What's different in Romania...

Since moving to Romania I have come across many differences within the lifestyle there and just general differences which you will find interesting! I have been jotting down the differences since I moved there so now I have formulated a video discussing them. I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for watching, don't forget to hit that subscribe button ;)
Link to my work instagram: / ella.slingsby
Link to my personal instagram: / ellaslingsby
#ukvsromania #differencesinromania #romania

[@icantsleepman77]

Most of us dont even have Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, we just eat when we're hungry :))

[@Royal_Quotes_]

That’s a fact

[@vw7q8e.51]

Thats so true

[@denisso2919]

True

[@Standoff2TurkiyeEspor]

Ehhh :), true

[@salomebianca1090]

yeah hahahahhaha that is so true XD

[@jackwinch3507]

As an Englishman living in Romania, I can confirm that some of your observations hold true (at least in the sense of the differences between the UK and your area of Romania). However, a lot of the differences you have pointed out are specific to your region of Romania and do not apply across the board. The standard of living, trends and traditions, state of infrastructure, and particulars of living vary greatly across the whole of Romania. Your experience of Romania comes across to be that of someone who has only really spent time in a single urban area, focusing largely on the material aspects of life. Life in the larger, more international, cities of Romania is a world apart from that of those living in the national parks and mountains, or the poorer rural areas of Eastern Romania, for example. People living in these kinds of areas typically live a life very alien to most people from the UK. I would strongly recommend adventuring out to see different urban and rural areas of the country, as there really is a lot to see and do here. One big thing you've not mentioned is the difference in the environment, land, and wildlife here in Romania. The Carpathians are often cited as 'the last true wilderness of Europe', with forested and mountainous areas stretching as far as the eye can see. Romania is home to an abundance of interesting wildlife, such as the Eurasian brown bear, lynxes, wolves, wild horses, and much more. For those who enjoy outdoor pursuits, such as myself, Romania really is a fantastic place to be and I recommend you come to visit. I feel very fortunate to now call Romania my home.

[@zenozeno8655]

Gosh! You know much about Romania than most of Romanian people. Congrats!

[@Ryuxcx]

That's a vivid description. Greetings from a romanian.

[@biancas.6283]

Very good points! Glad you like it here :)

[@marius8232]

Sadly "forested areas" are being destroyed and no one cares.

[@jackwinch3507]

​@@marius8232 This is very true. I have been looking to purchase and conserve forested land here myself, but the level of risk associated with this only continues to grow. The so-called 'Timber Mafia' are a problem and, in recent years, there have been a number of serious or fatal attacks on people trying to prevent the illegal deforestation of their own land. It is worth pointing out that Romania is obviously far from being free of problems. Local and national corruption is a real issue, illegal deforestation is an issue, the illegal killing of rare animals by visiting foreign 'dignities' is an issue, and some attitudes and beliefs harboured by large portions of the population are, in my opinion, detrimental to society and the individual (such as a lack of basic sex education being provided to young people in school, the perpetuation of myth/superstition with respect to the human body, certain views of the roles of men and women within society, etc). The police are known to use violence against those who are accused of crime to get confessions (and sometimes commit violence against innocent people). Young women are trafficked into other parts of Europe by Romanian gangs and are forced into sexual slavery (and some are forced into sex slavery within Romania's borders too). But with all that being said, every other county on this planet has its own issues - its own set of advantages and disadvantages. That doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for positive change, though. And the starting point is an individual will to act. Complacency to all these things are rife throughout Romania, but hopefully this will change (and for issues with a clear time limit, change before it is too late).

[@andrwplslad]

About the coke zero thing, it might be because we don't call them "coke", we either say Coca-Cola or Cola so you might have an easier time if you ask for Cola Zero, at first I wasn't even sure if coke and Coca-Cola was the same thing :). Great video nonetheless.

[@EllaSlingsby]

Oh that’s great thanks very much 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@cristianpurcaru]

Exactly, I was about to comment on that as well. 😂

[@MrGrigii2004]

Or just ask for diet cola, and tap water drinkable here, but people have higher expectations. I am from Constanta as well. Enjoy the city.

[@dasenkadaria8305]

@@MrGrigii2004 Me too I am glad she is enjoying our city.

[@Me-the-One-G]

Android power!!!!! On iphone you do not have acces to so many free app...and so on

[@blossomtreecloud3700]

Its so nice to see people knowing romania exists- i can finally feel pround of my 🇷🇴

[@talkativegaby]

Same . I feel somehow proud 😀

[@_iam.ale_27]

Me to

[@alex_not_found3]

Me too

[@jackdespot2347]

14:47 they've adapted more than you would think. I've seen dogs literally taking the bus and going 'home' or waiting for the green light to cross the road. So waiting for a gap in traffic is one of the least impressive things they do :)

[@jackdespot2347]

@MARIO CRISTIAN IFTIME este o arbaletă, nu pușcă cu bile 😛

[@gillianc6514]

A note about the pharmacies: you have to ask for 'cel mai ieftin' which means 'the cheapest' when you buy paracetamol etc. At first I thought they were just ripping me off because I was a foreigner here, but my Romanian friends say that the pharmacies do it to them too! They always try to palm you off with the most expensive brands unless you specifically ask for the cheapest (which are a very reasonable price).

[@EllaSlingsby]

Oh that’s really great to know thank you I will try it!!!!

[@MrGrigii2004]

True 👍

[@Justfun-xx6xe]

@@EllaSlingsby ask like this Do you have it at any other prices ? What's the cheapest ?

[@alinaburada8415]

Or a specific brand! Eg: paracetamol from Labormed only 2.5 lei

[@gfs5843]

That is true, my mother got to the pharmacie to ask for a frangance free body lotion and the first one the showed her was a 80 lei lotion then she asked for "nu aveti alta marime sau mai ieftin?" and she got a neutrogena lotion for 25 lei

[@annelibacila8657]

I just love how she says that the washing machine lives in the bathroom, as if it was alive lol, I'm your biggest fan

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you so much haha🙏🏼

[@julianmarco4185]

The tap water is drinkable it's just that people know that the pipes are as old since the red times. I personally drink a lot of tap water but I filter it through a water jug. So if you want to save some money on water bottles, go to a big supermarket, get a big filtered jug with replacement filters and start using it with the tap water.

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you

[@HaggisMuncher-69-420]

I got to Romania really often and I know in Timisoara by Shopping City they have water vending machines where you bring your own bottles and can fill them up. I thought that was cool. It was like 12 bani for 2 litres or something like that, I could be wrong on the price though. And the random sink/taps especially near churches.

[@Prophetu]

She lives in Constanta, the tap water there is atrocious.

[@user-eo2ye4wo6w]

And u can get water from fountains. My family has a lot of “bidoane ”5l bottles and we get water from the nearby fountain.

