Spinning Words

I remember being 6 or 7 and going with my mother to some activity in a very large and cold amphitheater were people did some probably boring things, school related activities and screened, at the end, two episodes of Tom and Jerry. If I remember correctly one of them was with the lion that ran away from the circus.  I think that was one of the happiest days of my life. Years later when Cartoon Network started showing Tom and Jerry at 8 pm every evening the whole family made a tradition from finishing all up just in time to sit in front of the TV and watch 4 or 5 short movies with a blue cat and a brown mouse. After getting a VCR I even started recording them just so I could watch them whenever I wanted. I learned the (very few) lines by heart. My parents never had anything against me watching Tom and Jerry compared to other cartoons like Space Ghost or Blue Falcon (generally put under the form of a show named “Power Zone”) which were a bit more violent and gave them the impression that they might get me a bit disturbed. I mean, Tom and Jerry is the classic story of the cat who chases the mouse, the dog who chases the cat and the mouse being friends with the dog. The story was presented under the form of everyday activities: school, relaxing at the beach, playing in the yard, partying, staying indoors on a bad day, pretty much what any kid would do. It had a bit of fantasy in it too (remember the witch looking for a traveling companion) and a lot of beautiful classical music. And please tell me what kid doesn’t want to turn the kitchen floor in a skating ring and light it with the help of jelly? I know that many studies brought to light stereotypes used in cartoons, some stereotypes that can be considered offending or unfair (the family in Tom and Jerry was always presented under the form of a white couple, the maid was black, the bad cat always spoke with the voice of a black person, Tom was crazy for lady cats and he was smoking and drinking) but sometimes I think these observations go too far ignoring some other important issues that can really affect kids (like the violence of new cartoons or the grotesque way in which some characters are now drawn that scare me as an adult). And do not tell me that, as beautiful as they are, Disney princess stories have a good influence on little girls (from what I know life teaches you that prince charming does not show up on a white horse to save you from peril). So I believe some cartoons should be enjoyed for the stories that they present just as long as parents explain to kids that these are stories, they are not real and those things rarely happen in life. Also parents should be the ones who explain to kids that even if Tom is hit by a car and gets up perfectly OK in the next frame it is not OK to stay in front of a car in real life because you can get killed. Also parents are the ones who teach children to be kind or not to become racist. But they also can use Tom and Jerry (and not only) to show the kids the beauty of classical music in a very fun way. And to keep them away from violent video games or violent cartoons that have become more and more popular. But who am I to tell parents what to do? I can say that if I ever have kids I am going to let them watch Tom and Jerry and watch along and laugh along because a cat that chases a mouse and is being chased by a dog is nothing but fun. And cute, and beautifully drawn.

As a 555th anniversary celebration, the capital city of Romania offered its inhabitants quite a few activities. It is impressive how the traditional barbecues & beer have slowly been replaced with pleasant cultural activities suited for all public. The possibility of actually choosing what to attend made me spend a whole week-end out and about in the city. This has happened quite a few days ago, sorry for the delay but this is what I found around town on its anniversary.

First stop for me was a very awesome concert given by some of the best rock bands that you can listen to on the local musical landscape. I was particularly happy to see Les Elephants Bizzares, Luna Amara, Omul cu Sobolani and Alternosfera. Too bad each band could only play for half an hour but oh my, I was so impressed by the way they sound. Huge evolution for Romanian bands, true artists, entertainers and, occasionally, social & political advisers. If only more people could actually listen to their songs and really understand what they’re about. The good thing about this concert was that the audience was formed of the coolest people you could see around. I was impressed by the large number of kids in their teens that chose to come to this concert and also by the parents that brought their 4 years old children (wearing protective headphones). I was also amused by the the fact that, even if the concert was in a public square where no alcohol was sold, everybody had a beer in their hand. I believe the non-stop shop from around the corner made a lot of money that evening. Of course there was another concert (there were more actually) where pop artists old and new were entertaining the crowds but I simply chose to ignore playback and go for some heavy live sounds. I am still impressed by the way Alternosfera sound live and can’t wait to see them again. The other bands I’ve already seen before and I knew what they were capable of. Give any of the 4 bands a try, some have songs in English as well, they are worth it!

Second stop was on Saturday when I took a look at some cultural activities taking place in a park (Cismigiu). Caught some traditional folk dancers, some costumes parade, flower fight and traditional products fair. I also fought packs of people, it was very, very crowded and I soon ran out of patience. That was when I went to another concert: Folk You Gala. I spent the evening listening to Romanian folk music with a personal highlight in the performance of Ducu Bertzi who is absolutely amazing. Also it was very fun how at the changeover between artists everybody was singing along to karaoke songs projected on big screens.

Last day of celebration was spent walking around town. My interest was to get my hand on some very delicious kürtőskalács (chimney cake) sold at the fair and to visit a yard sale that had nothing to do with the celebrations. Also with no link to the celebrations I also ran into a flea market selling anything from clothes, jewels to antiques and candy.

It was quite nice I can say, I really wanted to attend more activities (street dancing, theater etc) but in the end I chose what I love the most: music. I wonder what I would have chosen if they had tennis as well.