Alitalia don’t lose luggage! I do!

Alitalia AZ501 - Bucharest - Scheduled departure: 13.45
Rome Fiumicino - Scheduled arrival: 15.10 (local time)
REALITY: Bucharest - Departure: 14.10
Rome Fiumicino - Landing: 14.50 (local time) - thats good …. 1h40min instead of 2h25min how was on my ticket

Meal on board: I havent eaten yesterday morning before leaving the house. I was a bit too nervous. So believe me that I was waiting the Alitalia lunch as
a very very important thing that would happen to me … more exactly, to my stomach. But the lunch transformed into a small snack! Damn!

Duty-free on board: I was thinking to buy two small planes with Alitalia symbols for “just” € 26. But I reconsider my financial situation and I changed my mind.

Landing: what the fuck this pilot is doing to us? he wants to kill us? The plane was trembling and so most of the passengers
were trembling too. Windy or bad pilot? I was kind of relax …

Then TrenItalia … from Rome Fiumicino to Roma Termini (main train station) - delay 13 minutes.

Luggage at Bucharest: - a 18.7 kg piece of luggage
- a 10 kg piece hand luggage
- a 3 kg hand bag containing a winter coat, a pair of winter shoes and a main board for a friend’s pc

Luggage at landing: - same as in Bucharest
Luggage after buying train ticket: - a 18.7 kg piece of luggage
- a 10 kg piece hand luggage
(the rest I will recover - hope so! - from an office in the airport when I will leave Italy)

Roma Termini - Napoli Centrale ! Train … no delay, window seat.

Luggage at Napoli: same as last time. One bag in minus.

That’s one of the reasons that makes me want to leave Romania!

Iata ce am gasit astazi pe blogul lui George. Mi-am permis sa dau un copy si paste.

Corul bulgaresc din Romania

Stii ceva despre Romania?
Nu foarte multe, doar ce am mai vazut pe la televizor.

Dar despre muzica romaneasca?
Sigur ca da. Am ascultat un cor religios bulgaresc, un cor de femei.

No comment.

Din interviul cu Phil Collins din Cotidianul de azi

gata!

Prices in Poland

Here are some prices from poland. I found them on www.poland.com. What are the real one … I will have to find starting next week.

Good bye Romania …! Again.

It’s not first time when I am leaving Romania. And it’s not the first time when I’ll be staying abroad more that a one-week holiday. But maybe it’s first time when I will really have to manage my money and to work bit harder than usually. But as always … I’ll be a smart boy.

I am leaving and I am letting behind a Romania that I never liked too much. But now Romania is hell… Have a look at the weather outside and you will understand. Hell is on us! (how George said).
I hate this shitty weather. I hate that there are those floods that just destroyed lives of people that are too poor to help themselves.

I am feeling a bit strange. I am feeling I am leaving forever … and worst than this … I like the idea  . The thing is that I didn’t finish packing … and till my departure are less than 17 hours. But the night is long, right?

Airliner fakes emergency so passengers can watch soccer game

LIMA, Peru (AP) — A chartered jet carrying 289 Gambian soccer fans pretended it needed to make an emergency landing so they could watch their team compete in the FIFA Under 17 World Championships, officials said Wednesday.

A boy was born on-board on flight from Moscow to Los-Angeles

On September 14 a boy was born on-board of Aeroflot’ Boeing 767 followed SU-321 flight from Moscow to Los-Angeles. Childbearing passed with no complications. Mother Ludmila Yalinus, the citizen of Russia, feels good. After the aircraft has landed in Los-Angeles airport she went down the stairs by herself having a baby in her arms. Ludmila Yalinus was flying to her husband, the citizen of the US.

Contractions began after seven hours of flight when the plane was above the ocean not far from Canada’s border line, and there were few hours more to fly to the destination airport. To make an emergency landing on the nearest military airport was not possible since the landing runway there was too short for Boeing 767 aircraft.

In these circumstances stewardess Galina Savenkova took the entire care of the woman in childbirth and her babe. The crew members also made their best to help the baby to come into being.

Aircraft commander Valeriy Belan provided timely landing in Los-Angeles airport.

