First we must apologize for our absence the past week. There has not necessarily been much of note here. I was approved for my residency permit (though just this afternoon we learned that despite what we had been initially told, I will have to pay some fees- boo!), and took a test in my Romanian class and received a diploma! B finished his work at the Holocaust Institute yesterday and has had some productive days at the National Archives. We had a quiet weekend spent enjoying a nice dinner with friends on Friday, sampling a new Chinese Restaurant (more on this later) and running some errands.
Currently we are preparing for our trip to Berlin tomorrow. We are excited to see our friends, see Berlin and have a break from the usual routine. We will be there for a whole week, just long enough to really see the sights and get a feel for the city. Now we just have to finish packing and get a good night's sleep. -S
PS--A particular highlight of the week was receiving a package from S's parents. Thanks! -B
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Fun with Bureaucrats!
On Wednesday S and I finally initiated the arduous process of getting our residency permits. The visa issue is something of a gray zone here in Romania. On the one hand, Americans are allowed to stay in the country for up to 90 days, after which they have to cross an international border. Upon re-entry you're good for another 90 days, and so on. Staying over that limit and then trying to leave Romania may result in some serious fines and possibly being barred from entering the country for six months, as happened to a friend of mine (but don't worry, he got it worked out--kind of.) On the other hand, Americans staying in a Romanian city for longer than 30 days are required to get a residency permit. The coordinator of the American Fulbrighters took us and another couple to a doctor's office, where we are supposed to be certified as being disease-free and otherwise not a health risk--never mind that Fulbright required we get extensive physicals before leaving the States. Given all the above, one might think that the doctor would submit us to a physical exam, tests, or at least an interview, but nope. 50 lei each and we were approved. Good thing we don't have bird flu or the bubonic plague.
After that surprisingly painless appointment, we moved on to the next step. According to the law here, S and I need sworn, notarized statements that we are not in a polygamous relationship, and furthermore that I accept her into my living space. Make of that what you will. This took over an hour to accomplish, partly because the notary would occasionally make mistakes in our documentation (like stating our citizenship as British). Still, though, all in all it wasn't a particularly difficult trip.
The final stop, however, was the immigration office. Now, mind you, one might think that the government would post online the hours of the office, the requisite documentation an applicant needs, and how much one should expect to pay in fees and taxes. One might also wish for frogs that fly instead of hop. Essentially, if one word describes the immigration office it would be caprice. Whatever documents are required and the price one must pay are ultimately up to the bureaucrat behind the counter. I personally can't complain, because the particular bureaucrat before me was persuaded that I did not need to pay any fees or taxes as a student. Colleagues who have done this before were not so lucky. For S., however, it was determined that she had to wait in a different line--which had just closed. Mind you, the clerk who had been behind the window was still in the room, and didn't seem to be doing anything but idly chatting with his co-workers, but that was that, and so S will have to go back on Monday. Boo.--B
After that surprisingly painless appointment, we moved on to the next step. According to the law here, S and I need sworn, notarized statements that we are not in a polygamous relationship, and furthermore that I accept her into my living space. Make of that what you will. This took over an hour to accomplish, partly because the notary would occasionally make mistakes in our documentation (like stating our citizenship as British). Still, though, all in all it wasn't a particularly difficult trip.
The final stop, however, was the immigration office. Now, mind you, one might think that the government would post online the hours of the office, the requisite documentation an applicant needs, and how much one should expect to pay in fees and taxes. One might also wish for frogs that fly instead of hop. Essentially, if one word describes the immigration office it would be caprice. Whatever documents are required and the price one must pay are ultimately up to the bureaucrat behind the counter. I personally can't complain, because the particular bureaucrat before me was persuaded that I did not need to pay any fees or taxes as a student. Colleagues who have done this before were not so lucky. For S., however, it was determined that she had to wait in a different line--which had just closed. Mind you, the clerk who had been behind the window was still in the room, and didn't seem to be doing anything but idly chatting with his co-workers, but that was that, and so S will have to go back on Monday. Boo.--B
Restaurant Review #6
B and I went to one of the two Thai restaurants in Bucharest last weekend. Thai Moods is a cute little restaurant situated in an almost entirely residential neighborhood. It is in an older house and in the spring and summer boasts patio seating in their orchid garden- unfortunately it was too cold for orchids just yet. Though the location of the restaurant is nice, we would not have found it without finding the website and address first.
After a decent hike from the nearest metro stop, we were initially concerned we may not be able to get a table since the place is not large and we didn't have a reservation. However, they were able to accommodate us. The menu is not large, but certainly interesting. It is, however, a bit pricey, so it was good that we had perused the menu online prior to finding the place. After we ordered our drinks (coke and water), we were served some fried and crispy crackers to munch on while we waited. They were interesting, if a bit bland. I ordered the only expressly vegetarian entree on the menu, vegetarian Thai fried rice (with pineapple) and B ordered Beef Panang Curry. We were both quite happy with our dishes, though the portions were a bit small for the price. The flavors were right on for Thai food, the service was good and the interior was well decorated.
