According to the “INSPECTORATUL GENERAL PENTRU IMIGRĂRI” (yes, that’s the institution you talk to in the basement of the mall), immigration police have acted 6020 times in the first ten months of…
Kendamanai takes Cluj
A few weeks ago, we saw Kandama’s outside schools, appartment blocks, homes, and parks throughout Cluj. However, on Saturday, Iulius Mall had a Kendama competition which overtook all expectations. On the stage,…
How medical refugees come to Romania
Different countries have different attitudes toward refugees. The process in many European countries seems backwards. Many people who are allowed to live in Belgian, for instance, are not allowed to apply for…
Was Kintsugi in Cluj before Japan?
The story of Kintsugi is as follows. When a shogun in Japan, perhaps Yoshimasha, broke his pot, he sent it to China to be repaired. There, it was repaired with ugly staples. …
Expats love Cluj’s version of Mark Twain
In the film festival, we saw the screens of Cluj. During the rest of the year, we have visited the three main theatres. The Hungarian Theatre is showing an adaptation of “Tom…
24b is a bilingual bus
You may have heard a few languages in Cluj. We often hear French, German, and of course Hungarian in addition to Romanian. A few people speak English, but when we hear it,…
“Chaos” as card machines go offline at Auchan
There was an announcement shortly after 3pm this afternoon at the Auchan’s in Cluj. It was in Romanian, but here is a rough translation. “Dear shoppers. We are sorry to inform you…
How new tarriff rules could tax expats
A Latvian once told me a joke about a Russian family on vacation. The Russian family went far over the baggage allowance, but somehow everything fit on the plane. When they arrived…
Libertatea’s French scandal
Big deal, you say? So, the Romanian newspaper uses a British newspaper to translate French news site. English is an international language. Why not look at the Guardian? Well, we have our…
Technical University Run – registration deadline tomorrow (friday 7 November)
“Chase the Sun” is a cross country run organized by students at Cluj’s technical university (UTCN). Advertised in Romanian as “Crosul Universitati Tehnice,” the run is nine miles long and stars at…