BARFA ONLINE

ROMANIAN HEALTH AND OTHER SYSTEMS

2012-01-10T20:05:00.001-08:00

One should not express opinions everywhere. It applies in any case for bureaucrats working for government Boc – and the real boss Traian Basescu partly not shown in the governmental back rooms.

Raed Arafat came from Palestine in 1981, became a physician trained in Romania and worked his way up to one of the best doctors in Romania - in various places around the country.His excellent organizational talent was soon discovered and Arafat was later employed by various governments to improve the organization of Romania Health Care.

Arafat’s baby turned out to be SMURD, the service called out to help people when there are accidents and emergency situations. And while Romania's hospitals operate on a shocking level of corruption, incompetence and poor leadership, SMURD works in an impressive manner. So well that other countries in the region have used SMURD as a model for its EMERGENCY service.
- And Arafat was hired to be under-secretary of state in full-time and even received a medal of Traian Basescu for his efforts. It was a long time ago - a short time ago.

Now, Basescu and Boc intend to privatize the Romanian health care after an American pattern. They have given up the fight to reform the state hospitals because the system is so degraded and and covered in self-preservation that it apparently will not be changed ever. Besides Romanian doctors flee abroad by the thousands. To make this easier, Boc also reduced doctors' salaries. Romania – the Land of Contradictions

Mr Arafat does not fancy a privatized SMURD at all. "Ambulance owners will be competing financially, thinking only of money and less to save people's lives," Arafat said. And he added that he does not like to change things that work – even more so when everyone else says it works well.

When the SMURD creator repeated this on TV, the Head of State Himself called to the TV studio. " If you cannot keep quiet and keep your opinions to yourself, you must quit. You are too left wing," Mr Basescu said nervously..
So much for freedom of expression in Romania. Raed quit his job. Traian is still a while in his. And the rest of us can regret that it is not vice versa. If we need SMURD one day.

THE MOST RUDE ESTATE AGENCY SOUTH OF BUCHAREST

2011-12-19T22:33:00.001-08:00

JULIAN IMOBILARE in the town of SLOBOZIA has no basic knowledge of how to treat customers. First they do not reply to emails – which is a common thing in Romania and forgiveable in that context – but read on: We sent a few locals there to check if any flats were available for rent and that person – probably the owner – asked for 100 RON just to tell us if there were some flats for rent or not ! Shameless, greedy and stupid … and it goes by itself: Run away from people like this. It is just worth a good laugh.

DEAR MRS UDREA, “ NU AM MARUNTIS”

2011-06-15T07:35:00.001-07:00

Dear Mrs Tourist Minister, I am tired. I am tired because I have been carrying a bag full of “banuts “ – Romanian coins – when travelling around in your country for a month. Nobody in this country has change so I have to bring them along myself in order not to pay more. I am on a travel budget you see.

In the bus when I bought the ticket the ticket lady said, “ I have no change, I will come back later if someone has coins.”The woman did not come back, probably nobody paid her with banutz further on the road. The same happened when I returned with the same bus in the late afternoon but then with a male ticket person. He had no change and I paid more than the fare. I tried to protest but he said more or less friendly that I was welcome to walk, however it was the last bus. So I did not ask for my change to avoid problems.

When I wanted to buy a train ticket one morning, the lady at the ticket desk said it was too early too pay with a 100 lei note, and I missed the train. The newspaper kiosk nearby would not change my bank note either, the owner said right away that it was not his business. Now when I think about it, I agree. When he saw how sad or upset I was he came over to me in the train station waiting room and said, “ You see , I am not the owner, I just sell the newspapers, and the owner never trusts me with cash or change, so I have to save up pennies myself at home for the job in the kiosk, but this morning we spent them all on milk to the baby “ I said ok, I understand. I was deeply moved by this story.

My friend found a very nice dress at a local market and she wanted to buy it, it cost just 55 ron. It said on the price tag. The sleepy saleswoman finallly appeared and took it off the rack. Then she saw my friend with the 100 ron bank note and she put it back again.

“ You must change, nu am maruntis “ she said with a very strict English accent. She did not even look at the customer and disappeared again. My friend insisted that we should find an ATM and we did, we found eight ATMS close to the market. We cashed 100 lei in all of them to see if one would give us back ten times 10 lei notes, but all gave us 100 lei notes.

My friend got so upset she kicked the last ATM with her foot – nothing happened apart from the fact that she started bleeding. I told her to sit down while I ran to a pharmacy, I guess there were also eight of them around. As you probably know, Mrs Minister, Romania is filled with ATMS, PHARMACIES and CHURCHES. ( In that order )

I rushed into the one close to the last ATM and stuttered; “Please give me plaster, my friend is bleeding.” The girl all dressed in a very clean and white uniform - and very beautiful, almost like a model, gave me a set of plaster in different sizes, all perfect. “ Thanks “ I said and gave her my bank note. “ No no no, you cannot pay with that “ she said looking angrily at me. I knew it all then, so I said: “ Aha, I see , of course you have no change “. I left the 100 lei on the desk in front of the lady in white and left.

So Mrs Udrea, now I carry a bag with coins to see your country. I think you should enclude this advice in your promos now running on CNN.

With respect,

Torghitza

MONI, MONI MONI - AND IRINEL

2011-03-22T05:18:00.001-07:00

It is a facinating story. The story about the old and chubby millionaire who picked up a young and beautiful country girl , and gave her everything from fancy clothes, a certain dash of education and his own taste for the good life. Everyone apart from the chubby millionaire knew that this would end with a divorce, and so it has. But of course when sexy young wives leave their old humiliated husbands it is a nasty affair. Parantal rights, grants, access to homes etc etc etc.

The Romanian soap opera MONI AND IRINEL is so classical that it is boring, apart from one thing: The concern of the Romanian mass media for this story. It is beyond imagination! Bombs fall in Libya, quakes and tsunamies hit the Japanese, and Moni and Irinel still hit the Romanian news media headlines. It is a public divorce beyond any sense. Psycologists, lawyers, friends and enemies all are invites to the studios to state more or less intelligent words about the couple. And the chubby millionaire has unlimited access to one main news channel, expressing his opinion about the situation day after day. Gee, ….did somebody say the divorce is settled some time in April?

Until then the Romanian news channels sing like ABBA: MONEY MONEY MONEY IT MUST BE FUNNY IN THE RICH MAN`S WORLD….

THE ROMANIAN TOURIST INDUSTRY

2011-01-19T17:44:00.001-08:00

Romanian tourist industry has after two decades of great potentials - ended up in a state of pathetic incompetence and is strategically in a mess. Like anything else in Romania private financial interests force national and social interests off the agenda when the smell of swift cash is too tempting. Romania - with its huge and colorful resources, its beauty, its variance, its intelligence and rich culture – is the land where the very few stole the documents that gave them access to do whatever they gain something from. And 20 years of talking change has only caused frustration. The game of running a tourist business in Romania is like any other businesses in this country; a scam half legal, half exposed to bribes and bureaucratic nonsense forced upon anyone by the puppets who call themselves politicians.

So what is different this year? Nothing much, except from the fact that the big guys in the tourist business complain in public about less turnover after years of great profits. They look really worried when they appear on TV.

The fact is that this summer season at the Romanian seaside has not been that bad. The expert forecasts in April had the ringtones of a total disaster, indicating almost empty beaches and no tourists at all. All due to the worldwide financial crises that also has hit Romanians basically in the form of increasing unemployment.

Now at the ending part of the season it is obvious that forecasters were mistaken in many ways. Beach resorts like Eforie, Neptun, Costinesti and Vama Veche have been packed with people. The front page resort Mamaia also during weekends. Conclusion: Tourists came in numbers like before, maybe they stayed for a shorter time than usual, but there were crowds on all the Romanian beaches all right. When summer is hot - like the 2009 summer - the urban population flees the glowing asphalt in order to cool down on a windy beach - regardless previous plans of staying home. 150000 of them came during the peak weekend primo August according to a TV Channel that monitored the traffic jam on the highways leading to the coast.

So who are these tourist business people and why do the hoteliers complain loudly, suddenly showing their tired white faces on the tube regularly? I have tried to grasp their messages every time they air their worries, and basically it is like this: The tourists do not spend money any more. - Of course meaning the tourists do not spend money the way the tourist business elite want. We could of course say "the way the tourist mafia wants", but we will not - because according to the Romanian tourist minister the black tourist industry just represents 40% of the business - which leaves 60% of them with legal papers. Do you follow?

Back to the point: The tourists have changed their way of spending their holiday budget. Which again means that the tourists neither accept overpriced hotel rooms with poor service , nor waiters who cheat them on the bill. They prefer to stay with the old baba who offer beds overnight in her own apartment or house.

Families fill up their cars with food from the local grocery before going to the beach, because they are factors in a free market with competition and an ability to adapt. Not a market where things are controlled and agreed upon behind non-transparent curtains. And this reveals another aspect; there are winners in this wind of change blowing down trees in the Romanian tourist industry. The small grocery store, the cheap self service restaurants, the fast food restaurants with corn, donuts and fish plates - and those small hotels and motels that offer low rates with a friendly smile. And the old grandma who has some extras added to her pension by hosting guests privately of course.

One local kiosk and pension owner where I live had his clear words about this the other day. - "How do they dare criticizing their clients for not coming to them? - Why do they sound like victims? They have their luxury beds filled up with black or grey money, they own two or three villas, have five expensive cars and a network of secret connections to higher places and they cry because their profit last month is only 10000 euro and not 30000 euro? Because they are used to have their investments returned into profit after one season instead of thinking long- term? No, this is the summer when a level of sense and adaptation well overdue will force the Romanian tourist industry to rethink strategy."

It is easy to agree, and one should hope he will be right, but Romania is Romania, as a common saying goes when things cannot be explained logically right away. Another likely result of this summer may be that only the very powerful tourist mafia or the big chains survive, making it all full lottery pot next season for the very few and the very rich and very powerful. Then no common Romanian has gained anything from the change.

And this summer has proved another very sad aspect that seems totally forgotten by mass media for some reason or another: The rather cruel exploitation of young unskilled labor force by the local tourist barons. It has always existed but this year the use of right down slave workers has been openly exploited without any shame - apart from a few hours if the financial inspectors pop up and they cannot be bribed. All over the Romanian Riviera young people, many from the countryside - have been hired with promises of a fixed monthly salary ranging from 1000 - 1200 ron, fixed hours, a room for the nights, food and a legal contract. Almost without any exception these youngsters end up with 12 - 15 hours work each day seven days a week, no fixed schedule, no real formal work instructions, no common information of rights, food and room suddenly subtracted from their salary which is paid only half sum if lucky, if at all.

