I am originally from Romania but never considered myself a “romanian”, but a human. More so now when I moved to Spain and my best friends are from all around the world.
I went to Romania a few years ago, and I was always stressed about going back even for a few weeks, because I know too well the toxic environment there. The competition, corruption, pollution and garbage that you can see everywhere. The stupid people and dangerous drivers. The fact that most of them are religious and superstitious. Everyone is for themself, there is no feeling of “community” there. Everyone talks about money, cars, and houses. Stuff, that’s all they know. At least that’s my experience of Romania, in the little town where I grew up.
Of course there are many wonderful people and organizations in Romania, like everywhere, but I am talking here about most of these people. And most are like I described them, from my own experience.
But now, a few years later, things are even worse. And quite scary.
My parents worked in Spain since 2007 and retired this year. They moved back to Romania, a move that I think is terribly bad. Lack of money and integration made them unable to stay in Spain. They bought a car in Spain and had a lot of stuff to transport to Romania so I and Sasha agreed to drive 2.500 Km from Spain to Romania to deliver their car and stuff. We drove no more than 5 hours each a day and stopped for a few nights along the way. First thing I noticed is the infinite line of trucks. Absolute insanity of trucks after trucks on any highway in any tribe. A huge line of them almost like a train. Hm…trains…I wonder if people forgot about trains…is all about cars and trucks today, but if people and goods would be transported by trains, it would be far more efficient and safe.
But this train of trucks is a sign of an overconsumerist society. The trade society. And it is increasing at alarming rates.
Another thing I noticed straight away was when we arrived in Slovenia. I went to a gas station. I put gas in the car and went inside to pay. I asked in English if I can pay there. A young girl looked odd at me, she said something in Slovenian to another guy there. He came to me and said, with a very angry tone: “You put, you pay!”. Sure dude….I “put” but where do I pay? What the hell!? In Spain people are usually quite nice and relaxed but the more you get into the Eastern Europe the less friendly people are.
You put, you pay! became the slogan for what we would experience form there on.
Late that day we went to a restaurant in the same Slovenian tribe, in their capital. We almost never eat out but it was late, we were tired….we just wanted to eat something. We were surprised that they had no menu in English, the most international language on Earth. Also no one spoke English there. I really felt like a stranger on another planet in the way they kinda treated us. At least that’s how I felt…maybe I am wrong, but maybe something else is happening here and I am right after all.
Listen.
For me this is sad and predictable. Knowing an international language is a big advantage for a species that dominates a whole planet. We have common issues and common needs. But in the Language book I wrote a few years ago I realized that tribes are getting more and more tribal. They copy the american shows and make them in their own language. From news organizations to youtube videos, they are creating their own culture based on their own language, but again based on the american culture, the dominant one, in the end. Same retardation.
So now less and less people know English as a result. They do not have to watch the idiot Joe Rogan talking nonsense, every tribe has a few of their own idiot podcasters and influencers.
But now I suspect the enforcement of this disease called nationalism is mostly a result of politicians using it as a bait to get more votes and so more power. Since Trump, a simple minded billionaire TV personality, became the chief tribe of USA by promoting this nonsense “America First” with Tshirts and Hats made in China, everyone is copying the moron.
Politicians are screaming with a loud and angry voice that the “outsiders” are the problem and how we, the locals, the tribe members of this tribe, need to be put first. Our nation, language, customs. The evil comes from outside! They are killing our culture and nation!
They are doing it on TikTok, Facebook, or Youtube, platforms created and owned by other people from other tribes of course. Doing so while wearing clothes made in China, phones made in Taiwan, and eating imported food. Their cars, houses, their stuff, is made somewhere else or at least the materials are. And this will never change because even these “nationalists” understand that they must go for the lower price, regardless how much they “love” their tribe. Not to mention how all of these are complete hypocrites who steal from the same “country” they love, and will only give a shit about their own personal wealth.
In Slovenia I felt this “nationalism” somehow. Maybe a kind of distaste for the “outsiders”. Maybe it was just in my head, but that’s how I felt. Tho considering that this disease of nationalism is quite wide spread in Europe too, I won’t be surprised if I was right.
A tribe later and we arrived in Romania. We had to drive a few hundreds of km there too before reaching my town. I knew that the traffic in Romania is terrible. The roads, awful. Everyone knows that!