The stewardess Galina Savenkova, who accouched the woman in childbirth, is employed in civil aviation since 1983, working for Aeroflot since 1993. She is married and bringing up 18 years old son.

Child birth on-board of the plane is quite a rare case. Last time it happened on board of Aeroflot’ Ilyushin 96 plane travelling from Singapore to Moscow in 2001, on March 6. A daughter has been born to Singapore citizen lady. The accoucher was Lydia Barulina, the instructor, and the stewardess Aleksandra Pavlova having a higher medical education in therapy was assisting the childbirth.

Public Relations Department, Aeroflot

NYPD launched podcast info system

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has started creating
podcasts, audio broadcasts that can be downloaded from the NYPD’s
website to an iPod or other MP3 player. Unlike a typical news broadcast
that comes from independent journalists, the information on the NYPD
podcast comes directly from the NYPD.

The first podcast offers information about street closings around the
United Nations. It also contains information about identity theft and an
interview with a chief sent to New Orleans. The podcasts will be updated
each week, or more often, if necessary. They will contain updates on
major cases and appeals for help with unsolved crimes.

SkyEurope flies from Bucharest

SkyEurope has been granted traffic rights to launch services to Bucharest and Sofia. Flights to and from Sofia and Bucharest will begin on the 9th and 12th of December, respectively, with fares starting from as low as € 25 one-way excluding taxes. A SkyShuttle bus service between Bratislava Airport and the city of Vienna is available to SkyEurope passengers.

This is good… and soon Ryanair eill have some departures from Bucharest in some big cityes from Europe. Stay tuned … Baneasa Airport will become a too small airport for so many flights. i am courious to see what will happen. An extend of this airport ?

Inceputul scolii ….

Elevii din clasele 1-12 au inceput deja scoala. Aceasta “cestiune” se poate observa in toate mijloacele de transport. Nu ca nu eram satul pana peste cap de babe si mosi (scuze!) … oamenii de varsta a treia, pe care ii intalneai in fiecare mijloc de transport … Fie ca este vorba de tramvaiul 41, fie troleu’ 61 sau unul din autobuzele 336, 300 sau 381. Ma rog … nici macar in minunatul, mai mereu golul si neaglomeratul 783 nu se poate fara cei de varsta a treia. Pensia mica, biletele de avion mai “ieftine” ca painea … adica vreo 400. Nu 400 lei vechi, nici macar 400 de lei noi …ci 400 de euro! IEFTIN!

Sa revin … ca-mi pierd coerenta. Deci … a inceput scoala, si pe langa pensionari, ghici ce mai gasim prin autobuze, troleibuze …etc.
O multime de COCALARI care COCALARESC in drum spre scoala sau inapoi spre casa sau in timpul orelor de curs. Galagiosi peste masura si de o incultura care ma face sa ma intreb cum arata viitorul Romaniei, acesti COCALARI polueaza lumea in care traim in multe moduri.

Joi … vin cu troleul 61 dinspre casa spre centru, undeva pe la orele 16. Se sparsese conducta la Lazar (Liceul Lazar, Parter+2etaje, central). Copii de clasa a 11-a … vorbesc despre profa de fizica care e o vaca, despre diriga care a venit cam nef… la scoala si despre profu’ de religie care este cam bunutz. A…. ok. Pe urma se trece la discutat despre tipele care au cam fost prin strainatate… vara asta, la rude si la ce si-au adus ele de pe acolo.

Intre Kogalniceanu si Universitate am simtit ca o iau razna.

Daca imi amintesc eu de liceu … Nu spun ca am fost sfant cu stea in frunte. Una din intamplarile petrecute este legata de orele de engleza din clasa a XII-a. Intamplator, cu profa’ de engleza am ramas prieten foarte bun, dupa ce toata clasa a XII-a mi-a oferit tot felul de sfaturi pentru care nu i-am multumit niciodata …verbal!
Deci, profa’ de engleza, intrat proaspat in sistem …intarzie ea la o ora, vreo 15 minute … (era prima ora dintr-o zi ploioasa de noiembrie). Si noi, o satra de 30 de componenti ai GENERATIE PRO (o forma mai slaba de COCALARIT) decidem ca vrem sa bem cafea si …scriem pe tabla:

DACA VENITI IN URMA NOASTRA DATI-NE UN BEEP CA SA VENIM LA ORA. NOI SUNTEM IN REGAL.

