Off-topic discussions in English related to Romania, Romanian language and culture...

Yeah. Thanks.

Buna seara tuturor.
This isn't exactly a question on the Romanian language but there are a few Romanian CDs I am trying to buy and I can't find them anywhere.
Are there any big Romanian music stores that have online shops?

i wasn't to happy using romanian language learning CD's. I borrowed one from the nyc library and it wasn't teaching it properly. all the verbs were being taught in the second person plural. which is good to know if you know to whom to speak like that to, bc you don't speak to friends like that.

You really need to build a vocabulary. I recommend checking out byki.com (before you know it) they have a software dl for this. A limited free version and a pay full version, which you study flash card style. There is audio but like the CDs, it is taught similarly. This program gives you the ability to add new flashcard sets (full version only)

There's an even better free program called "Interlex 2"which isn't as nice and lacks audio functionality, but you can build a strong dictionary and test yourself. It comes with a small romanian database but you can easily add new entries into. Google it and if you can't find it, let me know. I have the link buried somewhere around here.

Even better than that. Sign up with livemocha.com and join the romanian courses. It's an awesome site and very helpful. You submit writing and speaking exercises and natives will correct you.

in all cases, you'll need to build a vocabulary.

Oh yes! And of course, use this forum! everyone here has been so nice and helpful. This is certainly the best option when you have a question.

Thanks but sorry, I think I never made myself clear. I meant that I am trying to find music CDs from Romania and I need some online stores that will hopefully deliver to the UK.
I already bought "Teach Yourself Romanian" book and accompanied CD a few weeks ago.

Yes, I definately agree with you. Everyone on this forum is very helpfull.

Stevo, this is what I found....

http://www.dol.ro/webapp/wcs/stores/...uzica----11307

http://www.fanmusic.ro/

Multumesc.
Unfortunately I didn't get many results and the 2nd site doesn't deliver outside Romania.
Looks like I'll just have to visit the country one day to find them.

Originally Posted by smfc_stevo_smfc

Thanks but sorry, I think I never made myself clear. I meant that I am trying to find music CDs from Romania and I need some online stores that will hopefully deliver to the UK.
I already bought "Teach Yourself Romanian" book and accompanied CD a few weeks ago.

Yes, I definately agree with you. Everyone on this forum is very helpfull.

Oh :P my apologies. Perhaps I should have read more to understand.

Why do you want CDs? Can you use mp3 files instead? Because I'm pretty sure you can find most romanian CDs on iTunes.com.

Also, practically every song (except one ) that i've ever searched for on youtube, I hv found.

If you tell me what you want, I can try to help you find it.

I'm sorry if you didn't find what you wanted...I hope that mike can help you

It's no problem guys. Thanks anyways.D

Well Mike, the thing is that I've already got MP3 files but I just like CDs because then if I lose the data on my computer, I've still got the songs on CDs.
I haven't had much luck with iTunes and I always trust CDs to be the best quality compared to a dodgy MP3 off the internet.

Originally Posted by smfc_stevo_smfc

It's no problem guys. Thanks anyways.D

Well Mike, the thing is that I've already got MP3 files but I just like CDs because then if I lose the data on my computer, I've still got the songs on CDs.
I haven't had much luck with iTunes and I always trust CDs to be the best quality compared to a dodgy MP3 off the internet.

Tell me what you are looking for specifically. PM me if you'd prefer to keep it private. I'm sure I can find something in America or NY and I can send it to you if you'd like.

Originally Posted by mike123

thank you krityx! this understanding is very helpful.

ps. I saw opeth in sibiu

you lucky lucky guy. I wanted to go to that concert sooo bad but was out of the country at that time. damn, i'm never gonna see them again in this **** country

Originally Posted by krityx

you lucky lucky guy. I wanted to go to that concert sooo bad but was out of the country at that time. damn, i'm never gonna see them again in this **** country

i loved my dying bride when i ws in school so it was sooooo cool to see them. i never saw them live before. i was hoping so much that negura bunget was playing somewhere. but they weren't that i could find. maybe when i return.

Originally Posted by mike123

Tell me what you are looking for specifically. PM me if you'd prefer to keep it private. I'm sure I can find something in America or NY and I can send it to you if you'd like.

Elena Gheorghe - Vocea Ta
DJ Project - Două Anotimpuri
DJ Project - Povestea mea
Sahara (Costi Ionita, Andrea and Buppy Brown) - (If they've released an album)
Blaxy Girls - (new album when it comes out)

Do you really think you will find any of those in the US?

Originally Posted by smfc_stevo_smfc

Elena Gheorghe - Vocea Ta
DJ Project - Două Anotimpuri
DJ Project - Povestea mea
Sahara (Costi Ionita, Andrea and Buppy Brown) - (If they've released an album)
Blaxy Girls - (new album when it comes out)

Do you really think you will find any of those in the US?

I don't know. But there are plenty of places here that have romanian populations so it is very possible. I'll search tomorrow and let you know if I'm successful.

