Comments
As of February 6, 2012 I am re-opening comments on new blog posts.
Please try and be respectful of others and otherwise conduct yourself in a civil manner. Thanks for your input!
Roll the Dice!
Fun With Ngrams
- Don't miss my collection of #animation: #Czech, #Poland, #Germany, #Slovenia, #Romania, #Hungary http://t.co/gLLm039zm1 Beautiful & innocent whysored (Why So Red?)
- @Faydee Remember the beautiful time spent in Romania! The best and the funniest was at RadioZU."brothers of Palinca" http://t.co/UlIc2X3Op3 Adelina9799 (Adelina)
- Anyone who doesn't think Romania was the greatest thing about Eurovision, you're wrong. Go wallow in your wrongness. RyanTredrea (Ryan A. Tredrea)
- @cristina_718 you better go!! It's going to be so much better in Romania than the ones here stefanabojescu (Stefana Bojescu)
- Одна из лучших песен этого года @antoniamusician #Antonia #Marabou #Beautiful #Hit #Romania #Love… http://t.co/JgVrDqAXzc _MoscowNight (Antoholix :))
Let’s Do It Romania!
Asociatia Green Revolution
ShoeBox
Learn Romanian?
- Solution to your euro/UKIP woes? Stop Romanian/Bulgarian influx. Demonstrate that you can learn from Labours mistakes @David_Cameron LeUnicorn (Le Unicorn)
- @tarom_ro with the best in flight food I've experienced on short haul. Some @staralliance members should learn from the #Romanian example! AndreasFlohr (Andreas Flohr)
- @TheRisingBat why do you wanna learn Romanian? XD Nittionio_ (恵美)
- @5oh19 I once got a reply to an ad for a Romanian interpreter from someone who said they didn't speak Rom but would learn if given the job. zmkc (Zoe)
- We are glad to announce that the website is now in Romanian too! http://t.co/AW5wc0ul5V Learn_Abroad (LanguageCourse.Net)
- We are glad to announce that the website is now in Romanian too! http://t.co/GsY0myC0xa Learn_Abroad (LanguageCourse.Net)
- need to learn romanian so i know what these are saying sineadplaydirty (daddys lil girl)
- Well this is not a good time to be looking up how to learn Romanian. You've got a German exam tomorrow Kathryn, focus. kathrynYO (Kathryn McGhee)
- What foreign language would you like to learn? — Romanian. No doubt. http://t.co/WoRBvjsYZf long13live13 (Kiley)
- Romanian.. gotta learn that stuff :'D AJEllingford (Andrew Ellingford)
- What foreign language would you like to learn? — Definitely Romanian. I can't even tell you how much I would lik... http://t.co/gbQOo3JGR1 X_SAMPA (Hjalice)
So, first, I wanted to say that I am one of the insane you mentioned when it comes to learning Romanian. :D I enjoyed reading all of your posts and found them helpful but also delightfully entertaining! I am looking forward to the next lesson! Second, I thought maybe you could create some kind of chart that details ownership for different pronouns for the fem. and masc. objects as I always find this challenging. Thanks Sam R.
Pa pentru acum!
Thanks for the kind comment! I believe if you look on the sidebar and find “Learning Romania Magazine” in their first (recent) edition, they have a complete list and explanation of all the pronouns which sounds like EXACTLY what you’re looking for.
But why do you want to learn Romanian?
One of the best blogs in years. Very well written. Tine-o tot asa :)
Sam, excellent job with the blog. Reading it becomes an addictive habit.
I’ll be getting several copies of your book as Christmas gifts. I am sure my Romanian-American friends would absolutely love it.
Noroc!
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Dear Sam,
I think you are so cool I am intimidated by your coolness. I thought Romania was my secret, I married a Romanian woman even. Now I may have to dump her and find some other neglected country and make it my own. But your lifestyle makes me increasingly bitter about my own, and living in Cluj and socializing with my “subjects” is just what I would like to do now. Of course, since you already have made your court in Cluj, I probably would have to pick another city like Iasi or Timisoura unless you could appoint me a duke or something and I would just be one of your hangers-on.
Best Wishes,
Wannabe sycophantic courtier (David)
Sam, I must just say….your bog makes me miserable and makes me wanna hate you ;)
You see, my parents are ethnic born Romanians. They moved to America where I was born a few years later. Romanian was my first language. I was brought up basically as a Romanian. I ate Romanian food, spoke the Romanian language, hung out with Romanian relatives and I basically thought I was Romanian. Then sometime within my school years, I lost the language. I still ate the Romanian food, parents still spoke in Romania, but I lost my connection, the language. Later on its like I completely forgot what being Romanian is and means, and it grew to be meaningless to me.
However, last year….I just woke up one day, and it struck me. I’m a damn Romanian and I should be proud of it.(also the fact that someone pinpointed my ethnicity based on the way I talked, which made no sense to me cause I don’t have an accent, or so I think). Ever since then I longed to go visit the country Romania…even kills me sometimes. So during my studies of Romania I stumbled across this blog, and I start reading it. And I must say any feeling of homesickness I felt about a place I never even lived in probably quadrupled :P Your blog just makes me want to visit the place even more.
I’m one of those, getting in touch with your “roots” people. 100% Romanian right here.
