How come I didn’t cry watching Me Before You

The answer that probably everyone’s waiting for is that I am an insensitive human being or that I am ashamed of crying in public. But it’s not about either of that, nope, sorry to disappoint you.

I went last weekend to watch the movie ‘Me Before You‘. And somehow, despite all the emotional reviews and the warning about crying your heart out, I was safe. And it’s me that we’re talking about – I cry at animation movies. ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’, ‘Up’, ‘Inside Out’, ‘Despicable Me’, ‘Bolt’, etc., they all made me cry. Oh, and ‘Little Prince’, also.

So, if you don’t like spoilers and you haven’t seen Me Before You, then don’t read any further. But if you’re okay with it and you’ve seen it, then go ahead and read and make me feel like I’m the heartless one.

The movie is about love (well, duh!), and more specifically, about a standing girl and guy in a wheelchair (almost completely paralyzed) and they meet and fall in love and spend some time together. She finds out by accident that he’s scheduled to die – because he couldn’t live in a wheelchair when he was a really active person before – and she decides to show him that life is worth living, no matter what. So she makes him get out of the house and takes him on vacation and they do all sort of sweet things together.

anamariapopa.com me before you inainte sa te cunosc review emilia clarke sam claflin beach

Well, once they got closer, he tells her what he had planned. She replies saying she knew and all that she did was to prove him that life is still beautiful and worth living and that she hoped he would change his mind after the time they spent together. He told her nicely that he cannot live a life in a wheelchair, especially after he traveled the world back and forth and experienced amazing things, practiced extreme sports and so on. He also explained to her that he cannot be with her like that, sitting in a wheelchair and not do to her all the things he wants to, not touch, not caress her because he can’t move his hands. Etc, etc. And then she just starts crying and preach him about ambition and will and the worst part was when she said she regrets getting attached to him. That was where I lost interest.

anamariapopa.com me before you inainte sa te cunosc review emilia clarke

Maybe I’m the type of person that’s all in when she watches a movie, maybe I feel it too much, but we’re talking about a person in a wheelchair that wasn’t having a nice time in this life and all she can do is take things personally. Like that man isn’t tormented enough, she has to act like a spoiled child that loses her toy. This is the way I see it – if it’s love and if you care about the other person, you would think of what makes him happy. Not you. Let’s give up the ego for a bit. Set an example for real life also, just saying.

She got mad, ignored him and didn’t talk to him, left home and didn’t accompany him on that journey. Well, at first. Cause it’s a movie and she changed her mind afterwards, goes after him and catches him right in his last moments, enough to kiss him and lay her head on this chest.

anamariapopa.com me before you inainte sa te cunosc review emilia clarke sam claflin last kiss

I actually really enjoyed the ending. After he died, he left her a certain bank account with a certain amount of money that she can use to build a path, to travel a bit and experience moments and find her own place and purpose in this life. Even more, I loved the way he put it – ‘There is enough money here to make a life, but not enough that you don’t have to work anymore in your life’. Well, that’s love for sure – helping someone in the way they want it, they need it, just give them a start but not make them get lazy *the-aww-factor* 🙂 It’s the idea that you better teach someone how to fish and they’ll have food for a lifetime than you fishing for them and they’ll have just one meal.

Anyways, over all,  Me Before You is a nice movie, makes your feelings go crazy for someone who thinks of love that way. The girl – Emilia Clarke, was extremely cute and funny. I think she’s a very good and expressive actress, one thing you don’t see everyday. Him – Sam Claflin, played his part extremely well and he’s got my appreciation even more because of the static part. I mean, being happy and energetic is easy, but playing a part where you have to control your reflexes, calm them down and act immobilized is a whole other story.

anamariapopa.com me before you inainte sa te cunosc review emilia clarke sam claflin

As for me, I just discovered I’ve also got the book that the movie is based on, written by Jojo Moyes. Apparently, I bought it some time ago in London. 3 years later and I still didn’t get a chance to read it. But now I’m really curious, cause usually they say the book is better than the movie. I will find out soon  🙂

Photos: IMDB și Youtube.

