A man full of life, empathetic, and always smiling, 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘂𝗻 is this week's guest on 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 series!🤩 Discover how much Alex loves Amsterdam as well as how he values good taste, both in clothes and in food! 😊
What are the first three words you would describe yourself with? With which of these words do you think your friends would describe you?
Surely the 3 words would be: empathetic, funny and sociable. I think that this is how my friends and everyone around me see me.
What makes you happy? How does this contribute to your well-being?
Nothing could beat an good old meeting with some friends and enjoying a cold beer. You could also never go wrong with a stroll down the narrow alleys of Amsterdam (or any other city), a hike in the mountains to enjoy the nature or bike ride in a sunny day.
How did you end up getting your childhood nickname, who gave it to you, and what were your feelings towards it? And since we're at it, can you share it with us?
I was always called Alex. Sometimes I was called by my last name and jokes were made about the resemblance to Christmas.
What taste or smell reminds you of childhood? Do you still encounter this taste or smell today and where?
I am a die hard fan of sour soups, as they remind me of the times when I was a small kid at my grandparents’ house and they would cook different recipes. It is quite rare to encounter that specific smell or taste, but sometimes I try cooking myself at home some recipes.
What is the most beautiful place you have traveled to?
For me, it would be a close call between Warsaw and Amsterdam, as I mostly felt like home visiting these cities. These places have a lot of history and lovely sights to enjoy throughout the year, so they definitely charmed me and I would love to visit them again.
If you could have a talent, what would it be? But what talent do you have?
Probably the best talent out there would be to be to foresee the future – just imagine the possibilities.
What is it that annoys you the most? What is the reason why it annoys you and how do you manage to calm down?
I think that when people don't keep their word and make excuses for it. Sometimes this disappoints me, but in the end I manage to remain calm.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would like to stop putting so much soul into some relationships.
If you could have dinner with anyone in this world, who would that person be? What would you like to know from this person?
This is a challenging, but interesting question. I would definitely choose to have dinner with Seth McFarlane, as he is one of my favorite animators and actors of all time. I would ask him about his sources of inspiration, how he writes each new scenario and about the sources of his humor.
If you were your boss for a day, what would you do?
I would tell everybody they can work from home and I would take over the office, being able to relax all day long. No, I’m just kidding (or am I?).
What do you think is the first thing people notice about you and what do you think they think about you?
Well, this one is pretty hard to tell. It would be up to each and every person to observe and draw their own conclusions.
If you could be a movie / book / cartoon character, who would it be and what do you think you look like from this character?
One of my favorite characters is Doctor Wilson from the House MD series, as he is a reliable friend and a valuable person. I feel we have quite a lot in common when it comes to having empathy towards people in general and showing compassion.
What is the last thing you learned?What else would you like to learn?
One of the ideas that I am currently trying to stick with lately would be “love yourself”. It is a challenging principle to implement in one’s life, but it proved healthy for both one’s mental and physical wellbeing. Eat well, dress well and work out and small improvements will start to appear.
What is the principle that you never deviate from? How do you react when people do not respect this principle?
I think one of the principles I stand by both in my career and in my personal life is the one about keeping one’s word. Not paying attention to your promises could really put a dent in the trust other people have in you.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
It’s always tricky to imagine how tomorrow will be, nevertheless imagining life in 10 years time from now. With this in mind, I always try to make out the best in the moment, with just some plans sprinkled here and there.
If you could eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’d definitely choose pineapple pizza. Now that you are mad reading this, I was just joking :D I would probably go for pasta – there are so many recipes, you could never get bored.
What superstitions do you have?
I am not necessarily a superstitious person, but probably my only habit would be stepping with the right foot when entering a new place. Nothing that could be explained, just an old habit that is not going away.
If you had 2 minutes to sell a pencil for 1 million euros, how would you convince the potential buyer?
I think there are 3 steps for a successful salesperson: be empathetic with your target buyer to understand their mindset, try to change how they look at your service / product and nevertheless persuading them to make the acquisition. On another note, if we talk about a 1 million euros pencil, the best bet would be probably selling it as a contemporary art object – remember the banana taped to a wall?
In the end we would like you to recommend us a book, a movie, a podcast and a holiday destination.
For a book, I’d recommend Michelle Houellebecq’s “Submission”, an interesting book about the French society. For a movie, it would be a close tie between “Forest Gump” and “Shawshank Redemption”, while for a podcast, I’d definitely go for those edited by the Romanian “Decat o revista” publication, as they talk a lot about social issues.