[@user-eo2ye4wo6w]

@@Alexander-jr8nw the pipe lines are very old. That is the problem. In theory the water is safe because it eighter comes from under grownd rivers or from a waterplant. Yea we won t die if we drink the water but it s safer if we take it from a water fountain in reusable bottles. + you don t have to pay for that water sience it s free

[@tandago7281]

In Romania, there are several genres of deserts which would fall unde "cakes" and which are considered very different categories of foods and have very different names... "Tort" is usually a cake that is presented as a whole, like a wedding or birthday cake, where the shape and overall presentation is part of the experience. Portions are large, as they are enjoyed at special sit-down occasions - and are usually in that triangular rounded shape we are familiar with. The other main category is "prăjitură", "prăjituri" which refers to cakes that are meant to enjoy in small portions (are usually cooked in trays and then cut in small pieces), such as while having coffee, or tea. These are cut in small-sized (e.g. 4 cm x 7 cm), often rectangular portions, are very delicate, and often involve several contrastingly flavoured and coloured layers in delicate combinations, with creamed layers, fruit or mousse in between layers. If you visit someone, you would find one or two of these next to your coffee :) Or, you might find a "fursec" or several "fursecuri" - which is a different category. These are even tinier cake-like deserts, that are drier and easily kept at room temperature (they'd use jam, not creams), are usually bought by weight in cake shops ("cofetarie"), and are meant to be presented on a central plate, for easy access. There is also "placinta" and other pastry varieties which resemble pies and strudels, made of various pastry doughs and filled with (sour) fruits and sweet cheeses - and would usually be served in squares (approx 10 cm x 10 cm). Some of these types vary a lot across regions even if called the same. For example, "papanasi" in southern regions are fried doughnut-like deserts with little or no cheese content. In Transylvania, they are balls made entirely if sweetened cheese held together by semolina, then rolled in sweetened bread crumbs. So, very different! Romanians like deserts, so enjoy this part of the culture!

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you 😊

[@HomemademasksNet0]

Your detailed description made me crave "prajituri". 😋

[@marlimeful]

The most tasty cakes you can have them just in Romania , try to get some home made ( the grandma does lots delicious❤️)

[@natysworld143]

@@HomemademasksNet0 same,now i want to eat some ,,cremsnit'' or,,inghetata''

[@Standoff2TurkiyeEspor]

You made me hungry:))))

[@razvanpantovici3290]

As a romanian livinig in the UK I find that the differences you have seen are very precise, though I find it funny the way you see them.

[@CompleteBeautyTreat]

It’s so interesting to get the perspective of an English person in Romania 🇷🇴. I always thought all the good things you thought about it too I love seeing someone from another country love it as much as I do. Nice job! You hit all the good points! Hope you have. A great experience 👏👏👏

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you! 😃

[@aandrei99]

6:00 Normally, it shouldn t be allowed to park your car all the way up the sidewalk, but since many cities struggle with a lack of parking lots, it leaves drivers with no choice.

[@arincornstar47_]

Please,Thats normal in Romania

[@dinapetrariu9666]

A lot of romanians buy bottled water but it doesn’t mean you can not drink tap water.It is still good to drink so,whenever you’re thirsty ,you can still drink the water from the tap.😊

[@a0flj0]

Varies from one locality to another. Many rural places have very new water treatment stations/plants, and therefore have very good water. Many large cities have completely, of at least to a great extent, refurbished or replaced their water treatment plants, and also have mostly good water. Smaller towns, however, often still operate very old water treatment plants, and innwhich places water isn't necessarily the best.

[@luciacioara]

The reason for not getting the "Coke zero" request is that we do not call it "Coke" in ro. Try asking for a "Cola zero". They will get it immediately :)

[@skd]

That's the standard serving for a Romanian when we talk about crisps. And until recently, we were not allowed to walk on the grass. There used to be a sign that said "Don't step on the grass". I think that's not a valid rule anymore, but people won't start doing it now, because it's not a thing. Constanta here as well, btw :)

[@PixxiedustWoW]

Yeah.. its a bit "illegal" to just chill on the grass in Romania, sadly.

[@alexmarianiancu4237]

@@PixxiedustWoW Especially on the artificial ones.

[@Rose-kx4bv]

Salut

[@a_butterfly2493]

When you ask for coke in Romania people assume you asked for cocaine 😁 ask for Coca cola next time

[@AlexandruGeorgescu26]

No we don't have no sugar coke in restaurats...

[@sovietonion2966]

Or just cola

[@cristianenache8715]

nobody assumes cocaine. I'm 37 years old and I don't know anybody who did/does cocaine, so nobody assumes cocaine when you say coke.

[@a0flj0]

@@cristianenache8715 Right. But shop floor workers usually don't understand "coke".

[@calin-hi1vt]

@@a0flj0 voi nu stiti Romana intre Romani?

[@vw7q8e.51]

Ce video frumos si educativ, chiar mi-a plăcut să ascult perspectiva unui străin de România, big like from me :)

[@EllaSlingsby]

Multumesc foarte mult!!!

[@dillek4821]

Google translate check!

[@26_ianuarie21]

@@EllaSlingsby vorbesti romana?

[@26_ianuarie21]

Si mie mi-a placut

[@user-pk5dn9wn7o]

Și mie mi-a plăcut am dat și eu like :)

[@glazinglilly9589]

as someone who has spent their whole childhood in romania, i can say that romania is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I completely fell in love with historical region Transylvania, even though I lived in Dobruja and it was still so beautiful and I loved it. It has such beautiful traditions and every single region has different accents, uses different words, has different history and it feels like the whole country is just split in more countries. I absolutely love it. However it is not a really good place to live in since some things like buying from Amazon or other popular online delivery sites, or finding a good college in your area because good colleges can only be found in popular cities like the capital (Bucharest), Brașov, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara etc. and for someone who lived in a city where there were absolutely NO colleges, it was pretty hard. However when I move out of this country I am definetly going to take some of the recipes and traditions and share them with the people I’ll meet along the way!

[@alexc9278]

Beautiful country but it's getting so hard to live in because of the corruption. When she said the prices are "low" , for a normal romanian who doesn't get paid as the rich ones ... the prices are not low at all. Is expensive for most of us to live here.

[@Kristynne.]

I think the traffic you've experienced was during covid, because usually, we have pretty bad traffic. From what I understand, you're living in Constanta. The traffic in Constanta during summer time is hell because of the tourists. But I guess it's fine the rest of the year. Not in Bucharest though, here there's always a ton of traffic. 😂 Also, there's a lot of stray cats and dogs because we don't have animal shelters. And the few that we have, don't accept them, especially cats. Last year a pregnant stray cat gave birth behind my house and I couldn't keep her. Because I already have 3 cats of my own (all of them are rescues). I've reached out to all of the animal shelters I could find but they didn't even want to hear about it. So yeah.. that's really sad. We do have some associations though, that offer free spaying for cats and dogs. But people don't bother taking strays in.

[@Dany-nx7th]

What happened to the cat that gave birth behind your house? Did you find a home for her? I'm sad you couldn't keep her :/ I have four cats by the way...

[@Kristynne.]

