Times New Romanian

I'm Romanian, read the book and thourougly enjoyed it. It was quite eye opening for me to read about my own country from expats point of view ..it caused a shift, I've gained perspective over my own identity as Romanian. Thank you Nigel :)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars As a Romanian, I loved this book and already recommended it to some of my friends.

An exceptionally good book about the real Romania For the British media, Romania still seems to be all about orphans, stray dogs and gypsies. I've been three times as a tourist and find it a beautiful and fascinating place, inhabited by friendly people, but of course as a tourist I know little more than the sad press clichés. It's all the more valuable then, to find a book containing the experiences of a wide range of foreigners - British, Dutch, Italians, Americans and others - who have lived and worked in Romania since the fall of Communism, often for many years during which time they have acquired a Romanian family. Nigel Shakespear has done a first-rate job in gathering together these accounts, which are extremely varied - everything from entrepreneurs to town planners and aid workers - and without exception very interesting and instructive. We learn about Romania warts and all - the spaga (bribes) often necessary to get anything done, the unwillingness of Romanians to accept responsibility (a hangover from Communist days), but at the same of peoples' friendliness and something about the place that makes this varied cast of foreigners fall in love with the country and a people that feel themselves culturally a part of the wider Europe and want to catch up after all those wasted Communist years. This is an exceptionally good book, for which Nigel Shakespear must take much of the credit in his choice of contributors: no-one should even contemplate doing business in Romania without reading it, and anyone visiting the country wanting to know more about it should pack a copy along with their guidebook of choice.

Nigel Shakespear offers something special to readers of travel literature with his approach to cultural and intellectual travel to contemporary Romania. One result of his interview format is readers have the sense of attending a dinner party with expats from many countries, each of whom shares their experience of working in the country, living with its people and even starting business. A good many of these businesses prove to be travel-related so readers come away with a good idea of the range of attractive options Romania has to offer for accommodations (e.g., hotels, apartments, country inns) and for activities (e.g., hiking, biking, trail rides with guides.) Readers who enjoy vicarious participation in 'living' in an unfamiliar place or culture will also find plenty to interest them in these pages. I am well-described in all of the above categories. Interviews were done over a one-year period, from November, 2011 to October, 2012, so information is current. It also summarizes what expats from countries like Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom--even Australia--found over a period of years of living in post-Communist Romania. There are a range of interesting stories: one businessman explains his work in restarting the premium wine industry in the country, historically, famous for the quality of its wines from antiquity to the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Other people speak about participating in national revival and in starting programs to aid primary and secondary education or socialization of the marginalized Roma (Gypsy) population. Relations between the various major ethnic groups and religions--Saxon, Hungarian, Romanian; Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim--are outlined. It seems significant that, unlike Yugoslavia or Albania, the Romanian peoples remain dedicated to living as one nation, albeit with cultural differences. For most Americans, Central Europe is 'unknown territory'. Here is a well-selected; well-edited and readable source of fascinating information.

Something Special in Travel Writing Readers wishing to know more about a 'new' travel destination or about contemporary life in Central Europe will enjoy Nigel Shakespeare's look at Romania after Communism. The book will also be a fascinating account of living in the country as an expatriate and it will appeal those of us 'armchair' expats who enjoy imagining what it might be like to 'pick up and move' to a different culture and a different environment. As with everyone interviewed for this is project, the author/editor has spent significant time living and working in the country and they seem to have a sound basis for offering their information and points of view. The information here was gathered between November, 2011 and October, 2012 so things are well up-to-date. I was not aware that Romania was such a multi-ethnic country: a major cleavage seems to be between Hungarians and Romanians and there also are Saxons and the Roma (Gypsy) population. Relations between these groups are discussed to a useful degree. Another theme of the interviews is the contemporary redevelopment and economic development of the nation. After Romania joined the EU, a good many projects were funded and they brought many of the persons interviewed to the country. Many of these people have been or are involved in tourism related activities and they suggest the range of activities that draw visitors and the types of accommodations one might expect. Beyond this, the book is like attending a cosmopolitan dinner party with people who discuss subjects like business development, local culture and daily living, Romanian attitudes to family and gender roles, government and bureaucracy and even the fine arts. I found it to be a welcome change from itinerary-focused travel writing of the experiences of a single traveller.