It can always go worse: hospital story

The last few weeks weren’t the best of my life. Apparently, the chaos I have been living with not having a schedule for eating and sleeping and having some stress also lead me to getting to hospital. But even like this, after just a few hours spent there, I realized that my problems weren’t the worse.

I got to the hospital because of some nasty belly ache and a ball that had grown instead of my stomach. The doctor that saw me first said she wants me to go to the hospital so they can also run some tests there, rather than just give me some pills. It seemed fair and so I went to the Emergency Room at the hospital, where they’ve told me everything was because of stress, basically. Which was really close to the truth, given my beginning of the year. Thank God it was all good and I felt better after a few hours of investigation and then treatment.

Still, this visit I paid to the hospital made me realize (once again!) that there are always worse things than what happens to each one of us. There is even a saying stating that if we put all our problems into a pile and would pick a random one to solve, then we would much rather go back and have ours back. Or something like that, you get the point. And that is because our issues – we know them, we can control them, we can make them better.

That was my idea after a few hours spent in the Emergency Room. Of course I will need to have better control of my lifestyle so that I do not end up in the same story again. Like they say it – make it better so it won’t be worse.
And even more, the stories you witness while in the hospital make you want to keep as further away as possible. This time I don’t even have anything to comment on the cleanliness or the doctors. Amazingly, it was all good and nice. But the following story seems out of this world:

Once I got to the Emergency Room at the hospital, they kept me in a waiting room that I would always get back to between investigation I had to take. A some point, I got back from the echo room and I found in the waiting a colleague. The doctors had brought someone on a stretcher. The guy was all crying. I looked at him and he didn’t seem bad. He looked more homeless than anything else. He was wearing some dirty clothes and some weird socks. Although he wasn’t allowed to use his mobile phone in that area, he kept making calls. Firstly, he called his wife or life partner or what she was and he started swearing her and accusing her of some attack. Only after he made some more calls to friends and relatives I found out he had been beaten by a group carrying baseball bats. He called everyone he knew to let them know what happened to him and that he will get revenge. The last call he made was to his son to say ‘goodbye forever’ and giving him details on what happened to him and how he will murder the guys who did that to him and also he will kill himself afterwards. Meanwhile, in the waiting there was no one from the hospital that could hear him, they all came in to scold the guy on talking on the phone, but that was it.
The guy was brought into another room for investigation and my perfusion had finished, got my prescription and was supposed to leave home. Don’t know exactly what had my attention – the story might not even be true given the fact that the guy smelled like alcohol really badly – but I couldn’t just leave without telling someone what I just witnessed. So on my way to exit the Emergency Room I was looking for a doctor to let them know. As I found one, I heard her telling some other guy that they should call the Police for the case of the angry patient.
More than being peaceful for knowing action was taken on that, I was happy that the doctors did not just let it pass by, all the story. Of course that given how the shouted and cried while making calls, it was very difficult not to hear his story. But also I figured that doctors were way too busy doing medical stuff and would not pay attention to the guy talking on the phone. I guess I was expecting the doctors to only take care of the medical part and that is why seeing them be human made me very happy.

As for me, I got my treatment and started feeling better, I’m working on my long lost discipline, I’m starting to learn how to cook and thank God I am gonna be good enough to leave for Rome next week, as planned!

So now I’ve chosen to take a step back and see the bigger picture. I will start taking more care of myself, I am thankful that nothing worse happened and I am happy that I am good enough to follow my travel plans. 🙂

As a final thought, I would advise you to also look at the bigger picture and I also wish you to not get to the point where you go through difficult situations and only then realize you are still happy and thankful for what you’ve got.

Closing on a happy note, I leave this with you:

So there’s that…

Trait

You know there are times in life when you just live day by day and you feel like everything is smooth, maybe too smooth, even boring at times. But that’s okay, it’s just fine because then the moment comes and you come back to reality thanks certain people you meet and make everything more interesting around them, including your life.

