Teodora's Blog

You can watch the rewind here 2017 is coming to an end, so it’s the perfect time to experience it once again. Perhaps it would have been more convenient if I had chosen to talk about Google’s “Year in Search” video. Even The New Yorker’s collection of reviews would have provided a better discussion about culture and the stories that shaped 2017. So out of all the available possibilities, why have I chosen to write about this year’s YouTube Rewind? “Defend” is a strong word. I somehow wanted to voice my opinion and convince others (even myself) that the video does have a good intention. If you ask me, YouTube has always been a great escape from reality, the perfect place to listen to book discussions, watch epic travel montages, have a laugh at ingenious skits… and express your outrage at 2017’s rewind. The video has received plenty of dislikes in order to make me pay more attention to the content itself. It’s highly questionable whether the rewind makes you feel nostalgic for 201...

Discursul lui Andrei Pleşu poate fi ascultat accesând link-ul: http://www.uaic.ro/andrei-plesu-doctor-honoris-causa-al-uaic / Pe data de 12 decembrie 2017, Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iaşi a acordat titlul de Doctor Honoris Cauza scriitorului Andrei Pleşu, un moment istoric la care am avut ocazia să particip. Ceremonia a fost coordonată de Prof. Dr. Mihaela Onofrei şi comisia de Laudatio, formată din autorităţi ale UAIC şi ale altor universităţi. Parcursul carierei lui Andrei Pleşu a fost rezumat într-un Laudatio citit de Prof. Dr. Eugen Munteanu de la UAIC: „A scrie despre Andrei Pleşu este deopotrivă relativ uşor, dar şi foarte greu.”. S-a subliniat şi faptul că Andrei Pleşu rămâne în continuare unul dintre cei mai sofisticaţi intelectuali ai culturii noastre postbelice, nefiind separat, în investigaţiile sale înalte, de lumea înconjurătoare, de viaţa propriu-zisă a individului ca atare: „Care e detaliul transcendent al personalităţii lui Andrei Pleşu, apt să treacă...

I think it goes without saying that everybody has read or at least heard of “Murder on the Orient Express”, one of Agatha Christie’s most famous works. However, if some millennials still have no idea what I’m talking about, then the name Hercule Poirot might ring a bell. Each one of us has surely come across a short description or a slight mention of the fictional Belgian detective, with an egg-shaped head, a carefully grown moustache and a bundled-up costume. In order to discover the world of Hercule Poirot, there’s no need for you to start off with the first book in the series. You can ask other people for recommendations and you will most certainly be advised to pick up “Murder on the Orient Express”. Why so? Is it because of the unexpected place for a murder? Or perhaps it is Poirot’s unique cleverness which stands out the most. After all, it is quite an achievement to work out a crime with a limited source of clues and all sorts of background stories from complete strangers. ...

Since Halloween is just around the corner, it’s time to go through your bookshelves once again and re-read some scary, but thrilling stories. After all, this spooky celebration is not all about dressing up as your favorite characters, sharing scrumptious treats and planning tempting tricks. If you’re on the lookout for new books to read, then you may consider the gothic and adventurous trilogy entitled The Morrow Secrets (the books’ names are The Morrow Secrets , The Shadow of the Swarm and The Dark Spell ). The fantasy saga is set in an unusual world, more specifically in a creepy house called Winderling Spires in the land of Wycham Elva. Tallitha Mouldson, the headstrong heroine, is next in line to rule the Morrow family. Therefore she’s often stuck in her house learning how to adopt a ladylike attitude. You have probably already guessed that Tallitha is no ordinary girl who sticks to the rules. She seeks adventure and has a genuine thirst for knowledge. Her dull daily routine ...

Childhood allows us to easily build up the best version of ourselves, and that’s a fact. There’s no one to stop us from dreaming big, we could be whatever we want, whether it’s a daring superhero or a contemporary mini-Einstein. The limitless possibilities and the gripping imagination encourage children to shout out with glee, “What a time to be alive”. If your child has always been enthusiastic about life, then they can definitely relate to Danny Dingle, the world famous and (almost) genius inventor (his words, not mine). The Jet of Justice , the latest book in the Danny Dingle’s Fantastic Finds collection, has an engaging plot for children of all ages. The action takes place in Greenville, during the summer holiday. The story could be separated in two parts: a summer camp and a flying machine-building contest. Danny undoubtedly steals the spotlight, but he makes sure we get to properly meet his wacky and lovable family, his slightly dopey “lab assistant”, his psychic pet toad ca...

Whenever I finish reading a book, I hesitate to check online reviews. I generally don’t like to be influenced by other people’s thoughts. However, after binge-reading the Girl Online books, the first thing I did was to look up what others had to say about them. Oddly enough, I couldn’t exactly describe my own opinion. I didn’t like the novels, but I also didn’t hate them. I was quite surprised to find out that most reviewers were annoyed with the fact that YouTubers (like Zoe Sugg) kept having unnecessary book deals. Some of them even complained that the first book was mostly ghostwritten. Should Zoe stick to making beauty, fashion and lifestyle videos? Not necessarily. When I started writing this review, I finally realized what my thoughts were: the novels have their flaws, for sure, but in the end, they send rather positive messages. What made me buy the Girl Online series? Although I’m one of Zoe’s viewers, what really piqued my interest was the main character’s secret: a blog...

