This is my last week in Luxembourg and time has really flown by. In this post, I'll tell you the best way to hunt vampires while studying for finals and how MUDEC is preparing to send us back to the States.
Song of the Week: Vampires by Nitemayor
Category: Before & After. Answer: A Romanian shindig. What is an Eastern Block Party? Kudos to all of you who got that Jeopardy! reference. Thirty years after the fall of the USSR, Romania still has a distinctly Eastern Block feel. The people seem to have a rather utilitarian outlook on life and feel that the good of the community is more important than the good of the individual. Coming from an extremely individualistic country like the US, it was strange for me to see everyone behaving in a similar manner. If you want to know more about aspects of Romanian society, I encourage you to check out this site which let you compare the cultural dimensions of different countries around the world.
With only one full day to explore the city of Bucharest, I'm not sure how accurate my evaluations are, but it definitely had a much different feel than Western Europe. The most obvious difference was the size of the buildings. In Western Europe, most buildings don't exceed four or five stories. In Romania, however, the buildings average around nine or ten stories, and they feel absolutely massive. Maybe I'm just used to cute little town houses, but these buildings have a physical presence. They feel like they they have always been there and will be there long after the rest of the pretty little Western European buildings have fallen to ruin.
I didn't see any vampires in the city, but some of my friends visited the castle that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. While they were hunting for evidence of the supernatural, my friends and I treated ourselves to a three hour long lunch in one of the most famous restaurants in the city, Caru cu Bere (AKA the original Cheesecake Factory). The restaurant was huge, as it had three stories and seated around 300 people at any given time of the day. We thought it would slow down in the early afternoon, but people just kept piling in. We didn't intend to spend such a long time there, but between the endless menu options and freezing cold, we ended up choosing the menu. Since the Romanian Leu is worth around a third of a US dollar, all of us ended up stuffing ourselves with a three course meal for only $15.
As luck would have it, we ended up being in the Bucharest for the 100th Anniversary of Union Day. Romania, Transylvania and several other small provinces were unified as one country in back in 1918. Decorations were everywhere around the city and the center of the city was lit up with the colors of the Romanian flag. We visited the Christmas market in both the morning and evening, and it was hard to believe how much the city transformed at night. During the day the city felt rather empty, and most shops were closed in observance of the holiday. However, as soon as night fell, everyone took to the streets and headed to the Christmas markets. We were pushed along the avenue with the throng of people (sometimes involuntarily) that streamed toward the markets. What had been an empty square in the morning became a bustling hub of activity, people and food. People swarmed the steaming food stands to escape the cold, then flocked to the stage where the national choir was performing. After stuffing my face with stewed meat and roasted potatoes, I realized I was very cold and feeling a little suffocated by the the mass of people. The others were ready to go, so we headed back to our hotel and settled in for some spooky movies and warm tea.
"The feeling is less like an ending than just another starting point." -- Chuck Palahniuk
The semester is winding down, and this week marks the last of MUDEC's festivities before finals. Monday was a Christmas party; Tuesday was an awards ceremony (I won one); Wednesday was a white elephant exchange; tomorrow is a photography workshop; and Friday is our visit to one of best Christmas markets in Europe. Studying for finals is still happening, albeit on a less stressful scale than in Oxford. Everyone keeps saying how quickly time has gone by here, and how we can't believe it is ending. The mood of the Chateau has been rather thoughtful and reflective these past few days, and I think everyone is realizing how we have really grown over these past four months. One of my classes has prepared us for returning by talking about reverse culture shock. It may seem like I should be able to re-enter American society seamlessly, but the reality is that it will probably be challenging for me. I have adapted to a new way of life, people, languages and culture, and my friends and family back in the States may have changed as much as I have. I know I'm not the same person I was before I went abroad, but others might not be the same either. I'm looking forward to the next chapter in my life, but I may need some time to reflect before I move on.
Anything else you want to know about Romania? How should I spend my last week in Europe? Let me know in the comments!
Until then, I'll keep wandering.
It is bitter sweet to leave! I will help you with reverse culture shock. Enjoy your last weekend. See you in a week!