Why we admire Romanian people 🇷🇴

[@BackPackYourLife]

I have proof you want the romanian citizenship

[@alexandruciobanu1086]

Te aprob Cătă ! 😅 Oricum ne promovează țara mult mai mult decât o face ministerul sau orice altă campanie apărută pe la Tv din când în când. 👍

[@catalinoctaviantaut8760]

Absolut de acord! Susțin. Mici, bere,sarmale ,ciorbă de burtă... au toate atu- urile.😁 PS:Și pe voi vă urmăresc.😉

[@Zigg-s5s]

@@alexandruciobanu1086 Tara se promoveaza singura, ei doar au ales sa vada si sa povesteasca si e minunat.

[@ionaxinia3158]

Thank you for promoting Romania, of the traditions, culture and history of the romanian people

[@JetLagWarriors]

Big thanks to Romania for having us :)

[@zerefcifer]

Yep, you can joke about ANYTHING with Romanians. We will not be offended ever. As a matter of fact, joking about bad stuff is what gives us the strength to push through all the bad stuff, if you know what I mean. We are, in a sense, the opposite of Americans in this matter. :) Disclaimer: Pentru astia care abia asteptati sa sariti din tufis ca nu-i asa, ca daca ma injura, ca daca face misto de tara noastra, etc. Nu despre asta e vorba. Normal ca daca te insulta cineva sau iti insulta tara, orice OM nu numai roman se ofenseaza. Este vorba despre glume si bancuri despre alte subiecte. Da? Pricepeti sau...? De exemplu la glume cu blonde, romanii in general nu se ofenseaza. In alte tari gen America, alea sunt considerate sexism. Despre asta e vorba, nu despre injuraturi. In ziua de azi tre sa pui un disclaimer la orice zici ca se trezesc cativa destepti din tunelurile internetului sa sara ei ca arsi desi habar n-au despre ce e vorba in propozitie.

[@dixtr3m3r]

Depends on the people. This is true mostly for younger people.

[@gundabalf]

how about calling romanians gypsies. can people joke like that?

[@zerefcifer]

Of course we get offended if someone is making fun of us or if they insult us. Anyone would. But that was not what we were talking about here. They were talking in this video and worrying that if they talk about communism, we would get offended, which is not true. And generally speaking, we are not that sensitive like Americans are around, I don't know, stuff like fat jokes, blonde jokes, etc. That was the subject here, not insulting ones country or calling someone a gypsy. @Andy Ash ​ @Dragos Fotache

[@danascully6698]

@@gundabalf Toate glumele au o limita. Deci asta nu-i o gluma, asta-i o jignire.

[@acyd2k]

who was first in transilvania?

[@Didi38]

Don't be scared. We won't be offended. We love you guys. ❤

[@tenzindolma6266]

Wow! You guys are unique vloggers, in my opinion. I don't think I know others who have made such a complex foray into the recent history of Romania and who have understood so well the communist context that shaped us as a generation... I congratulate you and thank you in equal measure, because by this you really show that you appreciate us as we are, with good and bad, with our dark history and with the bright future in which we still hope ... Our politicians have not been lights in the night for the Romanians, after the revolution. But we keep hoping that soon everything will be better... We love you, dear friends! I know that the other Romanians who have come to know you feel the same way... so I can speak for them too...

[@makemefamousfornoreason8402]

Go look for Bald and Bankrupt's vlogs.

[@tenzindolma6266]

@@makemefamousfornoreason8402 ok!

[@LoredanaT]

Thank you Ivana, Steve for everything you're doing! As a small side note: the execution didn't happen on purpose on Christmas Day. It was more like bad timing, and part of the reason for the speed trial they were put through (leaving aside conspiracy theories, which I'm not a fan of, in general), was because they managed to escape once (by helicopter) and they still had plenty of connections and people loyal to them (to the Ceausescu couple). So it was more like a "now or never" moment, which sadly happened to be on Christmas Day... Also, take into account that, yes, 32, almost 33 years have passed, but truth be told, the 90s and even the beginning of the 2000s were more like transitioning years. So the change didn't happen overnight, like a switch was turned on December 25. We are talking about a shift in mentalities, in the way people used to do things, to connect, for example, to an avalanche of new stuff and info from abroad. So in the grand scheme of things, some might say (maybe a few decades later, looking behind) that we are still transitioning today, emerging from communism and making our way through finding our true self & identity. Thanks again!

[@liviemerich8566]

Good explanation!

[@JetLagWarriors]

This was a great comment Loredana. Thanks for sharing this

[@costinhalaicu2746]

