Venturing out of Romania

Seeing as I'm living just over an hour's flying time from Istanbul, I decided to spend New Year's and the surrounding days in Turkey. I've heard from a number of people that Istanbul is their favorite city in the world, and it's not hard to see why. Even in cold December and January, the sun still kisses the streets all over the city, drawing out that contrast between the blue Bosphorous and Golden Horn and the slightly lighter Sea of Marmara on the one hand, and the yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds of everything else.

We were there for several days, so we started out seeing the big sites - the Aya Sofia, Bisilica Cistern, and though we saved the Blue Mosque for a later day we saw that too. We meandered through the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, though just outside that area was my favorite spot, since that's where I got pistachios, fresh ground coffee, and a mini garlic grater. We did a day cruise on the Bosphorous so we could get a glimpse of the Black Sea (which is beautifully blue). I had some fish while dozens of stray cats clamored around me one afternoon, and another night ate french fries at 7 Kat overlooking the city from the top floor of a building on top of a hill.

New Year's itself was pretty awesome, although we didn't really take part in any organized celebration. Opting out of the 100 euro cover for most parties and restaurants, we ended up eating at some crappy overpriced cafeteria-style joint. The food was cold - mine was a mash of potatoes and zucchini, I think. Anyway, most meals were much better. But New Year's is apparently high season in Istanbul so I can't complain.

Midnight was awesome. We went to the roof terrace of a hotel right by the Blue Mosque, from where we could see the Sea of Marmara, the Aya Sofia, the Asia side of the city, and across the Golden Horn. As the New Year approached, fireworks started going off in every direction. We saw little bursts of light way off in the distance in addition to the loud bangs that belonged to fireworks set off by the bars below - too close for us to see. The only sad part was that the big fireworks over the Bosphorous were blocked by the Aya Sofia. But otherwise, it was all very fun, and I fell asleep shortly thereafter (I think shivering in the cold on the roof terrace wore me out).

Being in Istanbul made me a little bit sad. I've been having a decent time in Romania, but once I was around all the excitement in Istanbul I realized that I'm missing out on a lot by being in a little country like Romania. Maybe I'm starting to feel like some Romanians, who don't understand why someone would choose to come to their country and who just want to get out and to a country that is more significant. That's a little harsh, of course: I do like Romania, I think it's a good place for me to be this year and I really enjoy the things I do here and the people I'm befriending. I think though that Istanbul was a reminder that there is a lot more out there that I want to experience! And, that I am looking forward to getting back to the United States - 6 months from now - and settling into life a little more.

Train Ride through Mountains

Pieces of Bucharest

Outside of Class

Since I’m teaching American Studies, most of my conversations with my students are about the U.S. I occasionally learn something about Romania (like bribes for surgeons or free dentist visits till age 18). But I want to get to know the students better, so I’ve started inviting to my house in small groups. A few weeks ago, I had 8 girls over, all of whom I’d talked to outside of class before. So I knew some things about each one already. But it was interesting to be with them in a group, since they have their cliques but don’t know the others very well.

Sitting around my apartment for about 3 hours, they really liked the tortilla chips but barely touched the salsa. They said the veg curry looked like a Romanian dish but didn’t taste like one. And they ate a lot of chocolate and drank pink champagne (it’s for kids, kind of like sparkling cider. Except it’s pink and quite common). We talked about music in the states and what they liked and didn’t like. Likes: Bob Dylan for some, pop singers who I can’t remember for others. They talked about Romanian bands and Christmas songs, and I learned a lot about the village where one of them is from. She is going to take me there some weekend. They have horses and her dad works for the mayor, so it should be a good time.

Today just two students (instead of the 6 or 7 I was expecting) showed up. We had a long conversation about the U.S. and consumption. One of the two, Ruxie, spent last year working as an aupair in New Jersey. So we talked about customer service and how ridiculous it can be. She told me about some of her Romanian friends there who were shocked by Costco’s return policy, so they bought a cake, ate half of it, then took it back and said they didn’t like it. So Costco gave them a new one.

We also talked about Romania. It hurts to hear that intelligent young people have no interest in politics or even in Romania. They don’t see any future for themselves here, even if they aren’t excited about leaving their home. To me, it’s as simple as just start a social movement – there are enough of you young people to reform politics. To them, “one flower doesn’t make springtime.” And it’s hard to do something so idealistic when they don’t have any money in the first place.

