What happens when you throw in ten young people from Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Poland, and Ukraine to work and live together for 6 weeks?
DRBD happens.
W
e all wanted to spend our summer doing something exceptional instead of the typical lazy days we got used to every year. And god knows we did.
W
e embarked on the “Discover Romania beyond Dracula” adventure expecting to explore Romania, meet new people, and develop ourselves both on a professional and personal level. What we didn’t expect however was to have such an impact on others as well. Throughout our journey, we told strangers about our project and our goal and many of them thanked us, telling us how happy and grateful they were that we were willing to work on a project such as this one, promoting their beloved country and showing the world its true colors. If you believe that the kindness of strangers is a myth, I dare you to come to Romania, where the people’s hospitality and warm smiles will change your mind in a heartbeat.
S
o Romanians, you thanked us for our work and now it’s our turn to thank you. This is our project and we dedicate it to you. To all the beautiful souls we met during these heavenly six weeks. We promised you to show the world the real Romania and we hope we didn’t disappoint you. Thank you for your hospitality. Thank you for all the laughs, the adventures, the great times, and the memories that we will cherish until the end of our lives. Here’s to us meeting again.
Multumesc
Romania!
Week 1:
Visiting Clu
uj
S
o here we all were, about to explore Romania after leaving our respective countries behind. The first week was solely dedicated to exploring our hosting city Cluj-Napoca and getting familiarized with its streets, parks, and way of living in general. Whether by foot or by bus, we went around the city and visited cathedrals, museums, parks, as well as restaurants, pubs, and the occasional clubs. As a first impression, Cluj is very different from what I was personally used to. Despite being the European youth capital, it’s not a crowded as Beirut and the road traffic is lighter by far. The culture is different as well with Cluj being more open than my hometown. But let’s talk about the Romanian people who lived up to their famous hospitality reputation. From the moment I stepped foot in Romania (literally), they have been the kind, helpful, caring, generous people I’ve been told they could be. Always ready to help and show us around even if they were just strangers we stopped on the street, there’s no denying that the local people became one of my favorite things about this country. Part of exploring Cluj was visiting its famous touristic destinations. We went to the catholic and orthodox cathedrals, squares, and museums. The cathedrals are so majestic they had us standing inside, feeling small and looking up the walls in awe of all the work and effort put into building something that impressive. Each church stands in a square: Piaţa Unirii and Avram Iancu Square respectively. These squares add an element of charm to the dominant churches and make for a perfect place to relax in under the watchful eyes of the statues they hold.
Strolling through the streets of Cluj-Napoca, you definitely can’t overlook the sophisticated building that is the art museum if you are passionate about art. As well as being an essential baroque edifice in Cluj and an example of the 18th century Romanian architecture, it is considered to be the most important cultural institution in the whole of Romania.
The museum, which used to be the residence of the Hungarian governors of Cluj, has an advantageous location in the heart of town, charming a lot of tourists. Its main goal is to preserve the artists’ masterpieces and expose them to eyes of the visitors. It also holds a courtyard containing a series of sculptures of remarkable artistic value made by Anton Schuchbauer. Exploring the art is the best way to involve oneself into the outlook of the city and understand its spirit.
One of the most wonderful treasures and attractive sights of Cluj is St. Michael’s church. It’s a main witness of the history of Transylvania and it’s considered a great masterpiece of Gothic architecture in Romania. You may think that visiting churches is boring but St. Michael’s is the most spiritual and historical site of the city and should you seek ancient stories, soul appeasement, or help even, this church is the place to go.
Originally, it was used as a Roman Catholic Church, but during the Middle Ages it was also used as a Protestant and Unitarian church. Highlights of St. Michael’s Church include color stained glass windows, old frescoes, and an altar dating from 1390. At twilight, the church is twinkling with lights, making it all the more spectacular.
