A Sort of Christmas

As promised, I've posted a few pics. Two are from Codlea. One from Piatra Neamt. The shot with people is the teachers' lounge after Thursday's Christmas concert. What a spread they put out! Tons of food, and lost of drinks. Yes folks, there was some drinking going on in school. It's just how they do it here. It's strange for an American like myself because a drop of alcohol anywhere near a school in the US is taboo. The shot with the houses is a street scene from Codlea. Magura mountain looms in the background. The other pic is of the old saxon church and fortress in the center of Codlea. 900 years old.

Well, I'm ready to leave for Codlea tomorrow morning. It's been a tough week as I was very sick with some sort of virus that gave me high fevers and really bad diareeha all week. I started feeling better yesterday and am about 80% today. I should be able to start eating normal food tomorrow. Thank god. If I have to look at another bowl of rice mush and plate of plain toast I'm going to lose it. Oh yeah, and I never want to drink mint tea again.

Let me take this opportunity to wish all of you loyal readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I know many who read this and I also hope that there are many others who do as well. So, for those of you who are loyal readers but haven't yet told me, please drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you!

2005 has probably been the most challenging year of my life thus far for many reasons. I've experienced so much this year and learned a lot about myself in the process. I guess that this is what I wanted. Two things I have learned: 1) I love my country and will cherish the day I return and 2) The most important thing in life is family and friends. I do think I knew this before, but now I really feel it. When this experience is over, I don't think I'll be able to take these two things for granted ever again. I'm very lucky to be an American and am thankful for all of my family and friends. I love you all.

Naroc si Sanatate si Numai Bine
Craicun Ferecit!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trained Again

Photo: That's a 400 year-old Saxon tower in Sibiu, at the base of which is the restaurant "La Turn" (the tower).

I've now completed my second official Peace Corps training. The "IST" (In Service Training) has passed and, according to the Peace Corps, I will now be a more effective volunteer. We'll see. Sometimes you just need to concentrate on getting by day to day here in wonderful Romania.

I hopped on a train from Sibiu to Codlea this morning and am writing from the Codlea internet cafe. It's snowing pretty hard right now, which should make for some good photos later this weekend. I'll be here until Sunday and will then return to PN for the last week of classes before Christmas break. T-minus 13 days and counting for the arrival of Sarah. I wish I could just push the fast-forward button. My mind's not on anything else at the moment.

Sibiu is a great city. I felt like I was in a time-warp while walking the streets of the old Saxon town this week. The architecture is wonderful, the restaurants are good, there's plenty of cafes and bars to choose from and, hold onto your mouse, the service was good. Yes, I said it here folks, I finally found good service in Romania. Sibiu will be the "Cultural Capital" of Europe in 2007 when Romania (hopefully) accedes To the European Union. Good choice I think. Sibiu will also be the E.U. administrative seat in Romania, not Bucharest. This is a wise choice due to the fact that it is centrally located and not east or south of the Carpathian mountains. Due to its Saxon heritage, many Sibiuans speak German, which is good for business.

Some highlights from the Group 20 IST:

- An 8 1/2 hour bus ride from Piatra Neamt
- Receiving an envelope with 4 million lei upon arrival (I'm rich bitch)
- Drinking lots of beer and wine at "La Turn" as all of my fellow group 20ers trickled in as the night went on
- Vin Fiert (Hot Wine) with cinnamon
- Seeing all of my favorite language teachers and brushing up on some grammar
- Best pizza I've had in Romania
- Attending a lecture given by a journalist who runs Romania's only "media watchdog" organization
- Doing a little improv acting at the "Drama Without Tears" session for teachers
- Free food
- A real shower
- A comfortable bed
- Finding a book called Romania Redux: A view from Harvard at a local bookstore
- Last, but not least, spending a week with my fellow volunteers from Group 20 and enjoying every last minute of it (with a few minor exceptions. you can't like everybody, right?)

I'm in a bit of a daze right now after spending a week in a hotel with a bunch of Americans. Not something that I'm used to. I think that this daze will continue indefinitely, or at least until about the third week of January. I'm going to be on the road quite a bit and then will have to come back and prepare to finish the semester. Oh yeah, and then there's that two weeks of bliss stuck in between. Up and down I go and when it ends I will let you know.

Be sure to stay tuned for a pre-Christmas blog entry, complete with photos.......

Scott