It is with some pride, as a former Euro skeptic, that I can anounce our biggest fans in the blog world: Overheard in Bucharest. According to the statistics, a few Romanians call by every day for a look at what we are doing. Presumably they aren't offended by references to topics that don't affect them too much - like uptodate technology and internet that doesn't come on a telephone... We turned to Babel Fish for help with a translation of their site, in case it offended us! hmmmmmmmmmm

The premise

As good netizens and avid Google worshippers, it seems only fair, though, that we should take a look at what the Eastern Europeans are all about, and learn something we didn't know this morning about their website..

The look of the site

Aesthetically, they have a very stylish "suburban" look to the site - literally suburban as in an "under the city metro kind of sub" way. It is an all-bells-and-whistles categorised, archived, commented, blogrolled, easy-on-the-eye blog, and is rendered on a concrete background. It loads surprisingly quickly for such a heavy theme! They must have pirated a wizard photo compression package from the West to get the site to appear so smoothly?

The concept of the site

So what's this Romanian website all about? Eaves-dropping! The concept of Overheard in... straddles the globe now. Be warned! Be on your guard standing in a queue anywhere in the world. Don't say anything silly in New York anytime, or be a twat in any place in Bucharest. Rest assured, if you say anything daft within earshot of an Overheard subscriber, you will be quoted verbatim on a specialist nosey parker site somewhere. The popular Romanian version is a cut above the rest and continues to wow its visitors with sharp wit and incisive humor - we assume.

The truth is, we don't know if the entries are as dull as the grey backround or simply pure digital hysteria. Despite the appearance in the banner of bright and energetic jean-wearing youthful vibrant folks, maybe it is true that anyone East of Berlin wears a furry hat and moustache and never smiles unless it is under the influence of Vodka. We obviously kept an open mind, because even Stalin must have laughed at times, right? and we found words to study.

The wonders of online translators, like Babel Fish

Painfully aware of our linguist shortcomings, we ended up on Babel Fish looking for help in making sense of what the latest Romanian contributor had written in about. Assuming you can find thewords, the problem with reading an unknown language is lack of grammar. Even if you recognise a word like cãcat, is it a thing or a doing word! Do you lift the man or man the lift. Tricky see!

Well, let's just say that as far as Alta Vista's wondrous barrier-breaking language software is concerned, Pupa-m-ai in cur - which you won't find translated on Babel Fish word for word, because it isnt there, not even close. In fact, Italian is the nearest to Romanian, and only by virtue of its geographical location! Babel Fish will be This Week's Jackass Brain Splat if they aren't careful. Indeed, kiss my ass is about all I could muster to explain the virtues of the mother of all translation devices. Blimey what a load of cãcat, which any Spanish speakers will understand perfectly, means "crap, shite, poo, dog mess." There was not one word of Romanian to be found.

The aftermath of no translation tools worth diddly

Days later, here we are still sat staring at letters and accents, none the wiser! Are you able to shed light on voi ati vazut etc? Please help translate.

To make amends for our complete lack of knowledge of all things Romanian, if I am ever in Bucharest, I will be sure to find the places mentioned in their blog, and write reams about their historical importance and beauteous magnificence. I may even try to meet the site owners. At least I will get to speak English to them, and ask for translations in person, because, as Romanians, they will probably speak my tongue even better than do me. East Europeans have a killer knack for picking up foreign languages, it is all part of the charm.

Coming up next week...

So, next week, assuming I haven't been invited to party for a weekend in Romania, I will pen another resumé of a supportive site. I think we will feature the web presence of a kind webmaster, or should I say, mistress, who didn't using a cloaking device to come and visit The Pisstakers - The Green and White Wizard.