The people of Arad were the most geniunely freindly and open of all the Romanian cities. Not often visited by tourists yet full of tree-lined boulevards, baroque public buildings and Europe's second largest entertainment park called "Strandul." But even here in the train station I saw misery and a fight. A girl at the bar here says she does not like Romania because it is not fair because:

- she has to work at the bar for practically nothing in order to continue her studies
- Children feel that they have no future in Romania.
- Those that are bright and able leave and never return
- Men and women are separated socially and men have too much power over the women
- People are genuinely sad; they feel economic pressure, alcaholism, stress, domestic violence, outragious corruption, no team spirit, they are cruel to one another.
- Arad people are on the saddle as they are ethically Hungarian but love Romania and being from Romania. At the same time many things they said indicated that they hate the nearby city of Timisoara and its people and the people and place of every other city/area outside of Transylvania.
- In Sighisoara a man stepped into the cafe where I was seated and without a word knocks another man unconcious, everyone in the cafe gathers around to help the fallen man, the police come and the guilty man goes away with them peacefully.
- I was told 80% of the Romanians live under the poverty level.
- In one train station late at night moaning, wailing, yellow stained depression in the buzzing flourescent bulb lit waiting room erupts into pushing and head-butting: everyone looking more relaxed afterward as if the pressure inside them all found an outlet in the violence of that one pair of men.
- To many Romanians it seems there are always Gypsy people milling about agressively begging, imploring looking to CATCH you, steer you to their benefit. I failed seriously in not getting to know any Roma families while in South Romania.

Wonderful Outside Link on The Roma (Gypsy) in Romania

- Most people look like sooner or later they would just like to leave Romania: kick romania aside like a dirty tin ashtray - so much so the Ecotopia workers Paul and Cappy had to state explicitely "I for one don't want to leave Romania."