London Calling and I'll Be Home for Christmas (I'm going back to Indiana)

Do you like my song choices for the title of this blog?  I sure do!  I'm off to London and Cambridge for Ioana's interview, and then as the Jackson 5 sang, I'm going back to Indiana.  That's right folks. I'll be home for Christmas and this year it isn't in my dreams!!  I've had a sing-songy kind of day...it's been nice! 

Anyway, the reason for this post is to tell you all that I'll be gone until 2010. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 
Peace & God's Blessings to each and every one of you!

Being Grateful. Thanksgiving 2009

This was my second Thanksgiving in Romania.  The first one was delightful, but I think I spent too much time thinking about what I was missing back home rather than what I was grateful for right where I was.  This year I was determined to be present and grateful in the moment.

Thanksgiving #1

As a PCV community, we were all honored with an invite to the Ambassador's residence in Bucharest for Thanksgiving.  This honor had been extended once before when the previous Ambassador was here, and Ambassador Gitenstein and his wife were gracious enough to extend it once again this year.

It's odd, suddenly finding yourself in a formal situation...Romania has changed me.

After the nervous arrival getting our id's checked, greeting the Ambassdor and his wife, and passing on the gift of zacusca I grabbed a drink and settled down to enjoy, what for me was, a once in a lifetime opportunity.  The Thanksgiving spread was delicious, and the conversation and sharing of thanks reminded me of all the blessings bestowed upon me and how very grateful I am for each one.(fyi-I was not thankful for the heels I wore to hike across Bucharest...)

Thank you Mr. Ambassador and Mrs. Gitenstein for your hospitality and generosity! 

Thanksgiving #2
While I may have felt a bit uncomfortable in the formal setting the day before, my second Thanksgiving in Miercurea Ciuc was the opposite.  Amanda and I headed north to Miercurea Ciuc to visit Richard, another PCV.  I hadn't really gotten to know Richard before this, and yet he graciously opened his home to me and welcomed me with a big hug!  Richard, his daughters, and other volunteers prepared a wonderful meal; and as we all sat around the table I was reminded of how much I love and am grateful for the Peace Corps.  It truly is a community of individuals from all over the United States that support each other and try their darnedest to help others and represent the U.S. well.

Home, family, and friends certainly crossed my mind during Thanksgiving as they have everyday I've been away; but this year I was grateful for it all.  The homesickness, the food, the friends, the hospitality, the weather...it's not about what I'm missing; it's about what I'm experiencing!  Same goes for you!

School's Out until 2010 for me.

I've spent a significant amount of time being angry over the current situation in the Romanian education system, but I've given myself some time to process and calm down a bit before writing this post.  Due to the current economic crisis, the Romanian gov't decided to reduce teachers' salaries by 30% this year in order cut back the budget.  The result was that this semester is shortened by 10 days because teachers aren't being paid for them. I understand why teachers wouldn't work when they aren't being paid, and I liked seeing the passion for teaching and children come out in the arguments that were had concerning this situation in the teacher's lounge. It's also interesting because, in the two years I've been here in Romania, teacher's have been promised the doubling of their salaries (which never occurred and resulted in strikes), and then they have had a large portion of their already too small salaries lessened by 30%.  I understand the necessity of making difficult decisions, but I will never be a supporter of any decision that takes valuable hours of learning away from children.

That being said, I like vacations!!  Who doesn't??  School is out until 2010 for me because of the Dec. 1 Romanian national unification holiday and added vacation days combined with a trip to London I will be taking next week!  That's right!!  LONDON!!  My friend/student Ioana received an interview invitation at Cambridge University in the U.K.  She asked me to come along with her and of course I couldn't say no!  So as much as I'll miss my students and colleagues...I'm enjoying some free days in my Romanian hometown, taking a trip to London, and then getting all packed up and flying back to Indiana for Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving...I certainly did!  I'm currently writing about my Thanksgiving 2009 adventure.  I'll post it soon.

Help!

Do all the good you can, and make as little fuss about it as
possible.
-Charles Dickens

Friday night I had just laid down to go to sleep at around 11:45. I had a headache, and I thought that I just needed a bit of sleep. Not long after I laid down, my gas alarm in the kitchen began to sound. I hopped out of bed to discover that my headache was worse, I was a bit dizzy, and I was also slightly disoriented. I clumsily made my way to the kitchen and living room to open the doors to my balcony. It was a bit chilly so I grabbed the nearest jacket I could find and my cell phone and then headed out to sit on the balcony for some fresh air. Once I was breathing in some fresh air I immediately began to feel better. While I sat there I realized how incredibly lucky I had been. The stumbling around my apartment, and trying to think of what to do, led to me thinking about what could have happened...I don't want to be overly dramatic, but death crossed my mind. Through tears and deep breathing of fresh air, I called my friends in my neighborhood hoping someone would answer even though it was midnight. I didn't get an answer on the first couple of tries so I decided to call my counterpart. She took charge! She told me to call my friend Dana's mom, Doina, and to ask if I could stay with her. I have many mothers/grandmothers here in Tarnaveni, and she is one of them. Doina made me some tea and rubbed my back while I tried to make my crying desist. I am currently getting the gas leak in my apartment fixed, and I'm feeling just fine

Lesson Learned:
It's a lesson I've learned before, but somehow I always seem to forget it
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LET OTHERS HELP YOU! SOMETIMES YOU NEED OTHER PEOPLE'S HELP
Peace Corps Volunteers, me included, are often independent people who like to take care of things on their own. We like to do as much good as we can without making too much of a fuss, which is why I often think about the Charles Dickens quotation I included above. I sat on my balcony, still feeling a little panicky about the situation, I was thinking of what to do. Do I really need to call people for help? Can I handle this myself? Do I want to let people see me cry? What if I would have passed out??? All of these things ran through my mind. I decided to make the phone call, and what I've been blessed with since is an outpouring of concern and love! It's a humbling experience to face something out of your control, to deal with a life threatening situation, to simply ask for help.... I'm glad I called. I did exactly as I should in the situation, and I can take care of myself; but that doesn't mean I don't need the help of others. It is not weak to ask for help...sometimes it can be empowering to the other person when you ask for their help, and sometimes it can be a comfort and pleasant surprise of how much you are loved.

Why it's all worth it

It's little things like this that remind me why I joined the Peace Corps, and why I love being a teacher.

Two nights a week I sign onto Yahoo Messenger to speak with my students in English. I correct them and I will only speak with them if they try to write in English. Here is one of my most recent conversations that filled my heart with joy.

alex: yeeeeeeeeeeeee
alex: you are so good with us!!
Me: I hope so. I'm glad you have fun with English
alex: because of you I like Enghlish
Me: thank you. that makes me happy
alex: I hope so!!
alex: The WORLD have need people like you

I have tears in my eyes from that conversation. I don't deserve to have such nice things said about me. My kids are amazing...they make me better!

We find greatest joy, not in getting, but in expressing what we are...Men do not really live for honors or for pay; their gladness is not the taking and holding, but in doing, the striving, the building, the living. It is a higher joy to teach than to be taught. It is good to get justice, but better to do it; fun to have things but more to make them. The happy man is he who lives the life of love, not for the honors it may bring, but for the life itself. --R.J. Baughan

Integration --> A Double-Edged Sword

As I walked to school on Wednesday, I ran into two people I knew on the street. Nothing was particularly special about the day or the conversations that were had except for one thing...each of them commented on how well I fit in here. I said "Pa"(goodbye) to each of them and then continued along the path to school. Once I arrived, my counterpart also commented on my integration into our little Transylvanian community.

Integration is one of the goals PCV's strive for within their community. Sometimes I thought I'd never get there. I'm elated that I've accomplished this goal to an extent, but I have mixed feelings about people telling me I'm acting or looking Romanian. I think this is because I'm down to my last 8 months in the Peace Corps. I've decided against extending and every moment I'm acutely aware that the end of this experience is quickly approaching. I know I shouldn't be thinking about this yet. I try very hard to be present in the here and now, but I can't help but think about how I am going to prepare myself to leave this place I've called home for the past two years. How am I going to react to life back in Indiana? I'd wager to say that nearly every volunteer deals with these anxieties; they got through it and so will I, but it's going to be tough.