What can I say? Go to meetup.com and you can meet some Romanians near where you live (in USA). Or better, save up your pennies and come here to Romania! :D
Good idea. Never knew about meetup.com, I should check it out.
In fact, I’m planning on going to Romania for the summer before college starts. All alone :P
Of course I have family in Romania so its really not that alone lol.
Forgot to say, I love your blog man. It’s great. Reading it is such a joy.
Maybe It will help me impress my relatives living in Romania :P
Sam I have bought your book off amazon and yes I have plans to visit in April,my nephew is working in Bucharest and initially was coming because I had seen some wonder pictures he had posted well one week of vacation has now turned into 16 days minus 2 for flying.Landing in Bucuresti and yes driving to Brasov then Sighisoara,Sibiu,Hunedoara,Bucuresti,then on the Constanta and hopefully to the Danube..Maybe we will bump into each other..
If you get to Cluj, come and say hi! :D
AcronymDefinitionFFBFat Free Body MassFFBFeatures, Functions, and BenefitsFFBFederal Financing Bank (US)FFBFe9de9ration Frane7aise de BridgeFFBFellow of the Faculty of Building (UK)FFBFirst Families of BaltimoreFFBFirst Fidelity BankFFBFirst Fuel BanksFFBflexible fiberoptic brcpchosoonyFFBFlexible Fiberoptic LaryngotracheobrcpchosoonyFFBFlorida Farm BureauFFBFood from Britain (UK strategic international food and drink export marketing consultancy)FFBFoundation Fighting BlindnessFFBFreeman Feedback (missionary newsletter/website)FFBFresh Fruit BunchFFBFrum from Birth (Jewish)FFBFurniture For Business (UK)FFBFfcrstenfeldbruck (German auto license plate)FFBFysisk Fredags Bar (Physics Friday Bar; University of Aarhus, Denmark)FFBForce Feedback
About the stray dogs article… the gypsies are not know as hingheri. Hingheri is a noun that expresses a job, and can be translated in English as flayer.
Regarding your last artcile… How could you say that nobody had a washing machine IN 1999… I don’t know a single person who hadn’t in 1991… not 99. Also Brasov had 3 ice skating places… about 10 billiards, tens of console gaming “cafe’s” and and internetcafes.
My parents bought a washing machine in 1981 and we were not rich. Most of the families that I knew, back then, owned a washing machine.
The thing is that Sam R. does not care that much about the facts, but about the atmosphere that he creates around the facts, which, from an artistic point of view, it’s understandable.
Fortunately, a lot of Sam’s writings are a fairly description of Romanian realities, for which he deserves APPRECIATION.
Unfortunately, he does not realize that people who don’t know Romania take for granted everything he says. Sometimes he just speculates and, when people like me or few others try to use arguments (other than fallacious ones) against his speculations, he just feels “sapped.”
What I personally don’t like is when Sam speculates about language (like in that post where he decided that the expression “la mine” comes straight from the Slavic grammar, although it’s in all Romance languages) or culture (although ubiquitous on the streets, “manele” and “etno” are NOT the only culture of Romania).
I do not believe that people write just for themselves, like Sam R. tries to convince us in one of his posts (kind of his “ars poetica”). Otherwise for what all that self-publishing endeavor?! The purpose of writing is a long debated subject and, who wants to know more about it can start with Umberto Eco and his concept of “open text.”
If Sam R. has the right to suppress his blog’s comments, he also shows a funny temper. He did what we would say in Romanian: “s-a supărat ca văcarul pe sat.”
For an extensive SPECULATION on Sam R.’s blogarish personality, I recommend reading A.G. Greenwald’s “The Totalitarian Ego.” :)
Hey here’s an idea, how about you don’t know what the fuck is going on with me? I have a series of extremely serious problems going on in my life right now totally unrelated to this blog. My good old jolly permissive endlessly patient self is about run out of gas, ok? And hearing people constantly whine and carp about mistakes or little shit is not helping me relax and write more is it?
La mine is really in all romance languages is it? You ever heard “vete el mio” in Spanish? No. And yet there’s a perfect match to a Russian way of saying it. GOSH I WONDER WHY ITS ILLEGAL TO SAY SOMETHING MIGHT BE SLAVIC. Christ. If it’s from Latin it’s somehow better than if it’s from Old Church Slavonic?
And if you had a washing machine in 1981, goody gumdrops for you. Not one person I met in 2000 here in Romania had one. Maybe some people did. I didn’t do a fucking survey of the entire country did I? Nor did I say hey absolutely not one person had a washing machine. I said most people didnt and guess what, I’d wager that’s about right. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe all I knew were three poor bastards who didn’t get a washing machine until Altex started selling ‘em on credit in the early 2000′s. OH MY GOSH SOMETIMES I AM WRONG CALL THE FUCKING NEWSPAPER.
As for “people believe him” well guess what? People believe what they want to. I write from my own perspective and you might notice it says “BY SAM R.” at the top of every article. That’s to indicate I wrote it, not the entire nation of Romania. I write how I write and people can hate it, love it, believe it, disbelieve it or anything else. I’m not pretending to do anything but give my own perspective on things. Are you now going to protect the poor widdle Romanians (or readers) from my evil, pernicious, false opinions or what? Fucking hell, I have about 20 or 30 other Romanian blogs linked on my OWN FUCKING SIDEBAR so go read those if you want to hear a different perspective.
