An early dose of autumn

*This post was finished on Sunday, September 3rd

Thursday, 08/31/06:

Hi. It's pretty cold and rainy here in the Brasov area today. Yesterday was about the same. There's been a drastic temperature change within the past week. Just a week ago I was playing football on the beach, working on my tan. Today I'm wearing long sleeves, pants and my rain jacket. Delia and Gene got here last Friday and are out sightseeing. I decided to take a break today. Good thing because the weather sucks.

Anyway, some comments on the two photos.

1) My dinner at Sura Dacilor restaurant in Poiana Brasov. "Hunters' Stew" with mamaliga, tomato and cucumber salad and a Silva dark beer. Mmm. Hot tuica and ciorba was consumed with much pleasure before the main course. Delia, Ica, Gene and myself hiked from the old city in Brasov up to the ski resort area Poiana Brasov. That meal really hit the spot after a day of sightseeing and hiking.

2) Saint Nicholas Romanian Orthodox Church in the Schei neigborhood of Brasov. The church dates back to the 15th century. I had never been to the Schei area before. Adjacent to the old medieval fortified city, it's tucked into a small valley and contains old houses, narrow streets, etc. You can still picture what it must have been like to live there 100 - 150 years ago.

3) That's me, Gene, Delia and Mihai (nephew of Delia's friend Geta) at Cheile Rasnovului (Rasnov Gorge), a big rock climbing park near Brasov. The photo was taken by Geta. We also went to Bran castle, after which the weather took a turn for the worse.

4) PC Romania Group 20 Fantasy Football Draft 2006, Mangalia. The few, the proud, the GMs of PCRO FFL. By far the best draft I have ever participated in. We were in a conference room at the top of the hotel. A view of the Black Sea, microphones for each participant with audio piped over an intercom system, a hired hand to handle the writing of the picks on poster paper, what more could you want? It was so fun that we all wanted to do it again the next day.

So, a lot has happened this summer. Here's a brief rundown. The teaching practicum in Ploiesti ended in late June. I had a great time there during that two week period and felt like I was able to help the staff make their site placement decisions. I also conducted a safety and security session for the new group. My colleague and friend Mandy helped me out with this. Overall, it was a very effective and rewarding experience for me and I'm glad I did it.

July 2nd to the 23rd was the trip back home. I spent a week in Austin with Sarah and the rest of the time in the Chicago area. Highlights: Mexican food, minor league baseball, buying lots of books at Borders, party in Plainfield. Lowlight: the nasty sinus/respiratory infection I contracted during the last week. It literally took more than 4 weeks before it totally left my system. I could go on and on about how wonderful it was to be back home, be with Sarah and spend time with family and friends, but I don't think that's necessary. Let's just say that, even though my life here has drastically improved and I love Ica and Victor, I can't wait to get back home.

After returning to Codlea, I spent the next two weeks recovering from my illness. I didn't do much, but did make progress getting settled in. I bought a desk, made arrangements to have internet installed at home, organized all of my stuff, etc. I had a lot of reading time as well, which was very nice.

August 5th -11th was the trip to Germany. Waaay to short. I could spend weeks in that country zipping around on trains. I stayed with my friends Ovidiu and Brindusa (they're with me in the first pic in the last blog post) in Wurzburg and made day trips to Bamberg and Nuremberg. Highlights: Wurzburg wine, smoked "Rauchbier" from Bamberg, Bratwurst, former Nazi Party rally grounds and museum in Nuremburg, beautiful medieval cathedrals and castles, clean streets, seeing Ovidiu and Brindusa. Lowlight: Weather (it was cold and rainy much of the time) and leaving (I really liked Germany).

I then returned to Codlea for 10 days. Again, I continued to get settled in, organized, etc. The internet got installed, finally. I met with the former volunteer at school #2 as well as the vice director and an English teacher. We discussed the situation, expecations, etc. After that, my friend Stephen came to stay with us for a couple of days before we left for the PC mid service training conference in Mangalia, a city on the Black Sea coast and just north of the border with Bulgaria.

We arrived in Mangalia after a 12 1/2 hour train trip and proceeded immediately to the bar to get reaquainted with out collagues. The 3 days in Mangalia were a lot of fun. Highlights: two games of flag football on the beach, fantasy football draft, hotel room parties, swimming everyday, sun, seeing everyone together again, a session on corruption with the economic advisor from the U.S. Embassy. Lowlights: not enough sleep, forgetting my phone in the hotel room (I got it back the other day ), and again, leaving. It was way too short. A week on the beach would have been nice.

I returned to Codlea on Thursday night the 24th. Delia and Gene arrived the following day. I drove to the airport with Tavi that day to pick them up. They'll be here until the 10th. It's been really nice to spend time with them and get to know "my sister". She calls me "brother". It's cool. Unfortunately, I'm not able to go on any hiking trips with them. I've got to get ready for school.

