Episode Transcript
Femininity is powerful in all its forms. Exceptional women, rare girls must be appreciated in every
way for their perspectives, actions, thoughts, and their unique ways of being. Such rare girls
are inspiring, and this is what this podcast is all about. Hello, my name is Aziz, and my guest
today is Diana Barascu. Diana is from Pitești, Romania, and she studies mostly Romanian and
English. Her hobbies include traveling, watching movies, and fashion. Diana passed every Cambridge
exam she has taken, and this year she is taking the C1 advanced exam. Diana got a scholarship last
year because she had the best grades in her class. She has traveled to almost all continents, and she
has recently applied to the Future Leaders Exchange Program, FLEX, hoping she will get
selected to study a year in the United States. Diana, how are you today? Hi, I'm really excited
to be doing this, and I'm really well. Just looking forward to what this interview will be.
I'm happy, I'm honored, and I'm very curious about you, so I'll ask this. If your friends
could describe your personality, what would they say about you? Well, the first thing that came to
mind would be that I am funny. I really love my sense of humor. Also, I consider myself pretty
loyal, I would say, and just really charismatic, I think. Thank you, that's really interesting,
and I'll begin with you being funny. How is it like the approach or the mindset of someone who
is funny? Do you think what is funny about this situation, and you say that? Or do ideas just
organically come to your mind, and when you say them, people find them funny, and that's how you
know? Or is it a conscious effort? How does a funny person approach situations in order to be
funny? I guess for me, it really comes from a mindset of just not taking everything so seriously,
and trying to see the positive and the happy sides of everything. And so, yeah, in every
environment, whenever something funny comes to mind, I just say it either quietly, only for my
friends to hear, or just for everyone to hear. But yeah, that's how it works for me. Thank you.
And when you meet new people or interact with people, are you looking for positive and funny
people? Are you looking for shy people, and you feel proud that you get them out of their shell?
Or what kind of people are your people? So I'm looking for funny people, as you said,
because I also tend to have a shy side myself, and don't open up really fast to some people if
I don't see how they're outgoing or they can take a joke or something. So yeah, I tend to go towards
those type of people, not the shy type. Thank you. And you described yourself to be charismatic.
So how can you have a shy side and be more shy and also be charismatic at the same time? Can
you explain to you what is the meaning of being charismatic? I guess being charismatic to me means
just trying to, I guess, have a good relationship with most people. But I don't always get to do
that because some people tend to intimidate me, even though they don't do anything specific.
So that's why I meant having a shy side meant to me. I get really quiet at times, but with
really close people to me, I can be funny and charismatic, as I said. Thank you. And I'm curious
about you since you've been almost on all continents of the world. Is your culture
Romanian or are you more cosmopolitan? Are you like a mix between Japanese culture because of anime,
K-pop, and so a bit of Korean, Hollywood, and so American a little bit, as well as Romanian,
and maybe French, et cetera? Or what is your culture and how would you describe a Ukrainian
girl? What is that compared to a girl from any other country? My culture is fully Romanian,
but I do tend to adopt some things from other cultures, as I've seen so many and experienced
so many traditions from other cultures. But I guess Romanian girls, they are something to,
they are something, they're like a, we're complicated. I mean, we don't tend to, we get
really angry fast, I can say, but that's just from how we're being raised. And it's a whole
different discussion here. Thank you. And I know you're planning and hoping to go to the US
with flex and that opportunity, but if you could live for a year or so, any other place in the
world, not Romania, and not the US, where would you go and why? I think I would go to a country
where German is being spoken because I've recently started learning German last year,
and I've gotten really fond of it. And it's a language that I really like. So yeah, I'm hoping
that I can visit these countries more, these German speaking countries more, because I also
get to practice the language and it's really fun for me. Thank you. I love your love for learning
languages, always developing. And you mentioned that you have a shy side and when you meet people,
you don't always open up to them easily. So I'll ask you, have you ever had the experience of having
instant chemistry with any person where when you met this person, you felt like you know them all
your life and that you felt relaxed and open to them immediately? Or do you have that stereotypical
somehow Eastern European poker face where when you meet new people, they think, oh my god,
she looks so serious, she looks so sad or angry, and then they discover you're a nice and charismatic
person? I think a person told me that once that I seemed intimidating, but I don't think I could see
myself being intimidating. As I said, I get intimidated really fast by other people,
and I think I don't have a poker face. I'm rather like a sad puppy face when I get shy.
But yeah, I do have some friendships that start off really fast and we just clicked right away.
And I think that those are my favorite kind of friendships that I have. Thank you. And tell me
about your hobbies nowadays. What do you do in order to take care of your mental health,
in order to stay productive, not burning out, and experience new emotions in life?
