Thank you, Andrew
As I write this, it’s all-but-impossible to realize it’s been a month! Oh, sure, I could point out the couple days that technically deny a moon cycle, yet it would be so disingenuous to do. Fact is, four weeks ago today, Andrew fired off an email announcing his train would be rolling through Braşov and he intended to support Campionatul Mondial de Bere by flinging a sack full of goodies out the window when he passed by. Clearly, it would behoove me to show up somewhere near the tracks and playout my NFL receiver fantasies.
And that’s how it was, y’all. Da big mastapimp A-Dawg came rollin’ inta town, ‘cept dem foolz at da gara done wrecked his train schedule and mista playa man had to spread some chedda on a maxi taxi. Now, I didn’t know this, so I wuz str8 playin’ that soldier until I got the 411. U kno how it goez. We be adjustmentikatin’ n shizzle. Word.
The trouble got started early because the dude shows up with this heavy sack of berii. As the first official sponsor of Campionatul Mondial de Bere, Andrew came well-armed with Sovata, Neumarkt, Dracula and Aro beers to help fill out the participant roster. It was like an alcoholic halloween! As one might guess, that means somebody has to carry all that around a while…
For realz, he be a tru playa in da sport of Bere Mondial like the rest of U only wish U wuz. U know we had to get tha Drew-Daddy to pop the top off a sticla, right? Fo’ sheezy! Next thang U kno, we be chillin’ at them gara beer-stand thingz gettin’ hassled by the gyspy beggars (and U kno we didn’t waste no paper) while tryin’ chug down a forty half-liter.
So there I was, hanging out with supercool Andrew and drinking beer with a mesmerizing young woman. The conversation flowed pretty thick and pretty fast. Well, that is, until Mr. Man essentially told us to shut up because he was sick of talking, then abruptly took off inside the gara to the ticket booth. Don’t try to deny it, fool!
N-e-waze, that boy wuz either fascinated by my celebrity status or couldn’t stop staring at tha hottie in orange, becuz Sucka came creepin’ back like a punk n’ spittin’ weak lines ’bout getting ganked by the dracu bilete woman. Yes, yes, y’all… he gonna be delayed a bit n’ hafta start reprezentin that TeeGee side.
LOLz!!!11!eleven
Hyperbole aside, it was fun. He ended up being stuck in the sparkling wonder of Braşov a couple hours longer than expected, so our little group decided it was safe to hoist another bottle of beer or two. Er, no, it was more like a mandate. A duty, in fact. Campionatul Mondial guest judging and all that. Giddyap.
At some point, we started the marathon timer to intiate a hurried quest for the best kebab in all of Romania. Our efforts were aided by the fact that I already knew how to find the place. We jumped into a cab and headed towards parcul central, yammering in English all the while expressly in order to draw the curious eyes of our taximetrist.
Weaving dangerously outside the vehicle, we stumbled the final few steps until we entered shoarma nirvana. Andrew pops off in his nearly perfect Romaneşte to place an order, which makes me look like a complete idiot as I fumble the words around and beg for help like a little girl with a skinned knee. But then I’ve absolutely no shame when it comes time to procure the world’s greatest sandwich. Mai multe ardei iute, va rog!
We managed to land another taxi and raced back to the gara, so Andrew wouldn’t miss his train. We got there with a couple minutes to spare, but the ticket line was moving slower than molasses which resulted in Andrew being told the train had already left. Plan B? Wait, let’s check that monitor. Platform 3, right? Damn, your train hasn’t left yet — it hasn’t even arrived! Back in line only to be told by the very same (incompetent and self-loathing) CFR employee that she wouldn’t sell him a ticket and he could buy one on the train.
Sound out of place? Well, it kind of is and kind of isn’t depending on who you ask and how it gets handled. In other words, it’s apparently quite subjective at the discretion of the train ‘conductor’ (aka ticketpuncher). Maybe some of y’all with deeper experience in this area can enlighten us? Basically, the idea is to get on the train before it leaves and then worry about finding a staffer who can sell you the required ticket.
Theoretically, you should be able to just pay the fare. But, then, theoretically, you didn’t buy a proper ticket and might be subject to a fine. The way I understand it is that it’s all about timing. If you get the ticket before the train actually moves or possibly immediately thereafter, you can probably pay regular price. Assuming you’re Romanian that is.
Poor guy; A-Dawg boards the train and quickly looks for the conductor. Maybe there was only one person on shift because a journey through several cars was required to find a uniformed bloke. Andrew explains the situation about how he tried twice to buy a ticket but the lady refused to sell him one. The conductor scoffs. Andrew explains how he was instructed by CFR staff to buy a ticket on the train. The conductor scoffs again. Why? Some might say the conductor was possibly doing his job, but I’m sure it’s because Andrew was an American… you know, a filthy rich idiot just waiting to have gold nuggets shaken out of his pockets because all Americans are stupid and wealthy. You knew that, right? Right.
After some negotiation, for a small bribe plus the normal ticket price (all of which was probably pocketed by the CFR conductor), Andrew managed to get himself a very cozy spot in first class where he could enjoy his ride in peace. Though, I think the train dropped him off at his destination around 1am or 2am which may or may not have caused further adventures outside the scope of this post. Not sure.
What I do know is that we have photographic evidence that he was safely on the train loaded with loot in the form of a 2-liter of Braşov’s finest…
July 19th, 2006 at 3:54 pm
andrew from ploiesti here, i was asking about an e-mail or an IM cuz i suppose your old emails aren’t working.and’rei
July 19th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Hai, ce mai faceti?! Dude, I didn’t know it was you so I’m glad you clarified that. I just sent you an email (my old addresses are still working and being used, but I don’t use IM very much at all, if ever… though I still use Skype because it’s encrypted). Check your inbox and let me know what your travel plans are for this summer. Do we smell yet another reunion? That’d be fun!
July 19th, 2006 at 6:20 pm
Whee, you’re alive! And did I mention we’ll be going to Miercurea Ciuc soon? .. maybe it’s time for a meeting .. can you smell the beer that we’ll drink in the “Tilos” (just ask Andy H about it) already?
July 19th, 2006 at 8:05 pm
Nobody can really explain the “ticket from the train” phenomenon. There is no consistency involved. Additional worry: if you’re on a long train ride, conductors might change halfway through, so another round of negotiations is necessary with the new conductor (they feel left out of the bribe…)
Regarding the last picture: from that angle, your friend Andrew looks just like Elijah Wood.
July 19th, 2006 at 8:56 pm
I won’t be able to get up to Braşov until I swear-in and go to my site and that is in the most westerly part of Romania, just south of Timişoara. But be sure, I will make sure that I will get your way because there are many of us that have been placed in your part of the country.
Ciao
July 20th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Andrea, hail hail! Yes, I am alive and crawling back into the social biosphere, but my schedule is all upside down and backwards. I had planned on being on the road right about now. I’m slightly delayed but hopefully getting there Real Soon Now ™. I’ll have to keep tabs on the Ciuc event and see if I can swing it, because Andy’s a cool guy.
IOnuka, welcome to the show! I’ll take your comment as validation that buying tickets on the train is less workable for Americans (and other nationals) and more workable for Romanians (who are generally assumed to not be able to afford bribes and thus getting the conductor to relinquish his demands more readily). Speaking of Elijah, today is Sanilie… more on that soon.
Chris, glad to see you’re getting along here. I see your Romaneste is quickly improving (and possibly outpacing my own lameness, already). I’ve not really planned on going to the Timisoara vicinity any time soon, but enough changes have already occurred in my tour that ….well, who knows! Afterall, it would give me the excuse to visit Budapest (which I consider to be the greatest city I’ve ever been to)… since it’s… well… uh, in that direction (or other reasonable pretense). Meanwhile, you must be sure to go to Hunedoara — that’s where the real castle is. Also, I guess you’ll get a chance to beat me to Sarmizegetusa, which has been on ‘my list’ for about 2 or 3 years now.
July 20th, 2006 at 10:13 pm
oh, I’m Romanian and I still find the system difficult. Or maybe I’ve just been spoiled by my recent American experiences, where one knows exactly what to expect (most of the time).
Three years ago, I found a worse traveling situation: going from Romania to Serbia by train. It’s just awful. There are tons of “business” people who take stuff from Romania to sell in Serbia. They are trying to hide clothes and sheets and weird tools in the train compartment, so the customs people don’t see them. This is how I found myself sitting on a bag full of bras, unwillingly an accomplice in illicit trade. Of course, the customs people know what’s going on and usually expect some bribe. And of course, there are no clear rules: who has to give a bribe and who doesn’t; how much do you give if you’re carrying illegal stuff, how much to give if you’re not; what currency they accept, etc. And God forbid you don’t have a roundtrip ticket! You have to buy one from the conductor (Not a return one, to complement your one-way ticket! No, ANOTHER roundtrip ticket. Plus a fine and a bribe). To make a long story short: don’t ever take the train to Belgrade.
July 20th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Ionuka – you travelled with the Stamora/Moravita train? .. wow.
