Took me only twenty-five years in corporate America to finally make some of my colleagues understand the difference between an American Out of Office and a European one. Americans on vacation are basically just working from a sunnier location – “Call me anytime if you need me!” – while their European counterparts slap on an…… Continue reading Multicultural Aspects Of Work Avoidance
Category: English
Don Steffano – Confessions Of A Romanian Chatterbox
Chicken Run
Last evening, as I returned from my errands, I stumbled upon a full-blown commotion on my street. Two rugged men, armed with brooms and wearing work gloves, were in hot pursuit of a white chicken. It was dusk, the worst time for a chicken, since they don’t see well in low light, and the poor…… Continue reading Chicken Run
Snapshots
One There was a French guy from Vendée selling his baguettes and pastries – the best of the best, not only at the Farmer’s Market, but also in the Valley of the Sun. The line was so long that he was asked to move his booth near one of the exits so it could extend…… Continue reading Snapshots
Lost in translation III
Since before the New Year, I’ve been hearing about January Dry. Or Dry January. Or something like that. I didn’t pay much attention until January 7th approached: Saint John’s Day (Sfântul Ioan), a very important religious observation and celebration in Romania. So important, in fact, that Romanians typically are encouraged to take time off work…… Continue reading Lost in translation III
A Failed Christmas Facebook Experiment…
… and other considerations What’s a Grieving Parent to Do During the Holidays? With the holidays closing in, I pulled out my old Christmas uniform, a plaid Henley and a Santa hat. Remarkably, they still fit, though my spirit felt two sizes too small. Dressed for the occasion, I made my daily trip to visit…… Continue reading A Failed Christmas Facebook Experiment…
A Non-Hallmark Christmas Story
Cosmin didn’t like Christmas. He had enjoyed it a long time ago, back when he was younger and his beloved Grandma was still with us. They even attempted caroling at one point, but being Popescus, they quickly realized their limitations and ended up simply reading the words—plenty of feeling, but no singing. Last Christmas with…… Continue reading A Non-Hallmark Christmas Story
The End of An Era
Loving Memory of Bill The late October air was soft that year, the kind of days you find only in Arizona. At the St. Francis festival, Franciscan monks gathered to bless pets that people had brought to be consecrated. For those without a pet, there was no issue: you could adopt one right on the…… Continue reading The End of An Era
Living with Dogs – episode 122
At 5:56 AM, Baloo woke me with a gentle nose nudge and a firm shake of his head.By 5:57, I was out of bed.At 5:58, Baloo was in my spot, snoring like a lumberjack. Dog owner mystery of the universe: Why does a 100-pound dog feel like an antique dresser when he’s asleep on your…… Continue reading Living with Dogs – episode 122
Chicken Soup For …
Four or five days ago, we rummaged through the freezer to grab a few things and see what else was in there, a sort of mini-inventory. With practiced efficiency, we quickly eliminated what needed to be disposed of and went happily about the rest of our day. Two days later, A Dog Named Gicu (also known as The Little Prince of Mesa), was chewing on something near…… Continue reading Chicken Soup For …
Lost in Translation – II
It wasn’t until my second visit to The Perch – five years later – that I finally understood why we had to wait an hour for our food, and why, when it arrived, it tasted a bit off. I was wearing this shirt, and it turns out that The Perch is not only a brewery,…… Continue reading Lost in Translation – II
Diana Krall or the $35 Sleeping Pill
…She got right down to business, making fun of the many saguaros and other prickly plants in Phoenix (to prove, I guess, she actually knew where she was performing), sharing stories about her two sons, and making some absolutely unnecessary remarks about how hot it was outside. …
My Midlife Crisis
It started at 6:00 AM on August 6, 2009, after I drove my wife and mother-in-law to the airport for their three-week trip to the motherland. By 6:25 AM, I had my head perfectly shaved and was ready to take on the next adventure. I was considering buying a Harley or a red convertible with…… Continue reading My Midlife Crisis
The Great Cat Escape: A Funny Tale
Translated from Romanian (originally posted in January, 2011), in the memory of our beloved Bill, who crossed the rainbow bridge on October 22, 2024 One day, in the chilly Arizona morning air (a surprisingly cold 48F), while I was about to take the poor sick Lucy, our dog, out for her business, the door burst…… Continue reading The Great Cat Escape: A Funny Tale
An Englishman in Las Vegas: A Cultural Journey To Be
You can take a Popescu out of Romania, but you just can’t take Romania – or its old habits – out of a Popescu. So, we (Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie Lala, and Yours Truly) left for Vegas at 6 a.m., to beat the morning rush. Allegedly, the drive was supposed to take four and a half hours. Naturally, we made…… Continue reading An Englishman in Las Vegas: A Cultural Journey To Be
My Very Unique Sense of Humor
One It was the early 2000s, and the British company I was working for merged with a Wall Street Giant. They told us it was a “Merger between equals.” Maybe they kept me on the team because of my skills, or maybe because I was always working on weekends, who knows. Anyway, I ended up…… Continue reading My Very Unique Sense of Humor
9/11/2001
In early May of 1997, I received my first paycheck in the United States. I was very proud of it. I took my wife with me and we stopped at the first bank on the left, located on the lower concourse of the World Trade Center, to open an account. It was part of our…… Continue reading 9/11/2001
Grief Awareness Day
Today (August 30th) is National Grief Awareness Day. For me, this is called “every day”. I could write pages about grief, but if the last 18 months taught me something is that grief never ends and it’s uniquely personal. I learned to live with it, and even if sometimes I laugh or smile, it doesn’t…… Continue reading Grief Awareness Day
The Carpathian Master Driver, Romanian Edition
This post is an exercise in imagination and any resemblance to real characters is purely coincidental Once upon a time, there were two men, quite mature and in their sixties, the Carpathian Master Driver and his Companion. The companion’s name was Puffy. They decided to take the tar.dutch RE, hook it up to an Engine,…… Continue reading The Carpathian Master Driver, Romanian Edition
Dreams
Last night, I dreamed of Cosmin. It was the second dream in two years. In the first dream, he was with his ‘most beloved’ grandparents, and they were packing bags. Some bags, I didn’t know whose bags they were, maybe even mine. I was there too and I told them: “Pack only for yourselves, I’m…… Continue reading Dreams
LPSB – Little Plastic Shopping Bags
For half of the return flight, I explained to an American woman, who was around the same age as me, about the “plastic shopping bag syndrome,” a common phenomenon among Romanians. This involves carrying lots of bags with more bags stuffed inside. The more sophisticated Romanians, however, have graduated to the “plastic food containers” syndrome.…… Continue reading LPSB – Little Plastic Shopping Bags
Nea Fane - Un Biet Român Pripășit în America / A Hapless Romanian Stuck in The US 