V
isiting the museums was a different experience. The Transylvania Museum of Etnografico contains traditional clothing, tools, hunting equipment, dinnerware, etc…Getting a glimpse of the old Romania was definitely interesting although it’s not what marked us the most. It was the incredible voice of a woman that grabbed our attention. Accompanied by violins and cellos, the opera singer’s voice filled the room with a tone that can make the most serious and grounded of people drift away to somewhere in their own minds. The whole room was silent, just listening to her sing, not wanting the song to end. Unfortunately it did, and we went on our way. The art museum was next and the exhibitions it offered were beyond interesting. Ranging from classic paintings to sculptures passing by graphics and modern art, the variety is wide and sure to please any taste. The paintings weren’t only beautiful to look at, they were also challenging in a way that they invite you to take a look inside the painter’s brain and try to figure out his intentions behind the painting. Aside from these attractions, we got to experience the lifestyle in Cluj. We found out that the city well deserves her title as European capital of youth. It seems like there’s always something going on and there’s no shortage of social events. The nights aren’t quiet either as you can always find a club, pub, or bar open and ready to take you in. We haven’t visited many cities yet but I know that if I could choose a city to live in as a student, Cluj would be on top of the list.
Cluj is the
e city of...
Cluj is the city of...
neon glowing in CENTRAL PARK by night and motorcycle parked on a street close to it.
energy of youth. As you might know, Cluj Napoca is the European Youth Capital this year. I am so lucky to be here in this period of time. Here, young people are everywhere, not only spending their evenings partying, but also trying to take actions which will make a difference. They know that this is their time and are making an effort to change the environment they live in. A good example is Beard Brothers – A NGO that works in Cluj and does charity work for the locals, especially for children at the orpanage. But they also come to the streets and try make people smile. These simple gestures work wonders sometimes.
Cluj is the city of...
musicians are working on the good atmosphere next to the Museum Square.
inspiration. Pubs in Cluj are so diverse. Everyone can find something that would suit their taste. I especially loved the interior of Shto bar, where colorful, sometimes absurd, crazy graphics are everywhere. For walls full of plants, rustic sculptures and birds on the ceiling, visit Yolka. If you want to admire underwater creatures, go to Samsara cafe. If you want to look at folk-influenced vivid ceiling while drinking lemonade, go to Caffe Tiff. The atmosphere is unique and worth trying in every place in Cluj. As a big street art admirer, it was great for me to see many surprising graphics on the walls. In the city center, almost every corner has a hidden surprise for the person who walks by. Art is even better with good music. I think the people of Cluj know it very well, seeing the amount of music festivals. Despite the Untold Festival, the Romanian version of Tommorowland, there was also a Jazz festival held for fans that were into smoother rhythms. But that is not all. While walking in the night through central park we met a group of musicians playing music on drums. Strolling around museum square we quite often meet people playing and singing old fashioned pop songs like “Hit the road, Jack�. They fill the street with catchy sounds and for a moment make the world a more pleasant place to be in.
Cluj is the city of... For example, let’s just take a look at the block of The Office. It’s a modern building, with some IT companies. Made of black and white, striped elevation, the building grows proudly over the line of buildings in the city. And then let us move across the street, we will see way smaller houses with old-style detailed gates. Also some markets where you can buy fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables.
contrasts. Let’s move to Spherik Accelerator – A place which is told to be a Romanian Silicon Valley. A few days later we faced a similar story. We went to a modern area with a well-designed complex of buildings. You can meet some elegant businessmen strolling around Spherik’s clean pavements and evenly cut lawns and IT students getting inspired while resting in a creatively designed space with hammocks. But when you turn your head to the other side of the street, you will see poor, grey post-communist block of flats with kids running everywhere.
N N
estled on one of Cluj’s more prominent hills is a picturesque botanical garden, spanning over 35 acres and boasting more than 10.000 plants from all around the world. The garden is open to all visitors, and is said to be particularly pleasant in the morning, when the sun is still far from its highest point. The first thing any visitor who enters the garden sees is a spacious pavilion of roses. They are greeted by blooms in a wide spectrum of colors, from pale pink to flaming orange, from brash magenta to the palest of yellows, from periwinkle blue to, of course, classic crimson. Framed by these roses was an array of beautiful Roman statues, accentuating the timelessness of the park by promising to watch over it night and day for centuries.
