Greva

First, you may be wondering what a "greva" is? It means strike, as in labor strike. We'll get to that in a moment. Let's talk about the photo, shall we?

Codlea: I was sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast a couple of weeks ago and the doorbell rang. Ica went to answer. I heard "clip-clop, clip-clop", turned to look out the window and saw a horse's head! Of course I immediately went outside and you're now seeing what I saw. Firewood delivery, Romania style. The car is Joel's rental, and Ica is in the foreground. Tavica the dog is with us here as well and, if you look really closely or click to blow up the pic, you'll see that one of the horseys left us a "present". The firewood delivery guys were really nice and Ica treated them to a round of coffee and, that's right folks, Tuica. Nothing like a little plum brandy to get the blood pumping for a hard days' work of wood delivery on the 'ol carutza.

They unloaded all of the trees and Victor then proceeded to chainsaw and chop the hell out of them. The garage was filled with chopped wood for the winter when I went back last weekend. He wields a mean axe. Fuel for the "soba" or wood-burning stove is very important for many Romanians. Gas is expensive and the soba, if built well, is very efficient and will keep a room warm for many hours. It's nice to walk the streets of Codlea on a cold, crisp day and smell the wood smoke coming from the chimneys.

Anyway, back to the Greva. As of this writing, approximately 85% of the public schools in Romania are on strike. However, Hogas is not. We do not have a union representative and are thus not on strike. We are one of only two schools in Neamt County that is not on strike. We made the news. People are not happy. Students, of course, are not happy, but for obviously different reasons (some of them "went on strike" after watching the Monday morning news). Many of the TEFL volunteers are not working right now and nobody knows when all of this will end. Let's hope that President Basescu helps out and gives these people a raise. Union reps are meeting with him in Bucharest this week.

I understand fully why these teachers are on strike. Their salaries are paltry (a colleague of mine, 29 years old, makes the equivalent of about $175 a month), they have to buy their own books, and the system is generally a mess. There was a revolution in Romania, but not in the schools. The system is antiquated, top-heavy and still has one foot stuck in the past. Unfortunately, the kids know this too and the resulting apathy and malaise can be challenging to overcome for a teacher, especially when he/she has to live paycheck to paycheck. Some of my colleagues are upset because they may reap the benefits that may be gained as a result of the sacrifices of the striking teachers, who are not being paid right now. Difficult situation all around.

So, that's the current state of affairs. I'll be heading to a city called Focsani on Saturday to hook up with some fellow group 20 PCVs. There's a birthday to celebrate and apparently some good, cheap wine to drink (Moldavia is known for its wine). It'll be about a 2 hour and 45 minute train ride south. I'll arrive at about 11:30am and leave around 4:30pm on Sunday. That should put me back in Piatra Neamt at about 7:15. Tomorrow and Friday will be devoted to ironing, lesson planning, homework grading and hopefully some reading and DVD watching (thanks again Roz and Joel!). Pa (bye)!

Scott (reporting from the Greva-free zone at Hogas High)