Happy Holidays from Romania

With Raluca
Originally uploaded by Krasny Fotograf

Here I am with one of my students, Raluca, ice skating on the Baia Mare old town square. I'll spend the Christmas holiday in Slovakia (and perhaps Czech Republic) and return to Baia Mare in early January, 2010 :-)

The Music of Romania... or, at least, the music I hear everyday

9 December, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, camera șase, cāminul trei.

Pretty much everyday since I've arrived in Baia Mare, I've heard/seen a handful of pop songs, played repeatedly. Now, maybe this is because I frequent low-class establishments that play only one channel on their fancy flatscreens: KISS-TV...  regardless of the reason, I think I have heard (or seen the video clips of) the following songs about 100 times each already.... Not all are Romanian artists, but they will forever be entrenched in my mind as part of my Romanian experience.  Prepare to be amazed, haha... (does anyone else notice the common bip-bip-b-bip sound in most?)...

Inna, "Amazing" (I have to admit that after repeated listens and viewings, I might actually like this song... see, this is the power of suggestion!!!)


Roller Sis, "Se Thelo" (oh no, this song has grown on me too, and I don't even like this kind of music!!)


Puya, "Change" (this song is one that I definately DO NOT like... and it might have been the unofficial song to the recent Romanian elections, considering its attitude of complacency... or are they saying "I CAN change the world..."  I can't tell...)


Connect-R, "Burning Love" (this one drives me crazy...  never have I heard or seen a song so original... I mean, the opposition of fire and ice in relation to love... revolutionary! haha -- Hey, he's Black AND he's Romanian... that's recipe enough for celebrity status, isn't it?)


Deepcentral, "Russian Girl" (this video clip is so amazing that "embedding [has been] disabled by request"...  This was probably the first song to begin driving me over the edge.... certainly one of the most over-played...)

Dan Balan, "Chica Bomb" (this video clip may be the closest thing to pornography I've seen on mainstream television....  And Mr. Balan's gaze, my goodness, enough to give me a serious case of the willies!)

Radio Killer, "Voila" (a seriously strange music video, and an incredibly annoying song...)

Pitbull, "I Know You Want Me" (yes, indeed, Mr. Pitbull... you have read my mind.  Never have I lusted for another man like I lust for you....)

With members of the First-Year MA Class at Mogoşa

6 December, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, camera șase, cāminul trei.


With members of the First-Year MA Class at Mogosa
Originally uploaded by Krasny Fotograf

The First-Year MA students persuaded me to join them on a little field trip to Mogoşa, one of the bigger hills/mountains in the Eastern Carpati region near Baia Mare. It was cold and foggy, so I couldn't fully grasp the height of Mogoşa. This is a popular ski resort in the Winter.

Her Questions, My Answers...

2 December, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, camera șase, cāminul trei.

A student recently presented me with a questionnaire as part of her interest in "Romanian-Canadian" relations and "Romania seen through the eyes of a Canadian."  These are my responses....

Background Information 

1.      Please specify the purpose of travel to Romania. 
First trip: To participate in a student conference on Canadian Studies at Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare (April, 2008) 

Second trip: To undertake an ICCS Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship at the Canadian Studies Centre, Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare (October-December, 2009) 

2.      Please specify the period of your stay in Romania. 
First trip: Approximately 1 week 

Second trip: Approximately 3 months (to date) 

3.       What crossed your mind first when you heard about the country?  
 I don’t recall when I “first heard” about Romania. Probably as a schoolboy, but I don’t know what my first thoughts were…  It was the 1980s, so probably something to do with Communism, or “Eastern Europe,” as this is mainly what we were taught/told. 

4.      What did you know about the country before your visit? (any kind of cultural information, like music, arts, sports, tourism, food, science, literature, geography etc)  
 I knew embarrassingly little (refer to my interview in Bibliotheca Septentrionalis, Spring, 2008 – copy available at the Canadian Studies Centre), except that it was a “post-Communist” country in Europe. Probably I knew about Nadia Comaneci, and was vaguely aware that Transylvania (and Dracula) were related to Romania. 

5.      What was your main reliable source of information about Romania? 
Reliable?  Good question.  Other than the internet, and word-of-mouth from friends in Slovakia, I had only a copy of Romania & Moldova. Robert Reid and Leif Pettersen. (Lonely Planet, 2007).  Oh, and of course I expected to meet the people I saw in the film Borat – even though they pretended to be Kazaks. I’ve been disappointed so far in that I haven’t found a similar bathing suit to that worn by the main character in that film. 

