In Piatra Neamt I received a warm reception from the students at Hogas. I promised them that I'd come back to see them one last time and I'm glad I kept that promise. My favorite class, 11D (you may remember the letter they wrote me last year when they were 10D), invited me to a play they put on. Great fun! I also got to hang out at the bar with some students from 12E (don't worry, they're legal), my favorite bilingual class from last year. Again, great to see them as well. It was really cool to see how the younger ones had changed, more grown up after one year. My time spent there over a couple of days was rewarding and gave me closure. I left with a good feeling and no regrets.
The only regret I did have was that I couldn't see Oana and Raducu. Raducu had chicken pox and they were in Suceava, at her parents' house and under quarantine. I did get to see big Radu though, and had some drinks with him and his boys. Nice to see all of them again as well. I was going to say that it was nice to see them "one last time", but I'm pretty confident that I'll be back for a visit someday and we'll all meet again.
I visited Ovi's school in Bicaz and spoke to approximately 40 students for about an hour and a half. It was a Q&A session about America, followed by a discussion about the issues that face Romania today as a developing society. It was all in Romanian and I must say that I even impressed myself. I realized very quickly that most of them didn't speak English, so I just went with it. Complex stuff, so I was pretty tired at the end.
Margareta (that sexy beast) took Ovi, Brindusa, and I up to Vatra Dornei and then to Gura Humorului for a weekend trip of sightseeing and way too much drinking. The night in Gura Humorului was spent at the "German Forum" there, as Ovi's friends from Germany were in town with a truckload of donations for the community. I had met them in Wurzburg last year and it was nice to see them again.
Ovi, Brindusa and I said our goodbyes and I was off to Suceava to catch the train to Brasov. I'll miss them, as well as Radu and Oana, a lot. I hope that they can come to my wedding next year. That would mean a lot to me. Anyway, here are some photo highlights from the trip:
Profesor Albert in action. 11th grade history class.
Yes, they actually were interested.
The road out of Butea, Ovi's mom's village.
Ovi's old childhood stomping grounds, Butea.
Heyyy, Margareta. She stalled on us shortly after this photo was taken. But, nothing that a little push-start can't fix. I didn't hold it against her.
Some friends from Butea.
On the road in Bukovina. Yes, grass is for cows...
...and asphalt is for cars. I wish somebody would tell the Romanians.
The entrance to Moldovita Monastery.
Part of the fresco depicting the siege and fall of Constantinople, Moldovita Monastery.
What'll it be fellas, Heaven or Hell?
More Moldovita.
Voronet Monastery, known for its distinct blue color.
The Last Judgment, Voronet Monastery.
Oh, those damn Turks. Always torturing and killing Christian Saints.
Christ on the cross, Humor Monastery.
Bukovina is known for its hand-woven wool rugs.
We had too much fun (and too much to drink).
So did Ovi.
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