Rambling in Romania...again!: Go Outside!!!

It’s Saturday morning in Romania and I’m doing what every dedicated Peace Corps volunteer should be doing - frantically watching episodes of Big Bang Theory, free on Romanian internet! I’d been doing this for, like, 2+ hours already (I know...it’s very disappointing to hear that) and during this time there was this... music going on outside, like, right outside my window. I was pretty much ignoring it, because I had very important things going on inside (If you've never watched Big Bang Theory, you should!). It was LOUD, frantic, brass music - so loud that at one point I actually got up and closed my window! They kept playing the same song over, and over, and over again. It was very disruptive!

Finally, as I waited for yet another episode to start streaming it hit me...um, I’m in ROMANIA and I’m ignoring something that is obviously trying to get my attention!!! Sometimes even Peace Corps volunteers can be a bit dim!

So, I get up, get dressed and go outside...to find a parade getting ready to start!! The staging area had been across the street in the park. There were bands and tons of people milling around. I mean really...how did I miss that little fact! So, I did what any good volunteer should do...I followed the parade! We paraded all the way across town to the “forest” where there was an actual festival occurring...the autumn festival! Go figure! I guess it pays to get out of bed in the morning, huh?

I had actually know that some type of music festival was occurring in the forest that night...already had plans to attend with a friend, so I opted to wait and go in with her later. So, since I was already halfway to mecca, I finished the walk to Carrefour.

Ahhhh, Carrefour! This is a chain of stores from France (I think) that is scattered throughout Romania. I am lucky enough to have two in Severin. One nice, smaller grocery store about 10 minutes from my apartment and one SUPER STORE about a 45+ minute walk away. It’s like shopping at a super Target...I love it!!! I tend to go there every two weeks or so (I force myself to walk there and I get to take a taxi home!). Okay, I go there every week! I can't help myself, I love that place. I can find all sorts of fun things at Carrefour...cheddar cheese (!), chocolate, Doritos, decent hair dye, chocolate, school supplies, chocolate...you know, all the things a girl needs! And not only is there the SUPER Carrefour, but lots of other little shops too. It’s not big enough to be called a mall, but it’s the next best thing!! So after spending too much money on food and “stuff”, I took a taxi home to rest up for the evening festivities!

So...evening arrives and I walk back to the forest. We’re not even half way there and you can hear the music wafting through the air. The forest is FULL of people having fun. We look for the friends we were meeting and then got down to business...what to eat?? There were lots of food options. I ended up having mici (sort of like little sausages on the grill) with lots of mustard, some bread and beer! Typical festival fare! There were tons of different booths selling food - mostly all types of meats, potatoes, veggies - and all on the grill. Romanians love to grill!! It smelled great and tasted better. The beer was good and cold and only cost 2.50R for a cup of draft. (That’s under $1 for those of you converting!) There were booths selling toys for the kids (too many toy guns!) and then goods for the grownups - wine, clothes, kitchen stuff, coats and hats. And when I say coats, I mean fur and leather! And when I say hats, I mean fur! Seriously, there were tons of fur hats and coats. (Mom...like the one Stephen bought you in Russia!) I’m thinking, however, that they were most likely synthetic furs...there were just too many of them and although really expensive, probably not expensive enough. But they sure were purty!

After walking around, seeing sights, listening to music, eating good food, drinking cold beer and visiting with people, I walked home. I even got to talk to my sister Julie on the way home (It’s her B-Day on Monday!!!). The day might have started out pretty, darn lame, but it ended with a bang!! Glad I pulled myself away from the computer and went outside!!!