I just vanished… Poof!

Yep, exactly like that.

2 months ago (where did that go?!) I moved from Bucharest, Romania. To Austria, the mountain side, Tirol. I am at the end of the world, in a village of max 1000 inhabitants. I tend to believe that’s the number of tourists over a whole year.

Let’s just put it this way – there is just one sidewalk, one way. Nope, no 2 sidewalks, one on each way of the road. Basically, because even if it was, I’m not really sure there would be enough people to use it and walk on it.

So yeah, I’m here in a place that’s got nothing. No coffee shop, no doctor’s office, no pharmacy, no supermarket to buy stuff. And no internet connection. I’m lucky when traveling cause I enjoy other people’s internet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, not anymore. I was, at the beginning. Oh, I was really annoyed! But then, I looked at is as a challenge. You know, I am a Social Media & Online person, and now I have to deal with no internet connection. But it helped me see things differently.

First of all, I started paying more attention to the people around me. I started enjoying more having a real conversation and I am more into stories. I laugh like I really mean it, finally! I am peaceful with my phone not having to vibrate all the time – messages, phone calls, emails! I enjoy this mountain air and the white view with lots of snow! I feel like I’ve discovered things in me I didn’t even know I had.

My friends here make fun of me, a ‘princess’, a big city girl moving to a village. And the thing is that it wasn’t even that bad. I mean yeah, I miss the comfort of craving for french fries in the middle of the night and just hop in the car and go to McDrive. Now, if I wanna meet someone or buy basic stuff, I need to hop on the bus for half an hour and go in the next town and shop there. At least, there’s something there, like 2 mini-malls with some stores and coffee shops and supermarkets.

All of this helps me live really basic. Me, the people around me, nature, emotions and moments.

soll-skiwelt-austria-mountain-winter-snow-ski

Life here is so unmaterialistic (if that’s even a word) that a few days ago I had this happened to me – my phone died. It just died. It shut down by itself and I couldn’t turn it on again… I wasn’t even panicked. I was just thinking that I’ll have to live without my phone on top of the internet thing. I was just trying to think of ways to let my people know so they won’t get worried. I left it alone, and after some time, my phone recovered by itself and started working again. I wasn’t even feeling relieved… It was just a thing, an object and I wasn’t gonna be mad cause of that.

One of my Bucharest people asked me at some point if I miss home. It didn’t take long to say I don’t.  To me, home is a feeling, not a place. As long as I am happy and peaceful, home is where I am. Yes, I do miss my people, I admit it. But that is easy to work out when they’re the right ones. They know I think of them and I miss them, even if we don’t talk everyday.

I truly believe that we got used too much to all this comfort the technology gives us. It is helpful, not gonna deny it, but somehow we let it replace life. Because when that is not in the picture anymore, it’s still us, humans. Us, with our thoughts, emotions, feeling and all that surrounds us. I found out this way that we forgot how to live… And I speak for myself also, my past self.

This same time last year, I couldn’t even picture my everyday life without internet, my phone, my laptop. And somehow, I feel that like this I exist more than ever. 🙂

Thanksgiving or giving thanks?

Thanksgiving day is a national holiday celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, in the USA and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It is the day of the year of giving thanks for the blessing and the harvest of the previous year. The tradition includes a large meal, in which the star is a roasted turkey.

The first Thanksgiving dinner was held in 1621 by Pilgrims and lasted 3 days (!) but it didn’t become a national holiday until 300 years later, in 1941. It is believed that there were no turkeys for dinner back in 1621. Still, the turkey is the traditional Thanksgiving dish, given the fact that it was one of the first animals to be domesticated in the USA.

American or not, another year has almost passed and this would be a good time to think about all the things we are really thankful this year, in this life. Day-by-day we’re busy complaining, focusing on what we don’t have, because it’s easier this way. So, sometimes, it is important taking the time to remember the things we are thankful for and that every so often, we take for granted.