One trade union organizer we talked to in July and who obviously was not paid off by the employers, told us that he was sure 90% of the beach enterprises at the seaside neither pay salary regularly nor correctly. He claimed half of them even do not pay at all by delaying the pay-out so long that the workers with no pocket money in advance just have to leave back home empty handed - or with a private debt too big to be handled - after lending money from colleagues.

He listed an example of a waiter that had worked three months without a dime offered as a salary - just living on tips from a few generous clients, an income from which he had to give to the owner 60% as well. The big scam according to him - and workers we have spoken to - is the fact that many employers sign work contracts with all workers the first day, but the employer only sends a few of the contracts for registration. This again to avoid paying taxes which in Romania are so many, so heavy, so complicated and so stupidly expressed that only the poor pay them because they cannot afford paying someone who knows to get rid of them. In addition if an employer intends not to pay salary at all he cannot frame himself by issuing legal work contracts.

The last fact is not known to the worker until the obvious conflict is coming up later. Or when there is an official financial control and the owner is warned by phone calls from other bosses of enterprises en route - and the boss commands the majority of the staff to take a hike on the beach for a few hours. Leaving only the few registered workers behind when the official control takes place. If someone is caught working black - or there are other missing aspects with the business - of course penalties are issued. Sometimes even with great media attention and the use of the world SCANDAL, though that word is so frequently used by Romanian mass media that it really does not mean anything beyond the ordinary.

It happens of course because the official inspectors also need some results in their report files, in addition to the general Romanian desire of having a few quick bucks extra. It is quite evident that only a few of them are there to defend any public interest, more enjoying the wonderful position of having the possibility to check beachside mafia bosses with plenty of money – equipped with plenty of legal points to enforce in an environment based on the hope of not being caught breaking the rules during a few summer months.

Once a fine is issued after a theatre scene of loud voices and bad words, paying the penalty is often delayed by months and years in a legal process - or more likely another solution is found when control returns to see if corrections are made - a solution which often includes a form of sophisticated bribe in one way or another. In such cases both the public and the private mafia are half happy and let go of any further process.

The main sad point is that the workers again are the losers. EU reports say that Romanian workers are those who work longest hours in Europe and it is true. And even nobody says so, for less money and less human rights than elsewhere west of Danube. When a worker after three months work in the tourist field has only a minor part of his salary or nothing at all, he or she should of course complain. The trade unions in Romania are not defending anyone as their leaders are paid secretly by the employers so that channel is a lost case. But there are laws and there are plenty of offices where he seemingly would get some support. After all, Romania is officially a part of Europe.

But when you work black in Romania you are also fined along with the employer who hired you black. By having this law, there are no workers who dare to file a complaint as it includes a fine also issued to them as a hello – goodbye from the Romanian state.

If any decent government would get rid of this slave labor taking place all over Romania, they would of course abolish the fining of the worker and fine the guilty employer only. But they do not want to. And one can guess whose interests the top Romanian politicians represent and who gave them funds to enter politics in the first place.

The foreign tourists are avoiding Romania. A direct fall in numbers of visitors from abroad over the last two years is a significant warning sign since the rise in numbers in the beginning of the century indicated that the foreign hesitation towards Romania as a summer destination finally could be overcome.

While there in 2003 were eight charter flights weekly during summer from Scandinavian countries directly to the Romanian seaside, there is no flight at all summer 2009. When asked one of the largest charter agencies in Scandinavia Apollo said that Romanian seaside hotels simply were too expensive to make business - and that the hoteliers in resorts like Mamaia were not able to make realistic and stable deals over time. Some were not even interested. Advices from them on service and efficiency were not taken seriously either, was another point of frustration.

This negative development in Romania is quite remarkable since neighboring Bulgaria is a huge success as a holiday destination for Scandinavians and others since many years and still is. The climate is the same, the living standard comparable and the financial challenges almost the same. And Romania has per se more to offer than Bulgaria including a more understandable language to Western Europeans.

The reason may be simple. Romania and Bulgaria are regarded as budget destinations in many parts of Europe and have been promoted as such. The Romanian idea that any Western tourist is a walking bank box is of course totally wrong – apart from when the Romanian compares a western salary to a Romanian one. Many middle class families in the west really struggle to make ends meet at times and pick holiday destination that can be affordable.

When tourists to cheap Bulgaria return home they tell their friends that it was really cheap, good service and really ok, that is more worth than any official promo. When tourists to cheap Romania return home and say it was not cheap at all, the service lacking and that they were overcharged and cheated all the way from the taxi to the supper restaurant, that is more damaging than any international report on social problems.

If you work all year to have your five weeks off and you spend two of them in a place where you cannot relax because of petty crime and impoliteness, you simply do not spend time and money on such a destination the next time you have a choice. In Bulgaria they somehow have managed to think strategy in the tourist business. Strategy in a long term aspect and it has paid off. In Romania if there is a strategy at all it is just to make as much profit as possible in a very short period of time regardless any effect it may have over time.

The people who profit in the tourist business in Romania are to be blamed. And the problem is that they do not care whether they are to be blamed or not. They can do as they please because money rules wildly in this country - and they are in the business because of money and money only. Tourism as a national hospitality showcase or a national image creator is beyond their wildest dreams. The only external ideas they may have be how to handle any local official control coming up without suffering too much financially. And the strange attitude that they have the right to do whatever they like, the right to abuse their workers, the right to not care about standard or service in general.

And this incompetence and greed cause a chain of reactions. A worker who gets no real salary and work long hours is not motivated to offer good service. A worker who is desperate may find himself cheating on a bill or a payment just to survive. And this goes on and on. The professional and commonly accepted notion that you should care about your workers and keep them happy because it makes your business better and even more profitable seems to be absent in Romania.

A pretty tourist minister with idealistic intentions can walk barefooted along the Romanian beaches issuing statements on improvement or camp outside the town hall in Paris with promo songs about Romania on big TV screens - or pay thousands of euro to show Romanian sport stars boasting about their native and on CNN – but when reality kicks your bottom all the way every day at home, it is a waste of time and money. You may wrap your parcels in glossy papers, but when the parcels contain nothing the receiver will not remember the wrapping.

It should be easy to sell this country as a tourist destination. It has everything and is so beautiful. If there was a strong democratic and genuine supreme political power given the right tools and given the power to enforce a common goal and strategy for all actors in the tourist business, Romania could change and compete with any other destination. With respect and fair treatment to all who work in tourism, tourists would feel welcome - because feeling well is contagious.

THE ART OF GETTING AN ID

2011-01-10T02:16:00.001-08:00

Tens of thousands of Romanians do not have an id. And this in spite of the fact that it is illegal in Romania to be without an ID – or BULETIN – as the name is in Romanian. And we are not talking only about the roma people who often do not register their kids more or less by habit, but also ordinary Romanians, often young people who at early age were abandoned by their parents or more or less forced to flee their homes because of the poor conditions surrounding them.

Basically you cannot do anything without a buletin. You are not employed legally, you can’t rent a flat, you can’t attend a high school, you cannot get a passport, a bank account or a driving licence, you can be refused medical treatment if it extends more than three days and you may be fined if you can’t flash your buletin in the street if the police asks you to present your identity. Just to mention a few points. Leaving the country to find a job is of course absolutely impossible. You are basically non – existing.

To get a buletin you must have a residence, a permanent address. Not only so, but you must own the place or have someone to garantee the “spatio “ for you. The result is that it is amost impossible to get a buletin for people who rent short term or move around without having enough income to rent a flat on their own. And those Romanians are plenty.

So what do people do? Some manage to get a temporary buletin for one year just by showing their birth cerificate. But for this they also have to pay, both to get a copy of the birth certificate and the preliminary id. One should think that the state needs all the population to be registered and to charge people to do this is a contradiction and in a country like Romania an obstacle. In addition the state has introduced the rule that once you have a temporary bultin you cannot have a new real one until one year. Even if you manage to get a “ spatio “ during that year.

However, you guessed it right? There is always a way in Romania. Selling fake “spatios” or garantees for you having a fictive home address are booming. These persons charge 500 ron – 700 ron for a spatio so the homeless person can get the mandatory buletin to move on in life. This is basically a month’s salary in Romania.

Can you imagine spending your monthly salary on just having a basic id? It is due time that the EU look into this Romanian and rigid and hopeless way of identifying a population.

SOME THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER - IN ROMANIA

2011-01-09T00:36:00.001-08:00

Apart from the awful financial situation for most Romanians, there are seleveral things that are better today in Romania than 10 - 15 years ago. Let’s list some of them:

- a significant number of powerful mafioti are being jailed and sent to justice, even though the major crooks still are alive and kicking in the media and in the politics.
- local mafia is also being hunted, several primars and schmecher have to step down.
- customers rights are more and more important and taken into account
- the average Romanian are more selective when consuming, more and more know their consumer rights – and refuse to accept poor quality and service any more.
- internet is cheap and easy access is provided for anyone almost anywhere for little money like nowhere else in Europe.
- everyone can afford a mobile phone and use a sim without too much bla bla and registering
- more and more bureucratic services are offered and done online.
- EU have started checking how funds are spent
- kids in school are more concerned with the enviroment and go green and teach parents
- stray dogs are caught and put to sleep in many cities and the actions are growing in spite of stupid foreign " animal rights " groups
- gay rights have improved a lot since being gay became legal
- female politicians are more visible, more proud and independent
- bans on smoking in public places is a dramatic change compared to earlier times
- bans on use of mobile phones in post offices, pharmacies etc is educational
- garbage services are being organised in a better way
- prices are going down in the tourist business because of competition and the crises. Shows that market mechanism even works in RO, at least to a ceratin degree

- rural tourism or agro-toursim is blooming
- Romanian mass media is aggressive in revealing crime and corruption and public failures, even though half of them to this due to specific political interests

- Romanians are getting more proud of themselves and do not accept to be the European underdog in many new contexts, like in the Schengen debate.
- the orthodox church has been revealed as corrupt and hipocritic in mass media, the power of the church is not absolute any more, in urban areas at least.

BULGARIA LISTED NR 9 AS A TOURIST DESTINATION WORLDWIDE

2011-01-07T12:45:00.001-08:00

Bulgaria is listed as the world's 9th most interesting tourist destination in the summer of 2011 - a survey and evaluation referred to by CNN. The criterias on which the listing were based on were price - quality - service - activities - attractions. Romania is not mentioned at all in the reports.

The evaluation is done partly in England and partly in the United States and has received much media attention in Romania. The only people who do not seem surprised are the people empoyed in the Romanian Ministry of Tourism.