Integration is a double-edged sword to me. It makes my life in Romania feel immensely rewarding and full of joy; but then it also makes it all the more difficult and painful to say goodbye.

Martin Luther said "Pray and let God worry." So I'm going to say a prayer tonight, and then I will deal with these worries when I'm actually staring the reality of leaving in the fata (face).

IF

I was attempting to read the 8th grade Civics textbook this morning; I say attempting because of course it is in Romanian. I was pleasantly surprised to find a familiar poem when I cracked the binding to the old, dusty manual.
In it I found the following which I hadn't read in quite awhile...

If by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters
just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Rainy Day in Tarnaveni

I like rainy days. They give me a chance to catch up on the things I put off when it is sunny and beautiful outdoors. Today I have 3 hours at school with a fereastra (window) at 11. The mechanic at school cancelled his hour because he is very busy preparing the school for winter so I'm currently sitting in the cancelaria (teacher's lounge) writing a message to you all.

I feel good about everything. I feel like I'm really busy, although I'm being careful not to confuse activity with accomplishment; there is still a lot of work to be done in the time I have left here in Romania. I have lots of projects in the planning stages, my classes are all going well, and I've got lots of personal tutoring sessions scheduled weekly. However, there is still something missing at school. My counterpart is distant and distracted...this limits the amount of work we are able to accomplish together. I've branched outside of my school to start working with the kids' club and Rroma (gypsy) school in town. I wish I would have known about the kids' club earlier in my PC service because it is a great resource for my town, but it is also poorly promoted. My colleagues are often surprised when I tell them where I volunteer in T-Veni in addition to my school, but I get a lot of satisfaction out of going to the parts of town in which people don't expect me to go. I've had meetings with the directors (principals), and I hope that Tarnaveni will open its arms to another volunteer in the future like it has to me.

Weekend in "the Dirty South"

Disclaimer about the title: I mean nothing by the "dirty." I found it adequately clean.

I had a dentist and a doctor appt. down in Bucuresti on Thursday and Friday so I decided to make a weekend out of my trip to the south in Romania. A few other volunteers and I visited Katherine in her town along the Danube River for a TexMex dinner night and a paper mache activity with kids near her town. Eu Reciclez!! (I Recycle in Romanian) We also ate al fresco at a charming little Lebanese restaurant with bunnies hopping about the area. I found her site along the border of Bulgaria to be charming and full of surprises. Check out some pictures from the activity below:

Exhaustion & Happiness

Over the past few weeks, I've been exhausted and felt like hiding from the world. I'm sure almost all of you can identify with that in one way or another.

I could have easily locked myself in my apartment and ignored all the screaming children below my balcony and all the knocking on my door, although then I'd really have no excuse for all the cleaning and laundry I've been putting off. Believe me I was tempted (I can only take hearing MISS TARA, MISS TARA so many times before my head starts to ache)...then I heard all the maxims the Peace Corps likes to inspire us with such as:

The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love

How Far Are You Willing To Go

Make yourself go outside your comfort zone!

Say YES to every opportunity!

These may seem obvious and a tad cliche, and they are, but that doesn't make them easy to follow! Being outside my comfort zone has been a daily occurrence over the past 16 months of my life, and yet I've found there is always another threshold to surpass when it comes to being comfortable.

I like to let things come to me. One of my favorite activities is to choose a bench in town and just sit while taking in the world around me. Sometimes people sit down next to me and we strike up a conversation; other times people simply stare at me like I'm an alien (which is some ways here in Romania may not be far from the truth). This is one part of my weekly "social day" as my friend Ioana calls it. My "social day" is a random acts of kindness kind of thing. I just go out and do nice things for people. Simple as that! I've always admired John Wooden, and he says "You can't live a perfect day without doing something nice for someone who can never repay you." Wise words from the Wizard of Westwood. I'll never want repaid...I simply want them to pass it on!

Saying YES to nearly everything lately has driven me to the point of exhaustion. And it's probably the happiest I've been in reference to feeling like an effective PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer). I'm not sure how long I can keep up this pace, but I'll try my darnedest to keep doing the same things wherever I am for the rest of my life!

Alright! Well I better get going again! I'm loving my life in Transylvania!

This is a little corny below, but I definitely use coffee to get me through the day...if you want information on the Peace Corps click below!

Love thy neighbor; Love thyself

Sometimes things come out of nowhere to restore your faith in humanity.

The people that live in my bloc neighborhood are generally thought to be some of the poorest people in Tarnaveni. There are exceptions, Dana and Relu being one, and the situation has improved in recent years, but the majority of my neighbors do not have a lot of money. That being said, I just saw people throwing money off of their balconies as a man sang traditional Gypsy and Romanian songs in the courtyard. The man singing was accompanied by a Rroma man suffering from severe clubfoot. People in the courtyard were applauding the man's singing, people came out onto their balconies to listen, and people opened up their already shallow wallets to give what they could to help another human being.

What I saw today inspired me! It was kind. It was generous. It had nothing to do with race.
It had everything to do with love. Love thy neighbor! Love thyself!

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

First, I'd like to say that I hope everyone has taken a moment to remember what happened on this day 8 years ago. I think it's appropriate that it has now been made a "National Day of Service" because it is the collective actions of our entire nation and the rest of the world that will help rid the world of hate.


There are significant moments that define generations. When I was a little kid, I remember learning something in school and immediately asking my grandparents how it impacted their lives. As a history teacher, I often read primary sources of people sharing where they were, what they were doing, and how they felt in reference to events such as: Dec. 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor), Nov. 22, 1963 (Pres. Kennedy's assassination), Nov. 9, 1989 (the Berlin wall "fell"), etc. I'd wager that nearly all Americans can recount how they felt and what they were doing the morning of 9/11; I certainly can.

I was a senior in high school. I had been listening to a cd on my drive to school so I didn't hear about what was going on until my classmates and I boarded the bus for a field trip to the Fort Wayne library to research for a paper we were assigned. Upon arriving at the library we watched on TV as the second tower fell. Needless to say, not much research was accomplished that day. We returned to school just in time for me to go to my internship in Mr. O'Dell's 8th grade history class. I was allowed to help teach and to share my opinion on the events of the day. I listened as the 8th graders expressed their grief, frustration, and thoughts on what should be done, and I made my own decisions about what I believed was the proper response. It's one of the moments where I felt my calling to teach and pursue my passion for history. However, it wasn't until recently that I've come to realize it was also one of the moments that made me want to be a Peace Corps volunteer.

As a PCV here in Romania, I've had plenty of opportunities to hear my fellow community members' reactions to Sept. 11, 2001. I've fielded their questions about what I was doing, how I felt...and I've also received condolences from them. It's a moment that reminds me how much I love America, but it's also a moment that makes me realize just how interconnected we our as human beings. People from small Romanian villages felt the impact of that day! It reminds me of the quotation [by Socrates or Diogenes, I forget which] that states, "I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world." It's part of what the Peace Corps is all about...sharing our lives and experiences with those around us and in return learning from their experiences.

Go out and heed the call to service in whatever way suits you...even if it's just showing kindness to those around you!

Peace & God's Blessings to you on this day and everyday!

What I've Been Missing (Part 2)

I am often asked, by people at home and people here in Romania, what it is that I miss the most from home. I usually come up with some goofy thing to say to make people laugh. School started back up for teachers on Sept. 1, and I've been answering lots of questions and dealing with the amazement from my colleagues that I didn't go back to America for the summer. After having a long conversation with my friend Valentin, I've decided to make a list of the things I miss most so I can easily answer this question in the future. I thought I'd share it with you.

A List of Things I Miss From America/Back Home in Indiana (in no particular order):

• Of course--Family and Friends
• Mexican food!
• Going to church on Sunday morning
• the Lake
• Fairs and Festivals. Specifically Street Fair and 4-H Fair
  
• Sunday dinner at Grandma's house and all of Grandma's cooking
  
• family reunions every December and June
• dominating everyone in Jeopardy. lol
• having packages delivered to my doorstep
• Driving and my car (I hope the Turtle is still running when I get home!)
• baseball games
• gyms where it is acceptable for me to lift weights
• Wii. Beating my little brother in MarioKart Racing
• breakfast at the Snug or Richards
• casseroles. hashbrown, green bean, etc...it's just not the same here.
  
