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Nostalgic return to Romania

You probably meant: buna (hi), pa (bye) che fatch (what's up) and da (yes). :)

Katrina will be shocked. There are no more orphanages in Romania per capita than there are in the U.S. A full generation has passed since Ceausescu was killed, not deposed. The Romanians of Katrina's generation and those immediately ahead of her are having one child only. The population growth rate is -1.7. The internet and cell phones are well in place in the large towns and cities.
Outlying villages are still isolated and need help. If you want to make a difference, Katrina, Join the Peace Corps. A one week mission, or one of a month, or even of a year will not do it. You will feel better about yourself (I think, hypocritically), but you will really not have made a difference to the children you want to reach. A 27 month commitment to peace is worth doing.
Thank you,
Dennis Felmlee

What's up is 'ce faci' (what are you doing)
The orphanages are being discouraged in Romania for quite a while now in favor of adoption. Also there are less abandoned children as state restrictions on abortion ceased and then birth control became available (then abortion dropped significantly too). The really big social problem in Romania is the gypsy minority that is incapable and/or unwilling to integrate into society. That is the most acute social problem we have - crime, low education, hopelesness, discrimination, it's a vicious circle only few can escape. Gypsies have natality rates way above European or Romanian averages. If you've seen the opening scene in Borat - that was not in Kazakhstan - that was in Romania, and that was a gypsy village. That is the level of poverty I am talking about. They should not be ridiculed, but helped. But it is a very hard problem. Installing a few showers will not solve it, I'm afraid.

There were no fines for not having children. It was just a small tax, nothing that would compel anybody to have children if they did not want them. What the regime did is to make contraception unavailable and outlaw abortions. That's what filled the orphanages with unwanted children, plus the grinding poverty that made families unable to care for the children. That broke the bonds and a tragically common attitude among disadvantaged families abandoning their children was "the regime wanted children, let the regime take care of them".

Did a short stint in Romania helping them with intern. tourism.
What amazes me this morning on this blog about Romania and the girl returning is the civility of this blog. Very intelligent comments. Very helpful comments. Insightful. Full of promise and hope, and direction. Good luck to one and all. Reading these comments this morning tells me that there are good people out there, trying to help each other.

well done group. well done.