After giving it some thought, replaying one of the most challenging years of my life – if not, the most! – this is my personal list here:

People – generally speaking. I like the fact that I’ve met and will meet enough people in this life, to have things to learn from them. People who inspire me to be better or, on the contrary, people who make me say – ‘I don’t ever wanna be like that!’. People whom I admire and will follow, and people whom I know my life would be better without.

Life – ’cause when you try and think about it, life is pretty amazing. You just need to know what to do with it and how to create it. And this year made me realize that I’m just starting creating my life, building opportunities and taking chances.

Love – it makes the world go round. It’s happiness, power, beauty, kindness, support, honesty, trust, communication, understanding, peace, acceptance, respect, patience – okay, stop me now.

Good Friends – you know, the people you feel. Some people you see, some you hear, but only few you will feel. Those are your friends. And no other words could describe this feeling.

Physical activity – dancing, fitness, yoga. Whatever makes me move, lifts my spirit, gives me energy, puts me in the right mood and reminds me that I look better fit 😀

Pets – and even better, if you don’t own one – friends with pets! 2 in 1, big win!

Challenges – they serve a purpose. They make you the person you are now. How you overcome them it’s your choice, in your hands, your control.

Pain – without it, you wouldn’t be able to appreciate all the good times. Like – when your tooth hurts. You become thankful for all the times you had a good time, even if you had other dental problems.

Control – over your actions, your attitude. Yes, that is the only thing you can really have control over. You won’t be able to decide how people treat you, how long you will have a job or a car. But the thing that you can master is how you react to everything that comes your way, in this life.

Loss of control – imagine if all the issues were in your hands to handle them?! That’s one hell of a complicated life! It may be hard, but try and see the good in it. Enjoy every moment you lack control, it’s yours to feel free!

Money – yes, the last one. It makes many things possible in this world, because I like to be also practical about life. It can be your friend or your enemy – your choice, you control it.

 

How’bout you? What have you got to be thankful for in this life? 🙂

 

anamariapopa.com blog post atra doftana valea doftanei romania relax nature photo cristian sutu foto union

Being Turkish

‘I wanna go back’ – the first words that came out of my mouth as soon as I arrived from Istanbul.

First thing – God, they’ve got so many shopping malls! I got there in the evening, around 18h, so there wasn’t much to do besides dinner and a walk – after all, I was on holiday 🙂

Aqua Florya – shopping mall near the sea. Perfect place to relax…

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul aqua florya pelit priveliste wonderful view

…and for something delicious (and sweet, ofc)…

Wet Heart-Shaped Chocolate Cake @ Pelit

Wet Heart-Shaped Chocolate Cake @ Pelit

…and for watching the incredible sunset.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul aqua florya pelit apus de soare sunset

The traffic in Istanbul sucks. What it’s like in Bucharest, oh well – there it’s like dying bit by bit! And I was told I shouldn’t be too surprised, it was holiday – Kurban Bayramı – and everybody’s was out of town so the traffic was like 1/3 of the usual. I was that close to driving in Istanbul, but apparently I had a fairy who made me think twice. As soon as we left the parking, going on a narrow-one-lane-for-every-direction-up-hill-street, there comes this crazy taxi driver. I really don’t know how I made it out of there alive, I jut closed my eyes and hoped for the best, and I thanked God I wasn’t the driving and that had this great driver!

Oh, and don’t get me started about taxi drivers! Again, Bucharest is crazy but these guys are loonatics! Yeah, they’ve got great infrastructure, lots of highways to make the traffic better, but really, you just can’t keep calm when driving. At some point, we were close to having an accident at 120km/h, just because one taxi driver thought of racing when changing the lanes, and hitting the brake every 5m.

About pedestrians, yeah, well there’s not smarter either. Why use the effin’ zebra crossing when it’s so much easier to just jump in front of the car and ask for priority?!

But, one thing that I appreciated was the special lane in the middle of the highway – for buses. It looked so well thought of and……………useful!

