Where have I been you may ask? Up to my neck in work I say. These past two weeks have been quite hectic and this is the first time that I've been to the internet cafe in two weeks. What have I been doing? Highlights:
- studying Romanian four hours a day
- making animal flash cards for 4th graders who can't speak English
- getting fat off of Iron Chef Ica's Romanian cuisine
- walking the dogs and talking fotbal with Victor
- drinking Ursus beer with melodramatic, overbearing Romanians until 4 in the morning
- dragging kids out of class for beating on each other
- creating lesson plans all night long
- missing all of you
- getting rained on every afternoon
- shopping at the Carrefour "hypermarket"
- watching Romanian talent shows on TV
- waiting for my site assignment
Week two of my teaching practicum starts tomorrow. I've got 5th graders and 7th/8th graders tomorrow. I like the 7th/8th grade class, but I don't much care for the young kids. Much respect to elementary school teachers. I just can't handle them. I don't have a problem teaching them or controlling the class, but I just feel like they suck all of the energy out of me.
On that note, I've got my site placement interview this week. I'm pushing hard for a position teaching social studies to bilingual high school students in a large city. I'll find out my assignment the week after at our counterpart conference in Sinaia. BTW - a horse cart full of gypsies just rode by the internet cafe and yelled whooohooo and other pleasantries......anyway, I think that my chances are good at this point because one of the program directors observed me and she really liked my lesson. I'm hoping for either Brasov, Sibiu, Timisoara, or Cluj-Napoca. There's a chance that I may be assigned to an area with a large Hungarian population. If this is the case, I will undergo Hungarian language training for the remainder of training.
Despite all of the work and uncertainty regarding placement, all is well right now. My host family takes very good care of me and I like them very much. I would feel very fortunate to be allowed to take a position in Brasov so I can be close to them. They really have welcomed me into their family. Ica told me today that she is going to miss me. I will certainly miss both her and Victor. I have mixed emotions about the day that I will have to leave them to go to site.
I miss home, Sarah, and all of my friends very much. I think about everyone all of the time. Please do try to check the blog, despite my infrequent posts. I'll try to find some more time to do this and hopefully post some pictures. I'm going to request a site that will allow me to have high-speed internet in my apartment. If this happens, it will be much easier to update the blog. Also, I'll be able to use Skype to talk to people for free!!!!!!!
Until next time, Te pup!
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Sunday, June 12, 2005
PC Ro website
The PC Romania Group 20 photo is now up on the web. Go to www.peacecorps.ro
There's a small photo on the main page. To get to a larger version, click picture/volunteers on the left-hand tool bar. I'm toward the back, on the right-hand side of the photo. See if you can find my mug...........
FYI, for the anonymous person (I'd love to know who you are) who asked what deer domestication is, basically, it's a family with a young male deer in hay-filled shed. He has a leash right now and they're trying to make him their pet. I'm not so sure how this is going to work since the sprouts on his head will eventually turn into a real set of horns. But hey, I'm not from rural Transylvania, so what do I know? American prost?
There's a small photo on the main page. To get to a larger version, click picture/volunteers on the left-hand tool bar. I'm toward the back, on the right-hand side of the photo. See if you can find my mug...........
FYI, for the anonymous person (I'd love to know who you are) who asked what deer domestication is, basically, it's a family with a young male deer in hay-filled shed. He has a leash right now and they're trying to make him their pet. I'm not so sure how this is going to work since the sprouts on his head will eventually turn into a real set of horns. But hey, I'm not from rural Transylvania, so what do I know? American prost?
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
One week later...
Ok, sorry that it's taken me a week to get this post up. I'm really going to try to be more consistent/frequent. I hope that at least some of you are still interested....So, I kept a journal for the first couple of days with the Gazda, so I think I'll put that stuff down here. Oh yeah, that's another thing that I want to try to do every day as well. We'll see what happens.
Sunday, May 29: Arrival in Codlea to meet Gazda (host)
We checked out of the bullet pock-marked and spartan Hotel Capitol in downtown Brasov at 10am and prepared to load up the van for the 10 km drive to Codlea. A few of us went down to the market to buy flowers for our gazda mamas and found some great deals. I was able to purchase 14 green orchids for $400,000 lei (about $13 US). These orchids would have been at least $50-60 USD in the states.
Upon arrival, I was greeted with hugs and kisses from Ica and Victor and schleped all of my gear into their red 1984 Dacia. Looking back, I can't believe that We actually fit 3 people into that car with all of my gear. The Romanians didn't have storage space in mind when they built this baby back in '84. Now I know why Victor rigged a luggage rack to the roof.
As we drove through the broken streets, Ica tried to give me directions and information about the area in her best "Ringlish". I was a bit overwhelmed mentally, very hot and physically cramped at this point, so I retained nothing. My mind was on where I was going to be living for the next ten weeks, all the while hoping that it wouldn't be in one of those communist blocs.
