Bin day's Monday. The bin-men come round around 11 but the bins are on display and ready for inspection from about 9. You don't have 6 different bins like you might do in other countries but there is definitely an ad hoc system in place for dealing with recycling (and the amount of waste each household has for the week would put most Guardian readers to shame).
I learnt pretty early on that polite etiquette was to remove plastic bottles from the rubbish and leave them to the side of the bin. They are quickly squirreled away by some "less-fortunate-than-ourselves" to group together until they have a kilo. That earns them a whole 10p!
However, until recently I had the curious problem of finding much of my rubbish littered over the street when I went to collect my empty bin back in. This could sometimes be embarrassing, depending on the contents of my bin that week, and the number of neighbours in the vicinity. It was whilst playing with Ferdi in the front yard that I saw the culprit; our very own Bin Fairy.
She works deftly and nimbly, pouncing upon a full trash can, and looting it for its bounty in a matter of seconds. As I watched through the fence she'd emptied the drawstring bin bag, mostly back into the bin (now I know why no one else uses them) and whisked it off to use for further treasure-hunting, along with some of the more highly prized items from our bin. Leaving me to pick up what is discarded on the street. More recently she has caught me sorting out my recycling on a Sunday evening and wrestled the plastic bottles away from me through the fence.
Whilst I wouldn't exactly describe Romanians as particularly 'green', there certainly isn't a lot of waste in this neighbourhood.
A few weeks ago, back when the weather was slightly less stormy, I was walking home through the drizzle when someone called out to me from the side of the street. At first I didn't believe my ears, because it seemed such a cliché, but this old gypsy woman wanted to read my palm and tell my fortune.
This doesn't come cheap. I understood that I had to cross the fortune teller's h and with silver before she would reveal my fortune about my future.
Having always been a sceptic, I reluctantly handed over a leu note. I got a curled lip. "Mai mare! Mai mare!" she shouted at me.
So I gave her five more lei.
"What do you want to know?" she crowed, finger waggling dangerously near my face.
"I don't know" I answered pathetically.
"Work, money, love....you married?"
"No"
"You will marry in one year. You have a boyfriend?"
I nod
"He Romanian?"
I shake my head
"He a doctor? Engineer?"
"Yes, he's an engineer"
"Give me more money and I tell you what to do so that he marries you"
"Don't have any"
"Yes you do, you're English, lots of money. Give me a bigger note.
"No I don't have any more money, I must go now"
"Mr Bulibaşă thinks you should give me money" (Mr Bulibaşă barely looks up on his way to the bar)
"Show me your purse. I know you have more money, a bigger note"
"I really must go now, Goodbye"
"Oh, go on. You've annoyed me now. Hey, where do you live?"
I ran.
6 comments:
Never talk with strangers ....si mai ales cu ciorile ;)...
I suggest you keep a stock of the plastic bottles to use as weapons against these types of people. Otherwise ask to see her fortune telling license before you show your palm.
I didn't had so much fun reading something on the net for ages....
I'm romanian, from Bucharest, but I lived 5 years in UK-Essex, Suffolk( Lavenham if you know the place)-Green King is a top brewer from Bury St. Edmunds by the way, Sussex. And I'm asking myself...how on earth you've landed in Buzau?? The city itself has nothing to offer but the rest of this county has a lot to offer if you love unspoilt nature. I've spent 16 months in Buzau and suroundings back in 1986-1988 as a soldier and I know what I'm talking about.
Is difficult to find in Bucharest at least 10% of what you'll find in London in how to spend your days and nights. But in Buzau??
Welcome in the wild, wild....east!!
Cris is from bucharest is a MITICA he is a idiot. ( in traducere libera capsunar de rromania ... a fost a vazut si acu se lamenteaza ca rromania e varza si ca el a vazut occidentul ...etc etc... a facut si el armata si a spalat veceuri cu limba prin 88 si stie el Buzaul de acum 21 de ani ). In fine ideea e stai deoparte de tigani si nu te baga in seama cu ei ca nu e bine pentru tine . P.S. if u dont understend what i say tell me . have a nice day ;) and write more on the blog ;)
I cannot understand how foreigners are such suckers when it comes to gypse con schemes , romanians ignore gypsies as if they (the gypos) don't exist . Anyway the gypos are not stupid and they know their tricks won't work with a romanian . Try acting like a romanian , i can't imagine what would happen if the old hag would tell a romanian woman to show her purse .You see , gypsies know when you are afraid and capitalize on the moment , just like dogs . Show no fear bacause no one will harm you , if you feel like it , threaten the gypos with the police , it's efective .Anyway , you actually believe in palm reading ? Can't you judge characters ? I mean the hag was trying to con you for more of your money and you didn't realized she was a fraud ? You have a lot more to learn .Crooks are everywhere .
Thanks anonomous for your open-minded views.
Firstly, can I just say that I realise I was very naïve but that's why it makes a good story.
Acting like a Romanian is not really an option when a) everyone in your street knows where you come from and b)by accident of birth your physical appearance is so unlike that of a Romanian that nobody would ever believe you were.
I agree that I have a lot to learn, but ignoring people and suspecting them of criminality based on their ethnic background...isn't that just plain racism???
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