Misconceptions.

Probably I didn’t mention until now that I am from Romania. (I mention in my other blog ,and I even mad some fun about it, but not in this one).

So here in Romania the largest ethnic minority is Hungarian people that make about 6.6% of the population. In the highest concentration are Harghita and Covasna districts. I was one of the extremists that hate Hungarian because of misconception that are very bad people. We had a lot of jokes about them and so on. Probably this has born in to my mind because of the new I heard that the Hungarian from the Harghita and Covasna district want independence. I was imagining that is outrageous, is right in the hart of Romania. How the hell they even can think about that?

So I was not very happy about the think that I have to go to Harghita for my vacation. When I had arrive there I see the name of the train station in both languages Hungarian and Romanian, and I was thinking: OK I am doomed. I had expected from one moment to another that a horde of angry Hungarians come to beet me up for all the jokes I had made in the past. (One of the jokes is: “If you see a back people and a white one drowning, who do you save? You save the back one because the white may be Hungarian.” So you see what my mentality was. ). I had arrived about ten a clock and it was already dark so I was kind of scarred. But nothing was happening, so I imagine that maybe are not so many of them there. I didn’t know where the hotel was so I had to ask. Weren’t too many people on the street so I didn’t have too much alternatives. I pick up some guy and ask him where the hotel was. He had answered me and offer to take me there. But it has a funny accent so I guess that is Hungarian. I answered that I will find my way and fallow his instruction even I didn’t really trust him. To my surprise the hotel was there. So he didn’t want to set me a trap. But there was nobody at the reception. (It was my fault because I arrived so late, in the hotel reservation was written than I had to arrive before 6 a clock.)

To wait until the next morning didn’t sound very appealing to me, I really wanted a room. So I look at the reservation and I find a phone number. I call the number and voice with Hungarian accent answer me. I explain the situation and she tell me to don’t worry it will com in a few minutes to bring me the key. In a few minutes a nice women show up and give me the key for the room and fill up the necessary papers. She didn’t seem to upset that she had to come from the home at 23 hundred hour for me.

Ok. What the hell is happening? Nobody is trying to kill me, even if they are Hungarian. Maybe they are not… they just have a funny accent.

I turn on the TV and notice that most of the channels are in Hungarian, and just a few are in Romanian. Discovery channel was doubled in Hungarian so the TV was no use to me. I prefer the English version. I really hate the thing with translating stuff. I had grown with Cartoon Network in English and I learn English from there. (That why I have Scooby-Doo accent) Now unfortunately is translated and I really hate it. You can’t imagine how terrifying sounds Scooby-Doo in Romanian. It really scares the children’s.)

Next day I realize that everybody around there is Hungarian except for the tourists. But it seems that my ideas were wrong all along. They are really nice people, and we should all get along. Also they explain me about the independence they ask for is not I was thought. What they want is that should be allowed to take care of the may from the taxes there and use it in the right way for the district. Right now the government decides what they should do with the money. And it seems that they make very wrong decisions. (Oh.. I already knew that the money is used in really stupid ways here in Romania like making a cheap highway, that is so bad that it must be repaired next year and, the year after that and so on, instead of making a expensive one that don’t need repairs every day).

So I finally realize that they are not so thick skins like I thought and there demands are extremely reasonable.

Do you remember the two girls I spoken about; there was tourist like but they ware much worse than any of the Hungarian I meat there. One of them was manager of a big textile company and extremely bumptious, like was the Queen of England. She even refuses to dance with me at the New Year Eve party. (Nobody invite her except me. For who the heel was she waiting for, Prince Charming?) And I was extremely upset and annoyed that a Romanian girl can do such of thing to me. (Even I know that I make at least 3 times more money that her just as a programmer). It was almost screw me vacation if it wasn’t for a Hungarian girl that notice that I am so upset and invite me to dance with her. So I have felt much better, and I have promise her that I will come back …. I think I am in love.

Also the waiters ware extremely nice compared with the ones from Bucharest.And they worked hard all night long.(picture of the waiters at the NYE party) So what can I say? I was wrong. I am really sorry! I had some misconceptions.

If somebody tells me last year that I will fall in love to a Hungarian girl probably die of laughs, and never believe that I can do such of thing. Now I am hoping to meet her again as soon as possible. Probably I will go back there on Saint Valentines to be with her.

ATV ride.

Just how I had promise , I will tell about the my vacation. So my mother convince me to go with her to vacation, I was indenting to keep working at some projects I had. But I was finally accepted to go with her but I was still intending to come back next day. But because I was pick up two girls there I was decided to stay one more day. Seems that it was a bad decision, seems that the girls wasn't so fun anymore. So I have learn that not allays what seems to be the truth is the truth. So I was in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do.... but some ATV's pass near me. So I assumed that I can rent an quad for a ride. I asked when I can rent an ATV and I finally find where. Is about 20 Euro for an hour, kind of expensive but I was very curious how it is so I rent one for 2 hours. Until now I had drive all kind of terrain vehicles: motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, an tank and a train. So I expected to be extremely easy to drive an ATV, almost like a motorcycle.

Wrong !!!! In the first 20 second I was the ditch near the track. I had felt so humiliated, everyone was looking at me. I get back on road and start thinking what I did wrong. It is very hard to steer and every bump in the road force you in a wrong direction. I hold the handle bar tight and try again. After a few seconds I realize that I can't handle it. So I asked what to do. Should I give up. No way !!! So I asked myself again what is the problem. At low speeds is hard to steer because of the high friction between the wheels and the ground, and when the road is earth road with lot of bumps. So I decided to accelerate. I am going to brake my neck or save my honor. At higher speeds it's a lot more simple to steer so my driving get better. After a few laps I get used to so i decided that I am ready for an off-road ride. The renting company it will not allow you to go off-road without a guide (That is in the price of the renting). So in case you kill yourself the guide to bring back the quad. So I go to the guide and tell him I am ready. I pick up a route and start riding. A 3 hours route by foot take us 45 minutes. It was relay nice.

I started from here and I go somewhere ....

... up there.

It was a a serpentine path so that thy take it so much, even it look easy. Unfortunately I didn't make any picture from up there.

And now some advice how to ride the quad. First I have to explain the controls. The handle bar for searing must be hold really tight. The throttle is not like a motorcycle. The motorcycle throttle is contained in the right-hand grip on the handlebars and twisting the grip towards you increases the speed.The ATV has a thumb throttle that you have to push it forward to accelerate. There are two brakes in the right and left of the handlebar for the front wheels. On low speeds it can help searing pushing only one brake. At high speeds pushing only one brake and will help you make circles. (Spin around in place) The third foot brake is for the rear wheels. I recommend using that one for slowing down. Be very gentile with the brakes because otherwise you will drift. Always keep some distance to the one in front of you, otherwise you will not see anything because of the dust or snow. Also sometimes the rear wheels can trow rocks and dried wood. Don't try to be brave, heroes die young. Always use the safety equipment and the gloves are mandatory even in summer, otherwise your hand will freeze in the matter of minutes.

Happy new year.

I was out of town for this NYE and this is my first post this year. So: Happy new year !!!

I had some fun this vacation. I was riding an ATV (quad) and is was so cool. I will tell you more about this latter.



@Lizze: I add you a direct link in the link list. And when after I finish posting to my blogs I will take a look at how you spend NYE.