Mrs. Udrea, the Minister of Tourism - has always stressed that Romania must learn from Bulgaria. She has spoken mostly on deaf ears - and has been ignored by the tourist business bosses. Until this summer - when the economic crisis even hit the Romanian tourist industry. At least to a certain extent. The Udrea message of being more adaptable may have some effect in a very arrogant and corrupt business. But only on a short term basis.

Bulgaria and Romania have the same climate, share the same coast and have about the same infrastructure and economy. Romania has as much to offer as Bulgaria in all aspects - and a language that is more accessible than the Bulgarian for Western tourists. Still it does not work.

Whereas in 2001 there were dozen chartered flights from the Nordic countries to Romania each week during the summer season, it is at zero and no direct flights at all at 2011. While Bulgaria still has dozens charter flights weekly from the same countries.And the number is increasing.

"We have to be cheaper and better" – Mrs Udrea said to the tourism industry in May 2010. Only the mountain areas and the agrotourism-agencies have taken her seriously.

In Romania's Black Sea coastal tourist areas the tourist mafia runs the show and the goal is short term: Making a quick buck. The service concept is far out of line. Employees are not paid properly or grossly exploited so that they do not have the energy to provide service. Local corrupt politicians are messenger boys for the big financial interests, and all factors are stirred together into an uncontrollable industry that has no knowledge of tourism per se.

"40% of you are running a black business without paying tax" - claimed Udrea, again at the same May 2010 conference - and was greeted by a silence which could mean nothing else than "yes of course “ from those it concerned.

So what does Mrs. Udrea do about this? Well, she tries to initiate a change. She comes sweeping over the coast a few days in late spring, cleaning up here and there, but then she goes back to Bucharest - and the industry is again happily left to itself and its incompetence.

There are no real unbribable controlling agencies. The trade unions are in the pocket of the employers by employers having the union leaders on their secret pay roll - and no one cares about either one or the other. Other than on paper.

It is well known that Bulgaria's tourist industry is perhaps even more mafia controlled than the Romanian, but the Bulgarian mafia have a completely different attitude. They are corrupt, but competent. Knowing that service pays off in the long run, knowing that quality will give more money over several years. They know that being cheap and good will provide far more revenue when you look over a longer period.

Do you want a holiday in a country where tourism means service - or somewhere where service seems to be the exception? The answer is obvious. While the grass grows - the cow is dying in the cowshed. We talk about the Romanian Black Sea coast.

Bulgaria's Black Sea coast will continue to see progress. The same will Romania's mountainous areas. The Romanian countryside - and mountain regions - are experiencing a rush of Japanese, French, German and American tourists. The price is low, the units small and controllable, and they are in the starting line with regard to mass tourism. And they adapt.

At the Romanian seaside the communist elite and bureaucrats rushed to the table just after the Revolution and the menu is still the same as it was in 1985.

CUM SA ATRAGI SCANDINAVII IN ROMANIA

2011-01-07T03:22:00.000-08:00

Desi arata la fel, accepta faptul ca turistii scandinavii sunt de fapt de 3 tipuri :

Norvegienii : o multime de bani si cateva idei. Intrebarea principala : unde pot intalni niste localnici adevarati sau poti sa-mi arati unii ?Suedezii : multe idei si putini bani. Intrebarea principala : cat costa si ce include ?
Danezii : o idee si ceva bani. Intrebarea principala : unde este cel mai apropiat bar ?

Scandinavii planuiesc si isi fac rezervare pentru vacanta de vara in perioada ianuarie – martie, in timp ce romanii incep sa-si construiasca hotelurile in mai. Aceasta discrepanta trebuie cumva eliminata. Si e improbabil ca acest lucru sa fie facut de catre scandinavi, de vreme ce se pot duce oricum in Grecia sau Spania, asa cum au facut-o intotdeauna cu hotelurile care sunt construite si ofertate cu doi ani in avans.

Conceptul de « serviciu » trebuie reintrodus in limba romana. « Serviciul » include de asemenea raspunsuri la emailuri inainte de luna iunie si mentinerea conexiunii la internet functionala pentru mai mult de 2 ore pe saptamana.

Scandinavii vin in Romania pentru ca este ieftin. A taxa un scandinav dublu inseamna a comite sinucidere financiara pe termen lung. Suparati ca sunt inselati, scandinavii morocanosi nu se vor mai intoarce. Ba chiar te vor da in judecata sau vor urla in limba lor groaznica. Fii destept, pastreaza pretul foarte ieftin si ei iti vor cumpara serviciul, ba chiar poate de 3 ori, pentru ca e atat de ieftin si deci tu ti-ai triplat profitul.

Cand lauzi binecuvantarile Romaniei precum Marea Neagra, Delta sau Muntii, adauga si cateva puncte negative si astfel vei deveni credibil si le vei castiga increderea . Ceea ce inseamna afaceri.

Scandinavii, in afara tarii lor, uita ca ei traiesc intr-un colt infrigurat si plicticos al acestei lumi provinciale, asa ca atunci cand incep sa se laude despre stilul lor de viata sau despre tara, continua sa zambesti, nu-i contrazice niciodata (dar niciodata !), pretinde ca ii asculti si ei te vor crede un bun ascultator.

Foarte putini scandinavi vor crede ca exista oameni fericiti in Romania. In orice caz, faptele vorbesc mai mult decat cuvintele, deci daca le arati cativa nativi fericiti vor fi contrariati si se vor intreba ce se intampla.

Scandinavii de obicei suna cand sunt in intarziere. Iar intarziere la ei inseamna a nu fi acolo cu 15 minute inainte. Daca creditul cartelei de mobil tocmai ti s-a terminat, pregateste inainte de intalnire o explicatie personala si emotionala pentru a-ti justifica intarzierea. Incearca chiar sa-ti para rau. Daca ai insa credit, suna! Dar nu visa niciodata ca ai putea sa dai « bip » ! A da « bip » ca sa fii sunat de celalalt este pur si simplu o traditie romaneasca ceva mai avansata. Scandinavii sunt destul de fraieri ca sa creada ca fiecare ar trebui sa-si plateasca telefoanele, iar un « bip » ca sa fii sunat inapoi ar putea sa-i supere foarte tare.

Daca hotelul sau apartamentul in care ai cazat scandinavii ramane fara apa calda, sau apa in general, acest lucru este un dezastru pentru scandinavi. Acasa scandinavii nici macar nu platesc pentru apa si ei vor privi acest esec ca pe o insultatoare lipsa in serviciul pentru care au platit. Invita-i la o bautura in bar si spune-le cat de bolnava a fost bunica fara apa timp de o luna. Li se vor umezi ochii si se vor simti norocosi. Daca stii ca apa va veni la ora 18:00 , adauga alte 2 ore si ei vor fi surprinsi ca lucrurile merg atat de bine incat apa a venit chiar cu 2 ore mai devreme decat a fost anuntata.

Nu promite niciodata prea mult! Promite mai putin decat se poate iar oaspetii tai vor fi placut surprinsi. Si vei primi o imbratisare. Sau ceva extra.

Daca viitorul tau oaspete scandinav ameninta ca pleaca in Turcia in loc de Mamaia, spune-i calm ca Turcia este o tara grozava, dar ca turcii sunt pisalogi si incearca intotdeauna sa-ti vandal tot felul de lucruri. Scandinavii iubesc linistea si spatial – iar in magazinele romanesti nu poti gasi nici un vanzator interesat de tine, sau macar nici unul pana nu incepi sa cauti. Daca scandinavul tau incepe sa viseze la Bulgaria ar trebui sa incerci din greu sa-l calmezi spunandu-i ca Bulgaria este o tara minunata, cu exact aceleasi plaje ca si in Romania, dar cu un alfabet innebunitor si derutant. Faptul ca Romania are un alfabet latin poate fi o mare surpriza si o atractie, de vreme ce scandinavul are intotdeauna nevoie sa-si inteleaga imprejurimile.

Spune intotdeauna direct cat vor costa lucrurile, sum se va face plata si in ce moneda. Spune-o inainte, niciodata dupa. Si nu adauga niciodata alte cheltuieli pe parcurs, mai bine, daca nu esti sigur, adauga o rezerva la suma pe care o anunti initial. Daca Dacia iti ramane in drum, e problema ta. Prezentarea notei de plata de la garaj va cauza scene violente din partea scandinavilor sau, cel mai probabil, o evadare imediata in cel mai apropiat taxi. Oricum, daca vrei sa scapi de ei, asta e o idee grozava !

BORING BIG MOUTH BADEA

2010-12-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

MR MIRCEA BADEA spends his nights live on Romanian TV with a kind of sit-down comedy show here he verbally makes fun of politicians and a few others. The show is called “IN THE MOUTH OF THE PRESS”

It should be IN THE MOUTH OF VOICULESCU.

Badea – along with a set of other more or less eloquent Antena TV moderators - is paid by the financial acrobat, politician and media owner Voiculescu.- That means that the main agenda is set to repeatedly to abuse President Basescu and tourist minister Elena Udrea verbally - the main enemies of his boss.

Making fun of any well-known politician is OK a few times – I mean any ironi about ruling presidents is healthy, but Mr Badea does it over and over again, and it is bloody boring and as predictive as flooding in Romania every spring.

All together this person has expired on the screen after years with the same funny lines. His ironi, sarcasm or whatever is dead boring because they are – repeat – predictive.

He may grasp it himself as he now appears advertising cars to secure a future income. Recently he tried to boost his image by singing rock`n`roll live on TV. It was awful - down right embarrassing, but far better than watching his gura-mare-shows.

WHY NOT SHIRK IN STYLE?

2010-12-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

The PNL leader Mr Crin Antonescu - a professor by profession - is upset because a website has declared him the most absent MP during meetings in the Romanian Parliament. Antonescu is actually NOT there really, just 3 % of the time. He shirks.

Like a bad student he cannot face the facts and cries out that the website is a tool of his main enemy in life, Mr President Basescu. Without producing any other documentation of his presence or absence, nor the idea that Mr President runs the website.

The shirking Crin would have been an embarrassment to his followers in an any other country than Romania. In this country you may do whatever you like and deny the facts afterwards – if you are a politician.

If he had balls, he should of course shirk with style, admit it and face the music. He could even be frank and say I have better things to do than attend sleepy sessions in the Parliament. Like taking part in chat shows on TV for instance.

The Crin Antonescu PM ambitions are heading nowhere - because he already acts like any old Romanian PM; - not facing the facts.

