owe it all to you:))...how not even till now i didn't get to the center of Vienna, at least for a little walk...but who's rushing me?...how the accounting teaching sent us a list of cinema movies that he recommends, with a little review and i found it really nice of him...how i'm listening now to a bachata song on Radio Romantic and how i miss dancing Israeli dancing or salsa...but how i will go to the Salsa Congress next week right here, in Vienna...how i am missing...something. i honestly don't know exactly what i miss, or who i miss, or if it's an illusion i miss something...and then again, how busy i am here with things i like and enjoy, that i don't get to miss anything afterall.

This weekend i'm going to Bratislava! there's a big party organized by the Jewish Community and we're a pretty big group from LBS going there (well, why wouldn't be? it's about 1 h distance and there will be free alcohol all night long, so, of course, why not?:D - as for me, it's good i spoke with the bartender and i ordered already some customized Dana's non alcoholic cocktails). For sure i'll do some sightseeing as well.

Yes, everything came in this post pretty messy and unorganized. well, surprising or not, i became more and more organized and tidy in my life and home, so at least in the post to have my old "good" habits:)

I know i still owe you pictures from my room and some stories from the past. They too shall pass away:)
By the way, i would love to hear some comments or questions if you have about everything that is happening here.
Good and nightmares-free night ...

I left Romania 2 weeks ago...

...and here i am today...

yeap, lucky day that is, 2 posts in a row. what can i do if i need to catch up with the things happening here? i will start with the beginning, since i came and settled in.

First, i haven't felt this lucky in a long time...knowing i am allowed to have only 20 kilograms besides the carry-on, i went to the airport with...are you ready?...45 kg! needless to say that i wasn't so surprised to find out how much exactly i was carrying but believe me, the lady at the check in thought i'm making fun of her. And so here was i, pleeding and begging to be taken on board, with all the luggage in and even without having to pay some incredible fees. The lady at the counter (i would send her a bouquet of flowers if i knew her name:) ) was unbelievable helpful and nice. But she told me she doesn't have too many options, there are the regulations of the company, yada yada. I was like "please please, i am going studying and i have a lot of books to carry and please please please...maybe other passagers don't have the maximmum possible". And i was right. And lucky. exactly behind me there was a family (two parents and a child) and all three of them, yes ALL three of them, had...7 kilos!! Can you believe it? I couldn't...i think they had only socks in there:) but it was great for me.
So this was my first luck.
I'm not going to tell you how i managed with 5 (yes five!) bags and suitcases on the way from the airport to the dorm, just imagine me with all of them on some prety narrow elevator stairs and everything tripping and collapsing. see? Laurel and Hardy (sau Stan si Bran in romana) 2 in one!:)
Lucky me I had Annie here, so for the first night i slept in her room. The next day, i got my own room. MINE! miiineee!!! and here the second luck interfeers: i got a single room!! all alone and only miiine! don't ask me how i managed cause i really didn't do anything special, i just think that coming late sometimes is not necessary a bad thing:)
I will post soon a picture of the room, but i want it to be in the before/after mood so i need some more days to arrange everything in it.
Anyway, i feel good in here, i like buying different stuff for the house (i need to start calling her my home, right?:) ) and for that i went to...where do all people that want to buy cheap do-it-yourself products go? yeap, IKEA! but this needs totally another post as there is too much to say.

About classes: - also a lot to say but to make it short, for now: me likes them!:) for those who know me, that's something surprising, right? well, not really, taking into consideration that i changed the field. and that i can feel the immediate practical sense in everything we talk about. But the names of the courses, some of them, are something...for example, the course for Contemporary Concepts of Organizational Behavior & Management of Change I. For the first week i managed to learn the title of the course...i am on the right way, isn't it? :) Talking about understanding, diagnosing, managing organisational behavior and human resource development. Interesting. For now, the homework is a presentation with the subject "A company is a machine".
Then we have Financial Reporting and Controlling (which is accounting basically, but not the basics of the accounting, if you understand the difference:) ). With this, all the Balance sheets, and Profit-loss sheet and all the calculations, believe me, i have a much higher respect to accountants then i had till now:)
The Interpersonal Dimensions of Leadership is something definetly on my taste. Different types of leaderships, where works what, with who works what, and so on. Already i have scheduled a personal presentation on Dec 22nd.
The Contemporary Concepts of Finance and Investment is something i will have to take care of. I need to catch up a lot as i have no experience whatsoever in finance. A huge book to read (and this is only the start). Already it sounds scary but i'm not letting myself defeated by that.
And for now i will mention only the Personal Assesment course, which by the end of the first two weeks is the winner at the "Nicest and most "I know Dana, I'll have a tailored for her" - course". It is again related to Human Resources, to how to asses the person in front of you, in an interview for example and how to understand which are his/her values, motivations. And for that, we first need to know what drives us in a certain direction. so...self assessment that is, with somebody smarter to interpret everything. I feel i so much needed this kind of assessment or consulting regarding my future carrieer and what are my expectations in life about 7 years ago.
anyway, the time is NOW!

There are other courses as well, but about this...in our next episode:) (don't i sound like Teleenciclopedia?:)

I am open to any comments, questions or reactions whatsoever:) I will be happy to answer to them.
Oh and tomorrow, it's Studying time! I just said it here so i make sure i will do it, otherwise i will be too ashamed to come in front of you with other stories:)