• country and Christian music on the radio
• Jefferson Pointe
• rodeos and demolition derbies
• candy apples
  
• Friday night high school football games, College Gameday Saturdays, and the Colts on Sundays
• tailgating
  
• rectangular hay bales
• thick steaks, brats, and good cheeseburgers on the grill
• Buffalo Wings and fun nights at B-dubs!
• a shower curtain
  
• adjustable water temperature
• a person at school that will make copies for you
• the Library w/ more than 5 books in English
• my BlackBerry even though I have two cell phones here.
• being able to talk to people without scheduling it because of the time difference.
• going to the movie theater
• Chinese take-out
• my friends' weddings
• haircuts and eyebrow waxing

There are more things, but I can't think of any right now. Don't think for a second that I sit around dwelling on all of these things that I'm missing. For each of these things there are multiple things I'm experiencing for the first time, learning about, exploring, and enjoying! I'm loving life

What I've been missing (Part 1)

Some of you might have picked up on the fact that I've been struggling lately. I've been stressed and frustrated with current projects, planning, relationships, loneliness, etc. Today blew all those worries out of the water and helped me refocus on the positives.

Sept. 1st is the first day of school for teachers here in Romania. I vividly remember this day last year, and I can still picture the terrified Tara that bashfully walked into the cancelaria (teacher's lounge) unsure of what was to come. My, how things have changed. I walked into the cancelaria today with my head up ready for the millions of kisses my cheeks were about to receive. I kind of felt like the kids in movies who hide from old ladies lined up to dole out kisses and lipstick imprints. Only I wasn't hiding! I was like--Bring it on!! Then Natalia handed me a tissue to wipe the lipstick off my cheeks. I chatted up the colleagues I've grown to love, and I met some of my new colleagues as well. And to top things off, my director is back and in full force after defeating thyroid cancer! Booya! I loved the feeling of belonging within my school, Generala 1, but I forgot how long and boring consiliu profesorals (in-service meetings) are. At least I understand what they are talking about now!! I'm gonna rock it this year!

After school, I had a scheduled practice test for the IELTS exam with Ioana in the library; and then I walked home. However, this wasn't just your typical walk home. No siree! This was one of those walks where I felt like it could be a movie montage. The sun was shining brightly, my little Transylvanian town was full of energy, and I kept seeing people I knew and subsequently waving at them like an idiot. After crossing the bridge, I decided to veer off and walk home along the river. I had my headphones on bopping along to some vintage Beatles pop classics; and as I walked, crickets would jump and butterflies were fluttering around everywhere. Good Lord I sound like a Disney movie! And then I was reminded of this Emerson quotation, "Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air..." It's the wonder of life I've been missing. I've been focusing so much on my struggles that I forgot to take a few moments to sit in awe and wonder at the sheer beauty of my surroundings and my good fortune to be here.

Okay. I know I'm getting a little dreamy and sappy so I'll give it a rest. I'm just thrilled that for the first time in a while I can't keep a silly grin off my face.

While I can't give you the 360 degree experience, I'll put up some pictures shortly from a little sightseeing I did around town. People keep asking me why I like Tarnaveni...it's just a little, bleak, industrial town...but I say it's pretty!!

Thoughts at 2 in the Morning

Sometimes things keep me up at night. I'm one of those people that can't really turn off the brain when head meets pillow. I've never minded this much. More often than not it has been a sign that I need some one-on-one time with God. I don't make time for meditation and prayer as I should...sometimes it takes my spirit stirring at 2 in the morning to get me back on track. God meets me right where I am, and I'd wager the same is true for you whether you know it or not. Currently you'll find me sitting on my bedroom floor, reading Romans, swatting mosquitos, and listening to Romanian dance music from the bloc next to mine.

On this balmy, August night while reading through Romans, I got the wake-up call my soul has needed. The challenges for my 2nd year of Peace Corps have quickly been presenting themselves. I wasn't prepared for them; or rather I had prepared myself on my own accord rather than on God's. I guess I'm telling you all this because I need some accountability. I know the next 11 months are going to go fast. In some ways I welcome this because it brings me back home all that much sooner; however it also means I only have a short time in which to help my community. It'll all be okay. I know that...it always is. I just need to "lean not on my own understanding"...you know what I mean.

Romans 8:28 & Romans 12:1-2

Summer is almost over

I heard this the other day, and I wanted to share it with you to give you a tiny idea of the size of Transylvania. Transylvania is a geographic region of Romania, east of Hungary, approximately the size of the state of Indiana. That's right! Go Hoosiers!

It's been a great summer for me here in Romania. I've lived the village life, hiked in the untouched landscape of Transylvania, working a summer camp, learned a bit of Hungarian, spent time with my fellow volunteers, learned a few things about myself, and much more.

One of my favorite parts of the summer was visiting another volunteer who works a farm in the center region of the country. Even though it is the heart of Romania, 90%+ of the population speaks Hungarian. I went out to get to know some of the volunteers from Group 24 I hadn't met yet. It was a blast! We worked alongside some British conservation volunteers on a work holiday, and we went out to the Vârghis Gorge to camp with them for a few days. I helped mark some trails, built an outhouse door, saw a newborn baby foal, swam in what I think was the Mures River, and generally enjoyed communing with nature. It was nice to experience the food, culture, and surroundings with people that haven't been here in Romania for an extended period of time. Sometimes I forget just how spectacular it is! A highlight would have to be the first night we were camping out in the gorge, A few of us volunteers, the British volunteers, Hungarians, Romanians, and Rroma (gypsy) all gathered around a campfire during a beautiful meteor shower. We sang along with people playing the guitar and banjo. We drank some palinka. It was amazing!


School doesn't officially start here until the middle of September. I'm not sure if you all remember that from last year or not. I'm a little nervous about it because I know once school starts my Peace Corps service will quickly, maybe even frantically, come to an end. However, I am ready for year 2 and for the challenges, failures, and successes!

A great reminder of what it means to have a "servant's heart"

As the last day of July is quietly put to bed I figured I better write about the past month. It began with relaxation after a fantastic vacation in Greece with my family and ended with more relaxing, but in between was craziness! I spent a week working at a camp up in the northern portion of Romania, near a city called Satu Mare. (Google it if you are curious) At the camp were 90+ kids, many of which only spoke Hungarian a language I speak next to nothing of, that I and 4 other PCV's were responsible for entertaining and teaching English. Exhausting! Sleeping in the same room as ten 11-12 year old girls is not conducive to the amount of sleep I need to function. Needless to say, all of us volunteers survived.

Satu Mare and camp pictures

Now what I really want to talk about...while at camp and in Satu Mare, I met what could possibly be the nicest couple I've ever met in my 25 years on this earth. Loren and Ottilia and their children Mate and Dora are an adorable and extremely generous family. They stayed up late to wait on Kaitlin and I to arrive at the train station and to stay a night in their apartment. They prepared a wonderful spread for dinner and breakfast for us. Ottilia went out of her way to care for all of us volunteers during camp. The children are precious and constantly greeted me with hugs and high-fives! Then after camp they invited us to stay another night...we went out for a fantastic meal (the best I've had here in Romania) and then we toured Satu Mare before stumbling into and out of a Timisoreana Beer Festival in town. I was just blown away by their graciousness and the fact that they did it just because that's who they are. What a great example of what it means to serve your fellow man and expect nothing in return.

I really hope to keep in touch with them and maybe even stop in for a visit if I'm up north again.

Just across the hall...

I've been living in my humble, little bloc apartment for nearly 12 months...and yesterday was the first time I'd seen the lady that lives across the hall from me. We passed in the hall, and the sweet woman told me she is my next door neighbor! I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 12 MONTHS!! How did I not know the person that lives just across the hall from me?! Crazy. I immediately felt bad...I'm naturally a little reserved so it's not the easiest task for me to get to know my neighbors, but I'm over that because I still have another 11 months to get to know this new neighbor better!

