Before the food is served

It’s Monday evening, raining cats and dogs and China celebrates 64 years since People’s Republic of China was proclaimed. Old, shiny generals, smiling Romanian politicians and foreign diplomats shake hands, chit-chat and warm up before the food is served. Romania’s Government is all gathered on the stage next to the Chinese Ambassador. “Red wine for everybody, except for Mr. Antonescu who takes white wine,” says Ponta in a joking mood, all shiny and happy. Mr.Antonescu shows no reaction to this joke and the ceremony goes on smoothly.

                   

At the end, when I look at the key for the wardrobe, I discover that it has a picture of Hannah Montana attached. Apparently not only my primary school cousins are so fond of her, but the Chinese Embassy also has a little something for the American teenage symbol. 

The snake under the rain

When people arrived at the protest on this fifth Sunday, they were kind of surprised. Everybody feared there would be very few people coming, but despite the heavy rain, there were hundreds of people who gathered at the Titan metro station, the meeting place.

But the bigger surprise came a bit later, when the protesters ended their march in Piata Universitatii. After almost three hours in the rain, there were thousands of people who arrived. What happened is that every time the march passed by a metro station, other tens of protesters with dry raincoats joined, so the snake’s tail grew bigger and bigger.

The best part was when the snake, hidden under hundreds of umbrellas, was passing through very narrow streets, chanting “Uniti Salvam Rosia Montana”, while amazed eyes were gazing from the windows, what the hell was going on, on their streets, on such a terrible day.