The Return of Kwarou
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
As of today I've had Kwarou, my beloved laptop back in my possession for two weeks - and I still haven't updated my blog. I have been busy. Other peace corps volunteers in my class that I talk to say that they've been busy. I feel like around March of your second year you suddenly become busier than ever before.
And then I remember that it's not March yet.
Well, I am planning a rather intense vacation for March and the beginning of April, but until then I want to recommit myself to blogging about serious things having to do with my experience, my projects and Romanian culture - less about movies and internet videos and things my cat does. That, after all is what facebook is for.
I would write a serious post right now, except I'm busy today. I'm cleaning my apartment. Due to my suggestion Deva is hosting the next Gender and Development Committee meeting this weekend and I have six people staying with me. I handled the hostel reservations for the committee (mostly) by myself in Romanian and made a dinner reservation for 20 at a local restaurant and invited my "French" friends from New Years to hang out with a bunch of Americans and Romanians over pizza tomorrow night. (I call them French because they all speak French, but truthfully one is Belgian and one is Argentine.) And I'm baking cinnamon rolls Saturday morning.
So this weekend is pretty busy too - like my last three weekends, but I promise you a serious post on the outcome of my project proposal which will be voted on by the committee on Saturday.
Thanks for sticking with me. I promise to try and make it more interesting or at least relevant from now on.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
The Little Black Dress
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I have been fantasizing about a little black dress. I don't usually fantasize about clothes. I choose my outfits carefully and try to look nice and professional but I don't go out of my way to find clothes that don't choose to come to me. I don't enjoy shopping. I haven't bought many clothes here in Romania and I don't intend to go hunting for my little black dress. I'm just going to wait for it to spring fully realized from my imagination.
It's a dress with skirt like a pencil skirt, but short. Maybe just above the knee (making it the shortest skirt I've ever worn) with a slit up the left side to the place on the thigh where one would wear a garder. The top is sheer black material that you could see through so I could wear a red lacy bra under it. The kind of bra I've never worn outside of my imagination because lace itches, it really does. But the bodice of the dress is cut like this black shirt I have at home that I got at JC Penny's with a scoop neck and what Sam said was a flattering cut on me around the bust. I can't really describe it any better and I don't have picture. If it's possible to mix that cut with some panels in the bodice of the dress - that would be nice to give me some nice verticle lines, but I don't know if those two designs can be combined.
If not I would take the sheer bodice with the flattering cut and cover the whole thing with fishnet going down to where the skirt begins above my hips and cut on a bias away from the slit in the skirt. The dress would have long fishnet sleeves that end at the wrist. Or maybe long sleeves of black lace if there are panels and no fishnet over the front.
It's the kind of dress that I would wear to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. For this dress I would tint my hair redder with henna a month after the last time I tinted it. I would wear this black dress with the reddest lipstick and too much black eyeliner. If I had my makeup kit I would put ALL the highlight on my face like I did with my Ben Nye beginner's kit from Theater 146 when I saw Rocky Horror in Milwaukee. I would get some severe garnet earings. For this dress my black men's sketchers or my flat doc martins wouldn't do. With proper fishnet stockings (with back seams) i would have to wear some clumpy high healed boots (because all of physics is against me balancing on stillhettos). I would forgoe proper back support and donn the healed boots that not only make me look taller but make my legs look longer, and therefore they should only come to above the ankle and should lace up the front in away that suggests bondage. (You ever zip up some boots? I have and I find as soon I walk they find a way to come unzipped.)
I was so pleased with my fantasy dress that I drew a picture, but right now no amount of shaking the picture at the machine in front of me will get the picture into the computer.
The picture brings me to an interesting question. Why am I thinking about a fantasy little black dress? Is it because I've been working hard and I think I need to treat myself? Oh, don't get me wrong I treat myself all the time with cups of coffee, Schwepp's Bitter Lemon and spaghetti with meat(less) balls. Believe me when I was alone in the dark last week there was a day (or two) when I needed a candy bar.) However the fact that I can tell you I want to wear a dress like this and that I ate a bag of sweet buscuits for breakfast in the same post does say something. (That and you don't know what sweet busicuits are.)
But I don't ever treat myself with clothes. Maybe I feel like rewarding myself in a more lasting and tangible way. I hearing a story about some Peace Corps volunteers who had returned fro service in Nicaragua and a friend was really surprised that they hadn't rejected materialism - in fact they wanted to buy stuff more than ever! But I can't buy this dress even if I had the money because it doesn't really exist.
As I said before I think I look nice here wearing the hand me ups I've received but I don't often feel like I look like myself. But this dress doesn't look like me either.
I've stated in an earlier blog post (23-10-07) the emmense cultural and personal importance of Rocky Horror (which to my horror I may have to miss the second time it's performed in Translyvania due to a meeting I can't miss.)
I'm not claiming to understand the game, and nor have I become a player, but reflecting on the changes I've gone through here in Romania, and reflecting on the fact that I actually feel like wearing something I described above, it might have something to do with this: "I feel realeased/ bad times decesed/ my confidence had increased/ reality is here/ the game has been disbanded/ my mind has been expanded..."
Someday I'll have a dress like this. To wear to the premire of the stage production of The Rocky Horror Show when I've directed it. Perhaps I'll also wear it to every rehearsal.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I have been fantasizing about a little black dress. I don't usually fantasize about clothes. I choose my outfits carefully and try to look nice and professional but I don't go out of my way to find clothes that don't choose to come to me. I don't enjoy shopping. I haven't bought many clothes here in Romania and I don't intend to go hunting for my little black dress. I'm just going to wait for it to spring fully realized from my imagination.
It's a dress with skirt like a pencil skirt, but short. Maybe just above the knee (making it the shortest skirt I've ever worn) with a slit up the left side to the place on the thigh where one would wear a garder. The top is sheer black material that you could see through so I could wear a red lacy bra under it. The kind of bra I've never worn outside of my imagination because lace itches, it really does. But the bodice of the dress is cut like this black shirt I have at home that I got at JC Penny's with a scoop neck and what Sam said was a flattering cut on me around the bust. I can't really describe it any better and I don't have picture. If it's possible to mix that cut with some panels in the bodice of the dress - that would be nice to give me some nice verticle lines, but I don't know if those two designs can be combined.
If not I would take the sheer bodice with the flattering cut and cover the whole thing with fishnet going down to where the skirt begins above my hips and cut on a bias away from the slit in the skirt. The dress would have long fishnet sleeves that end at the wrist. Or maybe long sleeves of black lace if there are panels and no fishnet over the front.
