24.7.13

U.S. vs. Romania

  So I was lucky enough to get to take a trip home this summer, thanks to my dad and step-mom who doled out the cash for 4 round trip tickets for me and the kids.  Reason, being,  is that my brother has gotten married and had a baby in the 4 1/2 years we've been in Romania.  Bubba was missing me pretty bad, plus they all wanted me to see my niece as a baby.  It was great seeing my family and old friends.  I ate and ate and ate some more.  Put on close to 10 pounds, so did the kids!

  However after being away for so long here are few things that struck me that I had forgotten about. The first being the state of the roads.  America has great roads, even with the occasional pot holes.  The roads here in Romania are a complete nightmare.They build new roads and within 6 months to a year they are a disaster, with pot holes so big your car can get lost.  Which brings me to another difference.  The size of the cars.  Cars in U.S. are MONSTROUS compared to Romania, well all of Europe really.    Gas prices are cheaper there too.  For example we pay about $2.50 a liter here.  There are 4 liters in a gallon. So next time you are griping at the pump for paying $4-$5/gallon, just think you could be paying $10 a gallon like me.

  Speaking of size difference.  The cars aren't the only thing bigger in the U.S., the people are bigger too, and I ain't talking height either.  People there are massive.  I think it has to do with several things, the first being the food.  While tasty, it's full of chemicals, and hormones, or grown with GMO seeds, etc.  Second people don't walk there like they do here.  In U.S. you HAVE to drive everywhere, because everything is spread out that walking is not an option.  Here everything is close together making it easier to walk from point A to point B.  Thereby people here stay slim because of all the walking, plus the food is chemical and hormone free.  GMO's are banned im Europe.

  I do miss the size of the grocery stores, where you have enough space for people to move down without bumping into each other.  THAT was awesome, combined with the fact that people in the U.S. respected each others personal space and din't invade it!  I heard a choir of angels sighing HALLELUJAH for me!  ;)

  I missed the night sky here in RO, especially up here by my house.  It's so clear and clean.  I can see all the stars in the sky.  I love that.  I also love that there is very little humidity here.  It's the same temperature as in S.Louisiana, but without the humidity!  Whoo-Hoo!  I don't suffocate outside here!

  I will miss my brother's hamburgers, he has perfected his recipe to such a degree its sinful!  However he told me how to make them, and got me the seasoning I'll need!  :)  so I'll be grilling burgers when my hubby comes home next month!

4 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

I've been missing your posts on here, but I'm sure being a mother of three doesn't allow much time for blogging. I'm glad you had a nice trip.

Unknown said...

Sunt un om cu o curiozitate mare si am citit istoria mai multor straini stabiliti in Romania . Astfel am ajuns la interviul tau luat de Raoul Pop . Apoi am ajuns la blogul tau .
L-am citit in totalitate cu sentimente de compasiune si foarte mare admiratie fata de tine
si familia ta
Eu sunt Mitica Zagan , am 65 ani ,de profesie inginer de electronica si automatizari , sotia
fosta economista , doi copii de varsta ta : baiat arhitect si fata economista . Locuesc in Bucuresti , dar m-am retras la tara ( casa cu curte ) langa Bucuresti
Am in curte 2 caisi, 1 visin , 1 cires ,iar vara ceapa , usturoi , salata , rosii ,castraveti ,ardei
si 50 de pasari , oarecum cam cum ai si tu in curtea ta Vreau sa-ti spun ca ma simt fericit
si liber
Am tinut sa-ti scriu aceasta scrisoare pentru ca va admir si sa-ti spun ca daca Dumnezeu
ti-a luat cu o mana iti va da inapoi de zece ori mai mult
Am citit despre greutatile pe care le-ai avut in USA in familia ta precum si ce ai patit
in Tulcea cu vecinii , hotii de masini , tiganii , inundatiile din casa, caldura in timpul verii
fara aer conditionat etc.
Vreau sa-ti spun sa fii foarte optimista pentru viata ta si mandra ca impreuna cu familia v-ati stabilit in Romania respectiv Tulcea ( Bestepe ) deoarece :
-romanii sunt foarte primitori ,anglofili , americanofili , francofili si uitate doar la filmele
de la TV ,muzica de la radio, limbile straine vorbite de tineret. Da, ramane ca sa fim mai ordonati , curati si mandri de noi
Romania este o tara foarte frumoasa cu toate formele de relief , cu istorie si traditii o tara
facuta pentru turism Este in UE si poti pleca liber in orice tara
Romania este o tara sigura cu criminalitate redusa (nu exista oameni sau copii mitraliati )
nu avem tornade sau uragane sau tunami ,avem ceva inundatii dar limitate
Romanii sunt oameni harnici si isteti vezi multiplele medalii la olimpiadele scolare,
numarul mare de specialisti IT in „silicon valey”, Google, Microsoft , medici in Franta ,Anglia ,Germania , romani cu premiul Nobel (George Emil Palade in medicina) valori
in sport gimnastica Comaneci , tenis Nastase , etc, valori in arta si muzica Brancusi , Angela Gheorghiu,film ( premii ) etc.
Alimentele sunt naturale fara „otravuri”, din gospodaria ta proprie sau vecini : oua , carne de pasare ,legume si fructe din gradina, branza din vecini (Dobrogea este mare producator de oi si branza ) ,peste direct din Dunare
Asa cum te ocupi cu grija de copiii tai ei au toate sansele sa ajunga mult mai bine
decat in SUA , din scolile din Tulcea au iesit valori (academicieni Bratescu ,Moisil ,Murgoci
sculptor Jalea,pictor Ciucurencu , dirijor George Georgescu , multiplu campion olimpic
Ivan Pataichin etc. )
In concluzie ai toate motivele sa fii increzatoare ca aici in Romania iti vei realiza visele
pentru familie si in special pentru copiii tai
Eu as fi bucuros daca as putea urmari toate realizarile voastre prin blogul tau precum
si activitatea in gradina ta
Cu stima , Mitica 06/01/2014

Ex-pat Odessa said...

Mersi Dl.Mitica. :-)

Unknown said...

Odessa

M-am bucurat foarte mult ca ai citit si ai raspuns la scrisoarea mea ,dar am o curiozitate
daca ai citito in romana sau ti-a traduso cineva de exemplu fetele tale
In profesia mea de electronica si automatizari ce includ soft si hard, limba engleza este
uzuala, asa incat pot sa citesc foarte bine in engleza, inteleg si vorbec bine dar imi este
greu sa scriu ,fac multe greseli de ortografie si gramatica Daca iti este greu sa scrii
in romana poti sa scrii in engleza iar eu voi intelege foarte bine
Pentru ca au inflorit in gradina mea vreau sa-ti ofer tie si fetelor tale toti ghiocelii din
fotografiile anexate






Cu mai multi ani in urma am luat din padure ghiocei si viorele si i-am plantat in
gradina mea sa-mi vesteasca sosirea primaverii De obicei infloresc din zapada in februarie dar anul acesta anormal de cald au rasarit in ianuarie Tu ce flori, vegetale sau pomi ai in gradina ?
Daca subiectele gradina, gospodarie ,locuinta , animale domestice ,alimente bio-eco , retete ,excursii, spectacole , etc, iti fac placere de discutat ma bucur si astept in continuare raspunsul tau

Cu stima Mitica