But I was wrong! Before getting my driving license in Spain (just last year), I only experienced the Romanian traffic as a passenger. But now that I got to drive in Romania I realized that are not the roads that are awful and dangerous, it is people!
The roads themselves were not too bad, but people driving there are absolute idiots. They drive as if they are jerking off watching Fast and Furious. If the speed limit is 50, for a reason since there’s a village you are crossing, then god forbid you go 60 or 70. That’s too slow!! And everyone behind you is peeking left and right to overtake you. They get so close to you and constantly searching for a spot to overtake.
This is just an example (not filmed by me) of what I mean. And this is very common in Romania:
As a driver this is a lot of stress to constantly watch your side mirrors for these idiots. At one point a huge truck was trying to overtake me on road with incoming traffic, a 70 Km speed limit, and I going with around 80. Since it was unable to accelerate that fast to overtake me, being a fucking small train, it was ending up in my left side on the opposite lane. If a car would come from the opposite direction it would have been a disaster. And what if the moron truck would have tried to go on my lane too soon, bumping into our car since trucks have many dead angles?
I also could not slow down since cars were coming fast from behind me trying to also overtake me. I had to speed up and not let the moron play deadly games with everyone.
Here’s another video from Romania speaking about trucks:
It is astonishing how everyone is so eager to overtake in Romania. They do not respect the speed limit at all. And not wear seatbelts. They don’t give a flying fuck.
I remember being a passenger in Romania how scary it was. I could not relax. Like a rollercoaster with cars coming from the opposite direction. Narrow curves? No biggie, the driver would overtake hoping that the Virgin Marry icon he had in the windshield will protect us all. No wonder everyone was of the opinion that driving in Romania is dangerous….since they all drove very dangerously. Romania ranked the highest in Europe in terms of car accidents and fatalities for many years. Only this year was overtaken by a single point by Bulgaria. (source) Therefore, this is not my impression that the traffic here is dangerous, it is a fact. What made me terribly depressed is to see how people in Romania react when I tell them about this. They have this attitude of like “Dude you are a pussy for driving so slooooow….”. When I ask them why the rush, their excuse is that “Well, you arrive 5-10 minutes earlier to the destination”. “But you also put yourself in danger no? Is that really worth it?”. “C’mon man you are a pussy.”. That’s kinda how it goes.
Someone even told me that it is me driving dangerously because I drive too slow. “But I drive 10 or more Km above the speed limit.”. “You drive too slow man!! And because of you there are many people behind trying to overtake, so you put everyone in danger.”
Imagine that. I’ve heard this argument several times. This is so fucked up I have no words…. I drive legally, even a bit over the speed limit, and it is MY fault that the morons behind me want to go super fast and I stay in their way….Unbelievable.
But anyway, we managed to arrive without getting into a car crash. Actually the drive in Romania was 938 times better and safer than anything I have experienced driving in Romania. And that’s because we both drove NORMALLY. LEGALLY. And not like idiots. So those curvy roads that everyone thinks are deadly and so dangerous, were actually beautiful and fine when driving with 30 when it says fucking 30, and not 80! Of course the stress of driving with so many idiots on the road makes driving in Romania really terrible.
Why this situation?
I think it is because Romania is a poor country where everyone is for themselves. You see a building that is fucked up, but 10 luxury apartments in it. Because those people are rich, not the rest. Who cares how the building is, you only care about your own flat. You see luxury restaurants but in front of them terrible roads and half built buildings. No proper infrastructure, no proper services, but who cares?!
And so the happiness in Romania comes a lot, if not only from STUFF. Since everything else is a mess. If you got a new TV, you show off with it. Brag about it. A new car, phone, whatever…everyone here is obsessed to tell you what stuff they have and how much they paid for it.
And so the car for a Romanian is not a vehicle to transport them from A to B, it is a HORSE. THEIR HORSE. Beautiful horse!!!
People here pay money to change their license plates to something that resembles them. Alex wants ALX, the guy owning the company Neci wants NCI, and the mafioso guy who sells drugs and tries to hook up with high-school girls wants CIA. And this is not a joke, people here may not know these other ones, but they know their cars by the car plates and car type. They put money into buying fancy headlights, cool steering-wheels, led lights and big displays, but never changed their distribution belt or tires, unless they buy cool tires.
Anyway we arrived.
Our apartment in Romania is very nice and cozy. Nothing fancy, just cozy. Warm, quite big, last floor so no neighbors basically. My mother waited for us with presents like she always does, and some nice food.
