There had to be two!

So I made two.

Not necessarily because I wanted to. But because I felt like I should.

Be warned: this is a statement. Right now, I’m a woman with a mission.

I have actually read in the Romanian press about the reactions generated by Anthony Bourdain’s show on the Travel Channel about Romania.
So I took the following actions, in succession (after reading a blog post about it several days ago):

1. I read the Romanian article and the 2 comments posted – something you guys might not be able to do just yet:): http://www.cotidianul.ro/index.php?id=18268&art=44040&cHash=fecaa1a14a
2. I watched the youtube material - all the show recorded and posted: http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6qDg_IYlwg&feature=related (part 1, you’ll navigate yourself from there), God bless the www:)(I didn’t laugh and cry at the same time, honest to God, I was laughing most of the time:) ). The sad part for me was the sight of the simple people in Maramures indulging to the behavior of the (I’m sorry, can’t help it right now) idiots that came from the US with a filming crew. All in all, the show was a fiasco. I don’t know why, it’s Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump that goes: shit happens. Bad choice of guide, of places, bad ideas, bad bad….It was unfunny and poorly staged. I laughed because I know how things are and I can imagine Mr Bourdain’s surprises and reactions and confusions. I didn’t leave Romania because of the people or because of the conditions: hell, you can find holes in the streets, ponds and construction sites everywhere in Luxembourg, ‘Romanian top quality’ (Luxembourg being one of the countries having the highest standard of living and the highest income per capita in the world). Of course, the differences reside in the money allotted to generally amending things (or patching up). I strongly believe you can find all sorts of people everywhere you go (good and bad), there is no place better than the other. What really made my day: he can’t stand the fact that he was looking like an idiot and was responsible for the situation he was in. Sad bloke altogether.
3. I then went to his blog post – read it: http://anthony-bourdain-blog.travelchannel.com/2008/02/romania-what-the-hell-happened.html . I will not even try to attempt to discuss it, as I found it absolutely irrelevant. Nothing there. But the comments, oh, the comments…gold mine. I loved them, Romania hater Americans versus Romania lover Americans versus Romania lover Romanians living abroad or at home versus Romania hater Romanians versus Romania …versus America…versus….versus…Man, that was a show in itself. Unfortunately, I got bored before the hundredth post - out of 8 (eight) hundred (I measured using my fingers against the LCD screen, sort of primitive, I guess:) )…so I decided to write a post about it in my blog for my non Romanian friends (because of course all my Romanian friends read English, they would probably have an easier time in the US than Bourdain in Romania, if it comes to that:) ).
4. The reason: so it comes to this, to the mission I’ve undertook by writing this. I know I cannot prove wrong the accusations that Romanians don’t have the sense of humor. Apparently they don’t really have a sense of humor. Damned the American software, I can’t bloody write humour because it corrects to humor. And it’s happening to all the words, if at all. Resuming:), I’m not humorous at all. I laughed pretty good at the show and got bored to death at the debate in the comments. It’s really hard to try to follow witty remarks and educated people arguing with proof on different aspects of the issue and then have the half witted Americans (begging your pardon!) with misspelled remarks and incoherent talk (all this in English, mind you:) ). That was really saddening. And boring. So I asked myself: Am I humorous? Do I care about Mr Bourdain? Did I even hear about him before the fuss about this particular show filmed in Romania? It’s a good thing I stopped watching TV a while ago. It just keeps getting better. So the show made me laugh. I’m a Romanian, I love my country, and this man’s show, bad as it was, made me laugh my ass out. Am I crazy? Hope not:). En tout cas as the Frenchmen would put it, this was an eye opener. Someone in the comments said that there was no such thing as bad publicity – hm…I seem to be recalling such an idea from College. Never agreed to the statement anyway. I don’t know about publicity, but I had great fun. I should actually warn you all that the show might not prove funny to watch. Depends on which side are you on. But it certainly rules out from the Americans wanting to visit Romania just the right people: the ones with the spiritual remarks spelled as if by a drop out.
5. The message: Visit Romania! Or …Don’t visit Romania!:), either way, it only makes a difference at a personal level. But be sure to be in pleasant Company, have good food, and good wine, less idiots around and nothing to prove to the world. It might actually work for a change:).
6. For all supplementary information regarding the country: please by all means consult some kind of professional guide, because I have no idea what a non Romanian wants to see, eat, experience coming to my country:). For my part, I want to be with my family, friends, enjoy food and drink and conversation. Much like a Hobbit!