I
f someone can bear to part with this quaint initial area, they are rewarded with a Japanese garden, complete with an ornamental lake. The small island in the center is connected to the shore with a red wooden bridge on one side and a narrow stone passage on the other. It is also covered in flowers and greenery, with reeds poking out of the water and tiny turtles coasting along the shore. A Japanese veranda perches at the far edge of the lake, overlooking the scene. If someone were to catch their breath on the veranda, they would probably glimpse a classic Japanese arch, under which begins a path of steps leading into a shadowy, mysterious forest. The serenity of the park morphs into a deeper sense of tranquility inside the forest. Winding pebbled footpaths lead to multiple attractions, but sometimes the journey is enough, especially when it is sheltered by ancient trees creating dappled shadowy patterns on the forest floor. If someone ventures far enough into the wood, they will probably be joined by a bubbling brook, voicing affirmations as the path turns into a steady uphill.
H
owever, reaching the top brings on the realization that the top has not yet been reached- the real summit is located at the highest level of the water tower, in the sky of Cluj. From up there, the entire city seems to be spread out like a tapestry, with popular landmarks, such as Uniiri Square and the Orthodox Cathedral, seemingly close enough to touch. After enjoying the view of Cluj Napoca, it is time for more exotic sights in the greenhouses of the garden. Plants from all around the world find shelter from the elements there whether the sun is too bright or the snow is too smothering for the delicate flora housed within. Gigantic Victoria lily pads float in a pool of water, a tall tree from Madagascar grazes the ceiling of the structure and regal red flowers that grow in familiar neighborhoods nod at passersby. Outside the greenhouse lies the trunk of an ancient tree which lived in Romania for hundreds of years and is now resting on its side, forever surrounded by beauty.
E
xiting the garden is difficult, especially with so many secrets left undiscovered. However, some places deserve a second visit. And others deserve more.
Global
An Internation
Village
nal Gathering
T
he sun is up, the smell of a huge variety of international food is roaming the dorm halls, as well as many EPs. Everyone is in a hurry, confused between cooking earlier to be ready the earliest possible, or leave the cooking for the last minutes to serve hot food, or tea in my case. It’s finally time to present our countries; the elevators are full with people from all over the world, carrying tea cups, bowls and dishes, and wearing dresses from all over the world. Lucky enough, we had the chance to be living two minutes away from the location of Global Village, Iulius Park; a beautiful park with a huge lake in the middle, a lake that was considered the main scenery of most photo backgrounds.
a
fter a few minutes of walking, our flags that have been taken from us earlier are showing from afar, already put on our tables, the wind is blowing, making each flag wave proudly at its owner’s arrival. The internationals start putting up all kinds of things on their own little tables: Artifacts, money papers or coins from their homes, musical instruments and most importantly; Traditional FOOD! The kinds of food ranged from spicy to sweet, bitter to salty, there were even alcoholic little chocolate balls! Spicy was Pakistan’s specialty, Greece had a lovely olive oil salad which I couldn’t have enough of, Poland and Ukraine had lovely mini-sandwiches that tasted like heaven, and Egypt had this lovely bowl of ‘Foul’ (Beans) that could fill you up for the day.
T
ime passes, the food plates are getting emptier due to the tastiness of the food, and suddenly, a breeze of wind arrives announcing the arrival of a storm. This sudden change of weather only made the day even more fun, papers and napkins are flying around, everyone’s confused about what to do and the most important mission at the time was keeping stuff for flying away. The final decision was to pick up everything and move to Iulius Mall’s entrance, which we all did. What followed was a huge photo shoot of people carrying their flags, representing the whole world in a small mall entrance.
