--- /dev/null
+---
+postid: 06f
+title: Filantropica
+date: April 18, 2018
+author: Lucian Mogoșanu
+tags: video
+---
+
+We will commence our review of Nae Caranfil's piece not with a quote
+(usually serving as motto), but with a bunch of them. For starters, the
+poet:
+
+> **Poetul**: Titlu: poemul unei fete pe care am întâlnit-o în tramvaiul
+> 44 și la care n-a mers vrăjeala.[^0]
+> **Poetul**: Surâsul fetei din tramvai m-a fermecat definitiv. Am înc-o
+> dramă la activ, exact ca domnul Ion Susai.[^1]
+> **Ovidiu**: Cine-i domnul Ion Susai?[^2]
+> **Poetul**: Un prieten de-al meu, nu-l ştii tu.[^3]
+
+For the first dish, Miruna:
+
+> **Miruna**: Dumneata ştii ce leafă are soţul meu?[^4]
+> **Ospătarul**: Dar nu-i treaba mea, duduie...[^5]
+> **Miruna**: Ştii că nu şi-a mai primit-o de două luni? Ştiţi că
+> Ministerul Educaţiei şi Învăţământului nu mai plăteşte salariile
+> profesorilor de când cu rectificarea bugetului? Ştiţi că se fac zece
+> ani de când nu ne mai permitem să ieşim la un restaurant, din cauza
+> unei politici criminale şi anticulturale care îşi bate joc de formarea
+> tinerilor?[^6]
+
+For the main course, Pepe:
+
+> **Pepe**: Ce faceee?! Am ajuns să sponsorizez futaiuri?![^7]
+> **Pepe**: Cască bine ochii, ăsta-i orașul în care trăiești. (Deschide
+> fereastra.)[^8]
+> **Pepe**: De-aici se vede perfect, mai bine decât de pe Inter. Vezi
+> câți nimeni trec pe stradă? Milioane de nimeni. Când ai venit la mine
+> cu fața asta de nimeni în proză, ce mi-am zis eu? (Se oprește.)
+> Miruna, cafeaua! (Continuă) Mi-am zis, băiatu' ăsta vrea să fie
+> cineva! Băiatu' ăsta vrea să învețe o meserie. (Se oprește iar.) Mai
+> vine dom'le cafeaua aia? (Închide fereastra.)[^9]
+> **Pepe**: Există trei meserii de bază pe lumea asta: bogăția, sărăcia
+> și sexul. Din oricare câștigi o pâine, da' din dragoste și din scris
+> mori de foame, măi idiotule. Mori pe gratis.[^10]
+
+And finally, for dessert:
+
+> **Recuperator 1**: Robert Dobrovicescu, nu e prezent?[^11]
+> **Ovidiu**: Nu, lipsește de câteva zile. De ce?[^12]
+> **Recuperator 1**: Putem sta puțin de vorbă?[^13]
+> **Ovidiu**: Numai o clipă. (Către clasă.) Sentimentul patriotic în
+> poezia pașoptistă. Și lucrăm în liniște, s-a înțeles? (Către
+> recuperatori.) Vă ascult.[^14]
+> **Recuperator 1**: Avem o rugăminte la dumneata. Dacă în următoarele
+> zile elevu' ăsta apare pe la cursuri, transmite-i un mesaj din partea
+> noastră.[^15]
+> **Ovidiu**: Din partea dumneavoastră... Adică...[^16]
+> **Recuperator 2**: Nu contează. Zicem că l-a căutat doi cetățeni.[^17]
+> **Recuperator 1**: Exact! Important e mesajul. Deci reține: baronu' e
+> supărat rău de tot. Vrea plata în trei zile. Dacă băiatu' ăsta nu
+> apare în trei zile cu banu-n dinți și scuze... Viața e complexă și are
+> multe aspecte.[^18]
+> **Ovidiu**: N-am înțeles nimic.[^19]
+> **Recuperator 2**: (Către recuperator 1). N-a înțeles nimic.[^20]
+> **Recuperator 1**: Rându' tău.[^21]
+> **Recuperator 2**: Domnule, băiatu' ăsta a bușit o mașină nou-nouță
+> care nu era a lui. Domnu' a cui era mașina e foarte supărat.[^22]
+> **Recuperator 1**: Foarte supărat, ăsta e mesaju'.[^23]
+> **Recuperator 2**: Dânsul vrea banu' pe stricăciuni, și ne-a rugat pe
+> noi să vorbim cu băiatu' și să-l convingem. Dacă băiatu' nu-nțelege de
