Fenblog

Greatest Posts

2008-01-02T18:26:00.001+02:00

Happy New Year! As you loyal readers know, it's been some time since I promised to post photos from this summer's travels in the former Yugoslavia. The job hunt, working, studying for the GRE, and applying to grad school has dealt a serious blow to my free time. When I do get around to posting, I want to do it right. Speaking of doing it right, the following is a list of links to my favorite posts. Let's go back in time together. Click and enjoy.

Year One - Mission Accomplished. This one has a nice letter from my students.

Hooray! Some cool pics from Germany.

Come Take a Walk With Me. Photos from my hiking route in Codlea.

A Christmas Stroll in Brasov/Remember the Revolution. Check out the slide show at the end.

Botezul Raducului (Raducu's Baptism). Awesome video clips here.

The Rasnov Medieval Fortress. Transylvanian tourism at its finest.

Iron Curtain Autos. Sweet rides.

A Week on the Road, Part One
A Week on the Road, Part Two
A Week on the Road, Part Three
A Week on the Road, Part Four
The epic journey through Northwest Transylvania and the Ukrainian adventure. Some of my best work.

The Beautiful Game. Soccer fans rejoice! Another personal favorite.

Return to Moldavia. One last time.

Beautiful Budapest - Buda
Beautiful Budapest - Statue Park
Beautiful Budapest - Pest
Beautiful Budapest - City Park
A photo journey through a lovely city.

What's your favorite post? Post a comment and let me know!

Slackage

2007-12-13T18:21:00.000+02:00

Hello all,

Yes, indeed I am slacking big time on the blog. I just finished taking the GRE and now I'm tackling grad school applications. Between that and my full-time job, you can understand why there's been nothing new for months. I'm going to try to get some photos up in January. I've still got to post photos from Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Croatia & Montenegro.

Check back with me in mid-January and I'll hopefully have some new photos up.

Scott

I lied

2007-10-08T05:18:00.001+03:00

Another delay. I'll try again this week. Sorry.

So Close....

2007-10-01T19:33:00.000+03:00

New pics will be up within one week! Guaranteed.

Still in it.

2007-09-17T19:26:00.000+03:00

I swear that I have not forgotten about this blog. I REALLY am going to post the photos and write the stories from this summer's travels. Please don't give up on me yet!! Check back on October 1st. Hopefully I'll have something by then.

Scott

This Blog is Not Dead

2007-07-20T04:49:00.000+03:00

I'm just busy. One thing that you don't learn in the Peace Corps is how to juggle. That is unless your NGO happens to be the circus. Highly unlikely. Anyway, I've been working a full time job for a week now. It's highly overrated, but it certainly plugs a hole in that sieve known as my bank account. Let's just say that the Peace Corps "readjustment allowance" doesn't allow one to readjust for too long, especially when one's been plopped in the middle of Streeterville. Chicagoans, you know what I'm talking about. I also have to cook and clean now. Ica, God bless her soul, took care of that for me for awhile.

Another time eater is getting reacquainted with my lady and visiting with my long-lost friends (and their children). Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about this aspect of my "New American Experience" (Maybe I should start a new blog with that as the title? Oh, wait, I don't have the time.), but I got used to having plenty of alone time (in retrospect, maybe too much). Sitting at the kitchen table writing this post, I realize that this is my first alone time in about 2 weeks! Sarah is out getting wined and dined by her future employer. She's getting really good at that.

Anyway, the point of this blog is to transmit a message to you, loyal reader: Don't give up on me just yet. I've got loads of photos from 5 countries to post on this blog and you don't want to miss them. Please bear with me. Belgrade will be our first stop, so again, stay tuned...

A New Set of Eyes

2007-07-13T17:24:00.000+03:00

I've been back in America for two weeks now. Reverse culture shock is something else. I went from a nice house on a dirt road with a big courtyard and animals and cows walking by my bedroom window to a tiny studio one block off Lake Shore Drive and two blocks east of the Hancock Building and Michigan Ave. The first week was tough, but I adapt a little bit more each day. I'm seeing them in a different way now. Some examples:

Panhandlers. I used to feel sorry for them. I don't so much anymore, with the exception of disabled people (mentally or physically). In America, anyone that truly wants to work and earn an honest wage can do so. This is not so in other places. I've seen it with my own eyes, having traveled and lived in such places. I don't simply blame society anymore, as these people should be responsible for themselves. Actually, I blame the people who give them money, thus perpetuating the problem by enabling them to panhandle.

I know that this may be perceived as being a "conservative" opinion, but so be it. I guess that I expect more from my fellow Americans since completing my Peace Corps experience. If holding people accountable for their personal actions is a "conservative" disposition, well then you can just call me Barry Goldwater.

Patience. Americans have none. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Maybe we should heed the works of the great Axl Rose, "All we need is just a little patience (inhale) Patience...Ooh, oh, yeah". Last week, just walking the streets stressed me out to the point of longing for Codlea. I didn't think that it would happen so quickly! I made the mistake of slowing my approach to a crosswalk upon the appearance of the red flashing hand signal. I just figured I'd wait for the next green walking man. Oh no. I forgot that in Chicago we must speed up at such a moment. Time is of the essence. Everybody's in a hurry, but to go where and do what? Maybe nobody has enough time because there are too many choices? Too many things and activities to consume? I don't know. I guess I just feel like we don't truly learn, feel, and experience things if we don't stop to take the time to think and reflect on them. Why not stop and smell the roses instead of constantly thinking about what we "must" do next? It seems that America doesn't have time for this. This scares me a bit. Sometimes I worry about my country and where it is going.

Patience part 2. I was in Eddie Bauer the other day, buying a couple of pairs of pants, and this friendly, attractive young cashier became very stressed out by the fact that I had to wait for her to change the receipt paper roll in the cash register. I could feel the tension emanating from her. She apologized to me profusely, twice. I wasn't put off by having to wait. Sometimes the paper roll runs out. What are you gonna do but wait for it to be changed? I put her at ease by explaining that it wasn't a problem and I wasn't in a hurry. I told her that I knew that changing the paper roll can be difficult, as I had to do it when I worked retail once upon a time (Foot Locker). She smiled and let out a sigh of relief. I don't believe, however, that I did anything extraordinary. I just had patience, was friendly, and struck up a small conversation. It wasn't so hard. We exchanged smiles and said our goodbyes. I felt a bit sorry for her. Where does all of this pressure come from I wonder? It's all so complicated.

Beautiful Budapest, part 4 - City Park

2007-07-05T22:00:00.000+03:00

The best part of my visit to Budapest was the time I spent in City Park. There's a lot to see and do there, so let's take a look...

Heroes Square, populated by Hungary's kings. Front and center is Arpad, father of the Magyars.

Mattias Corvinus, Hungary's greatest king. Born in Transylvania, he is known as Matei Corvin to Romanians.

Here's a closer look at Mr. Arpad and the boys. Nice pillar as well, no?

One of the many art museums in Budapest, featuring an exhibit on the art world's most beloved female subject.

Outside Szechenyi Baths. I spent a few hours there, some in the outdoor thermal baths and some in the indoor medicinal baths and saunas. It's a fantastic place, the largest medicinal thermal bath complex in Europe. They even give you money back if you leave earlier than your alloted time!

The famous yellow facade of Szechenyi Baths.

Hungarian birds have it good.

I can never resist an opportunity to photograph a Trabant.

The Budapest Zoo, famous for its Art Nouveau buildings, including this one, the front gate.

Hungarian giraffes give free kisses.

The dome of the Elephant House, another fine example of Art Nouveau.

Inside, looking up into the dome.

Inside the Elephant House again. The entire building, including these windows, is in Art Nouveau style.

Well, that's it for the Budapest series. I hope that you enjoyed the photos. In fact, I'd like to hear from you! Post a comment and let me know what your favorite photo(s) is. I'd like to see this for all of the posts in the future. Stay tuned for Belgrade, Sarajevo & Mostar. You won't want to miss them...

Goodbye Romania

2007-07-01T07:28:00.000+03:00

I'd like to take a pause from the travel blog posts to say that I'm leaving today. It's a strange feeling, almost anti-climatic in a way. I wonder how I'll feel once I get to the airport? However, I'm more concerned about how Ica will feel once I get to the airport. What to do? It's time to go, but I'll be back.

So, I'd like to dedicate this post to all of my Romanian friends. Va doresc numai bine, succes, bafta, si toate cele bune. Aveti o tara asa de frumosa si bogata. Sunt convins ca viitorul vostru va fi bine! A fost o mare placere pentru mine sa fi prietenul vostru. Sunt sigur ca o sa intalnim din nou in viitorul. Va pup.

Scott

Beautiful Budapest, part 3 - Pest

2007-06-21T20:45:00.000+03:00

What can I say about Pest that I haven't already said? It's the other half of Budapest, but certainly doesn't play second fiddle to its older brother Buda. Pest is where the action is - restaurants, nightlife, culture, business, etc. Let's get to the photos...

I thought this was funny. Those stickers were on random ads and posters all over the city.

Palinka. In Romania it comes in used plastic beer or soda bottles. The Hungarians know how to step it up a notch, a big notch.

Some apartment buildings across the street from The Great Market Hall.

Outside the opera house. A Maserati and a Fiat. Two Italian cars, two entirely different looks.

St. Stephen's Basilica

The House of Terror museum. The building used to be the local headquarters for the dreaded AVO, the Hungarian secret police.

The Budapest Metro line #1, the oldest subway line in Europe.

Metro line #3. Enjoy local news on giant screens while you wait for your train, assuming that you can read Magyar.

Inside the Great Market Hall.

Chachkys for the whole family, Great Market Hall.

Paprika, garlic, jarred fruit, preserves, honey, etc. All good stuff at the Great Market Hall.

Busker on the Danube with his petrified friend.

These yellow trams are everywhere and, I don't know why, but I think they're really cool. That's Castle Hill in the background.

Hungarian boys learn to ride statues at an early age.

Dance to the music.

This is Petofi, Hungary's revolutionary poet.

The Geological Institute, a fantastic example of Art Nouveau architecture, of which I'm a big fan.

"Native Americans" on tour in Hungary. Keteli Train Station.

A Citroen 2CV. I love these cars, especially in yellow with plaid interior.

Parliament's dome.

Here's the tram again, with Castle Hill in the background.

Beautiful Budapest, part 2 - Statue Park

2007-06-14T09:41:00.001+03:00

During the years 1989 and 1990, the people of Central and Eastern Europe liberated themselves (to one degree or another) from Communism. During this process, while most countries gladly destroyed and disposed of their socialist-realist public art and their over-sized dear leaders, the Hungarians decided to do something quite novel with these symbols of oppression. They built a (sort of) theme park for them. Statue Park, located a few kilometers outside of the city, is quite a trip. Lenin, Marx, Engels, Bela Kun, and even Stalin's boots have found a home in suburban Budapest.

My favorite part of the park has to be the gift shop. Some highlights: Trabant t-shirts, CDs of "Communism's Greatest Hits (vols. 1&2)", candles of Stalin in bust form, Lenin socks, and many other souvenirs from a (thank god) bygone era. For me, the biggest irony was that, considering the merchandise, there were signs on the window of the kiosk displaying the fact that they accept all major credit cards! Ah, Communism reduced to a kitchy capitalist venture. You gotta love it. However, all is not schmaltz over there. The exhibition is a learning tool, a way to remember the past so as not to be doomed to repeat it. Better that they were removed from the city proper though. Let's take a walk through the park, shall we?

The front gate. That's Lenin on the left and Marx and Engles on the right.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. One of history's biggest criminals.

Karl Marx and Freidrich Engles. Two Germans who should have been Russians.

Stalin's boots. In 1956, the people of Budapest revolted against the Russians, sawed Papa Iosif off at the legs, and subsequently used him as a "W.C.".

The entrance gate, view from the inside. On the left is a Soviet soldier that once stood on Gellert Hill, overlooking Budapest.

Here he is, our glorious comrade.

The Hungarian worker makes friends with the Soviet soldier. "Thank you for coming to my country and liberating me from the capitalist pigs and imperialist bourgeoisie criminals. No, please, steal all of my belongings and have your way with my wife. No problem. After all, we're comrades, right?"

R.I.P. Vlady.

Bela Kun, first leader of the Hungarian communists, showing his proletariat army the way to...?

An army of blank faces.

Communism was once close to having the world in its grip.

A monument dedicated to leftists who fought in the Spanish Civil War. Again, the faceless soldier, typical socialist symbology.

It's hard to give scale here, but this guy is HUGE!

Socialist-Realism at its finest. The chiseled faces of the workers.

I wonder why the communists chose the star to go along with the hammer and sickle?

Here you get a better idea of the size of the big guy on the left.

I could have dropped a lot of cash here. I settled for a few postcards and a Stalin bust candle, which I will ceremoniously burn down upon my return to the land of the free and home of the brave.

The sun sets on Statue Park. Goodbye Lenin.

Beautiful Budapest, part 1 - Buda

2007-06-09T10:49:00.000+03:00

This is the first in a long overdue series of photo blogs about my trip to Budapest in April. What can I say about Budapest that hasn't been said already? It's one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and a "two for one" at that. What I mean is that Buda and Pest were (and for all intents and purposes are) separate cites long before they became one.

Buda was the predecessor to Pest, and was founded on the hilly west bank of the Danube. The Romans settled the area to the north before the Huns showed up. Hungarian kings fortified their palace on what is know as "Castle Hill", now a UNESCO protected Heritage Site. Turks conquered it, Russians bombed it, but the tenacious Magyars are still there after a millennium.

Pest is flat and lies on the East bank of the Danube. It developed much later and was primarily an agricultural area until the dawn of the industrial revolution, at which point it became a major commercial center. Pest is blessed with beautiful Austro-Hungarian and Art Nouveau architecture, old tree-lined boulevards and the fantastic "City Park", which contains museums, monuments, mineral baths, a zoo, etc. etc.

That's it in a nutshell. I'll let Wikipedia do the rest. Let's get to the photos, shall we?

Looking to Buda from Pest. The dome of the famed Gellert Hotel and Baths is in the background.

Atop the citadel on Gellert Hill. There used to be a large Russian soldier mounted below the woman with the palm leaf. You'll see him later...

Another shot atop Gellert Hill.

The Danube and Pest from atop Gellert Hill. No, I didn't use the photo on the Wikipedia page. This one's mine. However, I'd have to think that there are many just like this one.

Gotta train 'em early. Especially if the Russians decide to invade again. Gellert Hill citadel.

A lion on the Szechenyi Chain Bridge, with Parliament in the background.

A map of the fortified city atop Castle Hill in Buda.

A ride through the streets of old Buda.

No customers, no problem.

Outside Ruszwurm, a cafe and pastry shop dating from the early 19th century. They make great Apple Strudel.

St. Matthias Catherdral. Named for Matthias Corvinus, or known to the Romanians as Matai Corvin, Hungary's greatest warrior king.

Inside Matthias Catherdral.

Plenty of reading material available, no matter the language.

In a park atop Castle Hill. I love this shot.

Hungarian flags flying outside the prime minister's office.

Castle Hill, near the National Gallery.

View of the Szechenyi Chain Bridge and Pest from atop Castle Hill.

Hungarian Parliament.

Terrace outside of the National Gallery, perched high atop Castle Hill.

Dusk on the Danube.

Castle Hill from the Pest side of the chain bridge.

Same thing here at night.

I'm Out

2007-06-01T15:07:00.000+03:00

That's all she wrote. I officially checked out of the Peace Corps this afternoon. However, this doesn't mean the end of "Fenblog". There's much more to come. Stay tuned for:

- Budapest (parts 1-4)
- Summer travels in: Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Croatia, & Montenegro
- Bucharest
- Timisoara
- Mountains
- Animals
- Iron Curtain Autos. part 2
- and everything else I never had time to post...

I'd like to say that, despite all of the hardships, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Two years ago, I saw the Peace Corps as being the ultimate challenge, the fulfillment of a dream. It was both of those and then some.

I'll close by dedicating this post to the love of my life and my future wife. We hung tough and stuck together. Everything else is gonna be a piece of cake. I love you Sarah Barr. I'll be home soon.

Scott

Return to Moldavia

2007-05-29T09:25:00.000+03:00

I went back to Moldavia a few weeks ago for one last visit to my original "home". One last ride on that god-forsaken bus, one last visit to Hogas High, one (okay, more than one) last drinking session with my friends up there, one last visit to Butea, etc. There was a first however; a long-awaited visit to the painted monasteries of Bukovina, in the rural northeast of Romania. For those of you that are unfamiliar with these cultural treasures, check out this recent Smithsonian Magazine article on the painted monasteries of Bukovina.

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.

Humor Monastery.

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.

The Few, The Proud

2007-05-17T08:28:00.000+03:00

I'm going to wax nostalgic in this post, because that's how I'm feeling at the moment with the end approaching. While eating dinner a few minutes ago, I realized that in exactly two weeks I'll be on a train to Bucharest and the following morning will begin the process of checking out of the PC. I wonder how that will feel? Probably orgasmic.

Anyway, this post is dedicated to that rag-tag group of soldiers known as PC Romania Group 20. We had our "Close of Service Conference" about a month ago and I miss them already, even the ones I thought I'd never miss. They're a special group of individuals and I am proud to be one of their colleagues. We all share something unique and special. I guess that it's kind of like a fraternity or something, with boys and girls. You'll find the survivors below, on the front steps of Hotel Sinaia, just after the conference ended...

Eyes of the Tiger

Unfortunately, two of my colleagues, who are good friends as well, didn't make it into the photo above. They must have already started drinking. No worries though, because I have supplied two photos of these fine gentleman warriors, taken at the beginning of the conference.

About 22 of us drove up high in the mountains on the afternoon before the official start of the conference and proceeded to shoot each other. Yes, paintball was in full effect and it was pretty intense. Rough, mountainous terrain, snow flurries, semi-automatic rifles, full camouflage jumpsuits, etc. I was sore for days.

Back to the point. The photo below is of Bridger. He's one of the most unique people I've ever met. He has a master's degree in ancient history and sells napkins on the black market in Romania. He's from Idaho and is a walking encyclopedia. Forget Encarta, just hang out with Bridger. He lives in Onesti, a city in Moldavia and birthplace of Nadia Comaneci. Bridger works with handicapped and mentally disabled kids and is a swell guy.

The next cover of Soldier of Fortune magazine

Next we have Arnie, aka "Arn-Dog", aka "the Norwegian", aka "the Pride of Chippewa Falls". Arnie is special to me because he's from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, home of Leinenkugel beer. I'll never forget when I saw him wearing his Leinie's t-shirt early on during training. With the exception of Kat, who's from Chicago, and Bridger of course, nobody had ever heard of Leinenkugel's except me. Arnie and I bonded after that. However, I'm not sure that he likes me as much for being from Chicago as I like him for being from Wisconsin. You know how Wisconsinites feel about Illinoisans.

Another thing about I love about Arnie is that he hates the Packers. He's a Detroit Lions fan. Another bonding moment for us: Packer hating. Arnie is a TEFL volunteer like me and lives in a town in the middle of Moldavia called Tecuci. I've never been there, and from what Arnie says, you don't want to go there either. Arnie is a terror on the paintball terrain and one hell of a beach flag football player. A true warrior.

Posing with Team Moldavia's captured flags. I'll go into battle with Arnie any day.

Two Years Later, What Have I Done?

2007-05-04T16:58:00.000+03:00

Over the past two years, some of you may have wondered, "what exactly is he doing over there?". Well, you're not the only one, as I've asked myself this question many times. However, the PC requires us to write a document known as the "DOS", or Description of Service. This document proves to be useful for two reasons, 1) It allows others, especially potential employers, to understand what we've done during our PC experience and 2) It helps us to nicely summarize things, put them in perspective, and gives us a sense of accomplishment. This second point is very important, as PCVs all have their moments when they're not sure if they've accomplished anything at all.

So sit back, relax and enjoy my DOS. I apologize for the formatting errors, as it is a cut and paste job gone awry. By the way, I've had to use the abbreviation "PC" for you know what because I'm still technically hiding from them. That will end on June 2nd.

PC Volunteer Description of Service - Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Country: Romania

Name: Richard Scott Fenwick

CONTEXT

Richard Scott Fenwick’s experience as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (“TEFL”) PC Volunteer (“PCV”) in Romania was diverse, challenging, and rewarding. He had the opportunity to teach in two different schools in two distinct regions of Romania. In terms of age and skill levels, school conditions, and the socio-economic status of the communities he served, each situation was unique and allowed Scott to develop a comprehensive understanding of the Romanian school system and an appreciation for the regional diversity of Romania. Additionally, Scott came to understand how forty years of communism and dictatorship handicapped Romanian society. He experienced, first-hand, the problems Romanian schools had in attempting to modernize an archaic and irrelevant system and distance themselves from the past.

Scott’s service in Romania took place during a time of political, social, and economic transition. During the first year and a half of his service, Romania worked hard to reform itself in order to conform to the standards that came with European Union (“EU”) accession, battling widespread corruption, skepticism, and apathy in all sectors of society. Pockets of rapid change could be seen across the country in the realms of business, transport, infrastructure, and education. However, many institutions and regions of the country struggled to meet EU standards both before and after accession in January 2007, as political turmoil and parliamentary gridlock stunted the country’s progress and development.

