Public relations is about building awareness about businesses, products, services, people… So I would like to use my blog, this online public relations channel, to bring to your attention a special part of the world: my country of origin and its people.

Romania is the land of wonders, myths, ancient gods and holly grounds like Kogaion and the Cave of Saint Andrew. Romania holds the Carpathians in its heart, the Danube Delta and the Black Sea complete its marvelous splendor and the Merry Cemetery of Sapanta speaks about the most unusual traditions, cultural values beyond compare, hidden pearls you are about to discover reading this blog.

The Romanian bloggers I am going to choose are people I don’t know. Yet when I read their stories, I see their hearts. I feel their passions, and I touch their soul, the same as they touch mine. So please join us once a week in this journey. Discover Romania through our eyes. Tame your thirst of wonders through memorable images from far, far away. Come closer to our hearts, and feel the true spirit of the people living in the Latin Oasis of the Eastern European scenery. I’ll start with Alina Popescu because she illustrates this Latin spirit in both images and words. Her two blogs Words of a Broken Mirror and Views of a Broken Mirror are personal views of the world, both charmed and surprising.

Mihaela Lica: Why “Words of a Broken Mirror”?

Alina Popescu: I started my blog as an experiment. I was thinking about writing my license paper on blogging (which I am currently doing) so I thought a first hand experience might be helpful. It took me a day to figure out the proper blog name, something that would express what I felt in detail. And at the time, I felt like my soul was broken into many pieces, each reflecting a part of me. I then tried out different approaches on what to write about and how to write it and the result is a somewhat eclectic blog. A bit of everything: news, personal experiences, analyses, school etc. What kept me close to blogging is making a lot of good friends. People with similar or different views, people I can relate to and who are always close by when I need them. We share our thoughts, our projects and our laughter.

Mig: If we try to discover your heart where should we first search? Within the words or in your photography?

Alina: My heart is spread across the blogs I’m involved in.

The Casino of Constanta - built in 1910 - Photo Copyright © Alina Popescu

My primary blog, WOBM, my photoblog, Views of a Broken Mirror, and the collective blogs I write for – Girls’ Blogosphere Club and Light Within. You can say these blogs are different angles on the same story.

Mig: How would you describe the Romanian spirit?

Alina: The Romanian spirit…Well; this is a pretty hard question. I think it is mainly characterized by an ability to adapt to virtually anything and the power to take practically anyone by surprise. In a good or bad way. Romanians will never end up by boring anyone. And most of the time Romania breathes a warm and kind air and everyone is welcomed here.

Mig: If you have to guide a foreigner through Romanian paths, which would be the itinerary?

Alina: Oh, the itinerary will be very detailed. I would take them to every corner of the country: the mountains (and surely not only Prahova Valley), the seaside, the monasteries up North, the mud volcanoes in Buzau and all major cities (Iasi, Constanta, Sibiu, Timisoara, Cluj, Bucuresti, Brasov, Suceava etc). What I would definitely try is keep them away from false values and myths (such as Dracula). I would try to focus on eco-tourism or agro-tourism wherever possible, so that they could experience everything first-hand.

Mig: Do you have any special message for my readers?

Alina: My message would be to keep an eye on us. Romanians will never cease to surprise you.

Mig: I want to introduce to my readers each week a new Romanian logger. Who should be next and why?

Alina: Silviana… she is my roommate and my friend, but these are not really the main reasons. I’ll let you discover her…