May 29 - Diversity

Breakfast at house

Depart on 3 hour drive to Hotel Paradis in Cluj-Napoca!

Coming back to Cluj-Napoca, we had become aware that it was in the midst of the Transylvanian International Film Festival (TIFF) and there were activities all over the city to commemorate. I had hoped to get to a few of the film showings but upon arriving there wasn't much time left that evening because the professors had scheduled to take us out to dinner as a final get together celebrating the culmination of our trip. I had considered jumping ship to go to a few film showings eventually deciding to join the group at dinner.

Before heading to meet up for dinner I decided I wanted to go take a look around the city square to see if I could find any antique shops. I was looking for pewterware for my mother. I came across a sign that was extremely plain compared to the neon and LED signs flashing in many other shop windows. It was a simple rectangle sign, not even very large, with a white background and black lettering reading, "ANTIQUES". I went to take a look but there was no shop beneath it, just a large wooden gate with a door section in the middle of it. We had seen these sorts of gates all across town but they were typically chained close with multiple locks. This one didn't seem secured shut at all. I turned the knob and pushed the door but it was difficult to open, scratching across the cobblestone path on the other side of the gate, eventually getting jammed against the ground. I put a shoulder into it and it popped open, allowing me to see behind the gate. There was simply an alley way. I was confused and looked back at the sign, then looking back down the alley. I spotted another identical sign, this time just hanging perpendicular off the wall above an open doorway, a good distance down the alley. I was skeptical but determined so in I went!

Upon walking down the alley I couldn't shake the idea that I was about to be mugged. I kept going despite the feeling. After reaching the open doorway I glanced in to see a bald man wearing wire frame glasses with circular lenses equipped with a set of magnifying glasses on a hinge allowing him to swing them up out of his field of view. This was a comedic, cliché site to be seen as he was currently working on a pocket watch when I interrupted asking if he spoke English. He quickly stood up and gestured for me to come in saying, "English? Yes, yes, yes." I had to take a moment to myself to process this scene then strolled inside!

He was extremely polite, helped me find what I was looking for, gave me a spectacular deal on a large assortment of pewterware, and we shook hands at the end of the exchange! On I went to dinner with the group. This experience just blew me away! I loved it.