Tag Archives: events

Celebrating life choices and culture

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Hello, friends!

Today, February 17th, my husband and I would like to share a double celebration with you: six years ago we moved to the city of Timișoara (English pronunciation: tee-mee-shoo-a-ruh), and also today is the official date when Timișoara takes the crown and becomes this year’s European Capital of Culture.

This prestigious title is awarded to a different European city every year, and it serves as a celebration of the cultural diversity and richness of Europe. The title is awarded to a city that demonstrates excellence in culture and creativity, and Timișoara has certainly earned its place as Europe’s cultural capital for 2023.

Timișoara is a city with a rich and varied history. It is located in the western part of Romania, close to the borders of Serbia and Hungary. The city has been inhabited for thousands of years, and it has been part of the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Communist Romania. This diverse history has left an indelible mark on the city, and it has resulted in a fascinating and unique culture that is ripe for exploration.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The European Capital of Culture program was established in 1985, and since then, it has become one of the most important cultural events in Europe. The program is designed to showcase the cultural richness of Europe and to promote cross-cultural understanding and cooperation. Each year, two cities are chosen to be the European Capitals of Culture, and they are given the opportunity to showcase their unique cultural heritage to the rest of Europe.

The Timișoara program for 2023 is both exciting and varied. The city organizes a series of events that will showcase its rich cultural history, including exhibitions, concerts, theater performances, and workshops. Some of the highlights of the program include:

An exhibition on the history and culture of the Banat region, where Timișoara is located. The Banat region is a unique cultural and linguistic area that straddles the borders of Romania, Serbia, and Hungary.

A series of concerts featuring traditional and modern music from Romania and the surrounding countries. Timișoara has a thriving music scene, and the city is home to many talented musicians and composers.

A theater festival that will showcase the work of local and international theater companies. Timișoara has a rich theater tradition, and the festival promises to be a highlight of the program.

A series of workshops and conferences on topics such as architecture, art, and literature. These events will bring together experts from around Europe to discuss the latest trends and developments in their fields.

There were thousands of people today at the grand opening of the festivities, and the mild weather turned this into a perfect evening.

Photo credit: Dominic Fritz Facebook page

Photo credit: Dominic Fritz Facebook page

I love living in Timișoara, and it’s one of the best cities to experience Romania. In fact, two of my books take place in my homeland, more precisely in Transilvania, the place Romania is most known for. Transilvania is the central part of Romania, the land roughly surrounded by the Carpathian mountains. If you’d like a good romance, a dash of suspense, and a rich multicultural experience, I hope you will try my books, The Diary and International Affairs: London, which are free to read in Kindle Unlimited.

 

Fondly,
Melinda

Hurricane Irma by Mona Risk

Posted on by — 7 Comments ↓

For days we watched TV and prayed that Hurricane Irma would not come toward Florida. Twelve years ago, I survived Hurricane Wilma and watched the devastation it inflicted to South Florida and my building: broken windows, snatched shuttered, cars smacked on top of each other, uprooted trees. We were left without electricity and water for a week and spent a year repairing the damage.

The mandatory evacuation order annihilated our hope to avoid the hurricane path. Evacuating was a big hassle.

Not sure if we should leave–to go where?

The airports were crowded with stranded tourists trying to go home. The three airports within a two-hour distance responded with a “sold-out”. We couldn’t just take the car and drive north, and risk being stuck for hours on a cluttered highway.

In addition, I was dealing with a fractured kneecap and a big brace to wear 24/7 and had trouble riding in a car for hours. At first, we decided to stay and brace ourselves to cope with the hurricane.

We stocked on water and food, and filled the car with a full tank. Remembering that big buildings can shake under the impact of high winds, we removed frames from walls and delicate bibelots from shelves.

Not sure if we should stay here. We live on the beach–first line of defense.

I spent hours researching Google for “How safe are high rises during hurricanes?” High rises are built to sustain 185 mph wind. The safest place is the stairs, completely built in steel and concrete. The safest apartments are those on the 7th to 10 th floors. Floors higher that the 20 th are exposed to horrible wind. Floors lower than the 6th face the risk of flood and flying objects.

We live on the 22 th floor. Back to watching Irma’s news. The Governor of Florida urged us several times to leave: “We can replace your material possessions. We can’t replace lives.”…”If you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and don’t leave, you will be stuck on your own. No one can access your place. The bridges will be open and we won’t answer an emergency call.”

Enough to scare the heck out of us.

Our daughter insisted we should stay with her family. All our friends in high-rises on the beach were staying home, claiming that these buildings are 50 years old, quite sturdy and have survived their share of hurricanes in previous years. Praying for their safety and for Irma to get lost over the ocean.

On Friday morning, we drove to our daughter’s house, an hour away, northwest from our high-rise on the beach. It was good to be with family. Surprisingly I-95 had little traffic that morning. The calm before the tempest.

The house was all shuttered and we had electricity. We couldn’t see what was going on outside, but we could hear the noise, the wind, the rain. Strident alarms on my cell phone alerted us to the danger of tornadoes and raised panic in my heart. My grandchildren decided they needed a break from bad news and made us watch eight Harry Potter movies over three days.

And we survived Hurricane Irma.

On Monday morning, we welcomed the sun and nice breeze and opened the doors for a peek outside. Fallen branches in the driveway and yard. A few broken or uprooted trees. My son-in-law cleaned the driveway.

In our area the bridges were now accessible and the elevators of our building functioning. We returned home. At the entrance of our evacuated zone, police cars patrolled to protect us from looters and asked for ID to check that we lived in this area.

Our hurricane high impact windows resisted the strong wind. No leaks. I sent a thank you note to the man who did a great job on the installation ten years ago. Many of our neighbors had to cope with buckets of water leaking under the windows or from the sides.

We stayed without TV and Wi-Fi for three days. The Comcast box supplying the building was smashed during the hurricane.

All in all we are grateful we survived without damage. Others were less lucky in Miami, Fort Meyers and the Keys.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

A BRIDE FOR PRINCE PAUL