It's the kind of dress that I would wear to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. For this dress I would tint my hair redder with henna a month after the last time I tinted it. I would wear this black dress with the reddest lipstick and too much black eyeliner. If I had my makeup kit I would put ALL the highlight on my face like I did with my Ben Nye beginner's kit from Theater 146 when I saw Rocky Horror in Milwaukee. I would get some severe garnet earings. For this dress my black men's sketchers or my flat doc martins wouldn't do. With proper fishnet stockings (with back seams) i would have to wear some clumpy high healed boots (because all of physics is against me balancing on stillhettos). I would forgoe proper back support and donn the healed boots that not only make me look taller but make my legs look longer, and therefore they should only come to above the ankle and should lace up the front in away that suggests bondage. (You ever zip up some boots? I have and I find as soon I walk they find a way to come unzipped.)
I was so pleased with my fantasy dress that I drew a picture, but right now no amount of shaking the picture at the machine in front of me will get the picture into the computer.
The picture brings me to an interesting question. Why am I thinking about a fantasy little black dress? Is it because I've been working hard and I think I need to treat myself? Oh, don't get me wrong I treat myself all the time with cups of coffee, Schwepp's Bitter Lemon and spaghetti with meat(less) balls. Believe me when I was alone in the dark last week there was a day (or two) when I needed a candy bar.) However the fact that I can tell you I want to wear a dress like this and that I ate a bag of sweet buscuits for breakfast in the same post does say something. (That and you don't know what sweet busicuits are.)
But I don't ever treat myself with clothes. Maybe I feel like rewarding myself in a more lasting and tangible way. I hearing a story about some Peace Corps volunteers who had returned fro service in Nicaragua and a friend was really surprised that they hadn't rejected materialism - in fact they wanted to buy stuff more than ever! But I can't buy this dress even if I had the money because it doesn't really exist.
As I said before I think I look nice here wearing the hand me ups I've received but I don't often feel like I look like myself. But this dress doesn't look like me either.
I've stated in an earlier blog post (23-10-07) the emmense cultural and personal importance of Rocky Horror (which to my horror I may have to miss the second time it's performed in Translyvania due to a meeting I can't miss.)
I'm not claiming to understand the game, and nor have I become a player, but reflecting on the changes I've gone through here in Romania, and reflecting on the fact that I actually feel like wearing something I described above, it might have something to do with this: "I feel realeased/ bad times decesed/ my confidence had increased/ reality is here/ the game has been disbanded/ my mind has been expanded..."
Someday I'll have a dress like this. To wear to the premire of the stage production of The Rocky Horror Show when I've directed it. Perhaps I'll also wear it to every rehearsal.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
I drink it with milk and sugar but this is so true....
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
***You Are a Soy Latte***
At your best, you are: free spirited, down to earth, and relaxed
At your worst, you are: dogmatic and picky
You drink coffee when: you need a pick me up, and green tea isn't cutting it
Your caffeine addiction level: medium
What Kind of Coffee Are You?http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofcoffeeareyouquiz/
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
***You Are a Soy Latte***
At your best, you are: free spirited, down to earth, and relaxed
At your worst, you are: dogmatic and picky
You drink coffee when: you need a pick me up, and green tea isn't cutting it
Your caffeine addiction level: medium
What Kind of Coffee Are You?http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofcoffeeareyouquiz/
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Alone in the Dark
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Sometimes so much is wrong at once that it's funny.
We all know Bella is recovering from her operation and unhappily trying to get into as much mischief as possible in spite of her funnel collar. My computer is far far away - so no movies or Internet at home for me. Last week my telephone decided to go berserk so if I call someone it likes to spontaneously hang up on me. I've been to two stores that offer "service" (phone fixing) that have told me they can't help me. My last resort is to once again try a new battery (which I already tried but the phone wouldn't turn on with the new battery) from a different store on Thursday (when they'll have the battery I need).
Just when you say to yourself "sigh", the lights go out.
Sunday afternoon I blew a fuse. Something I thought I could deal with yesterday but after I replaced the fuse I found out there's an electrical problem in my apartment. The TV and the refrigerator still work, but no lights - which is difficult because it still gets very dark by 5:00 . Too dark to read or knit. Luckily I still have the TV or I'd be crazy by now. And my neighbor found some other woman in our building to lend me a lamp. Eating by candle light is romantic. Cooking and showering by candle light - not so much.
This ordeal has sapped me of all desire to do anything productive, and yet I've been drinking coffee and watching Animal Planet until 2 a.m more nights in a row than I care to remember.
I called the landlord from my office today and we'll see if he fixes it when he comes over this afternoon between two and five. So in a little while I'm going home and going back to bed before something else can go wrong.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Sometimes so much is wrong at once that it's funny.
We all know Bella is recovering from her operation and unhappily trying to get into as much mischief as possible in spite of her funnel collar. My computer is far far away - so no movies or Internet at home for me. Last week my telephone decided to go berserk so if I call someone it likes to spontaneously hang up on me. I've been to two stores that offer "service" (phone fixing) that have told me they can't help me. My last resort is to once again try a new battery (which I already tried but the phone wouldn't turn on with the new battery) from a different store on Thursday (when they'll have the battery I need).
Just when you say to yourself "sigh", the lights go out.
Sunday afternoon I blew a fuse. Something I thought I could deal with yesterday but after I replaced the fuse I found out there's an electrical problem in my apartment. The TV and the refrigerator still work, but no lights - which is difficult because it still gets very dark by 5:00 . Too dark to read or knit. Luckily I still have the TV or I'd be crazy by now. And my neighbor found some other woman in our building to lend me a lamp. Eating by candle light is romantic. Cooking and showering by candle light - not so much.
This ordeal has sapped me of all desire to do anything productive, and yet I've been drinking coffee and watching Animal Planet until 2 a.m more nights in a row than I care to remember.
I called the landlord from my office today and we'll see if he fixes it when he comes over this afternoon between two and five. So in a little while I'm going home and going back to bed before something else can go wrong.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Oh Cruel Humanity!
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I took Bella in to be spayed on Wednesday. When I picked her up at the vet's she was asleep on her feet in her carrier - tongue hanging out. When I let her out of the cage she insisted on staggering around the apartment like a drunk person. She was determined to continue her usual movements around the apartment - jumping on and off furniture and following me around - just a little slower. Impressive when I'd heard from a friend that her cat recovering from surgery was unable to walk. Eventually I had to insist that she settle down and sleep by locking her in her cage.
Thursday I caught her trying trying to rip out her stitches so I marched her back to the vet and made them put the funnel collar on her. Apparently most of the time Romanian animals don't try to rip out their stitches because stitches don't automatically come with a funnel collar. I initially asked the vet about it and he was like They usually don't need one, but do you want a collar? and I said yes, but I had to take her back there for them to put it on her anyway because I couldn't figure out how to make it stay.
By now she's forgotten all about the surgery and is just utterly miserable because of the funnel collar. I'm sure she thinks the vet and I put the collar on her just to torture her.
