Hey folks,
before you arrive in Romania, you should know something about romanian people and their culture. Below you will read something about surviving skills I’ve learned in our OAT, On Arrival Training:
1. Out on the street:
- Look both ways! Romania is typically not pedestrian-friendly; most of the time drivers have the right of way. However crosswalks or „zebras“ sometimes are serve their purpose (but still look both ways before crossing the street).
- There are a lot of stray dogs. Generally they leave you alone, but if they seem aggressive, pick up a rock or two and they will usually back down. Throw if you need to. If you want to go on hikes, it is probably a good idea to take a large stick - there are dogs that look after sheep and they can be very agressive.
- If you have a suitcase with wheels, be prepared for hard work into the Romanian streets. The sidewalks are not exactly smooth.
- Get used to the fact that usually Romanian couples (most of them) kiss and hug on the street often.
- If it’s late and you are coming from a party, you can do shopping’s in small kiosks in the street that are open non-stop. They are safe and not expensive.
2. Eating - Visiting
- Take off your shoes when you go inside somebody house. It is impolite not to do it.
- Do not give somebody an even number of flowers. (should only be done in funerals)
- If somebody invites you to dinner or at their home it’s ok if you don’t bring anything. Romanian don’t consider that you have to bring something. They are happy to have you there.
- If a person offers an item (ex. a drink), it is customary to not instantly accept it. A sort of role play forms with the person offering being refused several times out of politeness before their offering is accepted.
- Eating only soup (not stew) for a meal is usually considered offensively „not enough“.
- Many Romanians eat bread with every meal.
- If you are living in an apartment block don’t be very noisy. Otherwise some old people from your block will come to check you out.
3. Travelling and common spaces:
- In Romania, current (which means a draft) is offensive and unhealthy in houses or on bus for most people. If you have a window open on a maxi-taxi do not be surprised if someone asks if you can close it or if it is just slammed shut. (My comment: That means, when you have more than one window open while you are driving by taxi, car, train or something like this, it can be dangerous because... because... of... maybe physically stuff... you get it?! No?)
- In the train compartments some people might invite to share their food with them. It is polite to accept. Some people also take their shoes of in the train and lay down like in bed if there are free seats.
- Don’t be shocked if they also drink palinca during the travel, espesially in the short distance „personal“ trains.
- In the max taxis / long distance busses and taxis you often can listen to music very loud... So you have to prepare your ears for it.
- In the summer and winter time trains travel very slow and they can have big delays.
- When you are traveling in Romania expect to find people from different ethnic groups that speak different language: Dobrogea (lots of tartars and they speak tartar language); Constanta (makedons, aromani, greaks); Tulcea (lipoveni, turks); Craiova (Roma people); Transylvania (Hungarians)
4. Lifestyle:
- Lots of people buy from second hand stores.
- Romanians organize their own birthday parties. You don’t have to organize for them a party.
- The romanian personal space is smaller - it is an everyday thing for them to hug and kiss and they touch you or come very close to you when they talk to you.
- If something is broken, call a Romanian to fix it. They are really good in problem solving and improvising good solutions very fast.
- People don’t select yet the garbage. Only in some parts of Romania. So prepare to deal with it.
- If you want to buy cheep food you can go to the traditional market. People are very nice in the market and you can practice Romanian. When you go to the market have a bag before.
- Romanians like to do GRATAR (specific dish with meat, similar to hamburger) in the weekends. So be ready to eat lots of meat in the mountains if you go hiking, or see whole families barbecuing on the side of the road outside the city.
- People in the country side use carts - go with the cart it’s so much fun; and don’t be surprised if you see carts on the national roads.
- We are not a „consumerism society“ - yet - especially in the country side. People work their own land and prepare their own food - it’s a very ecological life - not so many „chemicals in the food“.
before you arrive in Romania, you should know something about romanian people and their culture. Below you will read something about surviving skills I’ve learned in our OAT, On Arrival Training:
1. Out on the street:
- Look both ways! Romania is typically not pedestrian-friendly; most of the time drivers have the right of way. However crosswalks or „zebras“ sometimes are serve their purpose (but still look both ways before crossing the street).
- There are a lot of stray dogs. Generally they leave you alone, but if they seem aggressive, pick up a rock or two and they will usually back down. Throw if you need to. If you want to go on hikes, it is probably a good idea to take a large stick - there are dogs that look after sheep and they can be very agressive.
- If you have a suitcase with wheels, be prepared for hard work into the Romanian streets. The sidewalks are not exactly smooth.
- Get used to the fact that usually Romanian couples (most of them) kiss and hug on the street often.
- If it’s late and you are coming from a party, you can do shopping’s in small kiosks in the street that are open non-stop. They are safe and not expensive.
2. Eating - Visiting
- Take off your shoes when you go inside somebody house. It is impolite not to do it.
- Do not give somebody an even number of flowers. (should only be done in funerals)
- If somebody invites you to dinner or at their home it’s ok if you don’t bring anything. Romanian don’t consider that you have to bring something. They are happy to have you there.
- If a person offers an item (ex. a drink), it is customary to not instantly accept it. A sort of role play forms with the person offering being refused several times out of politeness before their offering is accepted.
- Eating only soup (not stew) for a meal is usually considered offensively „not enough“.
- Many Romanians eat bread with every meal.
- If you are living in an apartment block don’t be very noisy. Otherwise some old people from your block will come to check you out.
3. Travelling and common spaces:
- In Romania, current (which means a draft) is offensive and unhealthy in houses or on bus for most people. If you have a window open on a maxi-taxi do not be surprised if someone asks if you can close it or if it is just slammed shut. (My comment: That means, when you have more than one window open while you are driving by taxi, car, train or something like this, it can be dangerous because... because... of... maybe physically stuff... you get it?! No?)
- In the train compartments some people might invite to share their food with them. It is polite to accept. Some people also take their shoes of in the train and lay down like in bed if there are free seats.
- Don’t be shocked if they also drink palinca during the travel, espesially in the short distance „personal“ trains.
- In the max taxis / long distance busses and taxis you often can listen to music very loud... So you have to prepare your ears for it.
- In the summer and winter time trains travel very slow and they can have big delays.
- When you are traveling in Romania expect to find people from different ethnic groups that speak different language: Dobrogea (lots of tartars and they speak tartar language); Constanta (makedons, aromani, greaks); Tulcea (lipoveni, turks); Craiova (Roma people); Transylvania (Hungarians)
4. Lifestyle:
- Lots of people buy from second hand stores.
- Romanians organize their own birthday parties. You don’t have to organize for them a party.
- The romanian personal space is smaller - it is an everyday thing for them to hug and kiss and they touch you or come very close to you when they talk to you.
- If something is broken, call a Romanian to fix it. They are really good in problem solving and improvising good solutions very fast.
- People don’t select yet the garbage. Only in some parts of Romania. So prepare to deal with it.
- If you want to buy cheep food you can go to the traditional market. People are very nice in the market and you can practice Romanian. When you go to the market have a bag before.
- Romanians like to do GRATAR (specific dish with meat, similar to hamburger) in the weekends. So be ready to eat lots of meat in the mountains if you go hiking, or see whole families barbecuing on the side of the road outside the city.
- People in the country side use carts - go with the cart it’s so much fun; and don’t be surprised if you see carts on the national roads.
- We are not a „consumerism society“ - yet - especially in the country side. People work their own land and prepare their own food - it’s a very ecological life - not so many „chemicals in the food“.
