All you need is Gili

The world is full of opportunities. You can get a job you’ve always dreamed about. You can try food you have never known existed. You can live in any part of the world. But the most important is that you can travel to places which is almost impossible to find on the map.

About five months ago I booked my first trip to Bali. While doing the research of places to visit, a lot of people were suggesting to go to Gili Islands. “Hmmm… what is this all about?” So, I googled it and some pictures of the ocean and beaches came out. “Nothing special” I thought but as I would later find out, I was wrong. Just to give it a try, I booked one night in Gili Trawangan and here it all started.

Arriving in GT’s port (Gili Trawangan), all the passengers alighted directly on the beach in a turquoise clean water. The first seconds of being on the island were giving you the feel that you traveled back in time and you were actually quite happy to be there. The sun was shining, the waves were on the background and all the people looked very happy. 

If you wanted to get somewhere, the only transport available on the island was the horse or bike and obviously your feet. A must do in the evening was watching the sunset. During the day you could spend time snorkelling, swimming in the ocean, diving or just chilling on the beach with a glass of lychee martini or a young coconut water. There was nothing else you would want or could ask for. I just wish I could stay there for at least another month.

Do Dreams have an Expiration Date?

New year - new blog post. And it has nothing to do with “New Me”...I am still the same. But the change is never the same and this post is about it.

Change. It happens when you don’t expect it.

A friend of mine asked me the other day how it was going with my book. I started writing it about 18 months ago. Cannot classify it as a novel because I described real situations, real people, and real consequences. It was about someone who thought she had discovered a secret side of hers and her life changed when she realised she can do things she could never think of in the past, live a new and forbidden life. But the truth was that one day everything changed and she understood that all that happened was a confusion. She returned to her old life, but she was changed, completely changed…

When I started the university and moved to a new city, new country, I met lots of people who were completely different from me and people I used to know in Moldova. I felt extremely inspired by my new friends, who were living double lives and had to face everyday challenges. It might sound strange when I say “double lives” but I mean it. Life in Eastern Europe is a bit different and you can’t tell people you are gay without being judged, you can’t become the managing director of the bank  or work for the Government and still be open about your sexual orientation because people tend to consider you mentally ill which is obviously bullshit. Anyway let’s get back to my story. The lives of my friends  looked like a game to me, everything they did was always risky, exciting and SO forbidden! I could see their both sides and it was unbelievably amazing to listen to all their stories and live those moments with them. I was so inspired to write about things which happened to my friends, to people they met, to me, and about all the dramas that were happening at that time.

I had so much passion to write that I couldn’t breathe. I had to put it on the paper. It was my main motivation.

All those people, actions, situations, places changed me and showed me a new side of the things.

I clearly remember the last day I wrote the pages for my book:

It was a chilly November morning in London. It had rained the night before, but the sun was rising. I went jogging, but came back home in just a minute feeling lack of air again, grabbed my papers, pen and went to a peaceful cafe by the river. The view, the breeze, the fresh air after the rain, everything felt just right! I couldn’t stop writing and every time when I was reading again what I wrote, my heart was beating faster and faster. I was living all those moments again and again. So many feelings came back to me. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry and I just wanted to close my eyes and go back to those moments and live them again. I could even feel the butterflies I felt when it had happened. It was such an unforgettable experience.

Today I decided to read the pages which I wrote for the book and honestly, I felt embarrassed! I can’t believe I wrote that! It feels so wrong…

I guess the change “happened” to me… It happens from time to time to all of us.

Why don’t we receive a notification before changing? Why no one tells us in advance that change can happen any minute? Why don’t we get extra time to live and enjoy the moment before we change?

Richard Gerver dedicated a whole book to this subject and its title is Change.

If you think back for a second:

What did you dream about two, three, four, or five years ago? Where did you see yourself? And where are you now?

I am one of those people who change very quickly... too quickly. It gets scary sometimes. Going 2 years back, all I could dream about was moving to a warm and sunny country, live close to the sea, have my morning walks on the beach every day and work in the hotel industry. Fast forward 2 years and I find myself running in the rain to catch the train – well, it’s something like morning walks on the beach but “a little bit” different. London is not the warmest city in the world, but I feel like I am living a dream, the new one. And I really love it!

Even dreams have an expiration date.

We are all very different but we all share one common experience: Change. Love it, hate it, ignore it but better accept it and let it take you to amazing places where you will meet the most wonderful people and discover something about yourself which you have never thought about.

Life is not the Same after Breaking Bad

Keeping calm is not something one can do when watching Breaking Bad. You'll be tense and have an inescapable feeling that everything that is going on in the series is happening to you. Millions of people watched Breaking Bad and it felt like I was the last one to find out about it. 

I discovered the series in November and then it started... 

The relationship went from restaurant dates to rushing home from work to watch Breaking Bad in bed our eyelids drooped, being left in shock and awe due to the unexpected scenes and plot twists;

I started believing that all the chemistry teachers cook meth;

The word "Dad" got a new pronunciation as "DaaAaD";

I stopped drinking camomile tea with Stevia sweetener (just in case);

My scariest nightmare is...Gus Fring and his half face.

