A foreigner here in Romania whom I met recently said something that reminded me of a couple of true stories from my own past:
Person: Where are you going on your big vacation?
Me: Uh, Romania actually.
Person: Huh, where?
Me: Romania. It’s in Europe.
Person: Ohhh… Europe! Yeah I heard of that country.
Me: Uh… no. Europe isn’t a country.
Person: Psshaw of course it is. Europe’s a country.
Me: No. No it really isn’t.
Person: Oh yeah smarty, then how do they have their own money? You never heard of the euro, genius? Busted!
Me: *sigh*
Person: Where are you going on your big vacation?
Me: Uh, a city called Cluj-Napoca actually.
Person: Huh, where?
Me: It’s a city in Romania.
Person: Rome? Enjoy the pizza!
Me: No, Romania. It’s a country.
Person: In Africa? Dark continent!
Me: Actually Romania is in Europe.
Person: You’re what?
Me: *sigh* Okay, fine. I’m going to Transylvania. Cluj is the capital of Transylvania.
Person: Oh cool, vampires! Watch out they don’t get you.
Me: Good advice, thanks. I’ll be sure to wear some garlic.
Person: Huh? I don’t get it.
Person: So how was your trip to vampire land?
Me: Romania was great. Here, I got you a souvenir. It’s some Romanian money.
Person: This is real money, like you can buy stuff with it and everything? It looks just like Monopoly money. So cute.
Me: Yes, it’s real. The money there is called lei.
Person: So what could I buy over there with this fifty thousand lei note?
Me: Uh, I don’t know. A beer?
Person: Wow, so expensive! Should’ve stayed in good old America, buddy.
All Things Romania 
Cluj, capital of Transylvania; that’s funny :P
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My grandpa went to the US in the mid 70s (and other western countries as part of experience exchange programs for major irrigation projects). One exchange (in California) went like this:
Citizen: So, where are you from?
Gramps: Romania.
Citizen: Oh, that state on the East Coast!
Gramps: No, Romania is a state (he wanted to say country) in Europe?
Citizen: In Europe?
Gramps: You know Paris?
Citizen: Yes.
Gramps: It’s 2000 miles east of Paris.
:D
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That’s still not accurate enough…Have you ever heard of Paris/Illinois or Paris/Tennessee? :D
I’m wondering which one of the two the guy thought of :))
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so what do those people think now that you moved to Romania? that you left the planet? :D
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Speaking to anyone in Holland:
Me: We’re moving, to Romania.
Dutchie: What?! Are you crazy? You know they’re all thieves and gypsies over there.
Me: We’re moving, to Translyvania.
Dutchie: That sounds awesome, I’m so jealous. Where is it again?
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Oh yeah this stuff happens all the time. Frankly it gets a bit sad, not for me or Romania, but for these people that just reinforce the stereotypes that Americans don’t know crap about the world.
True story:
Her: So how’s it like in Romania?
Me: It’s cool, nice people, fun times… save for the vampires.
Her: Vampires?
Me: Yea, you know Transylvania is where the vampires come from, and that’s a region of Romania?
Her: I always thought that vampires came from Pennsylvania.
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Haha….
A guy I was talking with on the internet some years ago was amazed that I was from Romania because he thought we had no internet here.
He maybe thought we were a 3rd world country which is not far off from the point of view of some Romanians.
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Haha no way this really happened. That’s hillarious…
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True stories:
1. -Romania? ahm, I see. You don’t use bicycles, do you?
-??
-I know Romania is a northen country. It must be too cold for something like that.
-???
2. one for Moldova as well:
– So is Moldova a country? Hmm…strange. I always saw the name in Rin Tin Tin’s adventures, but always thought of it to be just a product of the author’s imagination…
-well, actually no…hmm
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Classics :)
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heheh, these moments are priceless.
Person: So, where are you from?
Me: Romania.
Person: Oh, it’s really cold in Romania, isn’t it?
Me: Uhm… not necessarily, no. Only in winter, sometimes. Why?
Person: Well… isn’t Romania close to the Arctic circle or something?
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