I published my shit because I wanted to. I close my comments because of nitpicking harassing shit like this, WHICH I STILL DIDN’T CENSOR did I? No. Fuck you and your totalitarian ego bullshit. You go write a blog and have people climb on your ass all day which you DO FOR FUCKING FREE and meanwhile you’re trying to handle other problems in your life that COMMENTERS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. Really.
While I agree on the absurdity of thinking ‘la mine’ is Slavic, I think you’re kind of making a huge leap from that to DERP SAM CEL ROMAN IS A MORON.
Thanks!
In French is “chez moi”, which is a perfect match to Russian, too (sic!).
It’s NOTHING illegal to say something might be Slavic (btw, in the original post you were CERTAIN!), it’s revolting when people keep embracing SPECULATIONS even when they face the FACTS (and I was TEASING you when I wrote about your “blogarish personality”, which means, I launched myself in speculations the way you do; I WONDER why you got mad!?).
That’s the biggest problem with the Internet today: everybody says ANYTHING without respect to the facts. Oh, you don’t like what I write, “FUCK YOU!,” go somewhere else and read other FUCKING blogs!
I don’t know what is going on in your life. I guess there is SOMETHING going on in everybody’s life. But once one goes PUBLIC, one has to assume RESPONSIBILITY in front of the people (especially when you WRITE A BOOK!!! – and THAT book is the only reason why I hang out on this blog). You can’t just FUCK whoever you don’t like. I mean you CAN, the Internet is today like the Wall of Pompeii, but then, my friend, you are NOT so far from other public figures that you PRETEND not to like, precisely for FUCKING their public.
You’re getting this upset about a blog? Someone needs help.
It’s not about the blog. You are missing the idea :|
Wow… that article in Huffington Post about racist Romanian teenagers was just awful! (and the comments were worst). People criticize us for being racist, ignorant or you name it… yet they discriminate against us and know nothing about us!
Anyway… I believe that the numbers in that poll aren’t wrong but as you said if I don’t want to have a gypsy neighbor that doesn’t mean I hate him for his ethnicity or I want the gypsies dead or anything else. I just don’t like their culture and way of living and that’s all…
About Romanian Orthodoxy…
Romanian Orthodox Church was never under the direct ruling of the Russian Church. Slavic language was used in church because of many other historical reasons, which have to do with international politics.
Until 1872, Romanian Church was under direct authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople, which is what we call today the Greek rite church. After that year, Romanian Church became independent, but it kept the Greek style. If one wants to understand Romanian religious celebrations, one has to read about the Greek Orthodox Church, because they are almost identical.
Going back to the language, there are as many Greek religious words in Romanian as Slavic words but who cares about that?! It’s funny to have a little obsession with the Slavic language.
And now you know why Romanians don’t celebrate religious holidays in Russian style.
Stimate Sam, când comentezi evenimentele din urbea dumitale sau alte fenomene din lumea contemporană, îţi admir puterea de înţelegere şi spiritul critic.
Când ajungi să-ţi dai cu părerea despre lucruri la care nu te pricepi (istorie, cultură, limbă, etc.), ajungi la concluzii jenante (care arată că au fost scrijelite în pripă, ca urmare a unor lecturi insuficiente), pe care, câtă vreme le-ai ţine pentru dumneata, nu le-aş băga în seamă.
Aşa cum am făcut trimitere pe alte site-uri la articolele dumitale pertinente (cum ar fi cel despre sondajul Soros), tot aşa am să persist în scrierea de comentarii la articolele nefericit de simpluţe şi periculos de inconsistente.
Nu de alta, dar mâine-poimâine, mai scoţi o carte cu însemnări despre un loc şi despre nişte oameni pe care te încăpăţânezi să le prezinţi ca un “insider”, când, de fapt, nu depăşesc nivelul wikipedia (în ghidul scos la vânzare, vezi pasajele despre istorie şi cultură).
The protestants (baptists, pentecostals etc) have the Eastern in the same day as the orthodox every year… only the catholics have it in different days from time to time…
Grigore, it is the other way round. Western Christianity (whether Roman-Catholics or Protestants) celebrate the Easter and Christmas on the same dates. The Eastern Orthodox have a different way to calculate the Easter day, hence the differences between Western and Eastern Christianity concerning the date of Easter. This happens also with Christmas, some Eastern Christians celebrate Christmas of January 6, some others inclufin romanians on December 25 along with the Western Christians..
Compared with Brasov… Cluj is a shithole…. Brasov is the greatest city in Romania (the most beautiful, with the healthiest economy, diverse, great history, unbelievable surroundings and so on). And it’s not just me that says this but most Romanians will agree.
indeed, Brasov is a very nice city…probably the best one in the world…no? but still, u shouldn’t trash Cluj-Napoca…as a lot of students from Brasov studied here. Not to forget, Brasov didn’t look like this a few years ago….
Wow…this is really sad…I can see what you mean…=( But preferably I would like the comments back on (and hopefully ppl won’t abuse them again? XD)….
You mentioned you have a lot of serious problems going on w/ your life…=(
Good luck! I hope your personal situation improves. =)
Hi Sam, nice article on containers.
I noticed one mistake though, you mixed up cana with ceasca. If you google the words on images you’ll see.
