25 Years Later: Communist Romania and the Romanian Revolution... through the Eyes of a Child (Part 3)

        

    
   After Part 1 and Part 2, when I tried to give you an everyday life picture of Romania during the communist regime, here we are with the last post. Objectively speaking, communism did have its good points, and some of these values still have an imprint in the mentality and behaviour of many Romanians, especially if they are past a certain age. But the bad outweighted the good, especially during the last phase, and things couldn't go on, especially with the fall of the Berlin Wall, and because all the Warsaw Pact countries in Central and Eastern Europe had already abolished their own communist regime. We didn't know much about it at that time - you can imagine that the Romanian media were not saying much, or at maximum they were downplaying what was going on. 

          In Romania, the Revolution started in the western city of Timisoara, on the 16th of December 1989, but Ceausescu attempted again to conceal the facts to the population. Did the "grown-ups" (a.k.a. my parents, grandparents, neighbours, and other relatives) know anything? Well, you can imagine that nobody was telling ME anything. And, later on, I actually found out that they only heard things "from the grapevine", so not as official information. 

          I only realized what was going on when Ceausescu escaped. Not a second earlier. And it was precisely today, 22nd of December, 25 years ago. I was at home, playing in the living room, when a group of revolutionaries, which included some famous people, appeared on TV. At first, I didn't pay attention, but their final words struck, and I will remember that scene for the rest of my life: "The dictator has escaped! (...) We won!" Cue for general euphoria. What dictator (the first time I heard this word, as you can imagine nobody would have dared to call Ceausescu like this)? Who won? My mother started to cry, and I understood that something really sad, drammatic, or life-transforming had happened. Then, I was quickly filled in: during the past few days there was some sort of war in our country, and many people died. We left the apartment, on the hallways: general euphoria among the neighbours in our appartment building as well. "He escaped! He escaped!" Who the frick escaped?? Later, we saw on TV the images of demonstrators in the center of Bucharest, shouting the words: "Jos Ceausescu!" ("Down with Ceausescu!") and "Ole-ole-ole, Ceausescu nu mai e!" ("Ole-ole-ole, Ceausescu is not here anymore!"), as well as ripping or burning the portraits of Ceausescu and his wife. The "communist" coat of arms had been removed from our national flag, so now it was red, yellow and blue with a hole in the middle.              
       At that time we used to live quite far from the city center, so in our neighbourhood nothing was really going on. The big manifestations and episodes of street violence were happening in the center of Bucharest, around University Square (Piata Universitatii), around the Central Committee headquarters, where Ceausescu escaped from (now called Piata Revolutiei - Revolution Square), and around the most circulated areas of the city. Sometimes, even in our neigbourhood we could hear rifles and cannons. We had to lie down, on the floor or on the bed, so in case a bullet penetrated a window, we wouldn't be hit. It was scary and exciting at the same time, and sometimes even funny, as we have, for example, stories of some of our neigbours tripping over each other on the floor, in the dark, in a desperate attempt to lie down. At some other point, there was the allarm that water was poisoned. Cue for all friends and family members calling and warning each other in the middle of the night. But with further verification, it was proved that it was a false allarm. 

          Was I scared? Only after I started seeing images of dead bodies on TV (yes, they were showing them, filming from the morgue). More than a thousand lives were lost, but we hardly know why and how. Children, youngsters, army officers and civilians, men and women of all ages. People didn't know who was who, and whose side the other person was on. Random shooting in the street, in public buildings, or in other public places. There was talk of "terrorists", but nobody knew who they were. Rumour had it that they were not Romanian, and they were completely dressed in black.  Yeah, whatever, find them if you can! Children were on holiday and were advised not to leave the house, but adults were not, and they still had to go to work, and even do special shifts. Sometimes, they could hear shootings from unclear directions, and all they could do was keep walking or run and hide. At home, people were crying while cooking sarmale and sausages for Christmas, and at the same time watching funeral procession pass towards the cemetery. Actually, a children's park was turned into a cemetery and it became the Cemetery of the Revolution Heroes. 

     When Ceausescu was executed, I was home alone with my friend and neighbour, who is just a few years older than me. And our playing with dolls session was disrupted by the trial on TV. And we saw it. It was spooky, but somehow I felt that the Romanian nation was happy, and that "justice was done". I had understood, during the past few days, that Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu were "bad people", so they deserved to die. Do I think the same now? No. But, given what had already happened in all former communist countries, it would have been historically and geopolitically impossible for us to remain a communist country. And, unlike other political leaders, I wouldn't have imagined Ceausescu resigning peacefully and voluntarily. But I wouldn't have killed them. I think recovering them in a sanatory for mental illness would have been a better option, as the harshest, yet humaine decision.
        We celebrated Christmas and New Year with our neighbours, we were still nice and elegant, with our traditional food and season's entertainment. But something felt different. We had gotten rid of the bad guy, and from now on we were a free country and everything in Romania will be perfect. Or at least, so we thought. But let us dream free for now! ;)  
        After Ceausescu's death things around the country started to calm down, but not straight away. I remember that I only left the house for a walk in our neighbourhood after the 1990 New Years Eve, on the occasion of a much-welcome visit from my grandparents. And I was scared to go out. "Grandpa, what about terrorists?" And I was told that... they are not here anymore, and they're hiding in the mountains. Ok, then! Deal done! ;)