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul highway bus traffic autobuz pe autostrada trafic infernal

Istanbul is a city of cats – like you see stray dogs in Bucharest and maybe other cities, they’ve got stray cats. It’s not a problem for them to find a place, even if it’s a store, restaurant, art gallery or car.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul stray cat 3anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul stray cat 4anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey stray cat 5anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul stray cat 1anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul stray cat 2I was looking at their registration plates and I was asking myself why do they use that number – 34 – and what’s the connection with the city.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul parcare placute inregistrare registration plate

And I found out that Istanbul is the 34th city of Turkey, in alphabetical order. The other numbers and letter are random or they can be personalized.

Oh, I almost forgot. The most delicious thing ever: it’s called Oreo Magnolia and it’s vanilla pudding and Oreo, from CookShop. It looks like this.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul budinca oreo mangolia pudding cookshop

When it comes to sightseeing, well I’m not much into that. It’s not my style to stay in a line. And yes, Istanbul’s got a mosque everywhere you look. And honestly, they all kinda look the same to me.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul suleyman mosque

Sultan Ahmet Mosque

But what really got my attention was Basilica Cistern, the largest covered cistern in the city, that dates back to the old Constantinople, built by Emperor Justinian in 537.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul basilica cistern

And there I took advantage of the tourists corner and I got dressed up in this Turkish costume, letting myself be photographed 😀

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul basilica cistern turkish costume

And if you are there, you really have to try this thing – Uludağ, I’m only gonna mention it tastes like bubblegum!

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul uludag drink bubblegum aroma

In the end, here is a tiny dictionary with the words that I learned in my 5 days there:

Yakamoz (iacamoz) – Moon reflection on the surface of the sea

Harika (haarica) – Wonderful

Așk (ashc) – Love

Çok yaşa (cioc iasha) – Bless you

Teşekkürler (teshechiurler) – Thank you

Rica ederim (rija ederim) – You’re welcome

Merhaba (meraba) – Hello

Günaydın (ghiunaidîn) – Good morning

Iyi günler (iii ghiunler) – Good day

Iyi geceler (iii gejeler) – Good night

Afiyet olsun (afiet olsun) – Enjoy your meal

Evet (evet) – Yes

Hayır (haiîr) – No

Efendim (efendim) – What? What did you say?

Yavaș (iavash) – Slow

Yıldız (iîldîz) – Star

Șerefe (sherefe) – Cheers

Su (su) – Water

Pasta (pasta) – Cake

Makarna (macarna) – Pasta

Satılık (satîlîc) – For sale

Kiralık (chiralîc) – For rent

Salak (salac) – Stupid

Havalimanı (havalimanî) – Airport

Canım (janîm) – My dear

And, because all of us wanna learn this stuff:

Sikecem (sichejem) – Fuck 🙂

Overall, it is a beautiful city, I’m gonna be back.

P.S.: You can find nicer and edited pics on my Instagram account.

Golden Retrievers – Your reason to smile today

Now, did you know that I love dogs?

I don’t make any difference if it’s a puppy or an adult dog, if it’s stray or purebreed or if it’s a Golden Retriever or a German Shepherd (it’s just a coincidence that they are both fav of mine).

Today I came across this video here and it just made my day, so I wanted to share it with you!

 

They are so silly and cute and adorable and sweet and funny with their noses like that, I just can’t!

That reminds me of a friend’s dog, also a Golden Retriever. Man, that dog is awesome! His name is Koss and he should be about 8yo now, but he’s so playful as a puppy! Just look at him:

 

This is Koss getting in a fight with a sprinkler in the park...

This is Koss getting in a fight with a sprinkler in the park…

 

And this is me, trying to bite his head...

And this is me, trying to bite his head…

 

Here he tries to look dandy...

Here he tries to look dandy…

 

His reaction when it comes to receiving cuddles...

His reaction when it comes to receiving cuddles…

 

He even takes care of his teeth by visiting the dentist!