She has to leave it on for seven more days from today. One thing I understood that the vet said was "intestines" which makes me think I did the right thing and not ripping out her stitches is at the Important end of the spectrum rather than the - oh leave her alone end of the spectrum. After a very messy process of experimentation I discovered the easiest feeding method for her is pieces of dried food soaked in water set on top of an upside down bowl. Drinking is harder but at least she's getting some water through her soaked food.
So we're struggling through. By now she's used to the collar but it's hard to watch her not be able to do normal things like play. She also can't clean herself (not that she's not clean) which must be terrible for her since she's usually bathing before and after every nap - so 12 times a day.
It was strange though - last night all the stray cats in the neighborhood got together somewhere near my building and decided to have a screaming contest while I watched the HBO movie The Laramie Project. Bella was asleep on my lap and missed the whole thing but it was decidedly eerie.
Even with her funnel collar and her tortured expression she still looks cute and I would post a picture here but the office computer doesn't have the same photo software I do.
In other news Kwarou is being repaired and will be shipped to me in Romania in early February due to a screw up on HP's end - instead of being delivered to me in Romania for free and now. Also, my cell phone is broken so I can't really communicate with anyone except through borrowed Internet in the office - so if you'd like to get in touch with me, there's postcards, smoke signals and telepathy. Or you could just email - but I haven't been getting all of my messages.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I took Bella in to be spayed on Wednesday. When I picked her up at the vet's she was asleep on her feet in her carrier - tongue hanging out. When I let her out of the cage she insisted on staggering around the apartment like a drunk person. She was determined to continue her usual movements around the apartment - jumping on and off furniture and following me around - just a little slower. Impressive when I'd heard from a friend that her cat recovering from surgery was unable to walk. Eventually I had to insist that she settle down and sleep by locking her in her cage.
Thursday I caught her trying trying to rip out her stitches so I marched her back to the vet and made them put the funnel collar on her. Apparently most of the time Romanian animals don't try to rip out their stitches because stitches don't automatically come with a funnel collar. I initially asked the vet about it and he was like They usually don't need one, but do you want a collar? and I said yes, but I had to take her back there for them to put it on her anyway because I couldn't figure out how to make it stay.
By now she's forgotten all about the surgery and is just utterly miserable because of the funnel collar. I'm sure she thinks the vet and I put the collar on her just to torture her.
She has to leave it on for seven more days from today. One thing I understood that the vet said was "intestines" which makes me think I did the right thing and not ripping out her stitches is at the Important end of the spectrum rather than the - oh leave her alone end of the spectrum. After a very messy process of experimentation I discovered the easiest feeding method for her is pieces of dried food soaked in water set on top of an upside down bowl. Drinking is harder but at least she's getting some water through her soaked food.
So we're struggling through. By now she's used to the collar but it's hard to watch her not be able to do normal things like play. She also can't clean herself (not that she's not clean) which must be terrible for her since she's usually bathing before and after every nap - so 12 times a day.
It was strange though - last night all the stray cats in the neighborhood got together somewhere near my building and decided to have a screaming contest while I watched the HBO movie The Laramie Project. Bella was asleep on my lap and missed the whole thing but it was decidedly eerie.
Even with her funnel collar and her tortured expression she still looks cute and I would post a picture here but the office computer doesn't have the same photo software I do.
In other news Kwarou is being repaired and will be shipped to me in Romania in early February due to a screw up on HP's end - instead of being delivered to me in Romania for free and now. Also, my cell phone is broken so I can't really communicate with anyone except through borrowed Internet in the office - so if you'd like to get in touch with me, there's postcards, smoke signals and telepathy. Or you could just email - but I haven't been getting all of my messages.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Stars Have the Farthest To Fall
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps, although this post has nothing to do with the Peace Corps.
I was in high school when Princess Diana died. My best friend Jessica slept over Saturday night and on Sunday morning we went to church. I remember walking through the church parking lot on this spring morning and Jessica said "the world usually looks different after someone dies, but it today it still looks the same." The news was so new I didn't know what she was talking about.
The world doesn't look different today, either.
Last night at 12:45 I was in bed and I got a text message that Heath Ledger was found dead. I couldn't believe it. He was 28. A year older than me. I knew he had a two year old baby, but I didn't know he and his wife had split up. I feel sad, that it's such a loss of a young life and a talented person. He was the youngest ever actor to be nominated for Best Actor (male) in the Academy Awards.*
Of course, it's sad when it happens to anyone, not just someone famous. Sadly, it's kind of the same as Kassie Dallmann who I always liked and respected; a terrible tragedy. Kassie's death is no less tragic than a celebrity's but it's strange how it feels more real with someone I've never met, but have on DVD. I was thinking how am I going to watch Brokeback Mountain or the Brother's Grimm again. It won't be the same now. And I was so looking forward to Dark Knight Returns - looking forward to it on a perverse fantatic kind of level. I still want to see it and think it will be good, but it will be like watching James Dean where you know that more brilliant work could have come from this person, and now it won't.
I was laying in bed last night thinking about how when I was a kid I would play war and I always had invisible friends who were wounded, on the brink of death or dying. For a while I think I romanticised death, that whole Life fast, die young, leave a beautiful corpse kind of thing - which is fine until everyone forgets you.
I won't forget you Heath Ledger.
*that's because an eight or nine year old girl won Best Actress once.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps, although this post has nothing to do with the Peace Corps.
I was in high school when Princess Diana died. My best friend Jessica slept over Saturday night and on Sunday morning we went to church. I remember walking through the church parking lot on this spring morning and Jessica said "the world usually looks different after someone dies, but it today it still looks the same." The news was so new I didn't know what she was talking about.
The world doesn't look different today, either.
Last night at 12:45 I was in bed and I got a text message that Heath Ledger was found dead. I couldn't believe it. He was 28. A year older than me. I knew he had a two year old baby, but I didn't know he and his wife had split up. I feel sad, that it's such a loss of a young life and a talented person. He was the youngest ever actor to be nominated for Best Actor (male) in the Academy Awards.*
Of course, it's sad when it happens to anyone, not just someone famous. Sadly, it's kind of the same as Kassie Dallmann who I always liked and respected; a terrible tragedy. Kassie's death is no less tragic than a celebrity's but it's strange how it feels more real with someone I've never met, but have on DVD. I was thinking how am I going to watch Brokeback Mountain or the Brother's Grimm again. It won't be the same now. And I was so looking forward to Dark Knight Returns - looking forward to it on a perverse fantatic kind of level. I still want to see it and think it will be good, but it will be like watching James Dean where you know that more brilliant work could have come from this person, and now it won't.
I was laying in bed last night thinking about how when I was a kid I would play war and I always had invisible friends who were wounded, on the brink of death or dying. For a while I think I romanticised death, that whole Life fast, die young, leave a beautiful corpse kind of thing - which is fine until everyone forgets you.
I won't forget you Heath Ledger.
*that's because an eight or nine year old girl won Best Actress once.