@@Dany-nx7th I gave away 2 baby kittens to family friends, kept the other 2 and took the mother to the vet to spay her. I honestly don't know what happened to her. She would come from time to time to eat. But I haven't seen her in a while. It's honestly awful, seeing so many stray cats and not being able to do anything about it. I've taken as many as I could to get them spayed though, it was the only thing I could do for them. And somewhat of a funny story: last year, my neighbor's cat started coming to my place to eat with my cats. At first he would only come every 2 days or so. And now, he won't leave 😂. He decided to stay with me. My neighbor's kids were so sad about it. They took him home, and locked him in the house. But he found the window open one day, jumped on the mosquito net, opened it and came right back to me 😂. He hasn't left my side since. I feel so bad for the kids though. I've told them they can come visit him any time, lol.

[@Dany-nx7th]

@@Kristynne. Your neighbors can adopt another cat now :) Thank you for answering, and I hope the mother cat is ok :)

[@Kristynne.]

@@Dany-nx7th They aready did, they've found a small kitten somewhere around the neighborhood. 😁 But I get it, it's hard when your cat that you've cared for and loved for 4 years is leaving you to stay with somebody else. I know I'd be devastated if my cats did this 😂. How about your cats, are they rescues as well?

[@Dany-nx7th]

@@Kristynne. Yes, they're all rescues :) Hey, si eu sunt din Romania (Bucuresti). Ma bucur atat de mult cand vad ca exista si oameni care ajuta animalele fara stapan :))

[@OzWannabe]

Meal deal : meniul zilei at Carrefour, Auchan, Mega Image etc. They even have it at some DIY stores like Dedeman or Leroy Merlin.

[@andreeaclaudiaambrus5022]

That’s similar to meal deals, but it’s more cooked food rather than just sandwiches and pasta

[@OzWannabe]

@@andreeaclaudiaambrus5022 Well, yes and no. I recall at Tesco having cooked food as meal deal (or at least ready for microwave) like quiche, couscous, curries etc and not to mention salads. Meniul zilei is at least fresh for the day.

[@DepressedAssTeenager]

2:34 Let me explain 1 euro = 5 lei So teorethic we have 5 time lower salary and 5 time lower prices Witch is kinda bad when we invest in things paid in euro.

[@lucianboar3489]

the average salary is less than 5 times lower than in most Eurozone countries. So not that bad. But most prices are even closer, so worse :)

[@vladmatei4561]

That really is not how it works 🙉. It is about purchasing power.

[@ismt9390]

The water is mostly drinkable, but it depends on the city. I've been drinking only tap water in Sibiu and Cluj and everybody does, no one's ever had a problem. I've heard that in Bucuresti the water is pretty bad, so don't drink it there. Also, i haven't seen stray dogs in years here. In Sibiu there are some stray cats in the city center, chilling around restaurants hoping they'll get some food, but that's about it.

[@IlincaLirael]

You can drink tap water in Bucharest too. I just filter mine through a water jug to make sure all the chlorine is out (which has to be added at the water plants to kill bacteria in the water).

[@vespasiancloscan7077]

Tap water in Bucharest is safe to drink, but it's pretty crap. If you filter it it's decent. Then again, places like Brasov (don't know about Sibiu and Cluj) have crap water as well when you're used to drinking bottled mineral water which we have tons of in this country.

[@andrasandru1264]

I live in sibiu :)

[@eedragonr6293]

As long as the rats are not running through the park

[@26_ianuarie21]

@@andrasandru1264 😉😉😉 Eu prin Iasi

[@IuliaDobra]

About that healthy part of the supermarkets, I think you have noticed that we're reaaaaaally committed to our meat based diet, it's really difficult in Romania to live as a vegetarian/vegan. That whole part of our food industry has developed a lot during the past 4 or 5 years. And that's also the case for those bio products that you can find in those "healthy" sectors of the markets, it's mostly because our population didn't really develop allergies and intolerances like 10-15 years ago. Also, regarding having separate alleys for meats/cheese it's also because like 99% of our population has a meat based diet, and we also cook a lot, so all the meats and cheese in the supermarkets are usually VERY fresh. Regarding the fruits and vegetables that don't last for long, most supermarkets buy the seasonal fruits and veggies from local farmers, and our agriculture is more on the natural side, we don't use pesticides on our crops, or not as much as other countries and we're also not exporting the veggies and fruits, so there's really no need to apply any treatment to them to make them last longer. Regarding meal deals, we have what's called "meniul zilei (daily menu)" which usually offers the main course and a drink, and some restaurants also offer the soup and desert. You can find them in supermarkets too, but they stand more on the fast-food side (i used to buy them in Carrefour and Mega Image, when i was a student). The Romanian breakfast that you talked about does involve veggies and cold meats, and usually eggs under any form (boiled, fried, scrambled, omelet), because it has it's roots in the Romanian countryside, people used to be working their lands a lot, so they ate whatever they could serve at a "picnic", that's: cheese, veggies (because most of them used to have a garden) and cold meats. During the summer that was the main food that people could make at home and that didn't go bad because of the heat, and it didn't need cooking (cooking - which was very unlikely to be able to do in a middle of an orchard or any crops).

[@IuliaDobra]

@@m.dewylde5287 I am biased because I don't have a kitchen at home and I can't cook. I didn't have the money to buy the appliances for it and it's still over my budget, so I do order a lot of food and it's just my honest opinion and what I have noticed. The restaurants do not have more than 3-5 options for vegetarians. And also they all have the same thing you'll end up eating tomatoes salad and aubergine salad (also aubergine salad usually has mayonnaise which is not vegan) for the rest of your life. We do have vegetables, but avocado for example is bad in Romania, it doesn't taste as it should, the tomatoes are only decent in the summer etc. It's also a really, really expensive diet. From milk to cakes and veggies, the plant based diet isn't easily sustainable here.

[@IuliaDobra]

@@m.dewylde5287 i live in Bucharest where I have my own apartment. I do have the room that you call the kitchen, but I only have a fridge and a microwave as I didn't have the money to buy any other appliances like oven or anything else. You can't live with salads. I am a Romanian myself and that's my point of view, and you can really check this fact next time you go out in any Romanian city and see which options you have as a vegan, just for fun. Maybe 5% of the coffee shops offer almond milk or any vegan milk for coffee, and most of them are in the capital city or in Cluj. And same thing with restaurants. We do have like 1-2 restaurants in Bucharest (but then again, this city is the capital and with the surroundings it has 4mil inhabitants) that are specially for vegans and this diet has recently gained some popularity, but it's difficult to maintain it as a tourist for example, since all our traditional foods are based on meat. As I said it's just my opinion, and I am aware of the fact that I am not in the most common situation, but these are facts that, again, can be easily checked. Would make a fun experiment to try and be a vegan in Romania for a week and see how it goes, both financially and diversity wise.

[@IuliaDobra]

Also regarding dorm rooms, while I was a student (up untill 2016) i lived in the dorm rooms of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, and cooking was and is strictly forbidden due to the fact that a bunch of people managed to set fires while cooking. So no thats not the case anymore either.

