Literally every single time I have ever phoned a taxi service to order a cab, this is exactly how the dialogue went: Me: O masina la adresa X, va rog. Dispatcher: *grumpy snorts into phone, says nothing, keys clacking for 30 seconds* Pe ce nume? Me: Sam Dispatcher: Ce? Me: Sâm ca sîmbata Dispatcher: Ah. *keys clacking, garbled radio traffic in the background for a … Continue reading Any Given Taxi
The overwhelmingly most popular post on this website hands down is about how I learned Romanian in 37 “easy steps”, an obvious riff on my incredibly awkward, painfully slow but ultimately rewarding journey in speaking Romanian. But that wasn’t the first foreign language I ever learned – it was Italian. Come Ho Imparato E Dimenticato L’italiano in 34 Passi Semplici Step 1 – Entire family … Continue reading How I Learned (And Forgot) Italian in 34 Easy Steps
Since I realize not everyone reading this blog has been to Romania, or perhaps not America, or even neither, I thought I’d be kind of fun to pull back from the great, wider perspective a little and focus on the more tangible. It’s easy to talk about “Romania” as a giant , singular entity but sometimes a more personal look reveals interesting things. Nothing’s more … Continue reading Walking 1.609 Kilometers In My Shoes
Wow! The comments keep pouring in, one after another, some of them extremely long and definitely worth reading in their entirety. I am simply flabbergasted at the overwhelmingly positive responses from all of you and I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to write, including those of you with corrections and criticisms. I think it’s time to whip out a … Continue reading Blown Away
Please note: the original dialogue was in Romanian and this is only a loose paraphrasing of what was said. It is not meant to be a word-for-word transcription and some elements have been compressed for dramatic necessity. The SCENE takes place in a bar in CLUJ-NAPOCA in ROMANIA. It is evening time. From stage left in walks THE DUDE, a Romanian guy with gel in … Continue reading Scene From A Romanian Bar
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