Anyway. My toasted, red, splotchy self was walking home from the pool today and my new acquaintance was sitting on the steps in front of the building. I apologize...I have yet to learn her name, but I promise that will be the next question I ask her. She politely asked me to sit down next to her for a chat in the shade (she warned me it was just too hot in the building to go up quite yet). I've learned that Romanians don't hold back too many personal details in conversations, and this was another instance to prove that point. I asked her how she was...she said she has diabetes so things are hard for her. She has 4 children...3 are married and her youngest daughter (25) still lives with her and her husband! Rock on! I don't feel bad at all for living with my parents when I get home! We had a nice little chat, and I told her that today was my parents' 26th wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad--she sends you sănătate (health) and o casă de piatra (a house of rock).

How did I not know this lovely woman during my past 12 months living here? She seems delightful. Pardon me...I'm going to make some sugar free muffins to show my affection for my neighbor just across the hall!

It's All Greek To Me! --but no self-respecting Cretan says they are Greek!

I just got back from a great vacation with the family in Greece!! The trip is nearly ineffable, but I'll do my best to give you some little snippets.

Arriving in Athens was an emotional moment for me because I knew my family would be waiting for me there. Thinking that it would be a big deal, I tried to plan out exactly how I would act; but the reality was that it just felt normal for my brother to tell me I looked weird to him and for my mom to give me a hug. Trisha and Dad said "Hey" and then we were all off on our 8 day adventure! Dad did an excellent job of asking questions all week when we were unsure of things, which was often. When I got there they'd already figured out which bus to take to Port Piraeus and bought the round-trip ferry tix for Crete. Somehow we all got on the bus with our luggage, and then we stumbled along the port until we found the Superfast Ferry bound for Iraklion, Crete.

We arrived in Iraklion around 10 pm and then took a taxi to Village Heights resort. We upgraded our room to a beautiful two bedroom, two level apartment and were placed in an available room until ours was ready; mom and Trisha unpacked too early because we had to change rooms the next day to an even better room with an incredible view of Hersonissos. We lounged around the resort the next day in order for my family to overcome their jetlag. We had activities throughout the day such as darts, cocktail bingo, etc. with Ivan and Zdenek...Tyler and I took home some diplomas for winning while Trisha and Mom were content on just laying out in the sun. Lucky for all of us, the island straddles Mediterranean and North African weather, and it was beautiful all week. We also had some great meals all week, but I was never really able to sell my family on Greek food, Ouzo, or Raki. It's just not their taste I guess, but I was in heaven!! I loved getting free shots of Ouzo and Raki (Ouzo tastes like black licorice and Raki is a strong spirit made of fermented grape leaves) or watermelon at restaurants when we'd finished our meal. My favorite moments at the resort were swimming in the infinity pool, late night chats and drinks at the pool bar, and playing cards on our deck looking out over the city, the Mediterranean, and the mountains. I want to be back there already living the island lifestyle and soaking in the sun.

We spent a couple of days traveling down to Hersonissos to explore. I loved stumbling onto one of the first Christian churches on Crete and just wandering along the rocky coastline. We took a boat trip to Sissi, and with the anchor down in one of the bays we all jumped off the side of the boat into the bluest water I've ever seen...even Mom just stepped up and plunged into the sea!! Around Hersonissos we loved the fresh orange juice offered everywhere along with all the friendly smiles and greetings. It's not quite the busy season yet so it was nice to have much of the city to ourselves. On one of the last days we went down to the beach to layout and swim. Dad and Tyler went off exploring a cave on the far end of the beach, and unfortunately Tyler's foot slid into a sea urchin. He had to go to the hospital to get the spines cut out, but other than a little stinging I think he was alright.

Finally, we took a day trip to see the ancient Minoan Palace of Knossos. You cannot go to Crete and not see this archaeological site! Throughout my life I've struggled to get my family interested in some of the things I'm passionate about, namely history and archaeology. Knossos was something I'd wanted to see since I was 11 years old and first studied the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. In 6th grade I even built my own labyrinth, created my own minotaur, and put a little action figure with string tied to him for a project! I'm pleased to say I think my family really enjoyed seeing it, and I hope it at least reminded them that history really is fascinating and not boring! After being blown away in Knossos we wanted to go check out the Venetian Fortress along the port in Heraklion...so we wandered around admiring the combination of Greek/Cretan, Venetian, and even Turkish/Ottoman culture and architecture before jumping aboard a bus we hoped was the right one back to Hersonissos.

After all the fun on Crete, we had to end our trip sometime...so we said goodbye to Village Heights and hopped aboard the overnight ferry to Athens. We slept the whole way on the ferry so we were ready for a little sightseeing in Athens before my family and I had to part ways for one more year. We dropped our luggage off at our hotel and immediately headed for the Acropolis! This was something special for the whole family! As we stood atop the Acropolis looking up at the Parthenon we were all speechless. Mom made the comment that she never thought she'd actually see anything like this in person...she said she always knew I would see these things, but she never thought she'd get to do it. Hearing that made the whole trip even better for me! My family and I may have different interests, different tastes in food, and different senses of adventure; but it doesn't stop us from enjoying our time together and helping each other do things that put us out of our comfort zones and help us grow as a family and as individuals! Overall I was really proud of my family...it was there first international trip and they did wonderfully dealing with all the different languages around us and the unknown surroundings.

Final Thoughts on the trip:

• I'm in love with Cretian sunsets!
  
• Distance and time cannot deteriorate the love of family.
• My brother can officially beat me up now...I do not like that he now is much stronger than me and towers over me!
• I was tempted to just exchange my ticket back to Bucharest toward a one way ticket back to Indiana...but I resisted the temptation and can't wait to finish up my Peace Corps service back here in Tarnaveni, Romania!!
• Feta Cheese is delicious.
• Sitting on the Aeropagus contemplating the apostle Paul standing in the same place was a numinous moment for me.
• I could listen to the Zorba the Greek song everyday...and I did for the past week!
  
• There is nothing like watching the rest of your family jump off an old fishing boat into the Mediterranean and seeing them smile as they return to the surface or seeing their faces crunch up at they take a sip of Raki!!
• Time with family anywhere in the world is an awesome vacation for me!
  

I've been slacking on the blog writing...I know!

Hey everyone!

My first school year in Romania has come to an end. I made it, and now I don't have to see the dreadful Catalog again until Fall!! The past week was full of parties, ceremonies, and a few tearful goodbyes. We sent the 8th graders off in style, and I will certainly miss them. The students all have my messenger account so they'll promised they'd contact me to hang out. We'll see how that goes. I assured them that I'll still be around next year...they know I'm leaving next summer and now they are all strategizing ways to keep me here permanently! lol. They are cute!

Even though I'm a teacher here in Romania, Peace Corps is a 24/7/365 thing. So while my hiatus does include some traveling and downtime it is mostly consumed by camps, projects, helping at PST, and other various activities related to Peace Corps or my community.

I'm off to Greece for a vacay with the fam! Mom, Dad, and Tyler's first time on a plane...should be interesting! I'm gone until the end of June so there will be no posts until July!

Peace & Love!

Tired!

I'm emotionally and physically exhausted. I feel like I haven't slept in a week!

It all started with an amazing trip to Petrila for Joel's birthday! We all had a nice time hiking in the mountains and meeting Joel's friends/colleagues, but it had to come to an end so I hopped a train back to Tarnaveni. I got back just in time for one day of classes and volunteering at the Roma school, and the next morning I hopped aboard another train early in the am. I went down to Bucharest for two days in order to have my Mid-Service medical/dental appt. Everything went well, and I'm fit as a fiddle. To be honest, I was a little freaked out. You see, the director (principal) at my school was just diagnosed and underwent surgery for thryoid cancer...and because I have thyroid disease and am more susceptible to the disease I was a little freaked. My blood tests came back normal so my fears have subsided (just keep my director is your thoughts or prayers if you would).

I returned to Tarnaveni on Thursday night and headed to school early on Friday to finish filling in my marks in the Catalog (gradebook). I hate doing this so it added additional stressed to my already exhausted self. Friday night culminated in the 8th graders graduation party at Tarnava Restaurant. There was lots of food, drinks, and most of all dancing! I took a raincheck on going to the disco afterwards (that's right! Teachers going with the students to dance at a club!)...the dynamic between teachers and students here in Romania is very different than in the U.S. I teach because I love kids, but due to restrictions and regulations, as teachers in the States we tread a fine line between what is appropriate and what is inappropriate between teacher and student. Here is Romania the relationships between teacher and student are much closer...at first this made me uncomfortable, but now I enjoy it.