I'll never forget 1989, that memory will be with me for as long as I live. When the Revolution started, I was 9yo. Close by to where my grandparents lived in Bucharest, there was this factory, and on the 22nd of December I woke up early on as usual to go out to play with other kids on the street (there was almost no car traffic back then, yes I know it's hard to believe :), and that was a back street anyway). Then, as we're there playing football and it's maybe 8:30 am or so, we see this endless column of people, workers, coming out of the factory gates. We were, of course, dumbfounded, as to what's going on. Eventually, I asked one that looked like a foreman or something what is going on, why are the people leaving (it was highly unusual for the workers to get out at 8:30 am, as you can imagine). He stopped, leaned down to be on the same level and put his hands on my shoulders, and told me "kid, we're going to kill Ceausescu", and then he looked at me again, and left with the rest of the group he was with. I ran inside to tell my grandparents what he said - and you gotta understand how it was, my grandfather was fiercely anti-communist, but that was dangerous to say in public, as they would arrest you for it, and the Securitate (repressive political police) had eyes and ears everywhere. My grandfather routinely went down in the basement where he had a small radio, and a position where in a corner he could listen to Radio Free Europe, and learn what the democratic countries were saying, what the voices on the "other side" were. Me, being a kid and generally protected by my family from the harsh reality around, was not so aware of how dangerous it was to badmouth the communist regime. When I told them out loud "there are workers going to kill Ceausescu", they started to shush me, they couldn't believe it. Then, a whole to and from started in the neighborhood, people going to each other's door, whispers everywhere, some sort of cautious hope... well, to make a long story short, 3 hours later, Ceausescu fled in a helicopter from the rooftop of the Communist Central Committee building. Six hours later, he and his wife were arrested by the military garrison in Targoviste, where you went. Three days after this, they were executed, on Christmas day of 1989 - and yes, it was the best Christmas ever. I still remember how naive we all were, old and young. In the following days, I was chit-chatting with my friends about how we'll be just like France and America and England, how everything was going to change now and be like in those few American movies we had seen. Of course, it took us 30 years and we're barely halfway through even now, though arguably we're part of the world. The country changed before my eyes as I was growing up, and now through the eyes of an adult, I can appreciate the speed of the transformation, although I have to tell you that when you live through it, it seems so darned slow and tedious... I can also appreciate the monumental luck of having been born at a time when the Revolution happened when I was still a child, and gave me and my whole generation the chance to live in a free country. Poor it may have been, but at least that insane fear of having an opinion, of making your voice heard - that was not a part of my youth, as it was for my parents. I am so glad you guys got to see these things. Kudos to you JetLag Warriors for being more than just shallow travelers going to a few touristy attractions and calling it a day. Wish I'd bump into you guys on the street once. :) Best of luck guys.

[@JetLagWarriors]

thanks for sharing your story

[@TerrorFromLOL]

Nu dau niciodata comentarii pe youtube dar multumim pentru mesajul asta a fost emotionant

[@911Iliana]

Mulțumim! Noi toți care nu prea am prins perioada aia, dar am auzit de ea! Și ai un mod de a povesti și de a ilustra în cuvinte... tot respectul!

[@costinhalaicu2746]

@@911Iliana Cu tot dragul! Sper sa nu uitam lucrurile astea, cel putin cat vom fi pe pamant noi, generatiile care au prins fie revolutia, fie anii imediat dupa, si sa nu lasam sa ajunga tara noastra iar asa vreodata.

[@jamesrobinson6382]

I was on my way to Romania in 2021and was not permitted to continue because of Covid restrictions on part of the trip. I am an older American and remember these harsh events and I am hoping to be able to complete the trip. Your video reinforces my desire to go meet the Romanian people. They sound like my kind of people! Thanks.

[@alexevo8016]

You should visit Pitești Prison, similar to Auschwitz. Pitești Prison (Romanian: Închisoarea Pitești) was a penal facility in Pitești, Romania, best remembered for the reeducation experiment (also known as Experimentul Pitești - the "Pitești Experiment" or Fenomenul Pitești - the "Pitești Phenomenon") which was carried out between December 1949 and September 1951, during Communist party rule. The experiment, which was implemented by a group of prisoners under the guidance of the prison administration, was designed as an attempt to violently "reeducate" the mostly young political prisoners, who were primarily supporters of the fascist Iron Guard, as well as Zionist members of the Romanian Jewish community. The Romanian People's Republic adhered to a doctrine of state atheism and the inmates who were held at Pitești Prison included religious believers, such as Christian seminarians. According to writer Romulus Rusan, the experiment's goal was to re-educate prisoners to discard past religious convictions and ideology, and, eventually, to alter their personalities to the point of absolute obedience. Estimates for the total number of people who passed through the experiment range from at least 780 to up to 1,000, to 2,000, to 5,000. Journalist Laurențiu Dologa estimates almost 200 inmates died at Pitești, while historian Mircea Stănescu accounts for 22 deaths during the period, only 16 of them with documented participation in the "re-education".

[@broinasvalentin1727]

You could visit Sarmisegetusa (both the roman and the dacian one). Sarmisegetusa is a archeological site, very big with ruins that date back 2000 years. Also you can visit Baile Herculane, a thermal spring resort hiden in the mountains, founded in roman times, it's very relaxing there in winter with how hot the watter is.

[@djprojectus]

Am văzut in niste videoclipuri de acum vreo 2 ani ca Baile Herculane sunt in ruine. S-a mai îmbunătățit situatia?

[@RaduRadonys]

@@djprojectus Deloc.

[@eastromaniaraveparty7764]

They are going to Craiova, they should definitely visit the Danube gorge which is one of the most spectacular parts of a river on this continent.

[@ovidiumarianbudulean1851]

You guys need to understand something...if we laugh at your expense and tell you about it that means we like you. You have to take it the right way and feel good and special about it! As many Eastern Europe people are you discovered by now that we don't like sugar coating and tell you how it is...this is a dying flower this days...hope you guys appreciate it ha ha!

[@gabrielasorinakope9663]

I stayed in Rome for 20 years and now I am the happiest person in the world. I returned home to Brasov. goodbye Rome is very good here to. New subscribers. Love you Guys

[@rockstarvintage]

I'll do the same next year. Can't wait!!

[@lauram4168]

I was just a child when I was watching live on TV Ceausescu's trial. And also during revolution my parents sent me to my grandma where we had our curtains and lights off at night and I could hear tanks passing by, my father luckly got home safely from work when the revolution started , because other people were shot on the streets

[@stanciuflorin5328]

Very well said! Respect!

[@JetLagWarriors]

Thanks for listening

[@RomaniaSteve]

I love all your blogs but this one was really special. Me and my wife just came back from two weeks in Bucuresti and our next vacation will be next October in Transylvania. So I will definitely now find that communist museum in Brasov. We both love Romania and the Romanian people just like you guys do. We feel that vibe, the way Romanians are so laid back (unlike us brits.) We love how Romanians care about others and about family. (and about the disabled... my wife is in a wheelchair and Romanians in general are so helpful and kind, considerate. You do not get this feeling everywhere in the world.) The sense of humour also! The food is the best in the world!! Especially Mici and mamaliga!