Jingle Bells

Two and a half weeks ago, the first big batch of snow came. The same day came the snowflake lights which promised to light Republicii in the early December (at that point November) nights. But, no light. They stayed unlit. Just empty promises hanging over the street. The same Monday, a giant tree appeared in the square. A week later I watched the decorators hang the red and gold bows. I even thought the tree would fall over in last Monday’s wind but it made it through (unless it toppled and was restored while I was sleeping).

The signs of Sfantul Nicolae first hit me on 5 December. People stuffed into shops carrying twigs, buying Kinder Surprises. The twigs are like coal – they are for kids who have been bad. But everyone buys it anyway. I bought one (it’s just a branch spray-painted silver) because I felt a little left out, knowing that Sfantul Nicolae wasn’t coming to visit my house.

On 6 December, the entire child population of Brasov showed up with parents in tow to watch the tree light up. It was snowing, so it was freezing and my feet were wet, but being in the middle of a thousand people kept me warm, as did the vin fiert we bought. The whole event was actually quite fun – the mayor spoke, reminding us that Brasov is a fairytale city (not hard to believe in the snow). Then we counted down zece, noua, opt, sapte, sase, cinci, patru, trei, doi, unu. And lights. It was lovely. Kids sang. There were more fireworks (which I missed again). And my feet were really cold.

windy winter

The weather here is infecting me with memories. For the first time since I've been here, it's a windy windy 48 degrees. It's so warm compared to most days, sure. But it's the wind that's getting to me. It's the kind of wind you feel when sitting in Boulevard Park on a summer night, as it blows in off Bellingham Bay. It's pretty exciting.

But aside from the exceptional autumn-like weather tonight, it's been feeling a lot like Christmas around here. For some reason, I've been falling into all the traps of a commercialized Christmas. If I had anyone to buy presents for, I probably would. It's that bad. There have been so many holidays lately, going all the way back to Halloween. First 15 November and Thanksgiving, then Unification Day (this past Saturday), which meant more fireworks. Thursday is Saint Nicolas Day. I'm looking forward to that because all of the lights that have been going up around Brasov over the past 2 weeks will finally be lit up. It's like Grand Illumination in CW. Carol singers and the like. And the giant Christmas tree in the square will light up too (although, I was watching it this evening and I'm not so sure that it's going to make it through tonight's wind.

So, although I get upset every day when I wake up and the ground isn't covered in snow, a night like this is one that I can handle. Wind. Lovely.

the weekend is over

For lack of anything interesting to say, here are these. They are from my journey to Bucuresti this past weekend...
(though numbered, they are in no particular order. try to figure out the best match)
1. Brasov Gara 2. While walking 3. Plan to avoid Taxi D'artex 4. Piata Uniri

i feel a list coming on...

Now that I've been in Brasov for six weeks, I am starting to feel the urge to travel. Where do I want to go?

December: Sighisoara, Sinaia, Sibiu, Istanbul
January-February: Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Edinburgh
March: Craiova, Cluj
April: Timisoara
May: Danube Delta
June: Lithuania & Poland, Hungary & Croatia, Bulgaria
July: California

Oh, and before I set the date of my return ticket (from Romania): is there anyone out there who would want to travel with me next July, around Eastern Europe or even to Israel and Egypt? Basically, my lease ends July 5th, so I was thinking I would head back to the U.S. then. But I wouldn't mind sticking around this side of the Atlantic either (it's not like I have a job).

thinking Romania

The most common question people ask me here:

"How are you finding Romania?"

Everyone wants to know what I think of their country. It's a simple answer - I like it. Obviously. Sometimes I have to elaborate - it's not what I was expected, the mountains are cool, blah blah blah. I find it more interesting to hear what Romanians think foreigners think of their country.

Apparently, many Europeans look down on Romanians because the majority of people who emigrate from here are the Roma. So when Europeans think of Romanians, they think of the Roma. However, I've found that Romanians like their country and don't want to leave - many know that they can make more money somewhere else, but they don't like the way they are treated simply because they are Romanian.

