During the past couple of years, my native city of Bucharest has become my place of residence again, after four years of living in Milano. People ask me how it feels to be back home, some of them assume it's automatically better to be back to your roots, and others look at me worriedly, having in mind all the bad stereotypes which circulate about my country.
Ok, guys! Let me start with the beginning: life in Romania is far from perfect, mainly due to numerous political and social issues. There are good and bad things, like in every place of the world. But it's a complex society, full of contrasts: the rich and the poor, the traditional and the global, the ancient and the modern, the high-brow intellectual and the "simpleton". I often wondered what I would think if I found myself here for the first time in my life. What would I think of the places I see, or the people and situations I'm dealing with? Would I like this country or not? And, most of all, what would I tell my foreign friends and aquaintances who've never been here before, or who would like to return here for an extended period of time?
Therefore, I'll take the challenge: once a month (at least), I will share with you some facts about everyday life in Romania, especially Bucharest. The good, the bad, and the ugly, from the average citizen's point of view. Things which may not make it on the news, because they are neither good or bad - they just exist, and we're used to them. Things that are not that "unique", so that they become national stereotypes. I'm not talking about touristic places and festive cultural practices either: for those we'll have separate posts. Let's uncover the truth about life in Romania together!
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