T
he rain stopped, which means it was time to get back to the park for one of the most important parts of Global Village; Traditional music and dances! It was finally time for each country to shine brightly through its music and dance movements. The dances varied from calm and slow to loud and fast paced,
A
fter a minute of each dance’s start, the rest of the people present would join and learn the dance almost instantly, which was really extraordinary! After a lot of dancing, singing and screaming; team DRBD has to go for a project related manner, it was time to leave because we had to surprise Kiara for her birthday!
T
he Global Village was something totally new and out of this world for me, the whole experience was positively shocking and I have never ever thought that someday I’d be in Cluj-Napoca, Romania; wearing a Moroccan dress representing Morocco. But here I am, doing that and much more.
The truth behind “Where is Abdo?” ____________________________________ V - Vaggelis Margarits, a volounteer from Greece in “Discover Romania Beyond Dracula” Aiesec project. A - Abdelrahman Mohamadeen, a volunteer from Egypt in “We are the youth generation” Aiesec project. ____________________________________________________________ V: I am happy today to take my first interview of my life from a great international intern in Cluj! But I better let him introduce himself.. A: Hello Vaggelis! My name is Abdo and I am from Egypt. V: So Abdo, why are you in Cluj for? A: I am here with an internship of AIESEC, in a project called “We are the Youth Generation”. V: And what is the purpose of this project? A: We came here to make a documentary about Cluj. V: Great! When did you decide to come to Romania and more specific to Cluj? A: I think it was around April. I was almost finished from my first year in Engineering ,which was really hard, and I felt that I don’t want to waste this summer. I had to be productive, so I searched for internships. People told me that the best place to take an internship from, is AIESEC. So I searched for internships in AIESEC project and this one, the one in Cluj-Napoca, was the most convenient. V: In which way convenient? Because of the project itself? A: Yeah, but also…it’s Europe! I really wanted to come here! The other factor was the options the offered me here.. accommodation, food and of course they give us tickets to the Untold festival! V: As I know you were working as a volunteer during the Untold right? A: Yes I was there! And since my department in the project is the articles I can say that I was pretty lucky. I just had to go there, feel the festival and then write my article for the Untold day. I really enjoyed it! V: So your role in the project is the writing of articles. Right? A: Yes. I write articles about Cluj and the places that you can find here. I am also write articles for our sponsors, and for their help to the project. V: You are here for almost 3 weeks. You have met so many international interns from all over the world! Is this something new for you? How do you feel about this experience so far? A: You know… I am from Egypt. We have a lot of tourists but I can only come to contact with them to touristic places. In to every other places are only Egyptians! So when I came here I had the chance to meet people from everywhere! We are 20 people in my project and they come from Europe, Asia, Africa , even from South America! It is fun! A kind of a cultural shock but it’s fun! V: Did you feel this cultural shock here? Did you experience a situation that you felt that someone violates your way of life, because of his habits? A: Not really. And if I had it was not so intense. You know I am Muslim, and from this aspect only, there were some cultural shocks. But generally no. People are people everywhere. There are not so many differences. V: Ok lets take a break.. Do you miss talking Arabic? A: I told you I have 22 people from all over the world. And you know where is my roommate ,from? He is from Egypt! I met him before coming here and he is actually speaking in Egyptian with me, the whole night! No I don’t miss Arabic.
