written Saturday March 10th
A Little about School

Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

The school where I attend Peace Corps training every weekday is a “middle school” but from what I understand there are grades 1-5th in the morning and 6-8th graders in the afternoon.

The kids have to wear their uniforms in school, which vary, but I see many younger kids wearing little suits with black ties. They love to walk past the Americans and shout “hello” to us in English.

One little boy asked me my name while his friends stood behind him and giggled, and when I told him, and then asked him his name in Romanian, they all thought it was hilarious.

Last week a young man stopped me on the way from the bathroom and said enthusiastically “How do you like Romania? Do you like it here?” “Da, da!” (yes, yes) I replied. “Oh, I’m glad to know that!” he said.

Some of the kids like to show us their impressive collection of American English collected from movies and rap songs - all of it cursing (but as I write this the American movie True Romance is on TV and I’m not surprised at some of the English words these kids pick up. (My gazda mama Lumi came in my room and said there’s a movie on with Brad Pitt – which I find a little bit funny because Brad Pitt’s in this movie for like 1 minute). Or they like to say random phrases in English, like “I love you!” or just whistle.

Also, it’s apparently very interesting to knock on and open and close the doors that have the Peace Corps logo on them when we’re having meetings.

We are told that the students in Romania are much more disciplined when they are in class than American students. Therefore, after sitting in class all day where they have to pay attention and not speak out of turn, they really enjoy a good run down the hallway screaming. On Friday they were particularly nuts.

Also, although I’m told there is no gym to speak of, and that their gym classes are held outside, from the sound of their screams while I’m in language class in the morning, they must be having screaming class because otherwise I would have assumed it was gym (it probably is…in some fashion. Perhaps there Is a gym in the blue building?)

Honestly, the kids are quite loud, and it’s strange to occupy the same building as them. We’re not allowed to use the teacher’s stairwell or entrance. I still don’t know where the teacher’s entrance is but the teacher’s stairs are nice and polished – and close to the Peace Corps bathroom on the third floor. This can create quite a traffic jam in the hallway of little people shouting “Hello! Hello! Hello!” But I think we regard each other as a bit of a curiosity.

They are interesting and fun and loud – but they are kids.
It can be kind of intimidating to walk through a group of Romanian third graders who are talking and laughing loudly when you don’t know what about. But I’m also constantly impressed with their artwork that decorates the hallways and classrooms. Some of the other volunteers are developing quite a report with them though. Once you engage them in a game of soccer after school you’re the coolest thing ever (I’m hoping to be able to do this one of these days) especially if you’re Todd and you’re 6’9’’ or so.

The school staff I’ve met has also been very nice and accommodating and I’m very impressed that Peace Corps volunteers have our own bathroom, an office, a language office and a PCV lounge on the third floor – so I can’t complain.

In other news – this week our Friday Language class was a scavenger hunt with directions to 4 clues and our 5th clue was a subject about which he had to create a skit to be performed in Romanian for the rest of the group. My group got to do a spoof on a Romanian language lesson and I played the student (there’s one in approximately every class) who sits in the back and asks how to say crude and dirty things in Romanian. (Our teachers tell us only so we know what it means if we hear it.) "Cume se spune pe Romaneste 'Eat my butt?'". Overall it was a really fun day in class!