Of course, I've also encountered a number of people (including many of my American Studies students) who want to go to the United States and never come back to Romania. For some, it's because they are pulled to the U.S. because of the lifestyle they see Americans living. For others, Romania is backwards and "exotic," as one of my students put it today. "I think my own country is very exotic, to me." She meant that she identifies more with the American (and Western European) way of doing things than she does with the way Romanians do things. I believe that she was talking specifically about higher education when she said this.

Many people like to hear that I can find everything here that I would want, just like in the U.S. I had a conversation yesterday with my Romanian tutor, who is a 4th year student in Romanian and English. Prompted by something I said about the differences I've observed between the old and the young here, she postulated that the elderly still have a Communist mindset. Meaning, they live like they did under Communism. So they buy something when they see it, instead of recognizing that there is plenty available. "We're a democracy now," she said, and stated also that the young people are the ones who recognize what this means.

When I think about how I find Romanian, I can say (without worrying about offending anyone, in this setting) that:

1. This is a beautiful country
2. The people here act very European
3. Romanians still have a very unique culture, and the prevalence of religion stands out
4. I don't like the way people look out only for themselves
5. I find the conversations that I have about the Roma and Moldavians to be fascinating, because most people I talk to are grappling with trying to be open-minded and accepting on the one hand, and dealing with stereotypes about these groups on the other hand

One thing I would like to understand more is how regionalisms play into relations amongst Romanians. The most common dichotomy I hear is drawn between Bucuresti and the rest of the country. That's something I would like to explore a little more.

These photos here are from Bucharest. I took them when I visited this past weekend. I sadly forgot my camera one day but hit the streets on a "photo expedition" the next day to make up for missed time. Do they seem at all different from the life of photos from Brasov?

like saying George Washington was a vampire

The past few days have been packed and now I’m feeling a little exhausted.

Last weekend, my friend Kymber came up from Bucharest for her birthday. On Friday, we went to a lovely little French bistro and then met up with some friends at karaoke. Not one of my favorite pastimes. But karaoke is huge here – I think it has to do with people wanting a chance to practice their English. It’s pretty funny to watch some of them go at it.

On Saturday, we went to a local Seventh Day Adventist church for their Thanksgiving celebration. One of my students (the pastor’s wife) invited us to go. The church is this crazy skyscraper building that was built during communist times, when they weren’t allowed to have much space for something like a church, so instead of covering a lot of land, they built up really high on a small piece of land in the city. The ground floor was the coat check, then the next few floors were the sanctuary (including a balcony), then a few floors of apartments and rooms for choir practice, and then at the top of the building a large attic space that looks out at the city in four directions, and that can be used for church festivals like the Thanksgiving meal we had on Saturday.

One of the younger (my age) members of the church sat with Kymber and I and translated the entire service, which was really helpful! Since it was their Thanksgiving service, a lot of people stood up and spoke about what they were thankful for. It was really cool to hear some of their stories about their lives – a lot of the people who spoke were in their 80s so they’d been through a lot! The coolest thing about the church community itself is that they advocate vegetarianism (and veganism), to the extent that most of the preaching during the service had to do with living as a vegetarian.

So, Sunday another one of my students took us on a really cool hike. We went to this place called “Soloman’s Rocks.” Brasov is awesome for this kind of hike. Basically, you just start walking out of the center, and keep going until you’re sitting on top of a rock looking in every direction at the hills of changing fall colors below you. It’s pretty crazy. There are also tons of people who go up there each weekend to get water from a mountain spring.

On Monday I had to teach two classes first thing in the morning, but then Kymber and I headed off to Fagaras, which is a nearby town surrounded by the most beautiful mountains in Romania (which I couldn’t see because it was cloudy). The high school there has a British English teacher who asked us to come, to give a presentation about undergraduate study in the U.S. We were big celebrities there – the local TV station taped the entire presentation and interviewed us (twice). The history museum is closed on Mondays, but they got it open just for us! We had several students who showed us around town. They were amazing – but more about that another time.

Yesterday was Halloween. I met a lot of Americans – basically, if you’re American (or Australian, apparently) and living or traveling anywhere in Eastern Europe, then you come to Transilvania for Halloween. I didn’t go to any of the fancy schmancy Halloween parties, but still managed to run into a lot good ol’ Halloween cheer. Or something like that.