[@vicu_negru]

it feels me with great joy that you had a wonderful time here! we are used to taking care of each other, because history taught us that nobody else would, especially the gov, and used to doing the best we can do with the little we have. the only thing I ask of you is to share your experience with your friends, show them that it is not as they think, that we are actually more than meets the eye, especially the way we are depicted by the media and some people that use scare tactics about us... thank you so much!

[@RomaniaSteve]

@@vicu_negru Hi! Salut! Yes I tell everyone I know how beautiful Romania is and that I want to live there. One of my brothers is taking a small trip to Sibiu and Bran this month so I think I did well convincing him! We went to the coast, Brasov, Alba in 2017 and loved it so much. I cant wait to go back to Brasov and see Sibiu next october.

[@anan-aremere7950]

Thanks for taking the time to think more in depth about why people are a certain way. I work with the US and Canada and people are sooo afraid of saying something offensive, communication cand be hindered. Meanwhile, I am here making bad jokes and trying to find humour in bad situations, most of them think I'm weird 😁 On another note, please please please drive through Drobeta and Orșova, where the Danube enters Romania, and take a ride on a boat on the Danube. It's just incredible, trust me!

[@BogdanPatrut]

They will go, for sure.

[@EUTalks]

Unde sunt merele, Ana?

[@flrazvan]

you guys are making more advertising to Romania than our government try to do for so long. Cheers to you!

[@stormtrooper2170]

Same is happening in myanmar now.. "Fight to freedom"

[@bogdanboros9551]

I could feel the emotion in your voice. Thank you for that! You should know that a joke like that about Ceaușescu, could have ended in jail time or even forced labor on the Danube-Black Sea canal for about 10 years.

[@stradavisinului]

I contradict one statement displayed in the museum: the people who displayed fake fruit did not do that because they could not afford the real fruit. It was those who favoured kitch art who did that. I did not see them in the houses i visited.

[@everythingaboutfootball356]

We call it "Haz de necaz" when we joke about bad or negative things😁

[@ericpmoss]

Check out Charlie Ottley -- he's a Brit who moved to Romania and promotes tourism like what you are doing. He could hook you up to some really cool adventures.

[@oanceacristina476]

In Romania we say "a face haz de necaz", which would translate to making jokes about trouble. I had a teacher in school who always said that humor and sarcasm are qualities of smart people. And maybe the Romanians lack many things, but they don't lack humor and kindness. Thank you for promoting Romania and we are happy that you feel at home here!

[@spicydraks]

It's true, Romanians for the most part knew what real suffering is. In contrast, western countries, US and Canada in particular, invented problems and as such take everything as "violence".

[@CiprianCosaru]

Hi guys, in Targoviste was printed the first book in 1508, at Dealu Monastery, also you could've visited Chindia Tower. Targoviste has 44 churches and three Monasteries i its surroundings, you also have few Museums. The best coffee shop for me when I go home is Cafepedia if you want very good coffee.

[@nelugora272]

Steve and Ivana much RESPECT! For me you are the best travelers! The next one is Catalin. Thank you for what are you doing. For my country you make a very great and important work. Thank you!

[@JetLagWarriors]

Wow, thank you! It's our pleasure.

[@floricadunca6909]

Thank you Steve and Ivana for sharing our history from no long time ✌️🌹❤️

[@alinnn4798]

great video my man! dont be afraid to post your thoughts and how you think. if people get offended it s their problem! be brave! much respect❤

[@JetLagWarriors]

Thanks for this. We are always nervous to post things like this. Fees cringey to watch it back

[@alinnn4798]

@@JetLagWarriors neh, dont do that. it s awesome and great to post. you really should feel proud. much respect!

[@raul22bican84]

I bow in front of you and thank you! you are wonderful and show a part of Romania that not many tourists are curious about, even some Romanians do not know anything about the history of our country! Thank you ! you are the best !!! Bravo

[@maria50058]

You are lovely guys 💖 I'm so happy you like Romania!

[@dianegreig4627]

Continue to learn so much from you both!! Keep safe, healthy and happy.

[@AndreiIR000]

Romanian here (and long-time subscriber) that lived through a few years of Ceausescu's communism. This is a great piece of information, very accurate!

[@zealot9322]

You deserve Romanian citizenship, for how much you are promoting our country. Both of you were extremely respectful in how you approached this grim part of our recent history.

[@dudmic]

While in Targoviste, hope you visited the old court where many rulers of the Wallachia had their seat, Targoviste is the old capital of Romania

[@antonsasaran1377]

Once people are free they will never ever surrender this feeling .Freedom means happiness , reason to live and create , hope , love . No Dictator in the World has the right to steel Freedom for People . Thousands of people are dying every day fighting for FREEDOM . Maybe people from Easter Europe , Hong Kong and those they are now fighting in Iran know how Precious is THE Freedom .

[@G1100L]

Well spoken...important history of Romania, thanks for the insight.

[@nandii-bs9575]

Hey, If u are in Cluj at Tuesday please go to U -CFR football match in the stadium called Cluj Arena. Hai CFR!🚂

[@GeoXT]

You explained things quite well for some people who barely lived in Romania, thank you!