[@dhamma7297]

maybe you can buy a ricecooker. We where cooking all sorths of stuff with it in Myanmar, not only rice but we also made great soups. We aso had small electric cookers, they are not so expensive.

[@eedragonr6293]

I can't really understand how can the monks live without vegan coffee milk.

[@TalkToThePaw0_0]

I had this video randomly suggested on my KZbin home page and I was curious about how a British person would see Romanian lifestyle. Makes me happy to see that you enjoy the city you live in and the whole experience of it. A few things about the points you've mentioned: Romania is doing quite bad when it comes to stray dogs and cats, the shelters are terrible and overcrowded, but people in general are trying to look after the animals that live around. If you have any food leftovers, you can keep them and give them to the stray dogs and cats around your place rather than throw them away. That would definitely be a good deed that would help a hungry soul. Second, you mentioned about the fruits being fresh and healthier. In Romania over half of the population living in the country side are growing their own vegetables and fruits and life can get a bit rough there. Most of these people come to the cities to sell their produce in the markets, so I really encourage you to buy fruits and veggies from the city market rather than big supermarkets. It really helps the locals and their produce is definitely the freshest most natural out there. There's plenty of other things you can find in the city market, like fresh cheese, fresh milk or yogurts, natural honey, nuts and all sorts of other things. I hope you'll have a great time and great experiences during your stay there. Visit what you can of Romania, it has a lot to offer 😊

[@EllaSlingsby]

thank you!!!!

[@KaiMou]

Very cool listening to your perpective, as someone who lived most of his life in Iasi, Romania. As many have already mentioned, we call Coke, Cola. So we would say Cola Zero for Coke Zero. Cars aren't allowed to just park wherever. It's just that the cops don't do a good job on fining people for parking poorly. Plus, there are just not that many parking spots so people have to park their cars wherever they find a spot without blocking anything or anyone. The traffic in my city is hell almost all year round, especially when Uni starts in october, untill summer vacation. Sometimes I feel there are more cars than people in this city.

[@florinteo6795]

Somewhere in the past, there where everywhere in Romania, places with drinkable water like 10-15 minutes (of walk) - tzashnitoare - fountain like, tap water one from another. But making people pay for drinkable water brings money... sooo... There are still some places in Romania where there still are this fountain like tap water free for all. Also you can wash yourself, put water in bottle for the road and cooldown for a bit in hot summer days.

[@vespasiancloscan7077]

There are still drinking fountains for hobos to drink out of, if money's really an issue. World class bottled mineral water is dirt cheap here.

[@florinteo6795]

@@vespasiancloscan7077 I lived enough to see what used to be free water for all, becoming multi million businesses... I miss drinking warm thermal water directly from source! ... Also.. does hobo mean all people?

[@eedragonr6293]

@@vespasiancloscan7077 and plastic recycling too

[@eedragonr6293]

But I forgot they are importing waste there, aren't they?

[@lucianboar3489]

not that tap water is free, you know...

[@pandoamessi4079]

Me, a romanian, watching this: _interesting_ :3 7:15 - WAIT WE HAVE ROADS THAT ARE THAT BIG- what the duck? I had no idea - and I LIVE in Romania😂😂 It's so cool to see what people from other countries think about Romania :D

[@edwardtamas6067]

there are accidents frequently just beacuse of the zebra crossing. Basically drivers won't stop unless they see the first steps of the pedestrian on the zebra crossing, the issue is that some drivers go too fast and don't have the time to brake...so be careful

[@albinetcristina8912]

some don't stop at all... I understand them... it could be complicated to brake and browse the phone at the same time :))

[@hatikadri5177]

We use zebras and also lights for crossing. But just because zebra is there doesn't mean you should cross hastily. We are teached (and many forget) from a young age that even at a zebra or at a light you should check both sides of the road when crossing, to make sure that the cars do stop.

[@albinetcristina8912]

@@hatikadri5177 same thing here. A zebra with no lights does mean you can cross at ANY time, under normal conditions (like: you can't run on it) & also you personally need to check left & right! (in my case I usually look for the driver's eyes to make sure he/she saw me)

[@vespasiancloscan7077]

One accident is one too many, but are they really that frequent for this reason in major cities? You should check and have common sense regardless of whether you're a pedestrian in Mumbai or Bern, so I think our traffic light-less zebras are pretty good. Cretins not respecting the traffic lights when they're there is probably a bigger issue.

[@irasthewarrior]

As for water, we use something called "cana filtranta" - filtering mug, which can be purchased for about 100-150 ron. It filters tap water so it taste good. It filters out the impurities and cleaning chemicals. You don't have to buy and carry drinking water.

[@electrocat9]

ai curaj sa'ti pui viata in mainile unei cani? si de plastic otravitor pe deasupra

[@irasthewarrior]

@@electrocat9 Oamenii ca tine ar trebui sa-si faca casa in seifuri bancare dotate cu filtre biologice si de toxicitate ca poate pica un meteorit sa va distruga vietile pretioase.

[@electrocat9]

@@irasthewarrior atunci de ce mai filtrezi apa daca o tii in carafa de plastic lol [romanii in majoritate nu stiu de gluma]

[@irasthewarrior]

@@electrocat9 Nu toate plasticurile sunt nocive. Ca un plastic de genul din care e facuta cana filtranta, trebuie sa depaseasca 60 de grade ca sa devina toxic. Filtrez apa si o pun in frigider, nu o tin in cana la temperatura camerei. Plus ca nu te cunosc ca sa stiu cand glumesti sau cand esti sarcastic ;)

[@eedragonr6293]

And when I 'm thinking that the poor soldiers were expected to take some muddy water and throw some chlorine tablets in and drink it.

[@koldy_art]

I loved this vid.It's really interesting to see foreign people talk about our country. And about the "Lei" thing,here,in Romania some people actually consider 45 lei's expensive. So yeah,we have one of The smallest coins out there,but people still can't deal with it.Keep up the good work!

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you!!!😊🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@ilincacotorobai4913]

That Koldy Ne întâlnim din nou

[@koldy_art]

@@ilincacotorobai4913 hmmmm,buna

[@ilincacotorobai4913]

@@koldy_art ma urmărești cumva?

[@koldy_art]

@@ilincacotorobai4913 I don't think so...

[@Me-the-One-G]

In the Ardeal-mountain area, the tap.water is wow...

