The Romanian Ministry of Tourism has launched a song & video in a bid to attract tourists to Romania – the land of choice. Not surprinsingly, there were a response to that – ‘Romania, the end of choice’. I hope I’ve managed to post both of them.
Looking forward to your comments, I really enjoy this blog. I created it, then abandon it and now it has a life of its own because of you.
Romanian Survival Book 
I actually like the clips from Happy Fish a lot. Sure, Romania is awesome, but there is still plenty to do and to better… One of their last clips was an ambulance (filmed with hidden camera) making a way of 30 seconds in 6 minutes in the Bucharest traffic. Nobody cared about the blue lights or even bothered to give it way. Not nice. 2 days later I was myself in Bucharest and saw the same scene, but live and without camera. Exactly the same. Never saw such a thing in my life before. Well, Romania, the land of all opportunities, or of choice 😉
Comment by Romania Central — August 16, 2009 @ 12:42 am |
OK, here is the description that you asked for a couple years ago on that other blog.
Tourist Police Scam.
I’m walking down the street and a local comes up and talks to me with some excuse (what is the time is it, where is a good hotel, do you have a light). After a moment or two a second guy in street clothes comes up and flashes an ID card that is passing for Police ID.
“This guy is a known criminal/drug dealer/pimp and blah, blah, blah. Why are you talking to him? Perhaps you exchanged money, let me see your passport and wallet.” He’ll fiddle around with the wallet and papers and then return them to you and apologize for the trouble and wish you a good day.
If you look in your wallet it is empty of all cash and cards.
Comment by John — August 17, 2009 @ 10:56 pm |
Oddly enough I almost fell for it.. but I had heard of it. In my first month in Bucharest I lost 3 wallets – the best was stolen from me while the coat was on my chair.. and my wife was sitting opposite me!
I had 2 guys looking like police come up to me and ask for my passport – and I just ran.
Have you ever noticed that while you are in Bucharest, if you take out your camera, you get some scam merchant trying it on?
Comment by Peter Fogarty — August 21, 2009 @ 5:35 pm |
Hi there!
Great blog! Keep it up!!
maybe you won’t believe me, but I’ve been coming to and from Roumania for ten years and lived in Bucharest for one of those. It was the best year of my life. I met the most wonderful people, travelled all over the country, ate my way through every region possible (God, the food is so good), was never ripped off by a taxi-driver, never robbed though I walked around downtown Bucharest at 3h with my bag open tempting fate more than once, never got mugged, never had a single bad thing that happened to me…d’you know why? I think it was coz I decided that it never would. I fell in love with Roumania in 2000, and it has always been good to me. Sure, it has its fair share of negative points, as you say it has a corrupt people at the top, has a lot of shadiness about it, a lot of people are on the take and then more: the medical system is appalling, the salaries dreadful especially when u compare them to what politicians earn and the ex-securitate pensions etc…the destruction of the beautiful houses which in fact destroys culture, history and memory, too…but I love it. I cannot live without my visits to your beautiful country. It has he most gorgeous countryside I have ever seen, the people are wonderful (in no other country do you find such bravery and courage, not such ability to have a party at the drop of a hat!), the history and architecture is so, so rich and incredible, the food, as I’ve mentioned already, is fabulous…I won’t even start on the palinka!!!
Please feel free to roam my website: http://sarahinromania.canalblog.com
I live in Paris, France…and am shortly to leave, all being well, to move across the pond to the US. Completely different to my beloved Roumania. But I go to be with loved ones, not for the country.
please keep writing. Roumania so needs friends, honest opinions, heartfelt views, truth and creativity to help it give its new generation what it deserves: a sense of who they are; from whence they came…and national pride.
Bravo!
Comment by Sairj — September 10, 2009 @ 12:30 am |
Oh…how I laughed!! At the second video, I mean. Very funny! Just hope there aren’t any tourists out there who take it seriously!!
