My Family and Their Friends |
My parents are definitely the most important people in my life. We are a very close family and love each other dearly. Manuela and Dan have been married since 1971 and are an amazing example of a solid marriage. I hope one day to be able to follow my parents and start a loving family like theirs. I know that means setting a really high standard for myself, but, in the end, I hope to love someone as much as my parents love eachother, and spend the rest of my life with my partner. My dad is a dentist, and my mom is a software programmer. The second picture is the view from their new Oakland Hills home, where I visit them almost every weekend. |
Meet my grandparents! Mina and Taia (they never liked us, grandchildren to call them on their real names, Valencia and Mircea) are my mom's parents. (My dad's parents passed away in the 80's). They have also been together for many many years and have gone through incredibly tough times. Grandma used to be an actress who fell in love with an Army boy, and left the theatre for him. She is the sweetest woman on earth, and an amazing cook. She cares a lot for both me and my cousin, Filip, and has been an inspiration to both her daughters: Manuela and Sanda. My grandparents live in Bucharest now. |
Sanda, my aunt, is my mom's sister, and, many times, people say that we have a very similar personality. That's probably because we have always been very close and I have found her to be my "artistic" and spiritual guide. Sanda is very religious, in almost a mystical way, but is also very interested in the paranormal. She is funny and sincere, and makes a great "salam de ciocolata". Sanda's husband, Nicu (first from the left in the pic) is a self made man, and a genious with electronics. They have a son, Filip. Also in the picture, Sofica Corban, a family friend, and a winner of gold medals at the LA Olympics for rowing. |
This is my cousin Filip with mom and I in Turkey. Filip is to me like a little brother, given that we grew up together. I love him a lot! He's way into soccer and television, and he's inherited his mom's humour. |
Christina is my cousin on my dad's side. She married Rares, and they now live in Canada with my uncle Christi and my aunt Ileana. Christina followed in my dad's footsteps and became a dentist. In the summer of 2000 she gave birth to Nicholas Peter, my first nephew! |
Lena (first from the right) is my fairy godmother. She arranged my mom's and dad first date, so I'd better be really grateful to her :). She is my mom's closest friend (they went to school together) and was the one to baptize me. Lena is a very successful business woman in a rather chauvinistic society (Romania) and has always cared for me dearly. (In this picture, with her husband Gigi and my grandparents). |
Predeal is a Romanian ski resort where we used to spend the winter holidays. I'm here with mom and Lena and Ruxi (an opera prodigy) on our sled ride through the forest. Below, my parents' friends: Zina, Nanu, Suzana and Bebe, and their kids, Ruxi and Vladut, Lena and Gigi. |
This is a funny pic of my dad and his friend Sandu, taken somewhere in Europe. Sandu and Daniela were my parents' best friends for more than a decade. Sadly, Daniela died of a heart attack in the late 90's. |
Cornelia and Jean are my aunt and uncle (twice removed) on my mom's side. They live in San Jose and have two married kids: Andrei and Serban. Also in the pic, my friend Bob's mom, at my graduation from Stanford. |
Pease use the back button to go back. |
|