[@alexandru4193]

Thank you guys for trying to be as respectful as possible with this topic, though I personally don't think Romanians have any problem speaking about Communism and Ceausescu. I'd like to give however another perspective on the matter. If you've watched Harry Potter you would know the wand maker (Ollivander) told Harry that Voldemort was a bad man and did evil things, BUT ALSO great things. This could be applied to Ceausescu. Ceausescu industrialized Romania's economy and the country started to rely less on agriculture (during this time Romania's economy boosted too and also women became more important in work force and even in politics). The country became 100% literate. Romania was also at the top at Math, Physics and Chemistry Olympiads (at the top competing with countries like the US, China and the Soviet Union). He was the first Romanian leader to get international recognition (even by Western powers like the US) and also was an important figure during the Middle East agreements. This is why Communist nostalgia is a thing in Romania, although it's mostly only amongst elder people (however this is no different from how other countries also have nostalgia for their past like in ex-Yugoslav countries the nostalgia for Yugoslavia and Tito; or the nostalgia of *some* Spaniards for Franco and his regime). To any Romanians reading this, I'm not a Communist! I just wanted to give other view that it's not typically discussed when it comes to the Communist regime in our country. At the end of the day, Ceausescu put first his ambitions and would do anything to achieve them, regardless of that meaning to sacrifice his own people, the people who trusted him. That makes him a monster. Edit: the industrialization and economy boost did not happen only with Ceausescu (started prior to him), but still started under Communism.

[@renatamihalache2600]

Thank you! We like freedom, we are brave or at least we used to be... We fight if needed, but only after a long, long and not every time useful tolerance! We are really very patient and peaceful. We joke on our expanse, we don't get upset by words because we believe in other's good intentions and understand they might have other values... The way you analyzed us is amazing, we don't really think about us like that. :) Honestly, your vlogs make us appreciate ourself more and our natural gifts, our work and its results, our hospitality, that kind of ingenuity, our skills and so on. I have to admit that 30 years ago I looked at foreign people like being more intelligent and open minded and educated and civilised than us. Not anymore as I've begun traveling the world. We are not the best, but no so bad. Although, I noticed this occidental current of becoming weaker, receving everything by default, rasing kinds like princes and princesses, far away from nature and real tough life. Our young generation is the same as yours and I am sorry for that, starting with my own child. Of course, they don't know what they lose. And this spoiling seems to form a full package with some kind of superficiality. But... and I came to my point: guys, I love both of you for being such deep persons, such aware and mature! It was a pleasure to watch your thoughts! World is a good place due to persons like you!

[@andreeapocolino]

Hey guys, just saw you on the news here in Romania! You were featured on Kanal D for the evening news. Congrats, hehe! Keep up the good work!

[@chaw294]

Awesome and interesting Historical video. Always love my History teacher, Mr Steve. Your narration is top notch, Steve. Thank you very much.

[@IsRomanoProduction]

You are cool people, keep it up. I thought a couple days ago that it would be interesting of your speaking about your perceptions of romanian culture and people. And here you just read my mind :)

[@JetLagWarriors]

Great suggestion! We always want to make more personal / thoughtful videos, but we are constantly nervous to upset people and lose our momentum in terms of viewership. So, usually our vlogs are pretty light and positive, but we wanted to make this one. Thanks for watching :)

[@claudiaszanto2822]

@@JetLagWarriors You should never worry about sharing the injustices that happened here as we are still so thirsty to tell our story and to be properly understood. Highly recommend to watch this film 'Brasov 1987. Doi ani prea devreme' www.imdb.com/title/tt8184338 And on the 15th of November, when it will be 35 years after the anti-communist revolt of the Brașov workers, people will go out in the streets to remind Romanians of the episode of honor and heroism that happened (very well presented in the above mentioned documentary film) facebook.com/events/1075031456416333/?ref=newsfeed Thank you for your work!

[@BackPackYourLife]

Cuz im romanian

[@fightingitems3689]

Love that you remember my fishing and hunting comment. I think only you can wear that hat, and make me think of Napoleon when you roll it like a taco. Haha

[@fightingitems3689]

We have a inside joke in Romania. Napoleon after one month in Vaslui

[@balabanalexandru3485]

You’ve learned and understood a part of our history better than some of us!love your videos guys!keep the good work!

[@oanaanton7413]

I was born 2 months prior to the revolution, so I have no personal memory of what happened. What stuck with me from my parents' story was how they had to baptize me in the hallway of our home, because they live on the main street where they were shooting. The church close to us was also shot at. I remember the bullet holes in the building I grew up in and the one in the church I would have been baptized if the revolution was not going on. I can't fathom what my parent had been through being with a baby and a small child (my big sister) in their apartment and hearing shots coming at the building they lived in. Having to stay for days in the hallway, because it was the only place without windows.

[@DavidHerron]

Thank you for this - there are many reasons to admire the Romanian people. As you say, the strength of their people is one of them. As an American who knows a lot of Romanian history -- your pronunciation of Brasov and Ceaucescu is grating a little -- but you've learned much about their culture etc. Hopefully we will be in Romania starting next month (November)

[@sandrasorina3820]

Hi guys, i'm glad you like Romania so much! Târgoviște is beautiful! Wait to see you in Craiova too, which is another very important historical city, with wonderful buidings and parks! I'm sure in Craiova you will enjoy very much Nicolae Romanescu park(it's huge and absolutely wonderful), the Botanical Garden, the Old Town, the Art Museum, the History Museum, the football stadium and much more. You have a lot of interesting things to discover in Craiova

[@DavidHerron]

I have been to Craiova several times and agree -- hopefully will be there in a month or two.

[@nuborn2088]

If I may add something, the first riot against the communist regime actually happened for the first time right there in Brasov in 1987 but was not successful.

[@JetLagWarriors]

Oh, this is interesting. And yes, we didn't mean the first protest/riot was in 1989 in Brasov, just one of them was. (I guess actually the last one in Ceaucescu's time). I think the 1989 protests started in Timisoara actually.