     And the rest is history. Do we miss Ceausescu? Definitely not! Although some people (especially the elderly) regret those days in which everybody had a job and social inequalities were unperceivable, I'm sure that nobody would REALLY want him back. 
       Now we have democracy, what will we do with it? The first years after the Revolution also saw various phases, as a transition from communism to capitalism, but we will talk about them in later posts. But what I really want is for us (Romanian people, myself included) to honor all those people who lost their lives, more or less randomly, and certianly unfairly, by making the most of our country and our lives, even if our attempts in these 25 years may not have been the most successful. All hope is not lost, and all we can do is look forward!

25 Years Later: Communist Romania and the Romanian Revolution... through the Eyes of a Child (Part 2)

   

 And here we are, back in the house, with more stories and anecdotes about Romanian life during the communist regime. For those of you who missed Part 1, we have been talking about the so-called "adoration" for Nicolae Ceausescu and the restrictions that Romanians had to face in everyday life, as well as the alternative solutions they made recourse to in order to avoid hardship. 

     How about school and work? Well, one thing I can tell you is that there was a certain sense of discipline and commitment, which today has disappeared almost completely. When the Revolution arrived, I was barely in the second grade of primary school, but it was enough for myself and my generation to have those values related to school and study inoculated. In brief, school was serious business. Children and teenagers HAD to study, and have good grades, and have a general knowledge, and take part in all the activities which took place outside school hours, such as trips or voluntary work. We wore uniforms, and they were of several types. In kindergarten, we were Soimii Patriei (Falcons of the Country), with orange shirts, and blue skirts/trousers and hats. Later, in primary school, we became Pionieri (Pioneers), everything being marked by a special ceremony, in which we had to take an oath. To us, it was a big deal, and we were happy about it. Our uniforms consisted of white shirts and black skirts/trousers, white beret, and red tie (photo). Plus, children with the best grades were chosen as commanders, which also had various grades, to each of them corresponding a ribbon of a different colour. Everything at school was somehow "ceremonious", much more formal than these days, but in a way it made you proud and it made you want to take things seriously. Were there any incentives? Just honour and moral recognition. But that was more than enough for us. 

      As far as work was concerned, I have already told you in the last post that everyone had a job. Moreover, one of the things that communism did, ideologically speaking, was to promote and place added value on the working class and country life. Nowadays, everyone aspires to go to university, to live in the city, and to have a high-brow job or business. But at that time, all the professions mattered and were respected. And that was reflected even in children's literature of that time, or school books - I actually remember that many (adult) characters of those text were builders, coal miners, factory workers, and so forth. Even if you went to university, after graduation you were assigned a workplace, which might have been in a city (often different from your city of birth), or in the country-side. As far as I know, this distribution of professionals varied according to university grades and according to workplaces which became available following the retirement of predecessors. How many teachers and doctors were sent to the country-side, becoming even subject of comedy movies! :)
     All work and no play? Definitely not! However, fun was conceived on a micro-universe, rather than macro. What do I mean? It was less likely for us to go to a bar, or to a disco, or to the restaurant. Instead, the best fun consisted of house parties or visits among friends and family members. Music, dancing, lots of home-made food (which is always better than the one at the restaurant), everything combined with the privacy of our own homes, avoiding to mix with unwanted crowd. The only impediment was the level of tollerance of your own neighbours, which might have been high or low. :) We have to mention that this practice lasted well into the 1990s, and we still like it, if we are given the chance. 
     Television did not play an important part in our everyday methods of entertainment, as we only had two hours of TV programme each day, apart from Sunday, which at that time it was the only free day of the week. Many people, in absence of television, turned to books and radio, and sometimes, a "clandestine" consumption of foreign movies and TV shows on videotapes, mostly offered by people who were lucky enough to travel abroad, then passed on from person to person and recorded. 
        What about holidays? Travelling abroad for pleasure was not really an option, apart from the other communist countries. Luckily enough, Romania is a very self-contained country in terms of holiday destinations, so we still had a wide variety of places to go to on holiday: seaside, mountains, Danube Delta, and so much more. The rare cases of travelling to the capitalist western world needed to have a serious reason behind it - you would go through formal invitation, or being sent there for work purposes. Romanian professionals were travelling in groups, and they were under surveillance from the Information Service (Securitate), in order not to do anything dangerous or detrimental to the communist regime, or not to attempt escaping. In general, there was a person within the group who was in charge of providing information to authorities, if anything was suspect. Contacts with foreigners also had to be limited to the minimum necessary, such as workplace interaction. But friendship with foreigners did not have to be cultivated outside work. People who had the chance to travel to the capitalist countries, for whatever duration or purpose, had a tough shock to bear. The abbundance on the foreign market, the shops full of everything you could possibly wish for, the elegant and fashionable people with fancy cars (as opposed to our good-old Dacia), in contrast with the scarcity that Romania was facing, represented yet another proverbial "nail in the coffin" for Ceausescu and his regime. 
      In the meantime, at home everything was getting tougher and increasingly absurd. Warm water, electricity and heat in the house were rationalized, and often entire neighbourhoods were left in the dark, or people had to go to bed all wrapped up like for an expedition to the North Pole. Not to mention the demolishing of houses and villas, in order to restructure the cities. Apartment blocks were being built, and the people whose houses were demolished were being given an apartment instead (this one actually happened to my grandparents, and many other people I know). 
       So, as you can see, it is not like we were being tortured, or starving, or living an overall traumatizing life. Some things were good and we regret them (especially older generations), such as the approach to school and work, but some things made our world very limited, and, I would add, unnecessarily limited. Some things were scary, some of them were sad, and some things we just laugh them off today, but at that time they were really annoying. And we endured, and endured, but at some point, it all needed to crash. 