I also watched the films Transylvania (2006) and 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (2007) before my second trip to Romania. 

6.      What are the general opinions regarding this country in the eyes of the people from your country of origin? 
I can’t say specifically, but generally I would say most Canadians lump Romania together with other “post-Communist” European nations.  Exceptions would be Canadians with Romanian relatives or travel experiences, of course, but before coming here I do not recall hearing opinions from such people (unfortunately). 

7.      Are there any stereotypes in your country of origin about Romania or Romanian people? If yes, please state them. 
“They were Communists, right?”  “Is it safe their?”  “Do they speak Russian?”  “Be careful one of the girls doesn’t try to marry you so she can get Canadian citizenship.” 

8.      Did some of them/all of them turn out to be true? Please give details.  
Yes, I have had several marriage proposals here (j/k). Well, as it turns out, Romania IS a “post-Communist” country, but I haven’t heard any Russian language here :-) And if hitchhiking is any indication, maybe Romanian is “safer” than Canada…. 

9.      How long did it take for you to get used with the idea of 'living/ moving to Romania?' 
Maybe I’m still not used to it, although I think I “adapt” pretty easily. 

10.  Did you get support from your relatives or friends regarding the idea of moving / living in Romania? 
Some of them expressed surprise, but also asked a lot of questions, like, “what is it like there?” 
 
Social Relations in Romania 

1.      Do/did you get family or friends visit you during your stay in Romania? 
No family.  One friend (from Slovakia). No Canadian visitors. 

2.      Did Romania meet your expectations? Please support your answer.  
Yes, and no.  I try not to come to a new place with too many expectations. But, of course, some are inevitable and impossible to suppress.  Having been to other neighbouring countries in the past (Hungary, Slovakia, etc.), I had some expectations regarding architecture, landscape, and city planning, for example. I can say that these were generally correct, although “blocks of flats” in Romania are a little different than those that I’ve seen in Hungary and Slovakia, for example.  I guess most of my expectations relate to the history of Communism and the general exclusion of outsiders for much of the 20^th century, which of course have left considerable traces on several countries in this part of Europe (visually and culturally). 

One thing that has surprised me, has been the degree to which the citizens of Baia Mare (at least) are apparently quite religiously and socially conservative.  Of course, this is just my largely superficial “sense” of the people I have encountered to date.  North Americans generally view “Europe” as more open and liberal in many regards, but I do not feel I’ve seen much in terms of “liberalism” here.  In fact, I feel I have to censor myself so as to not offend “Romanian” sensibilities. This leads me to wonder about “freedom” twenty years after the political revolution here. 

But I am still learning, and my “expectations” may be met yet ;-) 

3.      What more did you learn about this country during your period of stay? 
I am still learning.  But to-date I have learned something about the geography of the Maramures district, made many observations with regard to architecture, food, and general Romanian behaviour.  I have learned that I do not “look like” a Romanian (nor think like one, apparently); the language has begun to “sound” somewhat familiar to me (although I do not understand much); I have learned about the frustrations of the education system here; get the general sense that many Romanians are “fed up” with their politicians (and democracy?) 20 years after the revolution; I have learned to be patient with regard to how “quickly” things get done here; I have learned that Bucharest is a long way from Baia Mare (or, at least this is what people tell me) – and not just geographically.

4.      What was your first impression upon arrival in Romania? 
“Where are the contorting quintuplets?” (j/k).  I was disappointed to see such a scenic city like Baia Mare so badly polluted (the river especially).  On my first visit, when I travelled from Budapest to Baia Mare by minibus, I recall being a little surprised by the relatively “grey” city landscape and dirty streets (but I was also very tired). But I was also pleased to be greeted by some students upon arriving on that visit, and the accommodation I was given at the university was very clean and acceptable.  Similarly, on my second visit, I was met by a friend I’d met on my previous visit at the airport in Cluj. She was very generous in driving me to Dej, with one of her friends, and treating me to a home-cooked meal. She was very careful and attentive in making sure I was comfortable and safely on the right train to Baia Mare.

5.      What was your opinion regarding Romanians before you visited? 
I didn’t have any conscious opinions.  But I’ve since learned that one of my closest neighbours growing-up, “Gramma Rosa” – who I always thought was from Hungary, because she spoke Hungarian – was in fact Romanian (from Satu Mare). She was a little old lady, whose husband had passed-on and children were grown.  She had a huge garden full of fruits and vegetables, including some Rosca grapes (which I loved as a child – see my story). She was a very generous woman (in my memories, at least) who loved our pet cat (“Fonzie”) and would often give him cooked chicken as a “treat.” She always shared her garden’s bounty with us too. 

