Tags: Sibiu, interviews, Romania, fieldwork, culture, Bucharest, PhD
Date: 03 July 2007 12:15:51
So, HD is here, and life is very good :D Lots of wine, talking (possibly those are related), and general wonderfulness. The culture I have to say has been a bit disappointing since he got to Sibiu - after last month's lots-of-cool-things, at the weekend there was a fashion show in Piata Mare, we stayed for a few minutes but left when a woman started singing a Eurovision-style power ballad. And then yesterday when we walked past the stage there were a lot of Germans in lederhosen slapping their thighs, as is their wont. Today we tried to go to the History Museum (I've not been there yet, and thought I'd save it for when he came) but got there just as it was closing for the day. Doh! On his first day, as we were in Bucharest heading from the hotel to the bus station, I took him to see Casa Poporului (the big wedding cake, ugly govt building with humungous boulevard etc), as you can't go to Bucharest and not see it. Amazingly, and I've no idea why, all the fountains in the boulevard contained coloured water - as if Bucharest isn't ugly enough, there was a humungous pink fountain, plus smaller green, blue, yellow and purple ones. The town that taste forgot, for sure (I haven't put the photos on flickr yet, but will show you when I do!).
So far then, since being in Sibiu HD has mainly accompanied me to the laundrette, tried to fix my leaking toilet (fortunately leaking clean water and not, er, not clean water), and cooked me a lovely meal. So I'm getting my money's worth, and I'm sure he's having a great time too. :D
Yesterday I had my Big Cheese interview, which went really really well, and she is going to contact some other people (1 Big Cheese and a few Medium Sized Cheeses, hopefully) on my behalf so that I can then talk to them too. So I'm very happy, and currently not walking round declaiming that my research is doomed. So that's good :)