In the same sense that there are many tribes who speak the same language but have vastly different cultures, there are tribes with totally different languages, but their cultures are very similar. I was born in Romania and my friend Roma was born in Russia. Romania and Russia look so alike culturally that it is quite eerie. The buildings, food, attitudes, even the babushkas. But the languages are vastly different.

For example we call this “traditional Romanian food” as “sarmale”:

My mother always makes it for all of the important Romanian holidays. If you search online for “Romanian national holiday” plus the word “food”, you’ll see this dish as the main one. So this is a Romanian dish!

Well that’s what I thought. Turns out that Roma knows this food very well and he calls it “Голубцы”. He says it might be Russian. But Wikipedia tells me that is a traditional food from the “Ottoman cuisine”.

But the fact is that this “sarmale” food is not a “thing”, but a “flavor of things”. Some “sarmale” are made with meat and rice, some just rice, some with cabbage leafs and some with grape leafs. Different condiments. Cooked differently. They differ today from tribe to tribe, and even within the same tribe.

So is this “sarmale” food Romanian? Russian? No. Nothing is.

Snippet from Culture Cancer - tromsite.com/2026/07/culture-c…

#food #culture #romania #russia #trom #tromsite #traditions

#For those outside Gaza…

Read, understand, and share.

Many people outside still can't believe what's happening in Gaza,

or think it's confined to a specific area — and we've seen this a lot on social media.

But the truth?

The aggression has destroyed Gaza from north to south.

Gaza today isn't a city; #Gaza today is the remnants of life.

There's no "living" in Gaza… only a "struggle to survive."

Houses are rubble.

Streets are graveyards.

Electricity, water, internet… are now memories and lost luxuries.

Hospitals? Paralyzed.

Schools? They've become temporary shelters, or they've been destroyed.

Electricity?

Since the first days of the war, it's been cut off.

A very small segment of the population has access to solar power, and it's become a resource for people… but at a price.

Can you imagine?

Your phone battery is dead? You have to pay 2 shekels to recharge it.

Power banks? 3 shekels.

A large battery? 7 shekels.

Everything has a price, even charging, even electricity.

And the prices? Insane and unbelievable!

The internet?

There's no home internet.

There are temporary cards sold by people who have electricity and internet.

The card costs between 1 and 5 shekels (half a dollar to a dollar and a half), depending on the time and speed.

And the cost of living?

A kilo of tomatoes = 20 shekels ($5.50)

A kilo of cucumbers = 25 shekels ($7)

A kilo of potatoes = 50 shekels ($13 – if you can even find them)
A kilo of eggplant = 30 shekels ($8)

A single cigarette? From 50 to 120 shekels ($13–$32!)

A loaf of bread? Almost nonexistent, and flour is running out.

Some people have resorted to smoking wild herbs, adding nicotine, carbonation, sugar, and sometimes pesticides and toxic substances… just to give it a flavor!

So, how are people surviving?

Some have nothing.

Some cook over wood fires.

Some eat one meal a day or less.

Some grow parsley or lettuce, or anything to stave off starvation.

Some make soup with water and onions…

And some don't eat at all.

No food, no gas, not enough flour.

Prices are sky-high, and people have nothing.

A kilo of ordinary vegetables is now more expensive than in European cities.

And a single cigarette is more expensive than a large meal for an entire family!

The water?

It's polluted, salty, and undrinkable.

People filter it using primitive methods, boil it, or drink it contaminated because “there's no alternative.”

The gas?

It's been cut off for over a month and a half.

People cook over wood fires, charcoal, or anything that will ignite.

The health situation?

There aren't enough medicines, no well-equipped hospitals, no medical equipment, and not enough staff.

And people get sick… and wait for death in silence.

#Shared as a small part of our lives💔

#Gaza #writing #palestine #genocide #Israel #freepalestine #freeGaza #fyp #help #helpingfamilies #Urgent #MutualAidRequest #MutualAidBoost #HelpFolkslive #food #usa #helping #helpsky #us