I guess to not feel burned out and stressed. I love taking time to myself to, I don't know,
get some self-care in and maybe put a face mask on and just chill and look through TikToks or
start reading a book. It's a really important step, I think, for everybody to not feel so
overcompensated, I guess. It's really important for me to not get really stressed out during the
week. Thank you. I like that. And tell me about languages, especially English. You took it to an
advanced level. What motivated this desire? What's the story behind this? My parents took me to
English lessons, private tutoring lessons, ever since I was a little kid, I think from maybe
five or six years old. And I guess I've just started really liking it from such a young age.
And I just went along with it my whole childhood. So I didn't stop ever learning it. I guess it
fascinated me, really, the language, how you keep learning more and more each time you study it.
And yeah, I guess I had that instant connection with the language. So that's why I took it to
an advanced level. I just grew so fond of it, I guess. I like that. And you spoke about instant
connection and you love watching movies. Are there movies where you had instant connection with
characters or with the movie itself from the very beginning? Movies that made you fall in love with
the genre or are meaningful in your life? Yes, actually, I am a hopeless romantic as well. And so
almost every love story that I've seen in movies touched my heart and just really
made me really emotional. And I could say this is my favorite genre. But also, I guess action movies
that keep you on the edge of your seat. That's the thrill that I'm looking for in each movie.
And so yeah, that's what gave me this passion of watching movies, I guess. Thank you. I like that
you use passion, hopeless romantic love, and action that keep you on the edge of your seat
and thrilled. And to ask you, what is love to you? If you could define the ideal romantic love or
ideal romantic love story, what would it be for you? Wow, that's a deep question. But I guess if I
come to think of it, I don't think love is an easy thing to accomplish. I think it has ups and downs.
It's not perfect. It's, I guess, the happiest feeling in the world. It just is. It's a hurricane
of emotions. But it's something that I hope every person gets to feel one day because it's just life
without love is meaningless. That's exciting. And to ask you then a bit more, are you someone
who focuses on living and experiencing only the positive emotions in life? And that's why you're
positive. Or do you feel that life is more complete if you feel sad, if you feel fear? Do you watch
some movies just to cry specifically or to be afraid or you're relaxed by watching a murder
documentary? What is the role of such emotions, if that's the case? Or are you more about only good
vibes, only positivity? I guess my childhood, I've been always more focused on getting the perfect
grades and being the perfect little child for my family and everything. And so I never really got
to enjoy the small things. I don't know, getting out more or playing with my friends or something
like that. And I've come to really see how that can change someone's mindset, focusing on the
little things and not taking everything so seriously. And that's what I'm trying to focus
on more now because I never really got to do that while I was little when it most mattered.
So I'm trying to do now from now on and just enjoy every moment in life because
every moment counts, I think. Thank you. And do those moments include people with you? Are people
a necessary ingredient for you to live life fully? Or can you relax like in the woods alone putting
on a face mask, self-caring, and that can be enough for you? I guess in a perfect scenario,
I could see myself being with the closest people around me. I don't think I could really
enjoy being by myself because I think I could get bored really easily. And so I would just want to
have my group of friends around me because I know we'd have fun anywhere. That's why I love them all
so much. I noticed that you're someone who loves, like you described love, a volcano of emotions,
and you don't want to be bored in life. So I'll ask two questions. One, an important part of studying
and you have excellent grades is doing things that are boring. How do you keep that process
not boring? And secondly, which is a bit more personal and philosophical,
how would you describe things that are boring and things that are exciting? What is necessary
for something to be exciting? And what is missing from an experience that makes it boring? I guess
something exciting, you just feel it in your heart. You see a spark in your eyes whenever
something exciting comes up and you get a thrill in yourself. Basically, you cannot wait to get
to that thing faster and you can't wait to do it faster. I guess, yeah, you can really tell the
difference between something exciting and boring. And I managed to balance, I guess, everything with
studying and the grades because I guess I don't force myself to study if I don't feel like it or
if I feel too tired to do it because then I would just not feel capable enough of studying and I
would just take time to myself and I would say, okay, I'll study later and so and so. So it wouldn't
be too boring for me. Thank you, Diana. This is so interesting to learn more about you and you spoke
about when you're experiencing something exciting, you feel that spark in your eyes and you feel
a thrill. Are you most interested in people who have that spark in their eyes? Do you notice some
people they don't have that, other people do, others don't? Are you an empath? And can you feel
people's energy? Are there people who have an energy that is exciting and interesting for you
and that makes them not boring and it's not even about what they do or say? It's their energy.
