Movie
Last night I watched the movie "Good-bye, Lenin" with Samantha and Tim. It's a German movie about Eastern Germany(Berlin) and some of the changes in the society brought by the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was happy that my friends liked it (I wasn't surprised though because it's a great movie :) ). It reminded me a lot of what happened in Romania in 1989 when the communist era was officially over. It’s amazing how that whole period is still fresh in my mind. One of the things I like about this movie is the fact that the main character (actually the main character's mom) was one of the few people that enjoyed the socialist times: she was involved in a lot of the activities in "the party" and such. Most of the people were persecuted and suffered during that time. But I was also one of the few people who were happy back then. I guess kids tend to notice the beautiful part of everything rather than the bad part.
The communist era was a hard time pretty much for everybody. Even for people who were members of the party although they usually had a decent life. But it was not easy for the ones who weren’t. Parents had to never talk to the kids about how bad things were actually going, because if anybody found that you were saying bad things about the communist party, your life as a (pseudo-)free person was pretty much over. I was just a kid and because I had a happy childhood I was totally enjoying the socialist society, to my parents’ annoyance (I guess there’s a good reason why God makes children cute). There was a lot of energy spent in the big meetings they had in some of the really big squares of Bucharest where they gathered to listen to Ceausescu’s speeches (and everybody had to be there), the marches, the activities, etc. And everybody had to pretend to be excited about everything (that must have been awful).
I remember sitting in front of the TV, watching the shows for (washing the brains of the) kids and doing my best to learn songs about how wonderful "The Party" was. I was really excited. No songs about cute animals, unless the animals were actually worshiping the president. I loved the uniforms and was really proud to be elected “chief of the class” in the 2nd grade. I was happy to learn all the speeches for the students’ meetings (a lot of fancy words that didn’t mean anything). I was very happy that my parents would let me sleep in their bed to warm them up in the winter, when there was no heat. The only thing I found annoying was that I had to get up early in the morning (at like 5am) once a week or so to stay in line for milk. Decent food resources were limited, lazy people never got to drink milk or eat meat :) (unless their families were willing to get up early).When the revolution came and we were watching the news, I remember seeing people with panels that were saying “down with Ceausescu” and thinking “why would anybody have anything against him?”. But I know the revolution was the end of a really difficult time for a lot of people.
Once, I was in this show organized for Ceausescu on Labor Day or on the first day of spring, I can’t remember exactly (I was 3). It was about the beginning of spring and I was a bee. I had to make bee noises. I remember being on stage and looking at the floor (it was really shiny and pretty). I was so fascinated by the nice stage floor that I think I forgot to make bee noises. I don’t remember that, my mom told me about it later, but I guess I screwed up (God definitely has a good reason to make children look cute). It was ok, because "the spring" took me in her arms and nobody noticed anything. I still don't really know what was going in that show/play or if there was a plot or anything.
Currently listening: Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, June
The communist era was a hard time pretty much for everybody. Even for people who were members of the party although they usually had a decent life. But it was not easy for the ones who weren’t. Parents had to never talk to the kids about how bad things were actually going, because if anybody found that you were saying bad things about the communist party, your life as a (pseudo-)free person was pretty much over. I was just a kid and because I had a happy childhood I was totally enjoying the socialist society, to my parents’ annoyance (I guess there’s a good reason why God makes children cute). There was a lot of energy spent in the big meetings they had in some of the really big squares of Bucharest where they gathered to listen to Ceausescu’s speeches (and everybody had to be there), the marches, the activities, etc. And everybody had to pretend to be excited about everything (that must have been awful).
I remember sitting in front of the TV, watching the shows for (washing the brains of the) kids and doing my best to learn songs about how wonderful "The Party" was. I was really excited. No songs about cute animals, unless the animals were actually worshiping the president. I loved the uniforms and was really proud to be elected “chief of the class” in the 2nd grade. I was happy to learn all the speeches for the students’ meetings (a lot of fancy words that didn’t mean anything). I was very happy that my parents would let me sleep in their bed to warm them up in the winter, when there was no heat. The only thing I found annoying was that I had to get up early in the morning (at like 5am) once a week or so to stay in line for milk. Decent food resources were limited, lazy people never got to drink milk or eat meat :) (unless their families were willing to get up early).When the revolution came and we were watching the news, I remember seeing people with panels that were saying “down with Ceausescu” and thinking “why would anybody have anything against him?”. But I know the revolution was the end of a really difficult time for a lot of people.
Once, I was in this show organized for Ceausescu on Labor Day or on the first day of spring, I can’t remember exactly (I was 3). It was about the beginning of spring and I was a bee. I had to make bee noises. I remember being on stage and looking at the floor (it was really shiny and pretty). I was so fascinated by the nice stage floor that I think I forgot to make bee noises. I don’t remember that, my mom told me about it later, but I guess I screwed up (God definitely has a good reason to make children look cute). It was ok, because "the spring" took me in her arms and nobody noticed anything. I still don't really know what was going in that show/play or if there was a plot or anything.
Currently listening: Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, June
posted by Monica | 8:24 AM
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