[@violeta-dorahorga6199]

I love you guys ❤I’m watching your videos almost every day , every time I miss home 🥰🤗

[@DeeDee80]

We do not get offended as long as you keep your comments respectful and you guys are more than respectful in your videos so no worries. We do like to joke about the nasty things happening to us, it's a coping mechanism. Joking and speaking with double meaning was a way to hide from Securitate and to fight against censorship. However, if someone is simply rude and cruel while commenting, then you can expect people to get offended. Which is normal and expected, I guess. Keep up the good work, I love your vlogs about my country. Sometimes you are too nice, goes with another stereotype about Canadians 😉

[@irisselene2325]

i truly love your videos, i left romania when i was 9 y.o, and the last time i visited romania was like 8 years ago, and even then iv'e only ever seen Arad (my home city) Timisoara, Sighisoara (my favorite place among the ones i've seen) and Bucharest. So I feel like I'm getting to know my own country more thanks to you haha. Not gonna lie would love to see you visit my city, although there's not as much to see as in the places you've been but theres great pastries and coffee shops hahaha. And a sort of artificial "beach" where we used to go a lot when we lived there. It's a bunch of pools of different size and depth with nice stalls of yummy street food, concerts, and a water park, I'm not sure if it has changed tho, haven't been there since like 9 lol Another favorite thing from my childhood were some special christmas themed trams, it was decorated for christmas and someone was dressed as santa inside, and kids would get in (with the parents) and would sing carols to santa and idk good memories, i wonder if it's still a thing or it died down.

[@floringrigorian7530]

This is touching. Thank you for going to some areas that are uncomfortable but is part of life and in the end is healing.

[@ramonac5600]

Most of the people that travel here saw this unique thing , that we speak bad about each other and make jokes about us. Probably this is our way to push us hire. We know that we can be better then this, that's why we keep fighting. If we still fighting we still care. P.s. Backpack just sent you a taste of our jokes. It's his way to send you affection. 😇

[@TheSebi99p]

Thanks for the kind words, and am glad you are enjoying my country and people. Sadly, we do need encouragement, as too many of my compatriots think way too lowly of our nation, which ofc, has problems... Would like to add that yes, this was a traumatic event for the nation... one of ridding of shackles... ofc, the trial was a sham, but no different than the sort of justice Ceausescu and his ilk would dole out... and he was summarily executed only minutes, not days after the verdict. Good riddance, and merry fucking christmas! Best present Santa could deliver!

[@JetLagWarriors]

lol this was a great comment. Thanks for watching :) . Also, my mistake for mentioning they were executed days later. I think I got confused, because of the waiting room where they slept for a few days. I think they must've slept there waiting for the trial, rather than waiting for execution.

[@rockstarvintage]

I think the pain from that trauma speaks when Romanians think and speak badly about their country. Less, and less are doing it, I like to think. Abuse does that to the victims in any abusive situation. I think this has changed, and keeps changing. What I have learned living overseas for many years is that us, Romanians, are not worse than anyone else. Especially considering what we've been through historically. In fact, we have some good traits that we should be proud of. And let me tell you something. A different country may be the shiny object, but your country is your soul. And nothing changes that. We have a great country. We just need to learn how to love it unconditionally and take care of it. And understand how lucky we are. And yes, Romanians rock. :) I'm hoping to move back next year.

[@TheSebi99p]

@@JetLagWarriors Yeah, no worries... it was a tiny mistake... just thought you should know, is all :)

[@TheSebi99p]

@@rockstarvintage Yeah, I hope we're getting better about that... but I still see way too many saying silly stuff like "oh, nothing has changed since the 90s" ... which is insane! We're waaaay better off now... it's not even a contest... the GDP per capita has quadrupled! Now sure, we may not be quite as rich as the west... yet... but we're getting there... I mean, we have the highest home ownership in the world (except Kosovo, if you consider that a country)... everyone has cars these days, and they're not all ancient Dacias now... and frankly, we don't have the societal issues the west has, for now... there's trade-offs... and I think these days, I prefer the sort of thing in Romania, over the west...

[@stelralook]

Great video! I’m 31, so born after the communism, but my generation still felt the effects of it. The 90s were still quite reminescent of those times, my parents lived their entire life in communism so it’s all they knew. We were a generation of transition most def.

[@omwibya]

thanks for this video guys! warms my heart to see foreigners enjoying our country and getting to know us better, cheers!

[@LeviGabriel-mb9ot]

thank you both from the bottom of my heart...🤗🤗

[@BackPackYourLife]

Steve is my partner

[@simone99x]

Stop smoking weed man,or try to reduce the dose of paracetamol that u take on everyday basis:),you just wrote 4-5 comments without any sense,not even funny ones,don't take it bad,is just an advice!!

[@JetLagWarriors]

catalin’s humor is the same like my humor. only difference is I am 40% funnier

[@irinacosta2281]

Guy’s I like u both so much and I love to see how much you like Romania, I am not offended, specially by the truth.. so no worrys, I am living in an other country and whenever I miss Romania I watch your guys videos so, thanks for that❤

[@dixienicoara]

I really enjoyed watching this vlog due the history. My husband is Romanian and his parents grew up in Romania under communism. I've had a hard time understanding what his parents went through, and watching this vlog provided me a bit of insight and understanding to what they went through. very interesting to watch, thank you

[@laviniavoinea1981]

My dad was working in the Modarom building as a tailor when the Revolution started. This is so nice to see! Glad you guys like our country so much. Live in UK but miss it everyday… ❤

[@zeea]

You were kind with us! Thank you!

[@moneyisenergy]

Great video, thanks for doing this video!

[@dumitruferuta7341]

You are great people...now I discovered...and from today I am your subscriber.

