{"id":4648,"date":"2017-10-31T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-31T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-09-12T15:12:28","modified_gmt":"2020-09-12T19:12:28","slug":"so-your-character-is-from-romania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/victoriagracehowell.com\/staging\/6258\/so-your-character-is-from-romania\/","title":{"rendered":"So Your Character is From Romania … Teodora @ My Reading Nook"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nIt’s time for this week’s So Your Character is … Post! This is a weekly segment where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I’m hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven’t checked out last week’s  So Your Character is from Serbia … be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!<\/span>
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<\/span>Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally shocking to some. Each of these posts are as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.<\/span>
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I\u2019m from the beautiful Bucharest, capital of Romania, and I live in UK\u2019s vibrant Manchester. I\u2019m a final year Sports Management student, who aspires to work in the sports sponsorship business; a reading lover, a bibliophile, a less than gifted blogger, a bigger sister, a curious linguanaut, a traveler, a citizen of the world, and someone who appreciates the little things in life.<\/span>
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<\/b><\/span> What do you feel is unique to your country? Landmarks? Celebrations? <\/b><\/span>
\nThe uniqueness of Romanian culture and language consists first in our privileged (nowadays, but doomed in the past) position at the intersection of the Eastern and Western blocs, being the only Romance language spoken in Eastern Europe. However, although the language\u2019s DNA is of Latin origins, Romania\u2019s past\u2013painted in countless battles\u2013has enriched our vocabulary with Greek, Turkish, Slavic, Hungarian, and German influences. Perhaps this could be linked with Romanian vocabulary\u2019s profusion\u2013we can swear even using words such as \u2018orange\u2019 or \u2018spinach\u2019. <\/span>
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<\/span> In terms of landmarks, there are numerous that come to my mind, but probably the most iconic one is Bucharest\u2019s Palace of Parliament (Image 1). Globally, it is second to Washington\u2019s Pentagon in size, having been erected during communist times, for the Ceausescu family. Built through the folk\u2019s toil, it is representative for Romania, given that the luxury it exults is completely antithetic to the quality of the folk\u2019s lives during communism era. <\/span>
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Image 1: Bucharest\u2019 Palace of Parliament (Photo taken by Stefan Toma)<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

One of the typical celebrations across Romania used to be \u2018Dragobetele\u2019, a national version of Valentine\u2019s Day, which has slightly faded out since the American holiday has entered the youngsters\u2019 lifestyles. However, some parts of the country still celebrate it on the 24th February; tradition implies that single women who toss basil twigs under their pillows are dreaming about their soul mates.<\/span>
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\nTell me about your country\u2019s environment. What are some of your favorite places?<\/b><\/span>
\nWithin Bucharest, Carturesti Carusel bookshop (Image 2) is one of the spots I love spending time around. Located in the Old Town, the heart of the city, it is a magical place for book lovers, travelers, tea, and coffee enthusiasts or art seekers, combining an architectural jewel with a modern bookshop feeling. <\/span>
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Image 2 Bucharest\u2019s Carturesti Carusel (Photo taken from The Telegraph, 2017)<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\nOutside the capital, Maramures is a rural fairy-tale, whose heritage and way of life have been preserved by its inhabitants. A northern pristine medieval European place, where old women still wear traditional costumes, the landscape is abundant in monasteries and dearly departed relatives are buried in the Merry Cemetery (Image 3), where happy stories are recounted and the dead are remembered for the good things they have done.   <\/span>
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\nImage 3: The Merry Cemetery (Photo taken from Atlas Obscura)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Tell me about your country\u2019s food. What are some of your favorite dishes?<\/b>
\nRomanian cuisine is meat-rich. Easter and Christmas traditional meals, sacredly respected by the elderly and religious people, and slightly adapted to suit the younger generations, are authentic lavish lamb and pork feasts. Other Easter customs are painting the eggs in red, representing Christ\u2019s blood, cooking cozonac, sponge cake with cocoa, and Turkish delight (Image 4), and preparing lamb dishes, such as haggis, roast, and borsch (sour soup). <\/span>
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\nImage 4: Traditional Easter Cozonac and Painted Eggs (Photo taken by Stefan Toma)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\n <\/span>Christmas, however, brings the long-lasting custom of Pig Slaughtering; although it may sound cruel, this tradition is cherished, especially at the countryside, locals assisting in preparing the entire pig: sausages, ham, liver sausages, trotter, rind, pork jelly, fried brain, and the very popular stuffed sour cabbage rolls (Image 5).<\/span>
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Image 5: Home-made Sarmale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

For the non-meat eaters, let\u2019s not forget the delicious cow and sheep cheese \u2013 fresh and a little sour, prepared naturally at the countryside.  <\/span><\/p>\n

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\nLastly, one of our favorite desserts is Coliva \u2013 boiled wheat \u2013 which is primarily served before the vigil and funeral (as a Christian custom). Hence, the saying: Don\u2019t mess with Romanians, their favorite dish is served during funerals.<\/span>
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\nTell me about any different speech patterns in your country. Slang? Idioms? Words for things such as \u2018biscuits\u2019 instead of \u2018cookies\u2019? <\/b>
\nWe are a nation of gourmands, as you could tell, and we are thinking about food all the time\u2026 which is why we tend to crowd our slang with foods, too. <\/span>
\n– <\/span>\u2018Your mustard has jumped off\u2019 \u2013 when you are angry\/jumpy <\/span>
\n– <\/span>\u2018You\u2019re selling me doughnuts\u2019 \u2013 when you lie to me<\/span>
\n– <\/span>\u2018You\u2019re cabbage\u2019 \u2013 You\u2019re either very tired or your life is chaotic <\/span>
\n– <\/span>\u2018You\u2019re taking me out of my watermelons\u2019 \u2013 You\u2019re driving me nuts<\/span>
\n– <\/span>\u2018You\u2019re rubbing the mint\u2019 \u2013 You\u2019re not doing anything but wasting time. <\/span>
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