First days we went to visit some natural parks near by. Very nice nature in Romania. Still some left. Here is a big cave where only Sasha and Georgi adventured in. Romania is full of bears and I decided that I want to live longer so I didn’t go inside.
But we also saw the exploitation of these forests and mountains… And we did find a cool toy: Of course Sasha had to climb it: Saha had to leave. She was going to Russia to visit her family for a month. We drove her to the bus station, 40 minutes away. Left her. Said goodbye. Me and my parents should drive back now. I decided to let my father drive their car back. He struggles for the past year or so with this driving thing. Very insecure, rushed, he is not paying attention. We were always scared when driving with him.
But hey, it is their car, the way back I thought he will know the way. I was also hungry eating something in the back. They also wanted to stop nearby to see some of the holiday lights. Ok, do it.
The moment we left the parking lot, he went straight on the opposite side of the road. I was unsure then, but later I realized that. Then he drove very badly and I thought the moment we stop for that lights show thing that should be 5 minutes away, I will drive back.
Too late, we crashed. Less than a week after we drove thousands of km to bring to Romania…
It was of course his fault. He went left on an intersection and someone went straight into the back right side. I was in the back right side….I saw that car coming with a lot of speed, the romanian way. That woman did not press the break pedal. I was lucky. A bit earlier or speedier and would have crushed exactly into the right back door where I was. In that situation the seatbelt is useless, and the airbags are there to hopefully help you not die. But if she went straight into the door I would have at least broken some bones, if not my neck or maybe die?!
Was a very fucked up situation.
Of course the woman who hit us screamed at us, and all that. I stayed calm and managed the situation. We agreed not to call the police and the insurance for my parents’ car covered hers. I drove back with the car like that…
I came back home and said I will not go out anymore. Especially with the car. One month inside. It is warm, cozy, and safe.
There are 2 “events” or things that made me realize how much of a dystopia this place is.
1. The Pretenders
It is a big deal in Romania now with the recycling of plastic bottles. In short they put these recycling boxes and give people money if they bring there plastic bottles. At least some kind of them. It says “The future is being made today!” or something like that. Encouraging? Not so when in the right side you already see trash.
Wanna see how the trash disposal situation looks for the apartment building we live in? Wanna see how the hills (nature) nearby (20 minutes walk) look like? I got so depressed after that walk I didn’t want to know that this place exists.
And look how the main bridge in this town looks like, a bridge that is being crossed by many trucks every single day: BUT you can recycle your plastic bottles for a little cash!
And this is a sign of dystopia for me. The combination of fancy useless shit (you can order exotic foods in this town or have access to fancy services) and this pretend to do something (recycle, bioshit, whatever), combined with the reality that is in compete and utter mess. So it is a pretend game. We pretend to do something and care, while in reality we fuck everything up. All because of companies who push for these non-solutions to get away with producing more useless shit.
Romania is an extreme example of this, but the entire world does the same. They likely take that “recycled” trash and dump it in a filed somewhere. Plus instead of putting resources into making people recycle (like give them money if they recycle plastic bottles and such), why not make sure they have access to good drinkable water in their homes and make them get used to drink from there ha? At the same time ban the sell of plastic bottled water! Easy!
These are solutions, not to recycle those plastic bottles that are made in abundance. And I bet they don’t even recycle them anyway.
This is the world we live in, the play pretend. And this had muted the conversations about real solutions. This is indeed catastrophic.
2. The Truth has Died
I came across a high-school friend while I was out of my bunker to go buy some stuff. We exchanged phone numbers. He called me one day to meet up. I said sure, it was in the beginning of my Romanian experience for this winter. I was still a bit naive. I went. We met with yet another high school friend there and her cousin.
To keep it short, it is like I came across antimatter for the first time. Or imagine you end up in the Big Foot club and people talk seriously about seeing Big Foot, and how the government is covering up this big monkey story and all that.
A shock to the system.
Politics, war, astrology, conspiracies….I was truly overwhelmed and terribly depressed. So much bullshit I found no reason to try and push that much against it.
You know Russia had to defend against Ukraine and it is NATO’s fault for the war, Putin is a great leader, Trump is a tough and smart guy, the 7/11 attacks were a false flag, COVID was not real, God exists of course, and astrology (the stars) dictate your faith.
