Romanian Conclusions

As I look back on my Romanian adventure I've drawn up a few conclusions that need to be blogged


1. Our Hostel suck
- I've stated at few others before, this was by far the worst. No breakfast, awful job with laundry, uncomfortable beds, 1 cm thick pillows.....you get the picture. Only perks were awesome receptionists, cheap beer, and TV's in the room.


2. There is Dog Shit everywhere
- Seriously people, pick up after your mutt. Oh wait! I forgot, the majprity of dogs are strays


3. Radu Cristea is the man
- Hands down. The man set basically everything up for us, introduced us to some of the top entrepreneurs in cluj, has an insane career path story, can speak every language of the earth, rented out a bar for us multiple times, and is probably a spy


4. Romania has the hottest girls ever
- The standard Romanian Chick 5-6 level on the Bro code of hotness translate to a 9-10 back in the US


5. Hookka bars are the best way to chill
- Nothing can compare to having a drink and smoking a hookka in a laid back setting with a group of peers. Conveniently one was located just outside our hostel. A great way to unwind from a taxing day.


6. Going out with a ton of $$$ rocks
- I lived off of what Sears gave me with over 700 Lei to spare upon my departure, and believe me I ate and drank well.


7. Now is the time to go
- If for some reason you have a burning desire to travel to Romania, I urge you to go soon. The country is converting to the Euro in 2012.

Romania: The Lost Journal entires 1

If you've been keeping tabs on my Facebook status then you should know that I've left Romania behind. I'm surprised to find myself slightly depressed , I actually started to get used to the eastern European style of life........oh well. So far Rome itself surpasses everything the entire country had to offer. I didn't have time to blog about my adventures in Cluj because of the course's required journal entries. So, in order to give everyone an idea of what crazy daily activities occurred in Romania I present the best portions of journal entries for the submitted for the class, uncensored. Enjoy!

1.8.10
"The first impression I had of Cluj-Napoca when we exited the airport was “wow, what a dump.” Guess this is what they call culture shock. Like the majority of the members of this trip I have never traveled to an eastern European country. On our drive to the hostel I found the buildings conveying a “communist” feeling with their cement construction and depressing generic coloring."

1.11.10

"For the first time this entire trip I saw a police officer. I was wondering where they were hiding the past few days, but I guess they actually do exist. Since they don’t carry gun, they’re not so intimating. Apparently the most they can do is write an individual a ticket, seems odd for a country that haves a lot of riff raft.

I’ve noticed that everywhere restaurant we go to eat at, there are always music videos playing on multiple television screens. I haven’t found a single place that isn’t blaring pop music dominated by Lady Gaga. Why does Europe love her so much?"

1.13.10

"After dinner we all ventured across the street to Pipes. Some of the group members have started calling the place "today's," quite fitting actually since all nights begin and end there. Me being 3 or 4 Long Island Ice Teas deep from dinner decided to continue down the same path and ordered a 1000ml LIIT. Even though I split it with someone else it defiantly got the best of me.

Our Prof truly made the night. Every time i looked over he was doing some crazy bar trick. At one moment him and a student were pounding entire lit cigarettes into their palms, next he was consuming the notorious flaming sambuka, then flipping 20 stacked coasters up in the air and catching them with one hand, and part taking in chugging competitions. Not bad for a 60 year old man on crutches.

I felt compelled to part take in one of these activities so I introduced to him a legal version of the "beerfest" strike out. Cigarette inhale, shot of tequila, chug a beer, exhale smoke. Upon completion I proceeded to the girls bathroom to vomit."

1.14.10

"Our second day trip was today, with its destination being Sighisoara. One word: beautiful. The city is built into a hill complete with a giant church at the peak. From a distance it’s quite a sight for the eyes. The distinct pastel colors of the various houses are evenly spread amongst the hill creating a rainbow like picture that artists dream to paint.

After a difficult climb to see the church, we made our way back down to the city’s clock tower. Once there we took a tour of the inside. At the top we were able to venture outside on the patio where you can observe an impressive 360 degree view of the city. They also had a collection of plaques with the world’s major cities engraved complete with its direction and distance from that very point.

To finish our trip we ventured to yet another church on a hill that was unfortunately closed at the time of our arrival (go figure). So we hopped on the bus and watched Taken on our bumpy four hour trip home."

1.15.10

"......At the end of his lecture we were escorted from the conference room to the main lobby were a buffet of sandwiches and refreshments were laid out for us. Even wine and plum brandy were present. Before diving in our presenter showed us how flammable the brandy is by sticking his finger into the liquid and lit his digit on fire."

1.16.10

"Today we were given the option of either a free day or a trip to the hot springs. About 90 percent of the group took a bus to the hot springs. Unfortunately the trip took and extra hour and a half for numerous reasons.

Number one; all of us literally rolled out of bed and got on the bus so we were starving. Radu had the driver stop at a gas station that served a wide variety of food and beverages. But when you have 25 starving American college students trying to buy a meal, chaos commences. We were delayed at the gas station for a good 45 minutes.

Second, a lot of us decided to buy large quantities of alcoholic beverages to be consumed on ride. What we forgot and quickly realized is when you drink four to five cans of becks, it runs through your system quickly… and our bus did not have a bathroom. So we stopped, yet again.

Third, the coach bus rented for us was considerable smaller than the ones we’ve been riding on our day trips. So we were all required to double up creating an uncomfortable cramped environment.

Finally, the bus driver got pulled over for speeding and was ticketed. I'm not kidding.

But when all was said and done, it was worth it.

