PROFESSIONAL RELATIONS

I would have skipped this but for Radu who had touched me while telling me about his colleague Jojo who mocked at those who did not "satisfy" him and polish his shoes during their working hours. He thought it was no use wasting your time for things of this kind.

The main pilfering at the Folklore Institute was to go to the market. I saw some chicken, hens, a lamb that were about to be cut in the inner yard of a house that belonged to Tache Ionescu. The diligent women researchers peeled the beans and pea locked in their desks. The honey supplier came once a week. She was the sister of a well-known poet. An old peasant woman would bring milk and sour cream. A guy would bring us old books in a ragged briefcase and sold them for nothing, in installments. Someone turned up with something already brought to be sold by anybody else: meters, coffee, footwear and old objects. This way I bought two huge silver buckles and two smaller I had worn many years running. Greeting cards showing mixed pictures were sold in due on Christmas, Easter or 1st of May. You were puzzled by what you could found in a cupboard owing to the great variety of objects. (111)

PROPERTY OF THE ENTIRE PEOPLE

Ideological phrase meant to cover the fact that no one actually owned anything. (51)

Here, in Bucharest, as a principle, prostitutes were arrested, but they always existed. Where did they take the more expensive ones, so to say? In winter, they took them to Poarta Alba. Poarta Alba was a prison in Dobrogea and had a special section, which was deserted in summer. In winter, the girls were brought there. In March, April, they let them go.  The matter was kept silent, they scared them, but the girls sometimes bribed them. I know there were prostitutes in all hotels. I worked a professional guide and the tourists asked: ? Where?? ?How?? Well, here somewhere, you?ll find them?. You had to take care, because money was easily stolen, there were real robberies taking place. (114)

PROVIDER

It was in the ?80s when I met Popescu the American. Popescu the American was an old man who was known under that name because he had a brother in America. He was quite a smooth guy. He was administrator of the disco and pub of the ?Tei? Students? Swimming Pool, which was under the high patronage of Nicu Ceausescu. That?s why you could find there what was never available elsewhere, including meat. What did he do, Popescu the American? His selling prices were much higher than the official prices. No one said a word, though, because everyone was content to pay more for things they couldn?t find otherwise. His scales was in a separate room, and no one said anything if he weighed it more. He even got his tips, so he made a lot of money. And the client was happy to buy things he?d not even dreamt of. I remember one year we didn?t know what to do about the food for a New Year party, since the shops were empty in the mid ?80s. So I asked my friends whether they were willing to pay more. Sure, they said. I can still remember that New Year party where we had roast beef and pork, real ?sarmale? (made of meat, not of salami), lots of Pepsi Cola, Chinese nuts, cheese, olives, Sibiu salami (best quality), etc.