6.      What is your opinion regarding Romanians after your visit? 
As I’ve said, my opinions are subject to change, but I get a general sense that some people are very laid back, if not indifferent, while others are very friendly and welcoming (to foreigners, for example). I do have the sense that people here (at least in Baia Mare) are more religiously and socially conservative than most of the people I know in Canada and other countries. I wish Romanians took more pride (in their actions) in relation to their own country – in keeping their city environment cleaner, for example. 

7.      Is there a special trait that defines Romanians, in your view?  
 Dark brown or black hair; tight jeans on women; they like their Dacia’s; shop clerks like to get exact change; religion is very important to most people…. And people seem to be surprised that a Canadian would want to come here.  

8.      Do you have some good Romanian friend/s ? 
I think so. 

9.       What was the attitude of Romanians towards you when you first met them? 
Some were curious (“Where are you from? Why are you here?”); some were very welcoming (as mentioned above); and clearly others remained largely indifferent.  In other words, a full range of reactions. 

10.  What is the attitude they have now? Did you notice any change?  
I’m not exactly sure what people think of me here!  Romanians, in general, are hard to read.

To Stay or Go; Already Past the "Half-Way" Point

26 November, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, camera șase, cāminul trei ('cause that's pretty much where I always am).

Officially I have one month left before the completion my ICCS Teaching Fellowship here in Baia Mare.  Since arriving (even before) there's been talk of finding a way to hire me and keep me longer. To date: no answers.  Although it appears Canadian Studies could certainly use another mind/body around here -- especially since Dr. Olos was told last week (yes, last week, mid-term, after she'd already begun her classes) that as a retired Prof. the university would no longer continue paying her -- people with actual solutions as to how I might stay here in any other capacity than as an illegal volunteer (which I am not willing to do) are apparently in short supply.  With the coalition government having fallen in Bucharest only days after my initial arrival in late September, no one (apparently) has been returning or answering phone calls at the Ministry of Education, which ultimately holds the cards in relation to me actually getting hired here (a requirement, in my understanding, for a work visa that would keep me here legally beyond the 90 days I am allowed as a tourist) (and the largely indecisive Presidential election held here last Sunday suggests there won't be a change of government anyway). But given the treatment retired faculty are shown here (despite an apparent lack of qualified young people to fill their shoes) I am not hopeful that a foreigner such as myself has any chance in drawing a pay cheque here (at least, not within the public system, as it currently stands). So, with this in mind I have applied for a "Canadian Leadership" grant through the Canadian Embassy in Bucharest. This will be my only hope for getting any funding to continue teaching here.  I'm told not to expect an answer on my application until at least mid-December -- a mere two weeks (at best) before I should be departing (not only Romania, but the EU) as a tourist.  So I am now faced with the dilemna of buying a ticket already to "go home" at Christmas (prices are rising considerably everyday I wait) or not. If I'm staying on here, it would make financial sense to just stay (and finances are a big problem in my life nowadays), but obviously if I'm not staying, then there's no need to stay here through Christmas (my time here is lonely enough, I can just imagine how lonely it would be over xmas).  And then there are days (like today) when I wonder if I should stay at all....  Yes, I'd like to stay "academically busy," and I suppose here is as good a place as any (thanks for nothing, Canada, on the wealth of opportunities presented to me thus far for the 2010 term), but I have to admit to a growing frustration with the sense that aside from a few people, I'm not certain I'm even appreciated here.  My students (pretty much the only "friends" I have) would like to keep me, so it seems, but if the institutional will is not present....?  I'm also a tad tired already of the noisy dorm I live in, the persistent smoking amongst the vast majority of the population here, and the fact I constantly feel I'm censoring myself against the sensibilities of religious and social conservatism.  Maybe these observations are entirely off-base, I'm not sure, but more and more I'm beginning to think not.

