Bucharest Day 3
Sorry for the long wait, but just so you know, I made it here safely. I arrived in Bucharest at about 3:30pm local time on Tuesday afternoon. I'm blogging from an internet "cafe" where they charge by the minute for the use of their computers, so I'll have to make this quick. Here are a few things that I wanted to share:
The Hostel
Ok, so the hostel that I stayed in was less than ideal. If you're coming to Bucharest, I do not reccomend the Funky Chicken Hostel. Now, I haven't seen the movie "Hostel," but I know the gist of it from previews and so on. I can assure you that this hostel was nothing like the one in the film. The most dangerous things about this hostel were the terribly uncomfortable mattresses, the faint mildew smell, and last but not least, my hair dryer. I attempted to plug in my hairdryer this morning, using the apropriate (or so I thought)voltage converter, and as soon as I tried to turn it on, the plug sparked, and the power went out to the entire floor of the hostel. It took a while for the proprietress to figure out how to work the fuse box, but eventually the lights came back on, and she came to tell me "It was something in the house. I had only to push a button."
My New Apartment
Thankfully, I get to check out of said hostel today because I have found an apartment. I'm moving in at about 3 this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to moving in and unpack some of my things. I'm renting a room from a Romanian woman named Magda. The apartment is small but clean, and it has a balony. I'm living in what is technically the dining room and sleeping on a day bed/futon-like thing. The apartment is on the seventh floor of a Ceausescu-Era apartment bloc, and it is about 100 meters from a metro station. The area that it's in is a pretty residential area in central Bucharest. I'll post pictures soon, and we'll see if you agree with me about the prettiness of the neighborhood. It may be that you have to love Eastern Europe to appreciate its understated charm. Oh, and one more thing, Magda doesn't speak English. This will make things slightly difficult, but I think that in the long run it will be great. It will be great practice for me, like a live-in Romanian tutor.
Dor
Before I go, I thought I'd leave you with a little Romanian lesson. The first word I'm going to share with you has no direct translation in English. The word is 'dor.'
It is a noun, and the best way to translate it is "an intense longing for home, one's country, or one's people." I wanted to share this word with you today, because that's how I feel this morning. Dor. I think I finally understand what it means. It hurts, almost physically, to be so far from everyone I care about. I miss you all! Mi-e dor de va.
The Hostel
Ok, so the hostel that I stayed in was less than ideal. If you're coming to Bucharest, I do not reccomend the Funky Chicken Hostel. Now, I haven't seen the movie "Hostel," but I know the gist of it from previews and so on. I can assure you that this hostel was nothing like the one in the film. The most dangerous things about this hostel were the terribly uncomfortable mattresses, the faint mildew smell, and last but not least, my hair dryer. I attempted to plug in my hairdryer this morning, using the apropriate (or so I thought)voltage converter, and as soon as I tried to turn it on, the plug sparked, and the power went out to the entire floor of the hostel. It took a while for the proprietress to figure out how to work the fuse box, but eventually the lights came back on, and she came to tell me "It was something in the house. I had only to push a button."
My New Apartment
Thankfully, I get to check out of said hostel today because I have found an apartment. I'm moving in at about 3 this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to moving in and unpack some of my things. I'm renting a room from a Romanian woman named Magda. The apartment is small but clean, and it has a balony. I'm living in what is technically the dining room and sleeping on a day bed/futon-like thing. The apartment is on the seventh floor of a Ceausescu-Era apartment bloc, and it is about 100 meters from a metro station. The area that it's in is a pretty residential area in central Bucharest. I'll post pictures soon, and we'll see if you agree with me about the prettiness of the neighborhood. It may be that you have to love Eastern Europe to appreciate its understated charm. Oh, and one more thing, Magda doesn't speak English. This will make things slightly difficult, but I think that in the long run it will be great. It will be great practice for me, like a live-in Romanian tutor.
Dor
Before I go, I thought I'd leave you with a little Romanian lesson. The first word I'm going to share with you has no direct translation in English. The word is 'dor.'
It is a noun, and the best way to translate it is "an intense longing for home, one's country, or one's people." I wanted to share this word with you today, because that's how I feel this morning. Dor. I think I finally understand what it means. It hurts, almost physically, to be so far from everyone I care about. I miss you all! Mi-e dor de va.
posted by Erin Kay at 11:24 AM
2 Comments:
Dor to you too! Magda sounds like the perfect opportunity to improve your Romanian.
I just wanted to write and let you know that I'm reading your blog and can't wait for more Romanian lessons!
I sent your blog address to most of the Biebuyck clan so I hope you hear from some of them.
Nice to talk to you this morning...take care of that cough.
love and miss you
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