Alex has a jigsaw puzzle that is a map of Europe. Being designed for three-year-olds, it includes cute, stereotypical cartoons for each country. Scotland has a kilted bagpiper, Spain has a flamenco dancer, and Romania has a...vampire.
As we were putting it together this evening, Alex explained to me:
"That's a scary place. It's got ouchy things that could make you dead."
I'm sure the Romanian Tourist Office will be pleased that this message is getting across to toddlers.
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You may not know, but I am originally Romanian and I have always been outraged at how people see Romania, even if some of it it's true due to the misfortune Romanian people faced in the last decades. We're everything from vampires to gipsies. History was changed to satisfy tourists' imagination and people like Bram Stroker sell a fantasy truth. Unfortunately I don't think Romania will ever be portrayed differently because there are too many people taking advantage of it. But it's a shame anyway.
Legends of the Sun Pig is Martin Sutherland's little corner of the web. Scotsman in the Netherlands. Parent, husband, infovore, gamer, geek. I also make great stew.
I'm on Twitter, Pinboard, Flickr, Last.fm, but not Facebook and only very rarely Google+.
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Sarah Foley
You think Romania is portrayed in a scary fashion? Imagine what little icon might represent us Yanks on a European map of the world. (And not undeservedly, let me say before you jump all over me!) Hopefully, as of November 2, it won't be a pathetic little shrub.