Anyway, good job. Have a nice weekend.
Yankee go home! There is no scientific proof that homosexuality is natural nor normal! Not a single one! Probably you know the difference between a theory and a scientific fact? The theory was not demonstrated! Also… you quote the Kinsey study??? Was that a joke and I didn’t got it or what? That study was done on prostitutes and inmates … of course a lot of them were gay! Anyway… we don’t need homosexuals around here!
First thing, take a look here and see what does a layman’s theory and a scientific theory mean:
http://thinking-critically.com/2010/07/08/theory-scientific-vs-laymans-definition/
Second thing, would you agree that anything found in nature would be natural and maybe even normal? OK, check out this then.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals
Third thing……why are you discriminating people who are or have been inmates, does it mean if you were to be jailed for some criminal offence you would also become gay, or gay people are predisposed for criminal behaviour?
Forth thing….what are your qualifications that enable you to dismiss a scientific study at the flick of a switch?
Of course not all studies are 100% accurate or unbiased but you just can’t dismiss things with just a stupid biased opinion you may hold.
My personal view is still that biology plays a big role in causing homosexuality but it’s not the exclusive cause. Like most things the causes for homosexuality are a complex blend of genetics, conditions in the mother’s womb, environmental, societal, emotional beliefs etc.
I may not agree completely with Sam’s views but his are one of the most sane ones.
There are plenty of idiots out there who are not gay that would make me throw stones at them.
There have been subsequent studies, Grigore. Or are you just that stupid?
If you want gays please go back to your shitty USA! We don’t want them here and we don’t want you here! I know… you’ve been brainwashed in your fucked up schools that gays are normal but please keep your thoughts to yourself!
If you want to live in OUR country do as we do… otherwise please leave as soon as possible!
Keep posting these stupid articles about your beloved homosexuals and I assure you you won’t have too many remaining days here!
Your beliefs are part of why the uninformed think most Romanians are backward.
Partidul, Ceausesc, Romania was never an Anthem of Romania… you’re making huge mistakes in that article… You almost make me believe that you have some bad intentions…
Where the heck did you drive that you didn’t had radio signal? There are few radio programs that work even on Fagaras Mountains.
salut uite tocmai am citit un articol despre tine pe net unde era si un interviu cu tine si am vrut sa-ti scriu sa-ti spun ca mi-a placut foarte mult. nu stiu nimic despre cartea ta dar o sa o citesc dar nu asta e relevant. pur si simplu am vrut sa-ti zic ca mi se pare ca esti un om deosebit si ca mi-a placut interviul pe care l-ai dat.
Na, ca sî vorghiesc şî io, iar scoatche Sam ietimolojii poporane, dân pântişe, nu dân bostan! LOL
Sha mi-ash dori sa ti vochez pi tini ca scriitoriu ghe blogu aista, spre rushanariea bloglandului, nu merji democratic!
LOVED YOUR REPLY!
Man, articles like the latest one make me wish you had left the comments open. Half the fun was reading other people reactions. I bet this article on the bus system would have been as popular as the CFR one.
http://alba24.ro/sambata-noaptea-razii-ale-politiei-cu-mascati-in-mai-multe-cluburi-din-alba-iulia-vezi-cine-a-fost-luat-cu-duba-40561.html
I think this is related to what happened to you in Cluj on 9/11.
The police does this once in a while but I’ve never heard of such a big operation undertook simultaneously especially outside of Bucharest. It may be indeed related to 9/11 as this would be the best time for some “terrorist”to act and would be easier to find and catch him. Also in Cluj there are a lot Arab students and this may have also factored in the decision to undertake such an operation although the academic year doesn’t start until october.
While motives for such actions could be thought of, it is at least a little worrysome.
I hate that since 9/11 and with this whole blasted economic crisis freedoms and commonsense have been set aside and few are complaining.
Da-ne o mana de ajutor si tu, si scrie despre marsul biciclistilor din Cluj, editia aniversara de 4 ani de pedalat lunar prin oras (22 Septembrie 2011):
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=268890003139559
Sam,
I was appaled at your ranting against all those who politely pointed out that Romania had washing machines long before year 2000. Romanian educated (middle) class, even working class families in the cities had washing machines in Romania, starting from the seventies. I am over 50 years now and clearly remember my Mum’s washing machine, an AlbaLux one, similar to the one in the picture: http://www.adevarul.ro/locale/alba_iulia/Masina-spalat-Albalux_5_517798223.html
For the communist regime it was important that women had jobs outside the family so a washing machine was a device intended to help them, not a luxury. Unlike in the States where you are originally from, almost every woman in communist Romania had a paid job, on top of housemaking and raising children. Housewives and stay at home Mums were almost inexistent in those days. I cannot remember when my family bought the first washing machine but in the seventies when I was teenager we already had one. I also bought one myself in 1982 when my first son was born, and still have vivid memories about the daily chore of washing diapers in the washing machine. There were no disposable Pampers in those days.
Sam, sper sa fii “contagios” si intreaga Romanie sa se “imbolnaveasca” de la entuziasmul si pozitivismul tau. Imi este dor de ai mei – ii am singuri in tara si eu si frati-miu suntem plecati. Daca ai sta in Bucuresti si nu la Cluj te-as ruga sa treci pe la ei ca nu le prea deschide nimeni usa.