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ORBAN

2010-10-09T22:52:00.000-07:00

Romanian politicians are keen to present themselves in Europe as modern advocates of their nation. Well, the statement above is surely the very opposite. And the man issuing this set of stupidities is Ludovic Orban, former transport minister, vice president in the third main political party PNL and a member of the Romanian parliament, even set to lead parliament hearings on the standard of fellow politicians.

Do we need to say more? - Well, actually yes: At the first round of the Romanian presidential election 2009 more than 3 million Romanians voted for Basescu. And their social status is accordingly listed by Mr Orban.

BRAVO BOC THEY MAY FLEE

2010-09-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

I am not a Romanian, but I live in Romania. And I pay tax to the Romanian state, so I may voice an opinion on Romanian taxation.

To be honest, I am not very impressed by the Romanian PM ,Mr Boc, rather the opposite, but a weekend this summer he had my immediate support.

He has decided to tax the manele singers, – a thing I thought was law since long, but no; to put tax on the income of manele is surprisingly a new idea. And it came from Mr Boc and created an outcry in the world of tarafs and wealthy manele stars.

How come that these singers who steal Latin – Turkish – Arab hits and convert them into cheap home studio songs with silly Romanian lyrics - without blushing – should not pay tax when they make money on this ? Some of them earn 5000 euro for miming manele half an hour in a mafia wedding or a seaside summer show. – Why do the manelists regard themselves as tax-free?

The shortlegged middle-aged beer belly male stars of manele are angry, yes very angry, yes pissed at times by this idea of taxing their manele income. Some of them appeared on Romanian breakfast TV the week after the announcement, twisting their gold-rings and gold necklaces nervously or angrily by news of the Boc Manele Tax.

One of them said he would move to America and take it all with him and never return, claiming all other manele stars would do the same if they had to pay this new Boc tax.

This is the best news so far this year! Bravo Boc – speed up the introduction of the manele tax ! – and we will see if the manelists will bless this country by leaving it for good – as they have promised on breakfast TV.

If they are not accepted in the US, they may very likely move to France, as the famous newspaper LE MONDE has nominated one of the most notorious manele singers Nicolae Guta in the category THE BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2010. As a comment, Mr Guta said that the French know how to value a good voice with spirit.

Very well, Nicu. Hai ! Move on!

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FASCINATING GARBAGE TV

2010-06-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

The financial crisis was no longer the main news headline in Romania when the police arrested a TV channel owner this summer. The TV Channel OTV and the owner Dan Diaconescu were the main headlines on any channel and in any newspaper.

It was a PR dream come true for the Oglinda TV - or the Mirror TV as it means in English, - apart from the fact that the owner Diaconescu may have felt a bit uncomphy in his ell when he was arrested along with one of his chat show hosts. Accused by the anti-corruption agency of blackmailing and other dirty businesses - still not uncovered on his late night OTV scandal shows, - the selfmade millionaire of Romanian trash TV seemingly faced an uncertain future. But just. Nothing is like it seems in Romania

OTV has made DAN DIACONESCU one of the richest journalists in Romania, his wealth is estimated to be 36 million euro. And this is Romania, so if the estimated wealth is 36 million we can for sure add 30 - 40% more to it in real numbers.

He started out with a simple home video studio in his home apartment, a simple light and video editing software that made his first broadcasts look like bad home movies, a simple low budget studio design and a simple idea: Bring all the garbage you may find in the Romanian society and make it a topic on late night TV. In a studio where people can scream insultations at each other, swear loudly, even fight live and where people can call the studio to participate directly and broadcast their frustrations.

It worked, yes it worked far beyond expectations. All the things a professional moderator should not do, worked perfectly with Dan Diaconescu. Talk shows filled with scandals and desperate people that lasted 4 - 5 hours broadcasted live during nights caught the audience in such a number that OTV early was rated as one of the most watched TV channels in Romania.

The more OTV was ridiculed and targeted by other mass media, the more viewers it got. Killings,rapes. cheatings, abuse, ghosts that haunt the living, shocking images with dead people,prisoners on the run, star readers and clearvoyants all got their free ride in OTV prime time hosted by the owner himself. On Sunday mornings OTV made up by transmitting an hour with an orthodox priest citing the Bible, looking like Iranian ayatollah TV for a few hours as relief from being a pure shithole of social misery.

By the beginning of 2009 OTV more or less indirectly sided with Basescu ahead of the presidential election in Romania at a time when two of the big news channels in Romania, ANTENA 3 and REALITATEA TV had decided to fight a re-election of President Basescu at any moral cost - using demonisation of the head of state as the main daily tool.

The ruling party and the government showed up in the studios of OTV chatting away about life and politics in a way that made the other competing channels radiating with envy. Since the PDL baron and baroness elite basically refused to be present in other channels - claiming they were abused by unfriendly moderators, - OTV turned into a must-see channel even if you hated it. When the Power speaks out, you must listen, even if you are disgusted by the Power and the settings.

At the same time the amateur looks of the apartment studio changed into big modern studios like in any other news channel. It was obvious that OTV was making good money. That is: Diaconescu was making good money. How has been a guess, until he was arrested.

After Basescu won the election the relationship between OTV and PDL cooled off, mainly probably because of the financial measures the Boc government issued to fix the state budget holes. Boc has been on the OTV screen a few times, but even OTV - which name themselves as the TV OF THE PEOPLE WHERE ANYONE CAN SPEAK OUT- may have realised that regular Boc chats live on OTV was not a boost to the channel. Rather the opposite, as the Boc government has turned into being the most unpopular ever since the Revolution taxing the poor heavily. And the image of Boc being a puppet of a pushy President did not help either.

So the OTV profile turned back to what it does best in the eyes of its fans; scandals, rapes, robberies, love affairs gone stray, sex scandals and gossiping. It is almost unbelieveable to see the list of studio guests in a season of OTV. Famous or feared, they are all there.

The rumours of Diaconescu asking money from the guest to appear on his shows have been around for years, still it did not stop well-known profiles from appearing on the garbage channel. What went on outside the studio before and after the show, is now getting more obvious day by day after the framing of Mr Diaconescu. But it has no effeect beyond beinga piece of topic and information. While the owner was arrested for financial iregularities and dirty affairs, OTV was still up and running, and the topic is, yes you guessed it: The Victim, The Guru, the Dan Diaconescu.

Even more interesting from a mass media point of view was the reaction to the events from competing channels, - above all the private news channels Antena 3 and REALITATEA TV. There was no sympathy for Dan Diaconescu and probably the other media moguls pray OTV will be dead and gone forever, but the anti - Basescu strategy that rules both channels to an extent that makes Fox News in US look like a trustworthy and serious news broadcaster, was more impotant than the disgust of OTV and Dan Diaconescu.

The ruling Antena 3 programme ideology that Basescu is behind any arrests of enemies with acusations of being corrupt –turned a bit difficult as OTV was earlier riduculed as a Basescu tool by the same channel. So the twists of arguments are fascinating, all from Basescu sacrificing one of his own before attacking the real enemies - to the idea that Basescu knew about the arrests during the election campaign and hurried to use OTV before an arrest was obvious - because he knew the appeal of OTV in the countryside.

REALITATEA TV was less creative by inviting the by nature rude and crude nationalist Vadim Tudor screaming vulgarities about the head of state over and over again - beyond the point of boredom.The socalled poet Vadim Tudor - who by the way wrote tributes to Elena Ceasescu during communism - has no effect in Romania apart from being a clown. And the clown now became a spokesman for Mr DD. Bringing Vadim Tudor into the studio shows they had run out of ideas.

The general reactions from the other mass media were more balanced. However, the fate of Dan Diaconescu did not seem to bother anyone, but the fear that the press and free media in Romania are being attacked by some hidden power in order to limit a free flow of information - was clearly present. On the other hand very few - if any - voiced the other aspect: If Diaconescu was found guilty of asking 200000 euros from someone in order to withhold or present a certain set of news, that would be just as serious and a threat to the freedom of press in Romania as anything else.

And the feeling that there may be other media barons and channels around that have done the same - or do the same or produce similar manipulations hiding behind the news concept - adds a big question mark to the " freedom" protests from channels like Antena 3. Because the world of information in Romania is basically ruled by the power of money.

As quite common with many arrests of the big, rich and famous, Diaconescu was set free after a few weeks - and the TV owner returned immediate to his TV studio with a set of new fascinating ideas. Like making his very own political party and candidate as president of Romania, though the election is several years ahead.

He knew of course that being a politician is the best way to cover any shady business n Romania.

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QUALITY POP AMONG THE AROBICS

2010-06-17T01:03:00.000-07:00

The Romanian pop artist Dragos PUYA Gardescu made his first musical career in the group LA FAMILIA in 1994 and later in BUG MAFIA. The Bug Mafia career was boosted by the fact that Gardescu and his fellow group member Sisu did not copy foreign music but made their own style - in a Romanian way.

The lyrics were a refreshing change from stupid bla bla hits with sexy girls wagging their tails on the instruction of the ultra -commercial Romanian music industry. Hits like WELCOME TO PARADISE | in Romanian | and GET FAMILIAR | in Romanian | got good critics and were welcomes by the fans as well. Pieces like TALK and WHIGS OF THE THUGS and PROBLEMS IN THE FAMILY confirmed the ability to engage Romanian youth with lyrics about social problems common to many in a country like Romania.

Problems have also hit the group itself. Sisu was arrested for drugs and was released after 2 years in 2005 and then again arrested for trafficing drugs. Puya on the other hand fought for the copyrights of their former group name and launched an anti drug campaign. BUG MAFIA more or less ceased as a group and Sisu and Puya have both released their own solo albums. They have still been working together though in videoclips like GANGSTA SHEET.

Puya is beyond doubt one of the most important artist in Romanian hip hop and hugely popular. His solo albums are MUZICA DE TOLANEALA AND DEPRAVARE 2008 , ROMANISME PARTEA I 2009 and also i 2009: ROMANIASME PARTEA II.

The best videoclip so far is beyond doubt " CHANGE " made by Puya together with George Hora and Kamelia.

A SMELLY SCENT OF A PARLIAMENT

2010-06-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Romanian parliament voted on the future of the Boc government on the 15th June 2010 in a setting that was more like a circus of untamed monkeys.

In addition hooligans of both genders with big beer bellies screamed from the gallery like kids who were afraid their toys were taken away from them. It was a disaster broadcasted live on several Romanian TV channels. A disaster for the politicians of all parties, because it was the ultimate evidence that the political elite in Romania is nothing but a crowd of social vagabonds milking their own cows.

Boc survived again, but nobody cares because that was calculated by simple math days ahead of the vote. He survived with 8 votes plus two chewing gums and one lollypop that also were found in the ballot box. He has been prime minister 4 times and nobody knows why Romania must have such a failure as head of government. Probably because he does what Basescu tells him to do.

