Stores in Romania

Because all Romanian cities (including Bucharest) are heavily pedestrian, you’re going to do a lot of walking around and see a wide variety of stores and shops. Some are self-explanatory (computer stores always say “computer”, for instance) but others are not. In alphabetical order: Amanet – A pawnshop. Trades a lot more in gold and silver than electronic items and the like. If you don’t … Continue reading Stores in Romania

Azi Noapte

As you were no doubt carefully reading the lyrics from my last post, you saw the use of the phrase: azi noapte. Amongst Latin languages, this is unique. It’s a phrase combining azi, meaning “today” and noapte meaning “night.” So putting them together, today + night, you might think it means “tonight.” No, actually it means “last night”. Don’t ask me why, this is how … Continue reading Azi Noapte

Mi-A Venit Barbatul Acasa

Oh my lord, I’m sure I’m the only English-speaking person on the planet who finds certain manele songs delightful but so it is :P Here’s a superior product from Nicolae Guta and the incomparable Roxana, Printesa Ardealului aka Roxana, the Transylvanian Princess. First of all, on a highly personal note, The Woman is openly aware of my fascination and admiration of Printesa Ardealului so it’s … Continue reading Mi-A Venit Barbatul Acasa

How To Survive a Romanian Piata

If you’re coming to Romania and you’re either 1) trying to save a little money and/or 2) wanting to eat incredibly fresh food, you need to listen up. The word in Romanian is piata (pee-ahtza) which just means “market” or “square” or “plaza” or lots of other things. In this case, think of a “farmer’s market” in which fresh meat, dairy, vegetables and fruit are … Continue reading How To Survive a Romanian Piata