Age: 48
Sex: M
Nationality: British
Education: to degree level
Occupation: Communications planner
What did you think about Romania and Romanians before your first contacts with this country or its inhabitants?I really didn’t have any idea. This part of Europe has been a blank to me. I had visited Yugoslavia years ago before the 92-95 war and then Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia in 2004-5 and as a child had travelled back from the Far East through Russia and Poland. But Romania was a blank apart from a lot of what can only be described as anti Communist propaganda about religious persecution in Romania during the Cold War period.
Did this image change after getting to know a Romanian or after visiting the country? How?Its difficult because my perception is that Romania is a rural country but I spent a whole week in Bucharest! So I haven’t really seen Romania yet. I see it as a really interesting place because it is in transition. I have travelled in many countries. Romania I really find intriguing. It’s almost as if Romanians are still working out who they are as a nation. It’s a conscious choice – an internal negotiation. This isn’t common. For most nations who you are is fixed. And you get on with it.
Describe in a few words your best encounter with a Romanian..I have to give you an amalgamation of several meetings with several individuals. I think what impressed me was how resourceful these individuals were – usually very driven, immensely hard working and determined to find their way around whatever obstacles were in their path.
Describe in a few words your worst encounter with a Romanian.I haven’t had a bad encounter with a Romanian. But I suppose the most difficult encounters came about when I encountered bureaucracy. Better take a Romanian with you to negotiate with a bureaucrat than take anybody else to negotiate with a Romanian bureaucrat!
Which words come to your mind when you think about Romanians in general?Creative, gregarious, a little anxious/paranoid on occasion,
Which words come to your mind when you think about Romanian women?Spontaneous, passionate, open, I think I expected there to be a ‘type’ – like the French, or Spanish – so I was quite surprised at how diverse Romanian women were. Having said that the British are very diverse – I don’t think you can tell from appearances what is the British characteristic so perhaps it is the same.
Which words come to your mind when you think about Romanian men?Spontaneous, passionate, open! There’s a lot of machismo with the guys but this is something I would encounter with any nation within striking distance of the Mediterranean. Its only us strange northern Europeans – who are rude enough to notice it. Our women won’t let us get away with it!
What is the age you associate Romania with?Aged mid 20s before my visit I would have said mid 60s
What is the drink you associate Romania with?Plum brandy – nobody drank it while I was there. I bought some to take home. Let’s just say it’s an acquired taste!
What are the brands you associate Romania with?Malev????? Can’t think of any others.
Name 3 prominent RomaniansCeaucescu (sorry!)
Dracula (really sorry!)
Ilie Nastase oh and Georges Zamfir
What time of the day you associate Romania with?Evening time when the cafes come to life!
Name the country you associate Romania with?Bulgaria. For better or worse the two countries are going to be associated. Find what makes you different from Bulgarians and put a lot of emphasis on that. That’s the brand task in a nutshell!
What is the main difference between Romania and your country?The UK has been industrialised and urban oriented for so long that we have an entirely different relationship with the countryside. We are a suburban nation looking to the cities for work and the countryside for leisure. When we want a holiday we leave the country entirely and go somewhere hot or very empty!