SELECTION AND TRAINING

Following a competitive application process stressing applicant skill, adaptability, and cross-cultural sensitivity, Scott began PC training on May 26^th, 2005, in Braşov, Romania. During an intensive 10-week Pre-Service Training (“PST”) program, Scott lived with a Romanian host family in Codlea, located approximately 16 kilometers northwest of Braşov in Transylvania. Training included approximately 250 hours of formal Romanian language training, as well as lectures and discussions on political development, cultural, economic and historical issues related to Romania and other post-communist Eastern European states. Scott received technical training in the TEFL field, which included a three-week classroom teaching practicum with Romanian students. He received formal observation and feedback during this phase of PST. Training on safety and security issues was also an integral part of the PST program.

Scott’s stay with his Romanian host family was one of the most rewarding aspects of his PST experience. He lived with a middle-aged married couple that spoke no English. This initial impediment proved to be advantageous to Scott, as it obliged him to learn the Romanian language and facilitated precipitous cultural assimilation. The host family was kind, generous, and patient, without a doubt the integral factor in his transition into Romanian society.

Following successful completion of the PST program, Scott was sworn in as a PCV on August 5, 2005, as a member of the 20th group of Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in Romania. Scott also participated in three additional In-Service Training workshops throughout the duration of his service, further developing his language, technical, and cross-cultural skills.

SITE ASSIGNMENTS

Scott’s first assignment was a position as an English and Social Studies Teacher at Calistrat Hogaş National College in Piatra Neamţ, Moldavia. Piatra Neamţ is a county seat and one of the wealthiest and most developed cities in the region of Moldavia. It is renowned for its historical significance and cultural tradition, especially in theatre and the arts. Hogaş is a high school with high academic standards and, at the time, was considered to have the best high school English program in Neamţ County (pop. approx. 560,000).

During the 2005-2006 academic year Scott taught English conversation classes to 9^th, 10^th and 11^th graders, whose academic profile was philology and humanities. Scott also taught English-intensive social studies classes to bilingual 9^th, 10^th, 11^th and 12^th graders. Topics covered were British and American geography and history (9^th and 10^th grade) and American culture and civilization (11^th and 12^th grade). Scott’s workload was rigorous, as he taught over 270 students a week and had to lesson plan for a diverse array of subjects and English-speaking skill levels.

Scott’s relationships with his Host Country National (HCN) colleagues were, for the most part, professional and productive. While he did encounter some resistance to his presence at the school (primarily due to certain individuals’ negative opinions of America and their own personal insecurities), overall he felt respected and accepted as a part of the faculty. In particular, he developed a close professional collaboration with two HCN English teachers, which lead to the diversification and enhancement of their classroom activities and teaching methods. By virtue of their daily interactions with a native speaker, both on a professional and personal basis, their command of the English language improved as well.

The biggest challenge that Scott faced during his first year of service in Piatra Neamţ related to living conditions. He lived in a small studio apartment located on the school campus and inside of a building that housed classrooms. The school was not in a residential area and Scott lived alone on campus. The isolation created by this situation hindered the development of his language skills and limited his chances to meet people and integrate into the community. Thus, after much thought and debate, he made the difficult decision to transfer sites following the 2005-2006 academic year, accepting an opportunity to return to Codlea, teach there, and live with his original host family.

The second year of PC service presented its own unique set of challenges and rewards for Scott. Codlea is a post-industrial town (pop. approx. 18,000) with high unemployment and social problems that result from a sizable Roma population and the departure of a large portion of the able-bodied workforce to western countries, thus resulting in the absence of one or both parents for many of the young people in the community. During the 2006-2007 academic year Scott served as an English teacher at General School #2 and taught English to approximately 180 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders, one class of which consisted of children with special needs.

The conditions and overall atmosphere of his year at General School #2, as well as outside of the workplace, were a vast departure from what he experienced in Piatra Neamţ; a veritable one hundred and eighty degree turn. The socio-economic status and academic abilities of Scott’s students ran the gamut from middle-class and motivated to learn to extremely impoverished and learning disabled. His students were of junior-high age and the school lacked an effective disciplinary system. These factors hindered Scott’s ability to teach effectively from time to time, but overall he was successful in improving their English grammar and conversational skills. He used a variety of methods and activities, refused to stick to the textbook, and implemented strict classroom management techniques.

Scott’s relationships with his HCN colleagues at General School #2 were difficult and challenging. Alcoholism, apathy, and an unwillingness to change and adapt to EU standards were present amongst the faculty. The school director had an “old mentality” and operated in an authoritarian and non-productive manner, which led to poor leadership. Most of the faculty did not understand what Scott’s purpose as a PCV was at the school and made no real effort to understand or accept the fact that it was his duty to bring a different approach into the classroom and incorporate new and different methods into the English teaching curriculum. However, Scott’s HCN counterpart, the Vice Director, was a progressive, open-minded individual and gave him the support he needed to effectively carry out his obligations as a PCV. She acted as a mediator and attempted to facilitate understanding of his presence at the school. In addition, Scott developed a working relationship with two English teachers and was able to introduce them to new techniques and methods, as well as provide them with material resources for their classrooms.

The flipside to Scott’s problematic work experience during his second year of service was the drastic improvement of his living conditions and social assimilation. Scott returned to live in his original host family’s house and benefited greatly from the sense of feeling like a part of the community. His language abilities surged, as he again was obliged to speak Romanian at all times while at home with his host family and neighbors. His understanding of Romanian culture and society deepened as he traveled, cooked, conversed with, and lived his life with Romanians, not alone. Essentially, he was accepted as part of the family.

PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

During his first year of service at Calistrat Hogaş, Scott’s English conversation classes provided an opportunity for 9^th, 10^th and 11^th graders to engage in a variety of speaking, reading, and writing activities. His students became more comfortable speaking English in front of a group and had an opportunity to express themselves in an open and non-judgmental forum, something uncommon in the Romanian school system. Students participated in discussions about Romania, U.S. culture and civilization, teen issues, women’s issues, etc. Overall, Scott witnessed an improvement in his students’ speaking, reading comprehension, and critical thinking skills.

The highlight of Scott’s experience with his English conversation classes were his unit plans on George Orwell’s 1984 (11^th grade) and Animal Farm (10^th grade). Students read, answered comprehension questions, and watched the film versions of each novel. Discussions revolved not only around the text itself literally, but drew comparisons between the fictional worlds of these books and the real worlds of the past in Eastern Europe. His students gained a better understanding of the society and conditions that existed in Romania before the 1989 revolution and improved their comprehension of communism and totalitarianism as political and social systems. Many of them personally expressed these feelings to Scott, unsolicited.

Scott’s social studies classes at Hogaş gave bilingual students an opportunity to study U.K. and U.S. geography and history, as well as U.S. culture and civilization with a native English speaker. All students were able to further develop their English conversation and writing skills as a result of their classroom experience with Scott. 9^th graders studied U.K. and U.S. physical and cultural geography, as well as economic and environmental issues facing both nations. 10^th graders studied the cultural, political, and economic histories of the U.K. and the U.S. in a lecture format. 11^th and 12^th graders studied U.S. culture and civilization, essentially sociology classes in which they discussed current social, political, and economic issues in America. Some examples of topics covered were: immigration, family, education, civil rights, poverty, and gun control. Students watched the film “Bowling for Columbine” and, as an aside, participated in a lesson unit regarding Romania and its accession to the EU. Both were valuable learning experiences for the students and for Scott.

Aside from his primary duties, Scott was also involved in various secondary projects. He facilitated large donations of English language books and periodicals to the Neamţ County Foreign Languages Library, a section with over 2000 users. He assisted students with preparation for Cambridge English certification examinations and assisted some with applications to U.S. colleges and universities. He, along with a colleague, facilitated a pen-pal project with Romanian and American students. 5^th graders exchanged letters, photos, music and maps. Both the Romanian teacher and the American teacher conducted lessons on the U.S. and Romania, respectively. Again, working with a colleague, Scott helped to create a club entitled “History Evenings”, in which he and a Romanian history teacher presented an American DVD lecture series to bilingual high school students entitled “Interpreting the 20^th Century: the Struggle for Democracy”. Students participated in open discussion forums following the video lectures and experienced an intellectually stimulating collegiate-like learning atmosphere.

Scott’s English conversation classes with 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders during his second year of service at School #2 in Codlea were focused primarily on grammar, comprehension, and writing skills. Students participated in activities that allowed them to improve their English, and at the same time express themselves creatively, a rarity in Romanian junior-high schools.

The best example of Scott’s incorporation of creative activities in the classroom was when Scott’s students created their own personal “Coat of Arms”. This project allowed them to think creatively, albeit within a given framework of rules. They were able to express themselves as individuals through art and writing. Each drew and colored his or her personal Coat of Arms design on a large piece of thick, high-quality design paper. Each then wrote an essay in English about what they created and why. They then made individual presentations to their classmates in English. The students’ work was displayed on the empty walls of an entire hallway in the school. An area that was previously bare and drab came to life with design and color.

In addition to his contributions in the classroom, and as part of a larger PC initiative, Scott facilitated an essay contest for approximately 40 students, who competed on a local and national level against their peers. Scott also made possible a large donation of materials (including DVDs, a speaker system, Microsoft Encarta software, and over 200 English language books and periodicals) to the school’s small English resource center. Scott’s proudest achievement outside of the classroom was his creation and maintenance of an English library project, thus putting the resource materials to work. Approximately one hundred 5^th, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders read approximately 350 English books during the school year.

PC CONTRIBUTIONS

During his service Scott had the privilege of assisting the PC Romania (“PCRO”) staff by contributing his skills and experience as a PCV to the PST programs for subsequent groups of PC Trainees (“PCTs”). He served as a member of the Volunteer Safety and Security Committee, assisting the PCRO Safety & Security Director with developing training materials for PCTs and PCVs.

In June 2006, Scott spent two weeks at the PST training site in Ploieşti, acting as a Resource Volunteer for PC Romania Group 21 TEFL trainees. Activities included observing trainees during the teaching practicum experience and giving feedback on methods, lesson planning, and classroom management techniques. Scott also assisted the PCRO TEFL Program Managers with trainee evaluation and site placement decisions.

In April 2007, Scott returned to Ploieşti to participate in the PST for PC Romania Group 22. He, along with the PCRO Safety and Security Director, gave presentations to Group 22 PCTs regarding a broad range of safety and security issues, as well as specific issues related to the site entry process. Scott also had the opportunity to work with the PCRO Chief Medical Officer and participate in a training session regarding mental health issues for PCVs.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY INTERVIEW

On April 21, 2007, Scott completed his Language Proficiency Interview (“LPI”), a language assessment tool developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, a linguistic academic organization. The LPI is similar in approach to the Foreign Service Institute exam used by the U.S. State Department. Scott received a rating of Advanced-Mid in Romanian.

Checking In

2007-04-30T12:48:00.000+03:00

Just to let you loyal readers know, a new post is indeed in the works. It will be a photo essay of that wonderful Hungarian capital known as Budapest. I was there a few weeks ago for spring break and have been away from home quite a bit since school resumed.

April has just flown by, as, aside from being in Hungary for a week, I, along with those of my colleagues who still remain in Romania, attended our COS (Close of Service) Conference in Sinaia. I also spent time last week in Ploiesti, helping to train the new volunteers from Group 22. And to top it all off, I found myself in Constanta and Vama Veche this weekend, hanging with my friends on the Black Sea coast.

May will bring a trip to Bucharest for my final physical this week and a farewell trip to Piatra Neamt next week. Three solid weeks of school follow that and, well, that's all she wrote. As of June 2nd I will no longer be a PCV, but an RPCV. What a ride.

I'll be on the road for most of the month of June, solo and with my Dad. I'll be traveling to Serbia and Bosnia from the 2nd to the 10th: Belgrade, Sarajevo & Mostar. I'll pick up Dad at the airport in Bucharest on the 10th and take him to Codlea for a few days. I'll show him Brasov and let him adjust to the time change, etc. You know, take it easy a bit. On the 15th we'll fly out of Bucharest and embark on a 12-day tour of Slovenia, Croatia & Montenegro: Ljublijana, Zagreb, Split, Kotor & Dubrovnik. We'll be back on the 26th, stay in Romania for a few days, and then both fly out on July 1st. I will be back, for good, on American soil on Sunday afternoon, July 1st.

S0, that's my life in a nutshell for the next 8-9 weeks. I'm in the process of editing my Budapest photos, so please bear with me. I'll estimate that I'll have some pics up by this weekend. Until next time, be cool.

The Beautiful Game

2007-04-07T12:28:00.000+03:00

This post is dedicated to soccer, football, fotbal, futebol, fussball, etc. It doesn't matter where you come from or what language you speak, the "beautiful game" is played with style and finesse, toughness and grit, and is loved passionately all over the globe. Romanians are no exception to this rule. They can't live without their "fotbal". Kids play it anywhere and everywhere, no matter the conditions. When an important match is on, streets are empty and quiet, only to be interrupted by the celebratory roar after a goal. Public victory celebrations are the norm, and not just outside of the stadiums. In terms of league strength and national team competitiveness, Romanian soccer continues to climb the ladder of competition in Europe, a trend that should continue into the future.

As many loyal readers have probably figured out by now, I have become a big fan of soccer. I enjoyed and respected the game before I came to Romania, but it's different now. I understand it, I've seen it live at different levels of competition, I've lived through the ups and downs of a club season and national team competition, I've seen and felt the passion of the fans, etc. In short, I get it. Billions of fans can't be wrong. This American is convinced, soccer is indeed the world's game.

So, in this post I bring you some video and photo highlights of my soccer experience here in Romania, one aspect of my time here that I will truly miss. I'll have to get a Dish and Tivo. Dare to dream...

The boys from the team at Hogas last year during an inter-school tournament in Piatra Neamt. They play a shortened, down-sized version of the game with less players on a concrete terrain that is a bit larger than a basketball court. It can be rough out there, with no real protection and bad footwear. I saw some pretty nasty scrapes that day out in front of the school.

One of my former students, Mihai or Liviu, in action with the "gallery" watching in the background. As you may have noticed in the previous picture, he is one of a set of twins. I could never tell them apart, except for the fact that one of them was a goalkeeper. Both were great kids. Check out the action in the following video clip:

Some die-hards cheering on my former hometown team, F.C. Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt. Ceahlaul competed in the 'B' Division during the '05-'06 season, thus attendance was sparse. However, they made the jump to 'Liga I' for the '06-'07 campaign and are now struggling to avoid demotion back to 'B' as they compete with the big boys like Steaua, Dinamo and Rapid. As a result of their promotion, their stadium received a major face lift and is now fit to host international competition. Romania hosted Luxembourg for a Euro 2008 qualifier there a few weeks ago and everything looked great. I barely recognized the place.

Rough play or good acting? No matter, it's a yellow card for number 10 from Ceahlaul. 19 pleads his case in vain.

FC Ceahaul action vs. FC Targoviste. Ceaulaul wound up winning that day.

The old Ceahlaul logo. The club changed it after the jump to Liga I. This is unfortunate because they have a lot of tradition, dating back to 1919. Plus, I liked the old logo. It was unique. The new one is a bear or something. By the way, the club is named after the Ceahlaul Massif, a mountainous region in the area.

Some soldiers on security detail. Who and/or what they're protecting is anybody's guess, as not many showed up for this game in May '06.

Ceahlaul Stadium under the lights in May'06. As I mentioned earlier, the stadium has undergone major renovation. Thus, this view is a thing of the past.

Football Club Brasov. As you can see, not a big draw. Nice stadium, no fans. They've been languishing in the 'B' Division for a few years now. Many are not pleased with this fact, as FC Brasov is a team with a lot of history and tradition. Combine this fact with the presence of the new upstart in town, Forex Brasov, a team that looks poised for promotion to Liga I, and, well, it's hard to put butts in the seats. Check out the following clip from their victory over F.C. Braila. Yawn.

Great signs. I love that they're in English. "Come on Flag" has something to do with the former name of the club, which was associated with some sort of factory, "Steagul Rosie". Check out the "Mountain Sons" in the clip below, a 'B' division gallery in training. Not many of them, but they're having fun.

Now that's loyalty.

Dreaming of a return to Liga I...

Alright, let's get down to business. September 2006, Dan Pelinescu stadium in Timisoara, capacity 30,000. One of the best stadiums in Liga I and home to F.C.U. Politechnica Timisoara, or better known as Poli Timisoara. Poli is my second favorite team and its fans are considered to be "brothers" with the fans of Rapid. If they're not playing Rapid, I root for Poli.

Geared up and ready for the match. "BkP" is Balkan Petroleum London, the team's major sponsor.

The boys of Poli before the kickoff with Unirea Urziceni. Poli wound up winning 1-0 that evening. The gallery wasn't so big that day, but I was impressed nonetheless. Commando Viola Ultra Curva Sud. Check out the video clip:

Attendance was around 5,000 that evening. Pretty good considering that the opponent wasn't of much interest. The stadium is packed when Steaua, Dinamo and Rapid come to town.

April 1st, 2007, "America's number one Rapid fan"(as dubbed by his esteemed colleagues during an interview with Romania's Pro TV), undergoing pre-game preparation for the biggest derby of the season to date, Rapid vs. Steaua.

Rapid is my team. Of the three big Bucharest clubs, they're sort of the black sheep of the bunch. The stadium is in a not-so-nice part of town, and their fans are looked down upon by the elitist Dinamo and Steaua supporters, who don't hesitate to call them "gypsies". Rapid was founded as the rail workers club back in 1923 and its stadium is still owned by the Ministry of Transport. They're the blue collar team, a team with more history and tradition than Dinamo and Steaua, and have the most rabid and loyal fans.

Dinamo and Steaua were formed after communism took hold in the late 1940s. Dinamo was the securitate and police team and Steaua was the army team. These clubs both have a dubious past, as they used to apparently steal players at will from the other clubs, using threats of violence and intimidation. I've heard stories from the past of players and coaches being beaten and imprisoned for not doing the bidding of the thugs from Dinamo and Steaua. These days Dinamo is run by a psuedo-mafia conglomerate of "businessmen" and Steaua by one of Romania's most abhorrent personalities, Mr. George "Gigi" Becali. I love to watch Steaua lose and listen to Gigi whine about it during his infamous public tirades.

That's right, I'm a season ticket holder.

The One Man Invasion (OMI) showing us the way to Giulesti Stadium. A dream come true, two years in the making.

The Giulesti Stadium Beer House. You know I'm gonna go.

The OMI and Mr. Anderson. Forza Rapid, Muie Steaua!

The OMI makes his long-awaited entrance into the gallery area of Giulesti stadium.

Pre-game pose. We sat behind the north goal with the crazies, hooligans, superfans, or whatever you want to call them. We fit in perfectly. They're the cheap seats, but a whole lot of fun. See for yourself below...

Hai Rapidul, Hai Rapidul , Haidei! Ole , ole, ole, ole, Rapid, Rapid!

Most big clubs have a gallery leader, a superfan that leads the chants and cheers. His sound system is blasted into the gallery section and we are obliged to do his bidding. You don't want to get on his bad side.

I was fortunate to catch a couple of goals on video. The first clip is a goal by Cyril Thereau, a French national and forward for Steaua. He's one of the top scorers in Liga I. 1-0 Steaua.

This next clip is Rapid's second-half equalizer, an outstanding bicycle kick by Ianis Zicu, a member of the Romanian national team, in the 65th minute. 2-2 Rapid.

Rapid lost that night, 2-3. It was up and down all night. Rapid gave up some stupid goals and should have won 2-1. To deal with the stress, everybody lit up, even the kids. They start them young here in Romania.

Depending on my schedule, I may or may not be able to attend some more games. No matter, as I've had a blast watching and talking soccer with the Romanians. I've definitely got the bug and will be frequenting the Chicago Fire matches for sure when I get home. Maybe one day I'll be able to see some big European clubs live at their home stadiums? 2010 World Cup in South Africa? All I know is that there's a lot of of "fotbal" to look forward to in the future.

A Week on the Road, Part Four

2007-03-30T20:18:00.000+03:00

Hi. I hope that you've enjoyed the "Week on the Road" post series. I now present to you the fourth and final part, my Ukrainian adventure...

Friday, February 9th

I woke up before my alarm rang, full of anticipation of the day that lie ahead. Julie and I decided that we'd cross the border into Ukraine on this day. Since the end of World War II it had been impossible to legally cross the border from Sighet. However, in mid-January of this year, just 3 weeks before my visit, President Traian Basescu of Romania and Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko met for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the newly rebuilt bridge over the River Tisa (which had been bombed during the war), thus once again linking the 2 countries at this historic crossing point. I really had no idea what to expect. I didn't even know the name of the town across the border. All I knew was that I wanted to set my feet in uncharted territory.

The border crossing station was brand spanking new, with modern facilities manned by well-dressed, professional staff. We approached a border guard, told him that we wanted to cross and asked him if any other Americans had crossed at this location since the border opening. He informed us that we were numbers 4 and 5, as 3 had gone over in a car during the first week. However, we were to be the first Americans to cross on foot. Following a pleasant conversation and the obligatory passport stamping, we made our way onto the bridge and across the Tisa. Once we crossed the yellow dividing line pained on the bridge, things began to change.

