Meet the Escus

Amynescu is in Romania for nine months to make a documentary. Note that this is the same period of time it takes to conceive and give birth to a child, and that both experiences may be equally painful. This is not to say that the process of making a film is not incredibly rewarding, especially with a kind, supportive Sound Recordist/Travel Coordinator/Boyfriend, who also happens to speak fluent Romanian. He is right there at her side, urging her to breathe and push. Being an Alpha male, he's sometimes over-emphatic, but overall he is doing a great job keeping his microphone in check.

Perhaps you may have noticed that a disproportionate number of Romanian names end with "escu," from the more sinister "Ceausescu" to the more benign "Ionescu" or cheerful "Popescu." The reasons for this are unclear. However, Amynescu chose to "Romanianize" her screen name because of its flattering phonetic association with Romania's greatest poet, Eminescu. Mihai Eminescu is best known for his lyrical, romantic poems like "Luceafarul," ("Evening Star") which you can enjoy in English at http://www.romanianvoice.com/poezii/poezii_tr/eveningstar.php.

Sorinescu also chose to further Romanianize his name, since he had always felt left out growing up in Romania without an "escu." Sorinescu is an engineer who left Romania at the age of 18, and has returned several times to visit friends and family. In 2003, while vacationing at the Black Sea Coast in Costinesti, he met Amynescu. Neither of them ever imagined that they would one day be living in Bucharest and writing a blog together. Some blogs will written by Amynescu, and some by sorinescu, but others are joint endeavors.