Romanian:
Acum cateva zile, intr-o dimineata, eram cu Andreea la un Dunkin Donuts si beam o cafea. Urma sa ne intalnim cu cineva si pentru ca ajunsesem mai devreme cu vreo 40 de minute am zis sa profitam sa ne bem cafeaua:). In cafenea la o masa alaturata erau un grup de 3 oameni, motociclisti cu geci de piele, plete, genul cu Harley Davidson, oameni inalti si zdraveni care isi vedeau linistiti de conversatia lor. La cateva minute a intrat un alt grup de 3 persoane in varsta undeva peste 70 de ani care si ei s-au asezat la alta masa si isi savurau cafelele si gogosile. La un moment dat vad ca motociclistii se pregatesc de plecare iar inainte sa iasa unul dintre ei ( cel mai ,,fioros'' dintre ei) se apropie de batrani si spune simplu: ,,Ma scuzati, nu vreau sa va deranjez..intinde mana catre unul dintre batrani si zice...Thank you for your service. Curios m-am uitat mai atent la batran si atunci m-am luminat si eu. Avea o sapca cu veteran al razboiului din Vietnam.
Pe mine unul m-a impresionat acest gest simplu dar plin de respect si recunostinta. E prima oara cand vad asa ceva.Aceasta intamplare spune multe despre societatea de aici.
Si pentru ca veni vorba de societate am observat inca un lucru. Oriunde am fost si am umblat destul de mult in aceste 2 luni de cand suntem aici, lumea e saritoare si dornica sa te ajute. Am mai fost in multe orase din Europa insa nicaieri nu am patit ca aici. Pur si simplu daca te vad un pic dezorientat se opresc pe strada si te abordeaza. Esti in regula? Te ajut cu ceva? Te-ai ratacit? etc. De multe ori,cum totul este nou pentru noi, ne uitam de jur imprejur doar ca sa observam cat mai multe lucruri. Se pare ca felul in care privim noi de jur imprejur se aseamana mult cu dezorientarea:). Si am si aici o intamplare scurta:). Am fost cu Andreea la una din universitati si am parcat la ei in campus intr-un loc de parcare gasit liber. Am stat vreo 3 ore pe acolo si la intoarcere, surpriza...in parbriz amenda 50$ pentru parcare in loc nepermis. Si cum stateam noi si ne uitam la aceea amenda sa vedem ce zice, unde trebuie platita, etc, se opreste o masina, coboara gemul si 2 fete tinere, probabil studente, ne intreaba frumos:
Ati luat amenda?
Noi - Da
Ele - Sunteti in vizita?
Noi - Da
Ele - Atunci nu e corect. Mergeti la biroul (si ne explica unde sa mergem) si certati-va cu ei ca nu e corect sa luati amenda asa
Si am fost, si am discutat si ne-au pasuit, fiind prima abatere. Dar noroc cu ele ca altfel eram mai saraci cu 50$.
Exista si multi americani dintre cei cu care am interactionat intr-un fel sau altul care sunt exagerat de entuziasmati si extrem de incantati cand le povestim cum am ajuns noi aici. Mie, deocamdata, o asemenea reactie mi se pare un pic falsa...ramane sa elucidez in viitor daca am dreptate sau nu.
English:
A few mornings ago I was with Andreea at Donkin Donuts
having coffee. We were about to meet somebody but because we arrived early we
decided to wait inside Donkin. Inside at
a table next to us there was a group of about 3-4 motorcyclists the kind with
long hair, leather jackets and pants. They were minding quietly their own
conversation. After a few minutes a group of 3 old man enters the place. They
were about 70 years old and they sat down at another table. After a while I see
that the motorcyclists are getting ready to leave and just before exit one of
them approach the other group and says: Excuse me I don’t mean to interrupt
…shakes the hand of one the old man saying….Ghank you for your service. I
looked closely and I saw that the guy is a Vietnam veteran.
I for one was really impressed by this gesture, simple but
full of respect and dignity. It’s the first time when I see this. This says a
lot about the society here.
And speaking of society I noticed another thing. Every
places we’ve been people are helpful and willing to advice you. We visited many European cities but we haven’t seen
something like this. If they see you just a bit lost they ask you…Are you ok?
Are you lost? Can we help you?..Many times we were just looking around just
because everything was so new J.
Again I can tell you a small episode.
I was with Andreea at the university and we parked inside
the campus. We stayed there for about 3 hours and when we returned to the
car…surprise…a ticket for 50$ because we parked in the wrong place. We were
looking at the ticket trying to see where and when do we have to pay the ticket
when a car approaches and 2 young girls ask us nicely:
Did you get a ticket?
Us: Yes
Them: Are you just visiting?
Us: Yes
Them: It is not fair. You should go to the parking office (
they explain to us where the office is) and complain . You shouldn’t had taken
this ticket.
And we visited the parking office and got away just with a
warning. They cancelled the ticket after we explained that we just didn’t know
the rules in the campus. Lucky that those girls stopped to help us otherwise we
would be 50$ poorer.
There are a lot of American people that are exaggeratedly
enthusiastic and thrilled when we tell them how we came to US. For me, now,
they seem a bit phony and false…we’ll see in the future if I am wright or notJ
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