Just a word: The first video by the Ministry of Tourism…you’d have thought that after the Bourdaine disaster, they could have come up with something a little more imaginative. I’ve never seen a country so empty with more sheep than people, come to think of it. Where was the culture (apart from a few monasteries)? Where was the capital with the Ateneum, Stavropoleos, the Muzeul Satului, its parks and beautiful old Brancovânesc houses on Kiseleff? Where were the concerts at Sala Palatului? Zambaccian museum, the National Art gallery? Elena Udrea is really going to have to get her arse in gear if Roumania is ever going to be a serious holiday destination for the international traveller. It has so much to offer. Soooooooooooooooooo much. It troubles me that the Ministry of Tourism couldn’t do better than that.
Comment by Sairj again — September 10, 2009 @ 12:48 am |
thought i had a chat wid u at omegele if u r the same person pls contact me
Comment by shorya gupta — February 20, 2010 @ 11:36 pm |
email shorya.nsit@gmailc.com
Comment by shorya gupta — February 20, 2010 @ 11:40 pm |
email shorya.nsit@gmail.com
Comment by shorya gupta — February 20, 2010 @ 11:42 pm |
yes i know i am romanian too and heading for the USA too, Texas. I subscribe to what you have said, many hypocrites or just confused people choose to ignore that the majority of people are living in darkness out here. But what can i say, i did not do enough to help either…you know there are so many books which do not have translation in romanian. I love your blog. Keep telling the truth, if you haven’t told it all already. I always tell my future wife from the USA, what i think about this place. Many bad people. BUT, there are always these exceptions, not to mention many(girls good or bad), are just victims of abuse from very bad men. I do not “generalize” , just telling that THE MAJORITY of romanian men are like that. Today i witnessed how two men took 3 under-aged girls, tricked them into what can become a life of prostitution. And this goes on every day. They were barely 15! Who know what TOMORROW can bring?! So, maybe there are the few exceptions, but they are scarce.
Comment by Dorian — October 17, 2010 @ 7:48 pm |
Stop trying to pretend to be Romanian.
Comment by M — October 18, 2010 @ 5:16 pm |
http://www.scribd.com/full/39338441?access_key=key-1ls1k8p1375mwzzv0d8b
– follow this link to read the best book ever published-the reason why so many live in darkness is found in this book
Yes, there are exceptions but they are scarce. I want to leave this place and NEVER see it again. And others should do that too. If they can. It is a horrible place. I am sorry i did not help enough tho. Many bad men in this country do not come here…
Comment by Dorian — October 17, 2010 @ 7:58 pm |
it is my indifference that hurts people, and others’ indifference too. we should help where ever we find ourselves at. this is the next logical step after you found out there is a problem somewhere, and i mean especially men should help.
Comment by dorian — October 17, 2010 @ 8:41 pm |
cel ce are mult si este recunoscator, mai mult i se va da, dar cel ce are putin si este ingrat si acel putin se va lua de la el. Romania este o tara de ipocriti vestejiti
Comment by dorian — October 25, 2010 @ 8:57 am |
am vazut acum la stiri cum o familie din Romania(prima generatie care a plecat in America) au cateva azile de batrani si sunt foarte de succes acolo, si au grija de batrani, le servesc masa in fiecare zi si azilul e chiar in spatele casei(vilei) lor. SUUPER! si ei ziceau ca este pentru ca asa e la romani o traditie sa ai grija de parinti, eu cred ca e din cauza ca ei sunt oameni si nu caini ca multi altii, n-are nici o treaba cu nationalitatea sau traditia, daca ar fi dupa “traditie” ar insemna sa fie hoti si ipocriti, dar ei merg contra traditiei romane, ei nici macar nu sunt romani, sunt americani , si oamenii de acolo merita pentru ca au credinta, nu ca-n romania. saraca este romania si va fi si mai saraca pentru ca multi sunt hoti si ipocriti, iar cei ce au mai mult(americanii) vor avea si mai mult(cei care merita)
Comment by dorian — October 25, 2010 @ 9:01 am |
you’re so NAIVE about the usa
Comment by pappy — November 19, 2010 @ 6:14 pm |
iar eu, sunt ca un furuncul pe curu’ romaniei recunosc asta
Comment by dorian — October 27, 2010 @ 10:15 am |
Treaba cu batranii un US este foarte adevarata … oriunde in lume societatea are grija de batranii ei … oriunde dar nu in Romania!
