Update

Okay... I can't seem to figure out the whole picture thing, so I will add my updates with the pics and hope it works...I will continue trying to find out why the heck they aren't staying!  Ugh!!!  So, here are some updates!

Now the work begins!

We spendt A LOT of time in this school.  Peace Corps rented out an entire floor and we have all our language classes and group sessions here.  Since the spring has been unusually cold the rooms are COLD!  But we’re busy working, so the time goes fast.  We have a break room where we all eat lunch together and there is a little store nearby where we can go get a coffee or tea at lunch.

Cinco de’Mayo

Never let it be said that I’ll miss out on a celebration!!  A few of us went out after class to “The English Pub” to drink to Cinco de’Mayo!

Some of the sights on my way to school.

It was a beautiful day and I think these pictures in this weather really show off what a beautiful city and country this is!!!  There are lilac trees everywhere!  They are called liliac and this is also the word for “bat” (as in the flying around bat)...one word, two totally different meanings!

One week down... Nine to go!  Time to celebrate (again!)!

We were all so happy to make it through one full week of language classes that we had to go have pizza and a beer!  It was great!  Our only problem is that we are still too loud as a group and get way too much attention.  We (I) must practice being quieter!  :) 

An outing with my Gazda.

My Gazda family (Carmelia, Cezar and their son Vlad) took me out to lunch and then for a walk at the local park, which is lovely!  There is an area where they have busts of all Romanian kings along the sides.  There’s a zoo here as well, which I will have to get to one of these days.  It was another beautiful day, which made it all that much better!

My room!

To share with you how very hospitable the Romanian people are my Gazda has given me the one and only bedroom in their home.  It is quite cozy with a nice bed, desk (for all my homework!), and I have rigged a little clothes line to dry my towels, scarves, etc.  (Remember...it’s been raining a lot!)

A walk to the Sunday market in my neighborhood.

What an interesting experience this was.  Each Sunday people bring their items to sell to the local market area.  There was about everything you could think of...especially animals.  I saw some of the biggest rabbits and chickens I’ve every seen.  People come to buy live food for weekly meals, or maybe to buy some animals to bring home for eggs, breeding, etc.  There were peacocks, pigeons, rabbits, chickens of every sort, roosters, little chicks...it was something!

Saturday in the country!

My Gazda mother is best friends with the Gazda mother of another PC’er (Grant).  On Saturday Carmelia, Cezar and I went to the country to visit them.  What a day!  We sat outside all day, evening, and night...eating LOTS of meat, drinking tuica, listening and dancing to traditional Romanian music, and enjoying each others company.  It was great!

A visit to Manastirea Dealu 

I did Practicum at a local middle school (grades 1-8) and two of the teachers planned an outing last Sunday to walk to a local Monastery with some Peace Corps volunteers and any students who wanted to participate.  We had about 14 PC’ers and over 30 students!  It was a beautiful (and hot!) day.  We walked a total of about 12km up and down to the Monastery and stopped for a picnic along the way.  In the first picture you can just see the Monastery in the far background.  It was peaceful and beautiful!  The kids were so great...they practiced their English and we practiced our Romanian!  They are MUCH better than we are!