+> vorbă bună, poate să se ducă și la Vladivostok, noi tot îl
+> găsim. Și-atunci e mai rău.[^24]
+> **Ovidiu**: Câți bani datorează?[^25]
+> **Recuperator 1**: Știe el. Important e să se gândească foarte bine
+> că... viața e complexă și are multe aspecte. E băiat tânăr și ar fi
+> păcat de el să ajungă, Doamne ferește, infirm pe viață...[^26]
+> **Recuperator 2**: Sau chiar mai rău.[^27]
+> **Recuperator 1**: Doamne ferește.[^28]
+> **Ovidiu**: Totuși, despre ce sumă e vorba?[^29]
+> **Recuperator 2**: Trei mii de parai...[^30]
+> **Recuperator 1**: Nu suma contează... (Zâmbind.) Gestul.[^31]
+> **Recuperator 2**: (Se ridică brusc și se întoarce la clasă.) Băi!
+> Gata! Primu' care respiră ia o boabă între ochi! Păi ce, ce-i aici, ne
+> batem joc de școală? Toată lumea scrie compunerea![^32]
+> **Recuperator 1**: Apropo, pe matale cine te-a aranjat așa?[^33]
+> **Ovidiu**: Nimeni.[^34]
+> **Recuperator 1**: (Scoțând o carte de vizită.) Nu, că dacă te-a
+> aranjat unul și ai boală pe el, ți-l facem ieftin.[^35]
+> **Recuperator 2**: (Către clasă.) Poate prind pe vreunul că încearcă
+> să copieze.[^36]
+
+Now that we've briefly introduced the characters, we can begin
+discussing.
+
+Ovidiu is, as correctly pointed out above, a dork, by virtue of him
+being played by everyone else. A dork, yet a competent one, who carries
+his role properly and to the very end, like the little boy he is. Yes,
+we've been clearly shown that he's to submit to Mother State and suck it
+hard, only the movie taking place in the early twenty-first century --
+more than ten years after some historical [heads falling][theses] --
+gives him the chance to submit to actual people.
+
+Speaking of which, Pepe is the only man there (save for the
+recuperatori, maybe) trying to do an honest business. He finds a market,
+i.e. [tear-jerking][tears] slash begging, and exploits it in the most
+effective way possible, turning the whole thing into art: he brings the
+tear-jerking on television, where all the "uniques" are "targeted", from
+which maybe a meager one percent actually donate, which in fact amounts
+to quite a few bucks fo' nothing, as the song says. A, purely fictional,
+you say? You poor little thing.
+
+As such, early 2000s Romania is depicted surprisingly accurately. For
+one, there's the beggar ring operating near the Bucharestian "Gara de
+Nord", in that little park where yes, you don't want to be after it gets
+dark. Then there's the fact that said rings are run by gangs that work
+exactly as shown, with turf that you don't want to cross unless you're
+one of them; and if you want, or are forced to become one of them, then
+get on your knees, open your mouth, etc. as per the drill.
+
+Then there's the overall social situation in Romania. As the old man
+points out above, there are three categories of people: the poor, the
+businessmen and the whores. The poors may be beggars, they may live on
+welfare (so: beggars) or they may live on pension after a life's work
+(so: beggars), but either way they're poor. The whores work for the
+businessmen, while the businessmen are practically speaking the only
+ones who have capital and are willing to pay anything for anything. And
+then there's the intellectually poor, who fall for the scam, because
+"dar din dar se face rai".