Thai Moods will definitely have some repeat visits, especially when the orchid garden is open. We will be sure to make reservations next time. All in all, we would give Thai Moods 7 samosas- a few more vegetarian options and better portion size to price ratio would be appreciated. -S
After a decent hike from the nearest metro stop, we were initially concerned we may not be able to get a table since the place is not large and we didn't have a reservation. However, they were able to accommodate us. The menu is not large, but certainly interesting. It is, however, a bit pricey, so it was good that we had perused the menu online prior to finding the place. After we ordered our drinks (coke and water), we were served some fried and crispy crackers to munch on while we waited. They were interesting, if a bit bland. I ordered the only expressly vegetarian entree on the menu, vegetarian Thai fried rice (with pineapple) and B ordered Beef Panang Curry. We were both quite happy with our dishes, though the portions were a bit small for the price. The flavors were right on for Thai food, the service was good and the interior was well decorated.
Thai Moods will definitely have some repeat visits, especially when the orchid garden is open. We will be sure to make reservations next time. All in all, we would give Thai Moods 7 samosas- a few more vegetarian options and better portion size to price ratio would be appreciated. -S
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Martisor
Today is the first of March, a traditional folk holiday in Romania going back centuries. Nobody really knows its origins, although some postulate that it dates back to ancient Rome to mark the beginning of the New Year. It used to be celebrated by men and women giving each other small nickel medallions which they would wear tied to their shirt or blouse with red and white string. Both the holiday and the talisman are called Martisor (mur tsi shore), meaning "little" or "dear" March. The medallions (martisoare is the plural) were meant to symbolize the coming of spring and grant health and prosperity for the new year. Nowadays it is celebrated by men giving martisoare to women, who wear them for up to two weeks. Supposedly the more martisoare a woman displays, the more she is loved. Craftsmen make contemporary martisoare from all manner of materials (wood, glass, metal, cloth, pottery, plastic, even orange peel) and they take all manner of shapes, from animals to flowers and small representations of peasants.
Earlier this week I saw ads in the metro for a market at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant where you could buy martisoare, so on Wednesday I sneakily went there while S. was having her tutoring session and bought nine--then, we both went with our Fulbright friend Andy on Saturday to check out the market (I had to pretend I hadn't been there yet to keep the surprise for S.). The place was PACKED with people, and we had to wait in line for tickets for about 10-12 minutes. Once inside, it was fun to browse all the different tables with martisoare, and I even managed to purchase a couple more for S. without her knowing! We also bought some more of that delicious Hungarian sweet bread (Kurtos kolacs) and a liter of apple juice that we hope to use with the package of Aspen mulling spices we brought back from Christmas.
This morning while S. was occupied with other things, I hid the martisoare about the apartment, and told her she had to find some surprises, like hunting for Easter eggs. I think she enjoyed it--here are some pictures of them!
Earlier this week I saw ads in the metro for a market at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant where you could buy martisoare, so on Wednesday I sneakily went there while S. was having her tutoring session and bought nine--then, we both went with our Fulbright friend Andy on Saturday to check out the market (I had to pretend I hadn't been there yet to keep the surprise for S.). The place was PACKED with people, and we had to wait in line for tickets for about 10-12 minutes. Once inside, it was fun to browse all the different tables with martisoare, and I even managed to purchase a couple more for S. without her knowing! We also bought some more of that delicious Hungarian sweet bread (Kurtos kolacs) and a liter of apple juice that we hope to use with the package of Aspen mulling spices we brought back from Christmas.
This morning while S. was occupied with other things, I hid the martisoare about the apartment, and told her she had to find some surprises, like hunting for Easter eggs. I think she enjoyed it--here are some pictures of them!
Restaurant Review #5
After a long pause, we are finally getting around to posting a review of the two Mexican restaurants we have been to here in Bucharest. The first one we went to, El Torrito, is on the same small, almost abandoned looking street as one of our favorite Indian restaurants, Karishma. The second one we went to is Don Taco, which is only a few blocks from our apartment.
Back in December, when we had taken a cab to Karishma for a nice dinner, we decided at the last minute to check out El Torito. Initially B was not sure (as he almost always wants Indian food), but he agreed to try it since I was clearly interested. As we walked towards the entrance, I noticed a sign noting it was WiFi Hot spot- pretty cool already. While the street on which the restaurant is located isn't much to look at, the restaurant itself is quite nice. We were seated in an actual- separated- non smoking section. To start B ordered a Corona and I a margarita and we got some chips and salsa. The beginning was quite good, though the amount of chips and salsa we were served as compared to Mexican places in the US was small, the taste was really good. For our entrees I ordered a vegetarian enchilada and B got chicken fajitas. Both quite tasty! Overall, we were really pleased and even B was happy we had diverted to El Torito from Karishma. But, don't feel too bad for him- we ended up going to Karishma the next night! We have since returned to El Torito once more (a nice Valentine's lunch) and we were not disappointed. This time, B got shredded pork tacos and I got a bean burrito. Both were great. The portions of the entrees are quite generous and the size of my burrito was similar to what one might get at Moe's or Chipotle and the taste would rival any decent Tex-Mex place in the US. They even had black beans! All in all I think we would give El Torito 8 samosas.
