Expat In Romania

My dear friends, Call me sentimental, but this image broke my heart. Of all the scribbles on that lousy piece of paper, the one that ripped into me is not political, it's not directed at Ponta, and it has nothing to do with voting. It takes on many other overtones, however. It is indignant, because you wrote that at a moment when you felt stripped of your dignity. It's despairing in its tone because you're fighting windmills. And finally, it's a very poignant cry for something that every human needs: a home. If  the word "Londra" weren't written on that paper, I could imagine the same scribbles plastered all over a local sign. Except for that one exclamation, at the very bottom, in red pen. "Vrem Acasa!!!" I understand the frustration of living in a place that, although hospitable, can never be like home. I understand the futility of imagining 'what if' you could live in Romania. I mean really live -  not just su...

G (who asked that I don't use his real name) and I met this past summer when he was visiting Romania. We talked over drinks and I was struck by his keen sense of observation about the way things are going in Romania.When I sent him the following list questions, he didn't shy away from formulating very pointed answers, and I'm grateful for that.   1. You moved away to Australia as a 6 year old. Do you remember what you first liked about the new continent, and what you missed about Europe? I moved to Australia when I was 7.5 – left Romania when I was 5. I spent a year in other European countries where my parents both worked as Engineers before we eventually received permission to migrate to Australia. Before leaving, we had been living in Germany for almost two years, where I had finished kindergarten and first grade in primary school. I had friends the...

Andrea is a very common name for girls in Romania, so it's not surprising that out of a handful of interviews we now have another Andrea sharing her story of emigration and life away from Romania. What is particularly interesting here is that Andrea emigrated as a toddler, so while she didn't grow up in Romania like most of those who emigrated to the West, she still feels the pull of her native homeland and is seriously considering moving back someday. Andrea is currently attending university in Ontario and studying for a degree in  Business Administration. 1. When did your family leave Romania? Where did you move? My parents left in 1997 (when I was three), and I followed seven months later in 1998. We first lived in Toronto, where we stayed for about five years. 2. Are you in touch with Romanian culture (language, traditions, holidays, etc.)? I would say "Hell yes" if I thought it was true; unfortunately I have to settle for a boring "I believe so......

Looks like these keep rolling in, and I'm grateful not only because it keeps the blog 'fed' with new material, but mostly because I get a lot of personal enjoyment out of reading the thoughts that my overseas compatriots have about the place I now call home. The strangest part of all this, believe it or not, is to play the part of interviewer. Five years ago, if you told me that I'd end up moving back to Romania, even temporarily, I would've said you're crazy. I had no such plans and if anybody asked me these questions I'd have said things that are very similar to what Eduard, Andrea, and now, Paul, are saying. Paul and I were teammates on the greatest Romanian indoor soccer team of all time, F.C Carpatini , but the after game Chilli bowls and Romanian banter was just as fun. Soccer unites all of us Romanians, even when we're so far from home, but -as Paul describes below - there's always more to it. 1. What year did you leave Romania and under ...

I'm not going to say I'm out of original content just yet, but I've been busy...searching, let's say. In the meantime, my Romanian-Canadian/American friends are happy to contribute their time - and thoughts - to the blog, so who am I to kick a gift horse in the mouth? Andrea and I went to University together, and when I asked her to participate in the interview she went on to provide an awesome set of answers to the ten questions below. 1. What year did you leave Romania and under what circumstances? I left Romania in 2002, three months before turning 18, very much in love and with a teenage heart in the process of breaking. I was not consulted when my parents decided to emigrate, but even so, I had been keen on leaving my hometown (pop. 7000) since I was about 13, so at that point, any place on the map seemed better. But those things have to do with my emotional state…Looking back, I can’t help but laugh at the fights I had with my parents over what to pack. T...

Following the "Why did you come back?" series, I thought it would make sense to offer a balanced portrayal of the diaspora. Most of us don't come back and we have perfectly good reasons for staying away. In some ways, it was a bit of a fluke I made it back myself, and I imagine that many of us who do, don't always plan it years ahead of time. So, until we all kind of stumble back (where we belong ;) I figured I'd ask some people who are still in the diaspora what it's like being a Romanian away from home, and if they're planning to stay away. Eduard got in touch with me a while ago after reading some of my posts. I find he has lots of very pointed insights into the differences between Romania and western society and when I asked, he was kind enough to take the time and answer the questions I prepared. 1. What year did you leave Romania and under what circumstances? I emigrated in the summer of 1994, when the World Cup was hosted in Atlanta. I was 11 ...