NATO Summit 2008 an April Fools joke

The 2008 NATO summit in Bucuresti, first to fourth of April, now turns out to have been nothing more than an April Fools joke, put together by the Romanian authorities.

The official website, the road blocks, the extremely high level of security, all the conferences, Bush and Putin both being in Bucuresti at the same time -- it was all just a very expensive April Fools joke that in the end cost the tax payers more than 24 million euros.

When asked if the April Fools joke also had functioned as a 'proper' NATO summit, president Băsescu said, "Well, NATO might have seen this as a summit, but us, the romanian politicians, are very happy about pulling off the most expensive April Fools joke ever, which will also have secured itself an entry in the Guinness book of World Records."

A female reporter later asked Băsescu if there would be an official report as to where all the money went, and the president replied, "Little baby girl -- look at my houses, my cars, my wardrobe, my mistresses... Are you joking with me?"

Taxi Diamonds in the Rough

So, ever since we opened this blog, we've been threatening ourselves with the notion of writing long, cynical stories about taxi drivers in Bucharest. From our experience, this has been one of the worst things about the city. Everything from taxi drivers who slyly charge 7.90 ron/km (this is about 5 times the going rate), to getting blackmailed for a laptop we once forgot in a taxi, to consistent fights with taxi drivers over small arbitrary amounts of money they've added onto the final meter reading, to multiple physical confrontations (taxi drivers getting out of the cab for a possible fight), to drivers who circle the city just to add a few rons onto the bill, to taxi drivers claiming that they don't have appropriate change (in the hope you have to just give them a large bill) --- we've seen it all (we hope). And it's only accentuated when you're a foreigner (although stories like these also happen to Romanians). So, I thought I'd tell a good story, for once.

It all started at 4:45AM near Piata Romana. I was accompanying my French friend to the train station. The appropriate rate from Piata Romana to the train station is about 8 or 9 Ron (after tip). After being rejected by the first taxi driver (yes taxi drivers decide whether the distance is long enough or it is in their interest to take you), we then approached another taxi driver who said he'd take us for 20 Ron. I laughed and said no. Then he said he'd do it for 15. I laughed again and said we'd only pay 10 Ron but my French friend was very nervous about being late, so he quickly caved in and decided the 15 Ron rate was fair enough.

As I often try to do during the ride, I started to speak with the driver in my shitty Romanian. This is usually my tactic to demonstrate that I'm not a tourist here, hopefully limiting my risk of getting screwed. So, if you can imagine talking with a Romanian 4 year old, this is about how it sounds talking to me in Romanian.

After a bit of chat, the taxi driver learned I was coming back to Piata Romana after dropping my friend at the train station, so he offered to wait for me while I bought my friend's train ticket and escorted him to the train platform. I agreed, because I don't particularly like the train station, or the taxi freaks that target clients there.

After taking care of my friend, I returned to the taxi for the 10 minute ride back to my house. During the short ride, we touched on some nice subjects -- NATO, life, culture, other languages, respecting the culture that you visit, etc. As we pulled into my neighborhood, he made sure to take me as close to my house as he could (not all taxi drivers like to do this) ... and then assuming the previous rate of 15 Ron, I handed him my money, smiled and started to leave. He then returned the smile and gave me 5 Ron back. He told me to have a nice day, we shook hands and I got out.

As insignificant as this sounds, I really appreciated this fair gesture by the taxi driver. It's the kind of thing that leaves you with a good taste in your mouth about people and humanity and taxi drivers. So, thank you, to the taxi driver who has changed my outlook on taxi drivers in Bucharest.

Really just hanging out

One of the things I find really strange about Bucuresti is the big number of people who are just "hanging out" on the streets. Every time I'm walking around I see at least a few people around on the streets who are just there, doing nothing. And they don't look like they are waiting for someone in particular either...

The ones I am thinking about look a little "shady", but I don't think they are actually:
* working with anything
* beggars
* robbers (at least they can't all be :p)
* prostitutes
* drugdealers

So who are they then? What are they doing? What's their story? Any ideas? Feel free to post in the comments...

Why the "why?"

If you ask them a simple question, a LOT of Romanians have a tendency to add a "why?" to the end of their answers.

Like this:
- Hey Cristina, long time no see! How have you been?
- I've been OK. Why?

Or:
- So is that your friend?
- Yes. Why?

Or:
- Did you walk all the way here?
- No, I took a taxi. Why?

My friend Sinziana has this theory:
* Romanians ask "Why?" to find out the true meaning of the question - that there might be something more to the question than what was asked. Or that conversations often start with questions that are very general or open, and the "Why?" after an answer is a reflex, a normal way to continue the conversation.

This could imply that Romanians are actually not used to simple questions which are just that, they might be more used to all questions having a hidden meaning behind them. On the other hand it can also just mean that it's a normal way to converse, and the "Why?" is merely a vehicle.

Iulia, another friend, said this:
* This is just how Romanians are. Germans have a way of being (cold), and Romanians just have this way of speaking, it's in the culture. In Romania, most of the time, a question is more than just a question. "Why?" is both a way to find out the real intention of the question, and also it can be a way to talk out more about the subject.

Myself, I have a small theory that these verbal mechanisms (questions with hidden meanings and "Why?") might be an effect of communism, where the lack of free speech probably had people wanting to find out the true intentions of questions. And before 1989 you had to be a bit careful about what you said, because in Ceauşescu's Romania the country was full of informants that would turn you in if you said something "dangerous".

So this must have had a huge psychological effect on people then. And those people are the parents of today's young people, so even young people now have been influenced by their parents and are probably carrying around fragments of a pre-1989 mindset. And thus "Why?" is still being used.

Just a thought. :)

Hey, where's my change?

Often, when I go to KFC to buy a 5 piece chicken strip meal (which costs 9.90 RON), I give the cashier a 10 RON note and after a few seconds of hope, I realize that I'm not going to get my 10 bani coin back (bani are like cents). Why does this happen?

Hmm, I have no idea but this is a strange fact about Romania - they often don't give you back correct change. It's not always a loss to you either - give or take 10 to 20 bani above or below the actual price of the item, vendors often think it's just easier to "not worry about it".

But ... hey wait.. how do you say in Romanian, "I'm worried about it"? :(

Bryan

Attack of the foreigners

If I had a RON for everytime I've been asked "So, why Romania?", I'd basically still be a poor westerner living in Romania, but at least it would help pay for the ever increasing prices in this beautifully strange country.

Many times accompanied with a subtly accusitive smile, this question "Why Romania?" always leaves me with one basic feeling -- the feeling that I need to provide a good answer. So the real question is - what's the right answer? Why are all these foreigners here? What do they want? And will they leave? :)

Well, the quick answer to this question is "why not Romania?" Besides, it's a beautiful country filled with an intelligent and proud people, working hard and pushing Romania forward in new ways. Yes, there are negative aspects of Romania - as there are in all countries -but in the end, what I see is an honest and loving people that are slowly but surely trying to change Romania for the better.

Bryan