[Column] Struggle in the new world

Someone yelled at me “Chinese !”. 3 big guys started to run toward me for some reason.

I crossed the street and ran to hotel the area.

Bucharest in snow and revolution. January. 2012

Thanks to the historical heavy snow, it was rather quiet, but I was told to be careful for hooligans. They were looking for the chance to riot in the name of “revolution”.

Shops were burnt, streets were broken, cops were everywhere with firearms.

I shouldn’t be out until that late.

I arrived at my apartment and looked for the key in my bag. couldn’t see anyone following after me.

I came here to look into the chance to get long stay permission. I had friends from this country.

Wherever I get a chance, I would have gone.

I wasn’t still very much used to European culture, and the country was exhausted from the dictatorship of Ceausescu. Buildings are left broken, streets are full of gypsies and stray dogs plus me.

I took off my shoes and hat. They were soaked up from the snow. I took off my jeans too. I wore 3 jeans. They made the sound of “GON” to hit the floor.

The next day, I went to the immigration office. It was just around the corner from my apartment, but because the streets are not simple as in Paris or NYC, it was really tricky for me.

That building was totally like a prison. No lights, no toilet, stink like smoke. People were making a long queue. Their passports were from Tunisia or Turkey. I felt desperte. “God, I’m a refugee like them.”

None of them were speaking English. I was completely alone.

5 people were in front of me, but the staff shut down the reception for some reason. Guard with a gun came to us. I had to leave. I didn’t know what happened but I was expelled anyway. It seemed like there was no hope to get any kinds of permission in this country.

Before it gets dark again, I went to a supermarket. That was another mission to me.

but the good point of Romania is everything is extremely cheap. You get 500ml of Heineken for 30cents.

and store staff are kinda cute. but I couldn’t find a “butter”. I found staff and asked where is a butter.

She didn’t understand what a butter is, and asked for another person. She went somewhere to find someone to speak “English” of “butter”. They looked for everywhere in the supermarket and gave me a sour cream.

came back to the apartment, and opened what I bought for dinner. I put them on the dish so it looked like a proper dinner. Turned on the candle and TV. I needed some time to feel like I was alive.

I ate them. They were all pickles.

Changed the channel to animal planet. At least I wanted a home-ish atmosphere.

On the airplane to come to Bucharest, I got a bad cold, had a terrible coughing. I took the medicine that I bought in the afternoon.

It was “caffeine” tablet. The pharmacist misheard me saying “coughing” as “caffeine”.

I became unable to sleep. As I was slightly shaking from too much caffeine, I stared at animal planet until it became bright again.

Everything was out of control. but I have to get a grip.

I didn’t want to be miserable. As if nothing happened, I wore the new shirts though I had only 2 shirts in my bag and prepared to go to the immigration office again. I talked to myself, “There’s no way back.”

 

 

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Italiano :

