Home in Cluj

In Cluj.  New apartment is nice.  I have just bought silverware, a kitchen knife, essentials for the fridge, etc.  Last night I roasted pui for Shirl, and made ciorbe de varza for me, but Shirl had a tummy ache, so the wonderful aromas went to waste.  Today, I hope, she will feel like eating, because we have a lunch date at Gente's with Alexandra.

Yesterday I was at Autotransilvania BMW at 8:00 A.M. to see about repair to Klaus' rear bumper.  In Sighisoara's old city the rear end bottomed on a too-steep cobblestone right turn, and tore the right side of the rubber bumper loose.  No permanent damage, though, and for only 210 de Lei ($60), he is just fine again.

From there I went to FSEGA where I saw Alexandra to deliver the books I brought, Moni Z. to pay her back for the deposit she made on our apartment, Melinda P. for lunch, and Mihaela L. very briefly.   Mihaela is again looking after her ailing mother, and postponed our planned meeting, as she had to have her Mom to the hospital by 3:00.

Then, I went to Auchan at the Iulius Mall, and filled the preliminary shopping list for the apartment.  Meanwhile, at home the washer was running with my travel clothes in it, and Shirl was sleeping soundly in our good bed.  When I got home, I hung my clothes on the rack on the balcony, and cooked dinner, awaiting the arrival of Angelica, our landlady, and her husband Dumitru, to receive the rent that I had withdrawn at the bank in Iulius Mall.  When they arrived, we chatted for 20 minutes, as Shirl continued to sleep.   Dumitru is a civil engineer, working in his own company on bridge projects for the state, and for private builders.  His proudest private accomplishment is the entrance bridge to Polus Center on Calea Floresti, which I told him was a very graceful design, to my eye.

This morning, I met with "the guys" at the coffee stand in P-ta M.V., including Dan, Ion, Ion, Petru, Petru, and Sandru.  These are the deliverymen I would have morning coffee with at the parking lot last year, on my way to the Faculty, and who helped me on the morning in 2009 when I found Klaus' battery to be dead.  Only "Big" Dan was absent, because he is now driving a TIR "in Europe."  The general opinion of these guys is that the world is in "one big shit," and the politicians in Romania are worse than useless.

My optimism for the long term future of Romania is not shared by many Romanians.  Meli had expressed parallel views at lunch.