Monday, January 21, 2008
The Worrier is Unfortunately Vindicated
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing with the trains, I'm just saying...
I'll say at the beginning that this story has a happy ending...
I spent the weekend in the villiage again. On the whole it was a great weekend. A bunch of volunteers got together. We got to watch a movie and have a knitting night and on Saturday we went to two schools to adjudicate the middle school and high school english monologue contests - watching students perform their original english monologues. It was fun. Then we made tacos. As I said, it was a great weekend, with great food and great company.
Except I left my kitten alone. For the second weekend in a row. Last weekend I was in the villiage coaching the villiage students for the monologue contest and when I came home on sunday after leaving Friday afternoon I found that Bella had done a number on the kitchen. This time I did a better job kitten - proofing the apartment. No dishes in the dishrack, nothing on the stove that could be knocked down, no way to knock over the empty trash can and fresh sticky tape on the kitchen windowsill. Still, it was hard for me to leave her for the second weekend in a row. Circumstances led me to reconsider this decision and I almost at the last minute decided to take her with me but since we would be A) knitting, and B) gone from the villiage all day Saturday and she'd be alone in someone else's apartment anyway I thought Why disturb her with a two hour train ride. This second-guessing though caused me to spend most of the time on the train picturining terrible situations that could occur as a result of my decison to leave her alone. Throughout the weekend I was given to muttering "I hope Bella is ok." My concern was always quickly met with a "She's fine."
Things started to go downhill Sunday when I got on the Personel train. Personel trains are the cheapest and slowest because they stop at all the little villiages. They are a great inexpensive way to get around. Usually. I suddenly discovered that the price of a ticket had more than doubled since my outgoing trip on Friday. Usually the return ticket is just a touch more expensive since I have to purchase it on the train from the Controler and sometimes they try to charge you a tax for not having a ticket or finding the Controler right away and explaining your need to purchase a ticket. This wasn't that. This was three Controlers showing me a chart with kilometers on it and explaining in a very official way that my ticket was more than double the usual price - if I moved to second class because I had accidentally sat in the first class seats on the Personel train. Feeling like I didn't have a let to stand on with an arguement I gave them more than half of my money and insisted I didn't have any more. I did. But I was only 1 leu short of the price they were telling me was the new cost of a ticket.
Then I had to go to the bathroom. It was my goal to never go to the bathroom on the Personel train for as long as I am in Romania. But I had two cups of tea that morning and another hour to go on the train. All I will say is even on the nicer trains if you find soap, water and toliet paper all in the same place at the same time you should take a picture because you won't see it very often. usually people become acustomed to traveling with their own toliet paper but for some reason I've been flirting with irresponsibility lately. All I will say is It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Then the nightmare sencario: coming home to a kitten who's been alone for two whole days makes the walk between the station and my apartment forever. I literally can't get there fast enough. Right as I'm turning the last corner who do I run into but my neighbor who immiedately begins telling me "you left your kitchen window open and your cat got out."
"Really? Where is she? I didn't leave the window open. It was closed when I left."
"The window was open and the cat got out"
There followed a lot of shouting and a lot of stuff that I didn't understand. What I grasped was this - my kitchen window, which doesn't have a screen, and doesn't close completely came open. Bella went out on the little landing above the door to the apartment building. I have let her go out there twice and always I'm watching her like a hawk. She can't jump to the ground or to a tree from there - but that doesn't mean she won't try. The worst she could do would be to cross the landing get into someone else's window box and possibly if the window is open - get into their kitchen.
Which is what she did.
I was saying Will you help me? Do you know where she is? No. Is she in that woman's kitchen? No. Apparently after breaking and entering Bella was identified as my cat, turned out into the hallway with chicken and milk and bread provided in front of my door. She went to the bottom of the stairwell and crawled under a big electrical box and when my neighbor urged me to look for her there I called her and she came running. Stupid cat! Moreover - stupid window that I can't close.
My neighbor followed me into my apartment admonishing me for leaving the window open even after I explained that I didnt' and it doesn't stay closed. Theives could break in to your apartment, she said. Why is your backpack so big? What's in it? -Clothes and blankets. -Blankets? Why blankets? You went to Baru Mare? -Yes my collegues there don't have extra beds so I had to sleep on the floor? - You have blankets? - Yes, for sleeping on the floor. At this point my neighbor crossed herself because there is a belief in Romania that walking on the cold floor barefoot or without slippers will make you sterile. Sitting on the floor will make you sterile, and sitting on something cold or washing with cold water will give you an infection.
I don't know if my neighbor is as much as master of non sequiturs as she seems or it's my lack of understanding, but I think she is. She kept talking to me about I don't know what but eventually she left after I gave her a hug. Greatful just to have found my cat again - after fearing the worst.
So now Bella home and fine except that I had to leave my apartment today and she was eyeing the pigeons on the landing this morning. So we'll see.
On the plus side she didn't leave last night when I went to see the movie Stardust that's playing in Deva for the weekend. Maybe it was the culumination of a lot of stress, but you know I'm prone to have big reactions to things when I'm in movie theatres. When Robert DeNiro the gay pirate captain is outed to his crew and they respond by making him tea and saying "We already knew. And you'll always be our captain." I burst into tears.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing with the trains, I'm just saying...
I'll say at the beginning that this story has a happy ending...
I spent the weekend in the villiage again. On the whole it was a great weekend. A bunch of volunteers got together. We got to watch a movie and have a knitting night and on Saturday we went to two schools to adjudicate the middle school and high school english monologue contests - watching students perform their original english monologues. It was fun. Then we made tacos. As I said, it was a great weekend, with great food and great company.
Except I left my kitten alone. For the second weekend in a row. Last weekend I was in the villiage coaching the villiage students for the monologue contest and when I came home on sunday after leaving Friday afternoon I found that Bella had done a number on the kitchen. This time I did a better job kitten - proofing the apartment. No dishes in the dishrack, nothing on the stove that could be knocked down, no way to knock over the empty trash can and fresh sticky tape on the kitchen windowsill. Still, it was hard for me to leave her for the second weekend in a row. Circumstances led me to reconsider this decision and I almost at the last minute decided to take her with me but since we would be A) knitting, and B) gone from the villiage all day Saturday and she'd be alone in someone else's apartment anyway I thought Why disturb her with a two hour train ride. This second-guessing though caused me to spend most of the time on the train picturining terrible situations that could occur as a result of my decison to leave her alone. Throughout the weekend I was given to muttering "I hope Bella is ok." My concern was always quickly met with a "She's fine."
