Hey Cluj

Romania borders a few countries, the most important borders are with Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Hungary.  Now, many Romanians consider Moldova a cultural extension of Romania, so we’ll cut that out.  Bulgaria and Serbia don’t have many expats, and Ukraine’s newspapers are mostly filled with events there. Also, the alphabet might be a bit difficult for Westerners to understand.

But sometimes, you might find interesting information about what is going on in Romania (and Cluj) from its other neighbour, Hungary.  A Hungarian expat newspaper told us that there would be a new Trump towers in Cluj (they spelled the town name a little differently, but we think they meant Cluj.)

In any case, when we checked the Romanian news sources, we found the source of the information.  It was the New York Times.  Apparently, these plans are “unannounced.”  In other words, it is most likely fake news.

It is sad really.  There was a time when the New York Times could be relied upon for factual information.  However, now they seem to make things up just to get attention.

Allegedly, the golf course would be by the Pata Rat neighbourhood.  Yes, the poor neighbourhood where illegal dumping has been going on.

If it were true, the Trumps might be able to sue for breach of privacy.  If it were false, well, it is hard to sue for libel.  I mean, it might be a good spot for a golf course, if it could be cleaned up and made safe.

This leads us to question other recent stories in the New York Times.  But most of those do not deal directly with Cluj.  We can research those another day.  Let’s not get sidetracked.

The more complete story on Stirile protv goes beyond the alleged building development.  We see some elements that must be taken from the New York Times article (like the idea that Transylvania is the origin of the Dracula myth.  While that theoretically may be a motive for building a resort here, Transylvania is a large region, and Cluj is the most expensive part of that region, and…)  We also see some things that, well, are more interesting to people who actually live here.

Protv describes Cluj as, “oraşul românesc Cluj, care fusese afectat de corupţia guvernamentală.”

“The Romanian city of Cluj, which has been affected by government corruption.”

Okay, so will the 30 story building become a reality?  Will there really be a golf course?  Allegedly, there were other plans for such a building in Serbia, but they were cancelled due to governmental problems.

The story suggests that a team of scouts plans to visit Cluj, to perhaps see how feasible it is, maybe whether the locals approve and how well it is suited for such a project.

We also see indications that a shell company has already been created in Romania.  And, allegedly, someone has applied for planning permission.  Maybe it is more than a rumor.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Fs43G2pUlOo%3Fsi%3DDYQzLCltMrly1jg6%26amp%3Bstart%3D650

We normally won’t comment on things like Adonis Live.  He is not in Cluj, and his channel brings out his story very clearly, in clear English.  Do we really have anything to add to the conversation?

There are a lot of issues we don’t talk about in Cluj: traffic accidents, crimes, protests, etc. And other things in Timisoara and other nearby towns that may put many people off of visiting Romania.

Adonis (Mr Live just sounds awkward, and we haven’t found his last name) is not based in Cluj.  He does, however, represent some of our readers who might consider visiting Romania.

Adonis claims to be a New Yorker in a cowboy hat, he appears to be in Bucharest.  Adonis was filming when a “local” pushed, and spat at him, and Adonis punched the “junkie” in response.

A report from one of the Romanian news agencies cut out some key moments, including the spit.

Now, do you get spat on often in Romania? I have seen a lot of spitting, but most people spit on the floor. Sometimes, the spitting does appear to be directed at an individual (or at a comment), but not aimed at an individual.

We looked at some of Adonis’s videos from seven years ago. His entire channel seems like a big advert for Romania. Even his trip to London is about Romania.

Does he get things wrong? Yup. He’s on YouTube; most YouTubers get things wrong.

But let’s get back to the big event in question.

When we saw the news report, we read the comments.  Most commenters, in Romanian, sided with Adonis.

Do a lot of expats get arrested? Not in my experience. At least, most expats I talk to never told me about getting arrested here. Adonis had been in the country ten years before it happened to him.

However, as a YouTuber, and perhaps as an ethnic minority, Adonis might be more susceptible to certain kinds of harassment than others.  (He leaves out the many ethnic groups in Romania, saying there are only two, in his misunderstanding of Nigel Farage. Adonis seems to think Farage is saying ‘Romans’ when he is saying ‘Rroma’, for instance. But, that is off track.  I do not recommend Adonis as a source of information about Romania, but there is entertainment.)

Anyway, it does look like Adonis has been treated harshly and unfairly.  Unfair treatment of foreigners is something that happens in Romania, unfortunately. But there are some Romanians who treat everyone unfairly, including their own.  That said, foreigners are seen as easy targets wherever we go, especially when you don’t appear to speak the language or understand the customs.

Okay, yes, we are going beyond Adonis’s experiences. What about the non-YouTuber tourist, immigrant, student, or expat? Is Cluj safe?

Romania does have problems with corruption. There are accountants who will invent charges if you are a foreigner. There are postal workers who will not give you your mail. (Most will, but if you live in the wrong neighbourhood, you might get stuck with someone who won’t.)

Adonis also mentions in his video that US citizens abroad still have to pay taxes.  Other countries don’t do that to their citizens.  As Adonis says, that is a topic for a whole nother video (or blog post.)

Is it safe to visit Cluj?  If you don’t bring attention to yourself, it is mostly safe.  Some foreign workers have been attacked, and there is the possibility of unpleasant things happening. We won’t pretend like the world is perfect right now. If you look different, some people will treat you differently.

That said, most of the expats we know (from all countries of origin) have stayed.  What about those that leave?  What drives them out is a lack of career opportunities, or the desire to follow a partner abroad, or other things that might push someone out of England or any other country.

Or perhaps paperwork, bureaucracy, and corruption. Romanians are just as likely to leave the country as foreigners are.

And warfare? Romania has been threatened, allegedly, by the Iranian regime because US planes took off from bases in Romania. It is also near Ukraine, and so some say they have seen Russian drones.  Some people are worried about things like this.

Then again, the news cut key moments out of the Adonis live video.  Is it cutting out key moments of other things, too?

The police can be annoying, asking for your passport for apparently no reason.

The most dangerous thing in Romania?  The roads.  There are so many fatal road accidents, including here in Cluj, that you could have a successful YouTube channel just about how dangerous the roads are.  Not all road accidents involve Romanians, one recent event involved Greek citizens, and we already wrote about other expats involved in traffic accidents.

According to a few local news sources, there will now be less tolerance for traffic violations, so hopefully the roads will be safer before most of you read this.

Thanks for reading, and drive safely.