I would like to point out right from the start that the latest Spider-Man movie should not be underestimated. After the release of three successful films with Tobey Maguire, the director of “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, Jon Watts, miraculously managed to create an intriguingly different storyline for our young hero (also putting Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man to shame). *This review contains spoilers* Meet Peter Parker (again). He’s a smart teenager who has big dreams and wants to become a hero. Tom Holland’s first appearance as Spider-Man was last year, in “Captain America: Civil War”. There are a few recaps of Peter’s previous experience with the Avengers at the beginning of “Spider-Man: Homecoming”. He goes on a plane for the first time, receives an updated Spider-Man costume, meets the Avengers... Calling him “excited” is an understatement. While the adults are constantly at each other’s throats, Peter is completely awe-struck by the unique power of each hero. His video diaries per...

Since the brand new movie “Despicable Me 3” hit theatres, people have kept asking themselves whether the third part of this film franchise is worth watching. It’s quite difficult for someone to create a sequel better than their previous movies. If anyone has managed to do so, then kudos to them. The same cannot be said for Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin, the directors of "Despicable Me 3". Two times Gru clearly doesn’t make third time a charm. The plot of the film contains a great deal of subplots and as a result, each character faces a (more or less) serious problem. Gru (Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig), both agents for the Anti-Villain League (AVL), chase a new villain named Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) and try to stop him from stealing a precious diamond. The diamond is saved, but Bratt is still on the loose. The constant failing of capturing Bratt leads to Gru and Lucy’s sudden sack from AVL. Soon after that, Gru has the opportunity to go to Freedonia and meet h...

Initially this post was supposed to be a movie review for “Everything, Everything”, but having recently written about the novel (you can check out the review here ), I decided to compare the book and the movie. *Spoilers ahead* Keep going only if you read the book / watched the movie On the whole, the film follows the same pattern and order of events as in the book. We get a close-up of Madeline Whittier’s (Amandla Stenberg) disease and repetitive schedule (and we feel sorry for her unfortunate life right from the start), we meet Olly Bright (Nick Robinson), the new boy from next door, we watch the two teenagers falling for each other and then, we end up following them throughout their whole quick, crazy journey. Also, the major plot twist (Maddy actually being perfectly healthy) definitely comes as a shock to those who haven’t read the book before watching the movie (and they are most likely to pity the teenage girl even more). If I had to mention some differences between the...

Luni, 5 iunie 2017 Mă îndrept spre Teatrul Naţional din Iaşi cu mari emoţii, ca şi cum aş fi înaintea unui spectacol. Totul se desfăşoară în jurul meu ca într-un vis, cu mişcări lente şi nesigure. Mă uit în gol şi repet întrebările pregătite pentru actorul Marius Manole. În ultimele luni i-am urmărit îndeaproape activitatea. L-am văzut în piesele de teatru cu care a venit la Iaşi, i-am ascultat matinalurile cu Marius Tucă şi l-am urmărit pe Facebook şi în emisiunea de la ProTV, „Uite cine dansează”. Mă simt ciudat. E ca şi cum m-aş pregăti să intru în scenă, într-o piesă pe care n-am repetat-o niciodată. Nici nu-mi dau seama când am ajuns la teatru, la intrarea actorilor. Nu-mi dau seama nici pe unde merg, ştiu doar că trebuie să-l urmez pe domnul de la poartă pe coridoarele întortocheate. Odată ce ajung la cabine şi aud vocea puternică a lui Marius Manole, îmi revin din starea de reverie. „Spectacolul” urmează să înceapă. Eu sigur îmi joc perfect rolul unei adolescente speriate c...

Pe data de 31 mai 2017 s-a deschis expoziţia de arte vizuale "BABILONIA", semnată de Adrian Stoleriu, la Galeria apARTe din cadrul Facultăţii de Arte Vizuale şi Design a Universităţii "George Enescu" din Iaşi. Numele expoziţiei ar putea fi citit în două registre. Lucrările prezentate au un substrat religios de inspiraţie creştin-ortodoxă (făcându-se referire la Turnul Babel, lucrare făcută după artistul Pieter Bruegel), dar înfăţişează şi întreaga "babilonie" a vieţii cotidiene (nebunia continuă şi atmosfera haotică a lumii din jur). Incursiunea în această lume "dezordonată" porneşte cu cele două plasme care simbolizează, pe de o parte televiziunea care ne intoxică în permanenţă cu ştiri absurde sau manipulatoare şi pe de altă parte internetul cu aceeaşi abundenţă a ştirilor fără sens. Astfel, după ce ni se arată influenţa mass-mediei asupra noastră, se trece la lucrări mai complexe care ne aduc în faţă diverse teme actuale, menite să...