Am lasat-o de multe ori, tot intr-a XII-a, pe profa’ de astronomie cu buza umflata. Adica era pur si simplu inacceptabil ca vineri la ultima ora sa stau sa ascult niste chestii pe care oricum nu le-as fi invatat vreodata … adica una era sa vorbim de stele si planete si una era sa stau sa ascult mii de divagatii pe nici o tema data. … ideea era ca plecam cu totii de la aceasta ora.

Cat despre facultate … numai cuvinte de lauda. Mi-am dat seama inca de la examenul de admitere ca urasc deja pe cineva … pe domnul profesor George Popescu, pentru ca imi punea cate o intrebare incomoda la fiecare propozitie pe care o rosteam. Acum … reltia este mult mai buna.
De asemenea, am realizat ca intr-o facultate ca a noastra … de Jurnalism nu prea se face scoala de jurnalism. Adica se face, cu vorba … Profii incearca si ei cum pot sa atenueze “lacunele” de orice fel. Insa facultatea asta este plina de multi “derbedeii dracului” (vorba unui stimat domn profesor … care stie dansul ce spune - desi o face in gluma tot timpul). Dupa un an trei in care am fost student in programul Bullet al Centrului de Jurnalism Independent si, deci, nu am calcat prin facultate decat pentru cursul de dictie (mare pierdere de vreme!!!) … pot spune ca imi pare rau pentru multi asa zisi studenti care trec prin aceasta facultate doar pentru a trece timpul mai usor, pentru a nu se stresa foarte tare si pentru a petrece cat mai mult timp prin fata cladirii decat prin salile de curs.

Nu sunt un tocilar! … dar sunt frustrat de faptul ca oamenii astia, numiti studenti la jurnalism, care ar trebui sa fie profesionistii de maine ai media … sunt neglijenti, nu dau doi bani pe “a face teren”. E mai usor sa inregistrezi pe banda un coleg. Locatia: in baie inainte de ora, examen sau whatever! Nu stiu daca din cei 200 de oameni (daca nu chiar mai multi) sunt 20 care ar putea sa considere ca au facut ceva … in trecerea lor prin facultate.

Si ma bucur nespus ca nu o sa prind inceputul acestui ultim an scolar. Pentru ca ar insemna sa ma revad cu colegii de la Centru si sa fim tratati ca niste paria de multi dintre fostii nostrii prieteni, colegi…etc. Frustrant.

Asa ca o sa-mi iau boceluta in spate si o sa devin un alt Gicu, romanas de-al nostru, care prefera occidentul in locul frustrarilor provocate de sistemul romanesc.

Traisca Romania, tara de cacat in care traim! La mai mare Gicutzilor, oriunde ati fi voi prin lumea asta larga!

S-a mai dus una!

Una … din grijile mele inaite de plecare. Am terminat inca un numar din revista Secolul 21. Numarul “Madrid - o metropola contemporana” va aparea n maximum 3 saptamani. Ce ar fi de vazut in acest numar … pai sa zicem o “expozitie” semnata Ioan Nemtoi. In rest … who knows!

Multumesc sefei mele ca nu m-a mai tinut la birou pana la orele 3-4 sau 7 dimineata. Multumesc faptului ca ultimile texte venite si introduse in numar au fost textele ei … multumesc ca mi-a dat salariul inainte de data stabilita (pentru ca plec din Romania! sic!), multumesc doamnei Mimi care m-a tratat cu bomboane si grisine alese si de asemenea multumesc neuronilor mei care au avut rabdarea si intelegerea necesare pentru a nu face vreo criza de “isterie”.

Pana mai una alta …mi-am permis luxul de a veni cu taxiul acasa … pe banii firmei, of course.

Poland here I come

There are 2 more week till I am leaving Romania, and three weeks and something till the moment I’ll arrive in Warsaw. It’s a very strange feeling that just started to bother me (?!). I am looking arround at many things that I will have to take with me. It’s strange … and also I am sick of moving things from a house to another (especially when houses are at 3.000 Km away one from the other).
There will be books (Romanian, English or Greek), there will be agendas and some of my cd’s, photos I have in my room, some objects I received from friends, the mascots of Summer Olympic in Athens and clothes. And I didint found yet a way of sending a pack of 30 kg for something like 30 Euro. And I just don’t want to pay 7 Euro/kg to Alitalia.

