I often get accused by my critics of being too focused on the negative aspects of Romania, a surprising behavior for a person supposedly so fond of the place. But from my perspective, showing concern is just another way of showing how much you care. Nonetheless, I thought it was time for an unambiguously positive story! Sticks and Swords Despite the Romanian press’s shaky journalistic … Continue reading Bătaie în curu gol
Woah! Sometimes you almost give up hope on some enduring problems in Romania but this story is amazing: Stray dogs could be used in pet therapy programmes for children with disabilities. This is the ambitious idea from Vier Pfoten, a non-profit association that has recently opened a service centre for its unique care in Bucharest. The link above is a poorly-translated version of this amazing … Continue reading Squaring the Dog Circle
At long last, the worthless AP bureau in Bucharest began paying attention to the protests that have been rocking Chisinau (the capital of the Republic of Moldova) for days: The protest came amid a standoff between President Nicolae Timofti and the pro-European governing coalition. Timofti on Thursday nominated Ion Paduraru, the general secretary of his presidential office, to be prime minister — a day after … Continue reading Media Finally Pays Attention to Moldova
As the photo suggests, Romanian artists are tackling problems “head on”: Today, artists such as ColectivA, Maria Draghici, h.arta, David Schwartz, studioBASAR and Ioana Păun are engaging with these complexities in their work, subverting systems of control or criticising harmful government policies while drawing on modes of resistance to oppression in Romania’s past. Quite interesting, even if I’m not sure how effective it is. Continue reading Using Art to Address Problems
Right now the number one show in Britain is Channel 4’s “Benefits Street”, which allegedly focuses on people receiving “benefits” or government money. Episode 2 heavily featured immigrant Romanians (often pronounced Rumanians on the show), one a gypsy family from Romania and the second a group of 14 agricultural workers from Romania. Despite the fact that neither the workers nor the gypsy family were receiving … Continue reading Benefits Street
All Things Romania 