Is this something that resonates? Yes, I'm really glad you asked that question because
I really resonate with it because I don't think I could fully call myself an empath but I really
tend to notice other people's auras and energies and I pick up a lot from their energy and I know
how to act around them more because if I see someone, I can see the look on their face and I
know they would be either mad or happy about something and I would just know how to act around
them. I would either distance myself or just go asking questions about why they're feeling that
way. And yeah, I think I have an empath gift I could say but not really developed on that.
Thank you. And you spoke about feeling and sensing people's aura. What is your metaphysical
belief? I mean, do you believe in astrology? Do you believe in destiny? Do you believe,
how do you believe the world works? Do you feel we're all one soul divided into different humans?
Like what is your perspective about life, destiny and reality?
Wow, those are deep questions and I can say that I've grown to learn a lot about
the universe, I can say. I truly believe in karma and I do believe that the universe has
always a plan for anyone and people come and go from our lives because that's what they're meant
to do and I don't think anything is a coincidence. I think everything is supposed to happen at the
exact right time either to teach us a lesson or to, I don't know, make us see something that
it wasn't there before. I think everything has a purpose in life and I don't think,
also I think everyone has a soulmate that they're destined to find in life and so yeah,
I really have a beautiful view of how life works and how the universe works.
I like that. And you spoke about a soulmate. What is the definition of a soulmate and how do
soulmates meet in your experience? Is it like predetermined? Are there different soulmates,
not just one and therefore you cannot be born in the wrong country away from your soulmate?
Or what's your perspective on the whole thing? I think a soulmate is just someone who completes
you fully and just gives, I don't know, the ultimate feeling of love and makes you the
happiest. And I don't, I think a soulmate could be at the other side of the world basically,
but if it's your soulmate, you are destined to find them one way or another. So I wouldn't worry
about that. And I always tell that to myself that when I've had a bad experience with a boy
or something, I always say that it wasn't meant to be and I'll find my soulmate one day.
Thank you. And when it comes to movies, is there a movie or a love story
that represents your romantic ideal perfectly? I guess I've seen a movie that released this year.
It's called Purple Hearts and I think a lot of people have heard about it because it went viral
on social media and so, but it just, it has a really real love story I can say because it showed
both the beautiful and the ugly parts and how we've seen how they're meant to be together and how
they're always come back to each other no matter what comes their way. And so I think that's
basically what everyone would go through to find your soulmate as well. Thank you. And to finish,
I would like to ask you about Flex. What motivated you to apply for Flex? What do you
expect or imagine will change in you as a person when you spend almost a year away from your family
in the US? And how did you even hear about it so that you get motivated to apply? About Flex,
I really just heard from our head teacher. She actually sent us a leaflet or something about it
one random night and I think it captivated my attention because from the title it said
something about studying in America for a year and I had always looked forward to an exchange
program like this. So I given it some thought. I told my mom about it and she encouraged me
fully to go for it. I was a little skeptical at first because even though I wasn't sure that I
would get in, the possibility of going away for a year kind of scared me a little but I applied
anyways and so yeah with the encouragement of both my friends and my family I applied for it and I'm
excited to see what comes next. I really hope you get it and you hear the great news and you celebrate
with your mom and your family and there's something you mentioned that made me very curious. You said
Romanian girls get angry very fast. What did you mean with that? Is it different from other countries?
What do you feel caused it? You said it's something with the way you know the culture raises girls
in Romania and tell me is it a positive? Does it make it like more dramatic or is it something that
they should chill out a bit more or what's your perspective? I guess it could be called a stereotype
that Balkan girls don't really that they get something gets on their nerves really fast
but I think it's true. I mean we are raised by our culture and our families to not be the soft little
girl that society wants and to stand on our own ground and not you know let anyone else dictate
us and so yeah I guess I like that perspective of it that we don't let other people dictate us and so.
Thank you. So do you feel most Romanian girls your age are independent they don't let society
or anybody else dictate how they think behave and feel or is it an ideal they aspire to but
they're still working on it? I think most girls my age are already thought to be independent by
the time they get here because I guess the Romanian parent strategy is to give the child
as much as independence as you can because it's really with each their own from now on because
as we get older and as we go into adulthood we need to be ready to take care of ourselves and
so we need to start getting you know prepared for that from a young age which is basically my age
right now. Thank you so much Diana this was my privilege my honor such a wonderful way to
understand you as a human being to share your soul with the world. I wish you success in your studies
in the Cambridge exams in the FLEX application and thank you again for participating. Thank you it
was my pleasure and I've had the most fun doing this so thank you again.
