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The highway of ... tomorrow in Romania. Neverending story

or lack of. Because the term highway is a SciFi term in Romania’s authorities dictionary or fact books.

Most of the Western Civilisations prefer to build up highways for speeding up the expedition of goods from one place to another, but also to cut the traveling time by personal car between cities. In Romania, 20 years after the fall of the pro-soviet regim we have around 200km of highway, all starting from Bucharest  and ending up on the leisure points for the capital of Romania citizens: Constanta – at the black sea, or Brasov (mostly still underconstruction after 7 years) and the rest of the winter ski resorts in Carpathians Mountains.

While most of the border countries – like Bulgaria, Serbia or Hungary – prefer to build up between 70-200km of highway / year we still struggle with our 22 million people to get the country highway kilometers to 200. In total. As road infrastructure of Romania, it’s a known fact that the EU countries started building the better roads towards West; Austria did the best job on getting closer to Swizerland, Hungary to Germany, Czech Republic and Austria and even Bulgary did a great job in building highways and national roads towards West – Serbia.

The government of Romania doesn’t give a penny on others did right or wrong. They have their own way: the corruption way! This is why the most important city in the civilized Romania, Timisoara is not having right now an road to get the traffic that comes from Arad to Lugoj (North-West) out of the city and this is why it takes about 10-11 hours to get from Timisoara to Bucharest, which is 550km away; Budapest (200 km ~ 2.2 hrs drive), Belgrade (120 km ~ 1.5 hrs drive) and Wien (900km ~ 6 hrs drive) are cities that you can get easier and faster from Timisoara if you travel by car.

Basically, the structure of the roads in Romania is on ground zero, with only 200 km (most of them still underconstruction, on repair or with speed limitation) for a country that has 300.000 square km and 22.000.000 people living in it. And it’s a member of EU since 01.07.

If you think you can come to Romania and use the car (perhaps your car?) to move from one place to another, think again. Or get an helicopter rented. Or just skip coming, you’ll get your nerves drained on the road.

If you want to build up a highway here, this is the place to do it: the price that you can ask for the roads are 300-1.500% higher than you would ask in Croatia (think about the mountains, tunnels, bridges that you will have to build in Croatia) or EU. We have a range between 5 and 60 milion euros / km of build highway in the plain, while in a mountain country (Croatia, Slovenia) you would have to build each km with only 3.5 millions euro.

Btw, the introduction sequence of Borat movie is filmed in Romania. Do you remember that wonderful blue car? that’s the national Dacia vehicle – still in use on the country roads, build and used in Romania by people who doesn’t have the money to upgrade to Renault’s Logan version.

… but, the flipside of the story is that in Romania you’ll find the newest Mercedes, Lamborghini or Ferrari cars before they hit the autostores in rest of the world. And that’s another story

social bucharest, highway, roads, Romania, status of romania transportation, timisoara

Over the ocean, it’s an intense battle between Obama and McCain. They say Romanians have 2 strong points when it comes to life: politics and sports. On political side, we have a Parliament who doesn’t care for it’s supporters, voters and population unless it’s election’s month; untill then it doesn’t matter that we’re poor, miseducated, close minded and so on, they just care about making a business from being a political figure – close high profit deals with the state, scamming the official founds and so on. when it comes to voting time, they place the “friendly face” on and start making promises. lots of …. but, wtf ? do we get tricked each time, don’t we learned something in the past 20 years. US citizens at least know what they vote ,and know how to cast their vote and for what they cast it. We also know, but …

Don’t vote! a social vote awareness clip promoted by the US government on social media, tv and print.

Politics, social elections, Romania, USA, voting

Although I’m born and raised in Romania, I’m almost sick and tired of watching and witnessing the things populared called “romanisme”. I made a list of 10 reasons that should keep you out of investing in my country, maybe in the near future the reasons beyond this article will change, but here’s the situation now.

1. Although the medium salary is around 1.000 RON (~300 EUR), if you will place an hiring ad on the market for a job that requires a lower salary than the medium one, you will hardly find youth people(18-25 yrs old) that will comply with your requirements and will be able to function within the job’s parameters. You will get CV’s and salary proposals from ppl without any experience asking you for 2-3 times the medium salary, although they don’t even know how to deal with the job requirements. If it’s an international job, you better go an hire Chinese, Africans or even Arabs, they will do the job more properly.

2. Be prepared to pay more than in European countries like Italy, France, Spain, UK for almost everything; even the legendary burger for Hard Rock Cafe costs in Romania 15$ compared with NYC 9-12$ price; be sure than you will pay more for everything, starting for the basic bread till the meat and every vegetable that you want to eat.