Romerican – what’s with your deep disliking for Timisoara, anyway?
July 21st, 2006 at 12:40 am
Andrea, yes – I think that was it. The one that departs from Timisoara at five am or so…
(off topic: we might have gone to school together. I’m also a Psychology graduate from Univ. de Vest (2002). I’m sure we weren’t in the same class, you might have graduated before me. Anyway… thought it was a cool coincidence!)
I am also interested in the reasons behind Romerican’s dislike for Timisoara. Is it the city, the plain terrain, the people, the arrogance, the beer, the Bega… ?
July 21st, 2006 at 12:52 am
Who said I disliked Timisoara?! Oh, right, that was me.
Allow me to refine the outlook a little bit (being quizzed by two psychologists probably being the impetus behind not wanting to be labelled insane). I don’t hate it or anything. I find the centru to be “quite okay” with a few very nice buildings and a couple damn good restaurants (with decent service!). If you happen to be travelling through there, it’s worth spending half a day wandering around.
My lackluster opinion derives from expectation. I had been led to believe Timisoara was a beautiful, cosmopolitan, thriving metropolis. Instead, I thought it was “just another” Romanian city albeit a bit more dusty than most. Ultimately, I was disappointed at how plain and unremarkable the city was because I’d been expecting something special based on the enthusiasm of others (whose input I still appreciate nonetheless).
Disclaimer: I did have another abhorrent taxi-related incident in Timi, but I’d like to pretend that it did not affect my opinion of the town as a whole.
Does that help? I wouldn’t put Timisoara on my “must see” list of places to go, at all, but it sure beats the snot out of Bucuresti! I also wouldn’t put Timi on a list of “dont waste your time” sights for tourism, but I would put Bucuresti on that list.
In case any road-weary traveler finds this post and is short on time in Romania: hit Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara, and Cluj for your urban fun before heading elsewhere.
July 21st, 2006 at 1:11 am
Ionuka – I’m class of 2001. Heh.
Sean – And Alba, don’t forget Alba :P
July 21st, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Ay, Romerican, if u want the FULL romanian experience, hit the less “cool” cities like Bucuresti, Craiova, Slatina , Pitesti…oh, yeah, and make sure u see a village, lol.
Anyway, i haven been paying attention so could u tell me what brought u here?
July 21st, 2006 at 3:36 pm
and Ploiesti, a must see city =] …. laughing
I’ve been to Timisoara twice, it’s not a bad city, like romerican said. I like the big parks they have tho’, i guess it’s cool in the hot summers we had this last 2 years, otherwise the city is quite ordinary and somehow simple.
July 21st, 2006 at 4:01 pm
Alba Iulia makes a fine city to drive through. I’ve driven through it several times myself.
I think the Craiova area probably will be graced with my presence until 2007, although I have driven through Pitesti a number of times. I am confident that Slatina will welcome me with open arms primarily because the Vlaicu edict of 1386 specifically states that merchants from Braşov should not pay a fee at the Slatina customs point which I take a good omen.
Ploiesti is the bomb! Although, I’ve only been there in the dark of night for a brief encounter in the central park. *cue mysterious organ music*
July 21st, 2006 at 5:22 pm
lol, damn, i was gonna say ploiesti too, anyway, holla @ me if u pass through slatina =)
July 21st, 2006 at 6:53 pm
Timisoara is an acquired taste. After being there a while, you start to appreciate the plethora of cultural events. Music events, movie festivals, literary events, student festivals, and some good theater.
We had a horrble taxi episode in Timi too – it involved the taxi driver cursing my American boyfried in Romanian and asking me TO TRANSLATE HIS CURSES! All because he slammed the door.
July 22nd, 2006 at 11:30 am
Yea Ploiesti is another place entirely but the Peace Corps decided to have our training here so that is that. The plus side is that pretty much any other place in Romania is great compared to.
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:57 pm
[...] Maybe it’s emerging as a pattern for me to suggest people try it. If I think back, the trend started when I was out on the town with Bunissima one night and spotted the glowing sign from afar. After dragging her in there, she was happily satisfied. The second time was when I took Mihai, a buddy who lives in Seattle where I met him while I was living there (well before I decided to move to Romania, much to his shock). He came to visit family and stopped by in Braşov to make sure I was getting along, so I twisted his arm into trying it. Happily satisfied, he agreed it was fantastic. Later, I dragged the Griviţei Ambassador de Gara there around 5 or 6am, after we’d been up an all-night bender. Next, Andrew. Now, Matt. Will you be next? [...]