[@vlad16382]

Hello! First of all, thank you for doing these videos and for your kind words! I'm just gonna leave this piece of info about Ceausescu's trial here: It was a sham... there really wasn't rule of law in Romania at the time, but even for the standards of those days, it was a complete sham. The reason for the quick disposal of Ceausescu and his wife was, I believe, the simple fact that no one really wanted them alive anymore. And the quicker their death, the better for everyone. The army needed to wash their name for shooting the population, the state security apparatus wanted him dead in order to have a chance at swimming through the chaos that followed into a relevant position of power (pretty much everyone hated them at the time), the communist party wanted him dead in order to better broker the power between its factions, the population wanted him dead bcuz fuck that guy, everyone wanted to avoid a civil war, so nullifying the chances for the guy to rally some sort of loyalist front made perfect sense. The mock-up trial i think happened just to project some civility towards the world, after the plethora of live feeds with army and police brutality that occurred before the state apparatus switched sides, essentially doing a coup. If that wouldn't have been a thing, I have no doubt they would have been killed on the spot, in the moment the coup occurred, as they were in the custody of the army in those moments. The day, place and unceremonious way the execution was carried was a well deserved f*ck you, as far as most of us are concerned :D the guy suppressed the church throughout his rule and coerced many priests to become collaborators of the regime and Targoviste used to be the Throne City in the times of Vlad Tepes - a symbol of justice

[@JetLagWarriors]

This comment was very insightful, thank you.

[@calmyflory]

@@JetLagWarriors Legend says during the time of Vlad Tepes you could leave a bag of gold coins at a busy intersection and find it there, with all the coins inside, the next day.

[@vlad16382]

@@JetLagWarriors if you are curious about the aftermath and how we got to today, a pretty good documentary is " 30 years of democracy in Romania" - you can find it on youtube, with eng subs, posted by Recorder. The time investment is quite high as it is 3h long. On the other hand it does a good, thorough job at explaining the social transformations that we had to go through and also from how deep of a hole we had to climb out off. If you ever find the time, I highly recommend it. Again, thank you and safe travels! :D

[@ceaparadioactiva]

It was an assasination by the pro-Soviet faction whose leader was Ion Iliescu. After executing Ceausescu, they went on to create mass confusion and panic in both the military and civilian population by creating a "communist terrorists attacking the country" narrative, thus leading to many more deaths that could have been avoided. They went on to create more diversions where this faction posed as saviors (ethnic and miner riots, claiming that the West is trying to "steal" state companies). Desperate power grabs by communists who were in service of Moscow and were meant to keep the country in the USSR's sphere of influence and prevent the slide towards democracy and the free market (right-leaning political elements, as Ion Iliescu was calling them).

[@niaroma2375]

Romania was also a land were 3 empires really fight hard, Romania had to find always an ally against enemies crossing the country. When turkish were against romanians, we were friends with hungarians/russians. When hungarians were against us, we were friends with austrians and french and russians, when russians were against us, we were friends with turkish i guess or bulgarians. Is pretty strange we hold up to build a nation, on a region where 3 empires fight in the last 400 years most of the time. We learn to build connections and friends, and we most importantly adapt and learn words from other countries, the existence of them are still seen in Romanian language, but we also were pretty smart diplomatical we were anti war, and we were promoting language and ally with strong powers in Europe like french/italy, so ww1 we accept to help on east against hungary, when ww2 were ahead to start, we had hungarians which still wanted transylvania, russians which wanted the Bessarabia - R.Moldova and some region parts of ukraine nowadays. We had like German army and hungarian army at the borders, so we had no choice as no country respond to help and protect us. We set a deal which likely made 66% of the country land gonne without any fight, hungarians were given Transylvania region, Russians were given Bessarabia by ribontrov-molotov nazi-russian alliance, and some part of Dobrogea South{constanta nearby region} were given to Bulgaria, like all allies took Romania as some pie. Since we were ally of axis powers, we were force to fight russians to take Bessarabia back, as nazi and russians were breaking their alliance. We conquer much land being part of axis, we were given by nazi leader, there were and dark history which historical germany and hungary pass to us, as were happening on the new land they give to us, idk if back then people were that racists or really accepting nazi ideology. My guess historical speaking, Romania did play all the time the cards were the best for her, considering past 400 years of wars and knowing their enemies, having neutrality or having no ally in a war wouldn't have help Romania, we switch in 1944 sides and help over Transylvania freedom from nazi troops ocupation, but in the end we were fully charge for the war as being on the lossing side, imagine Bulgaria which change sides 2 months earlier than Romania, had to pay 52 mil $ as damage of war, and Romania like 300 mil$ and it's external debt to Germany for equipment we took in exchange for other materials they took from us. Historical speaking Romania isn't boring when it comes to it's history, we had many enemies, and not time or freedom to build up as nation, always we were finding a way to create allies against how many enemies would flip and push to take advantage of Romania. Is not a big empire, we never had strong influence, or power, or richness, but in all it's circumstances Romania as country and people, learn that their identity is there and unify regions and build the country when other oppose to the identity of being a Romanian. We united traditions,food,humans, dance and music, and we may have learn what means to suffer during socialist days of Romania, and that wars don't define us, but we are ready to shape any enemy border and mind, if they would start at war against us, this is why we join NATO, we join European Union, and maybe not everyone knows in essence what were the life of a Romanian close in dark hours of socialist system we were having, or by the fact we start a high process to build stuffs when we were in a socialist system. We were building much in Socialism days, but the only cons were the restrictions which hold people back, no freedom of speech, no freedom to travel, no food, no private property. We were having high ambitions back then, we were friends with americans, and other western powers and building airplanes and cars with engines from France/UK, we were building a lot back then, more than we builded on the democracy, considering we start from debts, poverty after ww2. God knows what's up next for us, we only know that we have amazing friends in this world, we give up on many evilness were around us, Ukraine weren't the best neighbour considering Transnistria war, regions russians and them took from R.Moldova, and having claims even for an island, as having it inhabited by citizens, without on the island to be present resources to maintain life. We proof even in such moments among the fact ukraine banned education for Romanian minorities to study their language, we proof that we can align and help Ukraine, no mather of the past of it's history against us, i think that's our main most seen gift, the fact we know to build friendship and build special relations and long as duration with people/countries. Is much for us to have friends at miles and miles away of our country, think about the fact that if Canadians and Americans do that distance to see our country, for us is like a sign of friendship anyone willing to explore and learn about Romania and meet us, when there are European countries more friendly between each other, than to the strangers from the Eastern side of Europe. We are building something here slowly, that's how democracy works, we are use to socialist days of Romania, and kind of want stuffs to happen faster for us, to rebuild what we destroyed and what we never had and we are in need, wheter is army and protection, wheter is higher economy and higher education and more and more industry needs, but we are stuck on bad politics in a loop which closes tide, being lead all the way, by people with greedy intrests and easy to influence, no old values of what means to be a human part of a nation, of a society and so on, we don't have any chance with current politicians, in the currently democracy, we would need like socialist system without it's cons, to really build a chance for our country in all this world taking economical hits, Romania is taking big hits in economy, in security issues it can't face alone{ as we don't have greatest way to detect submarines, or defend against a nuclear war that easy - expecially if russians go crazy}, etc... . I am thinking and dreaming at the future, in which we would had high speed trains, quick transport network of public transport and a better system of constructions{is too much chaotic, unhealthy, with security risks to fire/earthquakes, and a much more healtier enviroment for it's inhabitants. Life could be better in Romania, we just need to work and focus on humans a lot more, than politicians think about to do.