[@Razvantu]

1. The south and south-eastern region of Romania is the most arid area so it's hotter and get less water than other regions in Romania, buuut Constanta and the area near the sea gets a milder weather. The summers are cooler than further in land and the winters are hotter. 2. For many years you would not be allowed to sit on the grass and in most parks you are still not allowed. Because compared to UK, where you have so much rain, here if you sit on the grass soon it will turn into just dust then when it rains into mud and it will be like that until April when everything blooms. In London you have yellowish grass for 2-3 weaks max/year. In Romania you have it since the end of the summer storms (start of June) until later September. 3) Romania is quite a dirty and dusty country so in general we don't sit on the earth/grass/floor. I was surprised in UK how many adults sit on the pavement. Wear white sneakers for a week in a city in Romania and then in London and you will realise that UK has very little dust. 4) Apple products are expensive. Most people are looking for laptops under 1000 euros and for phones under 300-400 euros. Android/Windows devices are great for that. 5) You don't have meal deals, because people tend to eat more prepared food and we only buy ingredients. When people are talking about a meal, they refer to more prepared food, like hot food. A sandwich is not a meal, maybe good if you are on the go, but you eat it because you have to, not because you want it. 6) Crisps are not in little bags because crisps are not that big of a deal like in UK. You have to understand that Romania has capitalism and industrial like foods for only 25-30 years. UK has it for 100 years. Maybe only in the last 15 years you have a considerable part of the populations that doesn't prepare it's own food. Most people over 40 would considerate anything else than hot dish (stews, soups, grilled meat) and what you find in a clasic breakfast, garbage food. (which most of it actually is).

[@milente1]

Seeing your video made me homesick...I have to travel back home soon. Constanta is a nice city. I.m from Timisoara, but living in Stockholm, Sweden since many years... Enjoy your time in Romania and I hope you will get only positive experiences there! Wish you all the best!

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you very much

[@denisa_the_jedi]

Yes, there are indeed paper bus tickets (still) in other cities, but Bucharest has "electronic wallets" which can be recharged at kiosks for quite a while, and since the pandemic struck they have also put credit card readers inside the buses/trams if you want to pay with your credit/debit card, but the kiosks don't have any card readers, so you have to pay cash there, which I found funny. As for why no one sits on the grass, there are a lot of ticks crawling on the ground during the summer/towards the autumn and people are afraid of the Lyme disease. Of course, there are also cities where people sit on the grass in the parks, and if you live at countryside, well...you kinda have to do it if you take walks in the wild. There's also the problem of red ants, which are quite common here, and they are small, so it's easy to miss them if you sit in the midst of an ant road; and boy, do they have a nasty sting!

[@td9250]

Damn... Germany uses paper tickets too. Germany is such a backwards country!

[@dregavero]

I think the electronic wallets are starting to become more popular in more cities, especially with the younger people and because of the convenience they bring. That applies to debit cards as well. For example we've had all of these in Timisoara for a good few years now.

[@louies6914]

We have all the variants here in Oradea too buyt we have new buses and new trams unlike Bucharest which has only new buses but trams are old rusty trashcans.

[@fanstream]

Again,Ella, this is such a cool approach to expat/digital nomad/travel vlogging - like a remote guide for people interested in living/visiting/working in Romania.Over 82 k views to date - bravo!

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you so much 😊🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@kailed]

tort in romania encases every type of wedding or birthday cakes, then prajituri is everything else that look rather flat and square'ish

[@LearnRomanianwithVlad]

Hehe, I liked your video Ella. First of all I am happy you moved to Romania. Just a few things: things are cheaper in supermarket in general because compared with products from France or UK or Germany the quality is lower ( just a few BIO products). Romania is a latin country so we can understand Italian, French and Spanish without any problem. English is the first language we learn in school then followed by French and German and we don't have dubbing in cinema or TV, just subtitles. About Coke zero try : Cola without sugar !!! Anyway... subscribed

[@adrianposternicenco7516]

I live in Bath U.K. for 7 years already which is an absolutely charming place to live but Constanța is the city where I born and I spend my childhood. You are in one of the most beautifull cities in Romania but definetely if you got the chance you have to visit Brașov, one of the most lovely places to go and Cluj also and the capital Bucharest 💙❤

[@EllaSlingsby]

That’s great 😀yes it’s beautiful

[@enverrasid6930]

Pfffff Doamne ferește, se vede ca nu ai mai stat de mult în Constanta. Nu știu ce este frumos în Constanta, aș aprecia dacă ai putea sa zici ce locuri frumoase sunt, ca în afara de cazino nu prea mai sunt.

[@Laura-ng2qs]

@@enverrasid6930 Faleza, plaja, port naval, sau turistic, lacuri, delfinariu, mini rezervatia, cladiri vechi si noi, cafenele, parcuri...... Invata sa vezi si sa apreciezi frumosul din jurul tau. Incearca sa fii mai optimist, sa traiesti frumos si sa critici mai putin!

[@adrianposternicenco7516]

@@enverrasid6930 nu as putea sa vorbesc orașul copilăriei mele de rău niciodată la fel cum nu as putea sa vorbesc urat nici de România referitor la zonele turistice ❤💙

[@MrDadyriveira]

@@Laura-ng2qs oras plin de gunoaie si de oameni din aia....hai sa fim seriosi,constanta arata din ce in ce mai degradat

[@amelina_lotsofsmiles8425]

Hey! Cool video, by the way! 👍✨ It's so nice to hear how others perceive the experience of your country and I look forward to seeing more from you! Now a quick mention about the rum thing. It is most commonly not the alcohol that is used in food or drinks(unless you're at a bar) but something that roughly translates to 'rum essence' which is a pretty intense rum flavoured oil. You might want to ask about it at the corner store or in supermarkets, because it's very well known and very cheap(1 to 3 lei max). And also ask at the bars and restaurants where you go about what they're using, because you just migh be able to experience the Romanian affinity for rum without actually ingesting any alcohol.

[@EllaSlingsby]

thank you very much :)

[@tandago7281]

Funny observations about the grass thing. Completely cultural... :) sitting on the grass is just not done (in fact sitting on the ground is frowned upon in general in Romania - except when you're camping.:))

[@LiviuGelea]

There are also many ticks due to the wild dog population. Ticks can live for decades without feeding, just waiting for victims, so, use insect repellents if planning to do a cultural switch thing.

[@tandago7281]

@@LiviuGelea That's a very good point, true. In fact, sadly, I believe that there is a huge tick proliferation everywhere in Europe and North America in the past decade, so we should watch that everywhere...

[@eedragonr6293]

Sitting on the grass is savage, uncivilized and barbaric.

[@LianaBuzea]

Wow, I must not be from around here then... I've always sat on the grass in the parc nearby my home (Bucharest). Many dog parents and some of the kid parents do that here. ✌️🇷🇴

[@jackwinch3507]

@@tandago7281 Can confirm that ticks are very prevalent in both North America and Europe, including the UK. This includes a large portion of ticks that are host to numerous diseases, such as Lyme's Disease. In general, ticks are very sensitive to dry conditions and so are more prevalent in longer unkept grass. Regardless of whether you're in Romania, Germany, of the UK, etc, knowing what sort of conditions you're likely to experience tick bites in is rather useful. If you are bitten by a tick, it's best to remove the tick carefully and store the tick appropriately for later examination by medical professionals (freezing the tick is the best way to do this). This is because it is often much easier to test the tick for certain diseases, such as Lyme's Disease, than to test a human who has recently been bitten and infected. The earlier you get the tick tested, the better.

