Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Today we had lectures until 2:30pm, which was our first full day of classes. The lectures are very interesting, and the mix of professors keeps the day moving along pretty quickly. Professor Mihai (Romanian version of Michael) was hysterical...he was lecturing on currency and monetary policies, and he came in and started pulling money from different countries out of each of his pockets.
I sat with Jasmine at lunch today, and she has been loosening up quite a bit- I have really enjoyed her company. She was really pleased when I gave her some American coins...I noticed that she had a one dollar bill in her wallet, and I asked if she had ever seen the coins. She hadn't, but now she has one of each! :)
Before I left for Romania, I read a book called Is Communism Dead Forever? which has a case study of a lady named Doina (Dana), and the many experiences she recalled from her childhood and early adulthood under the communist reign. She is a great friend of Professor McCollum's so she met us at the university to show us around Bucharest after class.
She is not what I had pictured in my mind- you know how you assume someone is going to look a certain way when you read about them, and then you are shocked to find they look nothing like that in real life? That was definitely the case here- she is the image of a stereotypical European woman in the sense that I don't think she's ever picked up a razor. She is very opinionated and was eager to show off her country and share her views on government and monetary policies. She is passionate about Romania and its stance within the European Union- she is a strong advocate for the Romanian people to adopt the euro. More on that later.
She took us to downtown Bucharest and we walked for (no exaggeration!) at least 5 hours around the city...my poor legs and feet didn't know what to think. We saw some amazing architecture and history, though, so it was very worthwhile. Our first stop was in the Romanian ruins and we went into an alley that was tucked into an area that looked very inconspicuous. It was absolutely beautiful and housed some very eclectic shops and art stores. Upstairs we found a great antique shop, and I wanted so badly to bring some artwork and chandeliers home. Doina used an expression I like, "there is something for all pockets" or there is something in all price ranges. :) Unfortunately, I was drawn to the most expensive items...go figure.
We saw some of the most beautiful Greek Orthodox churches. They are extremely ornate and we were told that the services can last up to 2-3 hours with standing room only. People enter and leave as they please. The streets of downtown Bucharest are in shambles and makeshift sidewalks of boarded planks line the outside of the buildings. It looks like a warzone, and sadly, there are very few workers present to perform the much needed reconstruction. As Americans we view it as a rustic experience or interesting photo opportunity; however, the Romanians are ashamed and frustrated by the lack of progress. I want so badly to swoop in with a magic wand and make everything right. If the infrastructure downtown were made a higher priority and completed, Bucharest could be just as desirable a vacation spot as its western European counterparts.
The buildings in downtown Bucharest are a different story altogether...they are absolutely gorgeous and many metropolitan stores, boutiques and restaurants inhabit the spaces along the walkways. There were more wedding dress stores than I've ever seen in my life- there is absolutely no shortage of white material in Bucharest! We stopped to have a drink at a sports bar, which provided a much needed break and opportunity to chat.
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