These Grapes

22 November, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, camera șase, cāminul trei.

I arrived in Romania in the midst of autumn, at the height of grape harvesting season.  When I was in Cluj, my friend Maria had some grapes that with one glance and one sniff I immediately recognised.  These were the same grapes that I'd grown-up eating off the vines of our neighbour, old "Gramma Rosa."  Years ago, when Rosa moved away from her house in Courtland (she has long since passed away), her granddaughter purchased the house. Unfortunately one of the changes the new owners made was to completely remove Rosa's extensive gardens, including the vines that bore these grapes.  Our family salvaged a few of the vines and replanted them, but until the last year, these vines did not produce much fruit because they were in too shaded an area (I once again transplanted them last Fall, and this year they showed signs of once again producing delicious grapes).  So I was very surprised to see and smell (and eventually taste) these same grapes in Maria's dormitory room in Cluj (she'd brought some with her from her parents' garden).  A few days later, back in Baia Mare, I could smell the unique fragrance of these grapes as I walked the streets.  Clearly they are widespread here, and I was privately amazed that I'd come once again into contact with this fruit.  You see, despite growing up eating these grapes, I'd never seen them available anywhere else -- until I came to Romania....

Fast forward a month, to two weeks ago.  I received an email message from my parents in Courtland passing along greetings from Gramma Rosa's granddaughter, Suzie, who was curious where exactly I'm located in Romania.  She was particularly curious if I was anywhere near "Sutmar," because this, she said, is where Gramma Rosa immigrated to Canada from. I was amazed!  I'd grown-up believing that Gramma Rosa was Hungarian because she spoke the Hungarian language.  So I was rather surprised to learn that in fact she was actually Hungarian-Romanian....  Small world, I thought!  Well, I took a look at my map of Romania, and not finding any "Sutmar" listed, I went to the internet to see if this was a Hungarian translation of a Romanian city/town.  Sure enough, I discovered that "Sutmar" is a bastardized spelling of "Szatmar," which is the Hungarian word for the city of Satu Mare.  Satu Mare is only about an hour by car from Baia Mare, and is something like a rival city in the Maramures district.  Small world indeed!

So this new knowledge relating to the coincidences of my past got me to thinking again about those grapes.  Could Rosa have brought seeds or branches to Canada with her and replanted them there?  I suspect now that she did, and that gets me to wondering how many of her other fruits and vegetables in her once huge garden were transplants from Maramures. She often brought extra fruits and vegetables to us, so I'd long ago had a taste of northwestern Romania, so it seems.  It's a pity Rosa is not still alive today (nor her gardens), as I'd love to speak with her about this.

I've since asked some students to help me with finding out more information about Rosa's grapes... the same variety so common here in Baia Mare and Maramures....  With the help of Catalina, Anamaria, and Cosmin, I have learned the following:

Known as Roşcă, or Othello, they are a hybrid variety now banned in the European Union because of their high rate of sulfates, and apparently when turned into wine, they produce methanol. Still, this type of vine resisted very well most of the diseases that destroyed many of the vines in Europe in times past, and they resist well against the frost. The noble version of these grapes are known as Burgund or Merlot.
Apparently within 10 years the EU has dictated that all traces of these grapes must be removed.  I wonder how much of this is politics, and how much of this is actually health related.  The smell and taste of these grapes are very distinctive, and not at all like typical table or wine grapes I've encountered. I for one very much enjoy the flavour of this fruit, and have fond memories particularly of the jelly my Mother used to make from them. I can't imagine how the EU will police the phasing out of Roşcă vines, as if Baia Mare is any indication, this variety of grapes is extremely widespread in northern Romania.

Weekend Away

10 November, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, camera șase, cāminul trei.

This post has very little to do with Romania.  In fact, I left the country for a few days this past weekend to attend a special event in Slovakia, which I report on at my old Slovak blog here. 

It's raining here again in Baia Mare... surprise, surprise! 

Tolvaj Hill, and Sea Sick in the Carpati

1 November, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, camera șase, cāminul trei.

Last weekend there was an international conference here on Edgar Allan Poe, celebrating the bicentennial of his birth. Although I know/knew next to nothing about Poe, I was invited to attend on the basis that many of the conference participants were foreigners like me. As it turned out, I had a good time at the conference, and even learned a little bit about Poe (I can say almost certainly that except for an awareness that Poe wrote "Murders in the Rue Morgue," I was/remain rather ignorant of the man - but I do now have a greater appreciation for the Iron Maiden song of the same name). The conference was unfortunately plagued by last minute cancellations (I guess participants couldn't quite make the connection between Poe and Baia Mare, Romania), but folks did arrive from Turkey, Italy, France, and the U.S. I had some interesting conversations with most of these folks, at least two of which were foreigners working/teaching abroad (one an English woman teaching in Turkey, and the other an American teaching in France). I can't say much with regard to the academic achievements of the conference, but I can say it was a great social event. Although I teach on Fridays and Saturdays, and thus could not attend much of the academic part of the conference, I was pleased to attend (at the organizers' insistence) their dinners and a tour of Maramures on Sunday.