It was foggy, cold and wet that day, so it was impossible to see the Ukrainian side until we were well past the dividing line. As we approached, the first thing I noticed was a large blue and yellow sign in cyrillic. Welcome to Ukraine - burly blond, blue-eyed border guards and sounds of a language I had only heard in movies and on television, etc. I was nervous and felt like I was in a kind of no man's land, a very foreign and potentially dangerous world, albeit for a few hours.

I tried to speak to the customs officer in English. That didn't go so well. We didn't fill out the entry form correctly. We fixed the problem and went back for a second try. As we made our way back to his area, I heard him speaking Romanian. What a relief. I politely apologized for not using Romanian in the first place and he seemed happy that he could now communicate with me. "Alright.", I thought, "This isn't going to be so difficult after all. He stamped my passport and I moved to the inspection area.

Things weren't so cordial at this stage. These guys didn't speak English or Romanian and were a bit thuggish. I emptied my pockets and put my camera and umbrella on the table. One said to me, "Bani". I looked at him, surprised, and said, "Bani?". "Money", he said. "Money?", I replied. "Euros, dollars, money", he stated firmly, gesturing so that I understood that he wanted to know if I was carrying any cash. Clearly these were the only words he new in English or Romanian, and important ones at that, no? I said, "Money? Yes, yes." He grinned and waited with anticipation, probably thinking I'd be easy pickings for a bribe. "I only have Romanian Lei", I said, and this was the truth. He stared me down for a bit and, disappointed, let me go. Clearly he was perplexed. How could the American "tourist" not be carrying Euros or Dollars? Score one for me.

Julie got through and off we went to the town of Solotvyna, or to the Romanians, Slatina, population 9,000 (approx.). At first glimpse, things didn't look much different than in Romania. However, as we walked further away from the border and deeper into the town, it became apparent that we had entered a different land. Poverty was more visible. The people looked even more worn-out and down-trodden than small-town Romanians. I geared up for the stares as we walked, and boy did we get them.

We observed that people were speaking Romanian on the streets, so I asked this old dude on a bike where the center of town was. With a thick Russian-like accent, he said to me, in Romanian, "this is the center of town". Ah. Okay, cool. The town center consisted of a Ukrainian Orthodox church (which was locked), a park in front of a Romanian-language school and a handful of shops and grocery stores/bars/cafeterias. I honestly believe, especially after talking to the shopkeepers and a couple of people on the street (80% speak Romanian), that we were the first Americans to ever take a stroll in "downtown" Slatina.

First stop was the ATM. We didn't know the exchange rate, so when posed with the decision as to how much money to withdraw, we hadn't a clue. Julie went first. She used her Romanian bankcard, an account containing only Lei. She took out 50 whatever-you-call-thems. I withdrew 100. We walked a bit further up the street and found a bank with exchange rates posted in the window. It was 5 to 1 Ukrainian/USD, so that meant it was roughly 2.5 to 1 Ukrainian/Lei. That being said, stuff was cheap.

We checked out a few stores, one of which had goods strewn about the floor in crates and a long line of old women in babushkas waiting silently to buy their groceries. The place smelled like wet, moldy socks. It was a scene straight out of the Soviet Union. Needless to say, we got the hell out of there and found a better smelling and more professional looking operation. I bought some chocolate. One bar with Red Square on it and another with a Ukrainian peasant girl named Alionka. We found another grocery store. This one had a bar with two beer taps and some tables and chairs. Score.

The barman/owner couldn't believe that 1) there were Americans in his establishment and 2) that we spoke Romanian. I had to show him my passport to convince him. Suspicions now set aside (sort of), he set us up with a couple of pints of solid Rogan lager, some stale bread and bowls of Ukrainian borscht. The borscht wasn't much different than certain kinds of Romanian soups. It contained beets, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, beef, oil and a dollop of sour cream. It was your standard Ukrainian borscht. As we ate, one by one people would come in, sit down and start to whisper and look at us. When we we getting ready to leave, someone got up the courage to speak to us. We conversed in Romanian with the owner, the cook and some others. We told them who we were and where we came from. They were incredulous. Really. We must have been the first Americans they had ever seen and/or spoken to in person. We bought some beers to take back with us, hit the road and headed across the park to the school.

Of course, we just walked in. We didn't see any teachers and the few kids we saw in the halls simply stared, whispered and giggled. We felt right at home. The halls were cold, drab and empty. We went up to to the third floor and peered out a window looking out onto the back courtyard. There was a wheelbarrow and shovel parked next to a HUGE pile of coal, out in the open. Obviously this was the school's source of heat and, hopefully, a disciplinary tool. I certainly would love to make some of my little darlings go out to the back of the school and shovel coal if they've been misbehaving. Damn natural gas. I should have done PC Ukraine. Seriously though, it was all so surreal, I felt like I was in a time warp. After seeing the coal pile, we realized that the strange smell that hung in the air was from the plethora of coal-burning furnaces in town. Romanians use wood as an alternative to natural gas. I've never encountered any houses or buildings here that burn coal for heat.

Our final stop was a liquor store. The woman inside was super friendly and spoke Romanian without a heavy accent. I said I wanted a bottle of something "very Ukrainian" to take back with me, something akin to the national drink. She smiled and pulled a bottle off the shelf. Nemiroff Vodka with hot peppers floating in it and a touch of honey. Hot and sweet vodka. Nice. I'll take it. The 750 ml bottle cost me about the equivalent of US $3.50. What a deal. We talked a bit about the town and she encouraged us to come back and visit the museum. I could only imagine what that's like. We got some info. about transport to Kiev and Lviv, as I was curious about travel times to these cities. They were entirely too long of course. We exchanged pleasantries and said goodbye. Again, it was so great that we were able to communicate with people in town. We only encountered two people that day who didn't speak Romanian, one of whom only spoke Hungarian!

On our way back to the border we came across a Ukrainian television crew interviewing people as they came in from Romania. I had to get back across the border, as I still had to pack and catch a train later that afternoon, but I couldn't resist the chance to speak with them. I approached them, and in Romanian said, "Hi, we're Americans". The looks on their faces were priceless. They paused, stared, and after regaining their wits motioned excitedly for us to come talk to them. They interviewed Julie and I for about 10 minutes. The television audience probably had never seen anything like it. Two Americans, out for a day of shopping and sightseeing in Slatina during the dead of winter, speaking Romanian on a Ukrainian news broadcast. Awesome. Julie and I were true pioneers that day. And back we went with sacks full of beer, vodka and chocolate, problem and hassle-free.

I hopped on the train back to Brasov around 5:30pm. It was a night train that got in around 4am. I shared a sleeper cabin with some gypsy dude from Bucharest, a perfume salesman/smuggler. It was a furnace in that compartment. We were burning up. The gypsy dude couldn't take it anymore and had to take his shirt off. He smelled, and the whole trip was pretty awful. Just another day on the CFR (Romanian Railways).

What a trip. I saw and experienced things that were truly new and unique to me, things that most Americans never do. I want to go back to Maramures someday and explore the villages when the weather is nice. I also must go back to Ukraine, maybe to Lviv or Kiev and definitely to Slatina. Most of all, I want to go back to that liquor store and grocery/bar and chat with all of the friendly Ukrainians I met that day. They changed my world, my perspective, and I think we did the same for them. They're going to see more and more visitors from the West as spring and summer comes. The new border crossing is going to change their lives in a big way. I hope that they never forget us, the Romanian-speaking Americans who came to Slatina one rainy winter day in February. I'll surely never forget them.

Photo Highlights

The border crossing at Sighet.

Julie can't believe that she's about to leave "home". Yes, the former Soviet Union is just across that bridge.

The mighty river Tisa.

Welcome to Ukraine comrade.

Borscht and beer. Hits the spot on a cold, rainy winter afternoon in Ukraine.

Welcome to the Romanian school. I should have taken a photo of the coal pile out back. That was the one that got away.

This was on the wall in the hallway. I believe that this is something about Maramures, based on the costumes and hay bales. However, I do not read cyrillic.

I liked this one. Maybe something about the good 'ole Red Army?

In the park with some sort of Soviet-era WW-II memorial. My Belarussian blood compelled me to salute.

Shopping bag full, Julie's ready to go back across. But not before...

...we talk to the TV crew. Check out their cool little Lada 4x4 in the background.

The border approach, Ukrainian side.

Yes, I really was there.

Yes, I took out too much currency. But check out my cool "wallet".

Back home in Codlea with Alionka and Nemiroff.

Chernigivske and Rogan. Quality Ukrainian brews.

A Week on the Road, Part Three

2007-03-11T22:00:00.000+02:00

Thursday, February 8th

After a breakfast of eggs and pancakes (again, thanks to Julie), Julie and I headed over to her school to meet up with her counterpart Anuta. Anuta volunteered to take us to the "Merry Cemetery" in the village of Sapanta, located about 16km west of Sighet. Despite the rain and generally poor weather, we managed to squeeze in a couple of other sights as well.

Julie's got it rough. So do her students. After seeing the conditions she has to endure at school I've got no right to complain. The entire school is heated by wood. Every room has its own individual wood burning stove, or soba, and accompanying woodpile. Every morning, starting at 4, the cleaning ladies light the sobas and replenish the woodpiles. I'd like to mention that this is by no means a small school. It's a turn of the 20th century three-story building located in the center of the city. I saw the biggest pile of firewood in my life when I went into the back courtyard of the school. No joke.

Her classroom is a mish-mosh of rickety furniture, splintered floorboards, and a barely functioning soba. She teaches in a hat, coat and scarf most winter days. These conditions, while unpleasant, are tolerable. However, what is intolerable is the students' outdoor latrine. Total and utter squalor. Non-flush Turkish toilets, cracked concrete, holes in the roof, no doors on the stalls and overgrown with weeds. Filth, trash and cigarette butts are everywhere. I'd have to imagine that the local homeless/drunks use this latrine at will. I've grown to be quite tolerant of the poor conditions that exist in the schools here, but this situation is absolutely unacceptable. It is a shame that such 3rd world conditions still exist here, especially in a school in the center of a city.

Anuta arrived and we departed around 12:30pm for Sapanta. 30 minutes later we passed through the colorful, hand-painted town gate. Maramures is famous for its elaborately carved (and sometimes painted) wooden architecture, something that I appreciate very much. Anuta was born and raised in Sapanta and is the author of a bilingual tourism book about the town and surrounding area, the perfect guide for a day of sightseeing. We didn't have to pay admission to the cemetery. Nice hook up.

Cimitirul Vesel or "The Merry Cemetery" is something special. Back in the 1930's, a man named Stan Ioan Patras began designing, carving and painting unique headstones (they're wooden) that depict the deceased in scenes that represent who they were and/or the circumstances surrounding their death. Each has a poem about the person's life, many of which are witty and humorous, no matter how the person met their maker. However, I did encounter my fair share of sad ones. The creativity and craftsmanship that went into (and still does today) these wooden headstones is unlike anything I've ever seen. Patras died in the 1970's, but passed on his craft to his apprentices, who now also have their own apprentices. The tradition is alive and well, as the cemetery still accepts residents and, well, business is good. The Merry Cemetery is truly unique, an important contribution to European folk art. I hope to visit again and spend more time there. Anuta gave us a first-class tour.

After buying a few souvenirs, like a good tourist always should, we escaped the rain and Anuta drove us to see the wooden church at the Sapanta-Peri Monastery. It is the tallest wooden church in the world. However, interior construction has yet to finish and it may take a few more years. The wooden churches of Maramures are another unique element of the landscape and culture of the area and many are under protection by UNESCO. The craftsmanship that went into the Sapanta-Peri church is extraordinary, particularly a staircase carved out of a single, large oak tree. Super cool.

We drove back to Sighet and Anuta treated us to a tasty lunch of vegetable soup, cheese, sausages and pork medallions with sauteed carrots and cabbage. After the obligatory Palinka (no Tuica around these parts), we wolfed down lunch and set off southeast to the monastic complex at Barsana.

The drive was great. I had the opportunity to see many styles and sizes of wooden gates on the homes that lined the road, some big, some small, some old, some new and all interesting. Looking around, it appeared that village life in Maramures is more traditional than in other rural parts of Romania I've visited. The snow-covered, forested hills were a beautiful backdrop to the scenes immediately in front of me. I could only imagine how captivating the area must be in the summertime.

The Barsana complex was completed in 1993 or 94 and houses a group of nuns that work there and maintain the grounds. Its wooden church is stunning. The ground floor altar room was dimly lit, with daylight piercing through small, rectangular windows. It felt very Crypt-like. Iconic paintings covered the wood walls and ceilings and a small model of the church sat on the altar, illuminated by a single candle. It was so silent and peaceful in there, truly a place for meditation, prayer and reflection.

It was getting dark, so after the church we had a quick look around the grounds and headed back to Sighet. On the way out I saw the coolest gate ornament suspended above an entryway, the Romania Coat of Arms carved from wood. I'd love to get one someday and have it painted to the exact specifications of the actual coat of arms.

Anuta gave me a signed copy of her book, gave us a goodbye kiss and dropped us off near Julie's apartment. We played cards again, drank some beer and went to bed around midnight.

Photo Highlights:

School latrine shot #1. I think it speaks for itself.

Same here.

Julie getting warm with the giant soba in the canceliare (teacher's lounge).

The entry gate to the Merry Cemetery, Sapanta.

A giant wooden cross on the street in front of the cemetery with the orthodox church in the background.

Inside the Merry Cemetery.

Here lies the creator. Stan was indeed the Man.

This guy liked to drive his tractor. A "tractorist", as we say in Romania.

This dude was a forestry worker. Apparently he was fond of his chainsaw.

A peaceful life spent picking apple trees for this fella.

One of my favorites. This guy loved to sit at the table, hold court and drink with his homeboys.

Uhh. Not exactly sure what's going on here. It is technically an art piece, so I'll leave it up to interpretation.

Oh man. Those of you who can read Romanian will appreciate this one. Click for a bigger view so you can read the story. The streets are not a safe place for little kids.

Apparently this poor lady died from some sort of machinery fire, a loom or something.

I think we know what happened here.

Me thinking about how I'm gonna get my own Sapanta headstone someday.

The church at Sapanta-Peri Monastery.

Here's the staircase I was talking about. That was a big tree.

The entry gate to the Barsana Monastic Complex.

Inside Barsana.

The church at Barsana.

The altar at the bottom of the church.

The Romanian Coat of Arms in wood. Like I said, someday I must have one, and it will be painted.

A Week on the Road, Part Two

2007-02-28T17:33:00.000+02:00

For the sake of easier reading, I'm going to break up the second half of the trip into 3 separate posts, one for each subsequent day. So, here we go again...

Wednesday, February 7th

I woke up around 9am. Julie fixed oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. Again, what hospitality the weary traveler receives! After breakfast, Dani came by and we all walked through town on our way to the Sighet Memorial. I was struck by Sighet's religious diversity given its relatively small size (about 45,000). The town has many churches of different denominations: Romanian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, Jewish, Roman Catholic (Hungarian), Greek Catholic (Uniate), etc. The old center of town contains a lot of Austro-Hungarian architecture, interspersed with a few communist relics.

The Sighet Memorial is a museum located inside of a former prison and turned out to be more impressive than I had imagined or expected it to be. Surprisingly (after all, it was once an actual prison), it is located right in the center of town. Officially, it is a memorial to the victims of communism not just in Romania, but throughout Central and Eastern Europe as a whole. The exhibits reside in what were once prison cells. You must walk in and out of the cells as you make your way through the museum, an effective technique in creating a solemn atmosphere. You can't help but be constantly reminded that you're in a former prison. Sighet was an especially notorious prison that housed "High Value" inmates such as pre-WWII politicians, intellectuals and other individuals of influence that were opposed to the communist regime. Two of Romania's most important pre-war leaders died in their cells at Sighet, Iuliu Maniu and Gheorghe Bratianu.

Back in '05, a student at Hogas told me about the Memorial and since then I had always wanted to visit it. I've read extensively about Romania's communist past and the visit was a rewarding experience for me, especially because I was able to share it with Dani. He's 28 and although he was a boy at the time, he remembers the final years of communism quite clearly, especially the events of December '89. His father was, and still professes to be, a communist. As we walked through the museum it was interesting to hear his opinions and perspectives and to observe him, as a Romanian, digesting the exhibits. One thing that struck me was how many times he said, as we walked through, "I didn't know this" or "Nobody ever taught us about this". Such ignorance is pervasive in Romanian society and exists deliberately, due to shame, guilt, self-preservation, etc.

This is why the Sighet Memorial is a special and important place, an honest window into the past, backed by documentation and the will to preserve history, no matter how horrible it was. The biggest mistake the communists made was to document everything. They incriminated themselves. Thus, the existence of the Sighet Memorial justifies the actions of those who dissented against the regime and undeniably exposes the criminal actions of the period 1948-1989. I imagine that walking through the Memorial is quite cathartic to many generations of Romanians, those who are willing to confront the past, come to terms with it, and accept the truth. I'll surely visit again someday.

Upon returning, Julie fixed a nice lunch and we three spent the rest of the afternoon talking and watching a movie. Later on that evening we went to Casa Iurca, arguably the nicest restaurant and pensiune in town. It has a traditional, rustic decor and the woodwork, distinct to the Maramures region, is impressive. I had a ciorba (Romanian-style sour soup) with sausages and cabbage, a style distinct to the Maramures region. It was the first time I had had this kind of ciorba and I really enjoyed it. After the ciorba we came home, played cards and enjoyed a bottle of "Lacrima lui Ovidiu", or "Ovid's tear", a sweet wine aged in oak barrels for five years. We called it an evening around midnight.

Photo Highlights:

Welcome to Sighet, where signs like this come in handy.
Especially when you're...

...near the train station.
Yes indeed, that's the train station back there.

No, this is not the locomotive I came in on. Although that would've been pretty cool. Maybe I could have shoveled some coal into the engine burner?

The entrance to the Sighet Memorial. They've done an excellent job of modernizing the building, while still retaining the original architectural elements. That's the front door as it was when the place was an actual prison.

Great logo.
A combination of the E.U. stars and a circle of barbed wire.

Again, another view of the front of the building as seen from across the street.

The victims of communist terror.

Inside looking out towards the street from the ground floor. That window can be seen from the outside in the photo before the previous one.

Iuliu Maniu's cell.

A 1947 cover of Scanteia, the Romanian Workers' Party (PMR) newspaper and central political organ of the communists. Check out those three dudes at the table. Criminals.

The interrogation room. A box within a cell.
"Confessions" were solicited here.

An exhibit room dedicated to the victims of agricultural collectivization. It is estimated that over 80,000 Romanians were imprisoned for opposing this policy, many of whom died while incarcerated. Others were summarily deported, sent to labor camps, or murdered.

A propaganda poster of the PMR. Translation - Top: "Long live the 1st of May, international day of solidarity for those that work." Bottom: "Long live the Romanian Workers' Party, avant-garde of the working class, the leading force of Democracy in Romania!" Right. Notice the dude on the right-hand side of the poster.
It's a Stalin look-alike dressed in a Romanian peasant outfit.

A view from the top floor.

Ahh yes, here he is in all his glory, flanked at the top by the Roman Emperor Trajan on the left and the Dacian King Decebal on the right. Of course, he's benevolent, loves children and is always surrounded by doves of peace. What would Romania have done without the one and only Nicolae Ceausescu?

Nicu and Elena. Profess your undying gratitude and love to them.
Do it now!

A shot from one of his megalomaniacal cult of personality rallies, a souvenir from his early 70's trip to North Korea. I've talked to people who had to participate in such charades as children.

I love this shot. 1956. Budapest during the Hungarian Anti-Communist Revolution.
Stalin being used as a pisser (W.C.). Awesome.

Me in the back courtyard of the prison. Behind me is the barb-wired wall and a guard tower. To my left (your right) is a wall with victims' names engraved in it.

A view of the wall and prison from the inner courtyard.

A sculpture dedicated to the victims.

Dani and Julie enjoying lunch.

Ciorba de varza acra cu carnati de casa (Romanian sour soup with cabbage and homemade sausages). Tasty.

A Week on the Road, Part One

2007-02-23T17:41:00.000+02:00

I was on winter break a few weeks back and decided to hit the road. My travels took me to Zalau, a city in northwest Transylvania and then on to Sighet, the northernmost city in Romania. Sighet, located in the region known as Maramures, straddles the border with Ukraine. I managed to hop across the border and spent an interesting afternoon in Solotvyna, Ukraine before heading back home. The following is my travel journal, accompanied by some photographs and video clips. I’m going to present this journal in two parts. Part One is Saturday, February 3^rd through Tuesday, February 6^th. Part Two will be Wednesday, February 7^th through Friday, February 9^th. Enjoy.

Saturday, February 3rd

I left Codlea around 8am and waddled over the ice to the Brasov maxi-taxi. I waited in the cold for about an hour at the Brasov train station with the pigeons. There were some shady characters there that morning, a lot of Gypsies and guys who looked like they had spent all night in the bar playing slot machines.

