Ziua Unirii Approacheth

It's the National Day of Romania, or Ziua Unirii (Union Day), according to Wikipedia. And it will be celebrated Friday, because Friday is December 1. There will probably be a parade. Piata Victorie is a good bet for location, because it is one of Bucharest's many beautiful spots, full of large old churches and other handsome buildings. It's a regal spot.

But this is more about how a holiday can really sneak up on you when you're far away from home. Learning about it quite suddenly in a conversation with a Romanian friend, I was once again reminded I am a stranger in a strange land -- and that is a sensation that is both phenomenally exciting and unsettling. It's like seeing someone you've been used to for a while suddenly put on a fabulous dress. You may think, "Who IS this person?" In this case, I had to think, "Where AM I?"

I am far away on an Odyssean journey, and I shall never see home again. Not with these eyes anyway. With new ones perhaps.