Here are the two DJ Project CD's on ebay however they are quite expensive. They are located in Romania and the seller says he/she'll ship them worldwide.

http://cgi.ebay.com/DJ-PROJECT-DOUA-...item1c0c450340

http://cgi.ebay.com/DJ-PROJECT-POVES...item1c0c4507aa

I found an Elena Gheorghe CD on ebay also for $16 US but not the one you want. Maybe you can contact the seller to request Vocea Ta. Or even the others. Here is that link. (located in buc)

http://cgi.ebay.com/CD-Dance-ELENA-G...item3efbb296d6

The same seller has the Blaxy Girls CD. It is their 2008 debut album. It is also reasonably priced. Here's the link for that. Also, if you are unfamiliar with ebay, sometimes you'll get a break on the shipping cost if you purchase more than one item from the same seller.

http://cgi.ebay.com/CD-Rock-BLAXY-GI...item414bdd51ac

I'll search some stores here to see what i can find tomorrow. We have two HUGE book stores that might carry or be able to order them. So I'll start there. Then I can also try some of the many music stores.

Thanks a lot Mike. Much appreciated mate.
The first 2 do seem quite expensive.
I already have that Elena Gheorghe album and I can't find Vocea Ta anywhere.
I also have that Blaxy Girls one. Both from the same seller and he doesn't seem to do requests.
It's quite annoying not knowing when their new album will be released. Their site doesn't say much.

Ah, a fellow Scot.
What seems so different about the Scottish and Romanian cultures?

Hey Stevo-where are you in Scotland? I am from Edinburgh and what are your Romanian connections?
I have a boyfriend from Romanian who has worked in Scotland for 2 years and I am learning a little more Romanian every day....
Food is different, clothes, language (obviously), daily routine, attitudes, beliefs, there is actually quite a lot. As I said before in my post I am excited by it and I like to learn and hopefully in the summer I am visiting Romania with him.
:-)

Kinda near Glasgow. I don't have any Romanian connections to be honest. To cut a long story short... I've grown to like the language and want to learn it to communicate better with other Romanians I chat with online and also to hopefully visit the country one day.

In what ways are their daily routine and attitudes different?
Assuming that your boyfriend is Romanian Orthodox, what does he do about that? Like are there any Romanian Orthodox churches in Scotland? It's just something I've wondered recently (obviously not personaly about your boyfriend but Romanians living here in general. Like how they would get around that one).

Attitudes, well maybe it's just him haha I can't talk for all of Romania, but he is what I would term as being old fashioned in his views about things. Traditional even, particularly when it comes to the roles of man and woman......

I have a friend who is Romanian as well, I was trying to explain to her that we say please and thankyou a lot in Scotland e.g. buying something in a shop "do you want a bag?" "yes please" My friend doesn't use please and thankyou like this and so I was trying to explain that is is good manners to do so. Hence my previous post.

My boyfriend does not attend church here but does have orthodox religion.

I like the language too and have just got delivery of a couple of Romanian dvds to watch. With English subtitles. What a treat for him that it is reversed. He has Romanian tv and normally the films are in English with Romanian subtitles. I will let you know if these dvds are any good.

Which DVDs did you buy? Coincidentialy last night I bought "Death of Mr Lazarescu", "Boogie", "4 Months, 3 weeks and 2 days" and "12:08 East of Bucharest".
I already have "California Dreamin'". It's mostly in English although there are bits in Romanian with English subtitles. It's about and was filmed in Romania.

So with the majority of Hollywood blockbusters, they get them with subtitles instead of voice-overs in Romania?

With the manners thing: So we would approach someone in a shop for example, ask for the item "please" then "would you like a bag?" "yes please" and constantly say please and thanks while in Romanian they would just say "can I have ___ please" then say "yes/no" and then finally say thank you at the end? - Or in otherwords... A lot less "please"s and "thankyou"s?

Thankyou for the answer about the manners question Dya and I have another one now.

I don't know how to spell this word sorry I can only write it how it sounds when people speak it, so it sounds like "asha" What does it mean? I was thinking it means like ok or uh huh or that's cool in English.

And there is another one but I don't think it is nice word so maybe I should not post it on this board since I don't know the meaning either. I won't. :-)

And Stevo, I also bought the Death of Mr L and was crying last night. Haha should not have watched it while I am sitting exams anyways. My boyfriend was more impressed by my purchase of Braveheart for him and 300 than the Romanian films......his English is improving rapidly. He has spent 2 years in Scotland with hardly any and then he met me in July and I have kind of moved him along a little. I would say he understands more than has a vocabulary for speaking. Sometimes we watch Romanian tv and he translates a lot of what is being said for me so he is getting there. I found it amazing that so many guys live here and don't speak the language. There is a whole community of Romanian people where I live who have limited communication. An example for you is they (my boyfriend and his housemates) wanted to have broadband installed in their house but no-one has enough English to make a call to the company, it is little things like this that add up to making a difficult time and stuff that you regard as being easy and normal, going to the bank, buying shoes etc....becomes difficult. I called for them of course and it is being installed on Sambata!! :-)

Ok back to my books.

La Revedere!!

PS also what is the word for gym in Romanian?