The problem is when Basescu does not tell him what to do. Then it all goes wrong.
The PSD Ponta screamed also leaving his good manners at home, along with the arrogant PNL Antonescu who usually lectures the world with a stupid grin – so also this time

And what were they screaming about? The strategies for Romania when it comes to solving the economy? No. Not at all. The were exchanging blames about the past. Of course this was almost heaven for the Voiculescu propaganda tool Antena 3. The long time and never ending demonisation of Basescu and Udrea was boosted by again attacking Boc by videoclips and music and slogans. The chatterbox Grecu and self-declared guru Radu Tudor went almost bananas of personal excitement.

Mrs Grecu who usually talks ten times more than her guests on her shows was outed by a set of politicians disgusted by their lack of success in the voting. Oh what a day.

And here comes all the measures that mr Boc says are temporary. Hard times ahead – but only for a while – really? Well he says one thing on Monday and then another thing on Friday. But in between we have lost our pensions and had our salaries reduced – while the rich and famous and all those who stole the wealth of Romania the first 12 months after the revolution keep on living happily ever after running their TV News channels.

Along with their screaming employees in the parliament.

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UDREA THE SHE-DEVIL MINISTER

2010-06-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Elena Udrea is the minister of tourism and development in the current Romanian government and the second most attacked politician in the Romanian private news media after Mr Traian Basescu.

The Times – the Brit paper - joined the anti-Udrea campaign last summer by repeating claims and suggestions already well known in Romania , claims formally declared false by the legal system. Claims that actually are produced by people with financial power and who do not like a female tourist minister talking on a more transparent Romanian tourist business and end of mafia rule in that area.
when she was minister of tourism in the Boc 3 government she trashed the cover - up of the real Romanian tourist business. Now she is still kicking in the Boc 4 government and it annoys her enemies deeply. Just a week after her springtime speech on the Romanian Black Sea Coast in which she said that 60% of the tourist enterprises do their business illegally, not paying taxes, using fake business ids, not paying their workers and that the hoteliers did not care about standards – wicked rumours started in the tabloids and elsewhere about her private life and finances. . She also had death treaths – something that the tabloids hardly mentioned.
Udrea is the only woman in the current Romanian government.She is pretty, flashy, young – and ambitious and intelligent. And she showed up everywhere as a tourist minister with an agenda and outspoken plans. All these factors add up into a combinaton that seems very hard to be accepted in a grumpy and orthodox Romanian society.
In any more modern society half of the critisism would have been called sexist attacks, but in Romania women are used to the nagging and seem to ignore it all. She is ridiculed at any possible occation on the private-owned news channels, making it very hard not to realise that she is the victim of a nasty campaign because of what she is, not what she has done. And what she is still is doing: Trying to turn Romanian tourism from a disaster into a field of possibilities. It does not mean that Mrs Udrea is perfect or never does silly things, but there must be a limit somewhere.
Why does the Times care about Udrea being photographed by the press in a bikini on a hot summer day at the Black Sea? A politician looking good creates unease? And what has the planted whispers about “an affair” with president Basescu to do with her actual work as a minister? The Times obviously use a certain set of sources in this case. Romanian politics are dominated by intrigues and telenovelas - and who is profiting from what, and the Times should really go for the facts more than suggestions.
There are at times just questions about her spendings of public means, about the relationship between her job in the government and the business of her husband, and the speed of issuing grants to projects. But the level of attention to these issues are far more than investigationg journalism.
The point about her husband is in the same category as for any other Romanian politician who is always suspected of giving away profits to friends and relatives indirectly or directly. Any politician in this country seem to be elected and selected in this setting. And if there is no evidence or legal sentence confirming rumours, one should look at the work the ministers have been and are doing, and nothing else. Especially in a country where incomptence has survived the communism and is live and kicking on all levels of the public administration. And by that standard Mrs Udrea is a new and creative minister with a lot of courage and energy in what she is trying to do.
Mrs Udrea has of course ambitions. She may be the first Romanian president one day, simply because she resist all wicked attacts with an impressing let-go attitude. Her high-healed image may need a polish if she candidates for higher offices though. She has commited a few bad judgements. Entering flood-stricken areas in a black state car handing out chocolates to the kids and fashion shoes to the ladies is absolutely bad taste and a hot dish for any unfriendly tabloid.– However,this kind of Santa Visits to people in need has a long tradition in Romania - and she needs a more critical adviser. On the other hand, the same flood-stricken people praised her empathy when she visited them in their ruined homes.
By Romanian standard, Mrs Udrea is doing impressingly well in a world of poor performances.
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THE BEST OF ROMANIAN RESTAURANTS: ACASA

2010-06-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Romanian food never get awards in the glossy international press focused on gastronomy. At times even tourist pamphlets make statements about Romanian restaurants and Romanian menus that more are excuses in advance than promoting Romanian food and cooking tradition. It is not fair and it is not correct, it is an image overseeing the fact that the financial problems of Romania since long have made going to restaurants something one does only on special events or if you are rich.

Even Romanian restaurant owners themselves complain. One of them said to the newspaper Bucharest Herald that ” Romanians do not know how to go to restaurants!”

Well, we could not care less, and I am sure the natives do not worry either about the atmosphere in expensive Bucharest restaurants. These restaurants survive on foreigners who send the bill to the firm back home and Romanian mafiots who do not count the numbers on the bill. With an average Romanian salary, going to a restaurant for a complete meal is almost out of the reach. If your bill consumes your monthly salary, would you?

So Romanian food served in public restaurants is a mixture of a few very expensive ones and plenty of small cafes, bars and terassas that may range from poor to surprisngly cheap and tasty. So if we go for this only, Romania is not actually a diner paradise, – I mean compared with countries where eating out is common by the middle class.

However, if you are invited home to someone you will find the most tasty and generous dishes made and served with a love and care that only Romanians can produce. The baba or grandma have spent hours in finding the right ingredients at the piata or at the local store and spent similar long hours in front of the stove or ” aragas” to make it all perfect.

Poor or rich, when preparing meals at home for guests nothing is spared. And added to all the tarditional dishes like sarmale come the soups or ciorbas as they are called in Romania. I am sure Romania has the best soups in the world. Rich, creamy, deliciously served and all fresh – which make all other foreign soups taste like water.When I have my CIORBA DE PERISOARE with the best beer in Europe – the Romanian Ursus – there is no other place to be than Romania. The country that has her best restaurants at home.

So the ultimate Romanian restaurant: ACASA – at home.

THE GREAT ROMANIAN BARFA CULTURE

2010-06-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

Romanians are in general very good at talking a lot at the right time – and good at talking at the wrong time. When they keep quiet it is usually at the right time.

A Romanian can use hundreds of words and a lot of time to explain just simple everyday things, and as an outsider you wonder more about when he or she will come to the point than what the person actually is saying.

If for instance somebody is asking you for a favor, a cash loan or a service of some kind, it may even happen that the person has left before you grasp that the speech actually was a request of some kind.

The same goes with excuses. There are very few other nations on this continent in which the population is so keen on giving excuses – good or bad excuses - and sticking to them as the most natural thing. And of course when you live in such an environment you also get quite used to accepting excuses of all kinds. Good or bad.
The habit of using a lot of words – covering up for less action – is probably inherited from the Romanian politicians during the communist period and the decades after. The communists talked and talked about change– and the capitalists talk even more about the need of change. About what has not been done by whom and when – and what should be done if and when. And basically that is all.

The lack of action and promised progress may cause a few headlines in the mass media – which cause a few debates and yes you guessed it: – more talk. After that there is just a public silence – or a set of new and more complicated excuses.

Like the recent one coming from above: the money that should have spent on paying the pensions to the old generation is spent on getting rid of the snow from the winter streets in the capital. It is a cheap trick – but a clever one. Few people want their grandparents to live without financial means, but also very few want their grandpa to fall on an icy and snowy road,breaking a leg or two – or even worse – the neck. A competent government should of course see to that there were means to do both things. But the competence of talking politics has nothing to do with the competence of executing politics.

The Romanian spare time activity of sitting outside your block chatting loudly to some of your other neighbors about anything from the horrible prices of tomatoes to the lovelife of the other neighbours not present - is called BARFA.

“ Barfa “ may be translated with the word gossiping, but the English word does not cover the entire meaning. Barfa is gossiping shamelessly followed by a set of short personal judgements in black or white.
Barfa is gossiping the hot news that is not accepted in the local newspaper- Barfa news do not need to be true at all, it is enough that it is a guess or estimation. Yes, a real BARFA BABA ( baba means woman in a certain age) – is only interested in the juicy and disgusting parts of the story . A story that can be told in a fine combination of a loud almost screaming voice and an almost whispering. confidential tone of voice.

You stick to barfa because you are bored and have nothing else to do. Or you have a lot to do,but you are not motivated to get it done. Then you need an excuse – and sharing the latest rooumors with your next door neighbors feeling the same in the open air may be a perfect solution.

The barfa is done mostly by old women and old men, but anyone can join a barfa session if you know the barfa dictionary and have a barfa story that really fits in. And you must know how to present it -and you should train on the gestures and the articulation. The clue is telling a shocking and intimate secret as a fascinating and energising scandal – with a face expression that tells it all.

A barfa session speech is always concluded by having your own ego and perfectness stated directly or indirectly. If you are modest about your own moral standard you exclude yourself immediately from the barfa culture,
The art of barfa is performed all over Romania every day and you will realize who the barfa performers are when you see them outside on the street – when you as a stranger enter a block of flats or pass by them on the bench in the small park. The excited barfa people calm their voices on the sight of you – evaluating you as a possible barfa topic – bluntly staring at you as you were the living evidence of a landed extraterrestrial.

Most likely the barfas forget you as soon as you are out of sight. Actually the barfa performers do not even take themselves very seriously. When the barfa session is over, most of the barfa performers forget what they were chatting about. The focus after the session is on new subjects that can impress at the next barfa encounter. If you have no new topics, you can run the barfa standard version: “plunge” – complaining. Complaining about life in general with a personal touch to it.

The respons is garanteed. Romanians love being a victim and excuses in combination with the effects of claiming being a victim seem to be regarded as an instant success.
The barfa culture can also influence conversations in Romanian homes or in other private settings. It is quite common to talk bad about people everyone in the room knows, but who is not present in the room. And when that person arrives or return into the room, everyone changes subject at once and is especially friendly to the newcomer they hammered a few minutes ago. When another person leaves the room, there is a new and immediate change of topic: A negative description if the person who just left.

