Monday, August 24, 2009

WEEK OF 08.24.09

PROJECT CONTINUES!

+ 08.24.2009 +

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Letters returned to sender:

Ms. Ceausescu of Al Campul Cu Flori
Bucharest, Romania

Mr. Walesa of Annopol,
Warsaw, Poland

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No Letters Sent.

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No Letters Recieved.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

+UPDATE+

The project will be on hiatus until the beginning of August.

Monday, April 20, 2009

WEEK OF 04.20.09

+ 04.20.2009 +
Letter sent to:

Ms. Ceausescu of Al Campul Cu Flori
Bucharest, Romania

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No Letters Recieved.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

WEEK OF 04.13.09

+ 04.14.2009 +
Response sent to:

Stephan Gabriel Ceausescu


+ 04.15.2009 +
Letter sent to:

Mr. Walesa of Gertrudy,
Krakow, Poland

Mr. Walesa of Annopol,
Warsaw, Poland

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No Letters Recieved.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

WEEK OF 04.06.09

+ 04.12.2009 +
Letter sent to:

Ms. Ceausescu of Diona,
Bucharest, Romania.

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No Letters Recieved.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Week OF 03.30.09

No letters sent.

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No letters recieved.

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Friday, March 27, 2009

English Text: Stefan Gabriel Ceausescu Response:

My name is Stefan Gabriel Ceausescu. I am 17 years old and am in the 10th grade (with a math concentration) at Dimitre Bolintineanu high school in Bucharest. My parents, Gheorge Ceausescu and Cristina Madalina Ceausescu, are 39 years old. You wrote to my mom and I want to help you in completing your project by making me your reporter and asking them questions, while I transmit to you the answers. I’ll give you a brief history. My mom and dad met in 1991, the year when they got married. My grandpa, from my dad’s side, was a soldier, while my grandma was home, taking care of things. They lived in the town of Calarasi. My grandma (from my mom’s side of the family), Monica Munteanu, worked as a French language translator in the ministry (department) of chemistry, under the management of Mrs. Ceausescu.
Here are the answers:
-The revolution in 1989 caused a huge change in the communist system at the time; the population was unhappy/unsatisfied as poverty arose due to paying extra taxes and owing the government. I feel sympathy for those who have died in the revolution: innocent young adults, who knew nothing of why they had died. However, no one died of hunger during this period. Not many political crimes occurred either. I do not know why the Romanian population had the tendency to kill its leaders?! Did Ceausescu have to be punished? Yes, because this was the international plea, but killed with such cruelty? Who had the interest, only history will reveal it, just like the diamonds in the mud of darkness.
1. During the revolution, my mom was 19 years old, when she found out that the central authorities knew (about her buying a watch for her grandma). They surrounded her, with security belts. She cried and begged to be let go, and she managed to escape. My mom could have been dead now. A friend of the family, an honorable athlete that practiced fencing, was killed at 30-it was seen on television.
Everything was programmed to appear “revolution”. On TV, they showed people being asked to come out in the street, electronic simulations of shooting existed. It was chaotic.
I do apologize that I haven’t been prompt, but I think that I have answered more questions at once. You pick.
My dad was in province and there, people weren’t tormented as much.
2. All people that I have asked have told me that they haven’t changed their impression about the Revolution. It’s a democracy, but they did not know what to do with it. It was a new toy and too sophisticated for him. He had an advantage: he could speak freely, which he thought it was extraordinary. For the simple man, nothing changed. No work, young families without homes, getting rich for those that didn’t deserve it. That’s what the deaths were for.
3. My dad says that before 1989, they did not have many facilities. He just felt a bit protected during certain points, in the army, and his dad in the job that he had. A Romanian phrase goes, “Don’t hit the dog because you don’t know who’s holding his leash”.
After the revolution, he didn’t feel frustrated about something specific; he didn’t wish to change his name and he wasn’t obligated. In fact, he is quite proud of it. It has resonance and it’s easy to remember.
I felt my name’s importance only in 5th grade. I was surprised when my name was not called for attendance. Even when I was in the hospital in 8th grade they asked, “Do we have a Ceausescu?” When I first left the country, people would ask my grandparents “You’re taking away a Ceausescu from the country?”
When our name is being called in various circumstances, many ask if we are related to the one. It appears they ask with a bit of nostalgia in their tone of voice. By now we are used to it.
My mom, who works at the National Pension House, had an interesting encounter. She came to resolve a problem connected to the file of pensions of Zoe Ceausescu and my mom took care of that. Zoe came, timid of her name, almost scared of people’s reaction but my mom introduced herself and her name. Since my mom is always in a jolly state, Zoe’s timid state left her.
After years had passed, the Romanian citizen found himself from the euphoria of promised liberty and asked himself what was then. If it will be someday! The new generation doesn’t know much about Ceausescu. It is forgotten.
I answered if Ceausescu’s image affects us. He didn’t help too much or impede us. Any name you wear, the essential thing is to be you, doing good work, and others should justify your name. Yes, we are happy of our name because we are proud of ourselves, of what we are. People call me mom “Ceauseasca” but with admiration, because she is appreciated.
We don’t feel hate for Ceausescu. Why? Because he played his role in this country; he didn’t do as much harm as others say, but wanted to raise the country. He was not the commander. If we remember that in 1968 there was a call of the Russian invasion, we could even consider him a hero. The country had a stable economy, it exported, imported, people worked hard-not in fear-but in discipline embedded in them. The Romanian is a worker.
If towards the end he faulted by being in paranoia, maybe we can find an excuse.
The involvement in the revolution of 1989 was what lead to the film of the execution. My parents say that it was ghastly when night came (in Bucharest) and when the shootings began to occur. From our street, Rahovei, my mom saw a person being shot on Antiaeriana street, bullets being evident. My aunt and uncle hid in neighboring houses where they were less exposed, but aunt couldn’t see with her left eye.
The revolution did not radically change our life. It just left a surprise whenever we hear our name. What we have is from our own work.
Ceausescu had power, but he could have been a hobo. We are around good conditions, but we cannot accept to be like him. I am preparing myself to be a professional in whatever it is I will do, a good citizen, and who knows? A new president, Ceausescu. Wouldn’t that be nice?
I would like to help you in your project, and to keep in touch.

