Category Archives: Romania

Strangers in the Park

Posted on 2020-04-21 by

Hier geht es zur deutschen Fassung dieser Geschichte. I had two days left in Boston before returning to Germany, and I didn’t know anybody in the city. The year was 2009 and, as far as I knew, the internet hadn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, Bolivia, Life, Love, Photography, Romania, Serbia, Travel, USA | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

The Asparagus Airlift

Posted on 2020-04-10 by

Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. To fight the Corona virus pandemic, Romania has imposed a very strict curfew, which is being controlled by the police and by the military. Now, the happiest people are those living in the countryside and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Germany, Politics, Romania | Tagged | 6 Comments

Ceaușescu in North Korea

Posted on 2019-06-19 by

When I lived in Romania, some people said about the long-term dictator, who was overthrown in 1989: “You know, in the beginning, Ceaușescu was not even that bad. After he came to power in 1965, he distanced Romania from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cold War, Economics, History, Music, North Korea, Politics, Romania, Travel | 14 Comments

Random Thoughts (24)

Posted on 2019-03-08 by

Good news: the days are getting longer. Unless you live in the Southern hemisphere, then you are doomed to darkness. And unless you live on the equator, in which case you are missing out on something fabulous. My sister asked … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, Books, Brazil, Canada, Economics, Elections, Facebook, Feminism, Germany, Iran, Language, Politics, Religion, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Travel, UK, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Random Thoughts (23)

Posted on 2018-10-07 by

Sure, World War II had some bad sides to it. But at least it got the Oktoberfest suspended between 1939 and 1945. Many times as I entered Israel, I was questioned thoroughly about the origin of my last name by … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Books, Economics, Germany, History, Israel, Maps, Romania, Terrorism, UK, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Winter Railroad

Posted on 2018-01-19 by

I had already written about the Romanian Railway’s ingenious way to air-condition its trains in the sweltering summer heat. It seems however that someone forgot to turn off the air-conditioning in winter, because this is how the train from Iași … Continue reading →

Posted in Romania, Travel | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Random Thoughts (20)

Posted on 2018-01-11 by

If you care neither about the deficit, nor about providing public services, it’s actually quite easy to cut taxes. When I saw books by Džon Grišam at the bookshop in Montenegro, I was happy that my name wouldn’t have to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, Books, Economics, Education, Elections, Facebook, Germany, Italy, Language, Montenegro, Politics, Romania, US election 2016, USA | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Random Thoughts (19)

Posted on 2017-12-23 by

But what will become of James Bond if we don’t tolerate sexual harassment anymore? Trying to cash in on crypto-currencies, I have now invested all my savings in Paypal. I always find it strange when people say “I am writing … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, Economics, Elections, Facebook, Israel, James Bond, Language, Montenegro, Politics, Romania | Tagged , , , , , | 70 Comments

Random Thoughts (18)

Posted on 2017-11-30 by

“Time is more valuable than money could ever dream of being.” (Dan Kieran in The Idle Traveller) Thanks to Thomas Kuban for pointing me to The Ultimate Productivity Blog. Thanks to Priscila Serrano for the book 60 Degrees North, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Brazil, Europe, Germany, North Korea, Religion, Romania, Time, UK | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Hiking is for Everyone – or is it?

Posted on 2017-08-15 by

Ever since I went on my first long-distance walk, the Hadrian’s Wall Path in England, I have been wondering: “Why am I only bumping into other white folks?” In most British cities, there was a vibrant and colorful diversity of … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, Military, Romania, Statistics, Travel, UK, USA | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments