Most Romanians living abroad have experienced at least several times the, let us call it “reaction to Romanians” from the others. Big eyes, Dracula references, maybe reflections on Hagi and dependent on how far the ‘knowledge’ would go, some ideas related to the geographical position of the above-mentioned land. This, of course when one wouldn’t confuse it for some sort of salad. But moving aside from this frequent and all in all normal phenomenon, things are now likely to change, or at least in the long run.
Starting form January 1, 2002 a good number of Romanians had plenty of reasons to go out on the streets and celebrate in the same manner that they would salute a victory of the national soccer team. No visas required for traveling around Europe. Which supposedly would mean more freedom to travel, more opportunities to see some country which as far as you knew is just the constant provider of your neighbor’s car, no more mandatory bribes for a head start in the longs cues on the embassies outside sidewalks, a.s.o. But maybe, mostly, you would expect a slight improvement on the image Romanians already have abroad by this now free flow of people traveling all around Europe. It is too early to observe such effects, but it has become already a necessity for us that has a vital nature in the image-related “disfunctions” other European countries have towards Romania. Doubled and maintained probably even by plain, striking, yet relevant circumstances. Such as probably that of the beggar I would meet every day on my way to university on one of Warsaw’s main streets who, one afternoon, after hearing me speaking my native language with one of my colleagues, hesitated a bit, then limping around passers-by called while I was walking on: “esti roman, ma?”
Emil Iuga
CEU Warsaw