Do you feel the same or maybe it's just me? Life will never be the same after Breaking Bad. And if you still didn't watch it - you have to do it!

Here are some pictures explaining my story. Enjoy :)

 

10 Things You Don't Know About Moldova

When I meet new people and tell them that I am from Moldova, they are usually very curious to find out as much information as possible about my country. There are lots of beautiful and special things about this country however we are not perfect and there are things which will sound pretty weird for people who were not born in Moldova. Let's start :)



1. Moldova? Where is it? Is it in..?


No,  Moldova is not the river Moldau in Czech Republic and it has nothing to do with Maldives. Actually here it is. A tiny country situated between Ukraine and Romania.
I'm sure if I wasn't born in Moldova I would never know about it's existence. It is always pleasant to introduce it to new people.






2. You would never think it is in Moldova.

Welcome to Old Orhei! The views are extremely beautiful and the old monastery built on the edge of the hills is pretty impressive. This is the place where monks used to spend their lives. It is very quite there and this makes you feel relaxed and far from your busy life.

3. If you've got a sweet tooth then it is for you!

Bucuria! The best company ever. Chocolates, candies, toffees, candies fruit jelly... They produce everything! These are the best sweets I have ever eaten and I've tried a lot as I can not live a day without having something sweet.







4.We are bilingual!

That's something we are extremely proud about! There are several languages spoken in Moldova but the majority of population are bilingual, they speak Russian and Romanian. There are also spoken languages as Ukrainian and Gagauz.




5. Love wine? We were making it before the French!


Moldovan wines are delicious. Welcome to the wine cellars! The cellars extend from 100 km to 250 km. You can taste red, white or rose wine and also all kinds of sparkling wines.

6. Want something extreme? Try the RUTIERA journey.

Let me explain what "rutiera" means. It can be defined as public transport, a mini-bus, which stops wherever you want on its route. Rutiera usually develops big speed due to the drivers who race with other cars during driving. Why is it extreme? Because they screech to a halt when you point where you want to disembark and accelerate away when you are halfway out the door.

7. Moldovan fashion.

I don't mean that every person from Moldova would dress like this but you can often see:

- Men wearing sandals with socks and smart shoes with sport trousers
- Women wearing heels in the countryside where you don't have roads
- Labels as ADADIS, PUMbA and Naik

8. The carpets on the walls.

Carpets were meant to be on floor. NOT! 
It is very popular in the countryside to put traditional carpets on the walls and also beds. This tradition has got a long history as the carpets were considered the family relics and they were transmitted from generation to generation.






9. Moldovan weddings.

Moldovan people always follow the traditions. Usually the guests at the wedding dance "Hora" which is a traditional Moldovan dance. Here are the videos of a proper Moldovan weddings with traditional dance and music. "PLEASE do not try at home!"

10. Cuisine

There are 3 main dishes : 
Zama - a very healthy chicken soup with vermicelli, carrots, lovage and onion
Mamaliga - porridge made out of yellow maize flour which is served with pork meat, cheese and sour cream
Placinte - traditional pastry usually filled with cheese,egg and fennel 

And something about Chişinău...

Maybe Chişinău is not a perfect city, we might have big, crater-like potholes in the roads which it's very difficult to avoid while driving (especially when there's no lighting). We might use the pictures of celebrities (hello Cheryl Cole!) for our hairdressers' salons without even asking their permission. That's why living or just visiting this city and this country provides a unique and unforgettable experience.
But we still love our country and our home city. These are some of my favourite pictures of Chişinău.

With love,
Margo x

The Wall ART - Love It or Hate It

Everyone defines ART in their own way. 
Actually everything we create is a piece of art. 
Someone admires it, someone hates it. 
Every artist has got a message. 
It doesn't matter if we didn't find or understand it. 
The most important thing is that the goal was achieved and artist's dream came true: he created a masterpiece.

Follow your dreams, they know the way.

W Hotel Barcelona - A Piece of Heaven

Barcelona - one of the most beautiful cities. It has got everything:   Astonishing Architecture (a Gothic cathedral for the historian, a Gaudi cathedral for those who like a contemporary twist on their Catholicism), golden sandy beaches, delicious Spanish and Catalan cuisine, fine wine and lots of wonderful shops and boutiques tucked away in the Gothic quarter where old meets new.

If you decide to travel to Barcelona it is very important to find a hotel which will make feel comfortable.

W Hotel Barcelona made me just relax and dream. 
I was sitting by the swimming pool with a glass of sangria, listening to the Dj and there was nothing else I would ask for. 
The room offered the great view of Barcelona, the beach and the sea. I could enjoy this view for the rest of my life.
The night club Eclipse situated on the 26th floor was just fantastic. They do the best Watermelon Martini I have ever tried in my life(still can not forget it).

W Barcelona is a piece of heaven!

Enjoy the pictures,

Margo x  

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