Two weeks later....

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!