[@paulslingsby9684]

Excellent video !!❤️❤️

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thanks mate❤️❤️❤️

[@carbon1442]

people in romania do not say coke, they say coca cola. just say coca cola zero and youll be fine. I lived in england for like 11 years, and at the beginning I always said coca cola and the brits were a bit confused, but it was fine.

[@EllaSlingsby]

Ah okay thank you :)

[@catalinsavu8684]

hey,Ella,do you like living here?...you typed the name of that 1st pill wrong...it only has 3 A s,not 4...the letter before the L is an O

[@ihaterules3199]

just cola.

[@EmotionGamingRO]

Glad you are enjoying Romania and you are such a positive person about my country! subbed!

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thanks so much!!!

[@EmotionGamingRO]

@@EllaSlingsby cu placere! :D

[@arhimede360]

Very nice video! Feels nice to hear someone from uk speaking about his life here. Its kind of funny but also very interesting! Bine ai venit! 🤗

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you!!🙏🏼

[@adrianbordeianu1011]

It was forbidden to sit on the grass until a few years ago in many cities, I don't think it's an issue anymore, at least in Bucharest and I guess in Constanta either. And yes, some people don't sit on the grass because of the ticks and/or mosquitoes.

[@IchibanOjousama]

Yes but the ticks are new. We didn‘t have them before the globalization

[@sofinetilorand5519]

@@IchibanOjousama Yes, the imperialist ticks invaded our fatherland

[@adrianbordeianu1011]

@@sofinetilorand5519 😂😂😂😂

[@ioana-alexandradrangoi9681]

When I went to the UK, at McDonald's they only had Lipton as hot tea, whereas in Romania it is always ice tea. Regarding the water situation, you can always purchase a filtering jug that you fill with tap water and you have drinkable water without going through the hassle of always having to carry water bottles. You only have to buy a new filter for it whenever it shows you that it needs a new one (the jugs have a wee indicator on the lid, it looks like a battery full of horizontal lines and when you need a new filter, the lines disappear and only the outline of the battery is shown). And we do also have meal deals here, they can be found in some restaurants. You usually get a soup, a portion of meat with garnish and a small salad for around 20 lei. The name for a meal deal in Romania is "Meniul Zilei". If you want a small packet of crisps, you can always go to a Subway restaurant to buy it from there.

[@EllaSlingsby]

That’s great thank you

[@augustiniumihaila4466]

@@EllaSlingsby Water from public system is good, is potable, you can consume it without worries when cooking. When drinking, if you cool it in fridge you'll find that has a good taste. People inherited the fear of using water from public system from communist days, when distribution pipes were old and rusty and had a poor maintenance despite the fact that pumping station provided quite good water. From then, almost all water distribution system was updated but, unfortunately are allways too many consumers for a dsitribution stations and pipes has to be long , so , except winter time, water get a bit warm and that changes taste.

[@romania5204]

Hi

[@simp4bucky493]

as a romanian person living in england this was very fun to watch because all of the things you pointed out to be familiar to you were different to me at first and vice versa, you sound like such a nice person by the way :)

[@biancas.6283]

Interesting perspective, Ella. glad you like it here :)

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you

[@scytale2394]

19:25 - More specifically, for the food part, I would recommend berries (esp. the wild) from farmer markets (called "piata" in Romanian). For instance, after the recent terrible heat waves, there are strawberries available, which are delicious. You could even smell the flavor from some meters apart, even wearing a mask (which is mandatory anyway). The prices are very good this time of the year, for instance: 12 lei/kg for blackberries and strawberries, and 25-30 lei/kg for blueberries and raspberries.

[@ama.lia.s]

I came to visit Romania (Constanta) after 4 years being in the UK and I was shocked when I paid almost 10£ for two packs of 6 bottles of water each. In the UK for two packs of 6 bottles of water will be at most 6£.

[@EllaSlingsby]

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@ama.lia.s]

@Clasic Man nu contest dar dacă calculez timpul pierdut și banii pe transport pentru a merge într-un magazin mai departe pt a cumpăra mai ieftin tot acolo ajung. La ce salarii și pensii se oferă aici mi se pare jaf să nu ai preturile aliniate și decente.

[@lilianabeaven2427]

OMG I feel soo homesick now… Your video is lovely. You make me laugh and cry 😀 very emotional. Very glad that there are so many things that you enjoy in Romania. Lots of good luck!

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you so much !!!!!

[@LexiBeqiri]

Nice to see this video - me being a Romanian that moved to the UK 7 years ago. Loved it! ☺️💜

[@EllaSlingsby]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@LexiBeqiri]

@@EllaSlingsby 🤗

[@nxibba]

Sa si ramai acolo

[@CostiTaby]

Very realistic, you are a very good watcher! Some things could be different in another city., and I would like to see many videos like this. 🙏🌺🌸💐

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you very much glad you enjoyed :)

[@HomemademasksNet0]

People's eating habits are also different than in the UK. On TV in Romania people are really encouraged to choose healthy foods drink water and eat veg whilst in the UK they say a lot of : Just Eat 😆 and also Romanians rely on homemade cooked foods whilst in the UK there are a lot of already made foods that you put in the microwave or oven. Romanians don't eat much procesed foods, yes, you are spot on. I am not trying to be offensive it is just my genuine opinion. However that being said, each country has it's good and it's bad stuff. No place is perfect.

[@HomemademasksNet0]

@@Alexander-jr8nw speaking mostly about the cultural habits within the family unit and not the odd purchase of a kebab and coca cola by youngsters after a night out..or from time to time. Have you experienced living in both of these countries for a while, so you can have a more properly formed opinion?

[@lucabaracuda987]

Very good video and good observations. Ur laugh and smile are infectious :D

[@passportbrother]

What a great and insightful video.

[@Sagee_ok]

about the tap water thing, in some cities you get tap water from a river so it's perfectly fine to drink, it really depends in what city you live. I live in the north-eastern part of romania and we have really good tap water.

[@polarisation]

Also in the West. I live in a suburb near Timisoara and the water is drinkable. It does not taste good because they use too much chlorine so we either buy bottled water (bad for enviroment ,I know) or just filter it.

[@eedragonr6293]

@@polarisation interesting how may a survival game look there . Like running three nights without water, tracked by dogs.

[@vasilicavaduva923]

The meal deal in Romania îs the menu of the day.You will find it in Carrefour supermarket and in some of the restaurants two courses dessert and a soft drink for under 20 lei But not in Constanța now because of the touristic season,most of the things are more exepensive

[@EllaSlingsby]

That’s good to know thank you 😊

[@danstoica2105]

@@EllaSlingsby I think they have some meal deals in Mega Image also.

[@EllaSlingsby]

@@danstoica2105 sadly they do not. A meal deal in UK is where you can get a sandwich, a snack (likes crisps) and a drink all for £3. It’s a popular lunch which many people buy especially workers in the uk. :)

[@procyon826]

@@EllaSlingsby You can go to any Profi with a Coffe Corner and get 2 hot dogs and a Cola for like 10 lei and they're really good.

