Look right, look left

... and enjoy the space between right and left. That's London for me. I'm not in the "right" mood to describe my "left" impression on London or on my trip. I'm still in the space between right and left. Enjoy these pictures:









If you want more pictures from London, click here: http://picasaweb.google.com/beudean/Londra#

Ce se intampla, doctore? (partea a doua)

For the English version of this article, click here.

"The talks may seem high-minded and maybe even irrelevant to the person in the street: nothing could be farther from the truth. This summit has to start to lay a creative map for the world ahead.

Past economic collapses have one particularly unfortunate consequence - they often end in conflict, in war. It would be welcome if this time, human beings could crack that model."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7907780.stm

Da, v-ati prins, este vorba despre viitorul summit-ul G20 din Londra, din 2 aprilie, cel pe care eu il astept inca de la articolul "What's up doc?". Atunci eram foarte revoltata ca cei 20 de lideri mondiali nu se misca destul de repede si nici nu prea stiu ce sa faca si... asteapta.

Discutiile astea ale lor poate ca sunt irelevante pentru salariul meu si al celorlalti, dar mi-e teama ca cei 20 de lideri o sa uite de niste lucruri extrem de importante. Poate ati auzit de bancul ong-istilor cu acei copii aruncati in rau a carui morala era ca trebuie oprita acea persoana care arunca pruncii si nu sa tot sara cate un ong-ist dupa fiecare copil aruncat in rau, sa il salveze. Acum mi-e teama ca, in timp cei 20 de lideri cauta "ucigasul de copii" si gandesc strategii care sa impiedice alti oameni sa arunce copiii in rau, tot ei o sa uite de "copiii" care sunt deja in rau sau chiar de raul poluat. Adica o sa lase pe ultimul plan saracia globala care se adanceste, mediul care se murdareste tot mai tare, resursele care se scurg si nevoia de a "inventa" constant a omenirii.

Pe de alta parte, imi place atitudinea pe care o adopta, exact contrara crizei anilor '20-'30. Cel putin tarile UE vor sa lupte impotriva protectionismului si sustin ca criza trebuie rezolvata prin planuri globale bazate pe incredere si cooperare. Acum, pot sa spuna una si sa faca alta, desi nu prea cred ca au incotro si musai sa faca ceea ce spun.

SUA, Franta si tarile din Asia de Est nu prea sunt de acord si vor protectionism national si si-au cam facut de cap, daca nu ele ca tara, atunci companiile lor. Insa chiar daca acestea adopta o politica de protectie a economiilor nationale, cati consumatori "globali" vor alege sa cumpere un produs doar pentru ca asa ar incuraja economia nationala ??? Stiu ca nu e vorba doar de consum, ci si de productie, de importuri si exporturi, dar nu cred ca se mai poate pune stavila globalizarii, atata vreme cat aceasta a devenit extrem de accesibila la nivel individual, iar intermediarii - cei care ar putea initia regulile jocului - au disparut sau sunt pe cale de disparitie. Ce o sa faca? Ne taie Internetul? Ne confisca telefoanele? Opresc televiziunile? Distrug avioanele? Inchid granitele? Sau le scumpesc pe toate?

What's up, doc? (2nd episode)

"The talks may seem high-minded and maybe even irrelevant to the person in the street: nothing could be farther from the truth. This summit has to start to lay a creative map for the world ahead.

Past economic collapses have one particularly unfortunate consequence - they often end in conflict, in war. It would be welcome if this time, human beings could crack that model."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7907780.stm

Yes, you got it. I want to talk about G20 summit from London (April 2nd), the summit that I'm waiting for since "What's up, doc?" article. At that time I was mad that the 20 leaders don't work fast enough, they don't really know what to do and they just... wait.

Their meetings and discussions may not be relevant for my income or others' income, but I'm afraid that those leaders will forget some really important things in this process of getting the world out of the financial crisis. Maybe you heard the nonprofit joke/story with those babies thrown into the river. The conclusion of the story is that it is better to catch the one who throws the babies into the water than to wait for babies on the river and save them.

I'm afraid that while these leaders will look for "the babies killer" and build strategies to prevent any other incident like this one, the same leaders will forget about the babies who are already into the water or about the river which is strongly polluted. In other words, they might forget about the global poverty which is getting worse, the environment which is dirtier and dirtier, about the resources which are less and less, and about the constant human need for inventing and re-inventing itself.

On the other side, I like the new attitude which seems to be the opposite of the one from '20s-'30s crisis. At least, it seems like the EU countries are decided to fight against national protectionism and they suggest that the financial crisis must be solved through global plans based on trust and cooperation. Now, they can "talk" this, but they can "walk" it differently. I hope and believe that they cannot do it in another way - they have to stay globally.

USA, France and East Asia don't really agree the previous idea and they took some actions and established some protectionist rules. But even so, how many "global" consumers will change their habits/tastes only to support the national economy? I know that it's not everything about consuming, that it is also about imports, exports, production, etc. But still I do not think that we can stop the globalization, as it is already "on the street", and it's working not only for countries, governments and companies, but also for individuals. What will "they"(the powerful leaders) do? They will cut the Internet? They will take our phones? They will stop the TV channels? They will destroy the planes? They will close the borders? They will increase the prices for all these "networking" and "communication" global services?

Taxi-ul vietii!

For the English version of this article click here.

Am iesit in ploaie vorbind inca de Benjamin Button. Eram convinsa ca o sa le placa. E un film care nu le place multora, unii au parasit sala, iar altii au rezistat pana la sfarsit cu un popcorn mare sau sarutandu-si iubitele/iubitii mai des si mai lung. Eu mi-am retrait viata, si pe cea viitoare si sunt curioasa "what comes next". Nu stiu daca tine de momentul vietii, de ochelarii pe care ii porti, de agitatia in care te invarti, de luminita pe care nu o vezi, de nesiguranta pe care o ai, de certitudinea din urechi, de adancimea ochilor sau doar de rabdare... dar filmul poate fi cel mai bun film pe care l-ai vazut vreodata, daca e sa fie asa, daca nu let it go.

Si am iesit in ploaie. Si m-am uitat ce taxi sa iau spre casa. Alb sau rosu (poate ultimul taxi rosu din Cluj si care ar fi trebuit sa imi sara in ochi, ca sa il aleg). Am ezitat si m-am urcat destul de rapid in cel alb. Am inghitit o replica despre vremea "de facut copii si numarat banii" si am tacut. Ma uitam pe geam si ma gandeam la film si la viata... Nu conta traseul, soferul stia strada.

Simt gropile din ce in ce mai tare, apa se aude tot mai puternic si imi simt picioarele vulnerabile la gandul ca s-ar putea zdrobi de scaunul din fata mea. Ma trezesc si ma uit repede la indicatorul de kilometri: 100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow. Luminile de afara arata din ce in ce mai bine... pe linia de tramvai zburam. Imi trece prin minte sa ii spun soferului sa incetineasca, pentru ca nu ma simt in siguranta. Nu. Lasa-l. Nu mai e mult. Ma calmez. 80 - in fata semnului de cedeaza trecerea. N-o cedam. Noroc ca nu aveam cui. N-am zis stop, am mers mai departe. M-am gandit la ai mei, m-am gandit la mine, m-am bucurat de lumini, de gropile din asfalt, de linia de tramvai si de geamurile aburite. Am ajuns acasa si am zis un "la revedere" foarte rece, ca si cum nimic nu s-ar fi intamplat. Doar ca am strecurat cam greu cheia in poarta. Din cauza ploii.

Asa... Benjamin Button. Mai bine conduc eu viata asta, cu masina si muzica mea, in ritmul meu.