Departures gives me headaches but … the morning of the day when I leave to somewhere not named Romania gives me a nice feeling.

What really happened with the flight 552 of Helios Airways

On August 15, a Helios Airways plane crashed on at 12:04 EEST into a mountain north of Marathon and Varnavas, Greece. Rescue teams located wreckage near the community of Grammatiko 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Athens. All 121 people on board were killed.

Questioned by AFP, the Greek inquiry team official refused to comment on an International Herald Tribune report that efforts by the German pilot and the Cypriot co-pilot to solve the problem were further complicated because their English was “not good enough for complicated technical conversation”.

“Everything is being investigated, I cannot comment further,” the official said. “When the results are published, the authors of some (news) reports will be justified and others will have to go into hiding.”

The head of the Greek investigation team probing a Cypriot plane crash last month that killed 121 people will fly to London this weekend to quiz the engineer thought to have last checked the aircraft, an official said on Wednesday.

The Briton’s testimony may be crucial in unravelling the lingering mystery surrounding the crash, as he is reportedly one of three mechanics who checked and certified the plane when it left Larnaca in Cyprus.

MyAir - fly from Bucharest to Naples

Starting September 17, Italian low-cost operator MyAir its operating a flight from Bucharest Baneasa Airport to Naples Capodichino airport. Fares start at 19.80 Euro for a round trip + taxes around 80-85 Euro. The flight duration is 2h05′. MyAir use Airbus A320 aircrafts.

For more detaild about fares and offers check the website www.myair.com. There are offers almost everyweek… for example now when I am writing this post there are fares starting at 0.01 Euro for one-way + 40-45 Euro taxes.

Low-cost news - new aircraft, new destination

Here they are … Blue Air, the first Romanian low-cost company, its getting the third airplane for its fleet. The plane is a Boeing 737-500 with a 123 passengers capacity. Also the plane was “decorated” in a new way, a way that will become the Blue Air style for all its aircrafts.

Also starting with October 11, Blue air will fly to Paris. Prices starts at 38 Euro for a round trip + taxes around 40-45 Euro. For the moment the tickets are not on line and also I can’t say what airport will be operated by Blue Air. Keep reading this blog.

Boeing 737 air disasters - august/september 2005

This year, there were two many crashes with Boeing 737-200 or 737-300 aircrafts involved. Is still Boeing a safe aircraft? Personally, I love Boeings more than Airbuses …but still … is it safe enought?

5 September: A Mandala Airlines Boeing 737-200 plane with 112 passengers and five 5 crew members on board crashes after take-off.

23 August: A Tans airline Boeing 737-200 crashes on an internal flight in Peru, near the city of Pucallpa, with at least 40 people reported dead.

14 August: A Helios Airways flight from Cyprus to Prague with 121 people on board crashes north of the Greek capital Athens, apparently after a drop in cabin pressure. The airplane used was a Boeing 737-300.

Plane crash in Indonesia

A Boeing 737 of Indonesian Airline Mandala plowed into a row of houses 500 yards from the airport and skidded onto a busy road in this city on northeast Sumatra island.

The plane was carrying 116 passengers and 5 crew members.
As an Associated Press news said, airline spokeswoman Nining, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said 16 people survived, including an 18-month-old boy and his mother.

Transportation Minister Hatta Rajasa was quoted by the private Detik.com news Web site as saying 47 people on the ground were killed.

For the moment authorities dont know why the crash happened. It is probably a “bad” take-off or a human error.

New headquarters for Center for Independent Journalism

The Center for Independent Journalism is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, offering courses and specialized training for journalists and media organizations. The Center organizes courses, seminars, debates, roundtables and professional assistance focusing on media specific problems. CIJ is a project of the Independent Journalism Foundation, New York, which operates similar centers in Bratislava and Budapest.

The headquarters are better than the old ones.
Center for Independent Journalism
Str. Regina Elisabeta, Nr. 32, Et. 1,
sector 5, 050017 Bucharest, Romania

www.cji.ro