[@corinagrigore1721]

I am from Constanta now living in London. Such a nice video! Really lovely to watch

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you!!🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@codsamanta]

You can drink tap water in some places, but it really depends on the area. I'm not sure about other cities, but parks in Bucharest have a lot of water fountains that you can drink from. You might even find these on the street outside of parks and some have a smaller part to the side for dogs to drink. Usually, when you travel around the country, you can ask the people there whether it is safe to drink it or not. Also, the crisps are sold in big bags because that's just how much we eat in one serving usually. Some stores offer smaller bags but very few people actually buy those.

[@mptp77]

I'm surprised that you avoided to talk about the vampire issue but, eitherway gave you a like. Btw, find you because of _Vee, the cat daddy_ .

[@kailed]

people don't sit on the grass because there are benches but most people just go camping

[@refreshh5]

or because everywhere you see grass there is also a sign that says DONT WALK ON GRASS like it's some holy thing

[@berthaandronie]

your video was suggested to me for the first time. I am actually from Romania and all the things you've said are accurate. It was interesting listening to your point of view

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you so much 🙏🏼😊

[@garnetmuse]

So much fun and helpful

[@t7evenback196]

Ella thanks so much for the nice review, next time please try Polar ice cream, i miss the ice cream from my country so much and Eugenia and Pufuleti :) All the best

[@EllaSlingsby]

Ooo I will try thank you 😊

[@t7evenback196]

@Sam Ry Thanks so much, no i am in Germany !

[@ciripa]

if you are in urban areas in Romania, tap water is drinkable, of course the quality of the water depends on the area, water in the lowlands or plain is not that tasty compared to water in cities in higher areas.I am from Timisoara, water here is not that good as it has a lot of limestone. Of course u have to add that also the old pipes of the infrastructure in the city or in the block also adds to that taste.....General idea....water is drinkable, the taste depends on the location and infrastructure :D Enjoy your stay here!

[@mehightmi]

gotta love that slamdank tune on the background also love to hear you speak

[@judyhorstmann6332]

Thank you for this video. Very interesting content! Greetings from USA.

[@Morindor]

A few points because I feel like some of what you noticed only applies to certain places in Romania or Bucharest / Constanta. - Traffic is generally horrible in Romania, one of the worst ones in Europe; - We do not have Vending Machines for everything, never saw one for masks, plants or anything other than food / drinks and coffee; - The climate one needs a bit of explaining, summer didn't used to be this hot 15 years ago and winters were actually much harsher than now, what you experienced last year was very mild compared to how it can get; - You can definitely drink from the tap, I've done it for 25+ years without issues but it does matter where you live and how the water is treated. I know Bucharest and the regions around it have a problem with drinkable tap water; - The parking situation is harder to explain, legally you aren't allowed to park wherever you want just like in the UK but in Romania the police is way more forgiving when it comes to parking. Unless you park in a way that creates issues for the rest of the traffic or park in an extremely obvious no zone, you are generally ok, but it's still illegal and if any cop decided it's fining time, all the cars you see parked randomly would be fined or towed away; - Taxis are generally not yellow in Romania, I've seen very few places that have yellow taxis. Most are white and have the company logo and phone number on them; - We do not have meal deals but most supermarkets (at least the ones that also offer cooked food) usually sell all of their food 50% 2-3 hours before closing so that the food that was made that day gets sold instead of thrown away; - The crisps one is pretty weird because everywhere I went in Romania there were always different sized bags, from handful sized, small, medium, large. Never heard of a place that only has large crisp bags;

[@danutavram831]

Foarte bine punctat mult mai real si o vedere mai de ansamblu !!

[@mrmakeitrainb4nd17u]

What a great, comprehensive video

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you very much!! That would be great :)

[@mara_777]

I just found your channel and the reason I subscribed is that I love your content because most of it it's about my country! (aka Romania

[@andreidumitrache2077]

My hometown ❤️ I live in London now and it’s really cool to see your perspective on living in Constanța!

[@georgeantonioandrei8570]

Hey, this is the first video of yours that I'm watching. It was really cool and interesting, yeah, there are many cultural differences. Personaly, I'd like to travel and eventually move in another country in the future. I feel that here the society has too much old school vibe for me, even I'm a native romanian I'm saying this. The good part is that people here are more sociable that in the western Europe, like you get in a friendship relation pretty fast here, people are more oppen from this point of view. Regarding opperas and stuff. I'm a musician and I'm happy to hear that people still like this sort of cultural manifestation more than in other places, although the cultural thing is not developed here in general. people don't read books, or listen to good music in a regular basis. I'm more into western music like rock/metal, blues, etc, so I think this kind of music is not well received here and is more accepted and played in the UK. Hopefully you've seen this comment and you can give your oppinion on some stuff I put on here, have a great time in our country! Keep the good work up!

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thanks for the comment :) I'd say definitely try to move to another country if you can at some point it gives you such a different perspective on many things in life. Thanks again

[@dumitra2392]

Funny watching this being a Romanian in UK. Oh gosh! The weather ❤ the snow storms, thunders, loved them! I miss the natural veg and fruits ! Have a lovely stay in Romania and best of luck with your ballet !

[@EllaSlingsby]

Lovely comment! Thank you very much

[@alexandrufloringheorghe7718]

im so happy u visited my country im a new subscriber!

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you so much 😊🙏🏼

[@alinmoldovan2873]

I am Romanian living in London for many years, but still I travel a lot home as well as I have all my family there.I actually enjoyed your video and 90% you got them right. Lifestyle and food/drinks are indeed different then UK, at the end what it counts to find your own way of life along side the Romanian side I guess, same as I do here.Hope you have a great journey there and enjoy every moment! Best of luck to you!

[@EllaSlingsby]

thank you!!!!!!!

[@gia3087]

lovely video! thank you for sharing your experience! in other cities (like bucharest) you can pay your bus trip with a special card which you can refill once it runs out of money. or with your own debit/credit card. next time you want to order coke ask for “cola” or “coca cola”. oh and regarding the meal deals, we do have that, it’s called “meniul zilei”, so you can look for that next time you eat out. unfortunately theater and opera are not that appreciated here, at least among the younger generations. lastly, apart from the bathroom, people also store their washing machine in the kitchen haha. great observations xx

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you!

[@eedragonr6293]

@@romania5204 is this harassment?

[@romania5204]

No

[@romania5204]

i need a job abroad

[@marianarvinte]

So interesting to see this comparison from such a young and genuine lady. Living in Romania for 21 years and in the UK for for 16 I must say I agree with most of your observations less so the infrastructure one. The one about buses is particularly interesting as I have been driving a bus in London for a living for the last 6 years. Anyway keep up the good work!

[@EllaSlingsby]

That’s awesome, thanks I love London

[@danutavram831]

@@EllaSlingsby London is getting very bad !! The quality life is not in London.

[@thespiesshow3199]

Me, Romanian and bus driver in London, you Having fun and speaking about bus drivers from Romania in Romania, nice.

[@EllaSlingsby]

Love London’s buses!!!