Si sa-ti mai spun un secret: I’m falling in love with you though I don’t find you really attractive :) but your writing is!! Ma unge la suflet. Hug your cats and your woman for me.
Hai sictir!!!
Iti doresc sa te fi chiar nacut in rominia, sa ai toate “sansele” ce le avem noi.
Sa lucrezi in rominia in unul din putinele “job-uri” de rahat ce le poti gasi, sa fii platit cu 800-1000 de lei pe luna si sa nu iti permiti nici macar un plin de benzina, ca la pompa benzina e ca in Austria!!!!!!!!!
Sa faci scoala si sa lucrezi in domeniul ce l-ai studiat da sa fii muritor de foame, sa tragi de salar si de imprumuturi meschine de la o data de salar la alta!!!!!!!
Sa nu poti calatori liber din cauza resurselor de care dispui nici in interiorul tarii!!! Auzi la el…Mexic, Israel…pai bai moaca pe la noi cine munceste cinstiti nici de un bilet de tren (ce-i ala avion???) de la Cj la Bucuresti nu prea are bani…si sa nu mai vb de taxele pt viza de la vreo ambasada!!!
Ce vii tu si ne explici cum nu suntem noi pozitivi si suntem fraieri? Ia fii tu pozitiv cind statul iti ia 70% din ce produci si in schimbul taxelor impozitelor si contributiilor nu face NIMIC???
Ia fii pozitivu lu peste cu 200 de lei ………si inca 3 saptamini pina la salar. Iti mai arde sa “iei un avion pina in Israel????
Mortii ma-sii de treaba de gunoi…….ani de zile nu puteam iesi din lagaru asta din cauza comunismului ….acu nu putem pleca de aici ca nu ajungem nici pina la granita din cauza preturilor…si tu vii si te dai rotund ca ce destept esti TU si cit e de frumoasa groapa asta de gunoi umana sociala si economica?
Intelel ca iti plac tiganii si manelele si toate jegurile ce constituie “specificul” acestei ratari istorice ce se numeste tara. Dar sa te mai si dai jmecher si destept si rotund si sa ne faci tot pe noi prosti si fraieri ca vezi doamne doar ne plingem si de fapt e numai vina noastra ca traim ca nister zombi fara viitor……asa ceva depaseste nesimtirea si tupeul maxim admis.
Iti permiti o perioada boema? OK…si alti occidentali viziteaza africa sa vada colibele si elefantii……dar macar nu isi pemit o asemenea aroganta pozitie ca tine.
Faci pe filosoful existentialist si dai lectii de viata???????? Cu pasaportul de american in buzunar si cu ceva dolari in conturi da, normal ca iti da mina sa faci pe long-term turistul angajat…….
Ia zi zi altora unde se gaseste “un job la o org guvernamentala cu plata buna si citeva ore pe net”??????? ca poate or vrea si altii….. ca noi “fraierii” muncim de ne sar capacele sa supravietuim de la o zi de kkat la alta zi de kkat….da mai……..noi astia in Rominia ne futem vietile nervii si sanatatea pt ceva de uns pe pita si multe multe facturi……
Te-ai gasit sa ne explici tu fericirea si viata.
Sunt CLUJEAN si roaga-te sa NU ne intilnim direct, ca nu o sa ma abtin sa te scuip in ochi!!!!
Daca tot ai adoptat asa frumos obiceiurile rominesti..100% e ca vei cenzura postare sau nu o vei publica deloc….da sper ca o vei citi, degenerat infumurat ce esti !
Cu asa atitudine si comportament poti sa te stergi la cur.
Frecus placut.
Deceaba comentezi Marian dar Gruia are dreptate ! Sam este un fel de turist pe terment lung in Romania si deja se considera REGE AL ROMANIEI (dupa numele blogului) si mai roman decat noi ? Mi se pare o aroganta si o nesimtire mai mare decat AMERICA lui de cacat !!
Dupa cum am vazut la “Romania te iubesc”, articolul despre el ,am inteles ca omu dupa ce a lucrat vreo 5 ani ca politist, fara nicio zi de concediu, s-a trezit intr-o dimineata si a zis; ” ba , imi bag pula si plec in Romania in concediu” dupa care a ramas aici cu toate ca inca primeste salariu din state.
Incredibil ! Putin probabil ca a lucrat 5 ani fara nicio zi de concediu dupa care sa vrea sa-si petreaca concediul in Romania ,cand el probabil nici nu stia unde este Romania pe harta, ca majoritatea americanilor.
Asa ca nu mai venerati (voi ,romanii) toti strainii , sa-i faceti sa se simta niste regi pentru ca ei sigur nu fac asta pentru noi, ba chiar isi bat joc de noi.
Sam se considera un fel de chior in tara orbilor probabil de aici titlul blogului si aroganta !
O zi buna.
Gruia
Nu-ti aprob limbajul da’ te inteleg. Ani de zile mi-au reprosat copiii ca i-am scos din Romania unde aveau o copilarie fericita si i-am carat in Anglia unde au inghitit multe umilinte si mizerii (am plecat din Romania dupa marea victorie a lui Iliescu din 1992. Stiam ce o sa urmeze si nu m-am inselat). Acum insa, cu pasaport britanic in buzunar si fara restrictii de munca de niciun fel, incep sa priceapa de ce am facut-o. Dar au priceput de abea cand cel mic a facut voluntariat intr-un adapost pentru vagabonzi (homeless centre). Acolo a dat de romani si cum era singurul care vorbea limba, a aflat povestile lor, a aflat cum au ajuns sa doarma in strada la Londra.
