* Today I went to the store to buy things to eat. There
I met a teacher that I knew from the local school. Yesterday
I heard that the teachers will be receiving a pay raise. It
really is ridiculous the salary they get at the moment.
  I was interested to know if that was a result of Romania
entering the European Union. The raise isn’t a very big
one, but I was interested as to the history of the teachers
pay raises before the EU ascension. I have asked another
teacher the same question and the both of them couldn’t
answer me. I think that it is because I couldn’t get my point
across in Romanian.
  This led to a conversation concerning … information.
During the six months that I have been here I have tried
to observe what is going on. Where the problems originate
and the results that they bring.
  Almost from the first day here I have seen that there is
this incredible lack of information. Or more so, a hesitancy
to give out info.
  Despite the fact that the European Union is going to
transform their country, no one knows anything. No one has
heard anything concrete as to how it will be done. I hear
statements the people are making and they are mainly
rumors and fabrications, not based on fact. It is a no brainer
to say, that to make factual statements, one does need fact.
  OK, so why is this so? In this world of communications how
can this problem exist. There is TV, radio, internet and
everyone has a cell phone. There are projectors and whichever
other tool of communication, is here.
  Of course I am speaking about Nădlac. I am not sure of the
other cities and towns in Romania. But what I have seen, and
the suspicions that I have for why information is hard to
come by, is the following.
  Even though it is something like 17 years since the fall of
communism, it’s effects are still with us.
  I have learned that the Communists had a strategy to
control the people without having to have a ba-zillion police
or soldiers. In fact I have to give ‘the devil his due’ and say,
that even though I am not in agreement with that strategy,
that it was pure genius.
  The strategy was not to give information and also not
allow people to talk amongst themselves. I can't say that it
was not giving any info but it was selected info to their
advantage. It was a divide and conquer philosophy that
worked like a charm. Some of the people have told me that
it was dangerous to talk in public. People have told me of
having found bugs in their offices.
  So it is obvious to see that receiving information wasn’t
an habitual practice and discussion was a dangerous thing.
I think that this explains today’s problems with the sharing
of info. Despite the fact that it is 17 years since, the people
in power have learned their skills from that era. I am not
trying to say that the people are responsible because of
bad intent. Though I am sure that many are. It is just that
subconsciously you don’t give out info.
  So today in the grocery store I was having this discussion
with the teacher and at the same time another group of
people … (two ladies that work there, a lady around 50 years
old and a guy around 35) … were also having a similar
conversation.
  I basically butted in and told them what I have observed in
the 6 months that I have been here and that I agreed that
the lack of information is holding people back.
  For example, using the teachers pay as an hypothetical
situation. I am not sure what the teachers receive for pay
but it isn’t much. For arguments sake let’s say that it is
100 Euros a month.
  I know that one of the goals of the EU is to raise the
standard of living in each EU country to the point where
they are all somewhat equal. A practice that has
happened in each country that has entered the EU.
  OK, I know that, but the people here don’t seem to. OK
again, if the teachers for example knew how this EU thing
would affect them they could make a plan. Like if in 3 years
their wages will go to a certain level commensurate to other
teachers in other EU countries.
  How would that be a good thing to know? Well, they could
look into buying a house. Or save money to open a business
or basically be prepared and be right there in the middle of
the change and actually help to make it happen.
  But nooooo, they don’t know crapola and really don’t know
what tomorrow is going to bring. Or how it is going to affect 
their lives.
  Someone is responsible for getting the word out as to how
this transition is going to pan out.
  So back to the group in the store. The lady was basically
saying what I just wrote, and that no one knew anything
because no one wanted to give out information.
  Like I mentioned above, I told her I agreed. I also used
something what I learned during my time in El Salvador
(Central America) and that is the ‘mind of revolution‘.
  I told her that what the people need to do is start a revolution.
(I know this sounds like I am doing the wrong thing here
but don’t freak out, I will explain.)
  The group does kind of freak out after hearing me mention
'revolution' and I told them … I am not talking about a
revolution of violence. I am talking about an intellectual
revolution, where people start asking and looking for the
information and settle for nothing less. I told them that we can
use a weapon, at that time I went to the fruit rack and pulled
out a banana and pointed it at her. I told her we can threaten
to shoot bananas at them if they don‘t comply.
  They all laughed like heck and are probably still laughing now.
I told them that we can call it the ‘Banana Revolution for
information’. I don’t know if there has been a ‘banana revolution’
somewhere else but I doubt there has ever been one in Romania.
  There is a saying that ‘many a truth is said in gest’ and that
was my point. I know there was humor in that exchange but
there was also truth. With the big change in Romania due to
the EU ascension, it would be what I would have to say is, ‘nice’,
that people would have an idea as to what the ‘boggie’ is going
to be.
  So, hopefully over the next few months the information will
come without having to get the ‘Banana Revolution’ going.