So Much to Tell

I've been taken away by adventures and hence no blog for the last few days, so sit back and enjoy the lines.

Most of the adventures have happened on the roads of Arad and Minis. I've been driving around the robust Dacia and getting quite acquainted with the road rules and driving on the right side of the road, so much so that I've impressed the locals.

For some strange reason I had this idea that road rules were non existent here in Romania, that speeding was encouraged and police could be bribed. How wrong I was. Leaving the small town of Minis after a Sunday lunch I turned onto the highway back to Arad and was immediately pulled over by police. Oh God! Was I supposed to get an international licence? Was three glasses of wine too many. My heart starts racing. I manage to wind the window down and I look straight ahead at the road and let my trusted Romanian passenger navigate the discussion. I pull out my NSW driving licence and he looks at it obscurely. Where's my passport he says. Me, carry around my passport - that would be silly - I might lose it. I'm informed that just because it's not the law in Australia doesn't mean I should disobey the law here. Turns out i was speeding. I've been asking for days what the speed limit is, and no one has managed to tell me. I clocked 17 kms over the limit. He makes me sign a piece of paper and tells me in English I have two days to pay the fine of 60 Lei - about $AUD20. It's not that bad I think. Apparently they'll also take 2 demerit points from my Australian licence! Uff. As if they'll know how to call Australia!

Meanwhile we've called the super-connected Agnes Bohm to help solve the problem. Soon enough an un-named police officer in an unmarked car that only fits him in it reverses the wrong way down the road and reaches my window. He gets the low down. Drives to the police officer who issued the ticket then returns, again driving backwards down the wrong side of the road, and asks me for the ticket I was issued. He takes it from and speeds away. I guess that means I don't have to pay? It does pay to know people, especially the Head of Police :)

The other night I was also introduced the Commander of the Community Police (glorified security guards or rangers I guess) who took us on a clandestine mission to check up on her staff posted around the city. It felt like I was in a reality TV show when we arrived at Post 1 and the officer guarding an important Hungarian statue was nowhere to be found. A phone call was made and loud words impressed upon the person on the phone. Turns out the officer had gone to the bathroom - big no no! The commander asked if we'd like to volunteer on future missions. I said yes, but only if I get to wear the uniform!

I was also in a car accident today, nothing to be alarmed about and it wasn't me driving the Dacia thank goodness! Getting caught for speeding was enough.


I've been having a few problems, namely language barriers and suffering from the cold weather. The other night I was invited to the theatre. Great, I thought. Local art and culture. The production was Anton Chekhov's Cantecul Lebedei (The Swan's Song) translated to Romanian. Interesting start - women get naked and then the protagonist has a monologue for half an hour screaming in Romanian and I don't understand a thing.

More disturbing has been my inability to order the right meal when I go to a restaurant..until today perhaps. I just wanted meat, good meat like I thought I'd find, but so far I've managed to order pork with pasta and white sauce spread all over it, pork with red sauce smeared all over it and some schnitzel covered in cornflakes! My local dive, the Bierhaus today whipped up a chicken schnitzel and I was thankful. Ordering food isn't easy. The waitress tells you the salad you've selected is not good because it comes from a jar, and the people around me all try to order on my behalf convinced I'll like what they've suggested. I don't. Ended up at McDonalds as a result.

Yesterday was Pastele Mortilor, the Orthodox version of The Day of the Dead. Apparently the cemeteries are alive, people come to offer food and celebrations last until the evening. Having been to Patzcuaro in Mexico and witnessed a spectacular celebration, I was excited. The local Commander said she'd come with us. Apparently they gypsies cause trouble and fight with people as they've been drinking all day...hmm, I was curious. We arrived at 7pm at one of the larger cemeteries to find broken egg shells and piles of dumped flowers, but no party and no gypsies. I was sorely disappointed. The Day of the Dead in Mexico is one of the best things I've experienced in my life. I called upon those memories to comfort the let down.

Apart from all this I've just been walking around, sightseeing, visiting malls, and the industrial areas which house warehouses bigger than the whole of Newtown.

Tomorrow I'll go and get my haircut. Let's hope I can communicate something decent and I don't come back with lots of hairspray and a fringe.