He even takes care of his teeth by visiting the dentist!

 

Yeah, he is really something else 🙂 I love him, I love Golden Retrievers, I love dogs. Look in their eyes and you’ll see the answer why.

 

www.anamariapopa.com blog post golden retriever silly portret funny fun park

No Smoking Day, 2015

UK celebrates today the national ‘No Smoking Day’. Now, I know I’m not one of theirs (although, does loving British accent count? How about missing London? Or maybe having a British ex-boyfriend? No? Ok…) but it made me think. Made me think about all the people I met in my life and smoke, and also about me, cause I used to smoke too.

I first tried smoking in my first year of high school. All my friends did it and it was cool. Also, they used to go outside on breaks, so I would be the only one staying with the geeks. At least, that’s how I saw things then. So I tried smoking, it was no good, it wasn’t for me.

Until a few years later, when my friends in uni smoked. And I was going through a break up. So I started finding peace in smoking. Until I started having heart palpitations from smoking a pack a day and drinking energy drinks like they were water. And then I quit.

Until my last year of university, when I was stressed. So I started doing it again. Also, back then I had a boyfriend with whom I lived and who used to smoke. A lot. So we smoked together (a great couple does silly things together, right?!). Until he and I broke up.

And that was it. I stopped smoking for good, initially because of the fact that it hurt me, emotionally speaking. The smoke itself, myself smoking and the people around me who smoked or anything that smelled like smoke reminded me of him. So I had to quit in order to get over him. It wasn’t until later that I realized I was only smoking to relieve stress, so I found another way to do it. I joined a gym. This is my happy ending.

Now, I am no judge of people who smoke or why they do it. Everyone has their reasons and every each and one of us knows what’s best for them. But I will tell you one thing that I learned after having many friends who smoked and also some ex-boyfriends.

I would never ever be able to have a serious relationship with someone who smokes. It may seem a bit hypocritical of me, since I used to enjoy it. But the reasoning is simple – I can’t watch my love one hurt himself. I now work in the medical field, more or less. I’ve seen what smoking does to the oral health only, so don’t even get me started in general.

Also, and this is my personal perk – I want, I need to feel the natural smell of someone’s skin. It’s a part of love, part of a relationship. How could I fall in love with someone who always smells like smoke? With someone who smells like thousands others? Yeah, I’ve been there, it wasn’t special.

So, my message to my smoking friends and people who are dear to me?

 

www.anamariapopa.com blog post no smoking day british national day stop-smoking-because-i-love-you

 

2014’s Lessons

My Facebook newsfeed is full of these ‘X’s year’ and ‘It’s been a great year! Thanks for being a part of it!’… Really now, you’re only fooling yourselves. Facebook is only showing you the most popular things throughout this year. And since you only post the good stuff, how can you honestly be proud of what Facebook mixes from your profile?

Still, this made me think of my year. So I took it as a personal challenge to look back at my 2014. I met so many people that taught me things and I’m really grateful for that. I can think of any month of this year and recall a person that touched me, one way or another.

 

2014 my year anamariapopa.com blog post lessons learned beautiful people ana maria popa

 

I remember that my January started with the Maroon 5 concert in London (ah-mah-zing). Once I returned, I had to concentrate on my bachelor’s degree so I closed my Facebook (it was a big deal to me!). So I had more time for Instagram and Foursquare, lol.

At the beginning of February I fell in love, the kind of feeling that makes or breaks you, that turns and changes you. It wasn’t the first time I fell in love, but this… this really was something. I was so fascinated by him that I used to look at him and think – this is the type of man I want for a husband. Kind of silly, I know, but he was magic to me. He had me wake up in the morning while having a smile on my face. It was that kind of thing when you lie awake just to see him sleep. But it ended, just like that.