Things started to go downhill Sunday when I got on the Personel train. Personel trains are the cheapest and slowest because they stop at all the little villiages. They are a great inexpensive way to get around. Usually. I suddenly discovered that the price of a ticket had more than doubled since my outgoing trip on Friday. Usually the return ticket is just a touch more expensive since I have to purchase it on the train from the Controler and sometimes they try to charge you a tax for not having a ticket or finding the Controler right away and explaining your need to purchase a ticket. This wasn't that. This was three Controlers showing me a chart with kilometers on it and explaining in a very official way that my ticket was more than double the usual price - if I moved to second class because I had accidentally sat in the first class seats on the Personel train. Feeling like I didn't have a let to stand on with an arguement I gave them more than half of my money and insisted I didn't have any more. I did. But I was only 1 leu short of the price they were telling me was the new cost of a ticket.
Then I had to go to the bathroom. It was my goal to never go to the bathroom on the Personel train for as long as I am in Romania. But I had two cups of tea that morning and another hour to go on the train. All I will say is even on the nicer trains if you find soap, water and toliet paper all in the same place at the same time you should take a picture because you won't see it very often. usually people become acustomed to traveling with their own toliet paper but for some reason I've been flirting with irresponsibility lately. All I will say is It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Then the nightmare sencario: coming home to a kitten who's been alone for two whole days makes the walk between the station and my apartment forever. I literally can't get there fast enough. Right as I'm turning the last corner who do I run into but my neighbor who immiedately begins telling me "you left your kitchen window open and your cat got out."
"Really? Where is she? I didn't leave the window open. It was closed when I left."
"The window was open and the cat got out"
There followed a lot of shouting and a lot of stuff that I didn't understand. What I grasped was this - my kitchen window, which doesn't have a screen, and doesn't close completely came open. Bella went out on the little landing above the door to the apartment building. I have let her go out there twice and always I'm watching her like a hawk. She can't jump to the ground or to a tree from there - but that doesn't mean she won't try. The worst she could do would be to cross the landing get into someone else's window box and possibly if the window is open - get into their kitchen.
Which is what she did.
I was saying Will you help me? Do you know where she is? No. Is she in that woman's kitchen? No. Apparently after breaking and entering Bella was identified as my cat, turned out into the hallway with chicken and milk and bread provided in front of my door. She went to the bottom of the stairwell and crawled under a big electrical box and when my neighbor urged me to look for her there I called her and she came running. Stupid cat! Moreover - stupid window that I can't close.
My neighbor followed me into my apartment admonishing me for leaving the window open even after I explained that I didnt' and it doesn't stay closed. Theives could break in to your apartment, she said. Why is your backpack so big? What's in it? -Clothes and blankets. -Blankets? Why blankets? You went to Baru Mare? -Yes my collegues there don't have extra beds so I had to sleep on the floor? - You have blankets? - Yes, for sleeping on the floor. At this point my neighbor crossed herself because there is a belief in Romania that walking on the cold floor barefoot or without slippers will make you sterile. Sitting on the floor will make you sterile, and sitting on something cold or washing with cold water will give you an infection.
I don't know if my neighbor is as much as master of non sequiturs as she seems or it's my lack of understanding, but I think she is. She kept talking to me about I don't know what but eventually she left after I gave her a hug. Greatful just to have found my cat again - after fearing the worst.
So now Bella home and fine except that I had to leave my apartment today and she was eyeing the pigeons on the landing this morning. So we'll see.
On the plus side she didn't leave last night when I went to see the movie Stardust that's playing in Deva for the weekend. Maybe it was the culumination of a lot of stress, but you know I'm prone to have big reactions to things when I'm in movie theatres. When Robert DeNiro the gay pirate captain is outed to his crew and they respond by making him tea and saying "We already knew. And you'll always be our captain." I burst into tears.
Monday, January 07, 2008
2007 End of the Year Survey!
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I've been working on this post for a while and I saved it to my stick so I could post from the office when I actually have internet access - so take the time to read it PULL-EASE!!
Coming soon - Photos of New Years Eve in Deva!
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I've been working on this post for a while and I saved it to my stick so I could post from the office when I actually have internet access - so take the time to read it PULL-EASE!!
Coming soon - Photos of New Years Eve in Deva!
In 2007...
Did you do something you thought you would never do?
I don’t know. I never thought I’d do anything like Carpathian Challenge and I set a goal to do it in summer of 2009. I thought I’d never learn a foreign language and be as good as I am with Romanian. I’m not great but I’m pretty proud of myself because I almost didn’t join the Peace Corps because I didn’t think I could learn another language. I certainly never thought I’d speak on the phone in Romanian or give a speech in Romanian to 75 people.
Did you keep any New Year's Resolutions?
Not New Year’s Resolutions. Last year I think I resolved to play more drinking games and, sadly, I have not honored that once in 2007. I’ve been resolving to keep a better journal for the last four years, but I have kept to my personal goal of doing yoga every morning and training exercises for Carpathian Challenge. Not very intense training exercises but exercises nonetheless.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
No one so close to me I can think of it right now, so no.
Did anyone close to you die?
My Grandma Rogers
Did you visit any countries?
Just Romania.
And the international airport in Frankfurt, Germany but I’d been there before.
What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
More projects and people willing to work on them with me. More knowledge of how to speak Romanian. Maybe more structured time. More communication with friends from home that I miss.
Will any date from 2007 stay etched in your memory forever?
Maybe the day we were sworn in as Peace Corps volunteers. In May.
What was your biggest achievement of 2007?
I ate a raw onion like an apple. No I didn’t really do that. I just wish I did. I have gotten really good and chopping onions though. These Transylvanian onions used to make me cry all the time and now they barely make me tear up. As I write this, I have just accomplished an entire bottle of wine by myself but that’s not really an achievement. I want to say that at our in-service training conference Mihaela said of the Peace Corps volunteers that the fact that someone would leave their country and come to work in Romania for two years makes her believe that humanity can’t be as bad as she thought it was. This is my biggest accomplishment so far but since I accomplished it just by coming here and by doing nothing else, I will say that at Special Olympics I gave an impromptu speech in Romanian in front of 75 parents. This is the thing I’ll say I’m most proud of.
What was your biggest failure?
Not making more Romanian friends or not speaking Romanian well enough to engage the people who might be my friends. I’m pretty OK alone in my apartment and I’m fantastic in my apartment with my cat, so it hasn’t really hit me that I need to get out more.
Also I could be a lot better and finding out more about what’s going on with my primary organization and what their needs are.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
My worst illness was when I had no symptoms other than my lymph nodes swelling up painfully, becoming hard and making me fear that I had cancer and that I'd get sent home and I'd have to orphan my cat. Other than that I haven’t been any sicker than the cold I got in January when visiting my friends in NYC. My worst injury probably happened at the Habitat for Humanity blitz build. I don’t remember any injuries but I remember bruises.
What was the best thing you bought in '07?
Kwarou my laptop computer, but technically I bought it in December I think and it arrived in January, I’m not sure. I would say my kitten but I didn’t buy her she was given to me, so I’ll say the second best thing was a share of a cow from Heifer International.
