A royal-rank bloody character with supernatural powers, a vampire haunting the nights in a dark and ghastly castle built long ago, in the Middle Ages - this description sums up the hero of the story imagined by Bram Stocker in 1897, which has made its way round the world and which is also subject of several films. Despite having very little in common with historical reality, the story that takes place in the 19th century still manages to draw attention to one of the first rank names from our past.
Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), ruler of Valachia in the middle of the 15th century, received the surname of Draculea according to the Dragon’s Order (a type of military-religious society fighting against the Ottoman empire) which his father, Vlad Dracul, had been vested with. The order’s coat of arms was represented by a dragon and a cross, and in Romanian a “dragon” was called a “drac” (devil). Draculea had no paranormal powers whatsoever, but he remained in the Romanian people’s memory and in the pages of history as the symbol of intransigence, being famous for the harsh measures with which he punished wrong doing of all kinds, from l... Read More >>
December is the festive season, par excellence. Our capital wears festive garments like most of us, who have already prepared our elegant suits and evening gowns. Thousand of coloured lights garnish the boulevards, as well as the parks. The main character of the season reigns in the parks and people’s homes: the Christmas tree, and beneath it, the attractive and mysterious packages of presents. Everyone chooses, buys and offers gifts everywhere. Irrespective of where you live in Romania, in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the cities or in the villages so full of traditions, one thing is sure: both New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve will bring memorable moments.
RUN-OFF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
On December 6, Romanian citizens will chose their president by voting for one of the two candidates who qualified for this run-off as a result of the elections that took place on November 22. Traian Basescu, the current president, is the candidate of the Liberal-Democrat Party and he won around 32% of the votes, while Mircea Geoana, the candidate of the Social-Democrat Party, was voted by 30% of the electorate.
“ANNA KARENINA” AT THE OPERA
The Bucharest National Opera has prepared a wonderful surprise for all dance fans, ...
The Green Generation Association has worked out the first CO2 emission computer in Romania. It forms the basis of the national study which was carried out by the Ecological University in Bucharest on the actual average of CO2 emissions on a national and local level. In less than 100 months, the fight for prevention will become a fight for survival with climate changes, according to the European Commission’s experts and reports. The “Carbon Fingerprint - Find Out How Much of Your Future You Are Wasting!” national campaign is the first material step in a series of actions which the Green Generation Association will initiate in the fight against climate change. The climax will take place in 2015. This campaign has also benefited from a TV advertisement which has been broadcast for three months by TVR (The Romanian National Television Station) and the National Geographic Channel.
Bucuresti What Where When Magazine is printed on paper originated from sustainable managed forests.
They say a beautiful woman is a jewel. But it is equally true that a beautiful jewel can save even the least attractive woman from anonymity, it can make her special. Beautiful or not, women have always been aware of this fact, so that it is no wonder we feel so good in the world of jewellery. All the more so at Christmastime, during the winter holidays, when we want to be more glamorous than ever. The closer the winter season draws, the less grey, more shining Bucharest gets. The world of jewellery is increasingly more tempting and shiny, just like the holiday itself. So I and my mother-in-law decided to cope with the challenges of this December together. So there we are one evening, arm in arm, two women, quite different, but with several common passions – literature, music, jewellery, shopping...
“Dream... look to the sky... aim at the stars... live your dream!” - a daring thought with which Oxette Jewelers welcome us and, once dared, we enter to see the autumn-winter 2009-2010 Constellation collection, influenced by the 80s, a combination of glam punk and technology, but also vintage notes. This winter’s trends are combined in a new concept: a combination of elaborate femininity ...
Traditions from the countryside are still followed in Bucharest, from the foods which are prepared to the well wishers and carol singers who come to our doors during the whole month of December. Children come in twos and threes to sing traditional blessing songs which wish you a good New Year and hope for money and get sweets in exchange. Small choirs of young people go from one apartment building to another, singing Christmas Carols that echo in the staircases all the way to the top, giving the sound a certain purity as if in a high church.
Romania is a country with a temperate climate, or so the meteorologists say. There are four seasons, none too harsh or extreme and because the land is rich and diverse, it is a joy to experience it any time during the year, be it spring, summer, autumn or winter. Each season comes in many different colors and temperatures, sometimes cheekily surprising you. This year the pleasantly warm October suddenly gave way to a frozen November but then summer decided it wanted a last dance so up into the 20C went the temperatures again. It is beautiful and exciting, never knowing what tomorrow brings. Still, winter is unmistakably approaching and it will soon quiet all ...