Cei care cresc intr-o societate libera precum Sam, nu inteleg ce inseamna sa nu ai nicio sansa, sa nu ai nicio posibilitate de alegere sau schimbare decat sa induri mizerie, zi cu zi. Eu am trait saracia si lipsa de alternative din vremea lui Ceausescu. In Romania acum e altfel de mizerie, altfel de saracie dar tot mizerie se cheama. Pana si sora-mea, patriota infocata, si-a facut bagajele si a plecat vara asta in Dubai ca profesoara de colegiu (ea era conferentiara la Politehnica).
Am incercat sa explic unor occidentali ce inseamna sa traiesti in saracie fara nici-o alternativa. Pur si simplu nu pricep. Eu m-am lamurit ca nu-i duce capul sa priceapa si nu-mi ma mai omor sa le explic.
Am folosit acel limbaj datorita arogantei si auto-sartisfactiei de care da dovad personajul Sam intr-un articol cu si despre el din presa.
Ma calca pe nervi imens modul in care isi permite sa se exprime, si mai ales cum sa auto-intituleaza in modul cum o face.
Degeaba locuieste aici si a invata limba, e total pe dinafara.
Inteleg ca traind in rominia isi ofera o experienta deosebita, un fel de vacanta extrema , un downshifting ce il face sa para fff cool in ochii lui si a altora, dar de acolo pina la a adopta pozitia asta de maaaare intelept ce se pricepe mai bine la viata decit fraierii de romini e o distanta fff mare.
As accepta senin tot ce spune si declara in site-ul lui si in ziare, daca si pt un romin ar fi la fel de la indemina sa isi ofere o “bucla” similara de viata in SUA, sau oriunde comparabil in occident.
Ia, sa vedem? merge? tocmai experienta ta ne spune ca in mod sigur nu.
Noi (chiar daca ne permitem un bilet de avion) ajungem acolo si suntem bataia lor de joc, sclavii si cirpele lor, ei – cind “coboara” in est, brusc se vad super-mega destepti…
Oricum…pb la prima boala, la prima pb serioasa,la primul “defect” sam rrrominul suna la ambasada SUA, sa il “help” big brother…
mi-e greata de lumea asta …
Gruia, iti inteleg revolta, si inteleg ca vulgaritatea folosita a fost cu intentia de a accentua si mai mult durerea ta. Nu sunt pt vulgaritate, dar cateodata ajuta.
Cu asa atitudine si comportament poti sa te stergi la cur.
Frecus placut.
Gruia,
Iti dau perfecta dreptate in tot ce spui. Citeste opinia cetateanului britanic conform caruia noi romanii n-avem voie sa criticam pe nimeni si nimic, fiindca …suntem romani.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8901383/Romanian-nurses-shocked-by-Britains-care-of-the-elderly.html
Exact ceea ce spui tu si am observat si eu si alti romani care traim in Occident. Am ajuns sa mi se faca sila de toti vesticii astia care ne dau lectii si ne privesc de sus de parca ar fi cei sapte intelepti din lumea antica si noi tsiganii robi ai lor.
this is going to be FUN, if you’re not grumpy.
Cică pe vremea comuniştilor, muncitorii furau piese de schimb de la uzina Cugir ca să-şi facă şi ei maşini de spălat (know-how aveau. lucrau în domeniu.). Dar oricum asamblau piesele, tot mitraliere ieşeau. :))
Pe la începutul anilor 1970, în almanahurile la modă (de ex. Almanahul Femeia), se găseau tot felul de reclame… printre care şi unele de genul: “Spălatul este o relaxare dacă folosiţi maşinile de spălat electrice, ALBALUX 2 şi ALBALUX 4, produse de UZINELE MECANICE CUGIR.”
Poza cu reclama se găseşte la minutul 0:49
Sam, don’t you mean “transportation PREPOSITIONS” instead of Pronouns? I recently learned about them as I was in an English class here in US for more than 2 months and still I didn’t get them right and I cannot use them properly. Pronouns are: he, she, you, we, them, ours etc….
However, thank you so much for teaching us. These prepositions are driving me crazy as many other words in English I’m still fighting to learn.
@ Marius si restul care luati in serios titlul blogului……n-ati inteles nimic din ce zice Sam. Plus ca un asemenea titlu are exact menirea de a atrage atentia, si a crea o mica controversa, deci a incuraja discutia pe subiect. Daca ati fi citit blogul ati vazut ca Sam are ceva cunostinte in domeniu.
Iar eu nu venerez nici un strain sau concetatean, dar il admir pe Sam, nu ca e american ci pt ca e onest lui insusi si face ceea ce ii place si pt ca a avut rabdarea de a discuta cu multa lume si a gandi ceea ce vede si aude, lucru care nu multi dintre noi il fac.
Eu m-am cam saturat de “sensibilitatea”, vaicarelile si atitudinea fatalista a romanilor. Stim cu totii ca situatia e grea si stim exact ce probleme sunt dar f putini fac ceva pt a le indrepta. Si acum o sa ziceti ca nu are rost ca mereu va fi asa…scuza vesnica. Daca nu faci nimic si nu vrei sa faci atunci taci din gura.