(photo: www.muzeulcotroceni.ro) 
         
     

      

25 Years Later: Communist Romania and the Romanian Revolution... through the Eyes of a Child (Part 1)

    

      In these days Romania is going through a period of remebrance: 25 years have passed since the Romanian Revolution against communism. We could say that we celebrate 25 years of freedom, but also that we commemorate 25 years since thousands of innocent lives were lost during the fight for a democratic Romania. 

   Many of my foreign friends have asked me a lot of questions about what was life during communism really like, or how did I experience the Revolution. I will not explain you what happened from the historical point of view, as that information is available everywhere. What I will do instead is tell you how I used to see things at that time, as a kid who still does not understand every "heavyweight" detail, but at the same time, is old enough to have some quirky and sometimes-too-direct opinions about things. And then, I will add my current opinions as an adult. 

     In the first two parts, we will talk about the communist Romania that I witnessed, the Romania of the 1980s - the good, the bad, and the just plain ridiculous. Then, part three will be about those couple of weeks of Revolution in December 1989, which I remember with a mix of fear, rage, sorrow, but also happiness. 

     My generation colleagues and myself grew up being taught to worship Nicolae Ceausescu. His picture on the walls of every institution, his picture on the first page of every school book, of course culminating with kindergarten and school festivities full of poems and songs dedicated to our beloved "tovaras". Back then, I admit I did not understand why all this adoration... because I didn't feel all that love in my little heart. Really! I mean, I hadn't even met the guy once - it's not that he came over to our place to play with me, or have dinner with us, or take me to the park, did he? He was not my grandad, or my uncle, or my friend. Why, oh, why was I supposed to love him so much? Plus, any uncomfortable questions I may have asked my parents used to be met with "reconciliatory" remarks. For example, once I asked what is going to happen after he dies, and the answer was something along the lines of: "Come on, he's about the same age as your grandparents! You don't want him to die soon, do you?" Whatever... Or that time when I dared to say that his wife, Elena, was ugly. And she was, let's not kid ourselves! But I was categorically contradicted. Later I actually found out that you had to be extra-careful what you were gossiping about them, because you never knew who could hear you, and the fact that microphones were installed in the walls of buildings is something we all believe. 

           

        However, it seemed that grown-ups secretly hated him too. After all, he was a shoe-maker turned president, who wanted to be the center of the universe, but whose general knowledge and grammar skills left a lot to be desired. The result? Numerous jokes about his low intelligence and embarrassing manners, especially in relation to other political leaders. Needless to say that these jokes were being told in a very subtle way, in order not to be easily understood from "outside". 

       Were Romanians poor? No, but we were very limited from the material point of view. Everyone had a job. The hardest part was to be accepted at university, as places within faculties were centralized and limited according to the country's needs for certain types of professionals at that particular point in time. But once you graduated, you could be sure that you had a job assured. Job promotions and salary growth were happening automatically, after a certain number of years. Some salaries were bigger than others, but everything was far from the drammatic discrepancies between the rich and the poor which we have in today's society. Each family was allowed to have only one house and one car. And everyone could afford pretty much the same things.

