Random Thoughts Part 5: Time to Split Again

[fresh_42]

Guess that's something only the older generation can fully understand.

Thank you.

 

[Sophia]

Thank you.

[emoji28]

 

[WWGD]

Thank both of you (??)

 

[fresh_42]

I have been to Ceaucescu's Romania a few times. Some of the most important things people liked to have were sweet cakes, self made jelly and some self produced liquors. For all they needed to have a few kg of sugar at hand which wasn't available all the time. So every single time it was, they bought as much as they could. Same with bread. At 10 a.m. (probably earlier) the entire city was practically sold out. And I'm talking of a city of more than 250,000 citizens. The situation on the countryside has been slightly better for many people grew their own food, e.g. potatoes, in their gardens.

 

[WWGD]

I have been to Ceaucescu's Romania a few times. Some of the most important things people liked to have were sweet cakes, self made jelly and some self produced liquors. For all they needed to have a few kg of sugar at hand which wasn't available all the time. So every single time it was, they bought as much as they could. Same with bread. At 10 a.m. (probably earlier) the entire city was practically sold out. And I'm talking of a city of more than 250,000 citizens. The situation on the countryside has been slightly better for many people grew their own food, e.g. potatoes, in their gardens.

Can't they used other things like beets to make sugar?

 

[fresh_42]

Can't they used other things like beets to make sugar?

That is likely where the sugar (when available) came from. Our sugar here is produced this way and I doubt it is suitable for a production at home. In addition beets are largely seen as fodder. Industrial products, however, were sold to get foreign (valuable) currencies. Romania was / is a country of farming, perhaps like Iowa, but I haven't been to Iowa. It has vast farmlands and a long tradition in farming. Unfortunately it had some oil, too. So Ceaucescu had been trying to turn his farming based country into an industrial country with chemical plants, oil refineries and similar. As usual for communistic regimes he ruined the first and didn't achieve the second. I have seen large fields of unused farmland. Illegally grown food in small private gardens have been an important source for people to buy food. It was really sad to see all this. The result has been that Romania turned into one of if not the poorest country of all communistic countries. A fact that one must know to understand what they did to Ceaucescu as soon as they got a hand on him.

 

[WWGD]

That is likely where the sugar (when available) came from. Our sugar here is produced this way and I doubt it is suitable for a production at home. In addition beets are largely seen as fodder. Industrial products, however, were sold to get foreign (valuable) currencies. Romania was / is a country of farming, perhaps like Iowa, but I haven't been to Iowa. It has vast farmlands and a long tradition in farming. Unfortunately it had some oil, too. So Ceaucescu had been trying to turn his farming based country into an industrial country with chemical plants, oil refineries and similar. As usual for communistic regimes he ruined the first and didn't achieve the second. I have seen large fields of unused farmland. Illegally grown food in small private gardens have been an important source for people to buy food. It was really sad to see all this. The result has been that Romania turned into one of if not the poorest country of all communistic countries. A fact that one must know to understand what they did to Ceaucescu as soon as they got a hand on him.

There is a song documenting this, though misspelled :

 

[fresh_42]

There is a song documenting this, though misspelled :

Ouch! It took me five minutes, reading the lyrics, looking up the Wiki page only to find out ...
Good, that I like Punk! Yes, and simply to forestall you: Yes, Pink, too!

 

[WWGD]

Ouch! It took me five minutes, reading the lyrics, looking up the Wiki page only to find out ...
Good, that I like Punk! Yes, and simply to forestall you: Yes, Pink, too!

They got the beet !

 

[Sophia]

Socialism was a magical era! Everyone stole yet nothing was officially missing. For example, our garden (meaning a small cottage with garden which is a very common thing owned by many people who live in apartments) was built from materials stolen by miners from the mine and concrete for the cottage was stolen when local swimming pool was being built. One truck for the pool, one truck for garden area :) When the previous owner who built it was selling it to us, he was very proud when he said that not a single nail in the property was legally bought! "It's an old good Russian quality, my dear! " )
And nobody missed anything.