So next time I’m thinking about complaining of a boring life, I’ll make sure to remember the story below.

It goes like this: a few days ago I end up at the hospital for a certain issue and after five hours of waiting, the doctor arrives. He apologizes for making me wait and welcomes me into his office. There, the consultation begins and he tells me he would like to spend more time talking to me so he starts to ask lots of questions. Some of them I thought were pretty irrelevant for the given situation but he stops me and asks for my patience whenever he would see me frown. He assures me that eventually I will see the point of all this. But somehow, when I left the doctor’s office I was still confused.
Aaaand also so amused that I burst into laughing with tears. After just one hour in his office, this doctor made me leave the hospital smiling and then laughing really hard when by myself in the car. And then again, the same whenever I would talk to a friend and told them about the happening.

So, this doctor – that I would mention no names or specialty about – had a big cabinet with lots of shelves each one of them filled with holy images. And the same went for the windowsill. Normally, one of the firsts questions was about me being a religious person or not. Then, we moved on to talking about tattoos:

– So now you’ve already got ink on you… But at least don’t have any more tattoos done. You’re gonna see that when you find your man, the perfect one to share a life with, his kiss will feel different on the inked parts of your body.

Okaaay, mhm, I wasn’t gonna get into a debate about that. But then he went on and started talking about psychological stuff. I tried to tell him I am just fine, not crazy, I’ve got a therapist to turn to in case of anything. Somehow, the doctor was trying to tell me that I’m fine and I’m just stressed. I admitted I experienced a bit of that in the past year but that I am fine now and over it.

– I am going to be honest with you. I can see you need a man to complete you. You need him as a partner, to be a support to you, a lover, a protector, a father…

– All due respect, I think I’ve got that covered.

– Look, if you want I can present you one of my friends. He’s a good guy and would be perfect for you. He’s in his 40s, divorced, has got a high school kid and is a mayor somewhere (can’t remember where).

I spent my last minutes trying to convince him I was fine and there was no need for such efforts and I managed to put an end to the conversation. So the consultation has ended and I had no diagnosis. Oh yeah, at the end he asked me if I’ve got any holy stuff in my house (images, pictures, icons, statues) and I assured him I was fine on that also.

The medical letter he gave me after the consultation said that my diagnosis was ‘stress’. STRESS!!! That’s it, all I’ve got is stress. Thank God, huh!

anamariapopa.com bog ana maria popa so what whatever

Life’s plans for you…

There are times when what you plan doesn’t work out your way.

How many times did you had it happen to you, when you believed in something, even in someone, and you planned either the near or far future, only to have something happen afterwards and without knowing it, everything fell apart?…

Oh yeah, I had it happen also, and not just once. Last time, I was writing here that my plans revolved around the idea of moving out of my country in order to change the continent, having found a career opportunity that made me very happy. But oh well, in the meantime, something changed, something that I’ve got no idea about, but something that made me not act on that anymore. So I quit that idea, I unpacked everything and now I’m gonna start search again for challenges in this area.

On Wednesday at lunchtime I was supposed to embark on a one-way ticket to Asia. On that very morning, it was all cancelled.

But, even in this kind of situations, there is something that comes along. So I created Plan B – 12.37PM: ‘I miss the sea. Let’s go!’

That’s the story of how I got on the highway, destination: Mamaia Beach of Romania. Around 2 hours and 2 butts plus 4 asleep feet later, I was on the beach.

Pause. Peace and quiet. Sun and soft sand.

anamariapopa.com blog post mare mamaia seaside romania beach sand

I take my shoes off, I feel it and this feeling of happiness overwhelms me, that I was there before all the people.

Oh, my! What a feeling of being present in the moment, with my feet in the warm sand, and my head in the clouds.

anamariapopa.com blog plaja beach post mamaia romania

‘Can we stay in this moment forever?’,  I asked my partner in crime. He said ‘yes’, and so I smiled.

anamariapopa.com blog post mare mamaia seaside romania beach

The moment is gone now, but the pictures are still here. And, Oh-Ma-God, such pics! Oh yes, short videos also.

