Of course the move did not arrive. Who were we kidding?
And no, the stuff has not been here in Bucharest as we had been told. The truck, which was packed and sent off a day late, for no apparent reason, got hold up at the border. Not that anybody bothered to tell us. The truck will arrive in Bucharest tonight - MAYBE - and then go through customs tomorrow - MAYBE. And here the Romanians insist that they do not belong to the Balkans. Hah. I have a very different take on that.
I'm also very dubious about this "it will come tomorrow". Very.
The toaster goes into the kitchen, btw.
Posted by claudia at June 16, 2003 12:06 PM"And here the Romanians insist that they do not belong to the Balkans."
Oh my. I had guessed the Nile flowed through Bucharest, but not that it was in flood.
I am a little curious on what the Romanians do claim? Strikes me that the other choice -- being part of the Eastern Tier (Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus) -- is not exactly a prize either.
Or is it some diffuse notion of _romanitas_? "Yes, soon we in Romania will give hyperefficient Portugal a run for the money!"
C. -- found a place that sells two-liter bottles of kvas. Tastes like Mr. Pibb.
Posted by: Carlos at June 16, 2003 05:08 PM"Or is it some diffuse notion of _romanitas_? 'Yes, soon we in Romania will give hyperefficient Portugal a run for the money!'"
Chuckle. No kidding, the "we're the lost brothers of Spain, Portugal and Italy" sentiment is very popular here. Every guidebook will tell you this and you couldn't flatter a Romanian better than by saying that you "can read Romanian because I had French/Spanish/Latin in school".
Posted by: Claudia at June 16, 2003 05:21 PM"I am a little curious on what the Romanians do claim?"
The official fact book -- yes, there is one -- calls Romania a "state situated in SE Central Europe, north of the Balkan Penninsula".
A bit later it adds, "Actually, it lies in the center of Europe, as the parallel of 45 degrees... intersects [it] close to Bucharest."
(Curiously enough, there is no precursor to that 'actually'. It's as if the book is responding to a question that hadn't yet been asked.
Oh, and it also mentions the Danube, "which separates the Carpathian space from the Balkan area."
So, there you go. Central Europe, Carpathian space. (And if De Nial is a river in Africa, De Danube must be...)
Doug M.
well, well - good to see you have moved in ! congrats on your new home and regards from uncle Booz's home office. booz has officially won the 3 year follow-on, so I have a job to go back to now. I'd love to visit you guys after I get back to Belgrade, you can expect me one weekend in fall...
Love to all four of you and all the best in the new home and ofice,
Milan
Sorry to hear that your stuff is waiting for somthing or someone before it comes to you, sometime ... Hope it`ll be resolved soon!
As for Romania and the Balkans - claiming that you do not belong there is so typical for most of the Balkans countries... Somehow it`s just not noble enough. On the other hand, Zoran`s recent conversation with Romanian taxi driver in London prooved more similarities with Balkan`s neighbors- he claimed that most of the Hungarrian territory once was the part of big Romania and that Hungarians are "arrogant, but stupid...": Does that sound familiar to you, after spending quite a time in Serbia and ex- YU?
And, Claudia, being in high pregnancy in June/July is a BAD BAD idea - Belgrade is soooooo hot these days - I envy you for going to Germany soon.
Kiss Allen, and love to all of you,
Gaga