Monday, February 21

Euromania is on a bit of a hiatus 'cause I'm coming home for a little visit. Dean and Deluca coffee beans hello! Then there is going to be some jaunting around Europe as Lisa is coming in for two weeks, so stay tuned. And thanks for the cool nyc picture Pat! See you soon.

Thursday, February 10

Trabi has a bad day. A photo too funny not to steal, from pestiside. Check out their hilarious Worst of Budapest section. Favorites: Saddest Doomed from the Start Retail Concept and Most Humiliating Way to See Budapest.

OK, OK let me get this straight...right-leaning White House press pool reporter Jeff Gannon is planted by quasi-legitimate, right-leaning news agency, and possibly White House insiders, to lob softball, happy questions to White House press secretary Scott Mclellan along the lines of, "Scott, yo, how'd you get your hair so shiny? Scott ? Scott? Why are Democrats so gay?

But it doesn't end there. No said plant, as we will refer to him, leads a double life. Not only is he not really a legit White House press reporter and gay basher, he's not Jeff Gannon either. The plant turns out to be a guy who's real name is Jim Guckert, owner and operator of several studly porny web sites devoted to male military uh assets.

How many times can you say AIYAH! (For those unfamiliar with "aiyah" it is a brilliantly all-purpose Cantonese expression denoting shock, dismay, despair, frustration, confusion, revulsion, embarrassment, doubt, fear, uncertainty, nausea, anything really.) You just cannot make this stuff up. Not only that, this fake, planted reporter also was leaked highly confidential info about CIA operative Valerie Plame. Many questions remain, foremost among, how does a nonentity gain access to the most hermetically sealed White House in history? By invitation of course. Intrepid, heroic bloggers at dailykos dug it all up, read more there.
 

Wednesday, February 9

Let me tell you, there is nothing like being stalked serenaded by a toothless accordion playing troubadour when you're out and about doing your scavenging shopping. These Romanians are festive!!! But it's cold here people, so cold that Bruce's truck won't start and I refuse to leave the house and just booked a trip to Turkey. But the cold snap is only temporary, so don't let it discourage you from visiting or even emigrating...like some of these people who can no longer handle living in the Evangelical Republic of America.

By the way, Kung Hei Fat Choy to all my Asialand friends! It's the year of the rooster, who is said to be unpredictable and unbalanced. Feng Shui experts are saying you can ward off the erratic rooster by wearing red dragon underwear. V. sexy. Today, my landlord unexpectedly showed up and replaced our black kitchen chairs with red ones. I think that's pretty auspicious.
 

Friday, February 4

It's good to know that when you want some Viennese treats served up in period costumes, there's a place to go here in Cluj. I'm referring to a merry little fragment of the 17th century called Cafe Mozart, kind of a cross between a haunted house and T.G.I.Fridays. Bruce surprised me with a visit there on my birthday, which happens to coincide with the birthday of Mozart himself! Get it. Clever guy, that Bruce. Said birthday surprise also included a jaunt to Florence! But had to be postponed...

Sorry for the slow posts by the way, I've got bandwidth problems. It's cable and I'm sharing it with the neighborhood. I'm convinced there's some geeky faced teenager nearby downloading multiple generations of Star Trek. Makes uploading a biiiotch. Ah, Old Europe has a long way to go to catch up with Hong Kong, which often felt a couple decades ahead of New York. It spoils you! But I won't go into that, or the fact that I can't get simple chick peas around here, or fresh parm!

Don't you think this qualifies as child abuse? So glad I slept through the state of the union. And I'm sure the US is going to maintain its leadership in the sciences now that the nation's schools are moving toward creationism.
 

Tuesday, February 1
 

The Gypsy Kings

Some of Romania's gypsies do quite well. I discovered this when we happened upon the house of one of the "gypsy kings." They live in these enormous, ornate structures that loom out in the distance like giant bee hives. Gypsies (offically called Roma) are thought to come from India, and you can see the influence in the architecture. I'm not sure exactly how you become a gypsy king, but you hear all kinds of stories. In fact, most of what you hear about the gypsies is not good, and they remain one of the most persecuted minorities in Europe. Here's a funny little tale about what happens when a gyspy princess doesn't want to marry her prince. And below is a close up of a gypsy king's house, followed by a picture of our own little abode, in a snow storm.

Monday, January 24
 

Sighisoara: I Heart Dracula

Sighisoara, pronounced "siggy-shwarwa" (possibly) is a medieval citadel, a walled city, that dates back to the 12th century. More famously, it is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, otherwise known as Dracula, who tooled around here as a tot. One wintry Sunday, we took a drive out to Sighisoara through the sweeping vistas of the Carpathian mountains and colorful Romanian villages. Sighisoara was a fotress, and you must pass beneath the massive clock tower to enter; it gives you the feeling of stepping back in time, especially when you encounter what's inside, vivid 16th century burgher houses, narrow cobblestone streets and haunting churches. Check it all out here...

Sunday, January 16

We're not in China anymore, Toto

So, where was I? Oh right, Hong Kong. Then there was a little sojourn in the good old red, white and red USA and here we are in believe it or not Romania! Transylvania to be precise, land of church spires, medieval villages, French hypermarkets and blood sucking vampires...now that last part is just a myth. The only people lusting for blood out here are the manifold carnivores. Where have all the Buddhists gone? Anyway, welcome to Euromania, I hope it's going to be full of fun, adventure and travel. Here's a taste of what can be found in our current home away from home, Cluj-Napoca. Enjoy and see you soon.

quaint public squares

stately streets

culcha

desperation

nouvelle cuisine

chicks with really high boots, bleach jobs and overwrought jeans (lots of them)

the crazy potato! (we don't actually know if it says "crazy potato" we just really want it to)

appropriately spooky Transylvanian cemeteries

retro phone booths...what I could get for these at the chelsea fleas...

triumphant moments in bowling

and my new best friends, the neighborhood strays, who've been eating good since we moved in...that's all for now, I'm going skiing!