Allen Chen

Reflecting on Bucharest

Starting from my application to my actual time abroad, the singular question I received was: Why Romania?

Academically, Romania was a perfect fit. Fulbright Romania sought out specialists in American studies or English to teach at the university level. Already appreciative of the cross-cultural complexities that can be explored with college-aged students from a previous internship in Japan, I wanted to apply my degree in American studies and work at the university level in Romania.

Thinking culturally, Romania was the best country to explore my idiosyncratic interest in Olympic gymnastics. Historically one of the most dominant teams, with everyday people globally knowing of Nadia Comaneci’s historic perfect 10, I wanted to dive deeper into Olympic culture, gymnastics history, and national identity in Romania.

Initially setting out with these goals, I found myself immersing in other ventures too. This was possible because of the flexibility afforded to us by Fulbright Romania. I view this as a deep level of respect between the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission and its grantees. Mihai and Loredana are not here to micromanage you. With one ETA in each city, the program encourages independence and immersion. This level of freedom was an exciting and liberating shift. Fresh out of undergrad, I loved the loose, choose-your-own-adventure spirit of the program.

My first adventure came in the classroom. I thought I’d be assisting another professor, because my title is technically English Teaching Assistant, but instead, I was leading seminars all on my own. Initially, I was stunned. Flipping my shock on its head, it was an intellectual privilege to craft my own syllabus, create lectures, and design assignments. I am also lucky that my students and I respected each other from the get-go. This allowed me to facilitate 1:1 discussions, akin to office hours in the U.S., to refine their ambitious ideas and sharpen their rhetoric.

My second surprise was being assigned a joint appointment at the Fulbright Educational Advising Center. Building on my previous work in admissions and college access, I helped Romanian students and families better understand U.S. higher education. It was a joy to work with Ruxandra and Mihaela. I will think back fondly on their open-mindedness and cordiality. Thanks for the chocolate, chips, and Frudisiac coffee.

Once I got acclimated to my two roles, I felt comfortable tackling my gymnastics research. The premier institution for all things Olympic related, I desperately wanted to get my foot into the Sports Museum (Muzeul Sportului). After various visits to the museum, something eventually crystallized. I got my own little desk in the hallway and started reading archives and books about the Olympics and gymnastics. It was surreal. Not long ago, I was just another gymnastics superfan, hearing about Romania filtered to me through U.S. media, but now, I was sitting in a dedicated sports museum, learning with and from a local archivist in Bucharest.

But the biggest surprise of all was when I worked as a background extra in a Hollywood movie. I saw a casting call for Asians in Bucharest and cackled at the irony of me leaving Los Angeles to work on a film set in Romania. By then, Romania taught me to crave chaotic experiences so I immediately signed up. Bringing together the vibrant and diverse Asian diaspora in Bucharest—with heritages from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam—the set was a hotspot for cultural discussions. Notably, I learned so much about people’s dynamic migration stories. Some came for school, others for work or love. And some came on a whim and never left. These stories expanded my understanding of migration globally, going beyond unidirectional movement to the U.S. The movie set was also a space of friendship between a collection of artistic-adjacent people nutty enough to work 14-hour days because amidst a grueling schedule, we forged a diasporic community. I’ll never forget having family dinner at YUKI and singing karaoke at The Yellow Club.

My last day on set was the same day Fulbright ended early because of COVID–19. While reading our understandably chaotic email chains on set, my instinct oddly did not waver: I wanted to stay. So I did. I sheltered in place. I taught online. I said goodbye to my dear colleagues as they passed through Bucharest to reach the airport. I patiently waited until May 15 when quarantine was lifted. But I wasn’t excited. I was afraid of the virus and of anti-Asian racism. Truth be told, I didn’t feel comfortable doing much of anything until July. But once I booked my flight to leave Romania, I knew it was time to peel off the bandage, put my mask on, and reintroduce myself to the beauty of Bucharest and its people. I wanted closure and a proper bookend to this chapter. Throughout July, I made my rounds across town, formally saying my goodbyes and see you laters to everyone special to me. For that, I’m grateful.

In all, I feel fulfilled despite a truncated Fulbright experience. Thankfully, I got a taste of all my goals, in some fashion, before the pandemic. And it’s only a matter of time before I come back to fully explore Romania and Europe, hand-in-hand with my fellow colleagues and friends.

Allen Chen was an English Teaching Assistant affiliated with the University of Bucharest and the Fulbright Educational Advising Center from 2019–2020. He earned his B.A. in American studies and sociology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA, USA.