Flying High

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I've not been in touch recently.

Spring has definitely arrived here and with the clocks changing last week there is a much better atmosphere in the city. It is not that we have had a particularly bad winter, it's just that Bucharest improves immensely in warmer weather. The pavement cafes open up again (which means you can put away the breathing apparatus and escape the smoke filled rooms inside).

The Ambassador went to London for a week so I took the opportunity to have a few days off. I would like to have taken the whole week, but at the Embassy I have been given another role, that of looking after the Resident Twinning Advisers (remember that when I was here with the Customs project I was an RTA). In the middle of the Ambassador's week in London I had a Twinning Project Steering Committee meeting I had to go to. So I could only have a few days off. But I was able to get a cheap flight to Valencia so I decided to go to the house in Spain for 3 days. And what a memorable experience from beginning to end.

I went with Wizz Air from Bucharest. Like many of the low cost airlines they do not allocate seats, it's just like a bus, you get on and choose where to sit. Unfortunately this allows the Romanians to display some of their characteristics to the full. For example no Romanian is able to wait behind the other, whether they are queuing for something or driving their car. So it was an all out fight to get on the plane. One advantage we have over the average Romanian is that we have the ability to think.

So when I saw that there was a bus taking us from the terminal to the plane, I thought - if you are last on the bus, you will be first off and so first into the plane. So while watching the Romanians climbing over each other and pulling hair, gouging eyes and kneecapping the person in front I waited patiently. And of course I did walk onto the bus almost last and so was first off. When the bus doors opened it was like a dam of people bursting. The fighting started again, but this time the Wizz Air people were trying to stop people going on to allow those with small children on first. Two words.....fat chance.

Evenually, using a taser, electonic prod and machine gun they finally stopped us at the foot of the steps. One woman went past with a baby and the Romanians patience ran out. They all started scrabbling up the steps again, Wizz Air staff were shouting while collecting the eyes, bits of scalp and hair that were falling on the tarmac. Of course the whole situation resolved itself and we took off exactly on time by some miracle.

Those of you who have travelled to Romania will have experienced the ritual you go through when landing. As you touch down they all applaud, then they all switch on their mobile phones, then they all start getting their hand luggage from the overhead bins. All this before we have even reached the end of the runway and turned towards the terminal. The poor Wizz Air stewardess was shouting 3 times for everyone to please sit down.

Thankfully getting my hire car to drive down to La Marina was very straightforward. I had asked for a "compact" car (Ka or Clio). They told me I had been upgraded and indeed I had, about 7 up grades, so I drove a bendy bus out of Valencia airport! It was an enormous people carrier. But extremely comfortable and plush - I liked it.

I arrived at the house in Spain to find there was no electricity. The neighbours had it, but I didn't. A letter in the post box at the gate told me I had been cut off for non payment of bills. This was Saturday evening so there was nothing I could do until Monday morning.

When I went to the bank I asked:
"Can you give me a list of all the standing order/direct debits there is on the account?"
"Certainly" said the helpful Bank clerk.
"You have 4, one for water, one for the insurance of the house, one for SEMA and one for electricity."
"Pardon?" I asked "Did you say electricity?"
"Yes"
"So can you explain why I have been cut of for non payment of my electricity?"
"Oh" he said looking at the letter I had thrust under his nose.
After some squinting at the screen he finally said: "Ah, I see what's happened. The electricity company has two names and they have started using the other name with you for some reason. And of course the bank direct debit is set up for the first name so it didn't recognise it. Therefore your bills were not paid."

So through no fault of mine I had no electricity! Thankfully my friend Chris was able to offer me a shower and cooked food.....for the whole time I was there as the electricity never came back on. The consolation was that as I drove back to Valencia the car dashboard showed it was 28c. It had been a beautiful sunny few days.......and dry in every way!!

In the next two weeks I get two Easters, the Christian one this weekend and then the Orthodox one the following weekend. So Happy Easter, Paste Fericit, to you.

And I will try to be in touch again very soon.

Take care,

Andrew x