Did your behavior change over the year?
Definitely. I think I’m more confident. I’m able to present my opinions, more subtly – or maybe I just think so. I also stopped eating lunch and I’m able to get up at a consistently early time in the morning whether or not I have any plans for the day. I’m better at structuring my time and holding myself responsible for things. I think I’m more positive and maybe a little more inspired. I definitely don’t let things get to me as much.
Where did you spend most of your money?
In the piaţa and the pet supply store. Definitely the piaţa here and in Ploieşti. And the grocery stores.
Are you happier than this time last year?
I don’t know if I’m happier. I’m more fufilled, less expectant. At this time last year I knew I would be doing something like this in 2007. I just didn’t know what it would be like.
What song will remind you of 2007?
It Comes Around by Justin Timberlake. Maybe also Feelin’ Good by Michael Bublé.
What do you wish you would have done more of?
Made plans for vacation or for visits from friends. Now I feel a lot of pressure to have awesome vacations but I can’t really plan them till I know when and if people are coming to visit. And I wish I’d spent more time with my friends before I left but considering I left in February I think I did pretty good. I should also have spent more time studying Romanian.
What do you wish you would have done less of?
I always wish I had done less worrying about money. I wish I spent less time worrying in general. I wish I spent less time discussing weight and clothing or less time listening to other people talking about what they eat and what size they wear because I really don’t care.
What did/will you do for Christmas '07?
I’m visited Micah and his friend and his host family in Ocna Mureş. We baked cookies, ate huge breakfasts and watched movies – most importantly the Muppet Christmas Carol. It was a great time!
Did you fall in love in 2007?
No, not exactly.
Did you get your heart broken in 2007?
No, not exactly.
Favorite TV program of '07?
The West Wing and Jack and Bobby because it was on TV for a while in Romania or else The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, as always.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yes. I have reawakened a hatred for this guy I went to college with. I don’t remember his name. I think it was Eric? He was president of the campus Republicans in 2000 and he made these comments about Edward James Olmos when he came to speak at our campus. Clearly he couldn’t understand or try to understand the viewpoint of someone who isn’t white. Edward James Olmos for crying out loud! You listen to him and listen good! But that’s not why I hate him. I hate him because he was trying to date my roommate and coming on really strong. He just “decided” that they were going to go on a walk together one day so she got out of the room to be away when he called to make plans because she didn’t like him. But I stayed in the room and he called an woke me up from a nap and he was really rude that my roommate wasn’t there so he couldn’t do whatever he wanted like all things must come to him, Mr. White Male Privilege. What a dick. He didn’t even say sorry for waking me up! Anyway, that-guy-whose-name-I-don’t-remember is a jerk. I just remembered him one day and remembered I have hatred in my heart for him.
What was the best book you read and/or movie you saw?
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I’ve seen many good movies in 2007 but the number of movies I saw in 2007 that I hadn’t already seen before 2007 is very few. So the best new movies I saw in 2007 were The Simpson’s Movie and the Battlestar Galatica miniseries.
What was your greatest discovery?
Not everyone makes it a goal to watch the entire Lord of the Rings extended edition trilogy once a year and that Americans love to eat and talk about eating Mexican food where ever they are in the world – you introduce two Americans who don’t know each other – they start taking about Mexican food. I also discovered what a huge difference having a pet makes. I lived alone before and didn’t think it was stressful to live just me alone in an apartment and in Romania wasn’t any different. And then I brought home my kitten and it is such a huge change for the better to have someone waiting for you when you get home. I don’t know how I ever got along without her.
What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
The day I turned 27 I watched Lord of the Rings with two friends who came to visit me and found out my computer hard drive didn’t have to be wiped and rebuilt. We ate my favorite homemade pizza and Schwepp’s Bitter Lemon. The next day we visited Hunedoara castle, went out to lunch, watched The Princess Bride with my colleges from work, made another delicious pizza and served it with yellow cake and homemade icing – then stayed up late talking. It was a great birthday!
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Two things that would have made my year immeasurably more satisfying would be 1) a complete and effortless understanding of Romanian language and grammar and 2) on at least two occasions – waterproof boots!!! Oh, I don’t need waterproof boots, huh? Well you walk around in Reşitia for a week with wet socks. Now (although it’s January) the ground is covered with icy slush and guess what? My boots have holes in them! So there’s nowhere I can go without getting freezing cold wet feet!
How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2007?
Dru’s hand-me-ups. As she loses weight she passes her clothes on to me. I’ve gotten more than six pairs of pants and some nice skirts – a lot of cool outfits this way and it saves me the trouble of shopping for clothing my size in Romania. Her clothes are all really nice and I appreciate it and everything, but sometimes I feel like I’m dressed like Dru and not like Laura. You know, it would be like (if we were the same size) I gave all my clothes to Sam and that’s all she had to wear. Sam has her own style and it’s not the same as Laura’s style. But most of the time it works out.
Who are you most thankful that you met?
Probably Micah because I have a feeling if we didn’t meet in Peace Corps we would have met some other way since we have so much in common. Probably not literally true that we would have met some other way but it "feels" true. Truthiness.
Who did you wish you did not meet?
That guy in the park in Ploiesti who was masturbating but I didn’t really meet him, he was just standing there looking at me. Other than that, maybe the one rather rude older gentleman but I don’t want to say too much.
Who was your best friend?
My best friends have been Bella the cat and Micah, other than that Andy and Nicole as always.
Who was your enemy?
My enemy was the Dark Lord, He Who Must Not Be Named
Who do you miss?
I miss my family, “The Family” and Harry, Ron and Hermione. Sorry, but it won’t be the same now, after 2007, guys.
Who will you never forget?
I’ll never forget my first gazda Lumi, gazda sister Tina and my second gazda mother Miluta. I’ll never forget Scott Bruner and Jason even though they went home. They’re cool guys I’m glad I met them. And I’ll never forget those who gave their lives in the final battle against the Dark Lord.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007
I learned you can spend a lot of time wishing someone pain and not be happy when they get it – in fact when they get it you can still be utterly miserable for them. Seems self evident but when it happens to you it takes you by surprise.
What will you always remember about 2007
PST in Ploiesti, being sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer, my flight to Romania, meeting my new friends, learning to speak Romanian and my first Christmas without my family. I’m sure there’s plenty of other things that I’ll always remember but I’ve forgotten them right now.
Aspirations for 2008...
What do you want to do in '08 that you couldn't in '07?
Successful projects! Training for Carpathian Challenge ’09! GLOW Camp! I feel like I’m in a position to finally get started. Maybe I could eventually become really busy…but I’ve felt that way before. Either way I’m eager to get going!
Any resolutions?