V: Haha ,yes I know your roommate Islam, and I also know that he complains that you don’t speak Arabic so much... A: I speak Arabic all my life and I will speak Arabic back in Egypt. This is a really good chance to exercise my English through talking to other people from other countries. V: You told me that you study at the department of Engineering. What was your motivation to join a project of creating a documentary, and not lets say searching a summer internship to a engineering company? A: At first I have to say that I am in my first year of studies so I don’t feel so experienced of taking an internship to my field yet. Secondly, the thing that attracted me to come to Cluj is the fact that Cluj is well known for the IT development companies that are established here. I am thinking of specializing in the field of IT, so Cluj can be a good option for me ,in the future V: What is the thing that you liked the most in Cluj? A: I really liked the architecture here and especially the small houses with their red roofs! It is something that we don’t have in Egypt! V: Why would you suggest to someone to visit Cluj instead of a famous European capital? A: I was in Bucharest my first day in Romania, and I spent the whole day there. The thing is that I like Cluj more because is calmer. I guess that capitals would not be like that. It was more crowded there (Bucharest) ,with random people all around. But here in Cluj the people are more familiar and warm. And I want to add something about Romania in general; the Romanian people are very friendly. And they became instantly sweet with you when they understand that you only speak English. They accept speaking English and this is very important. Another thing about Cluj is that it is a very developed city. Not as some people believe, because I far from Bucarest. Another thing is that it has a lot of good clubs! (laughter) V: I know that you are one of the most famous interns in Cluj. But the members of your project are always looking for you to the official gatherings of the team. Where is Abdo? A: Hahaha! My roommate is “complaining” to me; “Where is Abdo? Where is Abdo?” I know that I don’t attend all the events and meetings they go, because if these meetings are not for professional purpose, and don’t feel that I have to attend them. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. So, I prefer to go discover the city, I met some beautiful Romanians here and they tour me around Cluj! V: So you actually Discover Cluj Beyond…Youth Generation! Abdo I really want to thank you for this interview! I wish you the best for you and the project! A: Hahaha! Something like that! Thank you too! It was very fun!
a Day
Central
in
l Park
A
park is often the best form of respite from a hot city day. This was especially true on the already stifling Saturday morning when we visited Central Park, to be promptly rewarded with a welcoming breeze. We had entered a world of towering, slender trees, boisterous family picnics, shared hammocks on lazy afternoons. The cobblestoned, bench-lines pathway led us deeper inside, past a lovely lake filled with swan shaped boats, a majestic building labeled “CASINO� and weathered little food trucks selling cotton candy and lemonade. We crossed paths with blushing brides heading to a wedding pavilion and noticed a descending table full of diners who had just finished enjoying brunch in the sky.
Our destination was an open, tree-spattered area, perfect for sitting in a circle on the grass and getting better acquainted with each other. Our activities included finding similarities and differences from our teammates, a feat that proved more difficult then expected. After all, finding common ground with a stranger is something that we all have experience in, and that can lead us to forget that the things that differentiate others from us are often those that make them unique. We were also given the chance to discuss various subjects, ranging from simple ones, like pet names, to very touchy ones, like our deepest, darkest fears.
After this activity, our mentor pointed out a structure made of ropes strung between two trees, and informed us that we would have to push all of our teammates through the holes made by the ropes, a diabolical, time consuming task that none of us had ever imagine we would be asked to perform. The existence of a time limit and the fact that we were forbidden to touch the ropes made this seemingly impossible task even more far-fetched. It took strategic planning and brute strength, moments of silence and times it was difficult to hear others over the ruckus, and (almost) dropping our teammates quite a few times, but we finally accomplished a task that we had thought was unmanageable. It taught us to trust our teammates and ourselves, and to never give up, even when the going is hard.
... and our most valuable asset during our journey to discover Romania will be
teamwork.
After this, we were finally allowed a short lunch break, during which we were taken to a lovely outdoor restaurant to eat pizza. The atmosphere was perfect, since everyone was quite ready to let loose, relax, and, especially, eat. And then, seemingly right after leaving, we reentered the respite of the park. It was time to resume our activities. Our next phase included making more circles on the grass, to discuss goal setting, our motto, and how to be good team members. This included drawing sketches of models for good (or bad) teammates and then giving them characteristics. It was very interesting to see the others write in their mother tongues- what seemed to be just symbols to us had actually been their entire lives until now! Before the end of the session we were allowed a short break to enjoy our surroundings. I took that chance to lie on the grass and stare at the endless canopy of leaves so far above me. It looked like an entire universe of foliage in the sky, just beyond my fingertips. I imagined a life in the trees, away from the city bustle and prying eyes. So lonely and yet so serene. Our last activity included something that we had all been looking at in awe, interest, or just plain fear: the flatline. It was a belt that connected three trees together, which we would be asked to walk on. I watched my other teammates’ faces contort in uncertainty and then the joy of victory as they inched their way down the flatline, holding each other for dear life. Everyone managed to travel a certain distance this way, but after reaching the point when they would break contact with their teammate, they found that they were unable to go on. It was the best possible way to discover that we can only achieve the desirable results by working together as a team, and as soon as the hold of communication is Lost, we are guaranteed to fall into an abyss of broken trust. Our day in Central Park ended much as it had begun, with an exit from the breezy oasis and an entrance into the urban world of Cluj. We had learned much about the others, but also about ourselves. Our most important lesson, however, was that mutual trust is the glue that will hold us together for the duration of this project, and our most valuable asset during our journey to discover Romania will be teamwork.