 

[WWGD]

Socialism was a magical era! Everyone stole yet nothing was officially missing. For example, our garden (meaning a small cottage with garden which is a very common thing owned by many people who live in apartments) was built from materials stolen by miners from the mine and concrete for the cottage was stolen when local swimming pool was being built. One truck for the pool, one truck for garden area :) When the previous owner who built it was selling it to us, he was very proud when he said that not a single nail in the property was legally bought! "It's an old good Russian quality, my dear! " )
And nobody missed anything.

Nostalgia is not what it used to be.(Sigh.)

 

[fresh_42]

Nostalgia is not what it used to be.(Sigh.)

Here they say "Ostalgie", ost = east.

 

[WWGD]

Here they say "Ostalgie", ost = east.

Kind of weird, in all languages I know it has no apparent connection with any orientation.

 

[Ibix]

Nostalgia is not where it used to be?

 

[WWGD]

Nostalgia is not where it used to be?

No Stalgia are where they used to be. Now we need to figure out what (and of course where) Stalgia are.

 

[Ibix]

No Stalgia are where they used to be. Now we need to figure out what (and of course where) Stalgia are.

A band, it would seem.

Edit: According to their Facebook page the answer to where have they been is CREATING.

 

[WWGD]

A band, it would seem.

A+ for effort on following up on absurdity. Your paysans Monty Python nand Lewis Carrol would be/are proud of you.

 

[fresh_42]

No Stalgia are where they used to be. Now we need to figure out what (and of course where) Stalgia are.

Da... you are right!
And we are not the only ones searching for https://www.facebook.com/stalgiaband/timeline They are searching themselves!

 

[WWGD]

Da... you are right!
And we are not the only ones searching for https://www.facebook.com/stalgiaband/timeline They are searching themselves!

Maybe they can find themselves. There is no Stalgia in my music collection.

 

[fresh_42]

Maybe they can find themselves. There is no Stalgia in my music collection.

How about this guy? Seems you wrote it wrong

 

[collinsmark]

Here they say "Ostalgie", ost = east.

Kind of weird, in all languages I know it has no apparent connection with any orientation.

I seem to vaguely recollect references in many poems, song lyrics and prose where the West -- the direction of the setting Sun -- to be used as a euphemism for the future or perhaps a foreshadowing of something ending, maybe somebody dying.

By the same token, it would stand to reason that East, the direction of the Sun's rising, would symbolize the past, or maybe past beginnings.

So the idea that the word nostalgia is somehow etymologically connected to East doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

[Edit: etymological dictionaries are telling me that it's etymological origin is from "severe homesickness" though.]

 

[fresh_42]

[Edit: etymological dictionaries are telling me that it's etymological origin is from "severe homesickness" though.]

Yes, and even better:

It was a military medical diagnosis principally, and was considered a serious medical problem by the North in the American Civil War:In the first two years of the war, there were reported 2588 cases of nostalgia, and 13 deaths from this cause. These numbers scarcely express the real extent to which nostalgia influenced the sickness and mortality of the army. To the depressing influence of home-sickness must be attributed the fatal result in many cases which might otherwise have terminated favorably. ["Sanitary Memoirs of the War," U.S. Sanitary Commission, N.Y.: 1867]

From Greek algos "pain, grief, distress" (see -algia) + nostos "homecoming," from neomai "to reach some place, escape, return, get home," Source: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=nostalgia

 

[Psinter]

Haha that's why old people stand in a queue at 7am in front of the bakery here :-) though they know there will be bread and rolls all day,

What are rolls?

However, if there is sales on cheap sugar people buy even 20-30 kg of it.

*gasp* That's a lot of sugar!

And I'm talking of a city of more than 250,000 citizens.

Wow, that's a lot of people. I've never been in a city with that big amount of population.

 

[fresh_42]

What are rolls?

In this case: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brötchen#/media/File:13-08-31-Kochtreffen-Wien-RalfR-N3S_7849-024.jpg

Edit: ... before someone answers with what Americans may understand by it ...