+
+Then finally, the public tear-jerking circus known as television and the
+so-called "educational system" speak volumes about the future
+(now-present and still-yet-to-come). You see, one day a guy
+[made a media outlet][sirbu], and it worked towards the integration of
+Romanians in today's [horseblinding cacophony][anything]. Meanwhile,
+Romanians purposefully sabotaged their schools to the point of
+"[they dun use that fo' nothing anyway][education]", so that yes, ne
+batem joc de școală! Anyway, there's this (television) mixed up with
+that (school) in a recipe that, how did it go? "a sesizat existența
+contradicțiilor antagonice din sânul societății capitaliste".
+
+Worth mentioning are also Nicolescu's briefly shown tits, Diaconu's
+spot-on acting and Dinică's absolutely splendid performance. I don't
+know if Pepe is his best role, but it's certainly tons better than
+[that other thing][gaitele] I reviewed. We get to see no other notable
+pieces of acting: Călinescu's doing his thing, but otherwise, all actors
+are mediocre at best, including Vodă, whose only merit is that of being
+the main protagonist of the "American Beauty" trope, only this time in
+Romanian.
+
+Otherwise, the movie ends on a slightly dystopian, almost surrealistic
+note. But instead of examining this, let's do
+[one of the best scenes ever][mana-intinsa]:
+
+> **Pepe**: (Cântă. Apoi, către Ovidiu.) Da' ce credeai tu că sunt eu,
+> mă, supă populară? (Continuă să cânte.)[^37]
+> **Piedone**: (Râzând, către Pepe.) E puișor încă, nu știe cum e
+> mersul.[^38]
+> **Pepe**: Noțiunea de drepturi de autor nu-ți spune nimic? (În jur,
+> lumea râde.)[^39]
+> **Ovidiu**: Dar când mi-ați cerut să fac circ la televiziune, puneați
+> altfel problema.[^40]
+> **Pepe**: Posibil. Și tu când ai venit prima oară la mine aveai
+> pretenții mai modeste -- (către orchestră:) băieți! Am muncit și
+> nopți. (Cântă.) Păi și-am muncit și nopți, păi și-am muncit și zile!
+> (Către Ovidiu.) Hai
+> mă, nu face botic, bea și tu ceva, hai.[^41]
+> **Ovidiu**: Dacă mă duc la poliție și povestesc tot?[^42]
+> **Pepe**: (Către orchestră.) Ia mai sotto băieți. (Râzând, către
+> Ovidiu.) Ce spui, mă?[^43]
+> **Piedone**: E puișor, nu știe săracu'.[^44]
+> **Pepe**: Decât să ne certăm, hai mai bine un cântec vesel să
+> cântăm. Bagă! (Cântă.) Și-am muncit și nopți, și-am muncit și zile!
+> Pentru tine draga mea, ca să te simți bine![^45]
+> **Ovidiu**: Dați-mi trei mii de dolari cu împrumut.[^46]
+> **Pepe**: (Face semn către orchestră.) Trei mii de dolari? Așa îmi
+> ceri tu mie trei mii de dolari, după câte te-am
+> învățat?... Dați-mi...[^47]
+> **Ovidiu**: Vă rog, am nevoie.[^48]
+> **Pepe**: (Către ceilalți, ironic.) Are nevoie. (Către Ovidiu.) Te las
+> corigent, domnule profesor! Pune mâna și revezi materia din urmă. Vino
+> la mine și impresionează-mă, emoționează-mă, stoarce-mi o
+> lacrimă... vorbește-mi de săraca fetiță cu chibrituri pe care vrei s-o
+> ajuți -- ce-i lipsește ei? O blăniță, un apartamențel -- (Ovidiu
+> părăsește scena. Pepe se întoarce către Ovidiu, strigând.) Mâna
+> întinsă care nu spune o poveste nu primește pomană! Fii profesionist,
+> ce dracu'![^49]
+
+[^0]: "Title: the poem of a girl that I met in the 44 tramway and for
+ whom the cajolery\* didn't work."
