22 March 2012
There was so much that we saw and learned on this travel that unfortunately I'm probably missing a lot of information. However, I'm content with sharing my most memorable experiences during the trip. On Thursday, 22 March 2012, we left our hotel to fly back home to Lugano. We were all beyond exhausted, we were all sick, but most importantly we were more than satisfied with the amazing trip we had just concluded.
Romania: A Quick Summary
Having been in Romania for so long we learned a lot about the country. I feel as if its the country I know most about in the world, after the U.S.A. After visiting 3 principalities-Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia- we had discovered a bunch of interesting things about Romanian culture and how it differs across regions and cities.
Our main focus having been minorities, I left Romania with a greater understanding on what it truly means to be a minority within this country. We learned that each minority- Saxon, Hungarian, and Roma- have their own cultures, traditions, and languages that they have been able to hold on to for hundreds of years since they first settled in Romania. I find it amazing that you can be a part of two countries or cultures (ex: Romanian and Hungarian), but feel no strong tie to either. We gained a lot of insight on how exactly these cultures have been preserved. Our visit to Sibiu showed us the Saxon way of life in what used to be a city with a population of mostly Germans. We saw how Saxon students went to German speaking schools, how their newspapers are separate, how they elect their own to become mayor of their cities, and how the Lutheran church plays a role as an authority figure. We witnessed how Hungarians continue celebrating their own festivals and events even through the opposition of the majority. We talked to students of Hungarian and Saxon minorities and got a first hand account of what it felt like to live in Romania. We saw first hand the stylistic differences between the Hungarians, the Saxons, and the Romanians. We questioned the Roma King's first hand man about why the Roma traditions were kept to secret. We listened as he told us their policy of not integrating with any cultures, and how they seek to remain outsiders. He told us that they viewed everyone outside their clans as a common enemy and by raising their children that way they had managed to carry on their traditions and values for hundreds of years. We discussed stereotypes versus reality, and come out of it all with a better understanding of the situation.
Although we were only in Moldova for one full day, we learned a fair amount about the country as well. We started out with the knowledge that it was the poorest country in Europe, and was struggling to gain entrance into the EU. We learned that it had once been a part of Moldavia, and had been Sovietized after it was taken away from Romania. Although Romania too had its own soviet influences, the extent of sovietization was far more prevalent in Moldova. We also learned of the struggle of Moldovans to create their own identity. They too did not consider themselves Romanian, and so carved out their own way of life. They named their language "Moldovan", although it simply was a slight variation of Romanian. They may be keen to remain separate, but the fact remains that they share the same history as the principality or Moldavia.
Final Comments:
This was definitely a trip to be remembered.
No comments:
Post a Comment