Here I am, Star! Well, if you are pleased with the result you got in the race, then it's alright.

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Tolkien maniac collection! - Amazon (a list that I made for people much interested in Tolkien works and studies)

Well, I've just yesterday returned from a tour of Canberra (the national capital) and Sydney (Australia's first city) with my Symphonic Concert Band. It was a twelve hour drive back from Sydney... We did a couple of performances, a couple of masterclass-like rehearsals with guest conductors, and tours of the Australian National University School of Music and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (tertiary music pathways), plus a few more idle pursuits like visiting the zoo in Sydney and the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of my own... But I bet there'll be a bunch on my Facebook when I check...
Now all I have to do is catch up on the week of school I missed: I left for Canberra at 0630 on Sunday and arrived home from Sydney yesterday night (about 23 hours ago).

This must have been nice, Aeglos. It was your first time in Sydney, wasn't it? (at least you told me around two years ago that you had never been there). Too bad you took no photos, but if your friends did, it's quite all right. I guess this is not true for all, but in my case, I always regretted the moments when I was too lazy to take a photo of myself or of something that I liked while on a trip.

I dream of the time I'll be able to visit Australia, but right now, it seems very far off.

Beth, Aeglos plays the horn, if I'm not mistaken.

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Tolkien maniac collection! - Amazon (a list that I made for people much interested in Tolkien works and studies)

Wow Aeglos that sounds really cool and just a bit tiring, I hope it was fun though. Good luck playing 'catch-up'

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The Tolkien Society President 'in perpetuo' JRR Tolkien. Bringing together 'those who would wander with friends in Middle-earth.'

There is not much to say about me, except that I will be going for a short holiday in the Romanian mountains from Sunday, this being probably my last trip before I start working.

However since I don't have much to say about myself, I found a different subject to talk about. I found myself having in my possession all Romanian banknotes (for a very short period only), which is a rare feat because the two with the highest denomination are quite few in numbers and not often traded. I took some photos and decided to share them with you, in an attempt to let you know more about my country (through its bills). Romanian money is called 'leu', plural 'lei' (meaning 'lion'). Internationally it has the denomination RON (standing for "ROmanian New leu", once it was changed in 2005 from ROL, which was "ROmanian Leu"). The change meant that 4 zeroes were deleted from the old banknotes, making the 1,000,000 lei = 100 lei, the 500,000 lei = 50 lei, and so on. At present in Romania, 1 EUR = 4.35 RON, and 1 USD = 3.3 RON. Clicking each photo will bring up the high resolution.

RECTO :



On the 500 lei bill is Mihai Eminescu, by many considered the greatest poet of Romania.
On the 200 lei bill is Lucian Blaga, a philosopher, poet and writer.
On the 100 lei bill is Ion Luca Caragiale, the most famous playwright of Romania.
On the 50 lei bill is the engineer and pioneering pilot Aurel Vlaicu.
On the 10 lei bill is Nicolae Grigorescu, one of our greatest painters.
On the 5 lei bill is the composer and pianist George Enescu, who is regarded by many as Romania's greatest.
On the 1 leu bill is Nicolae Iorga, one of our most important historians and also a politician.
There are four coins representing divisions of the leu (1 leu = 100 bani), and these are 50 bani, 10 bani, 5 bani and 1 ban.


VERSO :



On the 500 lei bill is the building of the Library of Iaşi (a city of Romania, where Eminescu was born.)
On the 200 lei bill is the well-known statue of the 'thinking man of Hamangia' (dating from around the 3rd millenium BC) and an old mill.
On the 100 lei bill is the old building of the National Theatre and a statue of Caragiale.
On the 50 lei bill is one of the prototype planes of Vlaicu and an eagle.
On the 10 lei bill is a traditional fortified house from the region of Oltenia.
On the 5 lei bill is the Romanian Athenaeum, which became a symbol of Bucharest.
On the 1 leu bill is the Curtea de Argeş monastery.
On each coin is the coat of arms of Romania.

Fun fact: the new denomination for the leu was performed in 2005 and back then the 200 lei bill had not yet been created. Therefore the total value of the entire range of the leu was 666.66 lei. With the introduction of the 200 lei bill two years later, this value became 866.66 lei.

I don't think this post of mine will add much to a Tolkien forum, but I found it appropriate to share with you some of my country's particularities...

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Tolkien maniac collection! - Amazon (a list that I made for people much interested in Tolkien works and studies)

Beth, regarding the Thinking Man (or the Thinker), I made a mistake in my original post regarding the sculpture's age, writing 'century' instead of 'millennium'. However, the dating seems to be somewhat conjectural, with specialists not agreeing fully on the exact period it was carved. While looking for some information in English, I found the following sites (which agree to what is told in Romanian sources so far as I know - with the exception of time periods, which are somewhat confused.)

The Thinker

Hamangia culture

Mysteries and Symbols in Romanian Sculptures

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Tolkien maniac collection! - Amazon (a list that I made for people much interested in Tolkien works and studies)

...a few lines right between stuffing all necessary things into my suitcase...

John, that's a nice idea with the banknotes, and a good opportunity to learn a bit more of Romania. we are (nearly) all coming from different countries all over the world, so it's nice to learn something about the home-countries of others.
i'll try to introduce a bit more of Austria when i come back from holiday.

Star, congratulations on getting the lead. ("as you like it" will also have a premiere-performance in Vienna's best and most famous theatre (the "Burgtheater") in december ;-) )

...and now (or in fact tomorrow morning) off for a three-weeks holiday to San Francisco and Hawaii.
i'll log in when i get a chance, but i can't promise.
otherwise all the best until i return.

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"the invention of languages is the foundation. the 'stories' were made rather to provide a world for the languages than the reverse" JRRT

"...The Silmarillion was not intended to be a historical book, but a novel where the different tales become legendary and not ordinary. Knowing it does not mean being aware of the actions of coutless people from the past, but understanding the superb imagination of only one writer, reflected through the deeds of these heroes. ... Those who criticize it ... stumble on words, whithout having the power to understand and appreciate this splendid work of J.R.R.Tolkien" John Wain

"power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. great men are almost always bad men..." Lord Acton

"you show what you're like when you can do what you like"

Here I am, back from a beautiful trip that lasted a bit more than I had at first hoped. I did some interesting and tiresome walks in the Carpathian Mountains here in Romania. I will try to post some photos shortly.

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Tolkien maniac collection! - Amazon (a list that I made for people much interested in Tolkien works and studies)

Had no idea about any connection's between Dracula and Romanian legend's. Yes, can't wait to see those haunted mountain's!

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Ooo, I shall be interested in sampling those photos, John. I love mountains, and I am sure these will be splendid. Europe has a very different flavour to other parts of the world.

Where, Oggie, is Leiden university? You're studying there now are you?