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| Muntele Mic Skiing Romania Borlova Banat Caras severin |
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
living and working in romania info for uk expats
great source of info for uk food if you cant find it heres a link that may help
http://blogbucharest.blogspot.com/2007/02/blog-bucharest-information-service.html
i got some supplies but if you dont know where to go this is the best i have found so far
all up to you live work and relax
not in that order of course more relax than work in romania
most days are a holiday
Blog Bucharest Information Service
By popular demand we have decided to set up an information service whereby parties interested in just about anything to do with Bucharest can ask us, well, just about anything. From the crucial (where to find a decent bottle of Champagne, a good whore, sausages or Heinz baked beans) to the mundane (where to go for car parking space outside your block, a satelite dish to pick up UK TV etc.)
In all cases we will try to answer within 24 hours, though please bear in mind that we do have day jobs.
Email your queries to:
blog.bucharest@gmail.com
please supply name of outlet in banat region i am prepared to drive kin miles for a tin of heinz baked beans i saw one lonley tin last june in artima in caransebes but didnt buy them cos i didnt think to and i thought they would still be there anyway,in a few months when i got really desperate... bad choice i know i should have bought then and there.. any way up to you please inform me of nearest location of heinz beans stockist near to borlova (muntele mic) carensebes caras severin and for gods sake dont tell me to go to timisoara for a tin of beans
thanks yours in the same position
i got the shopping list in excel format its got all you need in it the rest you can get here
pofta buna
http://blogbucharest.blogspot.com/2007/02/blog-bucharest-information-service.html
i got some supplies but if you dont know where to go this is the best i have found so far
all up to you live work and relax
not in that order of course more relax than work in romania
most days are a holiday
Blog Bucharest Information Service
By popular demand we have decided to set up an information service whereby parties interested in just about anything to do with Bucharest can ask us, well, just about anything. From the crucial (where to find a decent bottle of Champagne, a good whore, sausages or Heinz baked beans) to the mundane (where to go for car parking space outside your block, a satelite dish to pick up UK TV etc.)
In all cases we will try to answer within 24 hours, though please bear in mind that we do have day jobs.
Email your queries to:
blog.bucharest@gmail.com
please supply name of outlet in banat region i am prepared to drive kin miles for a tin of heinz baked beans i saw one lonley tin last june in artima in caransebes but didnt buy them cos i didnt think to and i thought they would still be there anyway,in a few months when i got really desperate... bad choice i know i should have bought then and there.. any way up to you please inform me of nearest location of heinz beans stockist near to borlova (muntele mic) carensebes caras severin and for gods sake dont tell me to go to timisoara for a tin of beans
thanks yours in the same position
i got the shopping list in excel format its got all you need in it the rest you can get here
pofta buna
some home truths about living in romania
Time flies past when you are in a land which time has little meaning the days here in romania in the country villages just blend together as an expat brit living in romania now for 18 months seems just like yesterday I arrived.
I suppose I didn’t miss too much from the uk at first but some things are just hard to replace. I am thinking to write a list of the things I don’t miss seeing this as a more positive reminder of why I came here in the first place.
I like most English don’t grumble or moan out loud to others I just mutter under my breath and while alone grumble to my self if meeting other brits we can have a good old moan and get it off your chest session but after its back to life here and going with the flow, for those who cant accept this don’t even think to come and live here. The chances of changing romania in your life time is impossible you will have to accept a lot of strange customs and things it will never be like blighty, you may be able to find comfort in your own place and get things you want like home comforts and food stuffs but reality is you have to become “part romanian” to even survive here.
For example stop worrying about time except if you promise someone you will be somewhere at a specific time 10 or 15 mins late is ok or phone them if you have a major problem. Otherwise just do it when you feel in the mood or leave it till tomorrow as most here seem to do.
Second learn to wait around and talk endlessly about nothing much drink a lot and eat regularly.
Forget trying to get anything done on a Sunday it just wont happen
Just chill out go fishing or walking in the mountains or have a grill (BBQ)
Spend your cash as wisely as a romanian does watching every bani (penny) you can easily waste a ton of cash with little return
Everyone in romania is your friend when you have money….when you aint got so much watch the rats disappear down the drain. Then you will find the real people who you can put some trust in. keep your finances a secret and don’t flash the cash.
Enjoy the simple things in life here and you will forget the everyday junk that you left behind in uk.