I’ve resolved not to add honey to my green tea, anymore. Well, this morning I forgot and added it, but I’m trying not to add honey to my green tea. Notice I didn’t say anything about not adding honey to my black tea, my chai tea, my cinnamon apple spice tea, my chamomile tea, or my medicinal teas – because honey is really good for medicinal teas, especially for a cough. In general I think honey is just good for you because it’s a natural sugar, but maybe not with the amount of tea that I drink.
What will be different about 2008 than 2007?
I already have four new friends – two from France and 1 from Belgium and 1 from Argentina, and I feel like I’m finally making the connections for projects to start happening! Let’s hope so!
Anything you want to change about yourself for 2008?
I want to worry less – about money, about what people think, about the future. I want to focus on myself and what I want and do what I need to to make it happen. For now.
Do you want to make more friends in 2008?
Ba Da. As my great role model Chi Chi Rodriguez said “no one is so rich they can afford to throw away a friend.” Chi Chi Rodriguez? Anyone? Anyone?
Did you do something you thought you would never do?
I don’t know. I never thought I’d do anything like Carpathian Challenge and I set a goal to do it in summer of 2009. I thought I’d never learn a foreign language and be as good as I am with Romanian. I’m not great but I’m pretty proud of myself because I almost didn’t join the Peace Corps because I didn’t think I could learn another language. I certainly never thought I’d speak on the phone in Romanian or give a speech in Romanian to 75 people.
Did you keep any New Year's Resolutions?
Not New Year’s Resolutions. Last year I think I resolved to play more drinking games and, sadly, I have not honored that once in 2007. I’ve been resolving to keep a better journal for the last four years, but I have kept to my personal goal of doing yoga every morning and training exercises for Carpathian Challenge. Not very intense training exercises but exercises nonetheless.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
No one so close to me I can think of it right now, so no.
Did anyone close to you die?
My Grandma Rogers
Did you visit any countries?
Just Romania.
And the international airport in Frankfurt, Germany but I’d been there before.
What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
More projects and people willing to work on them with me. More knowledge of how to speak Romanian. Maybe more structured time. More communication with friends from home that I miss.
Will any date from 2007 stay etched in your memory forever?
Maybe the day we were sworn in as Peace Corps volunteers. In May.
What was your biggest achievement of 2007?
I ate a raw onion like an apple. No I didn’t really do that. I just wish I did. I have gotten really good and chopping onions though. These Transylvanian onions used to make me cry all the time and now they barely make me tear up. As I write this, I have just accomplished an entire bottle of wine by myself but that’s not really an achievement. I want to say that at our in-service training conference Mihaela said of the Peace Corps volunteers that the fact that someone would leave their country and come to work in Romania for two years makes her believe that humanity can’t be as bad as she thought it was. This is my biggest accomplishment so far but since I accomplished it just by coming here and by doing nothing else, I will say that at Special Olympics I gave an impromptu speech in Romanian in front of 75 parents. This is the thing I’ll say I’m most proud of.
What was your biggest failure?
Not making more Romanian friends or not speaking Romanian well enough to engage the people who might be my friends. I’m pretty OK alone in my apartment and I’m fantastic in my apartment with my cat, so it hasn’t really hit me that I need to get out more.
Also I could be a lot better and finding out more about what’s going on with my primary organization and what their needs are.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
My worst illness was when I had no symptoms other than my lymph nodes swelling up painfully, becoming hard and making me fear that I had cancer and that I'd get sent home and I'd have to orphan my cat. Other than that I haven’t been any sicker than the cold I got in January when visiting my friends in NYC. My worst injury probably happened at the Habitat for Humanity blitz build. I don’t remember any injuries but I remember bruises.
What was the best thing you bought in '07?
Kwarou my laptop computer, but technically I bought it in December I think and it arrived in January, I’m not sure. I would say my kitten but I didn’t buy her she was given to me, so I’ll say the second best thing was a share of a cow from Heifer International.
Did your behavior change over the year?
Definitely. I think I’m more confident. I’m able to present my opinions, more subtly – or maybe I just think so. I also stopped eating lunch and I’m able to get up at a consistently early time in the morning whether or not I have any plans for the day. I’m better at structuring my time and holding myself responsible for things. I think I’m more positive and maybe a little more inspired. I definitely don’t let things get to me as much.
Where did you spend most of your money?
In the piaţa and the pet supply store. Definitely the piaţa here and in Ploieşti. And the grocery stores.
Are you happier than this time last year?
I don’t know if I’m happier. I’m more fufilled, less expectant. At this time last year I knew I would be doing something like this in 2007. I just didn’t know what it would be like.
What song will remind you of 2007?
It Comes Around by Justin Timberlake. Maybe also Feelin’ Good by Michael Bublé.
What do you wish you would have done more of?
Made plans for vacation or for visits from friends. Now I feel a lot of pressure to have awesome vacations but I can’t really plan them till I know when and if people are coming to visit. And I wish I’d spent more time with my friends before I left but considering I left in February I think I did pretty good. I should also have spent more time studying Romanian.
What do you wish you would have done less of?
I always wish I had done less worrying about money. I wish I spent less time worrying in general. I wish I spent less time discussing weight and clothing or less time listening to other people talking about what they eat and what size they wear because I really don’t care.
What did/will you do for Christmas '07?
I’m visited Micah and his friend and his host family in Ocna Mureş. We baked cookies, ate huge breakfasts and watched movies – most importantly the Muppet Christmas Carol. It was a great time!
Did you fall in love in 2007?
No, not exactly.
Did you get your heart broken in 2007?
No, not exactly.
Favorite TV program of '07?
The West Wing and Jack and Bobby because it was on TV for a while in Romania or else The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, as always.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yes. I have reawakened a hatred for this guy I went to college with. I don’t remember his name. I think it was Eric? He was president of the campus Republicans in 2000 and he made these comments about Edward James Olmos when he came to speak at our campus. Clearly he couldn’t understand or try to understand the viewpoint of someone who isn’t white. Edward James Olmos for crying out loud! You listen to him and listen good! But that’s not why I hate him. I hate him because he was trying to date my roommate and coming on really strong. He just “decided” that they were going to go on a walk together one day so she got out of the room to be away when he called to make plans because she didn’t like him. But I stayed in the room and he called an woke me up from a nap and he was really rude that my roommate wasn’t there so he couldn’t do whatever he wanted like all things must come to him, Mr. White Male Privilege. What a dick. He didn’t even say sorry for waking me up! Anyway, that-guy-whose-name-I-don’t-remember is a jerk. I just remembered him one day and remembered I have hatred in my heart for him.
What was the best book you read and/or movie you saw?
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I’ve seen many good movies in 2007 but the number of movies I saw in 2007 that I hadn’t already seen before 2007 is very few. So the best new movies I saw in 2007 were The Simpson’s Movie and the Battlestar Galatica miniseries.
What was your greatest discovery?