3. Remember, you have to stay in a store less than 10 minutes if you don’t want  to buy something. If you stay more, the sale person will regard you with suspicion, going on the idea that you probably are a theft.

4. Don’t apply the American way here! You can’t make it your own way; you will be at the mercy of authorities, state or other persons that have higher ranks than you. Corruption is still a growing business and probably, if you decide to invest in Romania, you will have to pay for things that comes without any problem in democratic countries.

5. Prepare to be treated like dirt by state institutions and employees. Although most are public functionaires, they act and react as gods; they know everything that you can afford with your money and if you’re not willing to pay, than you will have to wait a couple of months for everything that can be solved within 5 minutes or on email. It will stay the same way until you’re exasperated, you address petitions to EU instances or courts; after that it might resolve everything.

6. Do you have a car? Well, don’t bring it here: we have the crappiest roads in Europe, and on a EU Road you will make about 9-10 hours to get from Timisoara (Western city) to Bucharest (Capital city) for about 550 km, but for the first 300km you will probably make about 7 hours if you want to travel by car; every country in Europe makes the better roads to West, we make them near East; did i mentioned that we have about 300 km of highway, but they are always under construction or on repair? and you will find them near Bucharest. Trains will take you within 8 hours for 550 km so, the medium speed should be around 70km / hour; compared with France’s TGV 350kmh …. sorry, cannot make that comparison.

7. We have beautiful and affordable girls, if you plan to have fun; but watch your pockets, credit cards and everything that has connection with money and your account. A night can cost you a lifetime savings sometimes.

8. Did you know that EU threats the E’s within the aliments, food and drinks carefully; we don’t. You can eat cancerigene food anywhere: hotels, restaurants, fast-foods (more than usual).

9. Justice is for money. Everything is right for you if you have money; if you don’t then you can die with the justice in your right hand, cause almost no court will give you a win in a case you clearly and undoubtely have the winning reason on your side. It’s not enough!

10. Everything works on relations: no public bidding will help your business if you don’t have connections to help you win; you have the chance to find and witness corruption in everything, from sports to media, and from politics to farmers and small state employees. If you’re a non-smoking person, there’s little chance to find a restaurant where you can eat without the cigarette smoke in your nose; If you’re a vegetarian, remember that there are 3-4 restaurants for you at each million ppl, so keep close to big cities: Bucharest, Timisoara, Constanta, Cluj, Brasov.

You don’t have to be sorry. just walk away; Romania is a beautiful country, but unfortunatly … the management sucks!

Update 10.2009: we have a prime-minister that is also the education ministry. His job, according to his words is NOT to take out the country out of the crysis. We have electronic engineers as agriculture minister, we have lawyers as monetary experts on Romanian National Bank, we have about 5 ministers that are in charge of 2 ministry, each of them. Corruption – we got it. Rotten politicians -we have them. Incompetent governance – say no more, we have it. Why would you put your money on a fixed  lottery called Romania?

Communication, social conditions, corruption, investments, restaurants, roads, Romania

We waited 8 years for a final tournament. We waited 8 years to see the followers of Hagi, Popescu and Co. playing in the green square like lions; and we waited in vain. Yesterday, at Berna, I saw the great Romanian fans shouting like lions for their team, but I didn’t see a team on the field.

On the one hand, I understand that Adrian Mutu was missing all three games (although he scored the only goal of Romania at the Euro 2008, he also WAISTED the penalty kick which should have brought us the qualification, regarding that Italy won 2-0 against France) but C’MON! What the HELL, the Netherland has given us every chance to score. They backed down in the first half. they didn’t engaged, and their defenders even given our forwarders the damn ball, but Mutu & Co where to stupid to make a score. Or even make one shot on goal. I repeat, IMHO, Holland was about to give us the game, and let us qualify with them on the next stage, the only thing that they where not able to do was to place the ball inside their net.

And then, on the other side, Mutu, Chivu and whoever was on that field where not able to place one shot on goal! One shot! Where was the Brilliant during the Euro? Where where the spartans ? the allmighty Dacs who faced the Roman Empire ? Where the hell was Romania ? With Mutu out of shape, with Nicolita and Fl. Petre useless on the field, without any midfield players since Radoi was out on injury, with a defensive game that has brought us back home, Romania isn’t at all a team. They are a bunch of guys who pretended to be football players.

I mean, again, C’mon what the hell! Holland has given us the game yesterday. I even think that van Basten made a bet on Romania’s victory! Have you seen the faces of the dutch when they scored in the second half ? they weren’t even happy for beating us. What more can I say? I believed in Mutu, Piturca, Chivu. I believed that this generation of football players can make a difference, can step up to the footsteps of the golden generation of Hagi and Popescu. Now I can only say to Mutu and Chivu: SHAME ON YOU! You are a disappointment to me and for at least one year, I won’t stand to see your damn happy faces through Coca-Cola, Pepsi, mineral waters ads and whatever you want to advertise. You should lay your had down and bury it like the ostrich. SHAME!