       However, we might have had enough money, but there was not much choice of things to buy. If you entered, let's say, a food shop, you'd be surprised to see only a couple of types of meat, or cheese, or three packs of butter placed far away from one another, in order to make the window seem full. And once in a blue moon, when something different from the usual supply was arriving, people were queuing. And they were numerous. And everything had to be enough for everyone, so products were rationalized. Therefore, the queue had also become a place where people socialized. :) Clothes stores were selling the same style of clothes everywhere - not "uniforms", but neither the wide variety of things that nowadays divide us into fashion icons and fashion disasters. And the price for a specific product was the same accross the country.
   However, as far as food is concerned, the fridge of the average Romanian family was hardly ever empty. Why? Because, as the creative nation that we are, in times of difficulty we make recourse to alternative solutions. Such as, for example, becoming friends with the shop assistant, who would always save some stuff for you whenever the shop was supplied. Or, if someone worked at a factory which produced consumer goods, it was impossible for them not to get hold of some of these goods for themselves, but also for their family and friends. Or, if you were lucky enough to have a family member travelling abroad (rare and interesting cases, but we'll talk about it later), they would also come home full of goodies for the entire family - even better than Santa Claus!  

      Why? I mean, even after all these years, I don't find too much logic in that. Ok, you wanted to pay the country's public debt, and you wanted a modern infrastructure for this country. Fair enough! But was all this "circus" of forced limitation necessary? Romania was exporting a lot of consumer goods and industrial products, but, at the same time, its citizens were struggling, by using the most "twisted" techniques in order to ensure themselves a decent lifestyle. Yes, they were succeeding, but it was not normal. Especially given the fact that in other communist countries such as Czechoslovakia, Hungary or Bulgaria things used to be far better than for us. So, no wonder Romanians had become increasingly angry with Ceausescu and his regime!

      In Part 2 we will be talking about leisure time activities, attitude towards school and work, and travelling abroad. Stay tuned! :) 

(photo: www.cutezatorii.ro; caricature: www.elenaciric.ro) 

    

Sinterklaas, Zwarte Piet and Racist Controversies

           

    With the holiday season starting, I decided to dedicate this month mainly to season's traditions from around the world. What happens for Christmas, New Year and other similar holidays, in various countries? 

          However, I am going to begin with a holidays' controversy, generated by the celebration of Sinterklaas, one of the most important winter celebrations in the Netherlands. The celebration is taking place on the night of St. Nicholas, 5th to 6th of December, and also has analogue celebrations in other countries. The elderly religious figure of Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas), whose mission is to bring presents to the children, is accompanied by his helper and travel companion, Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). And things have been this way for generations. Some say Piet is a slave from a former colony, some say he is a Moor who came from Spain, and some say his face is just dirty of soot as he came down the chimney. 

         As you might have already heard or imagined, many debates, protests and controversies have been going on during the recent years, around the symbol and identity of Zwarte Piet. Complaints have been focusing on the idea that this character encourages racism, or racist stereotypes portraying black people as slaves, and therefore this tradition is not "politically correct". However, are such concerns really motivated? In my opinion, children, as they are the main target for this celebration, would look at all this with innocent eyes, without creating polemics or over-analysing the meaning behind everything. They simply enjoy the celebration and all the friendly faces associated with it. 

         But perhaps I don't know much, as I am just an "outsider". Therefore, I asked some Dutch friends about it. I found out that the vast majority of Dutch people, regardless of skin colour, celebrate and enjoy Sinterklaas without problems, as everything is just a symbol and a tradition. As Piet is not a negative character, it does not encourage hatred or social exclusion towards black people. However, some black people living in the Netherlands might feel offended by the association with slavery. And the biggest possible danger would be if racist behaviour would arise around, or on the basis of this celebration. 

           Unfortunately, not everything happening or appearing in this world is "politically correct". Besides, compared to some stereotyping on various social categories reflected in the media, the celebration of Sinterklaas and the figure of Zwarte Piet is quite mild.  This is just an ancient tradition, and it would be a pity to be given up on. Should it be modified? How? Is there a way to keep everyone happy? Or should people just enjoy the celebration, take it for what it is, and without detracting negative meaning and creating controversies? 

(photo: Wikipedia)

            

"The World Is My Country": the Modern-Day Life Slogan?

     

  "Globalization" is a term that we've been hearing over and over again for the past couple of decades. People are now able to have and experience things that our grandparents, or even our parents in some countries didn't even dream about in their youth. Free circulation of people and goods, consumption of international media and popular cultures, or the ability to travel accross the world are only some of the consequences of globalization. 

      Today I'm going to focus on the last one: the freedom and ability to travel, not only as a tourist, but also for study or work purposes. Some people choose to do that for the sake of an interesting life experience, whereas others do so when forced by circumstances, such as a lack of professional opportunities in their countries of birth. Moreover, it is not even a case of East vs. West anymore, as the economy and quality of life in various countries of the world look increasingly like rollercoasters moving up and down, and the dynamics changing constantly. Plus, means of transportation are becoming increasingly varied and accessible, so that moving around is not even that big deal anymore, in terms of time and money (apart from some exceptions).

     Me and my family have also been moving around a lot, and saw my friends and aquaintances from all over the world do the same, and still doing it.  There are two sides of the coin: we can say that the world is full of opportunities, but we can also say that stability does not exist anymore. Will we ever find it? Will we ever "settle down" somewhere? Perhaps we will, but who knows where and when? Do we have a clear idea of where we want to be in a few years, geographically speaking? I don't, and I'm sure that many of you also don't. Maybe there are huge differences between what we would like and what is feasible or practical. Maybe we worry that we may or may not fit in with our adoptive society. Maybe we believe that if we leave and return after a certain period of time, we will not find things as we left them, and therefore we will have problems re-adjusting to our original environment. 

     But do we need to worry or simply go with the flow and embrace this new contemporary reality? What if the old spontaneous meeting for a coffee in town with friends will eventually turn into arrangements made in advance with that far-away friend who will only be in your city for a few days or weeks? What if our small group of friends will become a huge network of people spread all over the world, who circularly move around and separate and reunite accordingly? What if we start thinking from a micro-universe to a macro-universe? What if the world will become such a big mix of cultures, that we'd be able to fit in virtually anywhere? What if the world really becomes our country? 

(photo: www.bigstock.com)

Community Spirit and Social Cohesion: Part of a Country's Culture?

 

  Recent events on the Romanian political scene gave me some food for thought about an aspect of society which varies from country to country or community to community, and which some people regard as necessary, whilst others remain indifferent to its presence.  I'm not talking about political views, but about things like solidarity between people, social cohesion, or community spirit, and which, for the first time since the 1989 Revolution against communism, seemed to regain their place in the lives of Romanian people. This was an isolated event, but what about day-to-day life? 

    To tell you the truth, I always considered Romania a highly individualistic country. People rarely trust each other, or often keep communication to a minimum necessary, generally tending to stay within their circle of family members and long-term friends. In living or work environments, although relationships are cordial or civil, it is rare that people are interested in becoming a team if circumstances don't specifically require it, or simply becoming friends with the people they come into contact with every day. Of course, there are exceptions, but unfortunately, they don't represent the majority. Or at least, I refer to the capital city, Bucharest, and I'm not sure about smaller cities or the country-side. I am not sure whether it's about the current historical period vs. the past, or about the social environment.  For example, I grew up in a popular, not-so-high-brow neighbourhood of the city. My neighbours were not particularly rich, but they were friendly, trustworthy, we all knew each other, and supported each other in times of need. In the early '90s, though, we moved to a posh area, where our new neigbours were not half as friendly,  I always felt like a bit of an outsider, and it took me ages to fit in. 

      By the same token, in Italy there are similar discourses regarding contradictions between the North and South of the country. However, as you know from my previous post, or personally from myself if you know me, even as an immigrant in Milano, I would still give Northern Italians pretty high marks in that department. Maybe they don't have that "in your face", intrusive attitude, but still, needing help with something and being able to ask your neighbour without being given strange looks was important to me. Or, in a neighbourhood full of small businesses, shops and caffeterias where people know each other and greet each other even from afar, the atmosphere is just perfect. 
     And speaking of big cities, one big surprise for me was London. A huge city, indeed! But, being divided into numerous boroughs, it often feels like a conglomerate of residential areas that look like small cities (apart from the city center). Having separate administrative institutions, and everything close, life gathers around the same spots. People not only carry out their daily errands, but also socialize in these self-contained communities. It is impossible not to get to know a fair amount of people within the first month of living in the same neigbourhood. Not to mention that neighbour who invited everyone in our (small) appartment building for a getting-to-know-each-other dinner. You definitely don't get that everywhere!
       What about your countries, or your cities? Do you live and carry out your activities in a friendly environment? Is it easy to make friends, or everyone sticks to what they have to do and this is enough? Do you think it is a cultural thing, like a tradition belonging to particular parts of the world more than others? And, most of all, do you think that community spirit is a good thing or a bad thing? 

(photo: www.geekandjock.com)
        

     

Immigration and the Importance of Language Proficiency

 