 

 

So yeah, my plan on leaving the country and changing the continent is gone, but I like to think that everything happens for a reason. I don’t know it yet, haven’t found it out, but maybe at some point… Still, I managed to get out of Bucharest for a bit and I visited her. The rest of the story will be written, when the right time comes for me to leave. 🙂

April’s Joy!

Ever since I’ve known myself, the month of April was my joy. It has brought me so much happiness, even more than my birth month – December. And that is not just because of Spring, but also because of the events that happened.

April to me is Happiness and Love. Eight years ago, April would bring me the beginning of a beautiful relationship that lasted for 4 years. My partner then was a great human being who’s helped me grow and develop so much that I still feel happy and lucky for having him by my side. One year ago, I went along with the idea of sharing a life with someone, one person with whom I would’ve shared everything.

Present time now and all of the above are part of the past, good or bad. Time has passed and in 2016, April finds me in a new position and brings me a new chance to another kind of happiness.

anamariapopa.com blog ana maria popa travel calatorii

Well, my luggage is done and my house is 3/4 packed. It is time for a new episode: moving to another continent and a new professional challenge outside Romania. After three months in Austria, the story goes on.

The novelty of all this, together with my passion for the topic, have made me release the news sooner than I originally planned to – but oh well, you can understand my excitement! Now, I’m not gonna give all the details (and those who know about this, please don’t be a spoiler), but I do promise that I will be back as soon as possible, sharing stories, situations and pictures, here on my blog and on Facebook also.

So, keep in touch! 😀

Peace and quiet in Kufstein

An 18 mins bus trip and another 13 mins on a train (Austrian precision) got me to Kufstein. That was my choice on a Sunday – the 20th of Dec, when the sun was on my side 🙂

Right when you’re out of the train station you can see the medieval castle and the road that goes to town. There is no chance to get lost, even if you wanted to. And there you have me – desperately searching for a map or stuff to get some direction. Didn’t know I wouldn’t need one.

www.anamariapopa.com blog post kufstein castle fortress river view

So, I started on the road with the sunshine. There were a lot of tourists, every one of them trying to take pics or read signs and little stories they found around. I had my mind set on the castle cause I was supposed to meet someone and also be able to catch the bus and train back to home. The last bus was at 17 hours. This is one of the things I’m gonna have to get used to, around here. Buses and trains, no matter how punctual they are and no matter how much I appreciate that, they make you shorten your schedule. I mean, come on, if I really take a free day to visit places and meet new people, I would like to enjoy my whole day of 24 hours. You know what I mean?!

www.anamariapopa.com blog post kufstein castle fortress river view love locks

Once I got to the castle, I couldn’t help but notice they got wifi (yey!), which was a great deal for me, given the fact that my internet at home was off in the last days. So I paid the 6 Euros and let the cable car take me up.

www.anamariapopa.com blog post kufstein castle fortress cable car

The first thing I noticed in the castle yard was that they had it decorated for Christmas – and God, it looked lovely! I got a map of the fortress and just went for a walk to visit. I didn’t get to see everything there was, but I had an amazing feeling about it.

I enjoyed the green place that had benches you could sit on and enjoy the view from high.

www.anamariapopa.com blog post kufstein castle fortress relaxing place

I was in the garden where they had over 100 types of plants and flowers – that was called ‘Anna Battery’ 😀 Also here, they had benches and stuff you could sit on and relax, just feel the harmony.