I took the 5 hr. 15 min trip to Cluj on the Accelerat train. Of course, the compartment was burning hot and all the while there was a snowstorm outside. Romanian trains are “temperature control challenged”. In fact, all of Romania is this way. Anyway, the route went north out of Brasov through Covasna County, an ethnically Hungarian area. Outside the bathroom window, I heard Hungarian being spoken while we were stopped at a little village station about an hour down the road, Cristian. It’s nice scenery on the route up through Sighisoara and on to Cluj- rolling hills, little Hungarian villages, forests, etc.

Got off at the Cluj train station and found a maxi-taxi to Zalau. Shitty weather. Really wet snow, fog, etc. We took the route northeast out of Cluj into Salaj County. Again, nice rolling hills, tidy little villages and a modern road as well! We descended through the fog into the valley where Zalau sits. I got off right in front of Puck's bloc. Emily, Jaime and Danielle were already there. We went out for pizza with about 10 vols, most of whom were from my group. We went to Allan and Autumn's place after that for a party with about 20 volunteers and a few Romanians. I played Euchre all night and went 3-1. Not bad, but I had to withstand a loss in game four to a guy from the new group who was being pretty obnoxious. I beat him once before though. Whatever. Drank some of Allan's home-brew apple wine. Not bad actually, though my standards have dropped during my time here. I admire his effort. Headed back to Puck's around 3am.

Super Bowl Sunday, February 4th.

I emerged from my sleeping bag around 9:30am after a fitful (and cold) night's sleep on my camping pad. We were all treated to some coffee and ham, egg and cheese sandwiches from Puck. He's got a really nice place and the kitchen is big, sunny and fully equipped. Linda, Puck, Emily, Danielle, Jamie and I all ate breakfast together and chatted. It was enjoyable. Jamie, Danielle and Emily headed back to Petrosani around 1pm. I jumped in the shower. The hot water was a godsend. I was exhausted at that point, which was good because Puck and I popped a couple of sleeping pills around 4pm and set the alarm for 10pm. We got up, brewed some coffee, started cooking and at 1:00am it was on!

As you can imagine, it was an emotional, up and down early morning. We had homemade taco dip, nachos and Heinekens to go with our live stream Internet broadcast from CBS. I was pumped and, after Hester's kick return, I thought that it was really going to happen. Alas, my dreams were shattered. I’ve got to give it up to the Colts though. They’ve got a classy coach, a great QB and a team that hustles. They deserve a championship. The Bears still need to plug some holes. I went to sleep at 5:15am disappointed, but not defeated. What a thrill it was to just be able to watch the game here in Romania!

Monday, February 5th

Got up at 10:30am. Puck was streaming ESPN on the laptop, so I spent my morning listening to how great Peyton Manning is and how much Rex Grossman sucks. In the Super Bowl, the winning QB always gets way too much glory and the loser simply gets dogged no matter what his performance or the outcome. However, Rexy deserved what he got. He was pretty awful when he just needed to be average. I ate more taco dip on top of scrambled eggs for breakfast. Mmm.

Puck took me on a walking tour of Zalau. It's the seat of Salaj County, a nice, relatively clean city of about 70,000, although nothing to write home about really. Highlights included: 1) the history museum with some Roman artifacts in the courtyard. It was closed. Bummer. 2) two public recreation projects created by past PC RO Vols: A park with swings, slides, etc. for kids and a mini-golf course made out of concrete and Astroturf; one useful, one not so useful. You be the judge. 3) A Romanian Orthodox church with, supposedly, the largest fresco of Jesus in Eastern Europe. I'm not sure if I buy this claim, but the interior of the church was stunning nonetheless.

That evening we went to Puck's favorite restaurant, Pizza King. It's a Hungarian-owned joint that he claims is one of the best places he's ever been to in all of Romania. However, he's concerned that they might not be able to stay in business because Romanians don't go there. Why? Because it's Ethnic-Hungarian owned of course. Good reason, right? No matter that it’s the best restaurant in town. Romanians boggle my mind with their unbridled, narrow-minded prejudice against Hungarians. They're lucky to have the Hungarian minority, a people that brought Western values and ideas to Romania. Alright, enough. I'll save that lecture for another day.

Pizza King was okay. I didn't eat pizza. I had some Greek chicken and potatoes. The next day was a travel day. I had another long road ahead of me. I had to prepare to go back to Cluj via maxi-taxi and get on the train to Sighet. The train was a "Personal" train, so I mentally geared up for the 6 hour, 28-stop trip from Cluj to Sighet. I hoped that I would be able to find a compartment with heat. More often than not the Personal trains are a nightmare, a real third-world travel experience.

Tuesday, February 6th

I slept like a rock. My first good sleep in 3 nights. I awoke around 9am to the smell of Puck baking peanut butter cookies for Julie. Like a big brother, he tries his best to take care of her, as he knows things are a bit rough for her in Sighet. I went down to the "Non-Stop" store at the bottom of Puck's bloc to buy some provisions for the trip up north.

I found a couple of decent apples and began to collect some stuff to make sandwiches. Bread, check. Cheese, check. Then came the meat cooler. I asked the lady if she had anything healthier than salami. I never realized just how many different ways one could make salami until I came to Romania. Dumbfounded, she stared at me for a few seconds. She replied, "We've got bologna". Aha, of course, how could I have forgotten the health benefits of bologna? I passed and asked if she had something made from chicken. "We've got ham." I settled for the fatty ham lunchmeat. Gotta eat, right?

Puck went to work. I made my sandwiches, took a shower and got packed up. I watched Euro News and read a bit while I waited to leave. Puck came back during his lunch break to walk me to the edge of town, where the maxi-taxis wait to take people south to Cluj. I took one last look around his apartment and couldn't help but feel a hint of that loneliness I experienced during the first year here when I lived alone. I hadn't felt that way in a long time, a sad depressing feeling.

For the first time in my life I felt a bit carsick as the maxi-taxi sped its way up, down and through the switchbacks on the way out of Salaj County towards Cluj. We were stopped twice by the highway police before we got to Cluj. I'm not exactly sure why, but each time the officer checked the passenger manifest (only the second one I had ever seen in almost two years) and various documents that the driver was carrying. Of course, the driver received a stamp of some kind and we went on our way. Romanians are obsessed with ink stamps. Nothing is legit without the "stampile". Anyway, the whole process is probably some EU thing, an effort to regulate multi-passenger transport, ensure that safety standards are being met, taxes are being paid, etc. This is a good thing, no matter how inefficient they go about it during the beginning stages. We were stopped twice over a distance of 80km. Once would have sufficed.

I arrived at the Cluj train station around 2:45pm and bought my ticket to Sighet. The price was about the equivalent of $7.50. Cluj is a cosmopolitan city, but its train station leaves something to be desired. A perpetual construction zone, it lacked a warm place to sit and wait. I had to walk outside and about 100 yards away to the small adjacent station in order to use a filthy toilet, for which I was charged 1RON, or about $.40.

I boarded “Personal” train #4110 bound for Sighet. To my surprise, I found a heated compartment that was relatively clean and only occupied by one other person. A six-hour, 28-stop journey lie ahead, out of Transylvania, through the Rodna Mountains and into the heart of Maramures.

Initially we had heat, but no electricity. We lost the heat about 3 hours into the journey, just when the temperature started to drop as evening set in and we gained altitude. However, the company of my fellow passenger, a 30-year old man from a small village outside of Sighet, as well as the scenery (albeit in the dark) kept me occupied, my mind off of the fact that we had neither electricity nor heat in our train car. We conversed for hours while we crept along, looking down on snow-swept villages tucked into forested valleys. I felt like I was on “The Polar Express” as we inched our way north through the snowy night. I hope to travel this route again one day during daylight hours and in the summertime in order to truly appreciate the scenery. Maramures is unique in its rustic, traditional appearance and culture, a time warp back 100 years or so.

Near the end of the journey we stopped near the Ukrainian border to change locomotives. My friend invited me outside to “stand on the ground in Maramures for the first time” while he had a cigarette. I stepped down into the snow and the first thing I noticed was the sign on the little train station building. It was in Romanian and Ukrainian (Cyrillic). Only then did it hit me where I was. We got back on. The train went backwards for a bit and then turned onto a route straddling the Tisza River, the only thing separating us from the former Soviet Union. “Look across the Tisza. Those are Ukrainian villages”, my friend said. We were so close, probably less than 300 feet away. Amazing.

We said our goodbyes and he got off at his village. Ten minutes later, around 9:30pm, I was hanging out the door of the train car as we pulled into the Sighet station. Julie and her boyfriend Dani, a Romanian English teacher, picked me up and we took a taxi to Julie’s bloc. Before Dani continued home, we resolved to meet in the morning and go to the Sighet Memorial, as he had never been. Julie had lasagna waiting and fed me well after that long trip. We stayed up talking until 1:00am.

Photo Highlights...

Romania's #1 Bears Fan. Bear down baby. Bear Down.

Super Bowl Spread. Yes, I'll have a Heineken.
Yes, that really is Tabasco Sauce.

A view of beautiful Zalau from Puck's balcony.
He lives in the nice part of town with the Hungarians.

Once upon a time there was a Roman outpost nearby called Porolissum, the northernmost limit of Roman Dacia. I didn't make it to the site, located about 12km outside of town, so I had to settle for some stones in the courtyard of the history museum.

PC RO and The Zalau City Hall proudly present...

A playground! Fun for the whole family. And we mustn't forget...

Uncle Sam's Mini-Golf.
Yes, that is really the name of this stellar facility.
Development work at its finest I tell you.
Lovely scenery, no?
I dare you to try to find a more challenging round of mini-golf in Romania.
I double dare you.

Bloc-land, Zalau style.

This monstrosity of a Romanian Orthodox Church (yet to be finished, as you can see) supposedly contains the largest fresco of Jesus in Eastern Europe.

There he is, floating above us in all his majesty. It's kind of hard to effect scale with this photo, but that chandelier is indeed gargantuan. Now, given Romanians' penchant for b*llsh*t, I can't say with confidence that this particular fresco of Jesus is indeed the largest in Eastern Europe. However, at any rate, it's pretty damn big. You have my word on that.

Stay tuned for A Week on the Road, Part Two. Coming soon to a Fenblog near you...

Iron Curtain Autos

2007-02-19T13:26:00.000+02:00

Inspired by our friend the One Man Invasion's recent blog post "Death for Dacia", I decided to dedicate this post to all of the wonderful communist cars I've seen during my travels, both inside and outside of Romania. While trips in the near future will no doubt yield plenty more shots of these mean machines, I figured I'd give you a look at some pre-1989 rides from the Eastern bloc. After reading the Invasion's post, it seems to me that the E.U. may put a damper on one of my dreams.

You see, I have a vision to one day create a television program that would be the equivalent of MTV's "Pimp My Ride", but by only using automobiles produced in former communist European nations during the cold war era. Anything made before 1948 and after 1989 is a no go. East Germans would go crazy for Trabants with hydraulics. Czechs couldn't resist an old dropped down Skoda with ground effects. The Russians would be inspired to trick out their Ladas. And, of course, how could any Romanian resist the temptation to Pimp Their Dacia? Imagine the possibilities. Central and Eastern European Television producers, just call me.

A late 1960's Dacia 1100. You don't see too many of these babies around so much anymore.
A gem to be treasured.

An early 1970's Russian Lada. I prefer them in Racing Yellow myself.

A GAZ-24 Volga from Russia. This sexy thang was workin' the streets of Solotvyna, Ukraine when I spotted her. Check out that rear hubcap.

A late 80's Dacia 1410. On fire I say. On fire. Steel roof rack optional.

One of my favorites. The Trabant sedan from East Germany. The DDR had it goin' on back when these cuties were rolling the streets.
I want one.

A very classy Skoda from the former Czechoslovakia. Skoda is still around and they make quality autos for the European market.
I prefer this blue beauty myself though.

An Aro 4x4 from Romania. Most Aros are big 4-door models and are much bigger than this one. You don't see too many of these 2-doors on the streets.

An early 80's Dacia 1300. Loyal readers have seen this honey before.
Bringin' Sexy Back.

My first ride in a Dacia was in this very car. Victor's old 1984 Dacia 1310. "Auto Turism" at its finest. One for the ages. Please excuse me, I think I'm getting verclempt...

Another Trabant, this time in the family station wagon version. You just had better hope that your family's not so big. I see her everyday on my way to school. You can call her "Trabi".

Last, but surely not least, another vehicle on Romania's
"Endangered Vehices" list.
Mama Caruta. Her days are certainly numbered.

Hiding from "the Man"

2007-02-12T21:13:00.000+02:00

Hello and welcome to the new, improved and (somewhat) undercover Fenblog. Why a new URL you may ask? Well, check out the message that we received from the "Home Office" in Bucharest today:

EMA Policy on Blogs and Websites. The EMA region has announced a new regional policy on blogs and websites. The key features of the new policy are:

Vols (sic) must provide the country director with the URL (address)
Vols (sic) must discuss the nature and content of their blog with CD
CD will encourage Vols (sic) to require a password for access to blog

(CD does not have to be given password)

CD/Program/CDU staff must monitor blogs regularly, (at least 3 times per month); position descriptions will be modified to include these responsibilities.

This policy has gone into effect, so Volunteers must adhere to it immediately.

Sorry, but I just can't do this. I could go on and on as to the reasons why, but I think that you, loyal reader, could manage a guess as to why. I protest this policy out of principal. So, I'm "in hiding" right now, hoping that Big Brother doesn't find me. If they do, I'll have to put the blog on hiatus until I finish. After that, I can open 'er back up without any potential repercussions.

All of of this is sad really. I find it to be supremely ironic that I am here in Romania (a country victimized for 40 years by a brutal domestic communist spy system), supposedly representing ideals that fundamentally go against this policy that is being implemented. I was encouraged to teach '1984' to my students last year and did so. I was then congratulated for successfully accomplishing this task. Something is seriously wrong with the picture here folks.

Washington does not want people, especially applicants and/or nominees, to know the realities of our lives around the world as we endure the hardships that come with working in developing nations. Simply put, somebody's trying to cover their ass and is willing to go to such unlawful lengths to do so. Technology is ruining their game.

I didn't want to believe it before, but we all (my colleagues around the world and I) truly are tools of American foreign policy. Contrary to what they want the public to believe, our lives are not all roses, far from it. I, for one, am not going to pretend that it is anything but what it it truly is. After all, doesn't the American taxpayer have the right to know what's going on with us? They foot the bill don't they? Don't I have the right to express myself freely and without consequence? It all stinks to high heaven.

As a result of my professional experience, I have the good fortune of knowing many people in the legal realm. Some at big firms, some work for the govt. and some are in academia. All are at the top of their respective fields. Here's a little excerpt from an e-mail I received from someone close to me, who happened to speak with a law professor and former general counsel for the organization I currently work for:

"he said that in his opinion such a policy is a prior restraint and is therefore unconstitutional. I won't get into what prior restraints are, but let me just say that courts are VERY opposed to them. He says that what they should do is simply nothing, and if their attention is ever brought to a truly inappropriate blog, that Vol (sic) should just be fired. His example of an inappropriate blog is if the blogger was making invective, outrageous, hotheaded accusations against the host government".

Clearly this is something I've never done. Nor have I ever read anything of the sort on a colleague's blog.

So, Big Brother, if you've read this beware. You may be playing with fire.

Stay tuned for the next post, a travel journal from my winter break...

Haiku Journal (22/01 - 28/01)

2007-02-11T22:45:00.000+02:00

Monday, January 22, 2007

No school today
Tired from road and of them
Must use time for me.

Indoctrinated
Your denial is telling
What is in your past?

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

They say they love me
The teacher said I was right
It's hard to believe

The Rasnov Medieval Fortress

2007-02-02T21:29:00.000+02:00

Last weekend, Ica, Victor and I took a little trip down the road (about 10 miles) to the town of Rasnov. Perched high above Rasnov is a 14th century Saxon fortress. Rasnov was originally called "Rosenauer" by its ethnic German settlers and inhabitants. The fortress was left to decay for many years until an Italian business man came along recently and bought it. It is undergoing renovation, the most recent of which are lights that illuminate the fortress. At night, one can see it from the road when driving from Codlea to Brasov.

The fortress is developing into a unique tourist destination and, in my humble opinion, is much more interesting than Bran Castle. A little town, or "burg", used to exist inside the wall of the fortress and its Saxon residents defended the area against Turkish, and sometimes Wallachian invaders. Invading armies had to get past Rasnov in order to get to Brasov when they came through the southern pass from the Wallachian plain. From what I know, they didn't have much success. This thing is one hell of a fortification. It would have been very difficult to lay siege to it.

Anyway, let's take a look shall we?

The view from the parking lot. It was a long, icy approach to the front door. I wonder how many Turks and Vlachs died trying to get inside?

Victor and Ica looking very Russian. It was chilly that day.

The path to get in. You can see the town down below in the background, backed by the plain. We live in an area called "Tara Barsei" or Barsa Land, which is a high plateau surrounded by various mountain ranges.

A view of Rasnov down below from the "front door". From the town, one can climb up a steep path of switchbacks to get to the fortress. However, we drove up the backside to get there.

A little info in English. The "feudal noblemen" were Vlachs from the south or, simply put, Romanians. Remember, this area was not officially part of Romania until after World War I.

Victor checking out some swords and battle axes. There's a museum inside the inner defense walls.

A suit of armor from the medieval era of battle. This one's a replica though.

Some 16th Century pistols. How about the one with the axe handle on it? Some insurance in case you couldn't load the gunpowder fast enough...

An old Romanian Orthodox Slavonic bible. Old Slavonic was (and I think still may be) the official language of the Orthodox church.

A view of the town and plain below from inside the inner defense wall. There are plenty of openings from which the defenders shot arrows, crossbows, harquebuses (big ass medieval guns), cannons, dropped hot tar, etc. Again, who in their right mind would try a frontal attack this thing?

Ica and Victor under the gate of one of the corner towers. I think that this tower was for observation and storage of arms.

Walking under the corner tower and out of the inner fortress into a large courtyard area that I think used to have a church in it, but I'm not sure. This area is exposed, but still located within the outer defense walls.

A view of the ruins inside the inner fortress. Up high is an observation point that gives a 360 degree panoramic view of the fortress and surrounding area.

A view looking south towards the foothills of the Bucegi Mountains from the high point of the inner fortress.

Another view from the panoramic high point, this time looking northeast down on the town and out towards the Barsa Plain.

Again from the panoramic high point. Here you can see the outer wall, buttressed by a gate and defense towers.

Click here for a video clip of the 360 view at the top:

An intimate look into medieval life in Southwestern Transylvania. Woe be the Turk who was captured. Ouch. Looks like the torture business was alive and well back in those days.

The guy down below dining amongst the field of impalees is none other than our hero Vlad "Dracul" Tepes. He liked to have company at dinner, preferably Turkish prisoners on stakes.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Visit the Rasnov fortress if you ever find yourself in the Brasov area. I highly recommend it.

Botezul Raducului (Raducu's Baptism)

2007-01-27T23:30:00.000+02:00

I traveled back to Piatra Neamt during the weekend of the 19th-21st. Radu and Oana had a baby boy about a month ago and, well, it was time to bathe him in the holy water, renounce Satan and say some prayers. I was honored to be invited and participate in such an important event.

Little Radu Ioan Gavriliu (a.k.a. Raducu) is no longer a pagan, he's now a full-fledged member of the Romanian Orthodox faith. He cried a lot, but hung tough and survived in the end. Two other little boys joined him in the ceremony, so it was a full house inside the little church.

Brindusa had the honor of preparing the little guy for his holy bath. As you can see, Raducu was quite warm in his pseudo-space suit. Trust me, he needed all that insulation. It was cold and drafty in the church. Raducu kind of looks like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in that outfit. Remember "Ghostbusters"? Or what about the little kid from "A Christmas Story" that cried and cried when he couldn't put his arms down because of his enormous snowsuit?

Eventually Raducu had to get undressed. And then, well, he got dunked.

Brrr!

The next video is of the babies, godparents and the two priests singing and walking around the altar, a ceremony that took place shortly after the baptisms. They are singing about how Jesus was baptized and then clothed, etc. The Orthodox church is very ritualistic, solemn and mystical. Importance is placed upon obedience before God, who is looked upon as an all- powerful and supernatural figure. God is not as accessible as he is in Protestantism or, to a lesser degree, Catholicism. Simply put, in Orthodoxy there is no "personal relationship" with God. He stays at a distance and is mysterious figure. In Protestantism, God "opens his arms to you" and says "come to me". He loves you and you love him. Okay, I've kind of gotten off track. There's a lot more to this and my analysis is a bit crude. Enough already with my lecture. Here's the video:

The priest is now anointing Raducu with some sort of oil. The woman holding him is his godmother and happens to be the wife of the mayor of Suceava. Mr. Mayor is, of course, the godfather. They are also Radu and Oana's "Nas". In Romania, the Nas are godparents and advisors to a married couple. The married couple rely on their Nas for advice and support throughout their marriage. Radu and Oana are lucky to have such people as their Nas. The Mayor and his wife are old family friends and educated and experienced people. Suceava is the biggest city in the Bukovina region and an important city overall in Romania.

