Alimentare şi mai mult! (Food and more food!)

The other day I was told that a family of one of my students wanted to visit with me today (Sunday the 24th) and I could either go to their home for lunch or to a restaurant for dinner.  I thought that lunch at their home would be better as I didn’t want them to have to spend money on me.  Well...they must have spent a fortune on the lunch!!!  They picked me up at Noon today and brought me to their home.  From the street all you see is a narrow wall, with two windows and a gate.  Once inside the gate it was like the garden of eden!!!  After walking past the very long, lovely house, there was a flower garden bursting with roses of every color and every imaginable type of other flower.  It was a hidden oasis!  A lovely table was set outside, under an awning, with the bright blue sky above and a cool breeze in the air - it was perfect!  The grandfather was in the kitchen doing all the cooking!  The grandmother was talking to me in Romanian, a lot!  The parents were trying out their English and cracking each other up.  Their 14 year old son was being totally embarrassed by the whole thing!  

Let the feast begin!  First was a wonderful eggplant salad - basically like a baba ganoush - with fresh tomatoes on top, and fresh bread.  Then a roasted salad with eggplant, squash, red peppers, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes - and of course more bread!  After that came the ciorba - a wonderful soup with vegetables and meatballs.  (During these courses we have țuica, wine and, thankfully, some water!)  After downing the soup, it’s onto the sarmale - stuffed cabbage leaves - and some wonderful cabbage in a tomato sauce on the side.  (The grandfather was upset because he forgot to make the mamaliga!) At this point, I was pretty full, to say the least.  But we weren’t done yet!  Placed in front of me next was a plate full of roasted pork loin and fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and another salad of tomatoes and cucumbers.  Good grief...will it ever end???  The problem here is that it is all SO GOOD that you want to just eat and eat!  So that’s exactly what I did!  After chowing down some pork, et al, it was time for desert.  Out came an enormous plate of fresh fruit:  apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and apples.  Then a HUGE piece of a two layer cake:  one layer with a chocolate type moose, and the other with a nectarine moose - covered in whipped cream and a chocolate sauce - it was heaven!!  And, of course, you have to have a big bowl of strawberry and chocolate ice cream with this, right??  I was ready for a nap at this point!  Instead we went for a drive!

We drove to Orșova, which is about 26km away, to visit the Monastery of St. Ana - as I believe it was her Name Day.  I had already been there, but was glad to go again...it is so beautiful and peaceful up there!  Afterwards we stopped at a little cafe right on the river and had a beer!  After arriving back at their house it seemed to make perfect sense that we should have ANOTHER huge piece of cake and ANOTHER bowl of ice cream.  Insane!!!  Finally, around 7pm I arrived back home...a little tired and a lot stuffed!  

Flori had called me earlier in the day to say we were going to meet for a walk at 9:30pm, so I took a small nap and then met the ladies outside, thinking I was going to walk off some of that ridiculous lunch I had eaten.  No such luck.  Instead we met up with some of their other friends and went for pizza - at 10pm!!!  Good Lord!  I ended up eating about half of a deep dish pizza and drinking yet another beer.  It’s not like you can just say, “enough!!”  This gentleman was treating and everyone pretty much expects you to eat...and eat...and eat!  The Romanians are so very generous, you just can’t say no - even if your pants are about to split!  So...I never did get that walk.  Tomorrow I shall fast!

Vladimir - a future 7th grade student of mine

The grandparents

Part of the beautiful garden

Vladimir and his parents

Our view from the cafe

More view... beautiful!

Test Results - Swearing-In - Leaving Targoviște - Arriving in Severin - Vacationing in Timișoara (BUSY!!)

I did it!  After A LOT of sweating over this damn language test, it’s finally over and I got my Intermediate Low score!  It was such a stressful week leading up to it.  After the 25 minute test in which I had to sit with an instructor and have a conversation in Romanian(!) I burst into tears!  Good grief!  There’s no crying in Romania!  She must have thought I was insane...I was just so stressed, that the relief of it finally being over was too much!  So...that part is done...but, the real learning of the language has just begun.  Now I will find a tutor and keep the studying going - but at my own pace now!  Phew!

Official swear-in was on 7 July in București.  It was quite an event - held at the Ambassador's home.  What an amazing place!  It's a huge compound with an enormous yard, perfect for parties!  The day of swear-in was HOT, which seems to be normal lately, and sunny.  They set up tents outside for the event and there were many TV cameras in attendance, as this is the last swear-in Romania Peace Corps will have.  After many speeches, we took the official oath, in which we all swore to uphold the constitution, etc.  It was pretty cool, actually!  Made the impact of what i am doing set in.  Even though we are volunteers over here, we are also representatives of the USA and must uphold what that means!  There was a nice reception afterwards and we were treated to hot dogs and soda WITH ICE!!  Awesome!

The coveted Peace Corps pin!!

 Hanging with the U.S. Ambassador...

