In my last article, I translated the word cârcotaș as “gossip”, which isn’t quite right. From DEX: (Om) care caută mereu ceartă, care e veșnic nemulțumit. Or in English (my translation): A person who is always starting an argument, who is eternally displeased In other words, a quarrelsome, bitterly negative person who is always ready to start an argument or get into a dispute about … Continue reading Word of the Day: Cârcotaș
It never fails that at least once a week somebody, somewhere on the internet mentions Madonna giving the finger to sixty thousand (paying!) Romanian fans back in 2009 because of their “discrimination” against Gypsies and how this proves just how backwards and racist everybody in Romania is. Now I see there’s a new AP piece out about how “racist” Romania is: Teenagers in Romania are … Continue reading Racism in Romania
After what I witnessed today, I think I may have been a little harsh in what I said about Radu Moisin earlier. I mean he truly is an incoherent, arrogant thief but I’m starting to realize his illogical, incoherent inanities are actually not all that unique. Today I went to a meeting in the “Hall of Glass” inside Cluj-Napoca’s City Hall complex. Why was I … Continue reading In the Hall of Glass
Oh my goodness, guess what? Yes, although I am one day late, it is now official that my blog is one year old! Wow… so much has happened that it’s hard to even make sense of it all right now. But I do like my very first post because it makes me laugh. I’m going to resist my natural urge to write 10,000 words on … Continue reading Happy Anniversary to Me
Sometimes I think that writing is the most mysterious and inchoate activity a person could choose to do with their time. A couple of years ago, I was at the corner shop near my house and about to leave with my purchases when the proprietor asked me a strange question. My Romanian is mediocre on a good day and so I asked her to repeat … Continue reading Arcane, Counterintuitive and Nonsensical Rules May Be The Point
All Things Romania 