Well – it is not a party killer actually: It keeps you staying at the party, because you know that if you leave everyone will share your less flattering aspects with everyone else. So most people hang around as long as possible.
The notion of this as being “false “ or at least not a very constructive social habit – seems not to be shared by many. I made a point about this in such a setting once and I asked the others if it was not better to criticize a friend face to face than talking behind his back. “ More important than knowing your friend is knowing your dusman – your enemy “ one of my fellow guests said. I did not understand so I said: “Yes, exactly, that was my point too “ –

The Barfa culture tells something about Romanian way of thinking and acting. Gossiping is a universal thing and a human activity all over the planet. But the way it is a part of the culture may be different . And the barfa in Romania may be explained by history and social conditions in which telling the truth could be dangerous . And in that context regarded as stupid.
You know BARFA when you see it. And taken as a kind of social game that is just a game, it is possible to live quite happily alongside it.

THE BATTLE OF ILLEGAL BEACHBARS

2010-06-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

The TV Channnel REALITATEA announced in the morning news- a week ahead of the start of the summer season 2010 that 70% of the beach bars and beach terraces on the Romanian seaside are illegally constructed. The channel could tell us that the authorities now are very busy demolishing these beach bars. A short video clip with a bar owner discussing the matter with a firm- looking local official followed the newsline.

Strange right? Think about it. 7 of 10 beach businesses that worked last summer are illegal.That means probably that they have been up and running without proper licence or documents? How was this possible? Especially with all the controls and inspectors around during the entire summer? And why did I have a feeling of having seen the same video clip last spring?

The main headline in this story about illegal beach bars is hidden.

Last year the number of illegal beach bears were about the same. And the summer before. These beach bars are neither legal nor illegal. They are subjects of the local mafia or any supreme state power that demands money in addition to any official tax. Some bar owners are new, some the same, and some are bankrupt or gone with the wind. Regardless status of the owner, the bar remains.

The same may be true of the counterpart. The main idea of profit remains. Maybe there is a change of primar, new bureaucrats in the state institution, new mafiots or new bribe fees in general, but the greed mixed with an impressive knowledge of legal tools to put in place if needed, are live and kicking, Or more simple: The black, grey and white payments last summer have nothing to do with the payments this summer.

So the real newsline is:

70% of the beach bars have not paid the bribes for the 2010 season - yet.

THE NEW DEAL AT THE ROMANIAN SEASIDE

2010-06-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

The fact that many seasonal workers at the Romanian seaside during summer are not paid properly - or not at all - after working weeks and months for the seaside barons, is overseen and a sort of taboo in Romanian mass media. So is true of the fact that only a few get any legal contracts verified - and the rather obscene law that workers desperate for an income hired black is fined the same way as the barons who exploit them by only offering black jobs.

One may guess why this basic problem for so many young Romanians is not an issue in the mainstream mass media, and the answer is probably very obvious, but that is another story. The crises seems to have launched a sort of new deal at the seaside this spring.

While the preparations for the summer season seem to start as usual with renovations and reconstructions in most of the Romanian seaside resorts, the issue of payment is so crucial for the workers that very few want to work without having a sort of garantee that they get what they are promised in the first place. Before a baron could call upon other workers who did not demand any security of proper payment, but this year this does not work. There are no such workers left having been out of income all winter.

This has probably been a surprise to the summertime barons, but they have come up with a system that seems to have been accepted by the workers - and is spreading: The workers are paid in cash every day after working hours. In return the baron does not give any contract or promise of lasting work, just that the worker is paid by the day. The average daily payment seems to be from 50 ron up to 70 ron.

For the worker in need of cash it is a kind of improvement. However, the chaos and the lack of legal systems ,the ridiculing of labour rights and sosial security prevail. And the state loses out on tax. Like ever before.

THE REAL ROMANIAN SLAVE MARKET

2010-06-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

The financial crises has boosted a Romanian aspect of the labour market which has been around for years: Workers are hired, workers work long hours and for weeks – and then there is no salary at all, – just a few pocket money or a delay in payment so long that the workers give up. Workers are served by a packet of dizzy explanations and lies about the financial aspects – and probably a laugh when villas are built and hotels renovated, more or less free for the owners.

Managers, owners, politicians, mafiots, business people and moguls have used this method in Romania for many years in order to provide more profit for themselves , without respecting basic human rights of the worker, but over the last year it has become more a rule than something that happens quite often.
In any developed country the trade unions would intervene in all such cases. In Romania no. Like anything else in Romania trade unions are paid off to look another way, or there is no trade union at all.Or just as likely: Union officials do do care because they are too busy milking their own cows.
Last summer at Romanian the riviera thousands of youngsters worked like dogs for weeks, ending up with no salary and a lot of broken words from their employers. Some are working black, others sign contracts but the contract is not sent to the public bodies, or just a few of the contracts sent. When there is a control the owner pays off the inspectors and voila – the situation is the same for the worker: Hopeless and stuck, without any money – and when broke with no power to do anything.

And the law is as creepy as the ethics of these greedy employers: if you complain about no payment after being hired by someone who hire workers black or grey, you are fined exactly as your rich employer. It goes by itself that you do not complain. If the Romanian government really wanted to end this horrible tradition in the “free ” Romania, they should only fine the employer. The only conclusion is: They want to keep the slave market of Romanian workers because they all benefit from it now and then.

That goes also for the Romanian mass media. Noone really focus this shameful and comprehensive problem at all. It is like the rest of bad habits that will not go away: It is seen as the normal way of life.And sadly also by the slave workers themselves.

THE SENSE OF PAYING TAX IN ROMANIA

2010-06-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Boc Government - though liberal and by ideology not very keen on state taxation - is when ruling Romania more like a Swedish Social Democratic Party with a religious faith in taxation on all levels of society. While Swedes are more or less happy to pay income taxes - so say the opinion polls in that country - Romanians are not happy about paying income taxes at all. The basic difference may of course be that Swedes get a lot of security, services and benefits in return of their tax payments, - while Romanians in general do not get anything worth mentioning. In fact taxed Romanians pay a lot compared to their brut income and get nothing but bad service, few benefits and no security. Paying tax in this country is a contribution to a system which runs on one principle: Incompetence.
The income tax matter in Romania is more than just a question on how much you are going to pay. In this country many people do not pay tax at all and never will - because they never had any salary registered officially. Or some are so rich that they can hire lawyers to make them even richer by not paying income tax at all.
So PM Boc and his team end up taxing the average income workers and small businesses which struggle to survive even before they get a new tax to pay. Where the tax money end up, nobody really knows. There are local taxes and there are state taxes. How the budgets based on tax money are spent is just a guess. A few highway construction projects ending after 200 meters, paved roads looking like craters after the first snow, hospitals half renovated, solar energy systems installed but not working......well you name it. Or you may have a look at all the villas and the flashy cars of the local Primar and his town hall assistants. There are many ways to use public fonds in Romania, or parts of the public fonds.
Now there are other taxes of course than income tax. And in this area Romanian governments over the last decades has shown an impressive creativity on introducing taxes on almost anything. Lately they tried to put an additional tax on kebab food even, and foggy extra taxes on foreign cars against EU rules.And the liberal Boc government killed thousands of small businesses last year by introducing a unique minimum tax on all companies regardless profit or not.
Indirect taxation is as developed as in any social welfare society, - but the part missing is the social welfare. And a better infrastructure, a better health system and a better education system. There is a big hole somewhere where all the public money seem to disappear. The image abroad may be that Romania is a country of " We have no bananas", but the Romanian state actually has a lot of money to spend at times. Credits from FMI , projects within the EU , grants from other nations and international organisations - all add up. In addition to the heavy national taxation. Last year it was revealed that Romania had got millions of EU euros to spend on a re - structure of Romanian agriculture without spending a dime because nobody knew how they should re- structure. At least that was the public impression after the minsters had tried to explain the matter. It sounded like the millions were piling up in a bank account somewhere.
The tax system in Romania is also so complicated and overcrowded with staff that it grabs itself by the tail. When a newspaper in 2008 showed that administrating a set of new taxes cost far more than the state gained from the tax payments, it was arrogantly ignored by the government and of course angrily disputed by the trade unions of the public servants.
There is no Robin Hood in Romania who can force privileges from the rich and give to the poor. Taxation is actually a tool that can re-distribute wealth. Wealth that basically is earned by greed and robbery of public means. But no - this demand a far more competent and courageous political élite. Without the financial bonds that frame any real progress yet 20 years after the fall of communism.
So actually it does not make sense to pay income tax in Romania. You get nothing in return. And you actually pay a lot the state by just being a consumer. Or having a house. Or driving a car.Or ordering a kebab.

ROMANIAN ELECTION AND SELECTION

2010-06-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

The current election campaign in Romania has brought no surprises so far. This time it is about having a President for the next five years, but the campaign is quite similar to those we have for the Parliament, the EU or the local city halls. PDL, PNL and PSD - the three main parties - spend their time telling you how incompetent the candidates from the other parties are in stead of telling you how they want to solve the basic and urgent problems in Romania.

The small parties try to get attention by making colourful statements, but it does not help because the main parties catch bigger headlines with more insulting statements about their rivals. And the TV media are partners in the game, helping the candidate who has the support of the media owner because the candidate supported the media owner back when. It is a show, but a show that we have seen before. And the script with a strategy for real solutions is seen nowhere. Probably it does not excist apart from a few general phrases in the party programme.

Well, we got our bribe also this year. A plastic bag handed at the door of our apartment with coffee, chocolate, a cake, some sugar and a bottle of wine, plus a T-shirt with the party logo on it ...that was from the first main party.
Two more bribe bags to go at least. So an election in this country is not a complete waste. |

BASESCU ERROR: BOC 4 AND MORE

2010-06-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

The re-elected Romanian president Mr Traian Basescu has said he wants to be a new president for all Romanians, and that he wants to be a better President than he was during his first five years.

It is easy as an outside observer to be impressed by the style and personality of Basescu. He has changed the image of Romanian presidents from being stiff statues framed in protocols to be down-to-earth natural, communicating and easy-going human beings - as well as being able to perform according to protocols. Actually he was the only "presidential" candidate in the last election if we go for some certain standards. In this sense the other two candidates produced no real challenge, a smooth socialist puppet who seems stiff and nervous when facing trouble and a teacher with no general appeal who is at his best when giving lectures.

However, a President who is re-elected with such a small margin as Basescu in 2009 should consider the fact that he faced strong opposition and that new moves to get the country on the feet again demand re-thinking old agendas. The Basescu statement about "being a president for all " was a promising sign in this respect.

