1987...

I was born at 10:20 a.m. – as my mother told me so… in Constanta, the Socialist Republic of Romania, today – Romania.

Of course, I don’t have many memories about that period, but I’ve been doing some research and I found out a few things…

So, Romania was at the end of its communist era; Nicolae Ceauşescu, the president of the Socialist Republic of Romania became obsessed in the early 1980s with repaying foreign debs (more than $13 billion)… In 1984 food rationing was introduced, than gas and electricity rationing. Romanian people – as some say today – had money, but they could not spend them on anything as the stores were full with export rejects, moldy chocolate “made in China”, gum toys - and of course I’m exaggerating – and they could not benefit of any hard currency or many western products (*it was illegal and punished with up to ten years imprisonment to own or trade any foreign currency).

The quality of health care and educational systems dropped substantially, as drugs and medical equipment were no longer imported.

And the Securitate (“Security”) increased its control stronger and stronger over the society...
In this climate of economic depression, on November 15, 1987, a local elections day in Braşov, Romania, 20.000 workers from “Steagul Roşu” plant (truck manufacturer) walked off the job and marched at the city center. They started to shout slogans like “Down with Ceauşescu” and “Down with Communism”. Other 20.000 workers from “Tractor” plant, “Hidromecanica” factory and townspeople joined the march. A massive bonfire of party records and propaganda burned for hours in the city square.
The Braşov Rebellion was disbanded by force by military and “Securitate” forces. Although nobody was killed, more then 300 protesters were arrested for hooliganism.

...

And around this time I was almost two weeks late for meeting the world...