Well yesterday I used a word that some of you had probably never heard before. I do indeed hope you never hear it during your time in Romania or while speaking to Romanians. Sadly, however, it is a word that’s all too regularly employed. I am referring to țeapă (tZOPP-uh). Sometimes you’ll see it spelled online as “tzeapa” or even “tzapa” due to the inability … Continue reading Slang Word of the Day: Ţeapă
Well in case you hadn’t heard yet, Romania has now officially committed to hosting an American missile base in Deveselu, just southeast of Craiova. This is idiocy piled on top of idiocy, but the icing on the cake can be found here (Ro), in which Bogdan Aurescu (a senior official in the Foreign Ministry) clearly states what he thinks is the deal. My translation: “The … Continue reading …For a Fistful of Nothing
The queen of Europe’s rivers, the Danube is rich in history drawing visitors from all over the world to take Danube cruises. From its source in the Black Forest to where it empties into the Black Sea, Europe’s second longest river flows a total of 2,888 kilometers (1,795 miles) and is the most international river on the planet, traversing ten countries and connecting many different … Continue reading Tourism Along the Danube River
Until you speak Romanian more or less fluently, I do not recommend you use the word tanti (tawn-tee) but you may hear it and wonder what it means. As you can see at the link, it’s a word that’s used to address a woman, particularly an “older” woman. It would never, ever be used for a young woman in any situation. It comes straight from … Continue reading Word of the Day: Tanti
Today I stumbled out of bed, bleary-eyed on a rather cool, rainy day. But two days ago the weather was quite sunny and warm and The Woman and I went down to see something billed as the “Hyper Parade of Animals”. You can see the poster for it here. The “hyper” part comes from the fact that it took place on the grounds of Cora, … Continue reading All Hail the Great Alliance
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