But before I get ahead of myself...  Baia Mare from above...

After my class last Saturday, I was invited by a few students to enjoy the last day of daylight savings time in Romania (the clocks fell back here on 25 October), and the nice weather, to climb Tolvaj Hill to get a look at Baia Mare from above (the city is surrounded by the Eastern Carpati Hills). With Cosmin, Anamaria, Robert, and Raluca, I climbed Tolvaj (it took about 30 minutes) and shared a few sips of wine while taking in the view.  If you're curious where the main university campus is located, look for the little cluster of bright orange buildings in the panoramic view, pretty much right in the middle of the photo.

Back to Poe.  On Sunday I was invited to join the conference participants on a bus tour of the Maramures region.  I took a similar tour when I was here a year and half ago, but this trip promised to show me new places.  We departed Baia Mare at about 9am, on a rented city bus.  Very soon into the trip, as we crossed the Carpati hills, several of us began to feel sea sick - me included.  The road through the Carpati hills is very, very windy, and the city bus was not the best vehicle to experience such curves.  I felt very sea sick, and unfortunately this put a damper on an otherwise wonderful trip (I never really "recovered" the whole day, even after we returned to flat ground).  The trip took us to the small city of Sighet, on the Ukraine border.  At Sighet we visited the Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance . This museum is located in a former Communist prison, where many people suffered and perished (including the relatives of some of our hosts, who although they suggested we go there, were visibly shaken being there).  Unfortunately we did not have a lot of time to take in all the museum had to offer, due to time constraints, but it was an informative visit nonetheless.

After Sighet, we visited the village of Budesti, which includes a traditional Maramures wooden church (Budesti-Josani Church). The cemetary surrounding the church was active with old women and thier granddaughters (mostly) cleaning and arranging the graves. Last weekend, and this weekend, are considered "days of the dead," when living relatives visit and clean-up the graves of their relatives who have passed on.  Budesti-Josani Church was first constructed in 1643 and the inside is covered in wonderful/simple religious murals.   We were also all-too-briefly entertained in Budesti by a traditional children's choir and dance troup, before crowding back onto the city bus to head once again back over the hills.

Our last stop was in Baia Sprie, just outside of Baia Mare.  Here we visited the "Potter's House."  And small world, I'd already met the potter, Daniel Les, at Raluca's cottage a few weekends previous.  Mr. Les operates a pottery studio and small hotel in Baia Sprie. Before getting a demonstration of Mr. Les' skills in pottery (he's considered the best in Romania), and touring his workshop, the organizers of the tour treated us to a banquet of traditional Maramures foods.  Unfortunately I was still woozy from our trip through the hills, so I could not fully appreciate the bounty that we were presented. 

I hope to return to each of these sites (and others) in the future - but preferably not by rented city bus!

“Bunā seara. Sunt Canadianul din camera șase, cāminul trei.”

29 October, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, camera șase, cāminul trei.

Translation: “Good evening. I am the Canadian in room six, building three.”

I have these words written out on a piece of paper that I carry with me in my coat pocket.  The university campus, which includes the dormitory where I live, is locked down every night at 8pm by security, with only the back parking lot entrance open for residents/students/faculty to get in and out.  The first time I came back to the campus after 8, a security guard stopped me and asked (in Romanian) who I was and where I was going.  Not sure how to respond, I pulled-out my passport and tried to indicate that I was the Canadian living on-campus, assuming he would then let me pass (how many Canadians can be living here, after all, right?).  Well, this didn’t seem to satisfy the guard, who then indicated that he also wanted to know a number (seemingly of the room where I live). When I replied “six” (or rather indicated this number on my fingers) he was more than satisfied (“Buna, buna,” he happily indicated), and let me pass.  I found this curious. Could there be more than one Canadian living in the dormitories here?  Or has there been a past history of Canadian burglars on campus?  Anyhow, after this episode I asked my colleague Horea to write down a few simple words to explain myself (in Romanian) to the guard in the future. As it’s turned out, I’ve not yet had to utter these words in my poor Romanian (or show my new “identity card”), as the guards either now recognise me, or have relaxed a little in their duties.  When I told this little story to some visiting Italian scholars last weekend (here to take part in the Poe Bicentennial Conference), they couldn’t stop laughing.  The story has since been passed on to a few Romanian colleagues and students (via the Italians), providing more than a few smiles and laughs.

