January 2010

Astrology, Witchcraft, Pseudoscience & Classic Comedy

by Craig Turp January 19, 2010 Romanian Politics

 Last night, Romanian television was awash with astrologers, pyschics, energicians, homeopaths and other such quacks. All of whom were given time to explain – as if their theories had any scientific validity – the power allegedly being influenced by Traian Basescu’s Purple Flame Brigade. (Apparently, Basescu takes a chap called Aliodor Manolea – a ‘parapsychologist’ [...]

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Esoteric energy & Purple flames: Romanian politics goes officially Michael Jackson

by Craig Turp January 18, 2010 Romania

 How many times have we used the phrase ‘You really couldn’t make it up’ on these pages? Too many to count. But we are about to do so again anyway… You really couldn’t make it up: wife of defeated presidential candidate Mircea Geoana appeared on television on Saturday night to reveal that during the election [...]

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Muzeul de Fotografie

by Craig Turp January 15, 2010 Bucharest

 We assume everyone knows about this little enterprise? The online Muzeul de Fotografie? Packed with zillions of fascinating photos of Bucharest and Romania in days gone by? Good. Just checking.

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The Worlds Biggest Mall?

by Craig Turp January 15, 2010 Bucharest

 (Or, You Couldn’t Make It Up: Part 67) It appears that there is a growing consensus amongst Romania’s MPs (who yesterday generously voted for a whopping zero per cent increase in the basic state pension) to move out of their current home: Casa Poporului, allegedly the second largest building in the world. The MPs appear [...]

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Dacia: Romania’s good news story

by Craig Turp January 14, 2010 Bucharest

  As kids we never told Dacia jokes. Dacias simply weren’t available in the United Kingdom. We have heard (or did we read, once?) that there was an aborted attempt to market Dacias in the UK in the 1970s, but it never got off the ground. Instead, the Eastern European car of choice in Britain [...]

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Earthquake: Is Bucharest ready?

by Craig Turp January 13, 2010 Bucharest

 The quick answer is of course no. This morning’s major quake in Haiti has had not just us at Bucharest Life scrambling around asking a few questions about what would happen if a big earthquake hit Bucharest. It has happened before of course. The last major earthquake was in 1977, though a smaller (and still [...]

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Bad News Day

by Craig Turp January 11, 2010 Bucharest

 Two snippets of information reach us today, neither of which is much good… Firstly, after just six months, Aer Lingus is closing its Bucharest – London Gatwick route as part of a wider set of cutbacks in routes served from Gatwick (eleven routes in all are being cut). No real surprise, as whenever we flew [...]

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