The Name Game

It began at the train station.

Upon our arrival, Griffin held out his hand and introduced himself to Silviu. "Hi, I'm Griffin."

"Huh?" Silviu looked confused.

"I'm Griffin." 

"Oh, ok. Buna Grippon." 

Observing this interaction, I dismissed the mistake. After all, it was 3 a.m in a cold, noisy train station, who could be faulted for mishearing the name of a foreigner?

However, the following day when Silvia gave it a try, she looked like we were asking her to confess that her parents were never married. "Grepen? Griccil? Ce?"

When Măru came over for cards later, he didn't even try, he just laughed and shook his head. 

At the meeting, one brother looked at Griffin, took a step back, tilted his head sideways and made the crazy sign.

At this point we began to wonder why it was so effortless for the Romanians to grasp the name Logan and not Griffin. Neither name is Romanian, why did one roll so effortlessly off the tongue and the other leave them dumbfounded? 

"That's easy," Silvia and Măru agreed, "Logan is a car, we all know that one."

"If your name was Mercedes," Silvia said, "we'd all remember it."

And so Griffin has been Mercedes ever since.

For my children, this is a refreshing change of pace. Their lives spent in the States have been a series of fruitless explanations regarding the correct pronunciation of their names (both first and last) resulting in Mircea being renamed "Mitch" and for the hard of hearing, Lucian at times becomes "John". However, Mitch and John are reasonable substitutes (even if Mitch makes me shudder) whereas if Chris and Karen ever come to Romania, folks here will have serious questions for them. Is it any wonder why people keep asking the Rummel boys, "Does your father work in a car factory?" 

Other than getting renamed, we've been buying suits, going to the meetings, entertaining many visitors (we're not really that popular, it's just that it's the holiday season and people are making the rounds) and seeing gorgeous sunrises.

What follows are snapshots I've been taking with my phone since the Rummel boys both seem to be uninspired to carry their cameras around. I understand their reluctance since we've been doing far more socializing than sight-seeing so until we head to Sibiu, it looks like you're all stuck with me and my view of Romania for a little while longer.

Modeling their new suits just prior to leaving for the mid-week meeting (instead of hemming the pants, we played pinocle-choices were made that day folks)

A post-meeting snack from Vivienne

Cousins

Outside of the hairdressers where Mircea was getting a much-needed haircut

Pizza and beer in the city

Afternoon walk through Craiova to meet up with Andra who was finishing her service time at a cart. Then we went through the open market (still looking for Communist style toilet paper for Anna)

Sunrises (because I'm still just a couple of hours off from being completely converted to Obedin time)