central park looks st
tunning also by night
UNTOLD FESTIVAL 2015 Transylvania! are you re
eady?!
Cluj-Napoca, the youth European capital, couldn’t have missed the opportunity to host such a spectacular festival of music and people as Untold. Try to imagine 4 days of music, 4 days of people, 4 days of fun and high‌ The best thing that could happen to you would be to to be there, addicted to the flow of a multicultural mix of people and wonderful music. It seemed that the guests were waiting for this spectacular event not a few days, but their entire lives. Whatever music you like you could find on one of the multiple stages. Chill places in the park, pool parties, the riverside and a lot of others stages were crowded with the crazy mass of people flowing to one place to another.
The main stadium, Cluj Arena, was where there was the most energy all day and night. It was a great pleasure to enjoy the romantic and soft Tom Odel, “The nights” of Avici , the relaxing performing of John Newman , 3 hours of high-techno sets from Armin van Buren, the amazing David Guetta and not only. During such festivals you realize that music is a huge power that unites people from all over the world, and it doesn’t matter where you are from and which language you are speaking. That great atmosphere of youth, drive and happiness will be in our minds till the next Untold-2016.
Street life of Cluj
It was such a warm sunny day in Cluj and our team was supposed to do an interview with random people in Cluj, but then we found this street art festival called “CooltUrban� in the Central Park and suddenly we forgot about the interview and instead, we enjoyed this festival. We saw young people playing skateboards, making really cool graffiti, or just sitting in the hammocks while listening to the chill musics playing.
We asked some guys who paint graffiti and we still remember that they have one same answer for this question “Where is your favorite place in Cluj?�.
All of them answered “The street” because they like to play skateboard or paint some graffiti in the streets in Cluj. And it’s true, you can find loads of cool graffiti in the streets.
M A t
C n
Modern A r c h i tecture in C l u j napoca
People of Cluj I was taking photos and he came
to me and told me “poti sa imi faci o poza”. When I didn’t understand, he said to me “photo, photo!” and it was one of the best photos I’ve taken in Cluj.
The smell of flowers sold next to
the Museum Square makes you feel at home.
The women asked me where I am from
and complimented the color of my hair. I gave her an egyptian pound and she told me that she will save it as a souvenir
This boy was selling apples. I tried to convince him
to smile to the camera but he didn’t want to. i gave him a chocolate, and he smiled, but i couldn’t catch it in my camera.
I
complimented this man on his painting, he asked me where I am from. I told him that I’m from Indonesia and he asked “How could you adore my paintings, if you have bali as paradise?” I was amazed because only a few people knows that Indonesia has a Bali. “Do you know my country?” “Yes, It’s my dream is to go there and paint landscape.“
We
were supposed to take an interview with this man, but somehow it happened that we lost our paper. So we asked him just a one, random, but important from the tourist’s view, question. “What is the best spot of Cluj and the best thing to do?” “To eat ice cream is the great thing, especially on this spot. “- He answered and smiled.
She
is an eighty three year old cancer survivor, she sells cheap jewelry and accessories. Despite the fact that she just had a mastectomy, she still has the urge to work, dream, care, and be genereous, both to her family; such as her ambitious musician grandson who needs to apply for IT school, and to strangers; like us. No matter what things she has to make money for, the lady offered us a variety of cute accessories to either keep to ourselves or give to our loved ones. She taught us that “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.
