Corruption and Me Just Over Here Missing My Mommy

Romania… where do I start?

I asked someone in a hostel, “What is Romania known for?” I had just arrived and therefore I always find myself yearning to know more about the country I have suddenly found myself in.

His answer:

“Corruption”

I had merely asked in regards to things like food, and alcohol. So that answer actually shocked me. I went to the trouble, at that point, to learn something… and more importantly some interesting facts about Romania…

Here are the ones that really surprised me:

- According to someone on Tinder 48% of Romanians speak english. I thought this was amazing so naturally I didn't believe him. I had to google it... It's actually more like 75% of the entire country speaks English. Mind blown... English is in fact (according to google) the best known language in Romania! (don't be stupid, obviously outside of the language they speak which is ROMANIAN)

- Romania joined the Second World War on the side of the Nazis!!!! This resulted in 400,000 Romanian Jews and 36,000 Roma sent to their deaths in concentration camps. It took until 1944, and all those deaths for them to switch sides.

- In 1947 the Soviet-dominated Romanian Peoples Republic was proclaimed.

- In 1948 the residents of Bran Castle (Princess Ileana, her mother had restored the castle and bequeathed it to her favorite (allegedly) daughter in her will) were forcibly removed by communists. I highly recommend a little read on the Princess and her family as it is actually quite the story.

- The "House of the People" is the most disgraceful waste of money in a country that is (according to google) the poorest in the EU. However, the man and his entire family were executed on CHRISTMAS! By a firing squad!! And this is like 1989, which for an innocent little Canadian like me I find shocking

- A Romanian gymnast was the first to obtain a perfect score at the Olympics... In Montreal, and us silly Canadians didn't program the judge's computers to display a perfect score so there was some confusion... (Probably in French) It's funny how things like this don't really matter until you find yourself in their country.

- A lawyer named Popovici was the Romanian "Schindler" and actually saved more lives. Technicalities people! No one made a movie about this guy, just saying. 

- Romanians have "groundbear day" (Candlemas) instead of the "American" groundhog day.

- Some countries smuggle hard drugs. Romanians smuggle cigarettes.

I have a hard time admitting that I just didn’t find the beat of Romania. I didn’t fall in love with the country at all. Part of it could very well be I just wasn’t a fan of the food. I found myself searching for the vibe, for the reason to stick around. It just wasn’t something I could find.  I honestly felt like the eight days I spent there may have been too many. That or maybe not enough. I wonder if a big part of it is just that I’m ready to go home.

I really miss Canada. Snow falling in Sibiu reminded me I am so in love with the country I come from because you know what… it truly is an amazing place to be from. And maybe, just maybe I miss my mommy.