[Editoriale] Lottare nel nuovo mondo
Qualcuno mi ha urlato “Cinese!” e chissà perché 3 giganti hanno preso a correre verso di me.
Io ho attraversato la strada e sono corso in hotel.
Bucharest con la neve e la rivoluzione. Gennaio 2012.
Grazie alle storica forte nevicata era abbastanza tranquillo ma mi avevano raccomandato di fare attenzione agli hooligans. Stavano cercando l’occasione di una rivolta nel nome della “rivoluzione”.
I negozi bruciavano, le strade erano rotte, i poliziotti erano dappertutto con armi da fuoco.
Non sarei dovuto rimanere fuori fino a quell’ora.
Sono arrivato al mio appartamento e ho cercato la chiave nella borsa. Non avevo visto nessuno seguirmi.
Mi ero recato laggiù nella speranza di allungare il mio permesso di soggiorno. Ho alcuni amici lì. Sarei andato ovunque avessi avuto la possibilità.
Non ero ancora del tutto abituato alla cultura europea e il paese era stremato dalla dittatura di Ceausescu. I palazzi cadevano a pezzi, le strade erano piene di zingari e di cani randagi più me.
Mi sono tolto le scarpe e il cappello, erano bagnati fradici per la neve. Mi sono tolto anche i jeans. Ne indossavo 3 paia. Hanno fatto “GON” cadendo sul pavimento.
Il giorno dopo sono andato all’ufficio immigrazione. Era appena dietro l’angolo rispetto al mio appartamento ma, siccome le strade non sono semplici come a Parigi o a New York, è stato davvero complicato per me.
Quell’edificio era come una prigione. Niente luce, niente bagno, puzzava di fumo. Le persone formavano una lunga coda. I loro passaporti erano della Tunisia o della Turchia. Mi sentivo disperato. “Dio, sono un rifugiato come loro”.
Nessuno di loro parlava inglese. Ero completamente solo.
Prima che tornasse di nuovo il buio sono andato al supermercato. Era un’altra missione per me. Il punto a favore della Romania, però, è che tutto è estremamente economico. Puoi comprare 500ml di Heinken per 30 centesimi. I commessi nei negozi, poi, sono abbastanza carini. Non riuscivo a trovare il burro, allora ho chiesto ad una commessa dove fosse il burro. Lei non capiva cosa fosse il burro e ha chiesto ad un’altra persona. E’ andata da qualche parte a cercare qualcuno che parlasse “inglese” di “burro”. Hanno cercato dappertutto nel supermercato e mi hanno datto della panna acida.
Sono tornato all’appartamento e ho aperto quello che avevo comprato per cena. Li ho assemblati nel piatto in modo che sembrasse una cena come si deve. Ho acceso la candela e la TV. Avevo bisogno di un po’ di tempo per sentirmi vivo.
Li odiavo, erano tutti sottaceti.
Ho cambiato canale su Animal Planet, volevo almeno un’atmosfera che sapesse di casa.
Nell’aeroplano per Bucharest ho preso un brutto raffreddore, tossivo molto. Ho preso la medicina che avevo comprato il pomeriggio. Era una pastiglia di “caffeina”. Il farmacista aveva frainteso la parola “tosse (coughing)” per “caffeina”.
Ho perso il sonno. Come se fossi leggermente agitato per un eccesso di caffeina, ho guardato Animal Planet finché non è stato di nuovo giorno.
Era tutto fuori controllo, ma dovevo riprendere il controllo.
Non volevo essere miserabile. Come se niente fosse successo, ho indossato le magliette pulite anche se avevo soltanto due magliette nella mia borsa e mi sono preparato per andare all’ufficio immigrazione un’altra volta. Ho detto a me stesso: “Non si può tornare indietro”.

_____

Français :

[Édito] Se battre dans le monde nouveau

Quelqu’un a crié vers moi “un chinois !”. 3 gros mecs ont commencé à courir vers moi.

J’ai traversé la rue et je me suis précipité dans l’enceinte d’un hôtel.

Bucarest dans la neige et la révolution. Janvier. 2012

Merci à cette historique grosse neige, c’était assez tranquille mais on m’a dit de faire attention aux hooligans. Ils cherchaient n’importe quel prétexte à émeute au nom de la “révolution”.

Les magasins étaient cramés, les rues détruites, les flics partout et avec des armes à feu.

Je n’aurai pas du être dehors aussi tard.

Je suis arrivé à mon appartement et j’ai cherché mes clefs dans mon sac. je ne pouvais pas voir si on me suivait.

J’étais venu là en cherchant une chance d’obtenir un permis long séjour. J’avais des amis dans ce pays.

Même si j’y arrivais, j’aurais à partir.

Je n’étais toujours pas très habitué à la culture européenne et ce pays était épuisé par la dictature de Ceausescu. Les bâtiments sont en ruines, les rues sont pleines de bohémiens et de chiens errants, plus moi.