 

[Psinter]

In this case: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brötchen#/media/File:13-08-31-Kochtreffen-Wien-RalfR-N3S_7849-024.jpg

Edit: ... before someone answers with what Americans may understand by it ...

Oh.

I don't think I had ever seen that before. Looks kind of cool.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Edit: ... before someone answers with what Americans may understand by it ...

Hmph

Fresh, how are those any different from the rolls over here?

 

[Sophia]

In this case: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brötchen#/media/File:13-08-31-Kochtreffen-Wien-RalfR-N3S_7849-024.jpg

Edit: ... before someone answers with what Americans may understand by it ...

e-e

We do have those and I personally prefer them over rolls, but I am talking about this https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rožok_(druh_pečiva)
it's something almost as important as bread. It's popularity here may be compared to popularity of baguette in France.

*gasp* That's a lot of sugar!

yep. As Fresh said, many people make their own jams and various kinds of conserved fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. I don't know the English word for this . It's mainly put on cakes, pudding or yoghurt and sometimes eaten instead of salad with some kinds of meat. And a good housewife bakes something every Sunday! :) I'm not a good housewife

 

[JorisL]

It's mainly put on cakes, pudding or yoghurt and sometimes eaten instead of salad with some kinds of meat.

Thicken the juice with cornflower and they are awesome with meatballs!

Those are regular cherries it seems, sour cherries are better yet, adding some freshness I'd say.
With the leftovers you could make a kriek lambic which is great in the summer.

 

[Sophia]

Thicken the juice with cornflower and they are awesome with meatballs!

Those are regular cherries it seems, sour cherries are better yet, adding some freshness I'd say.
With the leftovers you could make a kriek lambic which is great in the summer.

Mmmm I must try kriek lambic! It looks tasty and refreshing :-)

I know that they are cherries but I meant that I don't know what's the general name for any type of fruit conserved in sweet water.
And I had time to find out now and learned that is almost the same as in my language - compote :-)

 

[Psinter]

e-e

We do have those and I personally prefer them over rolls, but I am talking about this https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rožok_(druh_pečiva)
it's something almost as important as bread. It's popularity here may be compared to popularity of baguette in France.

I see.

yep. As Fresh said, many people make their own jams and various kinds of conserved fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. I don't know the English word for this . It's mainly put on cakes, pudding or yoghurt and sometimes eaten instead of salad with some kinds of meat. And a good housewife bakes something every Sunday! :) I'm not a good housewife

And what does a good caveman do every Sunday? I wonder .

That looks quite good. Do they make their own chocolate? I wish I knew how to make my own chocolate.

 

[Astronuc]

500 year-old shipwreck loaded with gold found in Namibian desert
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016...oaded-with-gold-found-in-namibian-desert.html

Must be nice to find something like that.

 

[WWGD]

I see.

And what does a good caveman do every Sunday? I wonder .
.

Advertise for Geico?

 

[Psinter]

Advertise for Geico?

_______________________________________________________________________
It's like super mega raining at my place right now. It is true that it rains almost every day at this place, but this isn't your everyday raining. This is... advanced raining. (ಠ-ಠ)

“Advanced[/PLAIN] Darkness” refers to a memorable quote from the popular animated cartoon Spongebob Squarepants. The original usage of the quote revolved around the immense darkness that Spongebob has found himself in. Online, the word “darkness” is often replaced with another word as a reaction to an overwhelming amount of whatever it may be the word “darkness” has been replaced with, as well as being the subject of parody by webcomic artists.

 

[Sophia]

_______________________________________________________________________
It's like super mega raining at my place right now. It is true that it rains almost every day at this place, but this isn't your everyday raining. This is... advanced raining. (ಠ-ಠ)

Imagine having homemade chocolate http://wellnessmama.com/6764/homemade-chocolate/ while there's an advanced raining outside. That would be so romantic!

 

[Psinter]

Hihi. Well, romantic or not, I know I'll enjoy me chocolate.