Letter from California

 Justin Sebe wrote me a while ago about how much he misses Romania and things Romanian in his everyday life in California. Here is his letter.

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I miss you

I can easily spend a day dreaming away the hours captivated by my imagination of Romania.   Sort of strange I suppose that I should be so fond of something so small and unremarkable.

I miss Romania because I miss the people.  Don’t take my word for it, go meet them.   They are for the most part modest, nevertheless commercialism and its vices are dutifully present.   They are outgoing and welcoming.   They, often time, will involve themselves in your life without much regard to such social faux pas as ‘personal space’ or ‘polite distance’.   These sort of social nuances are left up to the socially antiquated such as the English and Germans.   Romanians will treat you openly.  I would say for a broader understanding, they are more akin to the French and Italians.   Friendly and social to a fault.

I miss Romania because I miss the language.   I have spoken to some extent 5 languages now, and Romanian is still my favorite.   A personal bias that I would not argue.   But I would, despite my bias, argue, no, encourage you to listen to it, to speak it and more importantly to learn the grammar.   For pronunciation, you have French, for mechanics, you have English, but for poetry and ‘sinceritate’ there can only be Romanian.

I miss Romania because I miss the food.   It is by no means the most decorated, nor is the most exotic.  In fact by all accounts, mine included, it is quite simple.   It seems to me that the staple is Mamaliga (mah-mah-lee-gah), followed by Piine (Puhy-ne).   The first is a sort of yellow corn meal while the second is just simple white bread.   While I can continue on for some time, here is just a brief list of all the other foods I like.   Sarmale (sar-ma-leh) a very delicious stuffed cabbage leaf, Salata de Beuf a type of potato salad that has chooped meats, vegetables and a good deal of mayonnaise.    Finally, my personal favorites are Michi, a\nreally interesting looking hotdog.   I\nsuppose the thing I love the most about the food is that its not pretentious,\nnor is it very complicated.   It is in\nfact simple and delicious.

I miss Romania\nbecause it is unremarkable.   I said this\nearlier, but it is truly the one thing I miss the most.   I currently live in America, in the state of California\nin Orange County\nnot too far from Los Angeles.   This area, much like the rest of the world\nseems preoccupied with convincing others they are truly something special.   I believe that if something is special, it\nis so of its own accord and its own merit.  \nI have lived here long enough to truly appreciate what it means not to\nbe wowed by all things fancy.   I\’ve come\nto miss and love those things which need no advertising and are great just as\nthey are. 

Small and unremarkable.

Finally, my personal favorites are Michi, a really interesting looking hotdog.   I suppose the thing I love the most about the food is that its not pretentious, nor is it very complicated.   It is in fact simple and delicious.

I miss Romania because it is unremarkable.   I said this earlier, but it is truly the one thing I miss the most.   I currently live in America, in the state of California in Orange County not too far from Los Angeles.   This area, much like the rest of the world seems preoccupied with convincing others they are truly something special.   I believe that if something is special, it is so of its own accord and its own merit.   I have lived here long enough to truly appreciate what it means not to be wowed by all things fancy.   I’ve come to miss and love those things which need no advertising and are great just as they are. 

Small and unremarkable.