Some good information for living in Romania is available on the web mostly the expats are based around Bucharest and Transylvania being the most developed areas
A good blog is http://blogbucharest.blogspot.com/
I cringe at some of the stuff I have been reading lately on the web like the German cycling holiday company who suggested sending your mountain bike unaccompanied on a train to your destination in romania. The truth is IMO it would never arrive that’s being optimistic. I would like to be proved wrong.
Material possessions in Romania grow feet and legs at an alarming rate especially tools for construction or anything that has a real use, they are never stolen they are always borrowed on a permanent basis.
Also I want to rant about the central area of romania every web site I visit seems to advertise this as the best place here, ok its nice and interesting but where I am is on the western southern tip of the mountains we have the second highest peak in the Carpathian mountains and you cant find much information about it.. I would hazard a guess as to why but politics are not my thing anyone living here will know exactly what I mean.
I hope to change this slowly by showing the as yet undiscovered parts of this region by many foreign tourists. Last year there was 2 English people visited the mountain and hundreds if not thousands of Romanians during the whole season from November to May.
I have done most places in romania in my time including bran Brasov Sinia Sibu Cluj etc etc etc many times in the times I have been coming here on business and pleasure since 1993 I have seen the changes way back when I first visited we were followed by the Romanian secret police for a whole week of our stay they were curious to see what we were up to pure business vist for an international company. But over time I began to see the odd tour bus make its way from Bucharest to Transylvania, nowadays its becoming like well commercialised to a point that romania will lose some of its charm in those areas whilst trying to cater for the needs of the foreign tourist it wont be long before there will be restaurants offering a traditional English breakfast on the ski slopes “all you can eat for a fiver” god forbid the tracky brigade may eventually discover this fine country.
For the adventurer and those seeking a yet undiscovered part of romania see www.romtr.com www.muntelemic.ro
More blog later got to go to work now showing Romanians how to work with regips (plasterboard) and how to use an earth cable when wiring up your house so as to be far safer as well as a rcd breaker and not to use bits of sticky tape when making electrical conections.
I suppose I didn’t miss too much from the uk at first but some things are just hard to replace. I am thinking to write a list of the things I don’t miss seeing this as a more positive reminder of why I came here in the first place.
I like most English don’t grumble or moan out loud to others I just mutter under my breath and while alone grumble to my self if meeting other brits we can have a good old moan and get it off your chest session but after its back to life here and going with the flow, for those who cant accept this don’t even think to come and live here. The chances of changing romania in your life time is impossible you will have to accept a lot of strange customs and things it will never be like blighty, you may be able to find comfort in your own place and get things you want like home comforts and food stuffs but reality is you have to become “part romanian” to even survive here.
For example stop worrying about time except if you promise someone you will be somewhere at a specific time 10 or 15 mins late is ok or phone them if you have a major problem. Otherwise just do it when you feel in the mood or leave it till tomorrow as most here seem to do.
Second learn to wait around and talk endlessly about nothing much drink a lot and eat regularly.
Forget trying to get anything done on a Sunday it just wont happen
Just chill out go fishing or walking in the mountains or have a grill (BBQ)
Spend your cash as wisely as a romanian does watching every bani (penny) you can easily waste a ton of cash with little return
Everyone in romania is your friend when you have money….when you aint got so much watch the rats disappear down the drain. Then you will find the real people who you can put some trust in. keep your finances a secret and don’t flash the cash.
Enjoy the simple things in life here and you will forget the everyday junk that you left behind in uk.
Some good information for living in Romania is available on the web mostly the expats are based around Bucharest and Transylvania being the most developed areas
A good blog is http://blogbucharest.blogspot.com/
I cringe at some of the stuff I have been reading lately on the web like the German cycling holiday company who suggested sending your mountain bike unaccompanied on a train to your destination in romania. The truth is IMO it would never arrive that’s being optimistic. I would like to be proved wrong.
Material possessions in Romania grow feet and legs at an alarming rate especially tools for construction or anything that has a real use, they are never stolen they are always borrowed on a permanent basis.
Also I want to rant about the central area of romania every web site I visit seems to advertise this as the best place here, ok its nice and interesting but where I am is on the western southern tip of the mountains we have the second highest peak in the Carpathian mountains and you cant find much information about it.. I would hazard a guess as to why but politics are not my thing anyone living here will know exactly what I mean.
I hope to change this slowly by showing the as yet undiscovered parts of this region by many foreign tourists. Last year there was 2 English people visited the mountain and hundreds if not thousands of Romanians during the whole season from November to May.