[@simina2138]

Love all the Romanian videos!!! Finally a KZbinr that give Romania the respect it deserves and really appreciates all the experiences that have formed this country into what it is today. Thank you for the great content and for diving deep into the history of this important event.

[@ion8256]

Thank you! You are great!

[@JetLagWarriors]

Thank you too! ❤

[@Mypersonalchannelfromromania]

well done! this brought you closer to Romanian.👍

[@aurelturcas6454]

Hi there I been watching you for a while, happy to see you did so well your home work every time, thanks

[@tiripanandrei1862]

Love this video

[@gabidinu3198]

I am 61 years old and I was in Brasov in December 1989 ..... there, among the bullets ....

[@vicu_negru]

I don`t know if many young people have said this to you, but here it comes: I THANK YOU FOR THAT! and will always be in your gratitude for what we did. and I hope that you were proud of us when we took to the streets in 2015 and 2017...

[@BackPackYourLife]

THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN STEVE AND IVANA IS NOT LEGIT CUZ I WAS ALREADY MARRIED TO STEVE....WHY DONT U ADMIT IT, STEVE?????????

[@rizlanghazali985]

🤣🤣🤣

[@vladiografie4376]

You are crazy 🤪 🤣

[@stormtrooper2170]

LOL.. Steve is not a gay.. l hope so..🤣

[@spicydraks]

@@stormtrooper2170 Catalin (backpackyourlife) is just drunk at the moment :D

[@JetLagWarriors]

i thought of you the whole time i made this video

[@ducris]

Its good we can look back on what Ceausescu did , but its sad to know 30 years later things like this still happen in countries like Iran or even Rusia where people cant protest

[@selcovoilucian8253]

I remember that Christmas day on 1989 I was 6 yo at the time, you must understand that back in the 80's Romanian tv had a short broadcast, and most of it was propaganda Those lucky enough to live near the border had the opportunity to get areal signal from neighboring countries Anyway I don't grasp the gravity of that trial as i watched it Now for a 6yo watching the dictator get shot might be traumatizing, my grandma told me to go do something else.. it was a execution or nothing since there was literally nothing else on TV I was a kid , i wanted to watch TV darn it!

[@JetLagWarriors]

Wow! What a story. Thanks for sharing.

[@ccosoreanu]

I think many of us, children at the time, have seen the execution when it happened , on TV. Thinking back with the mind of a 40year old, a mom myself, I was thinking, what the hell were our parents thinking letting us watch that. The explanation is on one hand shock, they did not have time or the opportunity to think it through, the developments were so shocking and unbelievable that they simply did not react. It just happened. Right or wrong, their execution fed the need for closure, for justice for millions kept in darkness, cold and fear. Did they deserve to die? Definitely. No trauma there. Did the people judging them deserve to be the ones to judge? Debatable. It is only years later that we realize those that toppled them and executed them did that not only from fear of their escape but also to eliminate them and erase the fact that they themselves were part of the system Ceausescu used to oppress. But, it is what it is. You guys are doing a great job, Romania is more beautiful when we look at it through your eyes.

[@alexedi]

I was 11 when the ”revolution” happened (so I`m OOOLD now). It was more like a coup - the people from the second tier below Ceausescu profited from a spontaneous popular revolt to get to power and pose as ”saviors”. I`m sure you talked to your Ro friends about this. But what our parents went through speaks to the dehumanization that the regime brought to Romanians in the 80s. How my parents brought food to the table etc, I cannot imagine. Homework at candle light (in 1980!) was somehow made into play. 3 hour tv programs in the evening on working days, mostly propaganda. I vividly remember (now with mature eyes) incredibile scenes from my own block, on that Christmas day. Mom and Dad started waltzing through the flat, screaming with joy (at two people being killed). The regime had turned them into animals. Then, everything hapenned again, in 1990. The people realized that their revolution was manipulated by the executors of the Ceausescus, who were actually from the same clique, just lower. And revolted again, to great losses. Another shameful stain in Romania`s history. And the scars are still there.

[@psihopedia]

You'd be surprised to find out that we Romanians have always been joking around, like this, even in the 80s. It's this essential feature that actually helped us through the hard times: "a face haz de necaz" which means "to make fun of misfortune". If you have an empty freezer and nothing to see on tv but Ceausescu and communist hymns, there you go! Those are legit reasons to laugh and have a good time. Some guy somewhere is still telling jokes like that. 😂😂

[@marcfaur]

I was already in the 9th grade when the revolution happened, so I was old enough to process everything. In fact I was in a building located in the University Square of Bucharest where everything went down.

