The March/April 2024 issue of The American Conservative went live today, you can read the entire thing for free here (it’s my job to promote it 🙂): https://www.theamericanconservative.com/issue/march-april-2024/ Here is a link to my article: When you tell Romanians you are visiting, their advice is unanimous: “Visit the rustic beauty of Transylvania, avoid the unsightly Bucharest.” Ignoring this counsel, I embarked on a month-long sojourn in Bucharest, wandering its streets in a sort of urban exploration, uncovering the unpolished truths beneath its surface. It’s a dirty, ugly city, they said. Perfect.
As a Romanian, 1. I appreciate the "shout out", 2. the GDP growth is still surprising to me (I normally see these sort of forecasts in emerging Asia), and 3. the migration to Romania is also increasing.
Not sure if you were aware, but basically the number of work permits issued per year (100k in 2023) has doubled since 2021 and 18x-ed since 2016. And those 100k are already deemed insufficient by the private sector. I expect this trend to continue – and hopefully these Turkish/Vietnamese/Nepalese/Indian/Sri Lankan immigrants will bring some of their cuisine, too :)
I spent one year living and working in Romania in 2015. In just a few pithy lines you succinctly and vividly captured the essence of Bucharest. A fascinating, rebirthed city, and well worth a visit.
Was so impressed with the art, architecture, culture, the food, and friendly well-educated people. Yes the dollar was strong but Romania is just a bargain, there's no other way to put it.
Almost every member of my team considered the possibility of moving there.
I did appreciate the article, as a Romanian that left in late 1990s. When you see people being let to die on the street because hospitals don't want to send ambulances you end up saying, "Imi bag pula - this is not my country anylonger".
But having a trip through Romania on a rented car, with a son old enough to drive, excited at everything, not long ago, brought some measure of hope in my heart and the word of the old chronicler, now applied to the whole country resonated: "Nasc si la Moldova oameni".
Of course there will always be corruption in Romania, one just has to read Caragiale and Eminescu's articles in Timpul and unfortunately a new Vlad the Impaler won't come arround any time soon, given Bruxells propensity to indulge and cover corruption that sings on the harmonics directed by Brussels. Otherwise you end up like Victor Orban, a "dictator" and "authoritarian", never mind that he was resoundly voted by the Hungarians for his platform.
Yes, in principle Romanians are more concentrated on eating, drinking, and fucking but I am sure that there are strong undercurrents questioning the submissivness to Brussells and Washington, that alters the social values in Romania (which communists didn't alter) and as well endenger the national security of Romania as well as diminishes the desire for national re-unification with Moldovan Republic (becoming an enemy of Russia really didn't help either).
Sounds like you've got a dream life traveling the World, staying in Bucharest for a month, and then backpacking for half the year. Wish I could figure out a way to afford that
As a Romanian, 1. I appreciate the "shout out", 2. the GDP growth is still surprising to me (I normally see these sort of forecasts in emerging Asia), and 3. the migration to Romania is also increasing.
Not sure if you were aware, but basically the number of work permits issued per year (100k in 2023) has doubled since 2021 and 18x-ed since 2016. And those 100k are already deemed insufficient by the private sector. I expect this trend to continue – and hopefully these Turkish/Vietnamese/Nepalese/Indian/Sri Lankan immigrants will bring some of their cuisine, too :)
Nice. Was English commonly spoken or did you use a translator? Could be a tourist destination in ‘24.
First link broken. Bad html or something
I spent one year living and working in Romania in 2015. In just a few pithy lines you succinctly and vividly captured the essence of Bucharest. A fascinating, rebirthed city, and well worth a visit.
Was so impressed with the art, architecture, culture, the food, and friendly well-educated people. Yes the dollar was strong but Romania is just a bargain, there's no other way to put it.
Almost every member of my team considered the possibility of moving there.
Romania: the country so great it arrested that guy from British Big Brother for getting pwned by Greta Thunberg. 10/10. No notes.
I did appreciate the article, as a Romanian that left in late 1990s. When you see people being let to die on the street because hospitals don't want to send ambulances you end up saying, "Imi bag pula - this is not my country anylonger".
It was definitely not Russia of 1990 either, knock on wood: https://billtotten.wpcomstaging.com/2023/12/28/russia-i-am-trying-to-forget/
But having a trip through Romania on a rented car, with a son old enough to drive, excited at everything, not long ago, brought some measure of hope in my heart and the word of the old chronicler, now applied to the whole country resonated: "Nasc si la Moldova oameni".
Of course there will always be corruption in Romania, one just has to read Caragiale and Eminescu's articles in Timpul and unfortunately a new Vlad the Impaler won't come arround any time soon, given Bruxells propensity to indulge and cover corruption that sings on the harmonics directed by Brussels. Otherwise you end up like Victor Orban, a "dictator" and "authoritarian", never mind that he was resoundly voted by the Hungarians for his platform.
Yes, in principle Romanians are more concentrated on eating, drinking, and fucking but I am sure that there are strong undercurrents questioning the submissivness to Brussells and Washington, that alters the social values in Romania (which communists didn't alter) and as well endenger the national security of Romania as well as diminishes the desire for national re-unification with Moldovan Republic (becoming an enemy of Russia really didn't help either).
Sounds like you've got a dream life traveling the World, staying in Bucharest for a month, and then backpacking for half the year. Wish I could figure out a way to afford that
Chris, Does this remind you of your AIRBNB:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/b-8iC6dcO9A