I have done most places in romania in my time including bran Brasov Sinia Sibu Cluj etc etc etc many times in the times I have been coming here on business and pleasure since 1993 I have seen the changes way back when I first visited we were followed by the Romanian secret police for a whole week of our stay they were curious to see what we were up to pure business vist for an international company. But over time I began to see the odd tour bus make its way from Bucharest to Transylvania, nowadays its becoming like well commercialised to a point that romania will lose some of its charm in those areas whilst trying to cater for the needs of the foreign tourist it wont be long before there will be restaurants offering a traditional English breakfast on the ski slopes “all you can eat for a fiver” god forbid the tracky brigade may eventually discover this fine country.
For the adventurer and those seeking a yet undiscovered part of romania see www.romtr.com www.muntelemic.ro
More blog later got to go to work now showing Romanians how to work with regips (plasterboard) and how to use an earth cable when wiring up your house so as to be far safer as well as a rcd breaker and not to use bits of sticky tape when making electrical conections.
Monday, March 19, 2007
expats in romania
well i just got back on the web after much hassle getting a modem to work and fixing my pc but i found an expats web site posted a message but we will see if theres a reply expats here are hard to track down in the more remote areas if i was in bucharest it may be different
still i got another uk guy coming to live here full time in may so there will be 2 of us then
that i know of so far.
cant be too long on this post so to cut it short i will drop a bit of info here for interest
http://salvamont.org/main/poteci/foto_ro_t_fotografii-muntele-tarcu-si--muntele-mic_zonaid_4.html
http://salvamont.org/main/poteci/salvamont_ro.html
http://www.romtr.com/Bed_Breakfast_Ski_romania_holiday/images/mountains%20borlova/DSC01019.JPG
still i got another uk guy coming to live here full time in may so there will be 2 of us then
that i know of so far.
cant be too long on this post so to cut it short i will drop a bit of info here for interest
http://salvamont.org/main/poteci/foto_ro_t_fotografii-muntele-tarcu-si--muntele-mic_zonaid_4.html
http://salvamont.org/main/poteci/salvamont_ro.html
http://www.romtr.com/Bed_Breakfast_Ski_romania_holiday/images/mountains%20borlova/DSC01019.JPG
expats in romania
well i just got back on the web after much hassle getting a modem to work and fixing my pc but i found an expats web site posted a message but we will see if theres a reply expats here are hard to track down in the more remote areas if i was in bucharest it may be different
still i got another uk guy coming to live here full time in may so there will be 2 of us then
that i know of so far.
cant be too long on this post so to cut it short i will drop a bit of info here for interest
http://salvamont.org/main/poteci/foto_ro_t_fotografii-muntele-tarcu-si--muntele-mic_zonaid_4.html
http://salvamont.org/main/poteci/salvamont_ro.html
http://www.romtr.com/Bed_Breakfast_Ski_romania_holiday/images/mountains%20borlova/DSC01019.JPG
still i got another uk guy coming to live here full time in may so there will be 2 of us then
that i know of so far.
cant be too long on this post so to cut it short i will drop a bit of info here for interest
http://salvamont.org/main/poteci/foto_ro_t_fotografii-muntele-tarcu-si--muntele-mic_zonaid_4.html
http://salvamont.org/main/poteci/salvamont_ro.html
http://www.romtr.com/Bed_Breakfast_Ski_romania_holiday/images/mountains%20borlova/DSC01019.JPG
Sunday, January 28, 2007
investing in land or property in romania
Investing in Romania
Background to my experiences
Having been visiting Romania since 93 or there about I have a pretty good overall experience of the country and people from an outsider’s point of view.
I used to visit on business quite a few times a year to various cities in romania such as Bucharest, Cluj, timisoara, Satau mare, Zalau, Brasov just to name a few, there is not too many major towns I have not stayed in or passed though at some stage or another, as most of my trips were by car or internal flights.
Only twice I braved the train (that was the early days) probably the inter city trains have got a bit better, I am sure they will with time but its just like uk trains some good others well not so good.
Since then I have had two weeks holiday here one in the summer and one skiing in the winter, both of which were great fun and cheap to do. Romania is still to this day a very good low cost holiday destination.
During the times I visited I have met some great people, so much so as I fell in love with the life style and country I decided to move here over a year ago after a personal tragedy.
So How to Invest and in what to Invest
That may sound an easy question and for most the quick answer is land and property. Sure these are great investments right now, as anywhere in the world land normally appreciates in value, here in Romania at an alarming rate delloite and touche a year ago issued a report which I read that said land here was increasing in value over a year at 400%, I am still trying to find it again but the report was issued by the timisoara office I think. I must find it to put a reference here.