Our trip to Don Taco in January was by far a completely different experience. We were hopeful that we had in fact found a decent Mexican place a short walk away from our place. When we first walked into the restaurant, which is part of a small strip mall off of a somewhat busy street, we were immediately faced with the choice of sitting in the Romanian or Mexican section. This brought on the first twinges of concern. We were seated in the Mexican section and began to peruse the menu, which actually was pretty small. We ordered again a Corona for B and Margarita for me. For our appetizer we ordered chips and guacamole. The chips and Corona were fine. However, the margarita was so-so and the guacamole seemed to have little to do with avocados aside from being green. The guac did not taste bad, rather it had no taste at all. For our entrees, B ordered a beef taco, and I ordered the only vegetarian item, a chile relleno. My chile relleno was actually pretty good, but tiny. B's taco however only loosely resembled a taco. His plate had pieces of beef that had been sauteed with some veggies and had some white "cheese" melted on it covered by half of a grilled tortilla with something we surmised was supposed to be refried beans (in a ramekin that would normally hold a side of mustard) and some rice. B's dish was not at all reminiscent of Tex Mex and was a disappointment. B's meat and veggies were fair, but the rest of it did not cut it. We both agreed that the trip to Don Taco did not live up to our expectations. We would give Don Taco only 2 samosas. We will not be returning anytime soon.
So far in Bucharest we can say if one wants Mexican food- we would suggest El Torito without a doubt. -S
PS--There used to be a Mexican restaurant in Bucharest called Amigos, and the last time I was here (the summer of 2007) I went there twice. The place was a favorite haunt of expats and embassy staff, and except for the waiters I don't think I ever saw any Romanians in the joint. From what I recall, the food was good, but pretty expensive and with small portions. During the interval between that trip to Bucharest and the current one, Amigos has since closed. I don't think that a similar fate will befall El Torito. It is always busy, full of locals, and the prices are reasonable, the portions quite generous.-B
Back in December, when we had taken a cab to Karishma for a nice dinner, we decided at the last minute to check out El Torito. Initially B was not sure (as he almost always wants Indian food), but he agreed to try it since I was clearly interested. As we walked towards the entrance, I noticed a sign noting it was WiFi Hot spot- pretty cool already. While the street on which the restaurant is located isn't much to look at, the restaurant itself is quite nice. We were seated in an actual- separated- non smoking section. To start B ordered a Corona and I a margarita and we got some chips and salsa. The beginning was quite good, though the amount of chips and salsa we were served as compared to Mexican places in the US was small, the taste was really good. For our entrees I ordered a vegetarian enchilada and B got chicken fajitas. Both quite tasty! Overall, we were really pleased and even B was happy we had diverted to El Torito from Karishma. But, don't feel too bad for him- we ended up going to Karishma the next night! We have since returned to El Torito once more (a nice Valentine's lunch) and we were not disappointed. This time, B got shredded pork tacos and I got a bean burrito. Both were great. The portions of the entrees are quite generous and the size of my burrito was similar to what one might get at Moe's or Chipotle and the taste would rival any decent Tex-Mex place in the US. They even had black beans! All in all I think we would give El Torito 8 samosas.
Our trip to Don Taco in January was by far a completely different experience. We were hopeful that we had in fact found a decent Mexican place a short walk away from our place. When we first walked into the restaurant, which is part of a small strip mall off of a somewhat busy street, we were immediately faced with the choice of sitting in the Romanian or Mexican section. This brought on the first twinges of concern. We were seated in the Mexican section and began to peruse the menu, which actually was pretty small. We ordered again a Corona for B and Margarita for me. For our appetizer we ordered chips and guacamole. The chips and Corona were fine. However, the margarita was so-so and the guacamole seemed to have little to do with avocados aside from being green. The guac did not taste bad, rather it had no taste at all. For our entrees, B ordered a beef taco, and I ordered the only vegetarian item, a chile relleno. My chile relleno was actually pretty good, but tiny. B's taco however only loosely resembled a taco. His plate had pieces of beef that had been sauteed with some veggies and had some white "cheese" melted on it covered by half of a grilled tortilla with something we surmised was supposed to be refried beans (in a ramekin that would normally hold a side of mustard) and some rice. B's dish was not at all reminiscent of Tex Mex and was a disappointment. B's meat and veggies were fair, but the rest of it did not cut it. We both agreed that the trip to Don Taco did not live up to our expectations. We would give Don Taco only 2 samosas. We will not be returning anytime soon.
So far in Bucharest we can say if one wants Mexican food- we would suggest El Torito without a doubt. -S
PS--There used to be a Mexican restaurant in Bucharest called Amigos, and the last time I was here (the summer of 2007) I went there twice. The place was a favorite haunt of expats and embassy staff, and except for the waiters I don't think I ever saw any Romanians in the joint. From what I recall, the food was good, but pretty expensive and with small portions. During the interval between that trip to Bucharest and the current one, Amigos has since closed. I don't think that a similar fate will befall El Torito. It is always busy, full of locals, and the prices are reasonable, the portions quite generous.-B
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