Here's Raducu with proud Papa Radu and the Godfather, Mr. Mayor. I must mention that the Mayor is one hell of a dancer. I was a part of a "Hora" that he was leading (more on that in a moment) and I just couldn't keep up with him, nor figure out his timing. He was a nice guy and at one point said to me, "Traiasca America!", which basically translates as "Long live America!". To that I replied, "Traiasca Suceava!" He liked that.

After the Botez, Brindusa, Ovidiu and I attended the "after party" at the "Troian" restaurant. It's an "agrotourism" pensiune/restaurant located just outside of the city. A nice place with excellent food, Troian has a rustic, yet classy feel to it. Here's Brindusa and Ovi at our table. A handsome couple, no?

The party felt like a wedding reception. Live music, dancing, a three-course meal, drinks, etc. Below is the view of the dance floor and lower level from the balcony/loft area of the restaurant. Romanians love to dance (and drink) and they will literally party all night long. Speaking of dancing, check out the video clip!

Yeah, that big, out-of-place and goofy looking guy is indeed me. I was in the middle of an intense "Hora", the traditional Romanian circle dance. It was pointed out to me that this one was a "Moldovan" Hora. How could it not be? We were in Moldova after all. How about my man in the middle? He was partying hard. And the funky keys? Man, the party was jumpin'!

Brindusa, Ovi and I left at about 12:30am, as I had to catch a train early the next morning. Plus, Ovi and I were up talking until 2am the previous night and he got up early that day to do German tutoring. I could have stayed a lot longer, as the party was just starting to warm up, but that would have wound up being a mistake, if you know what I mean. I got to bed around 2am again, got up around 7am, and took off on the train to Bucharest at 8:30am, minus hangover.

It was an excellent time. I wish I had another day to spend there. Ovi, Brindusa, Radu and Oana are such good friends and great people. I'll be going back two more times before I leave. I'm sure of it.

A World Without Romania?

2007-01-26T11:34:00.000+02:00

Gasp! The Horror! Click here to find out why. I'm serious. Thank god SAB Miller (owner of all of those Romanian Beers you see at the end of the clip) is around to remind us to be proud of Mama Romania. This must be part of some new export strategy of theirs. Anyway, in case you're a bit skeptical about the baseball thing, as I was, check this out. However, I must say that I've never seen nor heard of any Romanian (or anyone else for that matter) playing "Oina".

Haiku Journal 1 (16/01 - 21/01)

2007-01-16T23:04:00.000+02:00

Someone recently suggested that I keep a daily journal of my experiences. While this is a good idea, I simply don't have the time. I have decided to write haikus instead. They are short and don't take a lot of time to write. I conceived these two in my head on the way home from school. Here are three that nicely summarize my day today, Tuesday January 16th.

No heat, hot water
Communism horrific
Raw sewage on street.

Stop staring at me
I am not that different
Or maybe I am.

School is crazy zoo
Kid stuffed in a garbage can
No consequences.

Wednesday, January 17th

Pierre is leaving
It was much better for him
Without the Peace Corps.

Many on the streets
Nothing to do all day long
Where is their future?

Limited thinking
Self-preservation is all
A dangerous place.

Feeding cats pig fat
Eating wild boar for dinner
Ah, Romania.

Thursday, January 18th

Changes are coming
Old teachers go back to school
But will it matter?

Friday, January 19th

Piatra Neamt
Good friends and bad memories
Only a weekend.

A Japanese guy
Traveling alone in RO
A good idea?

Saturday, January 20th

Raducu got wet
Cried and cried poor little guy
Special time for all

Radu's godfather
The mayor of Suceava
He's a good dancer

Sunday, January 21st

Piatra Neamt
Felt like a different place
Was I ever there?

Read a book lady
You talk too much, learn something
Try, don't just ask why

Cometh the EU

2007-01-03T20:13:00.000+02:00

Romania has arrived. So have our neighbors to the south in Bulgaria. Check out what the NY Times has to say about it.

Also, courtesy of our friends at the One Man Invasion and the London Telegraph, I bring you a little taste of what's in store (or maybe more appropriately, what's not) for my beloved Romania now that it is a living, breathing, fully-accredited member of the European union. Post a comment and let me know what you think about the pig slaughter action shot. Alas, it will be no more. However, in the end, a little sacrifice (or lack thereof...ha ha) is going to go a long way.

Congratulations Romania!

A Christmas Stroll in Brasov/Remember the Revolution

2006-12-21T08:59:00.000+02:00

Well, it's that time of the year again and Brasov has done its very best to get into the Christmas spirit. I went to the center of town last Saturday to finish my shopping, drink some boiled wine and take in the sights. Here's a little taste...click on the pics for a larger view.

You may have seen this building before. Or you may have not. Anyway, this is the Council Hall, which is located in Piata Sfatului, or the town square if you like. The Saxons built this baby in the 16th century and it served as kind of a city hall, a meeting place for the merchants and guilds, watchtower, etc. Basically, it was the center of administrative and commercial activity for the medieval fortified city. Nowadays it houses the Brasov History Museum. Ursus beer was kind enough to put up the tree, so I decided to drink one and raise a Christmas toast to them...after I drank my boiled wine with cinnamon and fruit in it, of course. Mmm good.

The Brasov County Prefecture, a building dating from 1902 in the Hapsburg style. This one went up when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was still calling the shots in Transylvania. It is an ornate building and quite stunning this time of year, accented by the Christmas lights. In the foreground we have a large wooden memorial to the '89 Revolution. More on that in a moment. Every county in Romania has a prefect, which is the local representative of the federal government. There are no states in Romania, just counties.

Strada Republicii, or the Street of the Republic, open to pedestrian traffic only, is the main drag that leads tourists in and out of the town square (Piata Sfatului). Cafes, pubs, shops, restaurants and small hotels line the streets, which are rather festive this time of year.

The Brasov Primaria, or City Hall. This is another Hapsburg-era building that has recently undergone a face lift, as the facade has been completely restored. Brasov is going to be absolutely stunning once enough money is available to restore all of the building facades. I give them about 15 years. Nice Christmas lights on this building.

Seventeen years ago, around this time of year, the Revolution against Ceausescu's communist regime began. It started in the western city of Timisoara and spread east to Bucharest, culminating in the death sentence by firing squad of Nicolae and his wife Elena on Christmas Day 1989 by a hastily formed "judiciary". The Romanian Revolution, unlike comparable events in neigboring Eastern Bloc countries, was especially bloody. In short, this was due to the fact that the Revolution was a revolt that erupted in a matter of days, rather than steadily building itself as a protest movement over a number of years such as in Poland or Hungary. The army and secret police panicked, the people panicked, everybody panicked. The most accurate assessment of total deaths that I've come across is about 1,000.

Brasov, along with a handful of other cities in Romania, is considered to be an "Orasul Martir", which means a city of martyrs. Violent protests broke out in the city center in late December '89 after word spread that the revolt was on in Timisoara. Many died, especially students and young adults. The photo above is an eternal flame memorial to the "Luptatorilor Anti-Comunisti", or the Anti-Communist Fighters from 1944-1989, located near the spot where the protests began. Protests before the events of December '89 were few and quickly put down. Vocal opponents of the regime were ostracized or silenced or worse. Brasov unsuccessfully tried its hand at revolution in November 1987, as thousands of workers took to the streets calling for better conditions, salaries, and a few for the end of the dictatorship. The name of the street that I live on, "Str. 15 Noiembire", is dedicated to that particular day. Many in Brasov consider their city to be the "first revolutionary city" because of the events of the 15th of November 1987. However, the mother of the revolution is without a doubt Timisoara.

I think that it is appropriate to end my last blog of 2006 by dedicating it to the spirit of Christmas, as well as to the spirit of revolution in the name of freedom and democracy. Below, you will find a slideshow of images from those revolutionary days of December '89, accompanied by some traditional Romanian music. Click on it to watch and turn up your speakers! Most, if not all of the images are from Timisoara. I visited Timisoara in September. The feeling of respect for those who participated in the Revolution and died fighting to liberate this country is alive and well there. These people are recognized and revered as heroes. That they are. Respect '89!

The Other Side of Things

2006-12-15T15:04:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I feel like I don't share enough of the good experiences I have here, especially at school. Admittedly, I complain a lot. I'm going to try to keep things positive here. Since the last post, Thanksgiving has come and gone, I visited the city of Cluj and the drunk teacher has finally been relieved of his duties. Christmas is coming and the kids have been working on a project that has turned out to be pretty cool. They're going to be watching "Polar Express" for the next two class periods, my Christmas gift to them. Here's some photo highlights of the last few weeks:

Yes, that is indeed a turkey! Ica, bless her heart, made me a surprise Thanksgiving dinner. It was her first, and she did an admirable job, stuffing and all. Do you like her presentation? How about the flower sticking out of the top of the neck? Please post a comment if you've seen this before, as it was a first for me...

The Thanksgiving Dinner Family: (From left to right, bottom to top - Roxana, Geanina. Ica, Victor and Tavi Jr.) Ica's nephew and nieces were kind enough to help prepare the dinner and spend Thanksgiving with me. I really appreciated it. It had been 2 years since I'd had turkey and stuffing with mashed potatoes and gravy. Fantastic!

I went to Cluj the next day for a volunteer Thanksgiving extravaganza. This is the only photo I took. Tim and Nancy, married volunteers and colleagues of mine, hosted a Sunday brunch for us before we all went our separate ways. Part of the spread was a tray of assorted meats. I saw something that resembled ham on a serving tray, but its shape led me to believe that it was Spam. I asked, "Is this Spam?", and Nancy said, "No, but would you like some?". Expect the unexpected here in Romania. They had received a care package recently and this can of Spam you see was included. They offered it to me and I eagerly accepted. I won't be so eager next time. I ate it. I can't believe that this stuff is still made. Ica and Victor seemed to like it though. Guess I'm not a Spam kind of guy. Hormel can keep their sodium nitrites and modified potato starch.

*Note* The following are descriptions of photos that have been removed.

This is my classroom. I got lucky. The room I used last year was ghetto fabulous. All of the furniture here is new, I've got a projector, two laptops (if you include mine), a cabinet full of books, posters, DVDs, etc. It is by far the nicest room in the school.

These are two of my 7th grade students, Mihai and Ovidiu, proudly displaying the shipment of books we received from the organization "A Thousand Books" in St. Louis. They do great work, so click here to go to their website. Maybe you'd be so kind as to make a donation? They have doubled the size of our English library and are sending us another shipment in the spring. My English library project is a success thus far, as about 90 users have read close to 200 books in 9 weeks. I've been told that they're reading more books in English than in Romanian! Nice.

A photo from the nationwide essay contest that some of my students participated in. Here we have a couple of 7th graders working hard. Check out the laptop/projector setup...I tried to make things look official so they'd take it seriously...

Here's Daniel, a 6th grader, with his Coat of Arms. He's quite the artist and his design has turned out to be one of the best in his class thus far. I'm doing this "Coat of Arms" project with most of my classes. Every student is designing his or her own personal Coat of Arms. Each design consists of a family crest, a shield with six distinct parts and a motto. After they finish the design phase, they have to write a story (in English) describing the Coat of Arms and explain what each part represents. This activity allows them to be creative and express themselves as individuals. I'm glad to provide them with such an opportunity, as activities such as this are rare for them. We're going to have an exhibition before the end of the semester, so the hallways will be filled with their work...I hope.

The boys (above) and girls of the 5th grade English club enjoying some American reading textbooks with their teacher, Miss Moldovan (above). The good folks at A Thousand Books sent these in their latest shipment to us and the kids really like them. I help out with the club by giving them access to my classroom, setting up the laptop/projector/speakers for them, lending them books from the English library, etc. It's Miss Moldovan's show really, but I think that I'll be getting more directly involved in the near future. Click Here to see them doing their best Coldplay imitation.

So, that's my report for now. I'm leaving on a jet plane in less than a week. The last return ticket...

Come Take a Walk With Me

2006-11-21T20:02:00.000+02:00

During the weekends I try to get some exercise. Codlea sits at the foot of a 1300 meter mountain (approx. 4500 ft.) called Magura. Luckily for me, I live near the foothills leading to the mountain itself. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday I try to take a walk to the trailhead leading to the peak of Magura, hike up as fast as I can for 30 minutes and then go back down. It's a good workout and the fresh air can be rejuvinating. This flatlander is going to miss having a mountain, albeit a small one, in his backyard. So, here's a photo narrative of my hike last Saturday...oh yeah, and don't forget to click on a pic if you want to see a larger view.

I live at the top of my street and about 25 yards from an open field that leads up to a large pasture hill. An orthodox cemetary has been placed in this area recently (about a year ago). When I make a left out my front door and turn the corner, I come upon the cemetary. Romanian Orthodox graves have little patches of soil on top in which people plant flowers, plants and grass. Quite frequently I see people tending the gravesites, taking out dead flowers and plants and replacing them with fresh ones. I go to Ica's parents' grave (in a different cemetary) once in awhile and help tend the little garden on top of the grave.

This is the street that I make my left turn on to get to the trailhead. Many streets in Codlea, including mine, are not paved. As you can probably imagine, it can get a little muddy around here. The cemetary is to the right. A horse-drawn wagon or "cartuţa" passed me by on its way back from gathering wood in the forest. Many people in Codlea have caruţas, as they come in handy for hauling stuff around. For some, it is their primary mode of transportation. In the winter sometimes, the tires come off and the sleigh blades are put on. Yes, I've seen the Romanian Santa, as he's sleighed by my house before...reins in one hand and a bottle of god-knows-what in the other.

Hot car right? This is a fine example of the ubiquitous Dacia. They're everywhere. My guess is that this is an early 80's model. It's hard to tell because the body style hardly changed from about 1972 to 1989. My friend Ovidiu has a white one just like this. Her name is Margareta. The Dacia is based on an old Renault body and Renault engineering. Rumor has it that Romanian spies posing as engineers stole technology from the French over a number of years while working at Renault during the late 60's and early 70's. Good work. After the revolution, Renault bought Dacia from the State for about 50 million dollars. That's when the body style changed. Things are going well for Dacia as of late, as the demand for the Logan in Europe (Victor has one, see previous posts) is greater than the supply right now. Forza Dacia!

Continuing down the street we find some neighborhood chickens out for an afternoon walk, just like me...

Some local art adorning the side of...

some blocs. These are nicer than most in Codlea.

Now I've made a turn up an old street and away from the blocs into the neighborhood by the trailhead. This is a good example of an old Transylvanian peasant home. If I made this photo grainy black and white, took the tires off of the caruţa and got rid of the car in the right-hand corner, maybe this photo could pass for late 19th century? Oh, I forgot about the big, nasty industrial smokestack in the background. We'd have to get rid of that too I guess.

A useful sign. A rarity in Romania. If you look closely, you can see that it was put there by a German. Go figure. Where would Codlea be without its Saxon heritage? "Spre" means "towards" and there are three different colored trails leading to three different places. I've only completed the yellow trail, which leads to the "Strand" complex, a large mountain spring-fed swimming pool. It'll get the blood pumping, let me tell ya. I do plan on taking the blue and red next spring to the Black Castle (Cetatea Neagra) and the summit (Vf. Magura), respectively. It's about a 10 minute walk from my door to the trailhead. It's nice. I like.

Up the trail we go. As you can see, it was a bit foggy. However, as I climbed higher....

the sun started to show itself through the trees. As I hiked above the fog the temperature began to rise. I had to take off my winter hat and gloves and un-zip some layers. Higher and higher I went and then the payoff...

A spectacular view. It was sunny and warm up here as I looked down into the cool, foggy valley below. I had this exact same view the day before and brought my camera this time, hoping that the weather conditions and view would be the same. They were, and I got the photo I wanted.

The fog had cleared by the time I made it back down. This is a shot of Codlea from atop a hill near the trailhead. In the background and to the right we have the 15th century clocktower and Saxon fortified church complex. On the right is an old neighborhood, the way Codlea looked before, well, you know. It is so sad to think of all the nice old houses that were destroyed to make way for those ugly monstrosities on the left.

I hope you enjoyed your tour. Come visit me and see it for yourself....

Romanians Angry With Borat

2006-11-12T12:42:00.000+02:00

If you've read my previous post, you may have clicked the link to the Borat video. Funny stuff. Well, apparently some Romanians don't think it's so funny. Below is an article from The Mail, a British newspaper:

Borat film 'tricked' poor village actors
By BOJAN PANCEVSKI and CARMIOLA IONESCU, Mail on Sunday

Last updated at 21:25pm on 11th November 2006

When Sacha Baron Cohen wanted a village to represent the impoverished
Kazakh home of his character Borat, he found the perfect place in
Glod: a remote mountain outpost with no sewerage or running water and
where locals eke out meagre livings peddling scrap iron or working
patches of land.

But now the villagers of this tiny, close-knit community have angrily
accused the comedian of exploiting them, after discovering his new
blockbuster film portrays them as a backward group of rapists,
abortionists and prostitutes, who happily engage in casual incest.

They claim film-makers lied to them about the true nature of the
project, which they believed would be a documentary about their
hardship, rather than a comedy mocking their poverty and isolation.

Villagers say they were paid just £3 each for this humiliation, for a
film that took around £27million at the worldwide box office in its
first week of release.

Now they are planning to scrape together whatever modest sums they
can muster to sue Baron Cohen and fellow film-makers, claiming they
never gave their consent to be so cruelly misrepresented.

Disabled Nicu Tudorache said: This is disgusting. They conned us into
doing all these things and never told us anything about what was
going on. They made us look like primitives, like uncivilised
savages. Now they,re making millions but have only paid us 15 lei
[around £3].

Cambridge-educated Baron Cohen filmed the opening scenes of the Borat
movie in Glod - a village that is actually in Romania, rather than
Kazakhstan, and whose name literally translates as 'mud', last
summer.

Its 1,000 residents live in dilapidated huts in the shadow of the
Carpathian mountains. Toilets are little more than sheltered holes in
the ground and horses and donkeys are the only source of transport.

Just four villagers have permanent employment in the nearby towns of
Pucioasa or Fieni, while the rest live off what little welfare
benefits they get.

So when a Hollywood film crew descended on a nearby run-down motel
last September, with their flashy cars and expensive equipment,
locals thought their lowly community might finally be getting some of
the investment it so desperately needs.

The crew was led by a man villagers describe as 'nice and friendly,
if a bit weird and ugly', who they later learned was Baron Cohen. It
is thought the producers chose the region because locals more closely
resembled his comic creation than genuine Kazakhs.

The comedian insisted on travelling everywhere with bulky bodyguards,
because, as one local said: 'He seemed to think there were crooks
among us.'

While the rest of the crew based themselves in the motel, Baron Cohen
stayed in a hotel in Sinaia, a nearby ski resort a world away from
Glod's grinding poverty. He would come to the village every morning
to do 'weird things', such as bringing animals inside the run-down
homes, or have the village children filmed holding weapons.

Mr Tudorache, a deeply religious grandfather who lost his arm in an
accident, was one of those who feels most humiliated. For one scene,
a rubber sex toy in the shape of a fist was attached to the stump of
his missing arm - but he had no idea what it was.

Only when The Mail on Sunday visited him did he find out. He said he
was ashamed, confessing that he only agreed to be filmed because he
hoped to top up his £70-a-month salary - although in the end he was
paid just £3.

He invited us into his humble home and brought out the best food and
drink his family had. Visibly disturbed, he said shakily: 'Someone
from the council said these Americans need a man with no arm for some
scenes. I said yes but I never imagined the whole country, or even
the whole world, will see me in the cinemas ridiculed in this way.
This is disgusting.

'Our region is very poor, and everyone is trying hard to get out of
this misery. It is outrageous to exploit people's misfortune like
this to laugh at them.

'We are now coming together and will try to hire a lawyer and take
legal action for being cheated and exploited. We are simple folk and
don't know anything about these things, but I have faith in God and
justice.'

If the village does sue the film-makers, they won't be the first.
Last week, two unnamed college students who were caught on film
drunkenly making racist and sexist comments took legal action,
claiming the production team plied them with alcohol and falsely
promised that the footage would never be seen in America.

Many other unwitting victims of Baron Cohen's pranks have also spoken
out against the way they were conned and - unsurprisingly - the
rulers of Kazakhstan have long taken issue with the image Borat
paints of their vast, oil-rich nation.

The residents of Glod only found out about the true nature of the
film after seeing a Romanian TV report. Some thought it was an art
project, others a documentary.

The Mail on Sunday showed them the cinema trailer - the first footage
they had seen from the film. Many were on the brink of tears as they
saw how they were portrayed.

Claudia Luca, who lives with her extended family in the house next to
the one that served as Borat's home, said: 'We now realise they only
came here because we are poorer than anyone else in this village.
They never told us what they were doing but took advantage of our
misfortune and poverty. They made us look like savages, why would
anyone do that?'

Her brother-in law Gheorghe Luca owns the house that stood in for
Borat's - which the film-makers adorned by bringing a live cow into
his living room.

Luca, who now refers to Baron Cohen as to the 'ugly, tall,
moustachioed American man', even though the 35-year-old comedian is
British, said: 'They paid my family £30 for four full days. They were
nice and friendly, but we could not understand a single word they
were saying.

'It was very uncomfortable at the end and there was animal manure all
over our home. We endured it because we are poor and badly needed the
money, but now we realise we were cheated and taken advantage of in
the worst way.

