I was born in Romania and live abroad for more than a decade thinking always that my native country is one of the nicest in the world considering its natural sceneries, traditions, hospitality and the people opened towards new cultures.
Beyond all the negative aspects hunted sometimes by journalists or tourists who don't know and refuse to learn about the positive side of Romania, I would like to bring to attention some things that might draw interest to people. I'm also curious to find out why some people who visit Romania look only for negative and can't get the positive where it's obviously around the corner waiting timidly to be noticed and marked down in the sentimental diary.
Then I would like to inquire why people who didn't visit or read about Romania too much are so tempted to believe only what media says and not filtering through their own mind.
I've seen movies about sadness in Romanian orphanages, street or abandoned kids, rude vendors, abusive situations, corruption but not too much referring to the old traditional culture and values.
I honestly intend to suggest travelers ,writers or journalists to try opening "the mind"s eyes' as Romanians say, so to be able to depict through studying the people's way of being, living, their mentality, to do a psychological investigation in the Romanian's heart. A professional journalist visiting any country in the world should be able to
notice first the cultural differences, then to have the desire and respect for the foreign culture he/she chose to discuss. Maybe it would require even more than these: a special sensitivity towards unknown, Eastern cultures, and communication.
Most of the articles with critics about Romania are written by journalists who explore for a short time the country as an old fashion country, strange place and picking only sensational negatives for bitterness and hurting the feelings, gossip that some people like to watch on TV news in the evenings .
Romania was under communism so many years and still struggles to get its "wings" for the political and economical transition; this takes time and maybe some generations for changing and rehabilitation. Only with severe critics and harsh comments I don't believe somebody can be helped….
It needs a special tone of voice and writing, a type of compassion, cross cultural understanding and desire of appreciation and honoring cultures outside the native boundaries.
The negativist journalists should rather contact humanitarian organizations and encourage them or getting themselves involved in helping the sadness.
Also, they should find time for knowing step by step some valuable things in Romania. This would be certainly a help for people around the world to look at Romania with more objectivity.
I've recently studied some discussing forums to find out about the tourists' and exchange workers' impressions about Romania after "89. They refer to the changes they"ve noticed after the democratic revolution. This in order to find out the good parts and make them popular to those ones who might be interested in traveling some day to Romania.
I have myself interest in cross cultural integration and experience of foreigners who worked and studied in Romania or came for helping in different fields of activity. Talking to people who visited Romania, I was curious to hear their voice and put together thoughts and impressions. I was happy to find that there are many good things to be considered and many tourists expressed their desire to come and visit again Romania.
According to a recent general survey, the tourists who visited Romania were impressed by:
- the people and their special hospitality of inviting guests in their house and offering the best even under very modest financial possibilities
- the Romanian children who are usually much more polite than in Western countries and struggle very hard in schools showing respect and consideration for adults and elderly
- the national treasures of Bucovina in the North of Romania: the monasteries of 14th and 15th century that are protected by UNESCO as part of world heritage
- the Carpathians and the large variety of natural resorts and valleys
- the Romanian food based on seasonal organic fruit and vegetable
- the special cultural traditions on Christmas where the carolers fill the heart with the real significance of this religious holiday
- the folklore and many various celebrations all year round: folk dances, songs, fairs, costumes
- the people's pride in preserving the cultural traditions and transferring to the young generation
These would make just a brief summary to motivate people for visiting Romania. To be more convincible, I will add a foreign traveler's opinion about Romania:
'It gave me the feeling that I belong there somehow and would like to go again. Then a type of being a part of the huge Romanian family going through everything together'.