  Yesterday I discovered an interesting discussion on the Debating Europe platform. The topic was whether EU immigrants should be required to pass a language proficiency exam, and whether it would mean "the end of freedom of movement".
   Personally, I would be in favour of a language exam, and I am not necessarily linking this requirement to the European Union and freedom of movement.  Freedom of movement still exists, legally - nobody changes your entitlement to live and work in another EU country. It is not what this is all about: it's about the capacity to make yourself understood in your new country of residence. The European Union is about unity in diversity, and, amongst other things, it cannot change the diversity of languages, and the fact that member states speak different languages. 
     Communicating effectively is essential. Perhaps various people emigrate for studies or work, based on the fact that speaking English will be enough in an academic or professional environment. And it may well be. However, if their chosen country's official language is not English, not everyone will speak it. And becoming fluent in the official language of the country of adoption is always useful, because it gives extra security, from interacting with local authorities, to being able to seize more work opportunities, to simply making more friends. Not to mention the fact that if the chosen career is based on language abilities, such as a career in communication, or humanities, or social sciences, the level of language proficiency must be really high.
     I have seen many people moving to a country whose language they did not speak. But, step by step, they started to learn it and now they are fluent. By the same token, I also saw people moving abroad without speaking any foreign language (not even English), and hoping to find a job. Needless to say that their chances were next to none. Yes, some languages are more difficult than others, depending on what your native language is, and depending on how naturally talented for learning languages you are. However, I think that with a little bit of willpower you can learn at least enough to make yourself understood. 
       Therefore, with these aspects in mind, why should we NOT sustain a language exam? Yes, it is a formality, just like the formality of having to prove your status in your new country - as a student or as a worker - in order to be recognized as a resident, and which also happens amongst EU countries. But in the context of NEEDING to speak the local language, an exam would simply be the crowining of our objective. Why fear or resent this procedure? 
       It is not about restricting freedom of movement, but really about unity in diversity, the focus being on the word "diversity". This diversity of languages will remain this way forever. We will still accept each other, but each immigrant also needs to make some adaptations to his/her new environment. And this goes beyond Europe, or the European Union. 

(photo source: www.shutterstock.com) 
   

The Romanian Traveller: Sibiu - an Elegant Travel through Time

  

  

 When I wrote about Brasov, I must have proved to you that Transylvania is not a gloomy place at all. On the contrary: it could be considered the most fairytale-like region of Romania. From Brasov, our travel through Transylvania continues, till we reach another special city: Sibiu.

                           

   The first thing that will attract your attention is that in this beautiful city, time seems to have stopped in its tracks. Classical architecture reminding either of the Middle Ages, or of the Austro-Hungarian influences, mixed with the general traquillity and cleanliness of the entire city. The city also bears the German name of Hermannstadt and it is home to a considerable German minority.   Moreover, Sibiu was the European Capital of Culture in 2007, the first Romanian city to be part of the famous European initiative, which has also earned its status of Romanian cultural capital. And even now, years later, a wide variety of cultural events are taking part throughout the year. So, if you are into art and culture, this is definitely the place to visit. 

         

      

      What other tips would I give you?

   ... when it comes to finding accommodation, don't go for mainstream "modern" hotels, but for those set in villas, which tend to be decorated in a style of times past. 

            

     

     .... the same goes for restaurants - be it medieval, rustic, or Belle-Epoque, it is important to find those who provide a unique atmosphere. They generally serve traditional food of the region - prices are moderate, but you know that you eat well.

       ... for an amazing view of the city, it is worth climbing the Town Hall Tower (Turnul Sfatului). The stairs are narrow and numerous, you may get dizzy on the way, but the view is absolutely magnificent.

              

         ... from ancient tradition in the country-side to refined art and high culture: Astra Museum (also known as the Village Museum) and the Bruckenthal Palace Museum definitely should not be missed. 

         ... what about Liar's Bridge (Podul Minciunilor), also located in the city center? Many legends circulate about it, and the most common one is that if you tell a lie whilst being on the brigde, the bridge will start to moan and fall down. So... maybe it's safe not to try! ;)

          

       

      ... coffee and tea must be consumed with courtesy. Caffeterias Pardon and Salut confirm it. Again, it is all about the atmosphere: particularly Pardon would be dedicated to music lovers who wish they went back to the 1920s. ;)

       ... most touristic objectives are located close to the city-center and the Great Square (Piata Mare), apart from the Astra Museum, which, like an escape to the country-side, will bring us closer to nature.

           

       ... rooftops have eyes. And I'm not kidding! :)

       ... last but not least, people seem to be very calm and friendly.

   What can we say about Sibiu? History, culture, atmosphere, and an escape from the hectic and modern life. I highly reccomend it - you will not regret! 

         

Matera 2019: Italy's Next European Capital of Culture

 

 One of my favourite European initiatives is, without a doubt, the European Capital of Culture programme. The first European Capital of Culture was designated in 1985 as the Greek capital city - Athens. Since then, every year the title goes to different cities, by rotation amongst EU countries. The project has various key roles:

• giving the designated city the opportunity to emphasize its local cultural identity;
• direct the attention of various European cultural operators towards the designated city, in order to organize their own cultural events and performances in these locations;
• raising the visibility of the city on the international level;
• providing economic and touristic growth to the city and the surrounding region.
• even after the year as a European Capital of Culture has ended, developments in the city's cultural life and infrastructure are still visible. 

   Last week, one of the winners for 2019 was announced as the Italian city of Matera, situated in the extreme southern region of Basilicata. Matera has a little more than 60.000 inhabitants, and it is the second largest city of the region, after Potenza. A decision which I appreciated, as Basilicata is not a particularly famous Italian region, nor a top-spot  destination for international tourists. So, why not discover it? 

