Elections 2009

 Uncategorized  8 Responses »
Nov 142009
 

Versiune în română

These days Romania’s enjoying the full swing of an electoral campaign. Presidential elections will be held on November 22nd together with a referendum concerning the reducing the number of elected parliamentarians from 471 to 300 and moving from a two chamber system to a unicameral one given that the powers of the two houses are nowadays largely similar and the bicameral system has led to legislative gridlock in the past. There are 12 candidates for the seat of president but only three of them have real chances. It is not expected that anyone will get majority in the first round and we’ll probably have to go to vote again on December 6th. The city is full of advertisement related to the campaign. The smiling guy that appears in my photograph is the incumbent, our current president, Traian Băsescu, who is running for reelection. A former ship captain, Minister of Transport and Mayor of Bucharest, he is a somewhat controversial figure in Romania. People either love him or hate his guts and nobody remains indifferent. The opponent closest in the polls is the Social Democratic Party candidate, Mircea Geoană, former Foreign Minister of Romania and former ambassador to the United States.

Know before you judge

 Uncategorized  7 Responses »
Nov 122009
 

Versiune în română

This message written on the pavement is part of a campaign for the integration of gypsies. They appeared all over the city center about two or three weeks ago. The message reads “I am romani (the pc way to say gypsy) and I’m tired to be stepped on every day. Give me a chance. Know me before you judge me!”. It would be good if this campaign would change opinions but I doubt it. There were other campaigns like this in the past but the situation is unchanged. But, gypsies aside, what everybody should learn from this message is that we should try to get to know people before we judge them.

Cows about town

 Uncategorized  8 Responses »
Nov 062009
 

Versiune în română

Are you familiar with the CowParade? You probably are if you live or visited (at the right moment) one of the over 50 cities in which it was staged. According to their web page, it has been one of the most successful public art events in the world. I personally caught them in New York City in 2000 and Florence in 2005. Bucharest was the site of the CowParade in the summer of 2005, when local and international artists painted the fiberglass cows that were displayed all over the city. After the closing of the event the cows were sold in an auction and the money went to charity. Some of cows that were auctioned were redisplayed for the public to see, like the one in today’s photo which I photographed on Calea Dorobanţi.

A city of chainsmokers

 Uncategorized  5 Responses »
Nov 042009
 

Versiune în română

Bucharest is by all means a smoker’s paradise. According to some numbers I found on the web, in Romania some 45% of men and 25% of women smoke, but I wonder if the numbers are correct because it feels like the percentage is a lot higher, especially among women. Smoking is still seen as harmless and fashionable, people still think cigarettes are cool and a way to express oneself. I’ve seen many parents smoking right into the noses of their children, I’ve seen pregnant women smoke and I’ve seen doctors smoking on the hospital’s hallways. Some tourists find it really annoying, some find it liberating. Smoking is not allowed in most public places but … if the law is respected that’s another story. Since January 1st the new law regarding smoking in restaurants and cafes demands that smoking is only allowed in areas completely separated from the non-smoking section, the smoking area should not form more than 50% of the total area of the restaurant or bar, and should not be areas used for transit nor near the entrance. Restaurants and bars which have a total surface of less than 100 square meters can designate themselves as smoking or non-smoking venues and that should be clearly posted on the door. What was the result of this verbose law? Almost all restaurants in Bucharest declared themselves as “smoking establishments” just like the one in today’s photo. Posted on the door the message reads “Smoking IS permitted inside this venue”.

The surprise star

 Uncategorized  4 Responses »
Oct 312009
 

Versiune în română

Something fun, fit for a Saturday …
I don’t know why but it’s rare to see squirrels in Bucharest’s parks. So I was surprised when I was able to spot one in Kiseleff park last week. The photograph is a bit unclear because the squirrel was moving continuously and the lighting conditions were not the best.

An unintentional eco-friendly gesture

 Uncategorized  4 Responses »
Oct 192009
 

Versiune în română

I was reading an article on the Internet about how a new controversy has sprung up in the USA. Apparently, there is new battle to be fought between the ecologists who think hanging your clothes out to dry saves the planet by saving energy and those who think that clotheslines are unsightly and make the neighborhood look poor and in decline. The ecologists quote studies that show that dryers are second only to refrigerators and air conditioners as the top energy consumers in most US homes. There is a “right to dry” movement and even a website that addresses the issue. I don’t know how many of the citizens of Bucharest have heard about these concerns, but in Bucharest many people hang their clothes out to dry. They’re not doing it to save the planet, they’re doing it because dryers are almost unheard of in Romania. I don’t think you can find more than 1000 households in Bucharest that own a dryer. And some of those who own a dryer still hang their clothes out to dry because “they don’t like the smell of the dryer”. I heard that there was a proposal for a law that would forbid the hanging of clothes on the balconies in Bucharest, but I have no idea if the law passed or not. Fact is, a stroll through the city would reveal many balconies with hanging clothes.

A remedy for a cold day

 Uncategorized  7 Responses »
Oct 162009
 

Versiune în română

I was planning on going out today to produce some fresh pictures but the weather here is awful, it’s cold and it’s raining. I had to dig through my collection of photos again, and that’s where I found this photograph. What better to keep one warm on a cold day like today than a shot of ţuică, a traditional Romanian (strong) alcoholic beverage. It’s usually made from plums and similar in taste to Hungarian palinka, just that palinka is twice distilled and therefore stronger. Ţuică is usually consumed before the meal, as an aperitif, to stimulate the appetite and you only get a small amount of it, like a shot, because it is quite strong. It might be hard to find it outside Romania because, to quote wikipedia, “most ţuică is moonshine, prepared using traditional methods, both for private consumption and for sale. Although this is illegal, the government tolerates these practices, and does not consider this bootlegging, due to the nature of the drink. Most ţuică is sold in markets, fairs and even on the road edges, bottled in unlabeled PET bottles. Some communities have acquired production licences and legally produce and bottle ţuică”. Ţuică is present everywhere Romanians gather to celebrate something, at parties, family reunions, weddings etc.

Warnings

 Uncategorized  5 Responses »
Oct 122009
 

Versiune în română

A stroll through Bucharest’s Old Town will reveal many warnings like the ones in today’s photographs. A high number of buildings have been neglected for a long while and some structures have reached the point where they are unsafe and dangerous for pedestrians. The first warning, on the building’s cover, reads “Beware! Danger of collapsing” while the second one, the makeshift sign, reads “Beware. Falling masonry”. There is a third version, which I didn’t photograph, in which more care is shown for the cars than pedestrians; that one reads “No parking. Falling masonry” or “Park at your own risk. Falling masonry”. Some of these buildings are still caught up in legal battles between descendants, some are owned by people who don’t have the financial means to repair them; there are also allegations that some of them are owned by persons or companies who wait for their collapse so they can sell the land, usually a prime piece of real estate. One is not allowed to torn down a historical building, but if the building collapses by itself then nobody can stop you from selling the land. It’s sad though that all this architectural heritage is on the verge of being destroyed forever.

 Older Entries  Newer Entries