+
+ \-\-\-
+ \*: To the Romanian speakers out there: how would *you* translate
+ "vrăjeală" into English?
+
+[^1]: "The tramway girl possessed a smile that got me positively
+ stunned. It's the nth time that I got bummed, exactly like Mr. John
+ Lyle\*."
+
+ \-\-\-
+ \*: A very scrupulous, almost pedantic, though well-meaning reader
+ [comments][lordmp]:
+
+ > **LordMPofTMSR**: spyked, your filantropica review is terrible for
+ > failing to point out the ion susai - mihaita dragomirescu link,
+ > and general unawareness of the dramaz there.
+ > **LordMPofTMSR**: i thought you were from the shithole anyway,
+ > never encountered the item ? town's legendaria, exactly
+ > [http://trilema.com/2012/tibi-nebunu-zorilor-represent/][tibi-nebunu]
+ > sorta thing.
+ > **spyked**: LordMPofTMSR, I had no idea. and looking for mihaita
+ > dragomirescu, all I found was news items a la
+ > [http://archive.is/ojKnE][cancans] and other cancans. if ye know
+ > for a fact this is not made-up scandal, then I believe, but
+ > otherwise... eh.
+
+ So it turns out the thing was indeed a made-up scandal:
+
+ > **mircea_popescu**: spyked, there was some dumb bitch whose name i
+ > forget "tryina make it in dis biznis" that fell for it and put him
+ > in studio for one of their inane talkshow as if genuine
+ > article. he certainly wasn't a "great director from braila"
+ > etc. however, he was in fact a) busking and b) coming up with
+ > lulzy shit, quite in the vein of "surisul fetei din tramvai". and
+ > the "you can't possibly know him" bit is asking for it -- i'd not
+ > have said anything otherwise, but caranfil or no caranfil --
+ > wantsome, getsome!
+
+ So at least we now know who Ion Susai was. If you want to see more
+ of these weirdos in action, then sure, come to Bucharest, it's full
+ of them. Or don't; watch Filantropica instead, it's a great
+ documentary.
+
+ Now for [the bonus][mp-translation]:
+
+ > **mircea_popescu**: spyked, apparently you have no comments ?
+ > anyway, "the smiling girl i saw today bewitched my soul entirely ;
+ > another line goes in a diary that's read by me, and Mr. Sorrowly."
+ > **mircea_popescu**: (and no, it's not good. it may shock in the
+ > sense of "omfg, i had no expectation anything can be done", but
+ > good it can't be, because romanian is a highly cultured language,
+ > and when you say "tramvai" ie "tramcar" you don't merely say that,
+ > but also include by reference "aiurea-n tramvai", which is a
+ > typically romanian construction, and susai-s not merely Sonchus
+ > arvensis but also all the references in all the "new realism"
+ > commie novels as to the hardness of rural life, and so going
+ > forever, everything is a list of include-by-reference fifty items
+ > long.)
+ > **mircea_popescu**: also,
+ > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hkjo-p_bXU][susai-josnai]
+
+ I like my version better, but I'm probably just being superficial.
+
+[^2]: "Who's Mr. John Lyle?"
+
+[^3]: "A friend of mine, you don't know him."
+
+[^4]: "Do you sir know what salary my husband has?"
+
+ By the by, "dumneata" is more or less untranslatable to English,
+ mostly due to the destination language lacking proper modes of
+ addressing. Anyway, you gotta understand that the reply above is
+ uttered in a slightly passive aggressive tone.
+
+[^5]: "That's none of my business, ma'am..."
+
+ Same as the previous note.
+
+[^6]: "Do you know that he hasn't received it for the last two months?
+ Do you now that the Ministry of Education and Teaching isn't paying
+ the salaries of teachers since the budget rectification? Do you know
+ that it's almost ten years since we can no longer afford to get out
+ to a restaurant, because of a criminal and anticultural policy which
+ makes a mockery out of forming young people?"
