Daniela Dandes

Episode 19: From volunteering to the art of the Romanian verse

Ever wondered what a syllable square is? What about a fib poem? And what do these poetry-meets-math verses have to do with Romania? Our latest Wo/anderers guest, JoAnne Growney from the United States, untangles all these mysteries by inviting us on her rich, artistic, and science-inspired journey. A professor of mathematics at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, JoAnne brought her unique passion for math-infused poetry unknowingly to Romania when she first visited the country during a teaching exchange experience in Deva, Hunedoara. There, she started out by teaching English to middle school students at the local “Andrei Mureșanu” high school. But her experience in this new land expanded exponentially (alliteration intended) with the help of a group of Romanian mathematicians, who introduced JoAnne to a new world of unconventional math poetry from this side of the world. Together with her new friends and her dedicated students, she published the results of an elaborate translation project of Romanian authors such as Ion Barbu, Ileana Mălăncioiu and Nichita Stănescu, among others. JoAnne’s sensibility and love for her Romanian adventure also inspired her to write original poems about those unique encounters with locals and with the land itself from her visits, poems that she brought home, to the United States. Enjoy this creativity-first discussion with JoAnne Growney as she takes us on her inspired journey to Romania in this episode of the Wo/anderers podcast.

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Episode 18: The Dao, the Brit and the Dacians

What is love? What is your soul? What mission have you come here, on this planet, to fulfill? These important questions have inspired Andrew Kenneth Fretwell from the United Kingdom to direct his entire energy into bringing their content closer to home. Or more specifically, as a spiritual space holder, he took it upon himself to help others connect with their higher, truer selves. Romania played a pivotal role in refining Andrew’s life mission, which is closely linked to the ancient Daoist philosophy, through the unique openness of its people and the deep sacred energy contained within the land itself. His entry point into the country’s heart happened through friendship, growing from one special connection to the other. Today, even after having closed his Romanian life chapter, Andrew still carries all the lessons and special moments he picked up from his 5 years in the country, not to mention that he continues living the Romanian spirit through his thriving relationship with his Romanian girlfriend. The legacy that Andrew left in Romania is vast, from introducing spiritual teachings such as the Gene Keys to touching people on a personal level with his example and mastery. Enjoy a light and lovely conversation about life’s deepest topics with Andrew Kenneth Fretwell in Episode 18: The Dao, the Brit and the Dacians of the Wo/anderers podcast.

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Episode 17: Awaken thee, Romanian

Romania’s history regarding its national anthem has been as knotty as its own shifting path, especially in the last 150 years. Top the status quo with a continuous mystery surrounding certain important past events, and you get the questions that Matthias Ruijgrok from the Netherlands has been asking himself, particularly for his dissertation back in 2015. A musician and trained historian, Matthias had become interested in unravelling the veil of enigma off certain places that felt so far from his own culture (and even land). He took advantage of his university years in Utrecht and Amsterdam to explore Romania, to which he felt an unexplainable attraction. The result of his curiosity is transposed in his master’s thesis, which dealt with the origins and evolution of the striking, solemn, yet vibrant national anthem, “Deșteaptă-te, române!”. In Episode 17 of Wo/anderers, Matthias generously shares his research process and personal findings around Romania’s most important song.

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Episode 16: Calling on the ancients from Canada

What secrets does our past hold? What magic can be found in our ancient roots? Stephen Aube from Canada has taken these questions to heart and ended up transforming them into the prima materia for his life mission. He has travelled the world from Peru to Turkey, from Ecuador to France, to learn from treasure thieves, shamans, star readers, and historians everything he could about ancient civilizations. All this preparation led him to his discovery of the Getae and their advanced culture in the heart of Romania. But truth be told: he had no clue what adventures were about to unfold. Dive deep with Stephen into the ancient Dacian civilization and find out more about his efforts to revive the old giants in the memory of humankind in Episode 16 of the Wo/anderers podcast.

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Episode 15: Gene Keys magic in Romania

When spiritual teachings collide with scientific knowledge and ancient writings, that is what you’d call a breakthrough. Richard Rudd from the United Kingdom is no stranger to such a wonderful coming together, as he is the soul behind the Gene Keys, a wisdom-infused synthesis that helps people from every corner of the globe know more about themselves and the world. His encounter with Romania has a special seat reserved in his heart, since this is one of the places that have embraced the teachings of the Gene Keys so early on and so eagerly. Fast forward to the present day, Richard’s interactions with Romanians have been a cauldron of continuous growth and transformation for both parties. Find out more about how the people and the culture touched Richard, what he observed in the Romanian people and what are his hopes for this special place in episode 15 of the Wo/anderers podcast.

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Episode 14: No Limits in Jiu Valley

An adventure that started in 2012 has flourished into an inspiring place in 2021 from the minds and hearts of Felipe and Janelle Silva, from Brazil and Canada respectively. They are the founders of the Fără Limite youth climbing gym in Jiu Valley, a soulful place that supports the healthy development of the entire community. Listen to their adventures on this Wo/anderers episode.

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Episode 13: British hope in the Romanian South

A simple Google search has sent Claire off on the adventure of a lifetime. Running the “Asociatia Bunul Samaritean” in rural Galati, she has uncovered a side of Romania that not many get to know: from difficult situations with authorities to the unique, kind-hearted nature of the locals. Find out more about Claire’s Romanian journey in this Wo/anderers episode.

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Episode 12: The quirks, the crazies, and the Romanians

He has had some of the most profound conversations of his life with Romanians. Interacting with them also led him to want to go vegetarian for a couple days, see his life flash before his eyes #Romaniandrivers, and make him wonder what all those food jars are that Romanians keep getting from their moms. Vincent Joris, a Belgian-born, internationally-versed marketeer and branding expert, spends some time in this podcast episode analyzing the many quirks he noticed in Romanians. What he ends up describing is close to a fine, well-constructed psychological profile of the people, including many of their cultural and personal facets. So, sit back, sip some tea, and enjoy the conversation!

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Episode 11: Embracing beauty in Brasov

Elena Junc is a Russian entrepreneur, make-up specialist, natural perfume magician, organictarian, wife, and loving mom. She is currently living in Brasov together with her family. Her passion for aesthetics, design, fashion, and everything natural have gotten her to build her own make-up brand from scratch in Russia, which became a national success, put together special natural perfume lines, and consult world-class luxury brands like Prada and Dolce&Gabanna with their marketing actions. Now that she is in Romania, she is planning on exploring new creative directions by sharing her rich knowledge on living beautifully with the world, from this sweet place she made home. You will get a feeling about Elena’s active demeanor after listening to her talk about her experience as an entrepreneur, her transformational journey, in which Romania played a big role, how her spirituality helped her push through tough moments, including when she met her husband, how she follows a mantra called beautology in her work and more. Please enjoy the conversation!

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Episode 10: Solitude and serenity from the Carpathians

Arabella McIntyre-Brown is a British writer and journalist with deep roots in West-Sussex and a profound appreciation for Transylvania, which has been her home for the past years. Her arrival in Romania was more situational than planned, but her journey let her discover much about herself and the world. And she made the best out of it. In today’s episode, Arabella talks about what her definition of peace is and how she has found it in Transylvania, the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in Romania, the similarities between Măgura and rural West-Sussex where she grew up, Romanians’ dark humor, how she does not consider herself a storyteller despite her writing background, how she met President Iohannis, the revival of the traditional lifestyle in Romania and more. Enjoy Arabella’s musings in episode 10!

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