Yes, tell me about that... It's a poor country. About your history comment, I don't know. Every time I hear something about our great history, I think about a quote from an ancient historian, with which they used to brain-wash us during school. It goes something like: "The gets were the bravest among the tracs, blah blah blah" (I can't remember the whole thing, it is a while since I last heard it, but there are a lot of great things there about the gets). The thing we didn't know then, was that the quote had been truncated. It continues with something like: "They drink a lot, and they are lazy". The point is that sometimes I wonder if our whole history, as we know it, isn't a truncated, censored version of the real one. Throughout our history we used to blame someone else for our problems. Just like that game with Denmark for the Euro 2004 qualifiers, it was everyone's fault but ours. Now, the main thing to blame for the present economical situation is that we were at the confluence of the great powers of the world, and everyone just took advantage of us. But again, I don't know... There are other ex-communist countries that managed to deal with their problems. We always manage to end up last.
I heard a few days ago on the news something about a canadian that lost himself in Romania, had a panic attack and tried to commit suicide. Made me ask myself (again), what do people think about us??? That we are cannibals that live in caves? I hope that guy won't tell a story like: "They were running after me with bats in their hands, I'm sure they wanted to eat me" when he returns home...
On the other hand, a friend told me about some cyclotourists (were they from Sweden?), that came in Romania (why would they do something like that?). They mounted their tent on a field. Well, two paysants came and hit them with axes through their tent, thinking they were carrying fortunes.
There are a lot of misconceptions about us, but to be frank, I can understand that. Enough with my ramblings.
About the bike, yes, people here think too it's only a kids thing (I'm 24 next week, btw). I tell you one thing: a Romanian citizen would never ride the bike to work. A friend of mine tried to do that, but the administrator of the building he is working in has forbidden it, saying that he is leaving tyre marks on the walls... I guess they like buses, or our national car "Dacia" - I don't think you could imagine a crummier car.
There lays the difference between civilised people and us - an American would think something like "Why not create parking space for other people and reduce the pollution?" although he probably owns two cars, while a Romanian wouldn't. People here seem to care for nothing but themselves.
I've been trying for a long time to find a long-term cycling partner here in my town, but with no success. The bike here is used only for showing-off purposes ("Look at me and my bike stunts, am I cool or what?"😉, or at all. When I ride the bike I like to do some hard pedaling (or at least I like to think so), while my friends think that an one hour ride pushes them close to their physical limits 🙁
And about my English, again I don't know. I think I should check out my grammar at least. What's my secret? Watch a lot of american movies 🙂 And we learn it in school, too. And personally I like to read a lot.
Thanks for the nice welcome, people.
Calin
