Archive for the ‘Romanian Sayings’ Category

Posted on August 10, 2010 - by admin

Romanian Proverb

“Never stoke the fire that isn’t troubling you.”

“Focul ce nu te supara, nicicum sa-l zgandari.”

Hey, this one is actually Biblical. Proverbs warns us against sticking our nose in other people’s business. Not that there is NEVER a time when it’s appropriate, because sometimes it’s the right thing to do. But, this proverb from Romania fits very well with the general culture here, especially if you can imagine yourself back 20+ years ago, under the communist regime, never knowing who might cause you trouble. Back then, making noise and sticking out was not a good idea. Blending in was the safe route. And blending in often meant sticking to yourself.

Posted on July 20, 2010 - by admin

Romanian Proverbs

“When the water dries up, one learns the value of the well.”

“Cand seaca apa se cunoaste pretul fantanii.”

This proverb is especially timely for us this week.  Our water comes from a spring in the forest.  The spring is collected using a pipe in the ground, that channels the water into some tanks.  The tanks have an exit pipe that allow the water to flow down the hill and split off into smaller and smaller channels, eventually reaching each house.  We also have a well (which we share with our neighbors) as a back-up source.  The well is not very deep, and so in a hot season can provide water for 2-3 days if we conserve it…(no clothes washing, quick showers, no watering the garden, etc).

This week, our water was turned off at the valve that leads to our section of the neighborhood (for reasons I don’t have the patience to explain now).  Plus, because it has been so hot, the well sucked up dry real quick…so in the end, we were without water for about 2 days.   Not bad considering that last October it was almost 6 days without the spring or the well…and our first summer here we had 4 days no water, 3 days with, 3 days without, 2 days with, 2 days without…and so on and so on.

I cannot remember the water turning off ONCE in my 30 years of living in the U.S.   Not once…it may have happened for scheduled maintenance or something, but I don’t recall it.

Posted on June 24, 2010 - by admin

Romanian Proverb

“The biggest trees may fall in a gale, but the weeds remain.”

“La vijelii copacii cei mari jos cad, iar buruienile pe loc raman.”

To understand this proverb you have to put yourself in the shoes of a people have have survived many, many horrible regimes and come out alive…not thriving, but alive.  You also have to put yourself in the shoes of a people who have no foundational trust in their leaders for centuries…and have seen many “big trees” fall.

Posted on June 22, 2010 - by admin

Romanian Proverb

“Ai facut o teaca, dintr-o piele de vaca”

“You used an entire cow’s hide to make a sheath for your knife.”

The general idea is that you started with lots of material but when you were done, you had wasted 95% of it just to get a simple job done.  I have personal experience with this one.  Dr. David and I were trying to hang a monitor (a heave one) on the wall in one of the exam rooms.  We measured, drilled, and hung, only to discover that the patient (a would be pregnant lady watching her own ultrasound) would not be able to see the display because of the angle.  So we rehung…and ran into another problem, the monitor would have impeded the doctor from being in the position he/she needed to be in.  So we hung it a third time.  When we were done, we had left 6 very large holes in the concrete/brick wall about 1-2 inches in diameter.  It looked like gunfire had hit the wall.  We laughed, and Dr. David taught me the saying above.

Posted on June 21, 2010 - by admin

Romanian Proverbs

Erzsebet, who helps us twice a month in the home recently bought us a gift; a book of Romanian Proverbs.  I thought I would share some of the more interesting one’s periodically.  Here’s the first…in English and in Romanian.

“In time, raindrops will bore holes in rocks, and even a poor rope cuts marble.”

“Picatura ploii piatra gaureste, si funia de tei, cu vreme, marmurile despica.”

I don’t want to comment too much on how these proverbs play into the culture here, but this one is especially interesting because Romanians have the tendency to be fatalistic and deterministic…with a touch of not being driven by time.  So, the idea I take from this proverb is that efficiency is not king…as it is in many western cultures.  The work will get done sooner or later…no need to push too hard.  What’s the rush?