I hope this all made at least a little bit of sense to you. I'm so tired, and I can't seem to form a coherent sentence in my head. Summer is almost officially here for me, and after my vacation to Greece with my family I'll start focusing on summer projects and plans for next year!

a night out in Cund

Last night, our friend Gheza invited Relu, Dana and myself to head out to the village he grew up in. All I knew was that there would be drinking and jazz...so naturally I was up for it!

So we hopped in the caddy, which no longer has Michigan license plates I might add, and headed off into the countryside. Relu kept asking me why I was so quiet; I was taking in the scenery of all the little, old saxon villages that I love in this area. We kept going and Relu told me a story of a terrorist that had been hiding out in this area a few years ago. He was living in a barn before the locals got suspicious and contacted authorities. I never know if these stories are true, but they are always interesting. Finally we arrived in the village of Cund.

When entering town, I kept seeing signs in German...I had forgotten about the German influence in the area. Daily, I'm surrounded by Romanian and Hungarian influences, but this area also has Saxon roots. Cund is a quintessential Saxon village with a German heritage that runs deep in each of its inhabitants. We pulled the car up along side this beautiful old farmhouse with horses galloping in the pasture behind the main building. I was taken aback by the beautiful woodwork (Carpathian Oak) throughout the entire complex. It may be in the middle of nowhere, but for me this is what Transylvania should be promoting for tourism. It truly has stunning views and an untouched landscape that is so hard to find today. While staying at the guesthouse there are hikes, horseback riding, traditional crafts workshops, carpentry workshops...It's a perfect escape from our busy, complicated, modern lives.

We sat down, and to my surprise we were told that everything was complementary tonight. I loved hearing that! Jonas, the owner, made it clear that he wanted to party and enjoy the multicultural event with guests he had invited. There were German, Romanian, Hungarian, Spanish, American (me), and Swedish guests. We all communicated in English, and for once it was my friends (except for Relu and Dana who speak fluent English) looking to me to make sure they had understood correctly what the other person asked. So we sat down with glasses of champagne and a few beers scattered about on the table. We had a nice chat before Jonas announced the food was ready! I wish I had taken a picture of this, but there was a large buffet with name cards describing the foreign foods Jonas had made to introduce his non-Romanian guests to Romanian cuisine. Sure I love all the Romanian food, but I was excited for the grilled pork chops, pasta salad, german potato salad, and au gratin potatoes I could see and smell! It was all delicious, and I'm realizing more and more how much of my family's cooking is influenced by my German heritage. Anyway, we ate...a lot! Then we all wandered the grounds as the sun was setting behind the rolling hills. As soon as the sun went down, we were directed toward the tent set up in the backyard. For two hours we sat and enjoyed a great jazz band from Berlin. The crickets added a little background music for the band, and it was not lost on me how lucky I am to be experiencing these moments. I mean seriously...here was was sitting outside on a cool, spring evening listening to jazz in a small village nestled in the center of the Transylvanian hills.
Jonas and Ulrieke were wonderful hosts, and I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience more of the quiet, serenity of a small, Transylvanian village.

Check out the website of, Valea Verde, an old Transylvanian farmhouse restored into a guesthouse.

I love being a teacher!

I do not always feel this way, but this week brought back all the reasons why I love it. I had an open lesson for all English teachers in the area. When all was said and done around 20 teachers were sitting in the back of the classroom watching my every move like hawks! It was nerve-racking, but it brought back the excitement I had lost sight of over the past few weeks. I'd forgotten how good it feels to map out every step of a lesson and then toss it into the trash when I wanted to freestyle! I was so excited to show my students progress and to show some of the Romanian teachers how far kindness can go in the classroom! From the feedback they all provided after the lesson, I think most of my goals were met.

My students were feeling nervous. And I won't lie, I was too! They said --Miss Tara! I woke up this morning with a stomach ache. I don't think I can do this. This is scary!

The students were brilliant! Although they were a little quieter than I would like them to be, but it was a success so oh well! Bravo 6C!

In addition to the open lesson, 8C pulled out their formal letter writing skills we learned in 1st semester to write me a letter of invitation to all the end of the school year activities. I wanted to include a copy of it here.

Dear Miss Tara,

On behalf of VIII - C gr. - students from Gimn. Stat "Avram Iancu," which you skillfully and most competently taught, we have the honour to invite you to participate in all the specific activities which are going to be organized at the close of school.
Hopefully you will be with us to share the emotion of these moments.

Respectfully Yours,
-VIII-C

All this has reminded me of one of my primary goals for my Peace Corps service --To become the best teacher I can possibly be. To put myself in situations that may be beyond my comfort zone... It feels good to see I'm succeeding at some level!

"The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. He inspires self-distrust. He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him. He will have no disciple." -Amos Bronson Alcott

1 year down...

Hello readers!

It's May 18th, 2009 and it has been one year since I hugged my family and said goodbye in Fort Wayne International Airport...and then I got frisked by airport security. It was 5:30 am, and I was saying goodbye for 2 years! Is it a surprise I forgot the change in my pockets or that I had my watch on?? The person that left that day and cried all those tears is a distant memory at this point.

Anyway. ONE YEAR! Holy Cow! I should have seen this coming, but I didn't. I even had a moment last week when I was sitting on a bench in the center of town...I let my mind wander off the book I was reading, You Shall Know My Velocity, and I stared down the street. I could feel the imprint of this memory taking hold, and I felt as if it was the last time I'd be there. In retrospect, I've realized it is the last time I'll see that exact scene since things are always changing, but I don't want to attempt a conversation on metaphysics so we'll leave it at that. I'm not prepared to be having those feelings yet, but I let this one creep up on me! I want to be enjoying every second and being fully present during each moment of my Peace Corps adventure. I want to be spending more time in the Word. I want to be available and energetic for everything that is still yet to happen for me here in Romania. I've changed even more than I expected...and I'm sure there are more changes to come. I can't wait to see what those are, and the person I am a year from now...when I'm preparing to come home and have to say goodbye to all this!

So it's been one year. A lot has happened within the span of my last 365 days. Here's to hoping the next 365 are even better than the last!

A glimpse into some Romanian poetry

A fellow Peace Corps volunteer reminded me of a Romanian poem one of our language teachers introduced us to during training. I love it! I hope you do as well!

Tell me, if I caught you one day
and kissed the sole of your foot,
wouldn't you limp a little then,
afraid to crush my kiss?...
-Nichita Stanescu

TEZA --kind of like ISTEP

Chalk up another missed class due to a lack of communication. I had read all the announcements in the cancelaria and prepared lessons to cover for my counterpart, but no one told me that they had moved the Teza exams to Thursday. They were supposed to be on Tuesday, but because of the Strike (or the strike that was supposed to happen) things have gotten crazier than usual. No harm done! Nobody was terribly upset with me.

I've been mentioning the Teza...basically you can take the ISTEP, subtract all the scantron , and you've got the Teza. The kids dread it, and it's extremely important. For 8th graders, it determines where they will attend high school in Tarnaveni or if they choose in Targu Mures or Cluj.... I stuck around today to see what happened during the Teza. I didn't learn much because all I saw was a bunch of running around, the doors being locked, and then silence during the exams. I never thought I'd say this, but I think I actually prefer the way ISTEP is set up! I'm talking set-up here people; I am not talking about the questions on the test!! I can only take so much "A baloo is a bear, to wuzzle means to mix, a yonker is a young man"

Relu and Dana's Wedding

My first Romanian wedding...where to begin??!

up early in the am; cakes, cookies, and wine; accordians and clarinets; lots of KISSES on my cheeks; more food than I've ever seen in my life; Romanians can literally dance the night away; homemade Transylvanian wine is one of my loves and vices (especially when it's made by Domnul Cornea); my Romanian is improving; did I mention the food or dancing yet??; Whiskey, Cognac, Tuica, Wine, Vișinata, Beer...yeah I did it all-->moderation is key folks! ;)


I had an amazing time! I had heard about all the traditions --the godparents, processions of cars and people in and out of the house/apartment in the morning, the special bottle of tuica to offer to those we pass, kissing portraits of saints on the wall of the cathedral, crowns on the heads of the bride and groom during the ceremony, dancing and drinking...but what I loved most is that I really got to see just how much the people I've grown to love over the past year have come to love me in return! So much of my heart is back in Indiana, but I have no reservations about calling Tarnaveni home as well! The Tara that was scared to strike up conversations in Romanian, to walk up and kiss strangers on both cheeks, to dance and spin in circles...she is gone!