Uncensored thoughts on the CEACS conference in Sofia

20 October, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, Romania.

I just returned yesterday from a five day stay in Sofia, Bulgaria, where I was attending and participating in the annual conference of the Central European Association for Canadian Studies (CEACS). The theme of the conference was "Managing Diversity," and key note speakers included Dr. Keith Banting (Queen's), Dr. Lise Gauvin (U. de Montreal), Dr. Chelva Kanaganayakam (U. of Toronto), and Dr. Thibault Martin (U. du Quebec en Outaouais).

My first impressions of Sofia (aggressive thieving taxi drivers), and the conference itself were unfortunately not positive (and I do keep a very open mind to new places and new experiences, believe me).  In the weeks leading-up to the conference my correspondence with the conference organizers was less than illuminating with regard to accommodation arrangements, and within a week of the conference taking place the "final programme" was shortened from four days to three. My questions with regard to how this would effect conference participants' accommodations for Sunday evening (we were all to be housed in the ritzy Radisson Hotel) went unfortunately unanswered. This was not a big deal, of course, but left me with a sense that the organizers were less than fully organized. I quickly learned upon arrival, however, that the event itself was not poorly organized, per se, but that the manner in which you were treated (questions answered, made to feel welcome, etc.) depended very much on who you were, and how important you were perceived to be in the organizers' eyes. As the conference progressed, this behaviour became more and more apparent, and I heard similar complaints/comments from other participants (seemingly perceived insignificant, like myself). This behaviour was very unfortunate, as it left I, for one, with a rather poor view of the Sofia University organizers (but not the Association itself). Other Bulgarians I met (most of whom were not from Sofia University, but rather New Bulgarian University) were very pleasant.

This was the first time that I have attended a CEACS event, although not the first time I have attended a Canadian Studies conference outside of Canada, and there were some rather illuminating papers from non-Canadians and Canadians alike.  But, I will not go so far as to say all the papers were well done, or illuminating. Without naming names (or nationalities), it is my opinion that key-note speakers aside, perhaps only a quarter of the papers delivered were worthwhile. It was rather obvious that there was no peer-review or selection process involved, and simply everyone who responded to the call for papers was invited to speak. This meant that there were unnecessary concurrent sessions, and a good many papers that were simply very poor.  This was a great shame, really, and I fear this does very little for the public image of the Association. Simply put, there were enough good papers to fill two solid days of conference events, without concurrent sessions. I hope that the Association in the future will focus on quality, not quantity (this despite the organizers and many commentators expressing how "great" the event was in general).

The best part of the conference for me, was not listening to the papers (although I did get a tremendous amount out of Dr. Banting's excellent keynote address, for example), but in meeting the people.  It was great to meet old and new faces alike, including Canada's new ambassador to Romania and Bulgaria, Philippe Beaulne. I have returned to Baia Mare with a great many new contacts in the Canadian Studies world in Central Europe, and I look forward to working with them in the future, whether that be here in Central Europe, or from Canada. Indeed, I am still quite convinced that Canadianist scholars worldwide need to look to working more together in the future.

Photos from Cluj-Napoca, Romania

20 October, 2009. Centre for Canadian Studies, Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare.

Photos taken in Cluj-Napoca, Romania last Monday (while the weather was still nice). A day after these photos were taken, the temperature dropped dramatically, and it even snowed in the evening. It's been rainy and cold pretty much ever since...

Cluj-Napoca from Belvedere.

On the Road: Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and Sofia (Bulgaria)

15 October, 2009. Sofia, Bulgaria.

At the moment I am in Sofia, Bulgaria, attending the annual conference of the Central European Association for Canadian Studies.  Although I am not a member of CEACS, I thought it would be a worthwhile experience to attend their conference and get to know some of the Canadianists from this part of the world.  The conference programme itself is impressive, with a keynote address by Dr. Keith Banting from Queen's University among the highlights that I am looking forward to.  But my first impressions of Sofia and the organization of the conference, I have to admit, are at present less than positive.  Although thieving taxi drivers are not unique to Sofia, they seem particularly well-practised here. And the organization of the conference?  Well, let's just say that from my point of view (keeping in mind that I've nearly single-handedly organized an international conference in the past myself), there is considerable room for improvement, particularly in regard to lines of communication and inter-personal relations.  Nonetheless, I'm trying to keep an open mind. First impressions are not always accurate, of course, and I still have four days here to come around.