I work on very simple information, like classifieds and local advertising, as well as seeing some of the properties on offer, locally.
There are many web sites offering Romanian real estate property and land, some at some huge prices, in my opinion.
However most of what I see on the web is partly realistic, although it’s a good starting point its maybe not the best way to find an investment opportunity if you cant afford to take a big gamble.
Corporate investors will do their own detailed research and can afford to, others with smaller funds will turn to the internet, such as those seeking holiday homes abroad, or those looking for smaller investments for the short to medium term in may be land or houses or holiday lets.
I only have some words of caution and advice for those wishing to come to Romania with a land or property purchase in mind, don’t buy the first thing you are shown, the price you will be told will be at least one third more than if not double its true value, everything is negotiable. Your new friend is earning from this sale. What you see may not actually belong to the person selling it; it can be a long legal process to find this out for sure. Pay nothing as a deposit in cash no matter how much pressure you are under, chances of getting it back are nil, and the sale could still fall through. You may have to pay some search fees but check these out with government approved agencies before you come so that you have an idea how much to expect. These are normally non refundable same as the UK. Once you know who owns the land all the family members with a legal interest in the land or property must agree to the sale. A bit like a will that’s laid down in law before you die. The registered owner of the land normally consists of several family members who have all registered their interests in law. So do property investment companies! In the UK companies can go insolvent very quickly.
Getting to the land or property
For holiday homes its very important, at present most of the corporate money is going into places like the major cities, the smaller cities have yet to see much of this although it has started due to the lower prices and the lack of available opportunities left in the big cities.
The only down side to the smaller cities is the airport links, and distances by road are long between cities. Transport to places like Brasov is fairly well organised, as well as the larger tourist cities like Sibu, Cluj and Bucharest. There are a lot of plans to improve travel links and these will be more rapid as the euro thinking etc has now hit home here. The majority of the major road routes have seen good improvements over the last year or so, thus a car journey of a few hours is not so bad as it used to be. The internal flights are good and run frequently most major cities have an airport; some are international like Cluj Napoca. Within around 3 to 4 hrs from London you could be in most places in Romania
Many smaller cities are keen to attract foreign investors and the Germans and Italians as well as other European counties are investing faster than some notably UK companies who seem to be slow in coming forward. E.g. I have a German neighbour its a holiday home, he comes for the skiing and he has business here. Many Italians have invested in Timisoara so much so you can get some fine Italian food there, and the nightlife is good too being a major university town. Timisoara boasts an international flavour; it also has what is purported to be the largest shopping mall in Europe the Ilulius Mall. Flights to Timisoara are available from Bucharest about 45 minutes transfer time. Also they have some international routes. Easy jet were looking at Romania I believe along with some other low cost airlines, Timisoara could be a place they would go to? If that were the case then it would open up a whole new set of opportunities in the Banat region including Caras Severin
So what do I get out of posting this information here
Truthfully nothing right now in cash terms, my motives are to start a business in this field, I always work on the principle of honesty. So if you find this information to be incorrect or useful I am open to comment. I already have enough to keep me busy for the moment but a consultancy is not out of the question. We all like to earn a few extra beans.
Next Post: some specifics information on what’s available in this region: Banat Caras Severin. Some information on the great tourism possibilities for this area skiing Ktm off road enduro,4x4 trails off road, ATV Trips off road hotels Bed and breakfasts Where to stay Where to Go What to do in the Banat region of romania
Background to my experiences
Having been visiting Romania since 93 or there about I have a pretty good overall experience of the country and people from an outsider’s point of view.
I used to visit on business quite a few times a year to various cities in romania such as Bucharest, Cluj, timisoara, Satau mare, Zalau, Brasov just to name a few, there is not too many major towns I have not stayed in or passed though at some stage or another, as most of my trips were by car or internal flights.
Only twice I braved the train (that was the early days) probably the inter city trains have got a bit better, I am sure they will with time but its just like uk trains some good others well not so good.
Since then I have had two weeks holiday here one in the summer and one skiing in the winter, both of which were great fun and cheap to do. Romania is still to this day a very good low cost holiday destination.
During the times I visited I have met some great people, so much so as I fell in love with the life style and country I decided to move here over a year ago after a personal tragedy.