+
+[^7]: "Say what?! So now I'm to sponsor fucks?!"
+
+[^8]: "Open your eyes well, this is the town you're living in." (Opens
+ window.)
+
+[^9]: "The view here is perfect, better than Inter\*. See how many
+ nobodies cross this street? Millions of nobodies? When you came to
+ me with this nobody-in-prose face, what did I say?" (Stops.)
+ "Miruna, coffee!" (Continues.) "I said to myself, this boy wants to
+ be someone! This boy wants to learn a trade." (Stops again.)
+ "Where's that damn cofffee?" (Closes window.)
+
+ \-\-\-
+ \*: Intercontinental, one of the biggest hotels, and at the time one
+ of the tallest buildings in ye olde Bucharest.
+
+[^10]: There are three basic trades in this world: wealth, poverty and
+ sex. Any of them earns you a bread, but from love and writing, you
+ die of hunger, you idiot. You die for free.
+
+[^11]: "Robert Dobrovnicescu, is he not here?"
+
+[^12]: "No, he's been out for a few days. Why?"
+
+[^13]: "Can we speak a little?"
+
+[^14]: "A moment" (To the class.) "The patriotic sentiment in
+ fortyeightist\* poetry. And we work quietly, mkay?" (To the
+ collectors.) "I'm listening."
+
+ \-\-\-
+ \*: "Pașopt" refers to a political current of the Romanian '48
+ generation, a sort of Generation X of not the twentieth century, as
+ you might expect, but actually the nineteenth. It was supported by
+ lots of derps and was derided (if not outright opposed) by a few
+ notable names of the time, such as Caragiale, Eminescu and
+ Maiorescu. And just in case you're wondering, the pașoptist
+ reference in the movie is indeed a satire of the self-imagined
+ rebellious 2000 high-schooler generation.
+
+[^15]: "We have favour to ask of you. If in the next days this student
+ comes to class, send him a message from us."
+
+[^16]: "From you... meaning..."
+
+[^17]: "It doesn't matter. Say two citizens were looking for him."
+
+[^18]: "Exactly! The message is important. So here: the baron is really
+ upset. He wants the payment in three days. If this boy doesn't
+ appear in three days with money in his mouth\* and apologies... Life
+ is complex and has many aspects.\*\*"
+
+ \-\-\-
+ \*: I suspect this has nothing to do with the English expression, but
+ it does fit the situation rather well.
+ \*\*: I'm not sure you comprehend the depth of this saying. Life is
+ complex and has many aspects, i.e. there is much to it, i.e. there
+ are a lot of unforeseen things that can happen. I have no fuckin'
+ idea whether one would expect the average Irish to say something
+ along those lines, but this is a perfectly plausible thing to say
+ for a Basarabean, or for any Romanian nobody who abides by popular
+ wisdom. Nobody, and yet he knows and never forgets! that life is
+ complex and has many aspects.
+
+[^19]: "I don't understand."
+
+[^20]: "He doesn't understand."
+
+[^21]: "Your turn."
+
+[^22]: "Sir, this boy crashed a brand new car that wasn't his. The sir
+ whose car it was is very upset."
+
+[^23]: "Very upset, that's the message."
+
+[^24]: "He wants the money for the damage and he asked us to talk to the
+ boy and convince him. If boy doesn't listen\*, he can go to
+ Vladivostok, we're still going to find him. And then it gets worse."
+
+ \-\-\-
+ \*: The reader might have a better translation for this "înțelege de
+ vorbă bună" thing. It denotes both understanding and acting on that
+ understanding, in contrast to understanding and not giving a fuck.
+
+[^25]: "How much does he owe?"
+
+[^26]: "He knows. More importantly, he needs to think well,
+ because... life is complex and has many aspects. He's a young boy
+ and it would be a pity for him to become, God forbid, a cripple for
+ life..."
+
+[^27]: "Or even worse."
+
+[^28]: "God forbid."
+
+[^29]: "Still, what sum does he owe?"