De asta imi place atitudinea lui Sam, pentru ca e “a breath of fresh air” vorba englezului.
Esti un om de nota 10. Bravo.
PURE EAGLE NIBBLING ON A CROSS WHILE WEARING RED GLOVES AND CLUTCHING OTHER STUFF AWESOMENESS — Really???? How would you feel if I said there are cuckoos among the stars and stripes on the US flag??? I appreciate your idea of documenting your experience (good or bad) in Romania, but I think you’ve gone too far trying to be ‘funny’. I would really appreciate you remove your ‘funny’ comment about the ‘eagle’. Oh, and the ‘Raaaah attack!’ too. As a native Romanian living in the US now, I find the above highly offensive. And trust me, I got a lot of sense of humor but also can’t tolerate ignorance very much….
Oh please….As a native Romanian living in Romania I find nothing offesive about that. I see that the US mentality of being easily offended about nothing has rubbed off on you. It is one of many traits of American culture that are regretable.
Hai sa nu mai facem din ţânţar armăsar.
As a another native Romanian living in Romania I second that: I find nothing offensive about that description. If it’s funny or not, that’s a matter of personal preference, but offensive? Naaah… or perhaps Raaah! :D
Factuality Police Notice: there are in fact no cuckoos on the US flag, but there seems to be at least one living there and posting here :))
Whether you’re reading comments again, or still ignoring, I just wanted to say that your blog has been a wonderful and often hilarious reminder of the 5 years I spent in Bucuresti trying to hear the last I.
And I wanted to add a 38th step about the amazing, rich undertext which is why I really think that only Romanians will ever be able to speak and understand this tortuous and implied , language. This undertext is, understatedly, best exemplified by the following:
Da da da da da means “ABSOLUTELY NOT!”.
Guy, I enjoyed, and enjoyed, and enjoyed your mamaliga versus polenta story / “povestire” (Romanian term) and the many steps to get a polenta master (mamaligar …).
Great! Thank you. And I hope to meet you somewhere in our virtuality again.
Cu drag, Robert
to comment on your latest post, ger is related to the Latin word for frost (see gelo in Ay-talian, hielo in Espanish, even the English word gel, and so on)… check out wiktionary.org – interesting info for linguists
I have to say that I understand everything the writer has said here!!!! When I started reading I was smiling and was even laughing because almost all I have been threw there, and I would do it all over and over again. I still can’t speck but just a few words and everyone laughs at me when I do. I can understand somewhat what is trying to be told to me. I do travel all over the country by myself either by train or car. Never got lost yet and always find my way back home. Well it was home to me and I still think of it as home. I have been all over this world either I’m the army or as an advisor. Took vacations to places a normal person who think I might need to go have my head checked. But I am glad that God let me be born an American and that I was a patriotic boy who did my time. But God also gave me the scents to know in this life what makes me happy and truly at peace and to know what friendship and love are. I found all and these plus so much more there. I fell totally in love with the country and it’s people. I found Well she found me a woman who is and will forever be my Muse who inspires me to always be a better man. Even after I lost her she still haunts my heart and soul and has free rent In my head. As things set now I not sure when I will ever see my newly adopted Country one that I choose to live in No desire to live, love and die in one day. A place where I can say that I truly was Home.
Dear Sam cel Roman,
Please receive my compliments for your work.
Have a nice day
I really love the gypsies, and i really want to spend my whole life with a young gypsy girl i am black i don’t know if they will like me…my name is tammy and my number is 07760579492, and my facbook name is heaven iyalla thanks. xxx
Alt strain care vine aici si se crede smecher…
I want to comment two things on the “The Wise Elves Say Cernavoda Earthquake Proof” and comments there are closed. I believe most of the people leaving a message missed Sam’s point.
1. If the improbable disaster happens, will it had been worth it? I mean, beyond the billions to build it, will the tens of billions to clean up the mess be worth the energy extracted in the meanwhile? Will it be worth it that a good chunk of Romania will be too dangerous for humans for maybe thousands of years?
2. Some people completely miss the point of the “Black Swan” concept: what if the probability distribution you use to compute the odds is of the wrong type? Are you sure all the factors were taken into account? If you say yes, you are obviously wrong because that requires perfect information and that is impossible.
Sam, I found your articles about Basescu and the latest political crises the best from all the media. Sorry I am not in Cluj, I would like to meet you in person. Excellent work, thank you very much
oh boy,
http://www.ziarulunirea.ro/i-want-to-break-free/
u can read this?
na, mie imi place sa beu. asa cat trebuie. sa ascult muzica de aia de te baga in tot felu de stari, sti tu jazzuri si messugeh si muzli. imi plac filmele usoare, nu neaparat cu femei usoare, da alea unde nu tre sa gandesti mult. alea rambo. ca asa i cel mai fain.
de ce sa gandesti? de ce sa te enervezi ca ala-i maghiar, ca ala-i roman sau tigan sau arab sau evreu sau chinez sau ce pula lui o fi. care ii treaba cu uratu? poate are cineva un rapsuns la intrebarea asta fututa? si nu o sa folosesc fancy words pt ca ii mai fain sa le folosesti alea care nu is, tot aia-i.
