Polish male, 28

Age: 28
Sex: Male
Nationality: Polish
Education: Sociologist
Occupation: Phd student / Independent media processor

What did you think about Romania and Romanians before your first contacts with this country or its inhabitants?
Before meeting any Romanians whatsoever I did not think much about Romania. Romania made me think of Caucescu, miners form Timisoara, footage of terribly treated children in an orphanage, wild dogs in Bucarest (helped by some American actress), all this and a couple stereotypes too, with Dracula and Gypsies being the prominent ones.

Did this image change after getting to know a Romanian or after visiting the country? How?
This image of mine has naturally changed after visiting Romania and meeting some Romanians as cliches got replaced by reality. Most important was my visit to Bucarest which turned out to be a city of great contrasts, in which kids sniffing glue in open view at the main railway station (no wild dogs though!) coexist with fancy bars that I visited (and I am sure there were more fancy ones!), places that felt much more cosmopolitan than my own city.

Describe in a few words your best encounter with a Romanian.
My best encounter with a Romanian was my friendship with a young Romanian. In particular I have enjoyed one certain visit to her Warsaw flat during which we discussed the subject of a novel she was writing.

Describe in a few words your worst encounter with a Romanian.
Seeing children sniffing glue in Bucarest was a miserable sight. But it was no direct encounter. I must admit I haven't had bad encounters with Romanians, save for a short unpleasant situation where I was verbally abused by a young Romanian in Warsaw – but this was due to his intoxication with alcohol, rather than his Romanian character.

Which words come to your mind when you think about Romanians in general?
strong
wine
elegant
Eastern European

Which words come to your mind when you think about Romanian women?
crazy
strong
elegant
Eastern European

Which words come to your mind when you think about Romanian men?
strong
alcohol
wild
Eastern European

What is the age you associate Romania with?
44

What is the drink you associate Romania with?
alcohol, in particular beer

What are the brands you associate Romania with?
.....................

Name 3 prominent Romanians
Caucescu
Ionesco
Iliade


What time of the day you associate Romania with?
sunset

Name the country you associate Romania with?
France


What is the main difference between Romania and your country?
Romanians live further south on the globe which gives them a more energetic, lively, happy, wild or crazy mood and way of being.