Sunday, September 3:

So, that brings us to the present. I'll go to school tomorrow and meet the director and any teachers who happen to be around. I'm not exactly sure what will happen after that. Probably nothing much. After that, I have to take a bunch of documents to the police station in Piatra Neamt so they can issue me a document confirming that I don't live there anymore. After that, I have to take all of the documents to the police station in Brasov so they can issue me another document that acknowledges the address change. This document will act as a sort of addendum to my ID card. Having to go all the way back to Piatra Neamt to do this is a pain in the rear. However, it will be nice to see Oana, Radu and Brindusa. Ovidiu will still be in Germany.

School officially starts on the 15th, which is a Friday. I won't have much to do that day, as there will be an "opening ceremony" but no classes. Classes start on Monday, September 18th. I think I'll spend the first week observing classes while they get the schedule worked out. The schedule is never set before school starts. I'll be lucky if it's set after week one.

Today I'm going to take Novac the dog on a walk up the hill and into the forest. After that I'll iron some shirts, watch Brazil vs. Argentina with Victor and do an English lesson with Ica. I guess you could say that today is the last day of vacation for me. It's a strange feeling to have to go back to work after all of this time off. We'll see how it goes. Wish me luck.

Until next time,
Scott

Hooray!

I've got internet at home! So, to celebrate, I've posted some photos that are representative of the past 6 weeks of my life. The photos appear in reverse order. And remember, you can click on a photo to enlarge it if you'd like. Enjoy!

Catching up

Whew! I'm busy. I still haven't found enough time to write about my travels this summer. Soon enough. I got back from Germany last Saturday and now I'm off to the Black Sea coast for a PC conference next week. I'll take a night train late Sunday and arrive in the city of Mangalia around 8am. I'll be so close to Bulgaria (less than 15 miles). I wish I could go. Oh well, I hope to get there eventually. Anyway, my country director asked me to write a welcome letter for the 2 new groups of volunteers that will be arriving here in 2007. It will be included, amongst others, in the "Welcome Book" that all accepted applicants receive before they report to the staging event and depart for Romania. I'm glad to have the opportunity to write such a letter. Here it is:

This is an exciting time to be a PC Volunteer in Romania! Welcome! At this point you're probably wondering what material items to bring. Follow the suggestions in this book and you'll be just fine (especially if you bring a laptop). More important than material things however are patience and open-mindedness. These essential "items" will help you to be a successful and HAPPY volunteer.

Your eyes (and ears) can deceive you here in Romania. On the surface, many things will seem familiar to you. Most people under the age of 30 will want to and be able to speak English with you. You may have cable TV and high-speed internet in your apartment. Your host family may own a new European import car. Many people will dress like you. You'll ride on a modern train from time to time. On occasion, you may even have pizza delivered to your place. However, as volunteers, most of our challenges here exist below the surface. During your staging event, the PC staff will introduce to you the "Iceberg" concept. Pay close attention to this. The cultural differences between Romania and the U.S. are vast.

As I write this letter, Romania is poised to become a full-fledged member of the European Union. However, less than 20 years ago this country was enduring its fifth decade of one of the most oppressive communist dictatorships that has ever existed. Before that, Romania was mostly a land of rural peasants to whom democracy was a foreign concept. This is a society in transition.

In my opinion, our biggest challenge as PC volunteers here in Romania is to not let the cultural impediments that exist because of the past prevent us from doing our job, which is to help the Romanian people build a better future. It's not easy, but hey, it's the PC. I encourage you to learn as much as you possibly can about Romania's history and culture both before and during your service. Read, talk to Romanians, travel, etc. These things, combined with a concerted effort to learn the Romanian language, will undoubtedly help you to assimilate and have both a pleasant and productive life here in Romania.

Challenges aside, Romania is a country rich in cultural and geographical diversity. Mountains, beaches, medieval towns and castles, Roman ruins, festivals all year round; Romania is a major European tourist destination just waiting to happen! You're going to have a lot of fun here, I guarantee it. Oh yeah, and did I mention all of the great friends you're going to make here, both fellow volunteers and host country nationals? You're going to get so much out of this experience, both personally and professionally. I wish you all the best! Noroc!

Scott Fenwick
TEFL, Group 20

Indoor Plumbing....Or Lack Thereof

Hi folks. I'm dirty. I haven't bathed in almost 48 hours. Codlea hasn't had running water since Monday morning. Flyers were posted around town saying that the water would be turned off from 9am to 9pm Monday. Ha. I knew better than that. I have to dump a bucket of water down the toilet to get my turds to go down. Nice, huh? I also have to go to Bucharest tomorrow for my annual physical. I bet Dr. Dan would love to examine me after 3 days without a bath. And did I mention the 90+ degree heat? My PCV friend Andrew arrived last night for a visit with his American girlfriend. I really enjoyed saying, "Hi, nice to meet you. By the way, we have no running water. We've got a brand new car, big television set, etc., but no running water. Here's a bucket. You'll know what to do." Such is life here in Romania - "land of contrasts"....