Huntin'

Ever since I got The Sniper I wanted to go hunt squirrels, but things happened, I was either busy or down so postponed it again and again, until the last week-end, when despite the improper weather, I got some work done. So, introducing Mr. Squirrel of Herastrau Park once again:



Now indulge me for some Romanian language, I remembered an old joke, which I won't bother to translate (but for the gist of it, bere = beer, veverita = squirrel ~= beaver in slang)

Veverita vs Bere

O bere este mereu umeda. Veverita trebuie încurajata.
1 punct pt. bere.

O bere nu-i placuta atunci cind este calda.
1 punct pt. veverita.

O bere inghetata te satisface.
1 punct pt. bere.

Daca gasesti un fir de par intre dinti, band bere, poate sa te apuce vomatul.
1 punct pt. veverita.

Daca te intorci acasa si puti a bere, nevasta-ta te cearta.
Daca te intorci acasa si puti a veverita, nevasta-ta ar putea sa te lase.
1 punct pt. bere, 1 punct pt. veverita. (depinde de punctele de vedere)

10 beri pe noapte si nu mai poti sa conduci.
10 veverite pe noapte si nu mai este nevoie sa conduci.
1 punct pt. veverita.

Daca iti faci treaba cu o o bere intr-un local plin de lume este normal.
Daca iti faci treaba cu o veverita intr-un local plin de lume devii un mit.
1 punct pt. veverita.

Daca un politai te simte ca mirosi a bere, ar putea sa te aresteze.
Daca un politai te simte ca mirosi a veverita, ar putea sa-ti ofere o bere.
1 punct pt. veverita.

Berea mai veche este mai buna.
1 punct pt. bere.

Daca te scufunzi intr-o bere, avand prezervativul la locul lui, nu simti diferenta de gust.
1 punct pt. bere.

Multa bere te poate face sa vezi farfurii zburatoare.
Multa veverita te poate face sa-l vezi pe Dumnezeu.
1 punct pt. veverita.

Daca te intrebi mereu cum va fi urmatoarea veverita, este normal.
Daca te intrebi mereu cum va fi urmatoarea bere, esti alcoolic.
1 punct pt. veverita.

Sa rupi eticheta de pe o sticla de bere este distractiv.
Sa rupi chiloteii unei veverite este mult mai distractiv.
1 punct pt. veverita.

Statul taxeaza berea.
1 punct pt. veverita.

Daca bei inca o bere, prima nu se supara.
1 punct pt. bere.

Esti intotdeauna sigur de a fi primul care deschide sticla de bere.
1 punct pt. bere.

Daca agiti o bere, dupa putin timp, se calmeaza singura.
1 punct pt. bere.

Blonda, rosie sau bruna. Poti alege berea care vrei.
1 punct pt. bere.

Despre o bere se stie exact pana la ultima centima cat o sa coste.
1 punct pt. bere.

Berea nu are o mama.
1 punct pt. bere.


PUNCTAJ FINAL: BEREA BATE VEVERITA (11-10)

Daca esti o femeie si in momentul asta te superi, sa stii ca berea nu ar fi avut nimic de zis pierzand aceasta confruntare: un alt punct pentru bere.

So, here is some beer:


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Basketball

The kids are playing basketball in the back of a community center in Tîrgoviște... so many years ago I used to play the game (both basketball and football) in the court of the school in my neighborhood... fun times! In fact what we needed was a ball, a little open space and some play companions.


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Dracula's Backyard

In the Chindia ruins complex, past the old church there is another church, a smaller one, with a graveyard on the side. As the castle was ruled, among other voivods, by Vlad Dracul (Drăculea) and his son, Vlad Țepeș (the Impaler, the famous Dracula), I like to call it Dracula's Backyard, since for sure it was the backyard of the two Vlads.

Now, I wonder, those graves... is something happening there at midnight?

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Orthodox mural paintings at Tirgoviște

Part of the complex of the voivodal palace in Tirgoviște there is the old church which has inside remainings of the old orthodox mural paintings:


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The ruins of Tîrgoviște

Being in Tîrgoviște for Tudorița/Paștele Cailor, couldn't miss the ruins of the voivodal palace there (last time when I visited it, it was... back then in primary school). It made me a bit sad for hot having my sword handy... but since it is a museum, they would have not allowed me anyway.

There is the old church, with old painting on its walls:

The ruins of the castle where Mircea cel Bătrîn, Vlad Dracul, Vlad Țepeș and many others ruled:

And of course the famous Chindia Tower:


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Paștele Cailor at Tîrgoviște

I was familiar with the expression "Paștele Cailor", meaning "Horse's Easter", as a date when nothing will happen (as in, for example, I will such Bill Gates dick at Horses Easter) and also knew a couple of explanations for it. This year I learned another one in a photography trip with Orasul.ro: is a festivity of the small Bulgarian community in the City of Tîrgoviște, happening after the winter when the horsed are taken out for the first time. It is also called "Tudorița".

So together with a bunch of other photographers I attended the event this year, which, of course was pretty much about horses:

And it was also about the people in that Bulgarian community and their traditions:

And, as we are in Balkans, it was also about food (don't remember the name of those small breads decorated with pepper seeds):

And of course it was about contests, to see who has the best horses and who is the best driver:

And it was a lot about local divas, sitting and smiling in the carts, in their pretty and colorful costumes, for all of us to admire:

And of course it was a festivity for the kids to enjoy ("give me the camera to take a picture to daddy" said the little princess):

And not last, it was a festivity for us, the photographers, who were there in great numbers trying to capture everything:

And on top of all, it was a really beautiful hot and sunny spring day, a pleasure to be outside.

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Here comes the rain again

This endless rain is sickening, the lack of sun is ruining all the expected beauty of the spring and photography plans, I don't know mow much of it I can take any more... fortunately Mino, a brave soul dared to stick it into rain's face and go for an outdoors photo session

Umbrellas, the last flowers of the spring, that was what we played with before getting to wet:

And for the finale, we find an empty place (who's in the park in a rainy spring evening?), took cover from the rain and played a bit more:

I think she sacrificed a bit on the art's altar, and didn't recovered fully from the cold caught in this rain. Get well Mino!

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Life in Black and White, or How To Make It Simple

Felt sometime the life is to complex, to many details and aspects making you hard to take a decision? Time me teach a lesson: let's start with whatever photo (this particular one is about the fight of good and evil, noble Jedis and scary villains with some cutesy in between, but to each his own) and open it in your favorite image editor (I opening it with GIMP, since it is my favorite):

You know how they say the life is about shades of gray? Let's do that, trying to simplify it:

I don't know what you think, but for me it seems still complex:

So the next step is to apply another tool, called Thresohld:

This is a much simpler life, no shades, only black and white:

Adjusting a couple of sliders we can move it more to the lightness:

Or to the darkness, according to each one's taste and view of life:

See now, the outlook of the life around is so much clearer so a decision making become so much easier! Do it and do not look back. Easy solution to hard problems.

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ID

Hello, here I am :)


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Two sides of winter

Archway over time, two sides, evolution, change, progress... still winter.

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Mărțișoare at the subway. Or me on the border of hypocrisy

I did it again, despite being at times very vocal against this tradition, I joined Orasul.ro for a Mărțisor photo event at the Uniri subway station. Take it as a photojournalism exercise.

People used the opportunity to shoot the event, the people around and the subway station overall (normally you are not allowed to shoot there).

And of course to have some fun - that is, or should be, the purpose of any community action.

If you don't know, the Mărțișor tradition suppose the men give to the women some trinkets put on a red and white string, so that was our pretense. Most of them smiled and accepted, while some avoided us, suspecting we just try to hit on them.


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