Before coming to Sofia I spent two days in Cluj-Napoca. As I had to get to the Cluj airport anyway, my friend Maria suggested I come down a day earlier to see the city.  Well, Maria is a very busy woman, and although she took some time to show me parts of Cluj on Monday when I arrived, our plans to really hit the town on Tuesday were almost completely thwarted by terribly cold and wet weather (it even snowed on Tuesday night).  So, a return trip to Cluj will likely be necessary, as I did not get much of an impression of the city.

Stay tuned for photos from Cluj and Sofia in the next day or two...

Rainy Weekend

11 October, 2009. Universitatea de Nord din Baia Mare, Romania.

It's been a pretty rainy weekend here in Baia Mare, but that hasn't stopped me from staying busy.  I had my first full classes on Friday and Saturday, and my students appear to be a good (and hopefully motivated) bunch.  I am generally very impressed with their level of English - most seem to be very competant in the language, so I don't feel I need to spend too much time on language matters, leaving more time to get to the interesting "Canadian Studies" stuff :-)  In addition to "Canadian Culture & Civilization" I am now also responsible for "Romanian-Canadian Relations" and an "Intensive English" class for the francophone students.

As I've mentioned, a good majority of my students are teachers themselves, or aspiring teachers.  Four of the first-year MA students were gracious enough to invite me out for a drink on Saturday night - Anamaria, Cosmin, Andreea, and Robert kept me company with some intriguing conversation over a few Ursus bere (brewed in nearby Cluj).  And today, thinking I'd be spending my afternoon going over my paper that I will deliver next week in Sofia, I was surprised to get an "out of the blue" invitation from second-year MA student Raluca to join her and some friends and family at a cottage about 25 minutes outside the city in the Carpati mountains (the photo on the right is the view out the front door of the cottage).  It was a pity it was raining, but it was a fine afternoon/evening nonetheless.  So although I missed Thanksgiving at home this weekend, I was treated to some Romanian hospitality and had my first taste of mămăligă (or polenta) - a mixture of corn meal and cheese, with a little bit of bacon and sour cream.  I also had a sip of pălincă - a clear alcohol distilled from pears, and not unlike Slovak slivovica.

In the morning I will take a train to Cluj, where I will spend one day touring that city with my friend Maria, before heading onward by plane to Sofia, Bulgaria for the annual conference of the Central European Association for Canadian Studies.  I only hope with this damp weather my clothes (that I just washed early this afternoon) will dry before the morning!

Baia Mare Moon Rising

4 October, 2009. Campus of North University of Baia Mare, Romania.

I noticed this view last night when I was out walking, so I made a point of bringing my camera along tonight.  This picture was taken this evening at around 7pm. This is the moon rising over the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and the city of Baia Mare.

My Photos of Baia Mare and surroundings

3 October, 2009. Campus of North University of Baia Mare, Romania

I draw your attention to my Flickr site, where I have begun posting photos of Baia Mare and surroundings.  To the right is the Str. Crisan campus of Universitatea de Nord, where the small Canadian Studies Centre is located.

It was a lovely Fall day here today. Pity I don't know too many people here yet, as this will be my only "free" Saturday for several weeks -- my classes will be held mainly on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings/afternoons as most of my students are teachers and have their jobs to consider in addition to their studies.

Week One: I have arrived

2 October, 2009. Campus of North University of Baia Mare, Maramures District, Romania

Greetings from Baia Mare, where autumn appears to have followed me. I am told the weather was very warm and summer like right up until my arrival on Tuesday evening, but it's been jacket/sweater weather ever since. The evenings get so chilly that I actually have to close my window, but the trees are yet to show much colour.