I was asked a million times how different weddings in the States are from the wedding I'd seen so far in Romania. I gave an arbitrary percentage, but I think it's probably pretty accurate; I said 90% is different. Don't get me wrong! There are similarities, but the big differences really overwhelm the subtle things they have in common. Most of the differences stem from the traditions of the Romanian Orthodox church. They hang on to traditions and culture...this is something I greatly respect because I feel like, in America, we just let go of things sometimes.

The inside of Catedrala "Sfantul Treime" in town was gorgeous, so now not only is it my favorite building in Tarnaveni because of it's exterior but also because of its interior! I loved the traditional dances and the children stealing Dana's shoes so they could get a 25 lei bribe from one of the godfathers. Relu and Dana took dance lessons, and they did a beautiful Viennese Waltz. I've mentioned the food, but I enjoyed every bit of it even if I was completely shocked that they brought out sausages after we had already had cake!

I could literally tell you thousands of things I loved about going to a Romanian wedding...but I'll save those for all the conversations I can't wait to have when I return home!

Check out some of my pictures from the wedding and reception!

Relu & Dana's Wedding Relu & Dana's Reception

Easter Holiday --Adventures in Vienna and Budapest

While living in Eastern Europe I've been gradually making a list of all the places I must go to because of the sheer proximity to my current home. Vienna and Budapest were near the top of the list, so I packed up my backpack and headed to Oradea, Romania to meet up with another volunteer, Kate, and then embark on an Easter adventure.
[Disclaimer: I'm keeping this relatively short...someday I'm sure the stories I've gathered will naturally come up in conversation; therefore, if you have any questions or curiousities feel free to email/Facebook/etc. me]

Oradea -- This is the site of Kate, a PCV who is taking advantage of the Peace Corps' push to recruit 55+ volunteers. She's full of great stories and our trip was a chance for me to get to know her better! Before leaving for Hungary and Austria, Kate and I took a walking tour of her city which is a beautiful amalgamation of Hungarian and Romanian and even a little Turkish influence. My favorite part was visiting the old synagogue along the Crişul Repede River. Unfortunately, it is falling down and there is no money to fund a restoration project. I feel that so many wonderful historic monuments are being lost due to money issues. Anyway, for a small amount of money there is a man who will share the history of the synagogue with you...before WWII there were around 30,000 Jewish people in Oradea, but that number was completely decimated throughout the war. It's always a moving experience to transport your thoughts and emotions to a time and a place where such things happened even though we still have yet to make genocide a permanent thing of the past. [off my soapbox] Kate and I woke up at 3 am the next morning to catch the train to Budapest and then on to Vienna. Budapest is about a 3 1/2 hour train ride from Oradea, and then Budapest and Vienna are only a few hours apart by train so it's not a bad trip.

Vienna -- Vienna takes great pride in it's rich history and culture, as it should! I was overwhelmed at first but quickly found where my interests were best suited within the Austrian capital. I had two favorite things. First, was the Albertina Museum...which is widely celebrated as one of the most significant graphic and fine art houses in the world. I was blown away by the Dutch art exhibit, Gerhard Richter exhibit, and the apartments of the Hapsburgs! After the Albertina, Kate and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch along the Burggarten at The Palmenhaus. It was at this point I had a moment were I felt like a normal tourist instead of a PCV on a tight budget. My second favorite was the Naschmarkt! It was a huge market with exotic spices, foods, and lots of energy! I bought a few things here and then walked over to Karlsplatz to sit in the park listening to music in the shadow of a beautiful Baroque church! The rest of my time in Vienna was spent exploring the beautiful gothic, baroque, and modern architecture; the Staatsoper (Vienna Opera House); the Hofburg; Schönbrunn Palace and the Gloriette in the gardens; Donauinsel (Danube Island); St. Stephen's Cathedral; and then wrapping up the night at a local pub talking with a few locals I met named Biggie, Osborne, and Rollo. One last thing...I can't talk about Vienna and not mention how much I loved the strudel and wienersnitzel!! Delicious! Kate and I woke up early every morning and found a nice cafe with wonderful pastries, cafe melange, and the best free water w/ apples, mint, and lemon...after a couple days in Vienna we went to the cafe to buy some snacks and were off to the train station to head back to Budapest!

Vienna Pictures

Budapest --In my humble opinion, Budapest is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. One day I hope to share it with someone I love! The Danube River is the heart of Budapest...my favorite things were along the river so I'll tell you about them in the order I experienced them. I didn't know what to do when I first got to Budapest so I went down to the river and walked around the Pest part of the city occasionally stopping for a beer or two. The bridges in Budapest are what first catch your eye. Having just come from Vienna and hearing the story of Empress Sisi, Sisi's Bridge caught my eye. It's the most modern in Budapest even though all of the cities bridges were destroyed and rebuilt after WWII. Sisi's is the only bridge not built in it's original style. Once you look past Sisi's Bridge your eyes are locked upon the massive structures on the other side of the river (the Buda part of the city) as well as the stunning Chain Bridge. First, my eyes were focused on the citadel and liberation statue on the top of Gellert Hill, but that was quickly overshadowed by the beautiful residence of the Hapsburgs, Buda Castle. Although never actually lived in, the castle is a magnificent part of Budapest's architectural history. Once I was up close to the Chain Bridge I was just happy to be alive and have the opportunity to be doing what I am doing. I've always wanted to stand on that bridge for some reason, and I finally got to! I kept walking and kept trying to figure out why I medieval Fisherman's Bastion across the river was architecturally Gothic...I found out about that later on my history/romance night walking tour with Adam. Still walking, I stumbled upon a memorial to those killed by the Arrow Cross Party (Hungary's branch of the Nazi Party). I sat for a while just pondering the memorial before I moved on to the Parliament. It is spectacular with its gothic spires even if it doesn't quite fit with the historical architecture of the city.
I mentioned the night tour a moment ago. Adam was a great tour guide and we also had a couple great college guys named Tim and Ethan from Marquette University with us. I learned so many neat things about Budapest's history...and finished the night with a glass of Tokaji wine. The next morning I was ready to be blown away again! Kate and I went together to the Gellert thermal baths, and then we went our own ways for the day. I immersed myself in the history and did a Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour. I met lots of great people, sat at cafes writing in my notebook, and just wandered around waiting for things to jump out at me. Back to the hostel, I explored the Jewish Quarter of Budapest as well as the 2nd largest synagogue in the world which was a somber reminder of the cities past.

Well I hope you got a little hint at how much I absolutely loved these two cities. They went well together because of their related history and connections to the Habsburgs. There is so so much more, and I'd love to share more with any of you sometime! Check out the pictures when you have a minute...I tried to include some of the historical tidbits I learned!

Budapest Pictures

Hristos a inviat

Walking around town lately since Easter everyone has been greeting me with a "Hristos a inviat (Christ has returned)" and then in return I must respond, "Adeverat a inviat (It is true, he has returned)" in rememberence of Christ's resurrection. When there are hard-boiled eggs involved people will also hit the top of other person's egg with their own egg and say "Hristos a inviat!" Then the other person says "Adeverat a inviat!" I like this! It's kind of fun, and as a Christian it is what I believe!

After 6 weeks, I'm told then I say "Hristos sa inaltat" signifying that Christ has risen.
It makes me think of church and repeating after the pastor..."Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!" Where would I be had he not done this for me?? For you??

From my American perspective, this is very interesting because many people separate their daily lives from their spiritual lives in the States. It reminds me that they really are one and the same and should be treated as such. At home, I try to be open-minded and sensitive to others spiritual beliefs because our population is so diverse, but because such a large population of Romania is Orthodox it's commonplace to greet each other with religious sayings. Sometimes I feel like some cultural, spiritual, etc. traditions are lost because of over-sensitivity...does that make sense?? Perhaps the real sensitivity is just being yourself and trusting others to accept that and vice versa.