+
+[^30]: "Three grand..."
+
+[^31]: "It's not the sum..." (Smiling.) "It's the gesture."
+
+[^32]: (Gets up suddenly and turns to class.) "Hey! Enough! The first
+ one who breathes gets a bullet between the eyes! What's this, we're
+ making a mockery of school? Everyone write the composition!"
+
+[^33]: "By the way, who gave you the bruise?"
+
+[^34]: "No one."
+
+[^35]: (Pulling out a business card.) "No, 'cause if anyone messed with
+ you and you have a dread on them\*, we'll do him in for you cheap."
+
+ \-\-\-
+ \*: Let's deconstruct this. "Ai" is from "a avea", i.e. "to
+ have". "Boală" literally means "illness". Thus the expression
+ denotes feelings of deep (sickening) hatred for someone, like that
+ one time in band camp when that guy stole your girlfriend. Anyway,
+ "dread" is the closest I could find to this, although it's not
+ sufficiently antagonistic to describe the thing.
+
+[^36]: (To class.) "If I see anyone trying to cheat..."
+
+[^37]: (Singing. Then, to Ovidiu.) "Well, what did you think I was then,
+ popular soup?"
+
+[^38]: (Laughing, to Pepe.) "He's still a kid, doesn't know how things
+ go."
+
+[^39]: "Does the notion of
+ [intellectual property][intellectual-ownership] mean anything to
+ you?" (Around, people laugh.)
+
+[^40]: "But you put it differently when you asked me to make a circus at
+ the TV."
+
+[^41]: "Maybe. And when you first came to me you had more modest
+ ambitions. --" (to the orchestra:) "boys! And I worked the nights."
+ (Singing.) "And I worked the nights, and I worked the days!" (To
+ Ovidiu.) "C'mon there, don't get upset, have a drink. Come on."
+
+[^42]: "What if I go to the police and tell them everything?"
+
+[^43]: (To the orchestra.) "Keep it low, boys." (Laughing, to Ovidiu.)
+ "What the fuck are you saying?\*"
+
+ \-\-\-
+ \*: A very condescending "what", as connoted by the interjection
+ "mă", which... I have no idea how to express outside Romanian, so
+ I'll let the cunning linguists handle it.
+
+[^44]: "He's a poor noob, doesn't know..."
+
+[^45]: "Instead of arguing, we're better off singing a happy song. Turn
+ it up, boys!" (Singing.) "And I worked the nights, and I worked the
+ days! All for you my dear, so you get your way!"
+
+[^46]: "Lend me three thousand dollars."
+
+[^47]: (Makes a sign to the orchestra.) "Three thousand dollars? That's
+ how you ask me for three thousand bucks, after all I've taught
+ you?... Lend me..."
+
+[^48]: "Please, I need it."
+
+[^49]: (To the audience, sarcastically.) "He needs it." (To Ovidiu.) "I
+ am failing you, professor! Get to work\* and review the previous
+ subjects. Come to me and impress me, move me, squeeze a tear out of
+ me... tell me of the poor little girl with the matchsticks that you
+ want to help -- what is she lacking? A little fur, an apartment\*\*
+ --" (Ovidiu leaves the stage. Pepe turns towards Ovidiu, shouting.)
+ "Stretched hand that doesn't tell a story doesn't get dole! Be a
+ professional, what the devil!"
+
+ \-\-\-
+ \*: Literally, put one's hand (at work) towards some goal.
+ \*\*: What is the (modern) English diminutive of apartment? In
+ Romanian almost any noun can be "diminuated" by suffixing it with
+ "-iță"/"-uță"/"-ucă" (e.g. cărniță, scufiță, lăbuță, mămucă), "-el"
+ (cățel, purcel, suflețel) or other diminutival forms.
