The rain in Spain falls mainly in Romania
Radu Moraru, a would-be shock-jock who hosts a nightly chat show on the Romanian TV channel B1, last night came up with perhaps the most brilliantly simple way to save the Romanian tourist industry: don’t tell the whole truth.
His guest was Elena Udrea, Romania’s Minister of Tourism, hence the tourism theme.
Moraru suggested that many people living in Bucharest were put off travelling to the mountains by weather forecasts that predicted rain.
His suggestion? Have the tarts who present the weather reports tell people the weather will be nice. Don’t mention the rain.
There was a logic to his argument. He argued that in the mountains it only ever rains for five minutes at a time: no excuse not to visit and certainly not enough to warrant a rainy symbol on the weather map.
No, we are not making this up.
For Parmalat. Yes, as hard to believe, the main source of the story was a interview. I saw you have already posted a comment here http://www.bucharestlife.net/2009/09/07/so-what-are-the-best-five-things-about-bucharest/ and there is the answer from “The Englishman in Bucharest”. Quote: “We had a journalist (a real one, from a newspaper) in the office on Friday, asking, amongst other things, for our opinion on the new Tourist Information Centre at Gara de Nord (more on this soon). He also wanted to know what we thought were the five best and worst things about Bucharest” The original article was longer and included the story of “making the story” – how I found out about Craig and how we’ve meet. That had to be edited due to available space.
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Photos from the art opening I mentioned can be seen here:
http://nordichigh.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/bucharests-art-scene-part-i/
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@Davin: told you before, nobody knows what combinations these people have. Do you think anyone got rich in Romania by being honest?!
)
On the other hand: it’s funny how Bucharest can change your mood in an extreme manner
I’m glad you enjoy it, al least from time to time
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Hey Craig, I just saw you in “Gandul” newspaper:
http://www.gandul.info/reportaj/i-m-an-englishman-in-bucharest-imi-place-parcul-titan-nu-mi-plac-cojile-de-seminte-4882415
Did they really take you an interview or did they just translate what was written on the blog?
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Just returned from a memorable evening at an art exhibition opening in Bucharest. The top floor of the building opened onto a rooftop terrace where a hundred or more people mingled for 2 hours sipping wine with 360° panoramic views of the city. Each day here is unlike any other I have had in the West. I love life and I love Bucuresti. I will always be internally indebted to the beautiful Romanian people who saved me.
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I lived for a whole year in Maramures in 2003 in the mountains and it really didn’t rain all that much. The weather was spectacular actually in the spring and summer. One question: why do all the weather tv newscasters look so hot always here in Romania. I mean it always seems to me that these women can’t possibly be meteorologists but rather just eye candy for the tv viewers. Am I correct that this is just another example of the objectification of women here?
On another subject: I have been going to many art exhibition openings and cultural events recently here in Bucharest and I am always amazed that when you actually speak to normal, educated Romanians they are al quite critical of Romania and fully aware of its problems compared to the West. They laugh at the fitze crowd and corrupt politicians. So, why does the Romanian population put up with the few people at the top who mess everything up for everyone else? Romanians had to put up with Ceausescu and the Securitate. But now, why don’t the masses rebel against the craziness that is Bucharest?
It’s been really eye opening speaking with more and more people. Also, I only run into problems photographing here when I take pictures of the very poor or the very rich. Middle class, educated people from age 20-60 never have any issues with me, as one would expect, like in the West. I photographed for two hours tonight at an art opening, quite up close and no mentioned a thing. I took two pictures on my home in a park outside a terrace cafe full of the fitze crowd, and I got remarks from the men the second I raided the camera to my face! All very interesting how reactive they are. I can understand the poor of Roman being self-conscious, but what does the guy with an AMG Mercedes outside have against a photo of himself?! When I get this reaction I can only think that these are people who have gotten wealthy in a crooked way. If you have become rich honestly, you don’t react to a passerby taking a picture from 20 feet away.
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