So How to Invest and in what to Invest
That may sound an easy question and for most the quick answer is land and property. Sure these are great investments right now, as anywhere in the world land normally appreciates in value, here in Romania at an alarming rate delloite and touche a year ago issued a report which I read that said land here was increasing in value over a year at 400%, I am still trying to find it again but the report was issued by the timisoara office I think. I must find it to put a reference here.
I work on very simple information, like classifieds and local advertising, as well as seeing some of the properties on offer, locally.
There are many web sites offering Romanian real estate property and land, some at some huge prices, in my opinion.
However most of what I see on the web is partly realistic, although it’s a good starting point its maybe not the best way to find an investment opportunity if you cant afford to take a big gamble.
Corporate investors will do their own detailed research and can afford to, others with smaller funds will turn to the internet, such as those seeking holiday homes abroad, or those looking for smaller investments for the short to medium term in may be land or houses or holiday lets.
I only have some words of caution and advice for those wishing to come to Romania with a land or property purchase in mind, don’t buy the first thing you are shown, the price you will be told will be at least one third more than if not double its true value, everything is negotiable. Your new friend is earning from this sale. What you see may not actually belong to the person selling it; it can be a long legal process to find this out for sure. Pay nothing as a deposit in cash no matter how much pressure you are under, chances of getting it back are nil, and the sale could still fall through. You may have to pay some search fees but check these out with government approved agencies before you come so that you have an idea how much to expect. These are normally non refundable same as the UK. Once you know who owns the land all the family members with a legal interest in the land or property must agree to the sale. A bit like a will that’s laid down in law before you die. The registered owner of the land normally consists of several family members who have all registered their interests in law. So do property investment companies! In the UK companies can go insolvent very quickly.
Getting to the land or property
For holiday homes its very important, at present most of the corporate money is going into places like the major cities, the smaller cities have yet to see much of this although it has started due to the lower prices and the lack of available opportunities left in the big cities.
The only down side to the smaller cities is the airport links, and distances by road are long between cities. Transport to places like Brasov is fairly well organised, as well as the larger tourist cities like Sibu, Cluj and Bucharest. There are a lot of plans to improve travel links and these will be more rapid as the euro thinking etc has now hit home here. The majority of the major road routes have seen good improvements over the last year or so, thus a car journey of a few hours is not so bad as it used to be. The internal flights are good and run frequently most major cities have an airport; some are international like Cluj Napoca. Within around 3 to 4 hrs from London you could be in most places in Romania
Many smaller cities are keen to attract foreign investors and the Germans and Italians as well as other European counties are investing faster than some notably UK companies who seem to be slow in coming forward. E.g. I have a German neighbour its a holiday home, he comes for the skiing and he has business here. Many Italians have invested in Timisoara so much so you can get some fine Italian food there, and the nightlife is good too being a major university town. Timisoara boasts an international flavour; it also has what is purported to be the largest shopping mall in Europe the Ilulius Mall. Flights to Timisoara are available from Bucharest about 45 minutes transfer time. Also they have some international routes. Easy jet were looking at Romania I believe along with some other low cost airlines, Timisoara could be a place they would go to? If that were the case then it would open up a whole new set of opportunities in the Banat region including Caras Severin
So what do I get out of posting this information here
Truthfully nothing right now in cash terms, my motives are to start a business in this field, I always work on the principle of honesty. So if you find this information to be incorrect or useful I am open to comment. I already have enough to keep me busy for the moment but a consultancy is not out of the question. We all like to earn a few extra beans.
Next Post: some specifics information on what’s available in this region: Banat Caras Severin. Some information on the great tourism possibilities for this area skiing Ktm off road enduro,4x4 trails off road, ATV Trips off road hotels Bed and breakfasts Where to stay Where to Go What to do in the Banat region of romania
happy holidays birthday in romania
well its my birthday tomorrow waiting for my kids to come on line so i can chat with them.
just been working on my new websites and updating a few old ones. just felt i had to post this as tommorow i am having a party so will not be able to post for obvious reasons.
the posts here will get modified but just using them like a diary for now in the event that any other expats in romania stumble acroos them and fancy a chat. still wont be long on this one a cheap beer beckons,and my kids are now on line.
bfn
just been working on my new websites and updating a few old ones. just felt i had to post this as tommorow i am having a party so will not be able to post for obvious reasons.
the posts here will get modified but just using them like a diary for now in the event that any other expats in romania stumble acroos them and fancy a chat. still wont be long on this one a cheap beer beckons,and my kids are now on line.
bfn
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