    To tell you the truth, I have never arrived in that part of Italy, and I knew almost nothing about it. But I tried to inform myself about the city of Matera and what makes it special. Matera is divided in two parts: a modern one and an ancient one. The ancient part of the city is also known as "i sassi di Matera" ("the stones of Matera"), which were declared UNESCO heritage in 1993, being also the first UNESCO site in southern Italy. These are mainly houses carved in stone. During the Middle Ages, monks went to live there and started digging these caves in order to build monasteries. Later in time, these monks started to leave the city, and people started to occupy the monasteries and inhabit them, until around 1920. However, the poor quality of living conditions made Matera the "shame of Italy", and therefore, during the times of Mussolini, people were forced to abandon the cave-houses and live in the newly-built modern city.  

   Nowadays, the city is becoming revalued, as many of these caves are being used again. Many of them are hotels, rupestrian churches, and even bars - all with a special atmosphere, as everything is set in stone. Plus, given the fact that in prehistoric times the land of the city was under the sea, in these caves we can still see marine fossils coming out of the walls. 

    And, for cinefiles all over the world, you must know that the movie "The Passions of the Christ", directed by Mel Gibson in 2004, was filmed in Matera.

    Consequently, we have a landscape that is unique in the world, with its very own unique history. It would certainly be good for Matera, and for Basilicata in general, to enjoy a well-deserved touristic growth, and the creation of new professional and economic opportunities, which, until now, are quite scarce in the region. One thing is sure: I have become curious to visit it, and I will be following all the news and initiatives related to Matera 2019. 

 

Asia Fest 2014 - a Cultural Slice of Each Asian Country

    

 I am very proud to discover that my city and my people are becoming increasingly curious to discover other cultures. And the Asian continent is not characterized by physical proximity, and substantial resources are required in order to get there. Therefore, if the average Romanian citizen cannot afford to visit Asia, Asia is visiting us.

     

     As a matter of fact, in these days Bucharest is hosting its second edition of Asia Fest. In five days, we get to discover a little bit of... Japan, China, Korea, India, Sri Lanka, and (partially European) Turkey. Just like for any event that involves the participation of several countries, each of these countries has to put its best foot forward, through their most interesting cultural practices. 

    

    So, what could visitors entertain themselves with?

    ... workshops in Chinese, Japanese and Korean caligraphy

    ... Japanese costumes workshop

    ... Indian henna tattoos

    ... Ikebana worksops

    ... painting on water

    ... Korean tea ceremony

    ... music and dance shows from each country

    ... parade of national costumes

    ... sculpture in fruits and vegetables

    ... Origami workshop

    ... Manga drawing

    ... movie projections 

  ... and of course, loads of food - Chinese, Japanese (Sushi), Korean, Turkish and Indian. Some of them were even prepared on the spot.

           

         And the list could go on. I am sure I have missed several activities, but with one activity more interesting than the other, variety was the defining word for the event. And the setting was so full, that it was hard to find your way amongst the visitors. It is hard to be present during all the activities in these kinds of festivals. More likely, I believe that they also serve in stirring curiosity among people, if there is a particular culture, or language, or  topic, or artistic practice, that they wish to learn more in depth. And after all, the cultural institutes of the respective countries are always active and available for various initiatives of this kind. So, whoever wants to learn more, they have the chance. 

        

       As for me, I councluded the evening with a Sushi dinner (one of my favourite foods), which I also saw being prepared in front of me, and... I signed up for a 10% discount voucher on any trip to Asia, if taken before October 2015. If I am lucky with time and money... I will certainly be looking forward to that. ;) 

555 Years of Bucharest.... and Why I Think My City Has a Complex Identity

 

   A celebration lasting all year culminated last week-end. On the 20th of September, Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, as well as my hometown, celebrated 555 years since it was first attested in an official document. This year was full of cultural events of all types in our city, all matching, from one point of view or another, with the cultural identity of Bucharest and its inhabitants throughout the years.
  

  Apart from becoming overly sentimental, like many of my fellow citizens of Bucharest, I started to think about what makes my city special. And there are so many contrasting features! Being multi-faceted is surely a characteristic of all capital cities, but the features in themselves, and the combination of them, are unique for each city.

    

    When visiting Bucharest, most foreigners tell me that it is full of contrasts, and some of them rather painful. Our population typologies range from the hot-shot rich guy with a BMW and a luxury villa in one of the selected neighbourhoods, to the homeless beggar. Unfortunately, social equality is a distant dream for us. Our architectural landscape varies from the elegance of the interbellic era, which earned Bucharest the name of Little Paris, and whose atmosphere we always like to re-create and re-experience, to the massive and somewhat imposing reminiscence of communism, from the big appartment blocks to the worldwide famous Palace of Parliament. Parks, flowers and lakes meet circluated roads and glass office buildings. And last but not least, the cultural side of Bucharest is flourishing every year: music, theatre, exhibitions, festivals of all sorts are happening throughout the year, at prices that are accessible to most people. Bucharest is not just about an unique image.In theory, everyone could fit in and everyone can find something to suit them. 
   