A story ab
bout Razvan
A story about one Razvan A tiny shop with a lot of diverse jams, a smiling and skillful cook, a lot of cheerful people waiting for crepes, and an amazing smell that teases our noses and appetite. It’s not easy to reach such success being a young businessman, but Razvan, owner of Jam factory, has managed. How did he succeed in having his own profitable trademark? He shared with us his experience about good-quality business as he wants young businessmen to run their “life project” with honesty for consumers. He had just finished making crepes for a couple and afterwards, he was kind enough to dedicate his time to us. He made us crepes and they were so tasty that throughout the conversation, I was daydreaming about one more portion.
I am Razvan and I made jam First: the introduction. His name is Razvan. He makes jam and he has his own factory. The most important thing to him is homemade fruits to make a true delicious jam. So all his fruits are fresh and “wild� as he takes them from the forest and in Cluj he has a small bakery, where he makes crepes with jam.
I fell in love with this city The young business owner was a student here, but he was born in another county. Nevertheless he fell in love with this city as it is full of energy and new ideas like a typical big European city. He is also fascinated with the people and their lifestyle because they create a lot of projects which make it newer and more attractive for internationals.
Cluj is a good school for business Razvan considers Cluj to be a perfect city to start a business, because it is better than the capitol, as the risk is not so high. Moreover you have an opportunity to meet a lot of people and of course make friends who want to try new things every day. It is a great market and opportunity to have a business in your mind and courage to experiment. That’s why it is a good school for business. He determines himself as liberate person, but still does not want to invite government into his activity, even though it supports a lot of young businessmen. However it is still a tough decision to make because it’s a great responsibility. Razvan thinks that the best choice in life is to start business.
Being honest with a customer is the right philosophy Problems exist every day and for Razvan, it is a waste of time to talk about them. He thinks there are some great ideas that can help to run a good business. He believes that a successful business is the one in which you are honest with a customer. That is the right philosophy. Furthermore a successful businessman is one who to delivers the best products, services and offers a comfortable price for his clients.
Just stay here and think about yourself, about the people We should acknowledge that a lot of people have a desire to visit Cluj-Napoca as it is a youth European capital and there are a lot of events and activities for tourists. However it is interesting to ask locals about their favorite spots in Cluj. And our hero prefers staying in the Central Park on the terrace to admire the people; also it is a good position for him to visit Cetatuie a panoramic view of the beauty of the city. And of course the botanical garden, which is so unique and peaceful. Just staying there and thinking about yourself, about the people around you, it’s a perfect place to relax.
The best memory “The moment I will never forget was the day I opened Razvanaria. It was full of people and I was not prepared for it. But I faced it. It was a great feeling to open my place in Cluj, in the city I love so much and in which I want to live. It is the perfect city for me – that is the balance and opportunities here. And I know what people want here and which is very important. This project makes me happy because money is not so important, but what I can deliver and transmit to the people is the most important to me”.
3
questions about Romania
As members of DRBD, we decided to wander the streets of Cluj-Napoca and ask its people three simple questions:
1. “Describe Romania in one word” 2. “What is your favorite place in Cluj and why?” 3. “How would you convince someone to visit cluj?” Their answers were interesting as they varied just as much as the type of people we interviewed did. The only thing they all had in common is that they all are definitely and certainly proud of their city and country, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
1) Describe Romania in one word: - Peaceful. 2) What’s your favorite place in Cluj and why?: - Cetatuie, it reminds me of my childhood days. 3) How would you convince someone to visit Cluj?: - By letting him know that it’s a quiet place, that it has cheap prices and that most people here would understand and accept you.