My flights and train travel went smoothly, and I now know that when you buy a ticket through Expedia.ca at a "special fare," it means you're flying standby...still, no problems.  I spent Monday afternoon and evening in Budapest, Hungary, where I met my Slovak friend and former teaching colleague, Veronika.  I was glad for the opportunity to break-up my travels and get a good night's sleep before continuing on by plane, train, and automobile.  For the first time ever, I was bumped into "Business Class" on my flight from Budapest to Cluj-Napoca. But as luck would have it, this was one of the tiniest planes I've ever traveled on commercially, and there was no distinction whatsoever in the seating between Business and Economy classes... but I did take advantage of my free lunch ;-)

As planned, I was met in Cluj by a Romanian friend, Maria (who I'd previously met in Baia Mare a year and a half ago at the International Unconventional Meeting of Young Canadianists). Maria is a student in Cluj and was very generous in taking time out of her busy schedule to meet me at the airport.  The original plan was that she would escort me to the train station in Cluj and make sure I got on the right train.  Turns out she had a nice change of plans in mind....  We met her schoolmate and close friend Andrea, who drove us by car to Dej (about halfway between Cluj and Baia Mare). In Dej I was treated to some homemade traditional Romanian bean soup by Andrea's mother. It was simply wonderful soup, and it was an unexpected bit of hospitality.  I said goodbye to Maria and Andrea at the Dej train station and by 21.00 I was in Baia Mare, met by Horea, a PhD student and instructor in Canadian Studies at North University.

My accommodation in Baia Mare is a standard dorm room with a private bathroom/shower....  as I'm alone in a two-person room, I have a free bed, for any aspiring visitors ;-)  My neighbours are young undergraduates, but aside from the occasional loud voice or music, the students are rather tame by Canadian undergraduate standards.

Much of this week has been spent in conversation and planning with Dr. Ana Olos, who has been a big help in getting me here and arranging things.  Dr. Olos has introduced me to a number of people associated with Canadian Studies, the language department, and administrators at the university, as well as the director and some librarians at the nearby Petre Dulfu Municipal Library.  The Petre Dulfu Library is a terrific resource for the city and region, and far outshines the university library.  I met director Teodor Ardelean this morning and presented him with a copy of Paper Talk.  Much to my surprise, he has invited me to speak to librarians and interested members of the public at the library in November in relation to my work on the history of libraries in Canada. The library also runs a small publishing house and Mr. Ardelean, in full seriousness, invited me to research and write a book (in English, of course) on Maramures which he said the library will support and publish.  I sincerely hope I can take him up on this unique opportunity :-)

As regards my duties at the university as a teaching fellow, I will be responsible for two additional half-courses in addition to "Canadian Culture and Civilization" : an intensive English-language course for Romanian students whose second language is French (the programme is tri-lingual), and another on Romanian-Canadian Relations (!!).  I met about half of my Culture and Civilization students this evening and although their knowledge of Canadian Studies is not necessarily advanced, they seem keen to learn.  All of my students are teachers, or aspiring teachers (and I have since learned this is because an MA is required for secondary and high school teachers in Romania, and their choice of Canadian Studies has much to do with the fact the programme is tri-lingual -- most are English or French teachers).  As much of my teaching will take place on Friday and Saturday, and formal classes do not get fully underway until next week, I now have a week to continue to settle-in and prepare.  I welcome this time to rest a little further, as Romanian food has yet to fully agree with my stomach. In time this will correct itself, no doubt ;-)

The weekend ahead should include some shoe shopping, and probably not a whole lot else. :-)

Bună seara (good evening).

Leaving Canada, 27 September, 2009. Destination: Baia Mare, Romania (via Brussels, Budapest, and Cluj-Napoca)

26 September, 2009. Courtland, Ontario, Canada.

Welcome readers, to what will be a log of my adventures, experiences, and observations as an ICCS Teaching Fellow in Canadian Studies at North University of Baia Mare, Romania.  I depart from Toronto Sunday evening and will arrive in Budapest, Hungary (via Brussels) on Monday morning.  I'll spend a day in Budapest with Veronika K. (a friend and former colleague from Slovakia) before continuing on to Cluj-Napoca, Romania. From Cluj I will continue by train to Baia Mare on Tuesday, and by the end of the week I'll begin my duties as a Teaching Fellow at North University. 

As part of my duties, I've been asked to teach a graduate course at North University in the Canadian Studies programme entitled, "Canadian Culture and Civilization."  This course will be an interdisciplinary approach to Canadian history and culture, and I expect my Romanian students and colleagues will introduce me to new and interesting insights.  I look forward to this unique opportunity, and I'm grateful to the International Council for Canadian Studies for providing me with a postdoctoral teaching fellowship. 

No doubt some of you are thinking, as I have, how strange is it that a Canadian with a PhD in Canadian History (not to mention an MA in Canadian Studies) has to travel to Central Europe to find professional employment right now?  Well, I'll just let you think about that, and you can come to your own conclusions... ;-)

Stay tuned.  Baia Mare, here I come....