I couldn’t help but notice and be really happy for the respect they have towards dogs. You could see dogs everywhere around the castle, with their owners. All shapes and breeds and colors, just heaven!

www.anamariapopa.com blog post kufstein castle fortress torture chamber dog allowed

At some point, I saw this kinda creepy tunnel. Everyone was looking curious at it, but nobody was brave enough to go and see what’s that about. So I thought – what’s the worst that could happen?! – so I went in. The tunnel was built in the 16th century and helped the underground communication. It’s rock-cut and in the 20th century was used as shelter in tough times.

www.anamariapopa.com blog post kufstein castle fortress creepy tunnel

One interesting thing was the Torture Chamber and its museum. No, I haven’t got any pics from the inside. They clearly said at the entrance that the scenes inside are not appropriate for children. So no, I didn’t visit it. But the history of torture really got my attention.

Even at the beginning of time, people would use different methods to gain power over others and get information or material things instead. In the past, torture had political or religious base and the death of victims was accepted as part of the whole process. The victims often disappeared without a trace. Until the 13th century, torture was not explicitly forbidden by church law and in the 15th century it became an essential part in witch trials. Austria abolished torture and death penalties in 1787, under Emperor Joseph II.

One thing I only heard about but didn’t see – Kufstein has the world’s largest outdoor organ, 4948 pipes. Everyday at noon, 12 hours, they play a small concert, that works as a reminder that peace is possible but must be actively pursued. I got there at 12.48, so I didn’t hear the organ play, but I am sure it is wonderful and can be heard in the whole town.

Also, inside the castle, in Josefburg Festungsarena, there was a Christmas Market that was really lovely, with many Christmas trees and Austrian specialties. And, of course, mulled wine.

www.anamariapopa.com blog post kufstein castle fortress christmas market

I then met a local. Me and Wolfgang went to one of the few open places on a Sunday – where we drank tea and had the most amazing mulled-wine-cake.

www.anamariapopa.com blog post kufstein castle fortress december meeting gluhwein cake

I stayed there until the last train. I talked to Wolfgang about everything and nothing, shared stories and he even told me about his passion and showed me a little preview. I’ve got no words for this, but this guy’s singing is amazing! Click here to listen what I’m talking about. Everything that’s there – instruments, voice, recording, production – everything is him. I was truly impressed, maybe also because I like singing but got no talent in the field. Make me sing and you’ll get broken glasses… There comes a time when each of us have to go back home, so I had to say goodbye to Wolfgang and his amazing songs.

Once I got into the train station, I couldn’t find my platform. Only until a group of hippies got my attention cause of the many luggage they were carrying! They were waiting for the elevator that connected the platforms. So I went next to them and somehow, they managed to also make some room for me so we could all use the elevator at once. That led to talking and joking:

– Oh, so you speak English?

– Yes, is it that bad?!

– Oh yeah. You see, we don’t know any English, so I don’t know how to talk to you. (And the whole conversation was in English)

Haha, hihi, so I helped them carry the luggage. They really had many snowboards and skis and backpacks with them. And they were only 3 people – 2 girls and a guy. But I really had fun with them!

On my last ride to home, I made friends also with the bus driver. We talked for the whole 18 mins and he told me how his time in Romania was. He was there 5 years ago, as a driver for a group and he was really scared of driving at night, because he couldn’t see the holes in the pavement and he had to look after the company’s car. Oh, and he really loved Brașov. He gave me ideas and recommendation for future trips in the Tirol area. Close to the station I was supposed to get off, he told me to stay on the bus and he’ll show me the next town also. I could only see it from the bus cause he had no break, but it was really nice to have a night tour of it.

At the end, I felt like a VIP when the bus detoured just to drop me off right in front of the hotel. I was like a princess enjoying a special ride! 😀

www.anamariapopa.com blog post kufstein castle fortress trip bus back night

I like it here, I met some great people already, in just one week! And the feeling I was telling you about at the beginning of the story is simply described by peace. You know that moment when you feel in complete harmony with yourself, with people and everything that surrounds you? When you feel so zen that nothing in the world could make you feel bad?… Well, that was me. And I had no idea how much I missed it and how far away I was from it. You could say that I was feeling myself again.

I really can’t wait to discover what the next few months have got for me!

 

The pics used were taken by my finger pressing the button of an iPhone 6. No edit, cause I was just too anxious.