Paște = Easter

I spent my Easter holiday in Vienna, but I also made it back to Tarnaveni in time to celebrate Easter with the Romanian Orthodox crowd. The Orthodox church uses the Julian calendar, and therefore their Easter is celebrated a week after the Catholic and Protestant holiday for the same event. Saturday night before Easter Sunday, everyone goes to church and there is a procession through town with candles. It's a beautiful sight! Another custom that is similar to a tradition in the States is coloring eggs; however eggs in Romania are elaborately decorated and people even take lessons to learn intricate designs.

I thought I'd include a couple traditional recipes here in Transylvania --the drob sounds gross, but it's actually not too bad!

Cross Pasca, the Easter Cake

INGREDIENTS

Sweet bread dough

• 2 Cups flour
• 3 Whole Eggs, beaten
• 6 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 packet yeast dissolved in a bit of the milk above.
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp rum or rum flavoring
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp grated zest
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Combine flour and sugar and cut butter and oil into flour and add the rest of the ingredients together to form a dough.

Filling

• 1 Pound cottage cheese
• 4 Whole eggs, beaten
• 5 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• ½ Cup raisins
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Whole egg, beaten for egg wash for dough

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Take 2/3 of the dough and roll it out to 1” thick.
• Place dough into a round cake pan (round, to remember the shape of baby Jesus's diaper).
• Twist the remaining dough into a rope (or make two strands and twist it together) and stick it around the edge of the cake dough in the pan. This is known as “the rope of life” in the local customs (perhaps the umbilical cord). You might save a small portion of dough and fashion a cross on top of the filling before placing cake in the oven.
• Set the cake aside in a warm place to rise for 60 minutes.
• Mix all of the filling ingredients together to form a paste.
• After dough rises, pour filling into the center and, add the dough cross, if you like.
• Brush the top of cake and filling with beaten egg and place cake into the oven. Let it bake for 45-55 minutes, then turn off oven and prop oven door open until cake is cool (have patience).
  The cross pasca is taken to church on Easter Morning to be blessed and then served at home.

Drob

A traditional national Easter dish that uses the organs of the lamb is served on Easter Sunday.

INGREDIENTS

• Lamb organs: liver, heart, spleen, kidneys; whatever you have.
• 6 Scallions, chopped
• 4 springs of garlic chives, chopped
• 4 Whole eggs, beaten well
• 1 Cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 Cup fresh dill, chopped
• Caul fat if you can acquire it (fatty membrane around organs; it will melt into the loaf to make it moist)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Loaf Pan
• Bread crumbs
• 3 hard boiled eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Wash organs and cut into bite-sized cubes.
• Place cubes in 3 Cups & 1 Cup white vinegar to remove gamey tastes and smells.
• Put cubes cold water in a pot and boil over medium high heat 25 minutes. Remove foam as it is produced with a ladle.
• Remove from heat, discard water, let meat cool for 15 minutes.
• Grind the meat with all remaining ingredients, except eggs; season.
• Beat eggs, add to meat and stir into a thick paste.
• If too dry, add some sour cream or another beaten egg.
• Grease a loaf pan and dust it with bread crumbs.
• If you have it, place caul fat on bottom of pan and put meat mix on top.
• Work the 3 hard bolied eggs into the meat loaf and cover meat with additional caul fat or brush with a little oil.
• Bake 45-50 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove from oven, cool, remove from pan and refrigerate wrapped in plastic wrap.
• To serve, slice the loaf.

Bored

First I'd like to say I'm not really bored...my grandma Phyllis always yelled at me for using that word. "If you are bored find something to do," she'd say.

I haven't written much lately because there isn't much to say. I go to school, clean my apartment, play football and four-square with the neighbor kids, hang out with friends, tutor, and work on some small projects. I'm excited for next week because it's my spring break! I'll have more to tell you all then!

Although I'm completely infatuated with the arrival of Spring, I've sworn off talking about it because dull people talk about the weather all the time. Anyway, I finally noticed the "slowness" people had informed me about when I came to Transylvania. I think I was just too worried about learning the ropes in the summer, schools started in the fall and made me busy, and then people disappeared in winter...but now that all the people are back I've noticed the slow shuffle of people walking down the street, and even the slow-talking people I speak to at the bus-stop. I like this pace of living! Maybe that's why I feel like my eyes are finally opened to all around me...it only took me about 11 months to get there! HA!

Today I decided to walk the path along the river going home from school. It's a little longer, but exercise is good. While walking slowly home, I saw a gypsy market being set up. I don't know what it's like, but tomorrow I hope I can find out! From a distance, it reminds me of the markets set-up along the Covered Bridge Festival route in Indiana.

I've been fighting an uphill battle with this Peace Corps loneliness thing. You'll be happy to know that my loneliness has taken a backseat to my longing to play golf! It's currently the week of the Masters, and seeing the spectacle and tradition makes me long for a day at the country club! I'm dying to feel my 7-iron making a clean impact in the center of a ProV-I from 150 yards out in the middle of the fairway! Maybe I should be embarrassed to admit that, but I'm really not!

Happy Easter! It's my favorite holiday--don't forget why we celebrate it! I could definitely go for some stale Peeps right now. MMMM! Easter here in Romania is a week later because of the Orthodox (Julian) calendar. I think I explained that last year though. Hooray for the end of Lent! I can eat meat again!

Well, that's about all for this post! I'm on Spring Break next week so I'll fill you all in on one of the perks of the Peace Corps, traveling, when I return.

34 hours: To Cluj and back.

This weekend I ventured off on my own to meet some of my fellow volunteers in the large university town of Cluj. I left my apartment a little late on Saturday morning because my alarm clock didn't go off.

Instead of waiting two hours for a bus I decided to try my hand at hitch-hiking all the way by myself. I've always been a little timid about doing this, but I sucked it up and held out my hand in the proper position my gazda dad, Dan, had taught me while hitching a ride to Bucaresti from Ploiesti. It wasn't 5 minutes and I had a ride from a nice man traveling to Targu Mures. We had a short chat and then he turned the radio up so I figured I was either boring him or he just wanted to drive in peace. I liked this! Once in Mures, I decided to continue hitching to Cluj. I found a ride to Ludus, and then hopped aboard a maxi-taxi to the train station in Cluj. This took me around 5 hours and cost me 10 lei (about $3)...by car from Tarnaveni it takes approx. 1 hour 45 minutes. Asta e! (literally translated as "This is..." It's commonly said throughout Romania, and is the equivalent of saying "What can you do")

Once in Cluj, I met up with the volunteers and a couple of their friends visiting from Michigan. We just chilled in the afternoon since they had all had a late night the evening before. Once evening came we thought we'd try to get a table to watch the football game between Romania and Serbia. It's impossible to find a place without reservations for the game so we split up for the time being and had some drinks at different bars. Serbia won the game so the ruckus in the streets I was hoping for never transpired. There was, however, a nice candlelight vigil held in the piata for Earth Hour! Did you all do it?? After the game, we were walking around when we encountered a girl with a "Free Hugs" sign. Our entire group happily accepted the hugs and went on our merry way. We ended the night in a great Hookah bar across from our hostel. After the festivities at the Hookah bar, we headed back to the hostel and proceeded to have a massive cross-cultural exchance. I variety of languages were spoken (Romanian, English, French, Spanish, Russian) and then -- skipping over some parts -- we all went to sleep for a couple hours before waking in the morning and departing for our various towns in Romania.

A group of us headed to McDonald's before catching our buses, talked with some American basketball players playing on a Romanian team, and then we said our goodbyes and headed home. I got back to Tarnaveni looking like a tired mess, and of course I ran into a group of students on the walk to my apartment. Good to be back in my Romanian home.

Can you tell I got tired of telling this story? I hope you found it a bit interesting.
All in all it was great fun, but it was also one of the longest 34 hours of my life.

a little catching up

Hey all! Sorry I haven't been keeping up lately. I've been a little up and down recently, but I'm happy to say I'm doing alright now!