'All those things they said about us in the film are terribly
humiliating. They said we drink horse urine and sleep with our own
kin. You say it's comedy, but how can someone laugh at that?'

Spirea Ciorobea, who played the 'village mechanic and abortionist' ,
said: 'What I saw looks disgusting. Even if we are uneducated and
poor, it is not fair that someone does this to us.'

He remembered wondering why the crew took an old, broken Dacia car
and turned it into a horse cart. He said: 'We all thought they were a
bit crazy, but now its seems they wanted to show that it is us who
drive around in carts like that.'

Local councillor Nicolae Staicu helped the crew with their shooting,
but he claims he was never told what sort of movie they were making,
and that they failed to get a proper permit for filming.

Staicu, who had never dealt with a film crew before, said: 'I was
happy they came and I thought it would be useful for our country, but
they never bothered to ask for a permit, let alone pay the official
fees.

'I realise I should have taken some legal steps but I was simply
naive enough to believe that they actually wanted to do something
good for the community here.

'They came with bodyguards and expensive cars and just went on with
their job, so we assumed someone official in the capital Bucharest
had let them film.'

Bogdan Moncea of Castel Film, the Bucharest-based production company
that helped the filming in Romania, said the crew donated computers
and TV sets to the local school and the villagers. But the locals
have denied this.

Mr Staicu said: 'The school got some notebooks, but that was it.
People are angry now, they feel cheated.'

It's a feeling Glod is used to. The village, like others in the
Dambovita region of Romania, is populated mainly by gipsies who say
they are discriminated against by the rest of the country.

Indeed, when local vice-mayor Petre Buzea was asked whether the
people felt offended by Baron Cohen's film, he replied: 'They got
paid so I am sure they are happy. These gipsies will even kill their
own father for money.'

No one from the 20th Century Fox studio was available for comment on
the villagers' claims.

But feelings in Glod are running so high that The Mail on Sunday saw
angry villagers brandishing farm implements chase out a local TV
crew, shouting that they had enough of being exploited.

It is small comfort that few, if any, of them will get to see the
Borat film. Not a single villager we spoke to had ever been able to
afford a trip to the nearest cinema, 20 miles away.

Perhaps that's the real reason why film-makers chose Glod in the
first place.

A Window to my World

2006-11-10T17:30:00.000+02:00

*Please note that this post refers to a video clip that has been removed

Technology never ceases to amaze me. As I mentioned before, I have recently discovered the wonders of YouTube. For those of you who haven't heard, YouTube allows people to very easily upload their video clips and share them with the rest of the world. Man I wish this stuff was around when I was back in high school. We (you know who you are) would have been famous. I like to thing that we pioneered the show "Jackass" before it even exisisted.

Anyway, my first video installment was taken yesterday at school. As you may remember, I've referred to my school as a "zoo", myself as a "zookeeper" (see comments section, Oct. 8th post) and the students as "animals". Well, click here if you want to see why...

I would like to emphasize that, while the students are aware of the prescence of the camera, this should not lead you to believe that their behavior in the clip is any different from when there is no camera present. It's like this everyday. Seriously. I didn't do anything but walk down the hall with the camera and say "hi" a few times. The whole thing was spontaneous.

You see, there are 10 minute breaks between class periods, officially. However, most of the time these breaks stretch to 15 to 20 minutes because the teachers are busy chatting, smoking, drinking coffee or trying on clothes that some guy brings in at least once a week. Yes, the teachers' room is a flea market sometimes. Teachers in Romania do not have their own classrooms, the kids do. So when the bell rings, the teachers take their sweet ol' time to get up and go to their next class while the children make their way back to their respective classrooms. Unfortunately, this usually results in 10 minutes of lost class time per period, which adds up to a whole class period a week. Add it up and that's 36 class periods lost per school year. But hey, gossip, coffee and cigaretts are surely more important than teaching the children, right?

The kids have to be in the same room with the same classmates every day of every hour (with a few exceptions). They don't even get a lunch break. As a result, they are kind of like caged animals. When the bell rings and the teachers retreat into the Teachers' Room or "Canceliare", anything goes. It's not like America where students have to spend the passing period going to their locker and getting to their next class. Oh no. Every hour on the hour, for 15-20 minutes, chaos ensues. Running, yelling, wrestling, grab-ass, full on fights and brawls, kicking stuff down the hallway, dancing, swearing, you name it. They are completely unsupervised, as there are no teachers monitoring the hallways. Either the teachers don't know, don't want to know or don't care about what goes on. But guess who witnesses it all on a daily basis? That's right. Yours truly.

Of course, you may be asking yourself why? Why am I not in the Canceliare with the rest of my colleagues having a coffee and gossiping. Or why am I not having a smoke outside of the building in plain view of the students, or inside the school for that matter? It is because I spend my breaks in my room talking to students, running my English library, setting up the laptop/projector, preparing for the next class, etc. Sometimes I actually walk the halls and go out into the play yard. I recognize the fact that I am lucky to have my own room and all of its resources. However, even if I didn't, I would rather be amongst the kids, as they are clearly starved for attention. The teachers just don't see this.

Unfortunately, the teacher-student relationship in Romania becomes very cold and impersonal after elementary school (1st through 4th grade). The system is authoritative and is based on rote learning of facts in which the teacher-student exchange is simply call and response. Teachers generally project an intimidating air of authority and don't really communicate with the children on a personal level. This is really a shame, because children, especially young adolescents, need more than just facts and information from their teachers; they need positive social interation as well.

As you saw in the video, I get mobbed when I walk the halls or go outside in the play yard. I'll say it again, they act like that even when I don't have a camera in my hand. And I've come to realize that it's not just because I'm different, the American. It's because I actually talk to them. I show intrerest in them as human beings. I don't treat them like objects. Sadly, they don't get this from many of their own teachers.

When I look back on my school days, I know that my social interaction with my teachers was just as, if not more, important than the information that they presented to me as part of the curriculum. I wish that it could be the same for the students in Romania. Hopefully it will change one day. Maybe I'm part of that process of change? Maybe one day a student of mine will become a teacher and remember the positive social interaction he or she had with me, and will thus do the same for his or her students? I sure hope so.

On a lighter note, many of you may know about the comedian Sasha Baron Cohen, otherwise known as "Borat". He's got a new movie out and it looks hilarous. Can't wait to see it. Anyway, the character Borat is a TV journalist from Kazakstan. However, the scenes from the movie that are supposed to be in Kazakstan are actually filmed in Romania. Click here to see the first four minutes of the movie, filmed in a Romanian village, not Kazakstan.

The language you hear is Romanian. The car is a Dacia. I've been to places like that. It's nice. I like.

Welcome Back Winter

2006-11-05T16:10:00.000+02:00

Oh, how I didn't miss you. The weather took a turn for the worse on Friday, as I woke up to find a lot of white stuff outside. Needless to say, I haven't ventured outside too much this weekend save for a trip to Metro and some time spent near the grill last night with Victor. Here are some photos taken yesterday afternoon:

You're looking down my street right now. Visibility not so good. Snowstorms tend to do that. Our house is the first one you see on the right. The big building in the background is the Codlea hospital, a place that I never, ever want to visit.

Doing a 180 from the previous viewpoint and at the top of the street we have some fine examples of the Romanian haystack. Beyond that we have the "dealul" and "padure" (hills and forest). I try to do some hiking up there at least twice a week in order to get some fresh air and exercise. Looks like I may need to go buy some snow shoes.

Victor and the 2006 Dacia Logan, nicely equipped with a roof rack and front bumper icicles. Come join us while we navigate the frozen streets of Codlea...hey, at least we've got enough snow now to fill in the potholes.

For those of you who read my previous post, a rant about how I think PC needs to leave Romania, well, I decided to take it off the blog for now. I wasn't in a very good mood last week and didn't have much else to do while I was home sick from school. Oh yes, did I forget to mention the flu shot that PC gave me? It gave me the flu. Nice. Hey, at least we know that they gave me the right shot. In retrospect, maybe it's just me who needs to leave Romania? It certainly would make my life a hell of a lot more pleasant. Wah.

Anyway, I'm rewriting the essay a bit, trying to take some of the venom out of it and, like Fox News, trying to make it a bit more "fair and balanced". God, I can't believe I just said that. However, I will say that my gut still tells me that my basic argument is informed and fair. Maybe I'll post the new version one of these days. The idea of submitting it to the volunteer newsletter was a bit hasty. Two level-headed individuals whose opinions I greatly respect advised me against it. I'm lucky to have people to rely on that can save me when I want to spit hot fire.

In fact, I think I know why I went on that diatribe last week. See, I'm dealing with this issue at school. The teacher that I share 12 of my 16 hours with is a drunk. He comes to school liquored up. In fact, he was so liquored up a couple of weeks ago that I had to tell the principal about it. I had kids running up to me, telling me that he was drunk. One of my students brought me his jacket after the principal told him to go home. I played dumb and pretended not to know anything. They gave him a week's vacation without pay. Obviously I was upset by this and felt compelled to do something about it. However, what is even more disturbing is that I'm apparently more concerned about it than they are. The school "can't do anything about it".

That's right folks, the Romanians let 50 year-old drunk men come to school and teach their 11-14 year-olds. They all know he's a drunk, but nobody does anything about it. They've known about his drinking for years! He just waltzes into the teachers' lounge half-cocked, red-faced and nobody says anything. "Oh, it's just him the drunk. No big deal, right?" Apparently, it is the fault of the school inspectorate and "the system" that they can't fire him. My school has "tried to to everything they can". Call me crazy, but maybe they need to try a little harder? He would have remained in school that whole day if I hadn't said something to the director. Oh yeah, by the way, she doesn't speak English. Even more frightening is the possibility that the director accepts bribes from him in return for inaction on her part. I'm not being paranoid. This is a real possibility. There is no institution in this country that is immune to corruption.

See, I'm just sick and tired of this "we can't do anything about it" attitude. It is this very attitude that has prevented Romania from developing as a nation, both socially and economically. What kind of a message does their inaction send to the children? The students know that their teacher comes to school drunk and nobody does anything about it. Logically, a child may deduce that this must be socially acceptable. In this situation, I can't, in good conscious, make any excuses for these people. I put my foot down now and say no.

Now, while his presence doesn't necessarily effect my ability to do my job, it is, nonetheless, discouraging to me. My motivation to help these people takes a serious nose-dive when confronted with a situation like this. And while I do realize that my primary obligation is to the children, I'm just one American alone in a sea of Romanians.

I guess I'm just in a bit of a state of shock. The fact that they don't care enough about their children to do something about this angers me. It's really hard for me to look a lot of them in the face these days. I mean, I just don't believe that nothing can be done about this. If the school administration, teachers and parents got together and agressively pursued a resolution to this problem, they could get this guy out. They could go to the media, etc. The school inspectorate would be forced to do something. But, unfortunately, this will never happen. The shame of it is that I am powerless. This is a very sensitive situation that I, as a PCV, cannot do anything about except go to the school director when I suspect that the guy's been drinking. I suspected it the other day, but wasn't convinced. So, like them, I did nothing. I have to make hard compromises here.

I haven't mentioned any of this to PC, as I'm not sure that would accomplish anything anyway. I'm debating on whether or not to confront this guy in private about the situation. One thing I do know is this: If he shows up totally wasted like he did a couple of weeks ago, I'm going to have to go get the other half of the class (we split classes) and pull them out of the room. At that point I'll have to drag his ass down to the director. That will be embarassing for both him and the director. Maybe they'll be shamed into action? Dare to dream.

Look, it's sad that the guy has a drinking problem. I feel sorry for him. It's none of my business what he does during his free time, but the line has to be drawn at the school doors. Period. By allowing this situation to continue, they not only fail their children, but they fail themselves. Somebody has to take a stand on this. Unfortunately it looks like it's going to be me, the lone American.

Again, in the spirit of Fox News (I can't believe I said it again) I feel like I should offer up something that is not all "gloom and doom". Oh, the irony. Anyway, I showed the little darlings "Corpse Bride" and gave them chocolate for Halloween. The name of the brand of the little chocolate bars was, quite appropriately, "Zoo". I got a chuckle out of that, as that's how I feel about the place most days. The kids enjoyed themselves and were wowed by the laptop/projector setup.

I'm working on an English Library/Book Club project. I've got about 50 kids so far reading books. I'm going to try to form a formal club, have them write book reviews and try to get them to make a website that will have all of their reviews posted on it, member photos, etc. I'd also like to try to get a grant for more books. An upcoming in-class project will have them create their own personal "coat of arms". I bought large-sized high-grade drawing paper for them. I hope to have their work posted on the walls of their respective classrooms. I think that they'll get into this because, after all, they live in a former medieval land of castles and warrior kings. Even Codlea has its own coat of arms. Plus, they'll get to flex some creative muscles.

So, that's my report for now. Stay tuned for more of the "Takin' you back" posts, as there are many photos that still needed to be posted from September and October. And be on the lookout for exclusive Fenblog video clips. I've recently discovered the joys of YouTube and hope that it will bring even more excitement to your FenBlog experience...

Test Your Skills

2006-10-30T14:52:00.000+02:00

We all know that America is the greatest country in the world, right? Well, how much do you know about our beloved U.S. of A? Here's a chance to find out. The OMI (see previous post) turned me on to the "Great American Civics Quiz". Check it out at:

http://www.bbhq.com/civquiz.htm

I scored a 46, which is considered to be very good. Post your score in the comments section and remember, no cheating!

Takin' you back

2006-10-27T23:41:00.000+03:00

Inspired by my friend, colleague and fellow Manele fan, Steve, I've decided to disregard any previous self-imposed obligation to keep this blog going in chronological order. Anything goes now. Sounds so rebellious. Anyway, Steve is an entertaining writer with a quick wit. He also has photos to share. So if you want to see what someone else's life is like here in Romania, check out the "One Man Invasion" at:

http://mangat.blogspot.com/

Steve's also known to comment on various topics ranging from politics to 76ers basketball and he posts some very interesting videos and links now and then. Check it out.

I promise I'm getting nothing out of this from him. However, he is the commissioner of the the PC Romania Fantasy Football Fiesta, so a little sucking up never hurts.

Anyway, we'll being with a mountain theme, as I was on plenty of them during the month of September. Here are some photos of our trip to the summit of Mt. Postavarul in Poiana Brasov. Delia was our fearless leader and guide. She's a good one.

Victor, Ica, Me and Gene atop Mt. Postavarul, Poiana Brasov - 1804 meters

1804 meters? Confirmed. Thats 5919 feet for you folks back home. And just down the road a bit from Codlea. Or should I say up?

A view of Mt. Postavarul from my street taken last winter.

The whole crew, pre-summit.

And on the way back down, dinner at Coliba Haiducilor. Translation: The Outlaws' Hut.

Outlaws eat (and drink) well in Romania. 10 year old tucia, Ursus Premium, Mamaliga and Tochitura Vanatoresc (Hunters' Stew)

Busy or Lazy?

2006-10-20T12:44:00.000+03:00

I don't really even know myself. I am still struggling to find the time to keep this blog up to date with photos, stories, etc. Maybe I've been here too long and things just don't seem interesting enough to write about anymore. The extraordinary has become the ordinary in many ways. This is a selfish attitude in a way, because despite my delinquency, I know that many of you continue to have an interest in what is going on with this blog.

I mean, I'm almost 2 months behind. The hole is getting deeper. I was even considering posting a message that the blog would be going on hiatus. But I won't do it dammit!

I just finished week 5 of school. It's not easy. 6th-8th graders have a lot of energy and I have to bring a lot of it myself to keep them interested and engaged. the language barrier is an issue as well. I speak in Romanian half of the time. I'm constantly translating and speaking in two languages. Also, the place is a zoo. Kids running around unsupervised all of the time, screaming, yelling and beating the crap out of each other; and I'm not just talking about the concrete playground/jungle in the back of the school. However, I am fortunate enough to have my own room to teach in, thus they behave themselves, for the most part, when they're with me. Is it because I carry around a wooden pointer stick all of the time? Because I'm 6'4", 220 pounds? Because I yell at them in two languages? You be the judge.

I've got some really good kids, but I've also got some rough and rude ones. This is a neighborhood school, not a magnet school, if you will, like Hogas was. Thus, I deal with a mix of the good and bad. The unfortunate thing is that the "bad" ones are not really bad kids. Many of them are quite intelligent. Unfortunately, the root problem lies at home. Parents separated, divorced, indifferent, poverty, etc. Same story, different country. This is a universal theme. We're all human beings and essentially deal with the same societal problems, just in different contexts. What's the lesson? Pay attention to your kids, make sure that Mom and Dad are both around and educate them at home as well. Teachers are not babysitters or psychologists....but sometimes we have to be. This is the burden we carry. Many of us care too much.

Everything's okay

2006-10-08T14:51:00.000+03:00

This is a quick note to those of you that may be wondering why I haven't posted an entry in a while. I just haven't found the time. That's it. Life is just fine here. Relaxing and relatively stress-free (depending how the animals at school are behaving. At least I don't live there...god that sounds weird...I can't beleive that I actually lived inside of a school...aye.). Ica and Victor are well. Novac the dog and the cats are living the good life. Stay tuned for a photo review of the month of September. There's alot to post. Go Bears!

Yes I Am

2006-10-05T22:59:00.000+03:00

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		80%
Iron Man		55%
Supergirl		52%
Robin		50%
Batman		50%
Wonder Woman		47%
Catwoman		40%
Hulk		40%
Green Lantern		35%
Spider-Man		30%
The Flash		30%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

An early dose of autumn

2006-08-30T15:12:00.000+03:00

*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!

2006-08-20T01:36:00.000+03:00

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

2006-08-16T15:37:00.000+03:00

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

2006-08-01T16:22:00.000+03:00

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"....

I'm Back

2006-07-28T14:16:00.000+03:00

It's been a long time, and there's a lot to put down here. Unfortunately, I don't have the time right now. I'll try to post a summary of everthing that's happened during the past month soon.

I arrived in Codlea last Sunday night after 24 hours of travel. I got a sinus infection during my last week in the US and it has now morphed into bronchitis as well. The Dr. I saw in the US prescribed the wrong medication. So, now I've got some new drugs and I'm supposed to go to Bucharest next Wednesday for my annual physical. I'm going to Germany next Saturday for a week, so I need to be healthy.

I'm in the process of trying to get internet installed at home. I'm not sure how long that will take. In the meantime, I'll use the internet cafe here in Codlea.

A short note before I go. To all of my friends and family I saw during my vacation at home: I love you all and want to thank you for taking the time to see me, no matter the duration. It really meant a lot to me, especially all of you who came out to Plainfield for the party. That was so great! I'm just sorry that I didn't have more time to speak with everyone individually. In good time I guess.

Training Again

2006-06-24T13:26:00.000+03:00

But this time i'm the other side of things. So I made it down to Ploiesti last Sunday after moving the rest of my stuff to Codlea. Radu and Oana stayed in Codlea with us on Saturday and left on Sunday. I'm staying in a true two-star Romanian hotel, the Hotel Nord, in a not so interesting part of town (I'm being very politically correct here). Romania's petroleum industry is primarily located in Ploiesti, and the first oil well in the world was started here. Walking around town, I had to wonder where all the oil money had gone....

After I arrived, I took a stroll down an avenue of neverending blocs and found the center of the city, which has a population of about 300,000. There I had some McDonalds (mmm) and then headed back home for the evening. My fellow volunteer and friend Mandy picked me up at the hotel Monday morning and we went to the school to start day one of 10 of our teaching practicum observations. Man, it was like looking in the mirror. I remember how clueles and nervous we all were last summer. However, by the end of the week I saw some substantial progress and improvement on their part.

All in all, in was a fun and productive week. I was able to meet a lot of the new volunteers, got the hang of evaluating them, hung out with some of my old language teachers and fellow group members, etc. I'm looking forward to next week, although it will be busier as I have to submit individual reports for each TEFL trainee, participate in a site placement meeting, and conduct a safety and security technical session with the entire group of trainees. That last task should be interesting. I'm sure they'll all be riveted. I'll try to keep it short. Normally, our Safety and Security Director would conduct such a session, but he asked me to do him a favor because he couldn't be there. Also, I'm a new member of the Safety and Security Committee, but I'm not sure if this makes me qualified or not. So, I'll just show a power point presentation and use the notes he provided me.

Ploiesti kind of grew on me. I like it there. Lots of beer gardens. Although I'm not sure how I'd feel if there weren't a bunch of Americans and PC staff around all of the time. Next Friday should be fun, as the TEFL trainees will probably all be ready to party after they finish the teaching practicum. I'll take a train to Bucharest next Saturday afternoon and stay at a pensiune near the airport. I've got to be at the airport at 4am next Sunday. I think that I'm scheduled to land in Houston around 2pm CST.

I'm in Codlea right now. I got here last night around 6:15. Got up this morning and realized I left my speakers and MP3 player at the hotel. Nice. Luckily, I called and they found the items and will hold them until I return tomorrow night. Very surprising, as I thought for sure the items would be in some bazaar by now. I tried to do some laundry this morning in preparation for next week and the trip home, but alas, the whole town is without water right now. I hope that it's working when I go back the house. I really need to get my laundry done before I leave tomorrow afternoon. Hard to believe that I'll be in the U.S. in 8 days. It's kind of freaking me out a bit, as I've got a lot of traveling and things to do in a short period of time.