When president Basescu re -appoints Emil Boc as a prime minister for the fourth time after several months without a real government and with Romanian economy on the edge, it is not only a mistake, but a stupid mistake and a provocation, not an invitation to co-operation and common steps to solve real problems. Emil Boc may be whatever you want him to be, but psycologically he is a political failure, having led 3 governments that all ended in chaos and conflicts - with no lasting economic success and no authority.

It is impossible that there are no other competent candidates in PDL. When you have a look at the other ministers in the new government, there are plenty of competent people. But the Prime Minister has to be the most competent one. And Boc is not in any sense. Why Basescu did this may be that he feels he is in debt to Boc after an expensive election campaign - and that is no good reason for picking him either. Basescu has stated on TV B1 that Boc is a team leader and that he could not imagine a government without him. Well, the last part of that statement is not very creative.

If Basescu was a president with courage he could also pick an independent candidate outside his own party. Now Romania is back to point zero with a prime minister that people in general look upon as bad weather.

ANTENA 3 ANTI BASESCU CHANNEL

2010-06-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

20 years ago Romanian TV news broadcasting was completely controlled by the communist regime. Today several professional news channels are owned by very rich businessmen - and sadly also controlled by the owner as a tool to promote and secure private interests. At times the link between the baron who owns the channel and the news presentation is so obvious that is an insult to the viewers. If propaganda is broadcasted as information it is a threat to real democracy.Though media inspectors and international media watchdogs point this out over and over again, nothing is changed in Romania.

The worst channel in this matter, is Antena 3 - which is technicaly a well-run private 24-7 news channel. Antena 3 is owned by Mr Voiculescu - a media giant and senator with both hands on a set of of TV-channels, magazines and newspapers. Voiculescu may be the most influencial politician in Romania because of his grip on media, using Antena 3 without any embarassment as a promo channel for his own views and ambitions, also other channels like REALITATEA though in a more elegant and academic style

Voiculescu detests president Basescu. So consequently the Antena 3 detests Basescu. For 3 years they have used any occasion to present Basescu in the worst light, even simple news headlines are followed by negative or ironic comments. The idea of bringing objective information is totally absent, the mix of opinions and information is manipulated and set in advance. This is not about Basescu, he surely needs evaluation from media like any other head of state, - but this is about the integrety of people who call themselves journalists and institutions that call themselves impartial news media.

During the recent presidential elections Antena 3 went bananas in their effort to remove Basescu from his presidency. Video clips riduculing Basescu were inserted in news, rumours about the President dominated talk shows, and "experts" on any kind of topics all ended up with the same message: Get rid of Basescu. Now when Basescu won the election again, Antena 3 makes angry statements about frauds and grumpy subjective opinions anti- Basescu. Even the satire programme IN THE MOUTH OF THE PRESS cannot hide Voiculescu whispering behind the studio walls. It is stupid, and above all boring because it is predictive.

Also annoying during prime time is the use of socalled analysts. Antena 3 uses the same set of persons sitting by the moderator day after day, year after year - like permanent gurus that probably have passed the internal agenda check test - and obtained the right to impose their pre-fabricated opinions on the screen whatever it is. Like Mr Radu Tudor on Antena 3 who is as predictive as the decor in the studio - and who during the election campaign several times made emotional and next to personal and almost insane comments about the Head of State. Who is this guy? And where do these "analysts" come from? Where is their pride in their profession if they are journalists? Os he a moderator or an analyst or both? He surely has his own show when he is not acting as the guru.

The same unprofessional practice goes for several of the Antena 3 moderators. The most annoying is Ms Dana Grecu. In addition to rap away like a verbal machine-gun with an awful pitchy voice, she actually makes a mess of any topic listed. In stead of leading debates, she takes part in it at the same time, commenting and interrupting. manipulating the impression and conclusions - serving the viewer with one view and leaving out the rest. Guests fits in with the Hidden Agenda of Antena 3 and if anyone else appears they are securely outnumbered or left at the mercy of the moderater.

So does it work as intended by the owner? Just partly, and this is quite interesting. The way Antena 3 - or Antena PNL as some people call it - takes part in the political agenda is hitting back at the channel. During the referendum initiated by the parliament - and with Voiculescu as one of the leaders - aimed to get rid of Basescu in the middle of his first term, Antena 3 and the rest of the Voiculescu media world did everything possible to compromise Basescu. It did not work at all. A great majority supported Basescu. As a Romanian neighbour says; " Everyone knows who runs Antena 3 and the other antenas - so we do not care when they talk politics, we go for the weather forecasts."

So the political propaganda dominating Antena 3 is hitting back .That is a healthy sign when it comes to the Romanian public. If Antena 3 wants to be taken more seriosly beyond predicting the weather, the owner must release his reporters ,gurus and journalists from the frames of his own private agenda.

MADONNA THE GYPSY QUEEN

2010-06-16T19:39:00.001-07:00

by Torghitza 1.09.09

Madonna made a break in her Bucharest concert 26th August 2009 in order to issue a statement concerning the Romanians and the Gypsies. Basically it was a few naive words to the 70000 attenders that Romanians should not discriminate againt the Gypsies.

Very few in this world support discrimination and everybody knows that the relationship between Romanians and Romas are mixed and complicated. However, when a semi-old cosmetic diva from the outer space of Hollywood glam and pop industry haults a concert to make a speech like this, it is almost worth a laugh considered the total lack of communication skills. In fact many of the audience who had spent a monthly salary on the Madonna concert and her business account felt insulted and reacted with anger and unease.

First she arrives late, then there were several technical problems and to top it all she upsets the audience by a clumpsy effort to be political correct. Well, she got the headlines in the international press all right, but she did absolute nothing to improve the situation for gypsies in Romania, rather the opposite. Any artist who wants to engage herself in political agendas picks the right stage. If she ahead or after the concert made a press conference to issue statements like this, she would have been listened to. And respected. Not between more or less well performed dance and playback shows on stage in a foreign country.

The gypsy problem is not a Romanian problem. Like president Basescu said once: It is a European problem that has to be solved across borders. Yes, some Romanians regard the gypsies like paria but so do other Europeans. The European reaction to begging gypsies in the street is exactly the same frustration you find in Romania where people face the negative aspects of the gypsy subculture every day in a bigger scale. The fact that gypsies are overrepresented in petty crime statistics cannot be overseen, also the fact that many gypsy families do not send their kids to school and let kid do work that adults should be doing. There are also gypsy mafia families that are very rich, with money made on shady business. Like there is Romanian mafia.

The Romanian reaction to this is not discrimination -it is a frustration. Like the frustration any western country may have with migrating Romanians who do not follow the rules in their country. An EU survey found that the gypsies in Romania are more happy in Romania than in any other ccountry with a visible gypsy population. There are also gypsies and Romanians living together in peace and without problems - and the culture factors of both have influenced each other.

In a country with huge financial problems - blames and solutions - must be issued to all parts on equal terms. In this country all poor groups are discriminated against by an elite system run by the rich and greedy, well hidden behind legal paper mills and political incompetence.

[Caption]

STOP SMOKING THE ROMANIAN WAY

2010-06-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Romania is full of surprises - and Romanians are different in many ways. Regardless the reasons and situation, Romanians are creative and find their own way to solve any problem forced upon them. Fifteen years ago people said that any Romanian was a mechanic - if he was an owner of a Dacia, the Romanian car label that is still around.( Though today owned by French Renault )

Smoking is a bad habit that seems to please many Romanians, obviously too many.Even though EU rules apply when it comes to adverts, and most Romanians are very aware of the dangers of smoking, it seems like getting rid of the habit is not their first priority. People smoke everywhere, and many kids aged 10 - 12 still smoke behind the dustbins next to the block without much interference from parents. Smoking is now banned in trains, banks, shops and malls - but in restaurants the room for nonsmoker is yet a tiny part of the enterprise - and just put there to obey the law.

In order to alter attitudes, the authorities have launched many campaigns - and we found the poster below at a major train station recently. It may alert the male smokers in a way that is not seen elsewhere.
Text: " Smoking is not really your only pleasure, is it? "

ATTITUDES ARE FREE EVEN IN THIS COUNTRY

2010-06-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

We love Romania. It is an extremely beautiful country with a lot of contrasts. In all ways. And there is plenty to do for all kinds of tourists. Young and old. The lazy or the active tourist. Romania has mountains, beaches, rivers, big cities with urban wibe, whatever... There are a few drawbacks however.Things are not always working as they should do. It may be service, it may be the sanitation, the tidiness, the timing. And when faced with that many Romanians complain about lack of money and funds, which may be true - but several times it is something else: THE ATTITUDE. The will and the drive to do a little bit extra. To not follow the crowd of indifferent people but be the change. And this is free. The big monster in this country is the indifference. There are reasons and maybe even good reasons for this indifference, but if things are going to be better and good, we all have to do our little extra and change our attitude. All at no financial cost. | wm

AT THE MOVIES AMONG THE CELLPHONES

2010-06-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

Even though Romanians without fear download loads of movies at home - any Romanian town with a certain self respect has at least two cinemas. During summer one outdoor cimema may be added, most likely in the town's central park. An outdoor cinema opens at sunset when the weather is not too bad of course. A summer drizzle may not stop the outdoor movie performance, but a thunderstorm will.

Cinema theatres in Romania are either huge and over-sized brick arenas, or tiny makeshifts that have seen far better days - or more recently modern,smaller multi-theatres like the ones you find in Western Europa - with ticket prices amed at those who have plenty of money.

And sometimes there is another category, disco clubs that show movies at daytime and work as dance clubs at nighttime. Usually the cleaning lady has showed up before the first movie performance in the morning, but the sent of sex, drugs and rock'n roll may still be in the air.

When it comes to sound and screen gear, the cinemas in Romania may offer anything from the latest of technology - to ancient rolls of movie tapes that the operator has to change manually between his sippings of vodka. In Bucharest they have updated theatres like the Hollywood Complex - with several small and luxurious cinemas within the same building, having rules on smoking and behaviour, - but Bucharest is the exception, not the rule. The mainstream Romanian cinema culture still belongs to the provinces.

The Romanians do not dub foreign movies, you get the original sound with Romanian subtitles. It is a real blessing compared to Germany where you may see John Wayne ride into the sunset while he roars " Jetzt geht's los". Or even worse like in Poland where one voice tops all original voices with a Polish explanation of what the actors are saying. Nope, thank God! - in Romania the American actors speak English. The loudspeakers' sharp metal sound may sometimes ruin even naive and simplified Hollywood dialogues, but mostly it is all audible.