+
+[lordmp]: http://btcbase.org/log/2018-04-18#1802166
+[tibi-nebunu]: http://trilema.com/2012/tibi-nebunu-zorilor-represent
+[cancans]: http://archive.is/ojKnE
+[mp-translation]: http://btcbase.org/log/2018-04-18#1802222
+[susai-josnai]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hkjo-p_bXU
+[theses]: /posts/y03/05a-july-theses.html#fn43
+[tears]: /posts/y01/02a-online-media-is-feeding-on-your-tears.html
+[sirbu]: http://btcbase.org/log/2017-10-25#1728889
+[anything]: http://btcbase.org/log/2017-10-08#1723082
+[education]: /posts/y03/055-on-education.html
+[gaitele]: /posts/y04/06e-sieranevada-cuibul-de-viespi.html#selection-89.34-89.50
+[mana-intinsa]: http://btcbase.org/log/2018-04-14#1799027
+[intellectual-ownership]: /posts/y04/069-on-intellectual-ownership.html
--- /dev/null
+---
+postid: 070
+title: Bucharest botanical garden in the spring, as viewed through a couple of camera lenses
+date: April 23, 2018
+author: Lucian Mogoșanu
+tags: in-the-flesh
+---
+
+So this Saturday I grabbed my camera and went to ye olde botanical
+garden[^1] to watch the beautifuls, smell the smellfuls and do the
+wannabe-photographer thing I do once in a blue moon -- this time with
+the easiest and most predictable target for a photographer ever, the
+flower. We begin with exhibit numero uno, a rare specimen of metallum
+modernus:
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-01.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-01-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-02.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-02-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+Yes indeed, the fucks built a thermal power plant right next to the
+botanical garden, so that the pollution-energy and the green-energy can
+cancel each other this way, notwithstanding the fact that the whole
+scenery looks like the Borg took a dump on Mother Gaia's voluptuous
+chest. And all that for what: to provide the University Politehnica of
+Bucharest (back in those days the Polytechnic School of Bucharest) with
+energy. Engineers, a fucking pain in the ass since day one.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-03.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-03-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-04.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-04-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-05.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-05-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+Above, a chestnut flower, followed by a pretty view from the chestnut
+alley. Yes, the last photo is burned -- to my defense, I did say
+"wannabe".
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-06.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-06-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+The so-called italian garden (highly desaturated), hosting a metal
+monstrosity. What does it signify? Why thank you so much for asking, I
+myself would like to know.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-07.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-07-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+The photo above displays two types of common flowers: the little
+yellow-white thing, known as matricaria chamomilla, also known as
+chamomile, in popular Romanian known as mușețel; the yellow one, known
+as taraxacum officinale, also known as dandelion, also known in Romanian
+as păpădie or bășina porcului (the pig's fart), y'know, the one that
+turns into a ball of spores that kids blow for fun. Since they're so
+common, they weren't specifically exposed and described, but they were
+there nevertheless, which makes them a legitimate exhibit.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-08.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-08-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+In the first and second planes: [two lips][lalele]!
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-09.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-09-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+A bush of Japanese roses, kerria japonica.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0a.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0a-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+I have no idea what species of tree this little beauty is, but yes,
+there are more tulips at the base.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0b.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0b-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0c.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0c-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+Likewise, I have no idea what species these flowers are (some variety of
+mums?), but they emit a powerful and almost mesmerizing scent. And yes,
+they are beautiful as fuck.
+
+Anyway, this might be the perfect moment to take a break for technical
+details. As the reader can see, I took two shots (three in fact, but
+I've published just the two), one focusing on the near-plane and one on
+the far-plane. I don't know which one is technically correct (I would
+guess both) and neither do I know which one is more aesthetically
+pleasing, so I've decided to just post both and let the pedants engage
+in the whole hair-splitting thing.
+
+And since they might be asking: I shot these (and some of the other
+shots) with a fixed (manual focus) 50mm lens, while some of the other
+others were shot using the stock 18-55mm lens on a Nikon D5100. If you
+ask me, the camera is a perfect entry-level DSLR for
+wannabe-photographers such as myself, especially since it's old enough
+not to come with a motherfucking [Android][android].