ioi da, scuze de limbaj.
ura idiotilor ma umple de ura pt idioti, cel putin io am un raspuns pt ura mea
Complet de acord cu Gruia, iar daca el e vulgar, atunci cum e Sam cand ii injura pe cei care nu sunt de acord cu el? Cumva ,,fuck you˝ e mai politicos? Ca sa nu mai spun ca il scrie mai des decat imi place mie sa-l citesc. Nu stiu de cat timp e Sam in Romania, dar mie personal imi pare cam superficial in comentariile lui despre tara asta. Cu atatea linkuri catre manele pe Youtube, ma intreb cata are idee de ce inseamna muzica populara romaneasca, daca tot e sa vorbim de ceva specific romanesc. Citesc din cand in cand, de curiozitate, posturile sale, dar e fiecare data ma enervez. Articolul ala in care injura armata americana, m-a determinat sa ma gandesc ca nu incearca sa se ridice mai presus de prejudecatile lui. Printre altele, armata aia pe care o injura, este cea care ii apara libertatea de a o injura. Iar o prostie ca aceea cum ca n-ar fi nimic daca SUA nu ar mai avea armata, denota ca n-a depasit nivelul copilariei. Ceea ce ma deranjeaza cel mai mult e faptul ca strainii care ii citesc articolele isi fac o idee distorsionata apropo de Romania si asta din cauza ca tind sa-l creada pe unul care zice ca traieste aici. Nu zic ca nu are niciun pic de dreptate, dar judeca lucrurile prea la suprafata. Eu nu stiu din ce traieste el aici, dar daca ar fi nevoit sa munceasca pe salariile noastre, sa-si plateasca impozitele ca oricare din noi, sa fie nevoit sa stea, fie si o singura zi, intr-un spital, oricare ar fi acela (ca spaga se da peste tot), sa faca o facultate care sa-i stoarca resursele pe multi ani si sa descopere ca a facut-o degeaba, alt ton ar avea posturile sale. E usor sa fii american cand nu esti obligat sa traiesti ca un roman. Am sa scriu un comentariu si in engleza, ca sa aiba si occidentalii interesati de blogul lui Sam o idee despre cat de valabile sunt afirmatiile sale. Spre bucuria mea, gasesc ca ceea ce au scris romanii aici, e cu muuuult mai pertinent decat ce zice Sam. Sper ca tipul asta sa cunoasca destula romana ca sa inteleaga ce am scris si sa-si puna niste intrebari, daca e in stare. Zic asta pentru ca imi da impresia ca, asa cum am scris mai sus, e superficial.
Hey, Sam, I´m writing this both for you and any foreigner who is interested in Romania.First off, you shouldn´t fuck somebody just because they don´t agree with you. You keep writing that word more often than I like reading it. I don´t know how long you ´ve been living in Romania but my personal opinion is that you´re being a bit superficial in your comments about this country. Posting quite a lot of links to manele on Youtube makes me wonder about how much you know about real Romanian country music if we were to speak about what is important in the field of musical culture in Romania. Of course, de gustibus non disputandum, but manele are hardly illustrative of Romanian culture even though there´s are a lot of people who like kistening to that kind of music. I read your posts now and then just out of mere curiosity and I can´t help getting pissed every time I do that. One of your older posts where you fuck the American Army and everything it represents made me think that you aren´t at least trying to get over your prejudices. Among other things, that´s the army that has protected your freedom to fuck it whenever you damn well please. And to say that it wouldn´t make much difference whether the USA had an army or not, well man, that´s sheer nonsense. Do you honestly believe that, with so many enemies especially in the Arab world, no one would dare attack a defenseless America? C´mon, how does that even sound!? What worries me is that any foreigner reading your posts might get a wrong idea about Romania. They would take your word for granted just because you know better since you live here. But do you? I´m not saying you´re absolutely wrong in everything you say, but I find your judgement too unsubstantial. I don´t know how you make a living in this country, but if you were to live off a salary of 200 dollars a month like most Romanians do, pay your taxes, have to spend even as much as one day in a state-owned hospital whatever that is, since bribe is the word in any of them all across Romania, go to university and spend your money for many years to come to find that it had been wasted since you can hardly find a job to fit your field of training or any job at all, I suppose your articles would sound somewhat differently to say the least and you would come to a better understanding of why Romanians tend to be so pessimistic. And, by the way, where did you find the information that Romanians have never in their history experienced hunger? I can tell you that the last episode of this kind was right after the end of WW2 in 1946 when most of my relatives in Moldavia had to go to Oltenia in search for food. I´m not saying you should have known that. All I´m trying to say is that you really should try to get better informed before posting anything on your blog. People might take your word for granted, you know. Anyway, your point of view is fresh and interesting whatever you write right or wrong because it shows how foreigners see us. And that´s always something to ponder on.
Best wishes!
sunt multi pasi dar cand te gandesti ca limba romana este ata de grea!
Hi Sam, I am a vegan and raw-foodist who is anxiously wanting to go to Romania. I read your post earlier about going around Easter or before Christmas, and was wondering when exactly or which period of time before Christmas is a good time to go? I want to make sure I can eat when I go! ;) Thanks!
Congrats for the blog!
I find it different from many other.
Believe me.. it crossed my mind to stop taking taxis for a while …