Year One - Mission Accomplished

2006-06-15T11:32:00.000+03:00

You know, teaching generally is a thankless job. As a PC Volunteer and first-time teacher it's especially hard to measure whether you've done your job or not. I've had moments where I've thought, "Yeah, good job on that one", but for the most part you don't really know. You just have to have faith that one day some of these kids will remember you and think, "Oh yeah, I remember that the American taught me this, that, etc.". I think that you get the picture.

The process of leaving Hogas High hasn't been easy. Yesterday I kept asking myself if I had succeeded, dealing with bouts of uncertainty and wondering if it was all worth it. Well, today I got my validation. The class pictured above, 10D (11D after tomorrow) gave me a letter today. It reads:

The 13th of June, 2006
Piatra Neamt

Dear Scott,

In these moments a good letter beginning is not enough, but we want to show you, by this letter, that this year we learned a lot from you. Many times, as teenagers, we wanted to have a teacher like you. Someone with who we could talk to not only about school, but also about our "problematic" life and about our position in Romania. You made us understand that above all we learn at Hogas, we have the power to change the future - by will and by voluntary actions.

You see, we're telling you this because we're really sorry you have to leave. If there's one thing we won't forget about our classes together, it's your understanding. Because, as you know, many of our teachers sometimes ask too much from us (no wonder some of them are envious that we like your method better). We are glad to have met you and we're not saying this only because it was the first year that an American teacher taught us, but because we had a great experience.

We honestly regret not having the opportunity to spend more time with you but, as you say, we must always look ahead; although, we won't forget you and we hope we can stay in touch and inform you about our new "ways" in school and to keep in mind both old and new advices.

If we've ever upset you, please accept our apologies, as we never intended to . We also hope that you will remember all the times we were insecure, but also the moments when we started to talk, sometimes for more than an hour!

There are many other things that need to be said, but, unfortunately, we must end this letter. You know, sometimes silence is worth more than anything, if there are true feelings hidden behind it.

If sometimes you will see clouds that seem to be pointing at you from the sky, they're us, traveling by thought, searching for guidance.

Thoughts,
Class 10D

I'm sorry that I have to leave too. But I do. There's a saying, "Each One, Teach One". I've always believed in this concept, thinking that if we all could just teach and reach one person, the world would be a better place. I can now say that I truly have done my part. Even though I'm leaving this school prematurely, I can hold my head high. And I've still got another year and a whole new set of kids in Codlea to teach. Whatever happens next, I'll never forget these kids, class 10D.

Bye for now.

Scott

The Road Back Home

2006-06-13T15:23:00.000+03:00

I'm referring to both of my homes of course, Codlea and the U.S. A few more days and I'll be leaving Piatra Neamt. It's been a long wait. Anyway, the first photo is of me and my 10th grade History class. We had a rough start together, but I really wound up enjoying teaching them, especially when it was U.S. and not British history. The last few weeks were great, as I covered World War II, the Cold War and Vietnam.

Photo number two features Kristen, Ica and Victor. Sarah's friend and former roommate paid me a visit a couple of weeks ago and we had a great time. She was able to see a lot in under a week: Bucharest, Brasov, Codlea, Piatra Neamt, Sighisoara. I especially enjoyed testing my skills as an interpreter. I thought that I did a good job, although Kristen was able to pick up some of the language after a few days. She's got a good knowledge of Italian, which can prove quite useful here in Romania. She left for Turkey last week and will also go to Greece, England and Scotland. Awesome trip!

So I think I'll do something a little different with this blog post. I'm going to add an e-mail I wrote to my Mom this afternoon. This should give you a glimpse into what's going on with me nowadays. T - minus 19 days and counting until I plant my feet on American soil...Here's the letter:

Hi Mom,

I like Antiques Roadshow as well. In fact, Sarah and I went to a taping a few years ago when the Roadshow was at Navy Pier. We got some things appraised. It was really cool. I brought some of the old White Sox stuff that Grandpa Dick gave me and Sarah brought some of her Grandma's old china. My stuff was appraised at about $800.00. Not bad, eh?

What have I been up to? Just biding my time here. I'm very anxious to get out of here once and for all. I'll be leaving on Saturday with my friends Oana and Radu. I think that they are going to stay with us in Codlea on Saturday night. Some of the kids took it pretty hard when they found out I was leaving, so this process hasn't been easy. Go figure, right? I must be some kind of masochist or something to have signed up for this . I just can't wait to be on that plane in about two and a half weeks.

I'll be doing some cleaning of my own come Thursday and Friday. I want the place to be nice and clean when I leave. It won't be too difficult though, as I gave it a thorough cleaning before Sarah's friend Kristen came to visit.

The weather here has been unseasonably cold and it's been raining off and on quite a bit. It's been very unpredictable. It was downright cold this past weekend in Codlea and it rained a lot. I'm sure that it will truly be summer here once I return from my vacation to the US.

I booked my trip to Germany. I'll fly out of Bucharest to Frankfurt on August 5th and return on August 11th. I'll then take a train to Wurzburg where I'll meet up with Brindusa and Ovidiu. Ovidiu is a very good friend and I can't wait to see him. They are both great people. I think that I'll also be visiting Nuremburg and Bamburg (I'm hitting all of the "burgs" I guess). Nuremburg will be especially interesting as there are many museums about the Nazi period. I believe that you can also visit the stadium where Hitler used to have those huge rallies, etc. In sum, there's a lot to see there for history buffs. I studied Nazi Germany pretty extensively in college, so this will be a rewarding experience for me. And don't forget about the beer....

Like I said before, I'm pretty anxious to get out of here. I can't truly say that I'm feeling great. I don't think that feeling will come until I'm on that plane. However, I will say that I'm sure I'll be feeling quite good once I'm on the road to Codlea on Saturday afternoon. No looking back....

So, today I'm going to have dinner with my friend Nicolae and his wife Nina. Nicolae runs the foreign languages library here and we've become pretty good friends. I guess it's a "goodbye" dinner, but I have every intention of coming back to Piatra Neamt to visit. After dinner, I'll watch some more World Cup matches. Brazil plays Croatia tonight at 10:00. I'm a big fan of Brazil. They're unbelieveable to watch!

Well, I guess I'll close for now. You take care and we'll talk soon.

Love,
Scott

One Year in Romania

2006-05-27T14:04:00.000+03:00

Yesterday was my one-year anniversary. Amazing. I haven't left this country for one year. The things I have learned. Hard to believe.

Anyway, they lifted the quarantine on Codlea, so I'm here right now. It's Saturday and the weather is quite nice. By the way, I threw out a hint in the first May blog post about something important. Not sure if you may have caught it. I'm moving to Codlea! PC has granted me a site change. I'll be taking the place of the current volunteer here after she leaves in July. I'll live with Victor and Ica and split my time teaching between a junior high and high school. Life in Romania is about to get a whole lot better. I am very lucky and very thankful.

Life in Piatra Neamt just wasn't pleasant. School was fine, but I am very isolated there. Living in the school got to me. Not being able to live in the community hindered my ability to integrate. I don't know many people there and the ones that I do are very busy and or have decided to leave themselves. I'll be sad to leave some of the students, but my life here is more important than my job. Plus, I'm sure I'll have a nice experience at the schools here in Codlea. Bottom line is that I wasn't going to last too much longer in Piatra Neamt and PC knew this. I thank them for giving me "new life".

So, as of right now there are three weeks left at school and five weeks until I come home for vacation. Sarah's old roommate Kristen is coming to Romania next week. I'll pick her up in Bucharest on Friday and take her to Codlea. We'll go to Brasov on Saturday and then head up to Piatra on Sunday afternoon. She's going to be able to experience a lot here in a very short period of time. I'm excited that I'll have a visitor soon! I enjoy playing interpreter and tour guide.

I'll post some new photos next time. Can't do it here at the internet cafe. I'm trying to think of something else to say, but I'm drawing a blank. I feel like my blog was more interesting in the past. Anyway, I'll see what I can do to spice it up a little. Bye!

Down On The Farm

2006-05-15T21:17:00.000+03:00

We had a little birthday celebration "down on the farm" this weekend. I was in Bucharest to see Dr. Dan and then I headed up to Codlea. On Saturday Victor, Ica and I went to Ica's brother Tavi's farm. It was Tavi's wife's birthday (Vali) and we had a really nice time. The weather was beautiful and we did a little grilling - Romanian style (Mici, Chicken, mmmm).

That's Tavi in the second photo. The baby horse is about three weeks old. The baby cow in the first photo was born that day; just hours old and already walking! Tavi's farm is really cool. Lots of dogs, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, etc. They even have bees to make honey. Tavi and Vali make awesome cheese as well. Sheep, goat, cow and mixtures. Cascaval and telemea are the names of the cheeses. All natural. I love it. I hope to visit the farm a lot this summer.

Something interesting has developed in the past couple of days. An Avian Flu outbreak was discovered on a chicken farm outside of Codlea. As a result, I cannot go to Codlea for the next three weeks. As of right now, they haven't identified it as the "dreaded" H5N1, it's just H5 (whatever that means). As the bus crossed the border from Brasov County to Covasna County yesterday, we came upon a roadblock. There was a team of people there that were disinfecting all of the vehicles leaving the area. Little did I know that it had anything to do with bird flu, let alone that it was in Codlea. Too bad I didn't get quarantined in Codlea...heh heh.

I'm sure that the situation will be resolved within three weeks. The authorities here are attending to the problem. I heard that they might have to euthanize about 500,000 birds. Apparantly, the company that owns the farm was not attending to their responsibilities and was dumping bags full of dead birds in a local garbage dump during the past month. Nice. There's going to be some heavy, heavy fines coming their way. This company produces chicken and turkey for sale in the Brasov area and other domestic markets. There's a lot of meat being pulled from the shelves right now. There are some other towns and villages in Brasov County that are having some issues at the moment as well. A few of these places have been quarantined. Let's just hope that this doesn't happen in Codlea.

So, looks like I'm not going to be seeing Ica and Victor for awhile. I'm going to try to go to some other places and visit some friends instead. Maybe Bucharest. We'll see. Weekends in Piatra Neamt are pretty lonely and boring. As you all know, I try to get out of here on the weekends as much as possible. I'll be soliciting some people this week for a visit....

We're definitely in countdown mode here at school. Only four weeks to go after this week. I'm pretty much set with what I'm going to be doing, so it should be pretty low-key and low stress. C'mon time and fly for me! U S of A six weeks from Sunday!!!

Signing off from the (as of right now) bird flu free zone of Piatra Neamt....

Scott

6 and 8

2006-05-07T12:08:00.000+03:00

Welcome to Ica's Easter table! This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago when we had our Orthodox Easter Sunday meal. An overview of what's presented: Painted hard boiled eggs, Cotnari wine (from Iasi, Moldavia), Salata de Beouf (an awesome potato salad with carrots, peas and pickels...Sarah's a big fan), Drob (a sort of lamb meatloaf made from internal organs with egg in the middle...it tastes better than it sounds), Ica's cheese dip in the shape of a fish (in honor of Jesus), and some sweet cheese bread (special for Easter, with the cross). We also had some baked lamb and other assorted goodies. What a spread!

So, 6 & 8. Six weeks left of school and exactly eight weeks to the day that I'll be coming home for vacation. Man oh man I hope that this time flies. Everybody here is about done with school, the teachers and students. Attendance is bad enough as it is and will continue to decline. I'll be lucky if half of the kids show up by the time June rolls around. Oh well, not my problem.

I'm hangin' in there in terms of how I'm feeling. It's up and down. However, I'm a lot better than I was, let's say, 5 weeks ago. I'm just trying to focus on July. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be headed down to Bucharest on Friday to see Dr. Dan. We'll talk and I want him to take a look at my back. My back has been killing me for some weeks now. I think I may have done something to it while playing basketball a while ago. Maybe I need some chiropractor (spelling?) action? We'll see. I just hope he doesn't keep me overnight until Saturday, as I want to stay in Codlea on Friday and Saturday night before having to go back to Piatra. However, if I have to stay, I have to stay. Health comes first.

I'd like to report a couple of success stories here at school. First, the pen pal project I started between the 5th grade here and Sarah's Mom's 4th grade made the local paper in the SW suburbs of Chicago. It was a nice article with a photo of Barbara's students. Everybody here was excited to see the news article. I'm hoping that I can get a reporter to come to school here and do a similar story. I've got a friend who works in the PR Dept. in the city hall and he may put me in contact with someone from one of the local papers.

The other story is about Animal Farm. My 10th graders finished the book a few weeks ago and are now watching the animated movie on DVD. When I asked some of them what they thought of the book they said that they enjoyed it and it helped them better understand communism, and as a result, created a better understanding of what went on in their country before they were born. Most young people here don't have a very good understanding of the period between 1945 and 1989, nor do they know much about the '89 revolution. The topic is not frequently discussed in school and the information available in print is scarce.

I'm proud that I was able to facilitate a better understanding of things on their part via literature. Also, there are a lot of good non-fiction books available in English about the events in '89, but for some reason they're not printed in Romanian. It's a shame. Many of these kids are curious about the past and should be able to access such information. It would be nice if a publishing house in this country took it upon themselves to make these texts available in English and Romanian. I can think of at least four books I've read about the communist era and the '89 events that I know would sell well here.

So, that's my report for now. It's Sunday afternoon and I'm gearing up for tonight's Rapid match. Rapid has a good chance to win the championship right now and must win tonight to help their chances. It's too bad that I can't watch the game with Victor. However, there's a possibility that I may not have that problem in the near future. More on that later.....

Scott

Doing Better

2006-04-22T13:59:00.000+03:00

Photo: Codlea with the Bucegi Mountains looming in the distance.

For those of you that read the last post, I'm doing a lot better. I was down in Bucharest yesterday for another session with Dr. Dan and he was of great help as usual. He said that I looked better and that I've made a lot of progress in a week. Anyway, I'm going to be seeing him on a regular basis for the time being. Not easy stuff, but necessary. However, I really like going to Bucharest, riding the subway, etc. That big city feel reminds me of home and puts me at ease.

We're getting ready for Orthodox Easter tomorrow here in Codlea. The preparations began earlier in the week when we went to Tavi's farm and got the meat for Sunday. Tavi picked out a little lamb from the barn and went to work. I've got pictures and film. I wasn't sure how I'd react to watching the slaughter, skinning, cleaning and preparation of an animal in person, especially considering the fact that I knew that he'd eventually be my meal. However, it didn't really bother me at all. I just rationalized that this is how it goes. If you want to eat the meat, you've got to kill the animal. It's that simple. At the same time, I understand why some people are vegetarians. While witnessing the process I had a few moments there when I asked myself if I should make the switch to being a veggie.

So, it's Saturday afternoon here in Codlea and Ica is busy making preparations for tomorrow's Easter feast. It's going to be quite the spread. Lots of lamb dishes (of course), sarmale, colored eggs, etc. Tonight we're going to go to the church in Dambravita, the nearby village that Ica and Victor are originally from, to check out a little bit of the Easter service. We'll go around midnight, but only stay for a bit because apparently this thing goes all night long. No way I can handle that. I need to get my beauty sleep before I stuff my face tomorrow.

That's about it for now I guess. It's a nice day, so I may go for a walk after the I'm done here at the internet cafe. Rapid is playing tonight, so Victor and I are going to have some tuica and beer and watch the game. Not too much though, as we've got to go to church later. I'll catch the bus back to Piatra Neamt on Monday and get ready to finish the school year. I'm only ten weeks away from my trip back home now.

Spring Break

2006-04-17T11:44:00.000+03:00

Sorry there's no photo this time. I also apologize that it's taken me so long to post this new entry. I'm in Codlea right now, so there's no way for me to post a photo. I'll put one up next time. I'm on Spring Break right now until the 25th. I'll be staying with Ica and Victor until the Monday 24th and catch the bus back to Piatra Neamt. Orthodox Easter is this weekend, so it will be nice to be here for that.

What's been going on for the past three weeks? Well, I went with Ovidiu to his mother's village, Butea, in Eastern Moldavia for a weekend. Drank some home brew wine, broke up some rocks (for "landscaping"), hung out with the chickens and loved that outdoor plumbing....this village was very poor. It was quite a shock for me. It's gotta be rough there in the winter without indoor plumbing and running water. However, Monica was a sweet lady, treated me very well and sent me home with a bunch of food. Thanks Monica!

I've been down to Bucharest the past two weekends for medical visits. I caught something nasty a couple Fridays ago. Fever and diareeha again. Not cool. I've lost a lot of weight. Things seem to be back to normal now though. However, the main reason that I made the two visits, and will continue to make more, is because I'm having a bit of a tough time mentally right now. I took some tests and they tell me I've got mild depression and above-normal anxiety. As a result, Dr. Dan, Dr. Ileana and I are engaged in "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy", a fancy way to describe counseling I guess. This is a good thing for two reasons: 1) I know that there's nothing wrong with me physically and 2) They are helping me work on this problem and facilitating understanding of my thoughts and feelings.

It all hit me really fast. I was doing just fine until mid-March. I didn't understand why I was feeling the way I was and was worried that there might be something seriously wrong, physically. After I found out that all of this was mental, I was a bit ashamed at first. I felt like I wasn't a strong person. However, I now know that there is nothing to be ashamed of and that it takes strength to admit that you have a problem, seek help and try to fix the problem. One way or the other, this is what I intend to do. I also believe that PC is going to do their best to help me as well.

I know that all of this is very personal. However, I want to share this because I think that it is very important for people to seek help when they're not feeling well mentally. There's no shame in this. It is also not a sign of weakness. Life is not easy and sometimes we need someone else to help us figure out what's going on "upstairs" so that we can feel normal again. Personally, I don't know how long this will take, but I have to work at it and keep trying. For all of my family and friends who are reading this, please don't worry too much about me. I'm going to be ok. I have good support here.

On a happy note. I've booked my flight home for summer vacation! I'll be arriving in Houston on July 2nd. Sarah will pick me up and take me to Austin for a few days. We're going to drive to Chicago and should be there on the 9th. I'll fly back to Romania on the 22nd. So, for all of you who want to see me, send me an e-mail and we'll try to work something out. I'm hoping that Aaron and Carrie will host a get-together at their place, so stay tuned.....

Until next time, enjoy the springtime and take care. Oh yeah, and if you want to talk, send me an e-mail, Skype me (after the 24th) or get a hold of me on Yahoo messenger (after the 24th).

Scott

21.5 degrees

2006-03-29T20:09:00.000+03:00

I almost forgot how nice it is to be able to play basketball outside in a t-shirt and shorts. Radu, Ovidiu and I were out on the court yesterday (the same one that doubles as a soccer field; refer to photo) and played for about 90 minutes against three high school kids. Man, I felt old, slow and out of shape. Radu was our star and coach, as he played during his college days in Iasi. We held our own despite the fact that they were quicker and had that 17 year-old stamina. They were like rabbits. But, remember this: old men know how to pass the ball. It wound up pretty even in the end, with the kids taking 5 of 9 games from us. I hadn't played that much basketball in years. I need to work on my game and exercise more. What a wake-up call. Even though I'm about 12-15 pounds lighter (since I joined the PC), I was in much better shape last May. Time to go back to work. Oh yeah, by the way, 21.5 degrees is about 70 fahrenheit. Perfect weather.

Today's photo was taken this afternoon in front of Hogas High. As you can see, we don't have a proper soccer field (no high school in town has one), so they play on the blacktop. It's a 6 on 6 game and is pretty fast-paced. Dangerous too. I cringe everytime I see someone fall and hope he has all of his skin when he gets up. Hogas is the team in blue and the team in red is the forestry high school. They wound up in a tie at 2-2. Yesterday Hogas beat the informatics High School 4-0. Informatics has cool jerseys. They're collared and have "INFO" printed across the chest. I wish I could get my hands on one of those.

I'm going to be traveling to Bucharest next week for a medical visit. I've got to get my eyes checked, my teeth cleaned and I'm going to have Dr. Dan take a general look at me. I haven't been feeling all that well the last couple of weeks and have been more fatigued than usual. I'm wondering if it has something to do with the weather? We'll see I guess. What will probably happen is that I'll feel perfectly normal by the time I arrive next Friday. If so, oh well. Friday's going to be a bit brutal, as I have to take a 3am train. I'll arrive at 8:15 and will then have to go to the three appointments. Ouch. PC will put me up in a hotel and then I'll take a 3:00pm train back to Piatra Neamt the following day. This will be my first trip to the PC office and I'm curious to see what it is like there.

It looks like I'm going to help out with the teaching practicum for the new TEFL volunteers from group 21, who arrive on May 18th. They will be in Ploiesti, which is a big industrial city just north of Bucharest. I'll head down there for two weeks after school ends and will then come back to the U.S. for my vacation. Looks like I should be arriving in Texas on or about July 2nd. I should be in Chicago around the 9th. Probably will leave around the 23rd. So, the near future is starting to take shape. Only 10 weeks of school left for me after tomorrow.....

