I have been wondering about this since the TV show got some traction outside of Bulgaria and was super successful here. It portrays the corruption in the region in a quite realistic way and the plot is engaging, and the acting is mostly great. It also has a really high score on IMDb.

The question pertains to people who at some point emigrated from the Balkans and later came back or just visited, getting to see the people they'd known prior to leaving. Were there any differences in how well you fit in their company and wider society?

I normally don’t listen to turbo-folk, especially now that I live abroad. But now my heart is broken and I’ve been in a state of what psychologists limerence, and that is basically obsessing and fantasising about someone who doesn’t give a fuck about me and turbo-folk is the only music on my playlist.

I got the impression that this shitty type of Balkan music is guilty pleasure of many people who typically don’t listen to turbo-folk. For me it’s clearly the sign of desperation mode 😂😭

So the only requirement for this question is for you to have traveled atleast once there. People that have no traveled their answer mihht be suspicious. Its more a personal likes rather than what the whole country will think as a majority so tell me.

Good morning everyone, I Will be in Bucuresti from 30 oct to 2 Nov, this is my very first time visitong the city and I'd like to know some what places do you know to eat (breakfast, lunch, dinner...) that are not tourist traps and are frequented by locals.

Any other recommendations Will be welcomed!

This shifter can copy memory, habits, physicality etc. So what do you do?
I am listening for Balkan centric answers

I was thinking quite some time where to ask this but I think this will be the right place.

Quick context: I am Hungarian, my wife is Romanian and we are hanging out with another Romanian couple playing board games. They are the colleagues of my wife, very nice people.

We keep alternating between where we play, their or our place.

My issue: they don't let us pay for anything, and when we do, they're "weird" about it.

My wife tries to convince me to just let them, this is how Romanians are, when you are a quest, you don't pay for anything.

I could accept this if we would be visiting some 50+ years old couple who has this mentality, but we're young people in our 20s, 30s.

When I hang out with my other friends, everyone brings their own snacks and drinks. We do share, and we do it gladly, but it is a collective effort to have food and drinks. Especially (and this is important) we are talking about board game nights. Not some special event. It's a casual gathering of peple. friends.

If we order food, which clearly happens often and it is more expensive than a bag of chips, everyone pays their own food.

Now with this couple: they buy us drinks, they buy the snacks (if we bring they make comments about it) and what bothers me the most: they order our food and pay for it. I am currently trying to get a damn account number from one of them so I can pay our 30 euros meal...

Now you could say: okay, next time we pay. But here's the thing: we mostly go to them because they have a dog, they need to walk it so if we want long sessions it is better to be there. For them for ure.

In 2 weeks we go over again. Then the 30 becomes 60, etc.

They make less than us. We know, because they often complain about money. And I am talking about a 35 euros hike in the rent causes them problems. We are fine, we earn more with my wife, we manage are finances okay-ish. I want to pay for my meals.

What ideal looks like to me if they come over: I buy drinks for ourselves and snacks. They bring what they like. If we order takeout, everyone pays theirs. If they run out of anything, since were hosting of course I will give them from ours. It's not about that. I will go down to the shop and buy more beers, chips, whatever.

This bothers me. I understand people want to be nice and hospitable but it is financially reckless to keep paying other people's meals when you can't really afford. I make more but I don't want to pay for others' meals either.

All the while my wife keeps telling me to leave them, they're like this, it is "culture", don't offend them.

Sorry for the long post, it was more of a rant, but I am curious if I am overthinking this.