[@alexl8318]

I am impressed, you learn a lot about Romania!

[@greenhare8122]

You can actually drink tap water almost everywhere in Romania.

[@cuoreazzuro]

no you don't

[@Tallborn5]

Bucharest and Constanta have really shitty tap waters.

[@cuoreazzuro]

@@Tallborn5 90 per cent of Romania's tap water is shitty...so shitty is actually dangerous.

[@insertname9554]

Lmao no. Sibiu was the only place I could drink it without feeling disgusted by it after 3 days

[@refreshh5]

@@Tallborn5 Also OLT and DOLJ, disgusting and dangerous

[@nebelwolken5595]

Hey, whenever you're ordering or asking for a coke, I'd recommend saying coca cola. Most people have no idea what you're asking when you're saying coke x)

[@Ed_3803]

Interesting video! 👍👍

[@tessblog3384]

Awesome thanks for sharing love the content keep safe ❤️

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thanks so much you too!🙏🏼

[@adrianstere]

Hi Ella, about the coke thing it’s because we don’t use that word at all, we just say “Cola” or “Coca Cola” 😅 It’s very interesting to see a different perspective of my country from a foreign person! I myself i am from Bucharest but I live at the moment in Krakow, Poland and I been traveling and living in different countries in Europe in the past 10 years and I miss Romania. Did you like the city of Constanta? Have you catch the summer and enjoy the beach? In Romania we are pretty sad about Constanta :( It used to be our Black Sea “pearl” during the communist period when it was in the very good shape and a lot of tourists from UK, France, Sweden etc. use to come there every summer to enjoy the beach. Sadly, after the fall of the communist regime the city hall and the government literally left this city to crumble :( It’s a similar story to Bucharest. The rest of the cities and small towns in Romania have improved a lot in the past 10-15 years. Constanta could be such a good ambassador for our country since not all countries can have a sea and enjoy in the summer :) About the washing machine for me was a shock when I was lived in Sweden and I saw that there is no washing machine in the apartments! Everything was like you said, at the commune place and usually you need it to book the time by a week in advance, take the clothes with you to a different building, bring them back again etc. I hate it! 🤣 About the grass thing that people don’t seat on it I still do not have an explanation for that other than that after the fall of communism in all public parks with a grass space the city halls was forbid the people to step on the grass You can still see the signs in some parks specially in Bucharest where is written “nu calcati iarba” = “don’t step on the grass”. Because of this stupid law in the past 30 years or so people couldn’t enjoy so much the grass. The law was changed I think but it was to late as the harm was done: most of the people have in their subconscious mind that it’s still forbidden and since they never do it before it’s become easier just not to do it. Hope you like it in Romania (I don’t know if you are still there at moment) and have a great time there!

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you for your comment! I really like Constanta even more in the summer with the beautiful Beach.

[@krakendragonslayer1909]

Feel welcomed in Kraków, my city

[@pault1259]

Very observant in many respects, but you got the tap water part really wrong - water quality is mandated by law, checked frequently and taken very seriously (for Romania, that is). And to call the weather in Constanta 'extreme' ? That might be the least extreme in Romanian weather, since the seasonal changes are buffered by the sea. Would invite you to visit the south (Oltenia) in the summer, or the some of mountainous depressions in winter, for a better taste of extremes :) I also googled those 'crumpets' as I'd forgotten what the word means.

[@wintersonnet]

She did say the weather is extreme compared to the UK where the weather is very constant, her observation on this is perfectly fine.

[@calinrusti1392]

I am a Romanian living in California for over 20 years, and this was a breath of fresh air. Thank you for what you said and your view of our homeland.

[@LauraIon1961]

A very kind view of the differences. Enjoy your stay in Romania.

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you 😊

[@eugenstan6656]

Yeah, nobody uses Coke for Coca-Cola, that's why... when you want to say short for it, just say Cola, it's the main word for it (doesn't apply to Pepsi or other colas). So Cola-Zero ftw :))

[@andapanda8757]

Such a nice perspective about our country. You should tell us also the mean things, the romanians loooove to complain about fellow citizens and Romania in general. Have a nice stay here! 🤗

[@addtru12]

Great video!

[@addtru12]

I am Romanian and it is very interesting for me to hear a foreigner talking about my country. I learn a lot by understanding how you see us, and what are the main differences that you consider worthy of mentioning.

[@addtru12]

Also, I admire the English people. I consider the English to be probably (one of, if not), the greatest nation of our times. And this, for many reasons.

[@emanuelp1297]

I am impressed with the accuracy of the information. Just like it is.

[@EllaSlingsby]

Thank you very much 🙏🏼

[@norbert4571]

20:54 British people like to eat on the go quite a bit more than Romanians. Romanians prefer to sit at a table when they eat. So supermarket sandwhich/pasta/salad deals never became a thing in Romania. Plus, in general, Romanians prefer hot meals to cold meals.

[@nxibba]

Obviously most people will prefer warm meals over cold meals

[@louies6914]

Regarding bus/tram tickets.I'm from Oradea (NW Romania).We have one of (if not the) best transportation systems in Romania.You can buy the traditional paper ticket (6 lei in Oradea for two rides) but you could also have like a card for 80 lei/month which is available on every line be it tram or bus or you could just use your credit card in the bus/tram to pay for your ride.

[@jc008titan]

haha faci reclama la oradea cand in suceava totu e la juma de pret

[@LusioEcarts]

We have our washing machines near or inside the bathroom also because the water cabIes are tied to the water system from the bathroom. It makes sense to have it there. :)

[@BestGamesJustin]

Congrats on the vid! Would be interesting to mention ethnicities uk vs ro

[@wispererflame7286]

the water thing depends on the region , near the sea the tap water is not good but if you go to the mountains it way better depending of town and building pipes too

[@EllaSlingsby]

Ah that’s interesting:)

[@geaninaschiopu5911]

Yeah i live in Bucharest and we allways drink from tap the water

[@geaninaschiopu5911]

@@EllaSlingsby It maibe because of the soile in Constanta as it is closee to the sea it can have a lot of calcar or sulf ... or just a lot of salt.. but mostly is calcar... so its not good because it makes kidney stones .. or sand .. so thats why is best being there if they suggested u to drini bottle of water.. kaufland ( i am.not advertising here lol) has really cheap ones specialy the ones marked K meaning kaufland product is 0.85 lei almost 20 p for 2 litre u can have it mineral or just plaine water.

[@shamkand]

About the water, I think it depends of where in Romania you are, in my part it's ok to drink tap water but I am in the opposite part in the North :)

[@ana-mariatoma9701]

About the parks: for a long time, it was forbiden to seat on grass, this is why there are so many benches :)))) only recently regulations changed. Plus, we have autumns and winters here, when is not convenient to seat directly on … wet soil 😅. Tnx for sharing, nice to see how someone else sees us, Have a nice staying.

[@hi-3-12]

I’m so glad someone is talking about Romania ! I’m half Romanian and I have never really had anyone to talk to about Romania in England I just wish I could go back to Romania 😩