Timisoara Culture Capital 2023

I am proud to say that my hometown and place of birth has been chosen as Culture Capital of Europe for 2023 (originialy ’21 but redacted happened).

Romania has always been a very beautiful country. Old architecture and ancient roman and dac ruins. Kilometers and kilometers of wild nature (there’s a few documentaries), historic villages, mountains (skiing!) and beaches. Lakes, rivers. You get the point no? Don’t worry, I’m not trying to sell you my country.

Yes, my, as in posessive. My love for Romania can be called patriotic. Not as in I think this is the best country in the world or the best place to live. I simply have a great appreciation for everything it has to offer.

I tend to feel the need to defend Romania to my mother, godparenrs, people who have moved away or young people (even friends) who can not wait to leave. “Because Romania is comunist. Because the people are stupid, mean, cheats, etc”

All very limiting beliefs that blind people to the constant advancement, evolution, and betterment of any society. Perhaps I am an idealist when I look at where Timisoara was when I was a child in the early 2000s to now. Twenty years has turned the city and the country to be more up-to-date funcitonality wise than more western cities like Barcelona or Atlanta (I compare to these cities because I have lived in both).

Timisoara has been able to offer me enough peace and quiet through the canal, many parcs, and proximity to denser nature (cities along the Danube river or the mountain), but also enough cultural events to keep me interested and involved.

This weekend (17.2-19.2) was the opening weekend. The town was packed with events, workshops, exhibitons, shows, concerts, from the early morning to the late evening.

This weekend I ended up with a cold and wasn’t able to go to as many of the things on the program as I would have liked but I did manage to see Fritz’s concert in Unirii’ and a few art exhibitons in Libertatii’.