Beltane \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Garlic Moon<\/p>\n
Reading a novel right now called the Hundred Days. \u00a0A fictional rendering of\u00a0Ceausescu’s last months in power it offers a picture of Bucharest in 1989.\u00a0Grim doesn’t capture it. \u00a0A genuine horror show.<\/p>\n
Example. \u00a0Queues. \u00a0People would line up for whatever was available, even if they didn’t need or want it. \u00a0Buying the shoes or bread or meat or alarm clock would allow you to barter on the black market for things you needed. \u00a0You could never count on any particular thing being there.<\/p>\n
Other examples. \u00a0Rampant corruption. \u00a0Bribery for even basic care. \u00a0In a hospital. \u00a0Women charged after a miscarriage for damaging the integrity of the Romanian family. \u00a0Beyond understanding.<\/p>\n
Now. \u00a0What’s really beyond understanding is that Mariana and Vasily, Nicoleta’s parents, lived through this. \u00a0I sat in their house, shared food with them with only a vague idea of what is, in fact, the very recent past.<\/p>\n
Only a block from the Best Western hotel where I stayed was a Carrefours with plenty of food, produce, meats, cheeses. \u00a0Sounds like this kind of grocery would have been available only to those in the party elite. \u00a0In 1989. \u00a0Less than 23 years ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beltane \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Garlic Moon Reading a novel right now called the Hundred Days. \u00a0A fictional rendering of\u00a0Ceausescu’s last months in power it offers a picture of … Continue reading Hard to Imagine<\/span>