And with the Romanian PC Country Director

 Beautiful "back yard"

Sitting at the Ambassador's desk

After spending a few last days with my Gazda in Targoviște I set out for Drobeta Turnu Severin!  The train system in Romania is vast and very reliable...but in the hot summer months, sometimes the trains run slowly.  So... a trip that in a car would have taken only about 4.5 hours took me almost 10!  It's nice, though, to travel by train, as you can see the countryside.  On the way to Severin it is interesting to see the land change from flat, enormous fields of sunflowers (which are beautiful!) to the hills of Romania and Serbia hugging the Danube River.

Saying good-bye at the train station

I arrived at my new apartment and basically collapsed in a heap falling asleep on the living room sofa!  The next day brought to light some small problems with my apartment, and I have moved out to allow the landlady to fix things.  So, in the meantime I have been staying with Florintina (Flori).  She and her husband don't speak a speck of English.  They are in their 50's...she is a teacher of Romanian, and he is a judge.  They have been so very welcoming to me, it's almost embarrassing!  I was told that she loves to treat people and this is true.  She brought in a massage therapist the other day and treated me to a two hour massage and a facial.  Then last night I had a manicure and a pedicure.  She has given me three pairs of earrings and a pair of shoes!!!  It's crazy...she just keeps giving me things.  And, of course, I try to tell her it is enough, but the language barrier makes it hard.  I was told from another teacher that this is just how she is...she has the money and loves to share with others.  Wow!  Later she is taking me to visit her daughter and son-in-low in Timișoara - a wonderful, large city about 150km west of here.  We will travel by train (also her treat) and stay for about 5 days!  I am excited to go as this is supposed to be a beautiful city!  

It is HOT here!  Each day it is at least 100 degrees.  There is a lot of “siesta'ing” in the afternoons, as it's just too damn hot to go outside.  The Romanians have an issue with "currant"...it's considered bad to have moving air on your body.  This means, no cross drafts allowed.  It's okay to have a window open, but not if there is a window or door across from it.  It's okay to have a fan, but you can't point it towards you.  The air conditioning is fine, but you can't have it on at night as it's bad for you.  Ugh!!!  What I would give for central air right now.  I walk around with a hand fan and am constantly fanning myself furiously!  Even at night I keep it on the pillow so when I wake up, sweating, I can give myself a few "fans".  You all know how I love the heat, so this is probably the hardest part thus far!  Each evening Flori and I go for a walk with her friends at around 10pm, when it's cooler.  Her friends are all in their 50's and 60's - and of course, don’t speak English.  It's totally weird as they remind me of family at home; aunts and great-aunts.  Totally strange, and somewhat comforting!!!  It's good to walk with them as it makes me practice my Romanian.

Flori is the 3rd from left - our walking buddies are the other three women in the middle

Today, Claudia (one of the teachers I will work with) took me on a walk throughout the city and I saw the local library, Art Museum and the History Museum, which has lots of old Roman ruins around it...it's amazing to think of the age of these ruins!  I am excited about the library!  There are so many opportunities to use it with the kids, both this summer and when school starts.  The US Embassy here just made a huge book donation!  I am thinking of starting a little book drive for all my family, friends and faithful blog readers at home...maybe together we can make a nice donation to my school libraries while I am here!  More to come on that later - once I find out what the real needs are!!!

Library

 I love this building!

 Flori's husband works here!

Romanian's LOVE watermelon!

One of the teachers, Gabbi, and her husband took me to a neighboring town, Orșova, for a day trip.  He drove like a maniac...but we made it through the twists and turns of the road next to the Danube.  It was beautiful.  Along the road we would stop to see little churches, or just really amazing views of Serbia.  We stopped for ice cream at a lovely small hotel and then drove UP a hill to a quiet monastery.  Words cannot truly describe how peaceful and beautiful it was.  The next day they took me to a local, private pool...it was heaven!!!  We stayed all day, swimming, b-b-q’ing, sleeping in the sun.  What a life!!

 Can I look MORE like Mom???  ;)

 You can rent these little houses and stay over night!

Update:  I’ve spent the last five days in Timișoara...a large city in the south-west of the country.  Flori’s daughter, Linda and son-in-law, Cristi live here and we’ve come to visit!  The city is beautiful and it’s been a wonderful, relaxing visit.  Of course, the heat is still sweltering and every night when Linda and Cristi go to bed, the air conditioner is turned off...Ugh!!! (I know...it could be worse.  I could have been sent to the depths of Africa with no thought of air conditioners.) 

In the last days we’ve walked through the old city, eaten wonderful Italian food, shopped at a huge mall (!), gone to the cinema (Harry Potter!!!), and walked to markets!  The interesting thing in Romania is that you walk everywhere.  If you want to go to the mall, you walk to the nearest bus station (over a mile away in this case) and then take the bus to the mall.  If you want to head to the market, you walk there.  Some people have cars...but even then, you walk whenever you can.  Gas is expensive and feet are free!!  

Opera House

Orthodox Cathedral

Tomorrow (Thursday) we return to Severin.  I will move back into my place on Friday and then I plan to get with my counterparts and the Library and start some projects for the summer!!  I am very ready to be in my own place.  I have not completely unpacked since I got here in April...I can't even remember what I brought!  Sorry this was so long.  And...I didn't even get to that history I promised...next time!