Welcome to Bucharest, Romania

If you haven’t noticed, the header image has changed on my official blog page. I am now officially “Black Girl IN Bucharest”! We have finally arrived in Bucharest, the city often called Paris of the East. With the long wait to arrive in this busy Romanian city, one might think I’ve had time to really explore and get deep into the roots of the city. Well, not so much. It has been a hectic week of changes and trying to find my place in this new city and life situation. I did not really get a chance to get out with my Nikon D5200. Most of the shots are from my iPhone. But I just knew I couldn’t let a week go by without sharing some of the experience visually.

The flight over was tiring and stressful, especially with two cats accompanying us, but we all got here in one piece and on time. Once we had unpacked we went to the closest grocery store, Mega Image, where the logo looks a lot like Food Lion. Pretty small but we were able to snag a few necessary items. After our swift shopping spree we chose the location for our first meal in Bucharest—Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). After all the hectic crazy of the last few weeks, and the 14+ hours in transit, having a familiar feast was just what was needed. Tthe KFC here definitely has cooler décor on the inside than the ones in the states that I’ve been to.

We’ve been walking to new places to get a feel for the neighborhood we will call home for the next few years. Bucharest is divided into sectors. Not the same as districts, but I can’t help but hear the “Hunger Games” whistle in my mind when I see the signs. Throughout the week we walked around our sector and went out for dinner quite a bit—Italian, German, and of course Romanian. We also tried out Romanian Pizza Hut, which is different than back home but we definitely like it. They offer dipping sauces and a pretty detailed menu that I’m not used to.

So in this first week we’ve experienced: the crazy driving, wild cart maneuvering at Carrefour (French Walmart as some call it), stray dogs that wait for the walk sign to cross the street, reserved movie seating (“World War Z”—I rate it 4 stars), and easier than home metro system (you pay for one rate for the ride no matter where your stop is along the line and you don’t have to use your pass to exit).

Well let me allow the photos to paint the picture of my new experiences. Only a few pics to start but there will be many more to come. Check out the captions for details, and please stay tuned. The adventure is only just beginning.

Stumbled upon in a random neighborhood.

Major road nearby. Each sidewalk has a bike path and benches.

Grocery store with the Food Lion like logo.

They are all over the place. Watch your step!

Taken while zooming by in a car. Better shot to come.

Too bad I don’t ice skate. Still pretty cool.

Rollercoster in the mall! Can’t wait to ride.

Water park inside the mall.

You see this everywhere. At least it isn’t on the ground.

Nice design on the windows

Love the architecture

First meal in Bucharest. Cool inside.

Inside the train

Cool VW near the German restaurant we went to.

This hair salon won’t allow smoking, dogs, or ice cream

From Winter to Summer… What’s This Spring I Once Knew?

Taken with my iPhone 4s

A few of the trees were in bloom

I prefer the pink color to the white

Not a cherry blossom, but a cute pup willing to let me test out my pet image setting!

Just breaking through…

Bună ziua!

It’s been a while, I know. I promised cherry blossoms so I shall deliver… a few shots. I was (and still am) breaking in the new camera and lens. So I will share with you some of my faves from the batch.

I broke my promise to post regularly and I apologize for that. Things really started to get real for me in April, and it was like BOOM “I’m moving to another country very soon!” Well now,  LESS THAN A MONTH! So things are a bit hectic.

I’m behind on my self education of all things Bucharest and Romania, so I will literally hit the ground running and learning all I can when I get there. Well, I’ve learn some basic language stuff, but I know better than to believe I can get around on just that.

Here’s a little on the photos I’m sharing. I went on a “photo shoot” with my bro-in-law. I tried my best to time the class for the right weekend, but Mother Nature had other plans. This cold day in early April found us covered in winter gear. And most unfortunately, most of the cherry blossom trees at the Tidal Basin were not ready to bloom. But there were a few flowers reaching out for the non-existant warmth from the still to distant sun. So I practiced snapping with the new cam anyway. So here are a few from the chilly journey to the Tidal Basin, in Washington, D.C, at the lovely hour of 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday (I know, blasphemy!).

I hope I get a few more chances to snap some pics with the Nikon and share some of my madness while we prepare for the big move. You know, before this blog settles into its real name: “Black Girl IN Bucharest!”

For now, la revedere!