An average Romanian has to pay half a day's salary to see a movie, so he or she only goes to the movies when there is something special going on - socially - or on the screen. The international box office hits arrive quickly in Romania, but the pirate film versions on computer cd's even more so. Many young Romanians watch the latest movie on a pc first, then they watch the real thing in a cinama if the preview was appealing beyond the average.

Romanians love action movies,YeeHaah-karate movies, science fiction movies and macho comedy movies, - and that's it. Putting on something else means an empty theatre. Still some cinemas do, and you may experience to watch an internationally awarded movie in a seating of 2000 almost alone. In such a situation you may regard it all as an exclusive big screen private performance,- or consider yourself to be alone in this world having a bizarre intellectual taste.

In the outdoor cinemas the number of audience may be higher outside the cinema than inside the cinema area itself. Street boys of all ages may have a free view from nearby roofs,trees or walls, enjoying their free movie with a lit sigarette shared with their fellow comrades. On a warm summer night you may see the glowing ends of sigarettes from the trees all around. Probably this is the hightlight of their difficult day. If someone falls down, the paying audience down under may have a good laugh and an entertainment bonus. No experienced cinema guard bothers to chase them away, it is useless and probably they will be back next night anyway. After all, this IS Romania.

When popular movies and Romanian box office hits come to town, the personal saving accounts all over town are emptied and the theatre is packed by a festive crowd. Nobody bothers to book in advance and everyone arrives 1o minutes before, so an organised chaos is included in the ticket. All tickets have numbers, but the seat numbers do not count, so you have to race in style for a good seat in complete darkness. As anywhere else in the world soft drinks, popcorn and chocolate are sold in the reception, and it is obvious to bring it all immediatley into the theatre and drop the leftovers under your seat when the meal is over with.

When the film begins, and you are in one of those old Romanian cinemas, it is all very quiet for 10 -15 minutes. Probably the crowd is evaluating the story for a short while. Then the movie night may be ruined if you actually have come to see the movie and not experience Romanian cinema culture. Friends start chatting loudly about the movie, making comments about the actors and what they're saying.....and THEN...then the BEEPING of cellphones starts. Near you, in front of you, at the back, here and there...and there. Some may sms their mates elsewhere, some call home to tell about the movie, others may check out the games on the phone of their friends in the next seats, and some may phone their mama or girlfriend who did not want to come. Some even do their business deals on their phones while half watching what's going on on the screen. And even though smoking is not allowed, scattered clouds of nicotine may pass by.

If you get angry and you turn around asking the natives to buzz off or switch of their mobiles, you're just making yourself into yet another entertainment factor. So you may do one of two things; - leave or delevop a selective listening ability. The last option is possible with some practise, and if the film is worth the effort. Actually I can manage this, but only when in Romania, elsewhere I would have given up.

After the performace the crowd moves silently into the darkness outside, catching up on their buses or minibuses back home to the blocks. They all agree that it has been a great night and a great movie. And above all they had a great time showing off their mobile phones.

A few friends of mine from the province came with me to one of those modern cinemas in Bucharest and it was all quiet and wonderful during the movie. After leaving the complex, one of my friends said: - I did not like this place, it was all too strict! - The others nodded, - and I felt like a real stranger in the night.

THE NO PAY NO SAY ROMANIA

2010-06-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

The main problem for average Romanians of 2010 is totally ignored by politicians and mass media in the country. People work with or without legal contracts, people work long extra hours, people do services for others for weeks and: THEY ARE NOT PAID.

SOME ARE NOT PAID AT ALL, SOME ARE JUST PAID HALF OR WORSE, SOME GET THEIR SALARIES MONTHS AFTER PAYDAY AND NOBODY DARES TO COMPLAIN BECAUSE THEN THEY ARE FIRED. AND LEFT OUT IN TOTAL POVERTY

The abuse of the working population is on such a large scale that is scary that it is not a main political topic. The fact that it is not an issue shows how the ruling elite in Romania has turned corrupted in mind and actions. Hand in hand with the corrupt trade unions it is almost regarded as a right for an employer do do whatever he or she likes. Trade unions are mobilised by political interests when there is an issue of pensions and minimum salaries but it does not help much when existing salaries not are paid because abuse is accepted. What is the sense of higher salaries when the existing ones are not paid as law by letter demands? It is a political farse with sad consequences for millions of Romanians.And as a final depressing factor the workers have no power or tradition even education in how to stand up to the abuse, even accepting it as a Romanian way of life at times.

Even serios and big companies have started the same abuse of their workers. Paychecks do not arrive, contracts ignored and extra hours done not listed. Employers have no shame, they can even face the workers by saying " it is a crises and I have no money" - while the owners big villas and flashy cars tell another story. Well aware of the fact that there is no sanction against them whatsoever.

The general rule that you cannot start renovating or doing a business without having enough money for wages paid to the workers you hired is totally absent. Bank garantees for salary payouts are not considered at all, regarded as some kind of alien habit of the stupid.

The cost of this situation is a social disaster. Stealing and cheating is turning into common ways of surviving - even accepted - as long as you are not caught. The Romanian way of thinking and acting when it comes to all walks of life is at a dead end. The respect for the hardworking worker is dead, the greed is the ruling master. And again: The mass media and politicians ignore it.

A BRILLIANT ROMANIAN MOVIE

2010-05-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle (Romanian ) is a 2010 Romanian drama film directed by Florin Şerban. It won the Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival. The movie is directed by FLORIN SERBAN and has been filmed in a Romanian prison with actual prisoners and professional actors interacting.

It is an amazing result, and the two main parts are played by George Pistereanu - the inmate both in the movie and reality - and Ada Condeescu - a professional actress. The plot is simple, but the performances breathtaking.

"Silviu" is an 18 year old boy from Braila who is serving a 4 year sentence for theft and just two weeks before his release his little brother shows up during a visit and tells him that their mother has come home from Italy to take him there. The lives of Romanian kids having been left at home while their parents are abroad, is suddenly brought upfront through the desperation of Silviu, whose miserable life now seems to include the absence of his little brother, who he raised alone while his mother remained in Italy.

There are no special effects in this movie, the settings are the prison only and the almost " home movie style" use of camera is working because the actors are credible all the way. Especially Pistereanu who plays Silviu is a natural acting talent and it is quite extraordinary that the producer found such a talent in a prison.

The film lasts 1 hr 30 minutes, is in Romanian, but with English subtitles. Recommended ! | Thor

STEFAN BANICA IS ROMANIAN ROCKN ROLL

2010-05-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

I have had the opportunity to see and hear most of the best-selling Romanian pop artists since 1990. Among all the miming and playback stupidities, there are plenty of artists with a great international potential .'- if they had been performing in English or were given the chance to tour abroad.. During several summers I have seen the shows of Stefan Banica Jr - and it always turns out to be plain rock'n roll of high quality both musically and as a stage show.

Stefan Banica is the son of a late famous Romanian actor and probably the name itself has partly given him a free ride into the Romanian entertainment business, but he stands on his own feet indeed. A string of record and video hits have made it possible for him to find good sponsors and competent musicians to back his stage show. It all looks and sounds good.
Watching his moves on stage it is easy to get the notion that he is a kind of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis clone, but in the way Banica does it - one accepts it as something of his own. Because it is natural and well planned, with a certainty that is professional and relaxed at the same time. It is not original, but what is in the pop business of today ? - The clue is to make a show... to make people feel good.....to show respect to everyone who has bought a ticket. And he is of course a good singer in the real sense of the word. That is why Stefan Banica is a great artist, probably the best show artist in Romania of today.He knows what he does and he loves it.

All Romanian artists seem to love hiring extremely beautiful female dancers to boost their shows, beauties that seemingly are able to do anything - apart from real dancing. So also for shows by Stefan Banica, his great-looking dancers have taken some aerobic dance classes all right .- but the dancing itself is unsynchronized and embarrassing and is only accepted because of good looks. However, these somewhat unprofessional parts of the shows are overturned by irony and gags well staged by instant choreography and actions from the singer himself. In this way the show is ambitious beyond just being an ordinary gig.

The light setting is limited with no high-tech surprises, but sufficient. The artist and the music are in the front and the concert is also partly a sing-a-long party due to the fans in the audience. And if they hesitate, Stefan Banica flirts with the crowd and gets them into the atmosphere. Which an artist should do, crossing the border between the stage and the seats in front.

The songs in the shows are a mix of classical rock'n roll hits and Banicas own national hits, all brilliantly performed and in style. So are his regular Christmas shows in the Romanian capital.The mature saxophone players and the piano man are brilliant musicians also - they add the right impressive touch to the instrumental parts of the concert. - Though medleys of Chuck Berry and company in English are common highlights in the middle of the shows, Stefan Banica is at his very best when he performs his own catchy Romanian songs. This makes him an artist of international standard, with a show that would have been accepted as perfect in any rock'n roll club in Europe or elsewhere.

Stefan Banica is also a good actor and the spring of 2005 he played a part in a TV- action soap about the Romanian mafia. He is also the presenter of the popular TV - show "DANCING FOR YOU " | Thor

ROMANIAN RAILWAYS

2010-05-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

Travelling with Romanian railways is mostly a great pleasure. Trains leave and arrive mostly on time and there are rail links to almost any town in the country. Times and even prices can easily be found online on www.infofer.ro in several languages. The site seems to be exactly as updated as the ticket desk assistants on the railway stations. Train sets are modernised and updated regularly, even though still many lines use old wagons, especially on the local lines.

The IC trains are great value and often include a restaurant wagon. There are not so big difference between second class and first class not even when it comes to price, however the passengers may be more fashionable by Romanian standards. Travelling by train in Romania brings you closer to the natives and you can easily chat up your fellow travel companions in the compartment. English is spoken by young people everywhere and by the mature people in the first class compartments.

There is also a special train police that roam the trains now and then to ensure passenger safety and remove any free riders or persons making trouble in some way or another. Trains are smokefree, however this is difficult to handle for one of Europe`s most tobaccoloving populations, so smokers run to the train doors at each station for a smoke before the train moves on again. Even some tend to smoke in the space between the wagons risking a ticket from the train police ranging from one month`s salary and up - in Romania that is.

There is one thing that is not that nice though. The toilets are a disaster and seem to be neglected by everyone from the managers of the railways to the cleaning personell. It is sometimes so disgusting that you would like to leave the train at the next station. Leftovers, water and human fluid may be splashed all over the place, doors lacking locks, even toilet windows smashed, not to be opened or even open non stop without possibility to be closed. Paper lacks regardless and it smells. Apart from IC trains this is a general problem. Even when addressing the train staff they just look another way or they produce a statement about their other duties. It seems like it is a touchy topic to address.

Why is it so difficult to fix this??
| Thor