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!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
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:
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!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
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!
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!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
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!
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!
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