My wish was granted. We pulled up to a quaint little house located at the top of strada 15 Noiembrie and at the base of a big grazing hill. Sheep, cows, horses, and dogs were everywhere. Victor opened the big, red steel gate and we pulled in. I was greeted by two dogs (Davica and Novak) and 6 cats (names unknown). We walked in the house and a was seriously on the verge of tears...of joy and relief.
Forward to the present tense. I occupy a whole wing of their house. I have My own door to go in and out of, my own foyer, my own bathroom, and a big, fully furnished bedroom. There's also a living room and kitchen to share. Ica and Victor's bedroom and bathroom are located at the back of the house. This place is seriously nicer that my apt. in Chicago.
Back to the past tense. I put my stuff down and they proceeded to present me with a meal fit for a king. Soup, sausage, bread, vegetables; it was great! I then changed into some shorts and a t-shirt and got my stuff unpacked and organized. Later, I found out that I was to go on a picnic with my family, another volunteer and his gazda mama. His gazda mama and my gazda mama both work at the hospital and are friends. So, we all piled into the Dacia and headed for the hills.
In about an hour, we arrived at a "cabana" owned by Ica's brother Tavi. The views are great. At one point I could see all three mountain ranges in the Brasov area. We proceeded to have a barbeque Romanian style. Open pit fire, mici (a hybrid hamburger/tube sausage), pork, fresh goat cheese from Tavi's farm, Ciucas Brasov beer, etc. Cei Mai Bun! Victor worked on the car for about 2 hours. I was slightly concerned that we might have to hitch home.
On the way home I saw an old, abandoned Ceaucescu concentration camp, an attempt at deer domestication, and some nice taxidermy. What a day in Transylvania!
That's it for now, I need to go home and eat dinner. Servus!
Sunday, May 29: Arrival in Codlea to meet Gazda (host)
We checked out of the bullet pock-marked and spartan Hotel Capitol in downtown Brasov at 10am and prepared to load up the van for the 10 km drive to Codlea. A few of us went down to the market to buy flowers for our gazda mamas and found some great deals. I was able to purchase 14 green orchids for $400,000 lei (about $13 US). These orchids would have been at least $50-60 USD in the states.
Upon arrival, I was greeted with hugs and kisses from Ica and Victor and schleped all of my gear into their red 1984 Dacia. Looking back, I can't believe that We actually fit 3 people into that car with all of my gear. The Romanians didn't have storage space in mind when they built this baby back in '84. Now I know why Victor rigged a luggage rack to the roof.
As we drove through the broken streets, Ica tried to give me directions and information about the area in her best "Ringlish". I was a bit overwhelmed mentally, very hot and physically cramped at this point, so I retained nothing. My mind was on where I was going to be living for the next ten weeks, all the while hoping that it wouldn't be in one of those communist blocs.
My wish was granted. We pulled up to a quaint little house located at the top of strada 15 Noiembrie and at the base of a big grazing hill. Sheep, cows, horses, and dogs were everywhere. Victor opened the big, red steel gate and we pulled in. I was greeted by two dogs (Davica and Novak) and 6 cats (names unknown). We walked in the house and a was seriously on the verge of tears...of joy and relief.
Forward to the present tense. I occupy a whole wing of their house. I have My own door to go in and out of, my own foyer, my own bathroom, and a big, fully furnished bedroom. There's also a living room and kitchen to share. Ica and Victor's bedroom and bathroom are located at the back of the house. This place is seriously nicer that my apt. in Chicago.
Back to the past tense. I put my stuff down and they proceeded to present me with a meal fit for a king. Soup, sausage, bread, vegetables; it was great! I then changed into some shorts and a t-shirt and got my stuff unpacked and organized. Later, I found out that I was to go on a picnic with my family, another volunteer and his gazda mama. His gazda mama and my gazda mama both work at the hospital and are friends. So, we all piled into the Dacia and headed for the hills.
In about an hour, we arrived at a "cabana" owned by Ica's brother Tavi. The views are great. At one point I could see all three mountain ranges in the Brasov area. We proceeded to have a barbeque Romanian style. Open pit fire, mici (a hybrid hamburger/tube sausage), pork, fresh goat cheese from Tavi's farm, Ciucas Brasov beer, etc. Cei Mai Bun! Victor worked on the car for about 2 hours. I was slightly concerned that we might have to hitch home.
On the way home I saw an old, abandoned Ceaucescu concentration camp, an attempt at deer domestication, and some nice taxidermy. What a day in Transylvania!
That's it for now, I need to go home and eat dinner. Servus!
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
I'm a little behind
I have to keep this one short. Ok, so I think that I need to pick up from last Friday....no time....i'll getto that later. It's Tuesday and I'm in an internet cafe in my new hometown (for 10 weeks) of Codlea, located about 10 km northwest of Brasov. My gazda (host) mama and tata (papa) are Ica and Victor Ciolan. Ica is a nurse at the Codlea spital (hospital) and Victor is a construction carpenter. My casa frumos (beautiful home) is located at the top of strada (street) 15 de noiembrie (november), at the foot of some beautiful forested and pasture-like hills. Lots of cows and horses in the strada and all of the wonderful things that come out of them....mmmmm....All is well and more details later...
salut
Scott
salut
Scott
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