P.S. Ceausescu did what he knew, what he was told; the House of the Population, the metro station, the Dunarea-Mare canal, residences for people with little possibilities/materials, but really houses. One of them, the House of the Population, can be found in the Record Book as the second building in the world as the size of the Pentagon- it can be seen from the cosmos- all are admired by those who visit the country. In my family, there are strangers. My cousin is married with an Italian. His sister with an afro-English man; they came and visited us. They all admired Bucharest, especially the place that I told you about.
Sacrifices were made, sacrifices from which great construction was being paid for. They remain ours, as remains for future generations to take care of. But it’s a pity that those following generations wanted to get rich for their own personal selves. Many buildings are left untouched. Where are we going? How many generations have to change for a true progress? Nothing is being made to maintain that.
I am not blaming anything for what I have written. It is only reality the way it is seen, the way we are, informed, not because my name is Ceausescu. I want to live in a democratic country, where justice is applied. Who shot the revolutionaries? What is the truth? I hope to live to find out.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

WEEK OF 03.23.09

+ 03.25.2009 +
Letter sent to:

Mr. Ceausescu of Int Stefan Voda,
Bucharest, Romania.

Ms. Ceausescu of Manolescu Ion,
Bucharest, Romania.


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+ 03.26.2009 +
Letter received from Stefan Gabriel Ceausescu, son of Gheorghe and Cristina Madalina Ceausescu. English Translation in Progress.

Romanian text:RESPONSE: Stefan Gabriel Ceausescu (.Doc File)


Letter to Ms. Ceausescu of Oltina, Bucharest Returned to sender.

Monday, March 16, 2009

WEEK OF 03.16.09

+ 03.16.2009 +
Letter sent to:

Mr. Ceausescu of Spatarul Preda,
Bucharest, Romania.

+ 03.17.2009 +
Letter sent to:

Mr. Ceausescu of Campia Libertatii,
Bucharest, Romania.

+ 03.19.2009 +
Letter sent to:

Mr. Ceausescu of Cal Rahovei,
Bucharest, Romania.


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No letters recieved.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

WEEK OF 03.09.09

+ 03.15.2009 +

Letter sent to:

Ms. Ceausescu of Antiaeriana Street,
Bucharest, Romania.

Mr. Ceausescu of Tina M. Petre Sold Street,
Bucharest, Romania.

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No letters recieved.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

WEEK OF 03.02.09

No letters sent.

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No letters recieved.

WEEK OF 02.23.09

+ 02.23.2009 +

Letter sent to:

Mr. Ceausescu of Petru Maior Street,
Bucharest, Romania.

Mr. Ceausescu of Ancuta Ilie Street,
Bucharest, Romania.

+ 02.24.2009 +

Letter sent to:

Ms. Ceausescu of Oltina Street,
Bucharest, Romania.

Ms. Ceausescu of Leresti Street,
Bucharest, Romania.

Ms. Ceausescu of Magura Odobesti Street,
Bucharest Romania.

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No letters recieved.

WEEK OF 02.16.09

No letters sent.

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No letters recieved.

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+ 02.18.2009 +
Translations secured for Polish & Romanian. No response from Czech translator.

WEEK OF 02.09.09

+ 02.12.2009 +
Letter sent to Mr. Havel of Biskupcova Street,
Prague, Czech Republic

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No letters received.

Monday, February 2, 2009

WEEK OF 02.02.09

PROJECT BEGINS

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No letters sent.

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No letters received.