The hot springs were fun, relaxing, and in a way invigorating. At first glance looks it like a normal oversize pool, but the water is as hotter than a hot tub. We spent a good 4 hours relaxing with beers, enhancing the euphoric affect. The group felt so relaxed that we all passed out on the ride home. This time it was only 2 1/2 hours"

The Real World: Cluj-Napoca

One growing metropolis. A student heavy population of 700,000 (about 1/3 students). An abundance of bars and clubs. A 1 to 3 USD: LEU conversion rate. 27 American students living in 1 hostel with plenty of free time………Welcome to Cluj-Napoca, and believe me MTV is missing out

Cluj is a lively college city with a rich history dating as far back to the ancient Roman Empire, but no one knows about it. This probably explains why the locals stare us down wherever we go. But in their defense they probably don’t witness a pack of American college students daily and we’re a rowdy group.

Our daily scheduled itinerary is as followed: wake up, lecture, lunch, lecture, free time. In reality it’s more like wake up, lecture, drink, be tipsy for second lecture, booze all night long, maybe grab one or two hours of sleep, and wake up still drunk for the next day. This has been our daily routine for the past 12 days. On some of the days we hop on a coach bus and take a 3-4 hour trip to another historic Romanian location. We love these days because we catch up on sleep in the bus. So far we’ve traveled to Sibli and Sighisoara. Both locations were interesting to experience. I intend to get a more detailed description posted soon with some pictures.

The night life in Cluj-Napoca is lively and exciting. The big hits are the underground bars set in the foundation of the city’s establishments. They are enormous, some stretching as far as two and half football fields in length, and thanks to the strong conversation rate a standard beer in a bar costs about 4-5 Leu, equal to about $1.35-$1.60 for a bottled 50cl (one pint). Needless to say, we take full advantage of our currency’s strength by ordering in large quantities, daily.

I have plenty of pictures and daily journal entries to accompany my adventures thus far in Romania and intend to post them in the near future.

Flaming Samboka

The other night a bunch of us went to this basement that was made into a club. The joint was hoppin' with top American hits from the 90's and jammed packed with youthful Romanians wall to wall. As I worked my way to the bar I saw the bartender light someone's mouth on fire. WHOA! Being intrigued on way one would ever do such I thing I ask the bartender what that was. He responded with "flaming samboka."

The following steps are how to take a Flamming Samboka shot:

1. Take a shot of samboka and DO NOT swallow

2. Lean backwards over the bar

3. Have the bartender light the shot on fire in your mouth

4. Let the fire burn as the bartender sprinkles powdered cinnamon into your mouth

5. Close your mouth, stand up, and swallow the concoction whole

Be warned, they're addicting...

Win!!!!

Our hostel is located close to the center of Cluj and is a short walk from the student district. On top of that, I was told by our guide said there are SEVEN bars on our street. It's like I never left Onenota!!!

Just when you think it could get any better, this country is dirt cheap. I bought a single becks brewski to create change at a convenience store for 2.90ROM. An single American dollar exchanges to 3 Romanian ROM. So my 50cl can of Becks costs about $0.97! I'm going to live like a king for the next few weeks.

Flying is always an experience

I just spent the last 16 hours flying across 4 destinations and let me tell you, it takes it's toll on the body. The longest flight was 7 1/2 hours from JFK to Munich. Luckily the on board movies and free alcohol kept me sane.

There was a small situation in Munich. At the gate the German gate manager started screaming at us for not boarding the plane after he supposedly called us. So in retaliation Hard-nosed, republican, multiple gun owner Professor Sears gave the man an aggressive "SSSSHHHHH, shout your mouth. We beat you guys once and we'll do it again, and I'm not talking about the Olympics!" Makes me feel safe with him in charge.

The Adventure Begins....

Many emotions are going through my head right now. I can't tell if I'm more anxious or excited. I'm embarking on what many have advised as "an experience of a lifetime" to an unknown land by myself.

Most of you may know that my first stop is spent in Cluj-Napoca, Romania as a member of my College's affiliated program. The "class" goals are to meet entrepreneurs who took advantage of the soviet union downfall in 1989 and made millions in their profession. At the same time we'll explore the culture and history of the country. Then in late January, I depart for Rome, Italy for the entire spring semester. I will be in Europe for 4 1/2 months.....the longest I've ever been away from home.

I am amped for such an opportunity! But right now, the anxiety will not cease. I'm leaving a comforting setting to one completely foreign to me. I'm also leaving behind family, many friends, my home,d Good Ole American Meals, bacon cheese burgers with fries. I'm also giving up a spring semester at Hartwick which has been my fond home for the past 2 1/2 years. Dorm life in a suite with double the occupancy, days spent playing just sand volleyball, Kings night Wednesdays, bro-day Thursdays, underage bars, even Moyer frickin Pool (yeah, believe it) are all things I love doing at Hartwick and will surely miss them. It's alot for 4 1/2 months.

On the other hand, I get to live in a lively city, filled with a rich history of once being the capital of the world. I will be able to explore my heritage and fully immerse myself in the land of my ancestors. I will be forced to grasp a new native tongue and will hopefully be able to achieve the respected title of being bi-lingual. I will also have the chance to travel Europe, a land where every state contains a different culture. This journey will test me too the bone.................................

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......................BRING IT!! LEEEEEEERRRRRRRROOOOOY JEEEENNNNIKKKKKKIIIIIINS!!!!!!

Welcome

I wish to welcome all viewers to my brand new blog! My plan is to constantly update this page for my family and friends so they can be with me vicariously during my time abroad in Europe. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to do this, but I'll try my best to add a few new posts weekly.