Today made me homesick, and it wasn't necessarily in a good way!
Sunny this morning.
Snow at 10 am followed by clouds and wind.
By 4 pm it was sunny and clear blue skies for my walk home!
Seems like Indiana weather has followed me to Romania.

Anyway, I'm all smiles today. The kids drove me crazy, and I almost lost my voice; at least they were driving me crazy in English! The lady at the check-out counter at the market and I had a little chat, and she told me that my Romanian is getting better! On top of all that, I don't have class until 3 tomorrow! Score!

I'm praising the Lord and trying to be a little more disciplined in my prayer life, but God never ceases to amaze me on a daily basis! I need to be more vocal about that!

A couple things have really gotten to me spiritually lately:
1)in a podcast from my church at home Chad said --Jesus is my filter for everything--right on! 2)The mother of a girl I tutor, who also happens to be a fellow teacher at my school, said something that humbled me. She said, "Tara, you are perfect for my daughter right now!" She said this to me in English which shocked me! If that's the most recognition I get from my Peace Corps service I'm happy with that!

Sending smiles and sunshine your way!
Tara

Waiting on Spring

For me spring has always signaled a return to golf weather; while I may not be able to golf, I can tell I'm going to like spring here in Transylvania!

The last few weeks have reminded me more of Indiana weather than anything else, but as I walk to school I'm starting to see the signs that my little part of the Transylvanian plateau is coming back to life. Throughout the winter, it was dark and depressing...and I was starting to suspect that the myths and legends surrounding Transylvania may have had some validity. Then spring arrived! The hills began getting their color back, the area where I play football with the kids became packed with new faces, teachers brought out their spring wardrobes, and now most of my conversations in Romanian inevitably become all about gardening or plants.

People keep giving me plants and flowers...sure some were for martisor and International Women's Day, but I have a sneaky suspicion that they are testing my gardening skills. On my walk home after Int. Women's Day several women stopped me on the street to ask how much I paid for my ficus. I kindly told them it was a gift; however, I've discovered to open the lines of communication with the townspeople of Tarnaveni all I really need to do is carry around a plant.

In my little town and the surrounding villages, it's all about organic foods and winemaking. This area of Transylvania was once called "wine land," but during Communist collectivization many vineyards were torn out to make room for cultivating more profitable crops and building industries.

Although the generous nature of my Romanian friends and colleagues keeps me stocked with most of the foods and wine I need...I can't wait to watch the grapes grow and make some wine together with friends as they try to bring back something that used to be a great source of pride for the region; and I look forward to developing more of a "green thumb" and growing some things on my own.

March 8th

This year March 8th may usher in the beginning of Daylight Savings Time for you all back home, but since coming to Romania I've learned it's also International Women's Day. Although it was first celebrated in the U.S. in 1909 thanks to the Socialist Party of America, it is not a recognized national holiday in America. Most of the countries that observe International Women's Day are in Eastern Europe and Central/SE Asia. Men don't worry! Women's Day may get more attention, but there is an International Men's Day. It is November 19th!

International Women's Day comes on the heels of Marțișor, and here in Romania it's a pretty big deal because it's also observed as an equivalent to Mother's Day. Women are certainly the center of attention during the first week of March! I've never received so many flowers nor have I been kissed on the cheeks so many times! I even got a ficus from my students in 6B that I'm going to try not to kill!

Last night all us teachers gathered at Tarnava Restaurant to celebrate the occasion with good food and lots of drinks. To be more specific, I had lots of food and drinks...most of my colleagues observe Post (Lent in the Orthodox church) and this required that they abstain from alcohol, meat, etc... Afterwards I went out with friends to the Crama in town and just enjoyed a fun Friday night.

It may not be an observed holiday, but this year is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day in the U.S. I'm embarrassed I didn't know about it earlier. After researching it a bit here, http://www.un.org/events/women/iwd/2009/ , I was reminded how many oppourtinties I take for granted thanks to all the women who struggled in the past. Although I care about all human rights causes regardless of gender, March 8th seems like a good day to see how we can help women suffering all over the world!

To all you wonderful ladies reading this --La Multi Ani! You are remarkable! Thank you for being such great examples for women around the world!

Marțisor

I'm a little late in writing this...Marțișor is celebrated on March 1st. I'll spare you the history lesson about it even though some archaeologists assert that it dates back around 8000 years! Long story short it's basically a YAY! it's Spring celebration! For Marțișor, children bring the people they love (mostly women) little tokens tied with red and white ribbon/string. I've got about a million of them so I'll post a picture when I have some more time.

It was odd...as soon as the 1st of March came the weather changed, kids (both of the human and sheep varieties) came out to play, and people I haven't seen since September ventured out of their homes and into town. On my walk home from school I can hear the sounds Vivaldi's Four Seasons, the Primavera part of course, drifting through the subtle spring breeze. I thought celebrating the beginning of Spring with gifts and flowers was kind of useless until I experienced Marțișor; Spring is an awakening with trees in blossom and flowers beginning to bloom. It doesn't only apply to nature; people's souls are reawakened from the cold depths of winter, and that is what Marțișor is all about! I'm starting to see why Spring is my counterpart, Monica's, favorite season.

I'm from Indiana so I'm just waiting for a cold spell to sweep into my little part of the Transylvanian plateau, but until then I'm going outside to enjoy a little football with the kids in my neighborhood!

I stumbled upon this...I think you'll like it

I was perusing the internet this afternoon and stumbled upon "Cooking with Clara." A video on Youtube that is gaining popularity during the current economic crisis.




Clara grew up during the Depression and shares her experiences and favorite meals from her family's kitchen. When I watched "The Poorman's Meal" segment, I couldn't help but notice it was the exact same thing my gazda mom in Ploiesti, Romania taught me to make this summer. As a poor Peace Corps volunteer, I often make this recipe for myself when my budget is being stretched at the end of the month. One of my goals when signing up for the Peace Corps was to learn to be more frugal and live a more simplistic lifestyle. I guess in someways I've succeeded in accomplishing that goal!

Speaking English in Romania

Anyone who has traveled abroad I think has experienced this feeling or at least parts of it.

try to speak in foreign language. it's obvious you aren't from there. draw attention to yourself. get flustered. revert to speaking native language. draw more attention to yourself. finally get what you were after. whew! thank goodness that's over. move on. try to handle it better next time.

It gets better over time and with experience.

It's part of my job in the Peace Corps to speak English;
Yes. It limits my Romanian learning, but it also helps me maintain my sanity at times.
I'm quiet on trains, buses, maxi-taxis, and on the street mostly because I think I can blend in.
As long as I don't open my mouth no one will know :)
My Romanian accent is decent, but the melodiousness of Romanian is something I haven't yet mastered.
I don't want to draw attention to myself, but I've gotten used to the glances when I speak English.
My Romanian friends I think are still getting used to it...

Here are a couple recent examples:

1.) I absolutely hate going to the post office because the ladies who work there all stare at me with a scowl, but I brush it off because I have no idea what is going on that day or in their lives to judge them by a facial expression. That being said, they still terrify me. I was standing in the posta, on a rainy Monday after class, waiting to pay for my electric bill when I ran into my friend Dana. Dana had a wierd look on her face...our eyes met and for something reason I could tell she didn't want to speak in English. We talked in Romanian for a minute, and then we both paid our bills. Dana offered me a ride home and immediately began speaking English when we stepped out of the building. Apparently the people at the post office scare Dana too, and she didn't want to draw attention to the both of us by speaking English.

2.) Another incident happened on Saturday on the way to a restaurant in town. I had invited a high school friend out to dinner to practice her English because I'm helping her prepare for the Cambridge exam. While walking to the center there was a group of boys ahead of us. One happened to be my student so I said hello, and then Ioana and I continued our conversation. One of the other boys in the group began teasing us about speaking English. This doesn't bother me in the slightest, but it bothered Ioana and she felt the need to defend me. I appreciated it, but I'm not at all affected by the comments of an 8th grade boy.

I try to speak Romanian as much as possible to be sensitive to the country in which I'm living, but I will never apologize for speaking my native language. Romanian is a nation which in my opinion has excellent foriegn language programs, has many people working abroad in various countries that speak different languages, and Transylvania is even home to many native Hungarian speakers. I suppose I just assumed me speaking English wouldn't be that interesting.