Domestic Culture of Targovista

This information may also be applied to other cities and towns in Romania, but are still generalizations.

A Word on Stray Dogs

These dogs are everywhere! They are considered community dog, but they are wild animals so be careful and we are told not to run around them or they will chase us. I have little fear of the dogs and I just ignore them and they leave me alone. Some people feed them but most just let them be. It is hard for an animal person like me to see these animals in the street but there is little I can do.

The Food

Romanian food during the summer is very fresh and they love their tomatoes and cucumbers. This is not a good thing for me since I like neither and no mater what my parents say a tomato is a tomato fresh or not it still tastes nasty and so do cucumbers. Lunch usually consists of a first course of soup and then a combination of meat and vegetables and then a dessert of fruit, cake or ice cream.

Home Life in Romania

Here are a few little cultural quarks that I have learned during my first week living in Romania. In the house most people wear house shoes around the house. And in some homes, not the one I am in. It is a big taboo to not wear the house shoes around the house. Also Romanians eat a lot and hosts want to feed their guests and sometimes do not understand the concept that I am full. In addition though vegetarianism has become more popular in Romania it is still a strange concept for some older Romanians to grasp. Internet is wide spread in this country, running water and flat roads are not. Walking and using public transportation is common, however even if you have driven in other foreign countries do not rent a car and drive in Romania. It is simply not a good idea. The roads in the medium size town of Targoviste, which is the capital city of the county of Dambovita, are riddled with holes and the people drive by their own rules. Personal experience has also taught me to watch where I am walking not only because of the holes in the sidewalks but because a car once came up and drove on the sidewalk. This was in the middle of the day and the driver was not drunk, so be careful. This could be different in the larger cities but I would not count on it.

Romanian School System

This is what I have learned so far about the school system in Romanian. This information comes from my Gazda or host family and my visits to a primary and secondary school. In Romania it is the teachers that change classes not the students. Primary school is first through eighth grade and high school is ninth through 12^th. Some of the high schools are focused more on practical information rather then academic information. Also, the director of a school is more like a school administrator then a principal.