Sport / Football Euro 2008, Holland, Romania, shame

Or at least this is what we hope for. We have the time, we have the space, we have the public on our side; all we need is 11 heroes to get into the green field and teach the Italians that football is played by man who know how to score.

I hope that today, at 18:00 Mutu, Chivu, Lobont and Dica will have the match of their time and they will defeat the World Champions, like Holland did Monday. I hope that I will see a Romania made from the brave Dacs in defense and by great Roman conquerors in offense.

32 Millions of Romanians wait for this victory. From Voronin’s Moldova to Berlusconi’s 1 Million of Romanians will cheer for the national team today, will cheer for the right to be where we belong in football: UP, over the “enemy”.

I’m ready to shout from the bottom of my lungs “GOOOOOOOOLLL” when Mutu, Nicolae or Contra will score. I’m ready to be the witness to the first victory since Lucescu’s Romania left Italy home. Italy is already packet for Rome, so we must show them the way. TODAY!

Update: Holland won against France with 4-1, being the first team out of our group . We made a draw against world champs, Italy. Catalin Tolontan, from gsp made a great article in today about Romanian over the board: Jos comunismul, hai Romania! Bravo Catalin, I liked it a lot!

Sport / Football Euro 2008, italia, Romania

Since yesterday, the US iPhone fans don’t have to wait anymore for the new iPhone3G product. According to apple.com the new iPhone3G will be a little bit bigger in dimensions, will (still) have the battery not removable, and will cost less … by less, understand 199$ standard price. In Europe the phone will be available first in Austria, France, Portugal and Switzerland but with a promise for Orange customers for delivery in other EU countries by the end of the year. In Romania, the Orange customers should expect also the new iPhone3G by the end of the year in almost 6500 stores country-wide; we still don’t know the retails prices for the Romanian Market

Communication Apple, iPhone3G, Orange, Romania

I’ve waited 14 years for a match like this. Hell, all of us waited fourteen years for a game like this; I think all of us remember the magic game against Argentina on the USA 94 World Cup; we all remember the spider-goal of Hagi, the magical run of Ilie Dumitrescu and we still haven’t forgot the joy and happiness we felt then. We want to feel it again, we want to raise the voice and shout as loud as we can: ROOOOMAAAANIIIIIAAAAAA OLE, OLE, OLE.

This is a possible dream that can start today! We have just the former World and European Champions, France to beat by one goal, and we can make the history shiny again.

Welcome to Euro 2008, impossible is a word that doesn’t go around this! One dream, 23 millions of hopes! Make it happen.

Sport / Football Euro 2008, Franta, Romania

As of today, has started the month of the King Sport: Football, or as Americans would say, Soccer. Starting today it’s the beginning of the time when beer, crackers, peanuts and long pauses becomes something normal. It’s the start of the time when words like "hit the damn ball right" or "how in the hell could you miss that ball" are said each 5-10 minutes when the national team play.

And because we’re a people of coaches and politicians, the creative part of our brain will start functioning from 7 June. We would be able to comment the most crazy, bizarre, stupid and did I say crazy? football moment for more than 3 hours without getting to a general agreement.

And because at the final stage of the Switzerland – Austria 2008 European Championship we have what most would say a "group of death" with the current World Champions, Italy, the former Word and European Champions – France and another Former European Champions Team – Holland, it’s the time when "Romania should get famous again" (it sounds better in Romanian language – e timpul sa redevenim celebri). We have a group from which we start with the last chance but we hope, secretly, to finish it with 6 points after 3 matches. We have the hardest European Championship group since I don’t remember when , with teams for which Zidane, Ruud Gullitt, Marco van Basten, Roberto Baggio, Del Pierro or Tigana have made touchable history and their name is spoken with respect and veneration by the football players today. Hell, their name is spoken with the same veneration and respect by the Romanian football players also, with the hope that after 6 games, their names will shine on the same window as the legends.

But, one over other, we have a group in which ANYTHING can happen. ANYTHING!

As a American football coach would say, let’s get out and play ball ! And don’t forget, we want to get in the streets again, while we shout from the bottom of our lungs one thing: Romania, ole, ole, ole! I think this is a normal exercise that should be repeated for each generation for at least each 15 years. We have Hagi, Popescu and Romania 94 in USA, we NEED to have Mutu, Chivu, Lobont in 2008! Welcome to the EU Championship, and break a leg!

Sport / Football European Championship 2008, Football, France, Group of Death, Holland, Romania