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0d.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0d-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+Above, a lonely plane wandering on the early evening sky.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0e.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0e-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+"Pls to visit teh botanical museum", they said; "it'll be phun", they
+said. Well, next time.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0f.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-0f-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+Another one that I'm not sure of, but both the flowers and the leaves
+look very similar to those of a cherry tree, prunus cerasus I'd
+guess. Assuming this is indeed a cherry, notice how the petals aren't
+entirely open yet; as far as I remember from grandma's garden, cherries
+didn't blossom until early May. However, the recent heatwave here turned
+nature from barren to an intense green in just about a week, so who
+knows anymore.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-10.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-10-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-11.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-11-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+Prunus serrulata, also known as the Japanese cherry, also known in this
+time of year as sakura. We'll get back to these in a moment.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-12.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-12-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+Oh lookie, [they got wood][gherman] in the garden! For Romanian readers:
+what, you thought I'd miss the opportunity to reference this? Shame on
+you!
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-13.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-13-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-14.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-14-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-15.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-15-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-16.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-16-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+A Japanese garden lamp idling around in the Japanese garden, followed by
+another bunch of sakura flowers on a sakura (depicted in full in the
+last photo). And since we're into blooming flowers:
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-17.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-17-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+On the other side of the lake there was a fresh bride doing a photo
+shoot. In fact there were a bunch of those specimens roaming around in
+the garden that day, I guess doing photo sessions in green settings is
+some sort of a townly fashion nowadays. Not that I give a fuck, but the
+bride looked cute from behind.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-18.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-18-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+From the local fauna: a bunch of gullible seagulls derping around. These
+mean guys repeatedly tried to cross the turf of a small flock of wild
+ducks, with no success. Below, the gangsters in question:
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-19.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-19-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+And finally, we leave the garden for a walk, to get a few views of the
+urban Bucharestian landscape.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-1a.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-1a-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+Above: Casa Radio, a mammoth of a building, begun during the last years
+of the [shoeman's republic][theses] and never finished. It was supposed
+to belong to the national radio broadcasting company, currently (and
+since its inception in the 1920s) headquartered a wee bit to the north
+at the aptly named *Sala* Radio, on Str. Gen. Berthelot[^2]. Meanwhile
+it was sold to some guys who want to turn it into a mall or something of
+the sort. And since we're here, I don't give a damn about that either.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-1b.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-1b-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+Across the street from Casa Radio lies Spitalul Universitar, i.e. the
+universitary emergency hospital, housed near the Carol Davila University
+of Medicine and Pharmacy, housed near the botanical gardens, etc. You
+get the general idea. It's a nice neighbourhood, by the way, one of the
+very few neat and elegant ones in the whole town.
+
+<a href="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-1c.png"> <img align="middle"
+class="thumb" src="/uploads/2018/04/gradina-botanica-1c-thumb.png"> </a>
+
+A tad further down the road: Bd. Mihail Kogălniceanu, generally the
+source of much frustration for anyone driving through the town's centre
+during the week. Fortunately for me, this was Saturday, so I could take
+a stroll down to the Cișmigiu garden and... but I'll leave this story
+for another time. What can I say. Bucharest: at least it's better than
+fucking Paris.
+
+P.S.: A total of sechs fucks were uttered in this post -- sieben if we
+include this last one, not including the damn.
+
+[^1]: Established in 1860 by Carol Davila. Huh, who said medics don't
+ like plants.
+
+[^2]: By the way, the showroom at Sala Radio has incredible acoustics,
+ better than the Romanian Athenaeum, I'd venture to say. I've been
+ there to many rock, jazz and classical music concerts along the
+ years and they all sounded great, so my best educated guess, based
+ on previous feedback on the workings of my ear and other musical
+ organs, is that I know.
+
+[lalele]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spphGN9JlEo
+[android]: /posts/y02/03f-android-the-bad-and-the-ugly.html
+[gherman]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeV_0oef5AI
+[theses]: /posts/y03/05a-july-theses.html
projects / thetarpit.git / commitdiff