Now I Think It's Spring

2006-03-20T21:39:00.000+02:00

The snow is melting as I write this! Yes folks, I do believe that spring is finally upon us here in Piatra Neamt. It was a balmy 10 degrees celcius (50 fahrenheit) and sunny today. Just a week ago today it was snowing hard, the wind was blowing and it was basically like Siberia around here. Most of the snow should be gone by the time I wake up tomorrow. I just hope that it doesn't return. I'm not counting on it though. Being from Chicago, I'm always geared up for a nice April snow shower or two.

Enough of the weather, yeah? I've provided an "action photo" this time. That's me on the right leading a discussion during my "History Nights" club that I mentioned before. It's a joint project with my friend Ovidiu, a history teacher at the economics high school. We meet every Monday for two hours and watch DVD history lectures that I brought here from the U.S. Each 30 minute lecture is followed by a 10 minute discussion period. We get about 10-12 students per session. It's university-level stuff, so their English has to be fluent and they've got to be smart kids. I've got a lot of them. Once again, I'm lucky.

Not much to report here really. I'm going to Codlea this weekend. Sunday will mark 10 months in Romania (feels good to be in double-digits). Spring break is three weeks from this Thursday. Rapid and Steaua made it to the quarter-finals of the UEFA cup and will have to play each other, which guarantees a spot for a Romanian team in the semi-finals. This is a really big deal now and everyone is talking about it. Game one is next Thursday at Rapid's stadium, followed bay game two the following week at Steaua's stadium. The semi-finalist will be determined by aggregate goals. I bought a Rapid scarf this weekend and am going to wear it to class next Thursday. The kids will get a kick out of that. I'm sure I'll get some boos and hisses as well because Steaua is the more popular team. But, Victor taught his boy to be a Rapid fan this summer, so they're my team. It's similar to my Dad breeding me to be a Bears fan. It's in the blood. Forza Rapid!

That's about it I guess. I must admit that I've been feeling a bit homesick lately. I think it has something to do with the weather. I just seem to be a bit off right now. It's got to be the season changing. Sarah told me that I am very sensitive to this. I'll have to take her word for it because she's the boss. :) Anyway, I'm sure that I'll snap out of this funk soon. A weekend in Codlea should do the trick. I think that I just need to get out of town for a few days. It can get quite claustrophobic here sometimes. And with the weather changing for the better, I've got the urge to get out and go. Just gotta keep ridin' the roller coaster I guess. I got some good advice in an e-mail the other day. Simply put, "keep at it". Well folks, that's just what I intend to do. I hope you feel that your tax dollars are being well spent.......I mean with me of course. :)

Scott

The Romanians Think It's Spring

2006-03-07T17:46:00.000+02:00

But things are not always as they seem here in Romania. Look at this photo taken just over a week ago. Look like spring to you? Three days later, on March 1st, everyone was running around here giving each other little flowers to celebrate "Martisor", or the beginning of spring. Right now, we're buried in snow with no end in sight for the week. Forgive me if I sound bitter. I'm just sick and tired of this weather here. It was about 50 degrees fahrenheit and sunny in Codlea on Sunday. Monday morning it was like Siberia here in Piatra Neamt. Ok, enough of my whining. The photo is of some houses in the middle of lake Izvorul Muntelui, Romania's largest man-made lake. It's the result of the Bistrita river being dammed up and produces hydropower for the area. It also lies just to the east of Ceahlau Mountain, which is one of Romania's great natural wonders. Looks a little cold out there in those houses yeah? A little early for boating season I think.

I celebrated birthday number 31 in Codlea this weekend. It was a grand 'ol time as usual. We had a little party on Saturday night. Ica's brother Tavi and his wife Vali came, as well as another Vali and one of my Romanian teachers from last summer, Iza. Iza lives in a small village near Codlea called Vulcan. We ate lots of pork and mici, drank our share of beer and tuica and looked at photos on Ica and Victor's brand new TV via the brand new DVD player. Ica and Victor have now gone hi-tech thanks to their daughter Delia. We went to the Metro the night before, strapped that big TV on top of the Dacia and made off slowly (very slowly) into the cold Transylanian night. Their living room is now complete and it's a great place to hang out.

On a sad note (I feel compelled to mention this), a man that I met this summer in Codlea died last week. He drank a bottle of anti-freeze. It may have been a suicide, but no one knows for sure. His wife is a friend of Ica's. I forgot his name, but that's not what's important. What's important is that this guy was a revolutionary. He was part of the anti-communist uprising here in 1987 that was brutally supressed by the state. He protested, marched and voiced his opinion against the Ceaucescu regime. As a result, he was imprisoned and tortured. I won't get into the details, but what he had to endure was horrifying. He suffered quite a bit after that experience, both physically and psychologically. He was never compensated by the state and his family probably never will be compensated for his death, which was most likely caused by the pain inflicted upon him by the security apparatus. Many, if not most, of the people who were responsible for such cruelty suffered no consequences after the revolution in 1989 and are free men. These people just melted back into society and they walk among us here in Romania today.
This guy was a hero and, despite the fact that he may have took his own life, I hope people remember him as such.

You know, when you walk the streets here, it's easy to see the visible scars left from totalitarianism. Communist blocs, bad roads, ugly monolithic industrial parks, even the looks on people's faces. But it's a whole different ballgame when you know that there's this undercurrent of pain and psychological damage that exists in the minds and souls of many Romanians, and that most of the people who are responsible for this are walking the street (or probably driving expensive automobiles). You see, here in Romania many former Securitate (secret police) operatives became quite wealthy after the revolution. They were the only people who had access to information from the outside world. They had the overseas contacts. And they were the ones who got the jump on defrauding the Romanian people of their right to funds from the sale of state assets. It is estimated that 1 in 10 Romanians worked for the Securitate. I've met many wealthy businessmen and some politicians since I've been here. I live in the county seat, right near all of the administration buildings, so I see these guys driving their fancy cars all of the time. I wonder what lurks in their past?

Sometimes I walk the streets, look around and wonder what it must have been like before 1989. It's chilling. I've read a lot about the subject. I've spoken to many people. I've even seen a few film clips or two. But I'll never be able to feel it, and I'm lucky for this. All of us in America are lucky that we've never had to feel it, and hopefully never will. This is why I talk to my students about Romania's past. This is why I have them read Orwell. Because I don't want them to ever feel it either. Don't ever take your human rights for granted and do whatever you can to protect them.

Until next time, take care.

Scott

The Past 20 Days....

2006-02-25T15:33:00.000+02:00

THIS POST WAS MADE ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH, 2006

Yes folks, I'm back. I regret to report that this has been my longest hiatus thus far and I must apologize to all of you loyal readers. So, on with the program. Interesting photo, huh? I am now armed with a supply of TamiFlu, courtesy of P.C. and the U.S. Govt. The area on the map in the background and to the right is the Danube Delta. More migratory birds find their way to this area than any in Europe. If Romania gets hit with an outbreak it's gonna come from there. In any event, I'm ready! However, P.C. will not evacuate us unless the Bird Flu mutates and begins to be transmitted from human to human. I highly doubt that this will happen, so I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry about me, ok?

So what have I been doing since the last post? Well, I was in Codlea until the 12th and did nothing but eat and drink. I swear that my pants got tighter inside of a week. Things are back to normal now though. I also helped Ica and Victor arrange the new furniture that Delia bought them for the living room. Really nice stuff. I think we may go to buy a new television as well this Friday when I go back to visit for my birthday. Yes folks, I'll be 31 very soon. Time flies. I don't feel old. Although some of you who read this blog may feel differently......just kidding.....It's all in the mind.

Today marks 9 months for me in Romania. Time to have the baby.....
I can tell you that things are pretty normal for me now. I've adjusted and the other day, for a split second, I had this feeling like I was at home. That must be a good sign. At this point, there's only one thing that I feel I need to work on and that's the language. I feel like I've hit a wall. I need to expand my capabilities. The only problem is that I don't have many opportunities to speak Romanian. I'm sure it will all come in time though. Maybe I'll have more time to devote to language study in the coming months and next school year. I guess we'll see.

School is going well. 10th grade is reading Animal Farm and 11th grade is reading 1984. I'm doing an E.U. Intergration unit with 12th grade and I get to teach U.S. history and geography this semester instead of British. Yee Haw! We're talking about gun control in 11th grade U.S. Culture and Civ. I'd like to show them Bowling for Columbine. I'm going to try to get my hands on a copy one way or the Romanian way (Piracy baby). I started a secondary project last week at the economics high school with my teacher friend Ovidiu. We are presenting DVD lectures to a group of bilingual students interested in history. This semester's class is Interpreting the 20th Century: The Struggle For Democracy. I brought these DVDs with me with the intention of doing something like this. These kids are basically going to get a college course for free. We meet on Mondays from 5-7pm. There are three 30 minute lectures, each followed by a 10 minute discussion period that I facilitate. I hook up my laptop to a projector and we let it rip! It's really great. I hope to also show an economics course and a U.S. History course in the fall.

What else? We got a taste of Spring last week. Sunny, mid to upper 40s. It was a welcome reprieve from the frozen tundra. However, the snow came back yesterday and it's business as usual. Being from Chicago, this doesn't surprise me. I'm expecting bad weather into April. Anything other than that I'll consider a bonus.

In the world of football (soccer), two teams from Romania, Rapid and Steaua, have qualified for the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup, which is a big deal. Club teams from all over Europe compete in the UEFA Cup and Rapid and Steaua have proven that they are two of the best teams on the continent. The Romanians are pretty pumped about this. They love their football.....and so do I actually. There's a good Portuguese match on tonight that I'm going to watch, Benfica vs. Porto.

So as I said, things are pretty normal and uneventful right now. We're all just waiting for spring to come. Speaking of which, I may travel west for my spring break in April and visit a friend of mine in Timisoara. From there, we can visit Serbia and Hungary, as Timisoara, Belgrade and Szeged are all within 3 hours of each other. The plan isn't final, but I'll keep you all posted. After spring break it's smooth sailing; 7 weeks and then school's out! I think about my trip home multiple times a day. However, I've been asked to help out with the training for the new group of volunteers and may do a bit of that before I leave. If not, I'll see if I can help out when I get back. Group 21 will be here in late May. Apparently there's 85 of them! We were only 67. They kind of got the shaft though because they're not going to have their PST in Brasov. They will be in Ploiesti, an ugly industrial city north of Bucharest. Our group was lucky.

And speaking of luck, I too have been feeling lucky as of late. I know of many volunteers who aren't having an easy time of it here and are still having problems adjusting for one reason or another. I feel very fortunate to have Ica and Victor and my new friends and colleagues here in Piatra Neamt. I also am very lucky to have been placed in a good school that has provided me with a comfortable place to live. I enjoy important luxuries here that some volunteers don't, i.e. cable TV, washing machine, high-speed internet. I'd like to believe that I earned this, but you never know. So, I guess I can say that life is as good as it possibly can be here, and that's ok.

Well, I guess I should end on that positive note. I'll try to get back on the weekly update track so don't give up on me yet loyal readers!

Winter Break!

2006-02-05T21:19:00.000+02:00

THIS POST WAS MADE ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH.

Hello there. Today's photo was taken near "Lacul Ursu", or Bear Lake, in the resort town of Sovata, located in North Central Transylvania. From left to right we have Oana, her husband Radu, the American, Nicoleta, and Catalin. I decided to accompany my friends on a little weekend getaway and had an interesting time.....

We left Piatra Neamt on Saturday afternoon and drove over the top of the Eastern Carpathians into Harghita County, which is a predominatly Hungarian zone. I had my first taste of Hungarian cuisine here at a little restaurant in the country on our way to Sovata. The Goulash was mmmm good and the main course of hard-boiled eggs, sausage and potatoes with paprika was tasty as well. I also sampled the local brew, "Harghita", and drank some hot tuica. Hot tuica is a whole different experience than room temperature or cold tuica. Let's just say that it "warms you up" a bit faster.

We arrived at our small hotel around 5pm. My room was warm and clean, had a shower, TV, and a bed that made you want to sleep on the floor, and neighbors that liked to party. All for only 10 Euros! We then proceeded to walk to the Hotel Danubius and its famous spa. Lacul Ursu is a thermal salt lake that is about 30 to 40 degrees celcius year-round. It is also know to have certain properties that are beneficial to one's health. Hot springs and lakes such as this one are found all over Romania and the Romanians are convinced of their healing powers. I need a little more convincing. Anyway, the hotel pumps water from the lake into an indoor pool so people can enjoy the warm salt water in a spa setting. There's a sauna, steam shower, regular chlorine pool, massage services, etc.

I had known about such places before I came to Romania. I'd seen photos of people sitting around in thermal pools and doing nothing but that. And that's exactly what I did, sit around in a crowded pool of Romanians. I'd take the occasional sauna and steam shower break, but for the most part I just soaked in the salty warm pool. It wasn't that cool. It would have been much cooler if it was outdoors and there was more room move and stretch out. Also, I could have done without the onslaught of Speedos (know what I mean?). However, I must take into account that Romanians' concept of personal space and feelings about skin display are much different than Americans'. I don't think I'll go back. Although, don't get me wrong, I had a good time with the people I was with and it was something new to experience. I'd much rather do such a thing outdoors. However, there's no getting around the Speedo issue.

The next day we had a barbeque and went to Praid, a town with a giant underground salt cave. Apparently this cave has healing properties as well and is supposed to be quite the tourist attraction. Unfortunately, it was closed. We then proceeded to drive to the city of Targu Mures and went shopping at the Selgros Cash and Carry, a Romanian version of Costco. We don't have anything like this in Piatra Neamt, so it was quite a treat to be able to shop there. I bought some new sheets and some presents for Ica's birthday (next month). We drove home and stopped for some soup and a quick look at Bistrita monastery before arriving in Piatra on Sunday night.

I left for Codlea yesterday at 7am via bus and arrived yesterday around 2:30pm. I think that yesterday's ride was the coldest to date and am glad that I had the long underwear and thermal socks on. The gore-tex boots helped as well. It's just damn cold here. Apparently, Europe is experiencing an unseasonalbly cold winter. Lucky me. I'm wearing three jackets, a hat and a scarf right now. I'm also wearing thermal socks and my feet are still cold. And no, this is not an outdoor internet cafe. I think you get the picture. C'mon spring.......

It feels good to be "home". It had been a month since I'd seen Ica and Victor; the longest period of time since I've been in Romania. They're getting some new furniture delivered tomorrow and I'm looking forward to seeing and sitting on it. I'll be here all week eating and (hopefully) getting work done for school. Must....not....sleep....till....noon....every....day.

End of the Semester

2006-01-31T17:05:00.000+02:00

That's me in front of good 'ol Hogas High. The snow's been melting this week, but I'm sure that it will return with a vengence one of these (soon to be) February days. I never thought that 3 degrees celcius would be so balmy. I actually walked around comfortably today without my polartec scarf.

A couple of milestones to mention: Last week was my 8 month anniversary in Romania. I'm about 1/3 done with my service now. Semester one ends this Friday, finally.

As I think I mentioned before, I've got a week break and then it's back to school. I'm going to head to Codlea for the break, as I haven't seen my Mama and Tata for almost a month now. That's much too long. However, I do think that spending all of this uninterrupted time at site has allowed me to adjust to my situation here a bit more. I've also solidified some relationships with my colleagues Oana and Brandusa and their husbands Radu and Ovidiu. The four of us have been hanging out quite a bit, making dinners, having drinks and watching movies. We're all approximately the same age, so it's nice to have people around that you can relate to.

I'm trying to get a project going with Ovidiu at his high school. He's a German and History teacher at the economics high school here in Piatra and has a history club. We thought that we'd do something called "History Nights" one a week for 2-3 hours. I brought 2 sets of DVD lectures with me, complete with outlines. These are complete college courses, one being the History of the United States, while the other is called "Interpreting the 20th Century: The Struggle Over Democracy". The lectures are given by some of the top academics in their fields and should prove to be a valuable resource to all of us. I hope that we can have discussion periods after we watch the lectures. This is an opportunity for interested students to take advantage of U.S. college level instruction at no cost. Brilliant! I'm sure Ovidiu and I will learn a lot as well. We're going to hook up my laptop to a projector and let it rip. I'm pretty excited about this.

What else is going on with me? Not much really. I've been getting my fair share of soccer lately as the Africa Cup of Nations has been on TV for the past week and a half. I do enjoy it. The Romanian season should be starting up soon. Piatra Neamt's team. F.C. Ceahlaul, is the top team in the B division and may get promooted to A next season. This means that the top teams will come to town, which will be cool, even though Ceahlaul will take some massive beatings. I hope that Victor and I can take a train down to Bucharest sometime in the spring and catch a Rapid game. That's our team and the stadium is near the train station. I think that we could go to a game and come home in the same day. Ahhh, c'mon spring!

So I guess I close now. I've got plenty of planning to do while in Codlea this weekend. I've got a whole new semester to prepare for. Oh yeah, my birthday's coming up soon as well.....hint, hint. Anyone need my address? Ha!

Scott

I'm Cold

2006-01-22T13:54:00.000+02:00

But not as cold as I was in this photo. Sarah took this pic when we were in Piatra Neamt and my heat was turned off during winter break for school. We both slept in long underwear and winter hats. Sarah even wore a hooded sweatshirt to bed; with the hood over her hat. It's a lot warmer in the apartment these days, but those two electric heaters you see in the photo still get quite a workout.

It's a snowy, blustery gray Sunday here in Piatra Neamt and I'm gearing up for teaching in the cold tomorrow. Last week they told me that I had to leave my classroom for two weeks (probably more like two months) because a 12th grade class was too cold in their room. Of course, the room they moved me to is an icebox. Now, I'm not saying that my original room was a sauna or anything (I still have to wear a coat in there), but this room is ridiculous. I wear a hat, scarf and coat when I teach now and the desks are cold to the touch. What to do? Not a damn thing except wait for it to warm up. I have zero confidence that the 12th grade class will be out of my room in two weeks. The heating system work that was started in October was supposed to be done "in two weeks" two months ago. There's a word in Romania, "imediat", which is kind of like "soon come" in Jamaica, which means whatever it is that you're waiting for could come shortly, take awhile, or not come at all. Cool.

I'd like to lodge another school-related complaint if I may. I got roped into being a "judge" for the English Olympiad last week. Select kids from 7th through 12th grade took exams and the best will move on to regional competition. I was pegged to grade the 8th grade exam. I did my best to be as objective as possible, but apparently this wasn't good enough. The grades were "too low" and needed to be "adjusted" because we need to "send more kids" to the competition. So, I had to "massage" some grades at the request of the English department head. Nevermind that only 3 of them were any good. And this was after they told me that I should grade hard because they wanted to "only send the best". Was I lost in translation? It sounded like English to me. Whatever. I'm not getting involved in this again. I do not agree with their methodology. One good thing, I guess, is that the judging is blind and they won't know who is who until the seal that contains the name is broken.

I've been recovering from my Sarah hangover since the last post. I'll never get over it really, but things are pretty much back to normal in terms of my mental state. I took me a few days to get re-adjusted to school after being away from the classroom for over a month, but everything is pretty much par for the course right now; except for that icebox, I mean classroom, that I'm teaching in at the moment. We've got two weeks of class left before the end of semester one and then a week break. I'll head to Codlea for the break and then resume classes on February 13th, at which point it will only be four months until school ends for the year and I get to come back home for vacation. How do I push the fast-forward button?

I have two interesting and exciting things to report for the new year. First, Skype has come out with a new version of their software that allows users with webcams to see each other while they talk. I was lucky enough to receive a webcam for Christmas from Sarah's family (thanks again David and Barbara) and am now the beneficiary of this outstanding new technology. Sarah, her brother and her parents have webcams as well and it's such a pleasure to see everyone during conversations. I even convinced my Dad to buy a webcam as well, but am still waiting to see if he can get it to work. If he can't, there's always his young friend A.J. that helps him out with computer issues. Many thanks to A.J.! Let's just say that my Dad, bless his heart, is "technologically challenged". However, he's making an effort and I appreciate that. Much love to you Pops.

Secondly, I have begun the slow process of getting involved in a secondary project here in Piatra Neamt. My site mate, Gabby, is working in a new office created by city hall to assist with E.U. integration and sustainable economic development. Such work is very intriguing to me and I hope that I can contribute. I'd like to work with Gabby in the tourism sector and get some kids from school involved as well. Part of me wishes that I could do work like this full time, but alas, that is not what I signed up for way back when. I'll make sure to keep you all updated as things progress (hopefully).

What's on tap for next semester? Well, George Orwell is coming to Hogas High (or has he already been here....). 10th grade is going to be reading Animal Farm and 11th grade will sink their teeth into one of my personal favorites, 1984. I think that these are two very important books for these kids to read given the fact that they live in a former communist state. It will be very interesting to see what they think of these books and if they can offer any unique insight. 12th grade will read articles and participate in a discussion forum that I am calling "Issues 2006". I haven't actually decided what these specific issues will be yet, but I have a general idea. British Geography and History will become American Geography and History (YESSSS!) and God knows what 9th grade English will be doing. Maybe some grammar games? A newspaper project? I haven't decided quite yet. There's still time yet.

That's about it for now. Gabby and I are going to have pizza tonight with our friend Dragos and show him some episodes of Chappelle's Show. I can't wait to hear what a Romanian has to say about the show. I'll close with a comment for all of you Chappelle fans, "I'M RICH BITCH"!

Waiting for 0 celcius,

Scott