[@yospectre3970]

I am 37 years old and i lived 5 years in comunism in Turda...only 32 year of freedom 🙃

[@exrons3818]

You are amazing! Good job & keep going!

[@istratevirgil7045]

Thank you for your love! You and your wife are the best ambassadors for Romania in the world ! If you want to understand romanians people come to visit us not just watch on west TV channels or mass media!!! Mulțumim !!! ❤️🇷🇴❤️🇷🇴❤️

[@sweetnovember9346]

It’s so clean in Romania!!

[@synczz7767]

Although this may be a bit off-topic, we could've had a chance of not being communists, after Romania switched sides in WW2, We were promised to be defended by the Americans from the Soviet Take-over, which as you can see.. never happended..

[@cosimomancio9301]

Yes guys, the best Christmas gift 🎁🎉 ever! I was born in 1977 in Romania, nice vlog👍

[@Zigg-s5s]

I am impressed you got this so right. This is not political, it's history!!!!!!! I lived through the horrors of the '80 and today, more than ever I believe it should never be forgotten. I remember how it felt when I first saw on TV, Dec 25 1989 Merry Christmas in so many languages, French, German, Italian, English and I had tears in my eyes. Because Christmas did not exist in communism and no Santa Claus. As well, it was so sad looking back to wait on Christmas Day and see two old people shot/executed, but on Dec 25 1989 it meant freedom, we thought we will never ever get rid of the sinister couple. PS Ceausescu decided after he visited North Korea to build the " People's House" and for this he demolished so much history in Bucharest, so today I can't even look at that ugly monstrous building that holds the Romanian Parliament. The second largest building in the world ofter the Pentagon and the ugliest, by my standards. It stands on to many lives destroyed and to many tears.

[@ralucawilliamson2372]

I lived through fhe revolution, it was scary but not as scary as the times we lived under ceausecu. And you are right Romanians don't get offended about the way someone is addressing to them , is kinda hard for me now living in united states I fell like people here are so sensitive and have no idea what hardships is .

[@jackjack7746]

You guys are great, i mean really, we are so many in other countries, i moved to the Uk in 2008 , our communities here have the same spirit like back home, im proud you kinda promoting our ppl and land , because you do have things to learn and find and experience here, we love life, we very passionate , driven, fighters and spiritual. And we deserve to be explored too. I would love to meet ya too. You guys are lovely , for real, btw :))) why rapid ? why not steaua :))) jk jk , you go guys, btw follow them yall would love it, indonesia , bulgaria etc so many countries that they opened our eyes to their cultures and customs and beauties :)

[@Costin8406]

You are not international vloggers anymore, you are just some guys talking about their country. Come on, admit it, you're romanians already! :)

[@unicornns5695]

Steve and Ivana please make the same video in Serbia. They had Causescu and we had Slobodan Milosevic. Our late 80s and 90s and early 2000 was so bad...

[@voiculescuionut2979]

Good old communism and Ceausescu… Romania was one of the many other countries that formed the buffer zone between “civilized” west and USSR. There are a lot of things to debate but the bottom line: Romanians are living, western citizens are just existing.

[@realjx313]

In Brasov there was also a revolt on Nov 15 1987. Anyway, the peak of the revolution was 21-22 Dec 1989, it was everywhere around the country at that point and on the 22nd Ceaușescu ran away and 3 days later, executed. And when he was executed, that was a huge relief for people, no chance of him returning to power. Watch this movie to feel the vibe of those times but will be hard for you to fully get it - 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Anyway, in Cuba stores are kinda empty nowadays but they have more options than Romanians had in the 80s And actually Târgoviște has a very important history, used to be the capital of Wallachia.

[@bobyshadow5837]

It is just a great vlog no comment! 😘

[@madalinaanton3253]

You guys made me remember about this romanian singer Smiley who was recording a song in the US, and he said something about a woman there jokingly, in the lines of : your hands are made for working, you have a good frame to be put to work, which is such a romanian thing, and every american there freaked out and he freaked out that they reacted that way. You have to understand communism was very oppressing to women, abortion was forbidden, there was no parental leave, you were forced to give birth and forced to work side by side with men, not working was a crime against the people, and every month you had to undertake a gynecological exam in order for the state to monitor your period and pregnancies. So invariably I was raised as a feminist and I wouldn't get offended if someone told me I am good for physical labor, I would be proud 😂😂😂

[@codincoman9019]

Thank you! God bless you!

[@sweetnovember9346]

I was in many countries and Romania has progressed a lot. It’s really beautiful! Even in the US many parts are so primitive. Thank you for promoting our country so beautiful and honest! Love you guys! All the best!

[@eedragonr6293]

If you say hunter - gatherers different from an old traditional agricultural Christian civilization I would understand. But I don't remember the North Americans to work for the Mexicans in agricultural jobs.

[@eedragonr6293]

Of course if they would pay them with drugs things might change.

[@groovytau]

Yo welcome back :D. If you like our jokes you should look up into the translation of our curses (swear words) :)), I've heard they're the most wacky for some, funny for others and outright strange(but in a funny way) to others. Also if you're in Bucharest, would you like to meet and have something to drink or eat and share some stories?

[@BogdanBanilievici]

If you want to know more about the communism regim, watch "Memorialul durerii" (The memorial of pain) documentary. Nothing is like it seems to be. And as always, thank you for doing this, means a lot for us to see foreigners appreciate our country.

[@danascully6698]

:))))) Vrei sa zici "Memorialul durerii", nu neamul durerii!

[@BogdanBanilievici]

@@danascully6698 intr-adevar, e ceva vreme de cand s-a vizionat. 😂 My bad, m-am repezit sa comentez si eu..

[@user-tc6ez8fe6h]

Good promotion of our country ❤