   What do I wish for my city and for its people? More friendliness, more civilization and more respect towards the other, both between ourselves or towards visitiors from outside. More care towards the needy. Less negligence towards our city, and more willingness to keep it clean and to restructure places that need it. Less chaos in traffic, and a better infrastructure. And of course, to flourish every day with joy of life, even in spite of the nerve-consuming political life. 
    Happy birthday, my beautiful city! 
     

The Romanian Traveller: Brasov - at a Crossroads between Cultures

  This special post is dedicated to those of you who are fascinated by Transylvania, or, better said, the myths behind it. Many people are stuck with the legend of Count Dracula, so much that they imagine a gloomy, vampire-esque atmosphere to characterize the central Romanian region. 
   

  As a matter of fact, our first Transylvanian stop will be Brasov, placed at the heart of the country, and one of the most important cities in Romania. What makes it special is that it mixes three cultures present on the Romanian territory. In fact, like many other cities in Transylvania, Brasov has a totally different outlook from Bucharest, or the general picture of Romanian cities. Brasov is a crossroads between Romanian, German and Hungarian architecture and atmosphere, as it was also part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As a matter of fact, Brasov is also known by the names of Kronstadt (German, meaning "Crown City"), and Brasso (Hungarian). Not to mention the fact that during the dark communist days of Stalin, its official name was Stalin City. 

   Apart from all this, Brasov is full of history, legends, and fairy-tale places, each of them present wherever you will go.

    And what can you visit?
     

   - The Black Church, a Gothic Cathedral, built at the end of the 14th century. Its dark colour was caused by the fire it went through during the Great Turkish War, in 1689. The Chruch is also the only Christian church hosting a collection of anatolian carpets. Talk about inter-religious tollerance! And also look for the son of Quasimodo on the roof of the church. Will not tell you more. You need a keen eye for detail, but you will see him. ;)
           

   - Strada Sforii (the Rope Street), which is the narrowest street in Eastern Europe. Once you're on it, you have no other choice but to keep walking. Nothing to stop for, nothing to see. But it is a funny feeling!
        

    - The Museum of History, located in the very center of the city, in the old Town Hall (Piata Sfatului). The building itself is fascinating, the entrance is very cheap, and you can find all sorts of testimonials of old Brasov life: artefacts, costumes, means of transport, documents and diplomas or guns. But what fascinated me the most was the reconstitution of a last century pharmacy and a newspaper publisher house. 
       

   - The Brasov Fortress (Cetate). There is a little bit of uphill walking involved, but it is well worth it. You will pass through a really elegant neighbourhood of the city, and, once arrived at the top, the medieval fortess looks simply like a different world. 
              

    - Mountain Tampa, a part of Postavarul Massif, in the Carpathian Mountains. Do not worry if you are not keen of trekking. There is always the option to climb and return by funicular cabin. But once you get on top, where the letters "BRASOV" are written in Hollywood-style, the view is simply breathtaking.

   As for practical information, I will tell you that Brasov is quite convenient, and there are lots of coffee-shops, restaurants, and an active night-life, with bars and clubs situated close to each other, so you won't have to travel too far. 

   That was another tea-spoon of culture and travel from Romania. And what I told you is just the beginning. There is so much more waiting to be discovered...

  

  

The Constructive Facebook Challenge: a Quick Injection of Culture

     

   

  Many "serious" people would say that Facebook is a waste of time. Well, probably not in its entirety, but it certainly takes away a fair portion of the time we should be spending working, studying, cleaning the house, or whatever other chores. 

  However, in the recent days and months I have seen a new, constructive use of Facebook. Most of us have been involved in chain challenges, when a friend of ours publishes something, then nominates us to do the same. Yet, the most culturally-challenging one are those dedicated to paintings and those dedicated to books. If I publish a painting, and you click "like" on it, I would assign you a painter, and you would have to publish one of his works. Or, if somebody nominates me to publish a list of 10 of my favourite books, I will also have to think of at least 3 friends who should do the same. Therefore, when this happens, we see at least a few friends of ours publishing lists of books and famous paintings each day. It is like they recommend us what to read, or which artist we should look up. And this can do us nothing but good. In a glance, we find out something we may not have seen or read before. I have been involved in both of these challenges, and, apart from sharing my own taste in art and literature, my curiosity and desire for knowledge were highly stimulated. So much, that I decided to dedicate more time to reading, which, with today's hectic lifestyle, has been quite difficult. Not bad, is it?

   And I wonder what the next type of challenge will be. Theatre plays? Movies? Music? Touristic destination? Tradition from our own countries? That's for us to choose. But we definitely LIKE it!