My March was divided between getting back on my feet and my trip to Vienna and seeing my friends and doing my job. So, I got on a plane to Vienna for a few days and had a wonderful time with Couchsurfing friends, Tommi and Chris. There’s where I got my Green Hat from Chris, on Saint Patrick’s Day.

photo 5

 

In April I met someone whom I really loved and not necessarily in a romantic way. It was just the way that we were so alike that I felt him like a part of me, even if we had just met. We would even finish each other’s sentences or know what we were about to say before we even say it. It was so real that I would call him ‘my person’ (like in Grey’s Anatomy).

My May was full of activities with ‘my person’, until something wasn’t the way it used to be. We were just so alike, that we were bothered by the same things and we would react in the same way. It was kind of freaky…

So in June we distanced ourselves. June was also my month when I visited Belgium. Whole story, here. Aaand, that is also the month when I had a car accident… It was my fault and luckily there were no victims, but my car got hurt kind of bad (it hurt me also because I love my car) so I had to take it into a car service and leave it there. It was bad to see it like that… She’s my little dragon.

 

amp blog anamariapopa.com ana maria popa blog post 2014 lessons car accident nissan almera silver

 

July was the month I was car-less, and I had to suffer because of that. No more trips to the gym, no more going out. I’m kind of a princess in that way, it is very possible that I was born in a car. Or conceived there, don’t know. All I knew this month was to work and go home and work again.

Well, in August things started to get more interesting. I met a lot of beautiful people, and I mean A LOT! I loved them, all of them, for everything they were. And, at some point, a crazy dude broke my knee :)) But that also was fun, in its own weird way, it hurt like hell!

So, August and September were my off-months from work, since I had to only stay in bed… And afterwards I had to move around in a crutch to go to the hospital. September was also the month when I started this blog. It was a really big deal to me and it’s this year’s biggest accomplishment. It had been on my mind for some time but only then I had the time to start it. Also, this was the time I got really close to a friend I now appreciate and respect immensely.

October was the month that I had to catch up with my work and the changes that have been made in the last months that I spent in bed. I don’t even know how this month passed, really. I was super busy, as a bee. But I still had time for a concert and also to re-do my wrist tattoo and get a weekend off to go to the seaside!

 

anamariapopa.com blog post ana maria popa seaside romania constanta marea neagra black sea smile happy

 

Then came November and had my head in my work also, but I also started seeing things from other perspectives. I started having dreams and getting interested on how to make them real. More about that, next year!

Oh well, and December… December is my month, since I’m born on the 16th. And still, I am spoiled enough to have not only a birthday, but a whole birth-week! So, I took advantage of it and celebrated it every day. And since my plan wasn’t enough, my friends surprised me and made me start my celebration even earlier, 2 days earlier. So they made me Princess and got me a diploma that says that I’m the happiest girl alive!

 

anamariapopa.com blog post surpriza birthday friends cake cutting orange bubblegum picture tiara princess diploma

 

Oh, they also got me a Princess birthday cake made out of Bubblegum and Marshmallows Ice-Cream!

 

anamariapopa.com blog post surpriza birthday friends cake cutting orange bubblegum picture tiara princess diploma marzipan

 

My end of December brought me a biiiiiiig disappointment, but I guess I had to leave this one here, in 2014, so I can start fresh in 2015. I thought I had met someone really special, only to find out that I have been lied to. It was my first time when someone actually admitted to my face that he’d been lying to me. It was a shock at first, and then I was just happy it was over and that I no longer had a person like that in my life. The sad part? I thought he was something else. I think my douche-radar is broken or something, I usually sense this, honestly…

But overall, I am really happy. I’ve loved, I’ve lost, I’ve fallen in love and have been disappointed, I met new people – some good and some not so nice, I learned new things and how to deal with certain situations. Oh, and I saw Adam Levine live in concert! I got this blog that started as a place to gather my thoughts and stories of life, but I receive messages from my readers that are inspired by what they find here… It’s really impressive, so this one is about you, my readers. I’m planning something nice for 2015, promise! We can keep in touch on Facebook also, here.

At the end of 2014, all I can say is that I am really curios about 2015 🙂 Because I’m sucker for endings and beginnings.