23/10/2016
Am terminat recent selecția fotografiilor , realizate într-o săptămână de excursie în Republica Moldova. A fost o excursie in care nici n-am avut timp sa vad ce poze am facut, plina de aventura si locuri frumoase. Si mai ales de oameni frumosi, alaturi de care am calatorit sau care ne-au primit, sau care au avut grija sa nu ne lipseasca nimic. Mai ales subiectele de fotografiat, si mancarea, si vinul.
Am vazut o Moldova pe care mi-o doream de mult sa o vad. O Moldova cu oameni care se simt mai putin romani decat as fi crezut sau mi-as fi dorit. Sau care urasc Rusia, desi vorbesc ruseste. Sau care iubesc Rusia, desi vorbesc si romaneste.
Am vazut o Moldova cu drumuri cu praf si sosele cu gropi, dar si cu pomi incarcati, gradini de legume pline sau capite cat piramidele, sau restaurante chic si domenii viticole cu propriul aeroport.
Am vazut si oameni fericiti, si oameni incrancenati. Am vazut si oameni saraci, dar bog*ti in suflet, care au reusit sa dea de mancare la 13 oameni pe care i-au vazut pentru prima data, fara sa stie macar ca vor bate la poarta lor. Am vazut si oameni bog*ti, dar care tineau la modul lor simplu de viata si la afacerea pe care au pornit-o din pasiune si care ii ajuta si pe oamenii din satul in care s-au stabilit.
Am vazut vinuri crescute mai ales din suflet si apoi din pamant, am gustat mancare cu gust, fructe cu gust, branza cu gust.
Am cunoscut oameni speciali care inca mai stiu sa țeasa, sa toarca, sa brodeze sau sa vopseasca fire de lana in culori bog*te, fara vopseluri de la supermarket. Sau sa framante lutul, sau sa ciopleasca lemnul. Si care inca ii mai invata si pe altii sa faca asta.
Am vazut si apusul pe lac, si Calea Lactee de pe malul Nistrului, am facut baie in apa in care inca mai cresc pesti mari si sanatosi, m-am cocotat pe stanci, m-am plimbat cu caiacul si cu bicicleta, am dormit in cort, in cabane sau in hoteluri de lux.
Am vazut traditii inca vii, personaje puternice - nu prin forta financiara, ci prin caracter - si oameni zambitori, bucurosi ca turistii le calca pragul.
Si care stiau de mult, chiar daca au inteles de curand, ca strainii astia galagiosi sau sfiosi, cu aparatele lor rapaitoare ag*tate de g*t, s-ar putea sa ii ajute.
Si sa ii aduca pe alti straini, care nu isi doresc zgarie-nori, asfalt, spa-uri si salata de avocado sau somon fume, ci mancare cu gust, ape cu pesti, paduri, colb, placinte in cuptoare de lut, capre si gaste si vaci care se plimba pe ulita, si oameni cu multa inima si cu zambet, care mai stiu inca țese si face covoare si ii.
Straini care trebuie sa vina macar o data sa vada, sa guste, sa cunoasca si sa simta, pentru ca au ce, doar ca inca nu stiu asta.
Moldova mai are inca pamant, si vin, si legume, si fructe, si mai ales oameni cu suflet mare.
Restul depinde de alti oameni, si de fiecare dintre cei care mai traiesc inca pe pamantul ala care se cheama Moldova.
***********************************************************************************************************
I have recently finished selection of photographs made in my one week trip to Moldova. It was a trip full of adventure and beautiful places, so busy that I had no time to see what pictures I took. And especially beautiful people, with whom we traveled or who have welcomed us, taking care that we don't miss anything. Especially subjects for our cameras, food and wine.
I saw a Moldova that I wanted to see a long time ago. A Moldova with people feeling less romanian than I thought or I would have wanted. Or who hate Russia, although speak Russian. Or who love Russia, although speak Romanian also.
I saw a Moldova with dusty roads and roads with potholes, but also with trees loaded with fruits, vegetable gardens full or haystacks as pyramids, or chic restaurants and wine-growing areas with its own little airport.
I saw happy people and bitter people. I saw poor people, but rich in soul, who managed to give food to 13 strangers they saw for the first time without knowing even that they will knock on their door. I've seenalso rich people, but whom care about their simple way of life and the business they have started with passion and which also helps the people of the village they established.
I tasted wines grown first from the soul and then from the ground, I tasted food with taste, fruit with taste, cheese with taste.
I met special people who still know how to weave, to spin, to embroide or paint the wool yarn in rich colors without colours from the supermarket. Or to knead clay, or carve wood. And whom still try to teach others how to do it.
I saw the sunset on the lake, and the Milky Way on the Nistru river, I swimed in waters that still grow big and healthy fish, I climbed on the rocks, I did kayaking and cycling, I slept in tents, lodges or luxury hotels.
I saw traditions still alive, strong characters - not financialy, but by soul - and people smiling, happy to wellcome the tourists steping into their places.
People who knew long time ago / even though they recently understood, that these noisy or shy intruders with their drumming cameras hanging from their neck, might help them.
And they will brings other foreigners, who do not want skyscrapers, asphalt, spas and avocado salad or salmon fume, but food with taste, waters with fishes, forests, dust, pies cooked in clay ovens, goats, geese and cows wandering the dusty roads, and people with big hearts and with worm smiles, who still knows how to weave carpets and ia shirts.
Foreigners who have to come at least once to see, to taste, to know and to feel, because they will surely find that in Moldova, just they do not know it yet.
Moldova still has the earth, the wine, the vegetables and the fruits, and people with big hearts in the first place.
The rest is up to other people, and to each of those still living on that land which is called Moldova.
***********************************************************************************************************
Grupul de prieteni (fotografi sau organizatori)/Groups of friends (photographers or organizers): Olesya Kuralova, Mihai Stamati, Iulian Ursachi, Cristina Gold, Valeriu Istrati, Teo Voinovan Photography, Serjio Lobourenko, Stela Dontu, Fabien Lainé, Stefano Zuliani, Nata Albot, Andrei Rusu, Andrei Paul - Fotograf, Brasov
***********************************************************************************************************
Multumiri speciale/special thanks: Nata Albot și USAID Moldova, care au facut posibila aceasta calatorie (who made this trip possible).
***********************************************************************************************************
© andreipaulfoto
Aceste fotografii au fost făcute pe parcursul foto-trip-ului "Gustar Experience", organizat în Republica Moldova, de Nata Albot și USAID Moldova - Proiectul de Competititivitate/These were taken during the photo trip "Gustar Experience", organized in Republica Moldova by Nata Albot and the USAID Moldova Competitiveness Project.