Mihail 1) Describe Romania in one word: - Beautiful 2) What’s your favorite place in Cluj and why?: - Museum Square and Central Park, they just give me a feeling of being Romanian. 3) How would you convince someone to visit Cluj?: - By insisting that it’s a really beautiful country, I mean.. Have you seenn all the food places you can visit?!
roxi
1) Describe Romania in one word: - Different. 2) What’s your favorite place in Cluj and why?: - Botanical Garden, because it has alot of trees, I find them relaxing. 3) How would you convince someone to visit Cluj?: - I would tell them that it’s small, but full of life!
george
1) Describe Romania in one word: culture 2) What’s your favorite place in Cluj ? the central park 3) How would you convince someone to visit Cluj?: Cluj –Napoca is the European Capital of Youth!
DIANA 1) Describe Romania in one word: A big big hug! 2) What’s your favorite place in Cluj? The view from the Belvedere! 3) How would you convince someone to visit Cluj?: To discover the great history of modern Cluj and of the old Napoca!
ADRIANNA 1) Describe Romania in one word: - Fun. 2) What’s your favorite place in Cluj and why?: - Belvedere, it has fresh air and a really nice view! 3) How would you convince someone to visit Cluj?: - Party!
bogdan
1) Describe Romania in one word: - Wonderful 2) What’s your favorite place in Cluj and why?: - I have a kid so I visit Central Park alot, it’s quite lovely. 3) How would you convince someone to visit Cluj?: - If they come to Cluj they will meet alot of great smiling people and discover wonderful places.
roxana 1) Describe Romania in one word: Great! 2) What’s your favorite place in Cluj and why?: the central park 3) How would you convince someone to visit Cluj?: It is full of great people and also we have a lot of students!
BIANCA 1) Describe Romania in one word: ART 2) What’s your favorite place in Cluj?: The streets of Cluj! 3) How would you convince someone to visit Cluj?: I invite him to discover by himself Cluj-Napoca!
GRAFITTI ARTIST
Hoia B
Baciu
C
ries, weird voices, suspicious faces, light orbs, and much more. It’s neither your imagination nor paranoia; it’s Hoia Baciu, also known as the world’s most haunted forest
or Romania’s very own Bermuda Triangle. It’s the perfect place to put your nerves and bravery to the test as it is renowned for intense paranormal activity and unexplained events.
T
he Hoia Baciu forest is located near ClujNapoca and covers more than 250 hectares. It was named after a shepherd who disappeared in that area along with a flock of two hundred sheep. The wild forest first gained fame in the late 1960s when a biologist named Alexandru Sift
amazing photos of a flying disc-shaped object in the sky above the forest. On august 18 1968, a military technician named Emil Barnea captured the famous picture of a saucer flying over the forest. In the 1970s, the area became a hotbed for UFO sightings and unexplained lights.
O
ur guide for the day, Alex, had a lot to say concerning the legends surrounding this intriguing forest and needless to say the moment he started sharing stories, we were all ears. He started by telling us that the locals living near the forest are frightened by it as they believe that whoever enters the forest never comes back, that it’s linked to another dimension. A young woman claims that every time she walks through said forest, she witnesses spheres of fog and smoke landing on earth. Another tale sees a five year old who wandered into the woods, got lost, and subsequently disappeared. Five years later, she resurfaced from the forest, wearing the same clothes she had on the day of her disappearance, with no memory of those past five years.
A
fter the stories came the warnings. Hikers usually experience nausea, anxiety, and an intense feeling of being watched. Electronics are victims of some paranormal activity as well. The battery dies twice or three times quicker in the forest. For instance, a TV crew wanted to film a documentary there and was equipped for a six hour shoot. However, their electronics worked only for an hour before shutting down. It is also said that when you develop pictures taken in Hoia-Baciu, you’ll notice orbs of light or strange shapes that weren’t visible for the naked eye.
W
ith these stories in mind, we headed into the forest to see for ourselves, sticking together, and following the trail that lead us to a vantage point offering us an incredible view of the city. And despite Alex saying that one can never follow the same path twice as it changes every time and we might get lost, we didn’t. The only thing we lost was a pair of sunglasses, a small price to pay for a visit to the world’s most haunted forest.