Comment by Grup Condor — June 4, 2011 @ 7:57 pm |
I enjoyed reading your blog, keep posting man!
Comment by bushmaster — June 10, 2011 @ 11:16 am |
“was never ripped off by a taxi-driver” It is the best advice you can say 🙂
Comment by The confidence guru — November 15, 2011 @ 11:43 am |
I just moved to Romania about a month ago, and I have to say one of the things I love about them is their dark sense of humour, especially about themselves. I guess they are kindred spirits with the English in that way.
Anyway, keep up the good posts, learning a lot about my adopted country!
Comment by camilla1234 — June 4, 2012 @ 8:13 pm |
I am not romanian but i lived there 5 years. And I just loved it to the point that i miss Romania as I miss my own country, completely agree with sahir’s comment.
Comment by Me — June 22, 2012 @ 4:28 am |
Sorry i mean sairj’s comment
Comment by Me — June 22, 2012 @ 4:30 am |
Hello i am italian i moved to bucherest in 2004 for univeristy study , it was a big mistache ,the biggest of my life their education system is completely outdated i had to buy books from italy for my studies.
Now it is 2013, and im still working on my fucking PHD in this corrupt plagued shithole of a country where noting is getting done without a bribe ,a country full of weird and stupid people,romanians are people with limited views on life , many just care about eating , fucking,and money , AND THIS IS VALID FOR both men and women.
As i said corruption and callousness are wide speard people are trying to rip you off beside this people here are cheap, women are nothing but whores who want to fuck their way out of poverty using you (specially if you are a foreigner), and men are nothing but imbecils,cheaters,and animals who cant kep theid cocks inside their pants, i am a man too i understand them up to a certain point , but this goes too far even by my standards.
Someone said somenting about romanian having values , what values, animals dont have values, if they could burry you alive they would do it in a second.
I socialized with both romanian men and women,men invited me many time to ,,visit” massage parlours with them , and women showing interest in me just because i am a foreigner.
For you idiots that wrote all kind of nice things about romania , i have a clear message OPEN YOUR FUCKING EYES , ROMANIANS NEVER HAD A BACK BONE READ THEIR HISTOTRY, ,watch their news in romania , HERE NOTHING GETS DONE EVER,, A NATION OF WHORES AND THIEVES ,that is why romania’s economy is going so bad , the average salary here is about 300 euros ,and this has deep social implications plus i fiind disgusting people everywhere i go it doesnt matter,if i am at the market, a shoping mall,job interview,at work.
The buildingS are grey everyting is very depressing around me,street dogs , garbages,floods each year, holes in the road, miserable governement employees who treat you like shit.I really dont know what are these scums doing inside the europena union.
Romanians have 2 faces, they are people with double standars, they get in contact with you only when they need you , very despicable people indeed.
AND ONE MORE THING NEVER BORROW THEM MONEY.
I leave this message as a warning to anyone who has ideeas of coming to romania , i waisted the best 9 years of my life in this shithole ,i was 20 when i enered romania .I recomend people to forget about this place ,even the weather sucks here ,too much heat in the summer and frezzing cold in the winter, THERE are far more beautiful countries to live on this planet.
luavas neamu in pula de scarbe odinare , imi bag pula in care va cacat pe planeta asta , parazitilor.
Comment by pietro — September 20, 2013 @ 8:02 am |
When I am satisfied with those items then I will begin my marketing campaign. If you have already created your own blog, are you not getting as many visitors as you would like.
Comment by Maybelle — February 21, 2014 @ 5:48 pm |