I know most people on this planet are crazy, but now I feel they have become very vocal. Like everywhere, politics in Romania is a tsunami of vomit. Again to keep it short it is this “new guy” who wants to become the president of Romania and most people voted for him.
He thinks the same crazy things that all of the crazies believe. Or vice versa?! hm…
Several media articles criticized Georgescu for his pro-Russian statements, describing him as a Russophile and demonstrating how he used his social media platforms to spread information sourced to Russian state media. He has also praised Russian president Vladimir Putin as “a man who loves his country” Georgescu does not believe in the human Moon landing.[37] In a podcast, he also mentioned that carbonated juices contain nanochips, which “enter you like into a laptop”, and considers climate change “a global scam”, which “has nothing to do with reality”.
If you don’t believe Wikipedia for some reason, here with English subtitles, the guy saying these stupid things:
This guy makes Trump look sane. Millions voted for him. Including these “friends” I met apparently.
My friend took me back home with his very expensive car while leaning in one side to not trigger the beeping sound the car was making since he was not wearing the seat-belt. Quite a struggle to avoid driving safe…. Don’t be a pussy!!!
Anyway.
Now the elections in Romania have been canceled because the previous leaders said Russia pushed this guy’s face and voice in the online world, illegally. Anyway, point is, there are millions who have voted for someone who thinks carbonated drinks contain chips to control you.
He pedals the same nationalism bullshit that so many have started to do for the past years. Maybe Trump inspired them all.
It is true this situation comes from the fact that people are sick of the “normal” politicians who lie, are fake, are corrupted. Couple with the fact that normal people have shitty lives, especially in Romania, and then you start to understand why they want to shake the politics with this “new guy” who says weird and new things, and brags about how he wants to put Romanians FIRST and take care of ROMANIANS, and all about ROMANIA ROMANIA ROMANIA. Just like Trump and his Make America Great Again bullshit.
But it is working….not for the people, but for these leaders. They become popular, rich, powerful. The people remain poor, confused and misinformed.
The problem is that this turmoil has degraded people’s relation with the truth. The aftermath is a big layer of humans who have no tools, time, and willingness to check what is true and what is not. Even worse, this layer thinks that they know what is true and what is not, despite all of that. And that’s the catastrophe.
And so, this society is going downhill at speeds I for one did not anticipate, even with my extremely pessimistic views.
Dystopia
Romania seems to me like a cartoonish version of reality in the sense that it showcases better the message, in a more simple to understand manner. It is like a drawing of our solar system:
You get the idea of how our solar system is without having to dig too deep to “get it”.
That’s what Romania is. A cartoon drawing of our global society. Romania shows you very clearly how and why the truth has died, and it shows you very clearly how we play pretend in this world about fixing our problems.
This is why I recorded this video some 2-3 years ago, and published last month…
In this video I explain why this entire situation is also a result of our trade-based society. And how, in theory, we could fix this, despite the fact that in reality it would be nearly impossible for such a big change to happen.
What now?
Life is short and we are very small.
In Romania we have this big balcony that I can access from my room’s window:
I made it nice there. Put a monitor, some candles, and Christmas lights. I would go there and watch documentaries. The ones made by real journalists and vetted by other independent journalistic organizations. Like, you know, how documentaries and information should be.
I would make some food, buy some sweets, and watch. Learn. Understand. Be angry or amazed. But be so due to real information. If I get angry, I want to get angry because of real things, not illusory nonsense some weirdos vomit online. That felt very cozy and I enjoyed it a lot. I had many interesting conversations with Georgi, my sister, the only sane human I know around here :)).
I want to keep myself sane in this insane world, and I want to enjoy doing that so to not feel like I “have” to do it.
Tomorrow I leave Romania. I go back to Spain. I cannot wait to meet with Sasha again. I am so lucky I have to share my life with her because it seems so rare to find sane humans in this world. Humans who understand what science is and how important it is, how journalism works, how to find what is true and what is not, but also curious about how this world works in general, or why this society is fucked up.
From there on we will start our adventures with our motorhome. I miss our motorhome! But I have started to make a lot of videos so follow us via – tromhome.com.
In February we go meet more of these sane humans in the South of Spain. I cannot believe these sort of people still exist in this boiling soup of crazies that this world has become.
I will continue to create saner projects, promote science, write articles/books, and do good things. All, despite the fact that hope for a better world, for me, is just a faint scent that I almost cannot detect anymore.
But it is fine, we are small, the world is big, and life is fast.
