We're all mad here!

I entered the small office and, even though I tried to keep my gaze steady on the doctor's face, I couldn't help but glance around the room. Was this really a psychiatrist's office?

The wall right in front of me was covered to the top in shelves and on the shelves sat dolls. Dozens of dolls, each probably collector's items, but dolls nonetheless. I was less concerned with their quality than I was with their very presence there.The dolls sat quietly and motionlessly, their eyes affixed frontward, as if staring at anyone coming through the doorway. Some people are afraid of clowns. Some people might find dolls particularly creepy. And let's not forget, this was the office of a doctor in a mental care hospital.

Sitting at the desk right in front of the door was another doll. This one was flesh and blood, objectively a really beautiful young lady. Her attitude though was cold and curt, with a hint of arrogance. Quite a doll indeed.

And the apparent owner of all these dolls was a stocky middle-aged woman, looking quite bohemian herself. She was soft spoken and well mannered, but the air about her was off. As if she was playing a role in a strange little play.

While we were talking, she had a lit scented candle on her desk, which she would pick up, move around, then occasionally dip her fingers inside. She didn't seem to mind the flame. She questioned me with the curiosity of an aquaintence listening to slightly scandalous gossip. I was not her patient, but she treated me as if I'd been.

I studied her in turn, just as intently as she was studying me. She knew I'd seen the dolls and the assistant. She knew I was looking at her twirling her fingers over the lit flame.

I wondered if she was aware of my questioning in my mind her sanity and her fitness as a psychologist. I wonder what her assistant thought. I could only imagine what her patients must have thought.

While I was going out the door, a little saying kept running through my mind... The blind leading the blind.

Happy birthday, Romania!

Today is the 1st of December, Romania's national day, the day when in 1918 several territories, among which Transilvania, were united with the rest of Romania. We've lost a few bits here and there along the way, but nonetheless, it's still a great little country. Happy birthday, Romania!

There were several military parades and festivities in honour of this day. I watxhed the main parade on TV, since I wanted to see things up close and also the commentary was interesting. There was supposed to be an air show too, but the weather was too bad for low flights. Next time I'd like to be there in person too.

I have a lot of respect for our army and the similar and complementary services. I admire their discipline and dedication to our country and our allies. So I watched the parade with a lot of interest.

Later in the day, I decided to paint on my last piece of brown cardboard a painting inspired by today. I thus took a still image of the parade video as reference and began the arduous sketch. Then I painted it in watercolour. The same set like the one I used to have as a child.

Mom thought it was good, but asked me why I hadn't chosen a "nicer" subject, such as our own replica of the Arc de triomphe, which was the site of the parade. I had instead chosen to paint a Romanian tank, a TR-85 M1 Bizon. With the Romanian flag on it and a member of the military sitting in the turret saluting. My little homage to the people who helped make the union a reality.