October 24, 2008: Moving Day

Dear Friend,

Today my homestay with Iris and her family ended. I’ve officially been in Bucureşti for a month. Iris ordered a cab and we made our way to Diana’s flat, in a completely different corner of the city than where Iris lives. I won’t have any animals to deal with at Diana’s. It’ll just be her, her sister, and I. When we finally arrived I noticed the flat wouldn’t be big enough anyway for three people and a pet to live in together. Diana apologized for the small size, but I think my room is the biggest in the flat. I certainly won’t complain.

I finally got to see the art museum today. Ana, Luisa’ friend, went with me. Unlike most of the museums I attended in London, we had to pay in order to see just one exhibit. Each exhibit was priced, there wasn’t a flat entrance fee that allowed you to see everything. As I was in Romania I figured it was appropriate to view Romanian art, so that’s the exhibit I started with. Most of what I saw was religious art, icons from Orthodox churches dating from the Middle Ages into the Renaissance. I’ve been told since being in Romania that much of Eastern Europe was untouched by the Enlightenment for some time, so it made sense that much of the art I saw was not only iconography but also art of a style dating before the Renaissance. It was all very interesting, but it started getting monotonous.

We had enough time to see another exhibit after we finished with the Romanian one, so I chose the European art exhibit. Interestingly, the religious overtones continued into this exhibit, as well. There were the typical Anglo-centric themes incorporated into this art, just as they were incorporated into the religious Renaissance art I saw in London. If Mary was wealthy enough to wear the clothing she wore in each of these paintings, I doubt she still would have had to give birth in a stable.

Shortly after I returned to the office, I had to leave and meet Mihai, Carmen’s husband. After his concert in Cluj he had invited me to visit his recording studio. I went to our designated meeting place and found him and Eugen waiting for me. He then took me to Big Mamou, the bar I had gone to the night I was introduced to many of the A.R.T. Fusion volunteers. We didn’t go into Big Mamou. Instead, we went to a door behind Big Mamou that led us literally underground to where Mihai had his recording studio.

I’ve never scene a recording studio in person, but I’ve scene a number of professional ones in behind-the-scenes videos. For being built by non-professionals, the facilities Mihai showed me looked rather impressive. He excitedly showed me around the “dungeon” he was renting from a friend. He and his band are in the middle of renovating a number of rooms, cleaning them up and sound proofing them, laying down carpet and installing light and sound fictures. The actual studio they use is a room covered in a fabric frame which absorbs all echo and reverb. I also got to see the recording equipment they use, most of which is from America. Mihai told me that prices in America are so much better than they are here.

I felt a bit like a producer or a potential client as Mihai showed me around as he was so attentive as he guided me through his tour. He asked me questions about the professional and independent music circuits in the States, and I answered as best as I could. I’m not very familiar with the inner workings of the music world. It was during this conversation that Mihai confessed how difficult it was here in Romania to start your own band. He and each of his band members (they make up three together) each need jobs to support their music because they obviously don’t get enough doing their gigs. He really wants to get to the States, or at least Western Europe.

The rest of the evening was spent hanging out. It was honestly the first time I had felt comfortable in a very long while. At one point Carmen joined us. I spent another hour or so with her, Mihai, and Eugen and had a great time just hanging out, not having to be anywhere, and just relaxing with friends. These were my friends, I decided. I listened to stories about how Mihai and Carmen met, more about Mihai’s work in the independent music world, and also about past projects with A.R.T. Fusion. The two of them and Eugen recounted to me anecdotes about other foreigners who volunteered with A.R.T. Fusion, many of which were really funny. It was a very enjoyable night.

Blessings.
Kailen