J’ai enlevé mes chaussures et mon chapeau. Ils étaient trempés par la neige. J’ai aussi enlevé mon jean. Je portais 3 jeans. Ils ont fait un “GON” en touchant le sol.

Le jour suivant, je me suis rendu au bureau de l’immigration. C’était juste au coin de la rue de de mon appartement mais parce que les rues ne sont pas plus simples qu’à Paris ou NYC, c’était difficile pour moi.

Ce bâtiment ressemblait à une prison, complètement. Pas de lumières, pas de WC, puant comme de la fumée. Les gens s’alignaient en une longue queue. Leurs passeports étaient tunisiens ou turcs. Je me suis senti désespéré. “Mon dieu, je suis un réfugié comme eux”.

Personne ne parlait anglais. J’étais complètement seul.

5 personnes étaient devant moi lorsque le personnel a fermé la réception sans explication. Un garde armé est venu à nous. Je devais partir. Je ne savais pas ce qui se passait mais j’étais expulsé de toute façon. On aurait dit qu’il n’y avait aucun espoir d’obtenir une quelconque permission dans ce pays.

Avant que la nuit ne revienne je suis allé dans un supermarché. C’était une autre mission pour moi.

mais la bonne chose en Roumanie est que tout y est très économique. On a le demi-litre d’Heineken pour 30 cents.
et le personnel des magasins est du genre mignon. mais je n’arrivais pas à trouver de “beurre”. J’ai trouvé quelqu’un du personnel et je lui ai demandé où était le beurre.

Elle n’a pas compris ce qu’est le beurre et j’ai demandé à une autre. Elle est partie chercher quelqu’un parlant “anglais” pour “beurre”. Elles ont cherché partout dans le supermarché et m’ont rapporté une crème aigre.

Retour à l’appartement et j’ai ouvert ce que j’avais acheté à dîner. J’ai tout mis dans un plat pour que ça ressemble à un vrai dîner. Allumé la lumière et la TV. J’avais besoin d’un peu de temps pour me sentir vivant.

J’ai mangé. C’était des cornichons.

Changé la chaîne pour Animal Planet. Au moins avoir une atmosphère comme à la maison.

Dans l’avion vers Bucarest, j’ai attrapé un méchant coup de froid, je toussais terriblement. J’ai pris le médicament que j’avais acheté dans l’après-midi.

C’étaient des cachets de caféine. Le pharmacien avait mal compris quand j’avais dit tousser (“coughing”, prononcer “coffine”) et caféine (“caffeine”, prononcer “cofféine”).

J’étais incapable de dormir. Comme je tremblais pas mal à cause de l’excès de caféine, j’ai regardé Animal Planet jusqu’à ce que la lumière du jour revienne.

Je ne contrôlais plus rien mais je devais m’agripper à une prise.

Je ne voulais pas devenir un miséreux. Comme si tout allait bien, j’ai mis les nouvelles chemises bien qu’il n’y en ait que 2 dans mon sac et je me suis préparé à retourner encore au bureau de l’immigration. Je me suis dit en moi-même “On ne peut pas revenir en arrière.”

About this site

This website updates the latest news about the Fukushima nuclear plant and also archives the past news from 2011. Because it's always updated and added live, articles, categories and the tags are not necessarily fitted in the latest format.
I am the writer of this website. About page remains in 2014. This is because my memory about 311 was clearer than now, 2023, and I think it can have a historical value. Now I'm living in Romania with 3 cats as an independent data scientist.
Actually, nothing has progressed in the plant since 2011. We still don't even know what is going on inside. They must keep cooling the crippled reactors by water, but additionally groundwater keeps flowing into the reactor buildings from the broken parts. This is why highly contaminated water is always produced more than it can circulate. Tepco is planning to officially discharge this water to the Pacific but Tritium is still remaining in it. They dilute this with seawater so that it is legally safe, but scientifically the same amount of radioactive tritium is contained. They say it is safe to discharge, but none of them have drunk it.

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