Part of what might be our country’s brand, something of the strong and authentic contemporary Romanian identity is hidden in the kitchen. Even if today's peasants are the children and grandchildren of yesterday’s peasants, and even if housewives wear sports clothing, everything they make still follows the authentic natural recipes and the trademarks of tradition.
Recently, I heard someone say something which got me thinking (good things!): “I believe that the thing which could be our country’s brand is hidden in our kitchens“. It was a discussion about the recent cooking festivals around the country; about the brunches in Ardeal organized by good-hearted people trying to keep up and enjoy our traditions; about the new trends in restaurants where it now smells of good, warm food cooked from our grandmother’s recipe; about the bio food fairs attended by people who bring jams, honey, smoked meats and cheese which come from all over the country. In fact, it has been the small-sized entrepreneurs who carry on the recipes they inherited from their family and still use them in the current climate of dizzying consumerism. For me, and others like me, who are sick and tired of... Read More >>
Peter Frank served for a dozen years as a Senior VP and Executive VP at Bank of America and MBNA America Bank, most recently focused on the development of new business strategies and products in the US, Europe, and Mexico. He also spent more than 10 years as a financial journalist; he was Business and Financial News Editor at The Baltimore Sun and The Wilmington New Journal, and reported on business and financial issues for The New York Times. He wrote extensively on banking, insurance, real estate, economics through two economic crises, including many investigative, explanatory, and consumer-oriented special reports. Currently, Peter is producing a show on The Money Channel, which is a first for the Romanian media environment: The Frank Show, a business show in English, will be especially interesting for expats and business visitors, offering them the most important local and international news, interviews with business leaders and analysis of the hottest topics of the day. Here is what Peter told us about Romania, its economic past and perspectives.
You have been living here for six months, and you are married to a Romanian woman. Please tell us more about how you have come to settle in our country.
The renaming is part of the global strategy implemented by Rezidor group
Radisson SAS hotel in Bucharest changes into Radisson Blu, thus joining the other 150 Radisson hotels in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) that have adopted or will adopt the new name. The change takes place in a gradual process to be carried out by 2010, in order not to disturb in any way the current activity. Following the splitting from the SAS group, the hotel division of the Scandinavian SAS airline, Rezidor decided in February 2009 to make this change. The first hotel of the Radisson network that adopted the new name this February was Radisson Blu located on the premises of the Zurich airport. Inaugurated on September 18, 2009 the SAS Radisson hotel in Bucharest is the largest 5-star hotel in Romania and the biggest Radisson hotel in Eastern Europe. “It is the beginning of a journey, a step forward we make full of enthusiasm and ambition to get to the top, by continuing to promote the value that turned Radisson into one of the most modern, exciting and competitive hotel brands worldwide,” Yilmaz Yildirimlar Radisson SAS Bucharest general manager said. The “Blu” particle added to the Radisson name contin... Read More >>
INFO
CAFE TIMES IN A NEW VERSION Creative, enthusiastic and always in fashion, the Golden Tulip Times team has entirely redesigned Cafe Times located on the ground floor of the hotel on 19 Decebal Blvd. At the reopening party, gifted barmen, sophisticated coffees, coloured cocktails, sushi, original experiences welcomed the guests. A much larger, open space has replaced the small tables located at the entrance, while instead of the back windows you can now benefit from tall and comfortable sofas similar to royal thrones. The frayed spider web hanging all over the walls suggests, by contrast, the cleanliness and elegance always observed by the hotel and emphasizes the underground image that creates a youthful atmosphere. Two spectacular bartender shows, when the pale blue fire was miraculously spread on the bar’s counter of black, shiny material was one of the night's attractions. If you happen to be around that place, you must try, beside the other specialities, the delicious mousse, the cocktails and, of course, the wide range of coffees. Read More >>
I know it’s a cliche to say “how quickly time flies”, and yet its true, maybe that’s why it is a cliche. We have come to the end of another year, and the beginning of a new, and hopefully better one. As I get older, time does seem to pass more quickly, even if I am not having a lot of fun.
I am reminded of an old American miners union song:
