Mistake Bucharest for Budapest.

Never ask a Romanian if he lives in Budapest. That'southward the capital sin, the perfect mode to terminate a potentially interesting conversation. Yes, Budapest is a capital letter urban center, and at that place's a big chance you'll nail it with this approximate — just only if y'all're speaking to a Hungarian! We're and then tired of hearing, "Practiced evening, Budapest!" every fourth dimension an international deed has a concert in Bucharest. Metallica did it, Lenny Kravitz did it. And many others. But they had bodyguards.

Y'all, on the other hand, will be alone in front of an outburst of anger.

Ask us almost vampires.

In 1897, the Irish gaelic writer Bram Stoker published a Gothic novel entitled Dracula. His story made Transylvania more famous than any tourism promotion entrada ever could. By using some historical facts, he linked Vlad Tepes, the Voivode of Wallachia, to his main character, Count Dracula, the vampire.

Unfortunately, that means foolish tourists now come to Transylvania expecting to see garlic hanging by doors or people walking effectually with wooden stakes in their pockets. Transylvania is a peaceful, hilly area with many traditional houses and fortified churches. The real threat back then wasn't exsanguination, just impalement — the Voivode Vlad's favorite method of execution. And that isn't fiction.

Leave food on your plate.

Mark my words: If invited to a Romanian'southward dwelling house for lunch or dinner, fast for a day or two before the visit. We are known for existence a welcoming nation, and one of our favorite ways of showing it is through food.

Here are a few appetizers so you lot don't starve earlier the first course is prepare. Some eggplant salad, salted roe, homemade smoked bacon with onions, and blimp boiled eggs with mayo. Come up on, endeavour them all! Practice you like the smell of our meatball soup? Hither comes the clay pot full of sarmale, side by side to a steaming polenta and a jar of cream. You lot have to taste this! It's our traditional grade. You've finished everything? Don't worry, there'due south enough more! The pork roast seasoned with garlic is most ready.

Show any signs of slowing downwards and your host will say, "Whaaat, you don't like my food?" You lot might recollect, Jeez, I'g eating like a maniac — what'south this woman talking about?! And and so comes the explanation from the genuinely upset cook: "I tin come across a tiny bit of sarmale left on your plate."

Confuse Romanians with Gypsies.

The official name of the Gypsy ethnic grouping is Romani, and even though Wikipedia states they are "not to exist confused with Romanians, an unrelated ethnic grouping and nation," misplaced associations are still often fabricated. At that place are Gypsies all over the world — one million in the U.s.a., 800,000 in Brazil, and many others in Europe, including Romania. They originated in India and left one-time betwixt the sixth and eleventh centuries. Disruptive Romanians with Romanis simply makes you lot audio ignorant.

Tell us a breeze can't make you sick.

We Romanians are then convinced that a cool cakewalk or typhoon of air can brand you sick that we fifty-fifty take an expression for it: Te trage curentul. ("You'll be pulled past the draft.") Accept the motorbus on a hot summer twenty-four hour period, and you'll probably see the windows open on only one side of the vehicle, or non at all. Craving a breath of fresh air, you move your hand in the direction of the window. Simply even earlier you affect the handle, you'll hear a panicked voice say, "Are you trying to become u.s.a. all sick?"

To anyone else, this doesn't make sense, just the logic backside this Romanian conventionalities goes like this: The current of absurd air will brand your ears hurt and your nose run. Don't even endeavour to contend near this. You'll only make yourself hotter.

Pass up homemade beverages.

Romania has 1 of the oldest winemaking traditions in the globe. The country once had then many vineyards it's believed Dionysus, the god of wine, was born in southeast Romania in a region then chosen Thracia.

As proud successors of the Thracians, Romanians practice winemaking equally a popular hobby, so y'all'll probably be offered some garage-made wine. Or tuica, a strong fruity beverage.

Even if you lot accept reason for concern, practise not enquire about hygienic conditions or quality control. We take great pride in everything made with our own hands, so turning it down would exist a serious insult. Take a sip, ii, three, and worry not. Nosotros all drink homemade alcohol, and no one has died of it. Then far.