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.