The siege has ended (partially)
Hallelujah! The ramparts have been withdrawn and embattlements disengaged in some parts of Braşov. The four day siege of my apartment is finally over! Water has been restored and some semblance of a sane existence can be reconstructed from the wreckage. While many of you enjoy the biggest concert in this history of Romania, some of us will be taking a shower, mopping floors, wiping down counters, washing stacks of dishes, flushing toilets, cooking better food, cleaning clothes, brushing teeth, and filling empty water bottles in cynical anticipation of the next time the irresponsible blowhards of city hall approve of shutting off water to an entire city during the summer months for days on end.
Note to tourists: Before you waste your time visiting Romania, be sure to check with the local water company and city officials for each of the towns you’ll be staying in to find out there are any planned citywide water outages that will ruin your vacation when you find yourself unable to shower at your hotel or eat at a restaurant. Other than that, I highly recommend vacations in Romania for anyone with camel-like fortitude. The truth sometimes hurts.
[Updated: 26 Jun]
June 23rd, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Should have told me earlier, I’d have sent you down some packs Dreher.
I never drink nor shower in anything else.
June 23rd, 2006 at 1:14 pm
Glad your water is back on! Funn, though, for I’d give up running water for good to be living in Romania, or any Balkan nation for that matter.
I don’t know what it is but I really want to get back to the “Balkans”. Well, Eastern Europe!
John
June 23rd, 2006 at 11:42 pm
Sounds like a period of potentially disease-ridden terror. Amazingly, in your last blog addressing this bleak situation, there were many people who spoke up who have previously experienced this nightmare in other cities and for even longer stretches of time. It must happen frequently enough for those unfortunate ones who remain non-chalant about such a horrendous human condition. Best wishes to all who find it necessary to work through such a shambles of poor government service. Let me know if the time comes where the citizens of Romania are as mad as hell and aren’t going to take it any more!!
June 24th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Paul - Had Dreher arrived earlier, it could have battled in the Campionatul Mondial de Bere… but clearly, you were afraid it would immediately lose all taste battles.
John - I like the growth opportunities of Eastern Europe. This water outage is a leftover skeleton of the communist era which modern leaders have failed to address. On the whole, this part of the world is just fantastic. Economic growth is everywhere and a new ‘world’ is being birthed. Most of my American friends don’t know anything about this area and assume it’s all fire-and-brimstone (perhaps you encounter the same misperceptions). Of course, most of the locals still feel helpless that this “only Romania” and somehow believe that changes will “take forever.” Bzzzt, wrong! Changes are coming faster and faster. Those who run out in front of the target, get the rewards presented by opportunity.
Shadow - Yeah, I was wating for bouts of Cholera or whatever else might breakout. In fact, I don’t feel so well today but I think that’s been from a lack of sleep more than anything else.
I have to agree! I find it deeply disturbing that there are reports of longer outages. Now, on the one hand, I’ll chalk that up to being five years ago. On the other hand, I would be completely intolerant if those same condition occurred today. It’s not acceptable and anyone passing it off as “oh, well” is part of the problem. Part of becoming a participatory democracy entails holding one’s politicians accountable, not shrugging things off. Some folks around here need to learn how to be dissatisfied with suffering. Including of my readers.
Hey, you know me. When the revolution breaks out, I’ll be on tv… in front of the charge.
June 24th, 2006 at 3:05 pm
Update: The water is still out in other parts of the city.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
Update: The water outage is increasing in scope again.
June 28th, 2006 at 6:03 am
Congratulations on getting back to civilization. Having no water sucks big time. I think the most outrageous thing in Bucharest and Romania in general is that you can no longer build your own central heating for hot water and heating. Therefore I still hear from friends and family about the 2-week mandatory shortage of hot water cause by technical maintenance.
Since Apa Nova took over water distribution in Bucharest the drinking water is always losing its quality.
if it makes if you feel better, in the dear old national capital of usa the water is so bad nobody drinks unpurified water willingly. My German friends believe it has a high content of arsenic. I find that hard to believe, even if the US Army tested chemical weapons on my university campus.
Looking forward to see the winner of the beer world cup.
June 30th, 2006 at 9:56 am
Hi Rom,
Im wondering if you know of any Real estate sites for Romanian Rentals?
I love the site and have just booked marked it.. thanks for telling me the intresting things that most Romanians wont.
Thanks for the laughs and Ill be back
James
P.S. I hope the water says on so you dont have to pee in the bath lmao
July 3rd, 2006 at 8:08 pm
Hi there,
I enjoy reading about your Romerican experiences. My boyfirend used to be a romerican (as well as a polamerican, lithuamerican, kosovamerican… damn… it doesn’t work with any of these…), so your writings remind me of his experiences and opinions. Only he wasn’t inspired enough to organize the beer championship. He just thoroughly drank it.
Anyway, in my 23 years of living in Romania (including 9 under communism), I don’t recall such a severe “siege”. Thus, I found your ‘Note to tourists’ a little harsh, as I don’t think this situation is as frequent as you portrayed it. But then again, I am overly sensitive to how Romania is perceived elsewhere.
cheers,
Ionuka
July 3rd, 2006 at 9:17 pm
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Romania_Probes_Foreign_Plot_To_Worsen_Its_Weather_999.html
Is the above article given any real attention in Romania? I found this surprising and it was the first I’d heard of it. I was just wondering if this is something that is worried about by the citizens.
If true, it’s sad but amazing.
John
July 4th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
This isn’t true is it? In Miercurea Ciuc you can definitely get off the system in this way - in fact the local and national government are actively promoting that people do so - currently there is an offer that if an entire apartment building comes off the system and installs independent heating/hot water and installs those new PVC windows which are currently all the rage here, the national government will contribute one third of the cost and the local government wil do the same.
The apartment I have just moved to has independent heating/hot water.
Maybe it’s different in Bucharest, but given that the government is involved with the scheme mentioned above, it seems unlikely.
July 4th, 2006 at 11:04 pm
ack! Poor you. I hope the water situation improves.
Happy July 4th to a displaced American.
I’m interested to read your take on the economic growth of the region. I have such a bad perception of eastern Europe (dark, dreary, depressing). Thanks for the enlightnenment.
July 6th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
I have always hated this no hot and/or cold water period. 2 weeks revisions, accidents and other such mishaps that are completely out of line!
July 7th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Sean, sweetie, is everything ok?
July 11th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
Dude, uz a cool muth fucka! Tine-o tot asha !
July 12th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
Romerican, your fans await your return. Pleeeease come back. :)
July 13th, 2006 at 9:56 am
Wut fans? LMFAO
July 17th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
I advise you to learn how to fish and grow and harvest your own fruits and vegetables. The end is near! ;)
July 19th, 2006 at 3:24 pm
Thanks to everyone for your continued interest despite the unscheduled hiatus. It helped drag me back. =]
July 26th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
I do remember those times. No water, electricity… doing homework at candle light. In my town, Oradea I’ve seen a lot of improvements in the past 7 years. By the way, my sister-in-law calls me a DP (displaced person).