Not everyone makes it a goal to watch the entire Lord of the Rings extended edition trilogy once a year and that Americans love to eat and talk about eating Mexican food where ever they are in the world – you introduce two Americans who don’t know each other – they start taking about Mexican food. I also discovered what a huge difference having a pet makes. I lived alone before and didn’t think it was stressful to live just me alone in an apartment and in Romania wasn’t any different. And then I brought home my kitten and it is such a huge change for the better to have someone waiting for you when you get home. I don’t know how I ever got along without her.
What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
The day I turned 27 I watched Lord of the Rings with two friends who came to visit me and found out my computer hard drive didn’t have to be wiped and rebuilt. We ate my favorite homemade pizza and Schwepp’s Bitter Lemon. The next day we visited Hunedoara castle, went out to lunch, watched The Princess Bride with my colleges from work, made another delicious pizza and served it with yellow cake and homemade icing – then stayed up late talking. It was a great birthday!
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Two things that would have made my year immeasurably more satisfying would be 1) a complete and effortless understanding of Romanian language and grammar and 2) on at least two occasions – waterproof boots!!! Oh, I don’t need waterproof boots, huh? Well you walk around in Reşitia for a week with wet socks. Now (although it’s January) the ground is covered with icy slush and guess what? My boots have holes in them! So there’s nowhere I can go without getting freezing cold wet feet!
How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2007?
Dru’s hand-me-ups. As she loses weight she passes her clothes on to me. I’ve gotten more than six pairs of pants and some nice skirts – a lot of cool outfits this way and it saves me the trouble of shopping for clothing my size in Romania. Her clothes are all really nice and I appreciate it and everything, but sometimes I feel like I’m dressed like Dru and not like Laura. You know, it would be like (if we were the same size) I gave all my clothes to Sam and that’s all she had to wear. Sam has her own style and it’s not the same as Laura’s style. But most of the time it works out.
Who are you most thankful that you met?
Probably Micah because I have a feeling if we didn’t meet in Peace Corps we would have met some other way since we have so much in common. Probably not literally true that we would have met some other way but it "feels" true. Truthiness.
Who did you wish you did not meet?
That guy in the park in Ploiesti who was masturbating but I didn’t really meet him, he was just standing there looking at me. Other than that, maybe the one rather rude older gentleman but I don’t want to say too much.
Who was your best friend?
My best friends have been Bella the cat and Micah, other than that Andy and Nicole as always.
Who was your enemy?
My enemy was the Dark Lord, He Who Must Not Be Named
Who do you miss?
I miss my family, “The Family” and Harry, Ron and Hermione. Sorry, but it won’t be the same now, after 2007, guys.
Who will you never forget?
I’ll never forget my first gazda Lumi, gazda sister Tina and my second gazda mother Miluta. I’ll never forget Scott Bruner and Jason even though they went home. They’re cool guys I’m glad I met them. And I’ll never forget those who gave their lives in the final battle against the Dark Lord.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007
I learned you can spend a lot of time wishing someone pain and not be happy when they get it – in fact when they get it you can still be utterly miserable for them. Seems self evident but when it happens to you it takes you by surprise.
What will you always remember about 2007
PST in Ploiesti, being sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer, my flight to Romania, meeting my new friends, learning to speak Romanian and my first Christmas without my family. I’m sure there’s plenty of other things that I’ll always remember but I’ve forgotten them right now.
Aspirations for 2008...
What do you want to do in '08 that you couldn't in '07?
Successful projects! Training for Carpathian Challenge ’09! GLOW Camp! I feel like I’m in a position to finally get started. Maybe I could eventually become really busy…but I’ve felt that way before. Either way I’m eager to get going!
Any resolutions?
I’ve resolved not to add honey to my green tea, anymore. Well, this morning I forgot and added it, but I’m trying not to add honey to my green tea. Notice I didn’t say anything about not adding honey to my black tea, my chai tea, my cinnamon apple spice tea, my chamomile tea, or my medicinal teas – because honey is really good for medicinal teas, especially for a cough. In general I think honey is just good for you because it’s a natural sugar, but maybe not with the amount of tea that I drink.
What will be different about 2008 than 2007?
I already have four new friends – two from France and 1 from Belgium and 1 from Argentina, and I feel like I’m finally making the connections for projects to start happening! Let’s hope so!
Anything you want to change about yourself for 2008?
I want to worry less – about money, about what people think, about the future. I want to focus on myself and what I want and do what I need to to make it happen. For now.
Do you want to make more friends in 2008?
Ba Da. As my great role model Chi Chi Rodriguez said “no one is so rich they can afford to throw away a friend.” Chi Chi Rodriguez? Anyone? Anyone?
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Almost Perfect Christmas Photos
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Here are some pictures from Christmas! For videos see two posts below but here are some pictures of things I didn't get video of - and I didn't get as much video of myself and my friends speaking Romanian because at dinner on Christmas my batteries died.
Micah giving cookies to our carolers.
A shining aray of gift plates - look at all the baking we did!
Micah gets his coat on!
Iulia tastes a chocolate covered pretzel.
Have a drink of tuica!
or palinka (twice distilled plum brandy)
Christmas trees are different in Romania because I don't think they are farmed for Christmas. Also I see many people carrying their tree home under their arm. This is a huge tree for a little Romanian apartment and very beautiful. It was the first year I haven't had a Christmas tree and neither did Micah.
Micah got a Romanian book from his friend and former tutor Iulia.
There was a scarf and a new hat under the tree for me even though I'd met Iulia once before and I'd never met her parents!
Visiting Micah's gazda bunicia (grandmother). We delievered a plate of goodies and caroled and then sampled more Romanian holiday treats.
Plates of tasty treats and a bottle of a sweet cherry juice from the orchard.
Christmas day a strange parade passed by the apartment with people in colorful animal costumes and beating the drums. They walked around the bloc apartments in a loop a couple times.
Another volunteer, Jesse, came over for Christmas day and we had dinner (and cookies) with Micah's host family.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Almost Perfect Christmas (cont'd.)
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Please go down and watch the videos, in the last post first, Ok? There's an order to this but blogger's only letting me post so many videos at a time.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Please go down and watch the videos, in the last post first, Ok? There's an order to this but blogger's only letting me post so many videos at a time.
La Multi Ani! Craciun Fercit! (Many Happy Returns!) Merry Christmas!
Here's the family tradition of singing a Christmas Carol in front of the door before we go into the room to see the presents under the Christmas tree.
Sarmale fara carne is cabage rolls with rice and vegetables, bread and samanta. Samanta is sour cream. What else did I eat for Christmas? Lots of cookies, cakes, Schwepps Bitter Lemon, chocolates and chocolate covered pretzels.
Almost Perfect Chirstmas
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
As promised, here are the videos of my Christmas in Ocna Mures. Here are Micah and I making the Christmas cookies.
Ok, after giving the matter some more thought I no longer think the Star of David and the Christmas Star are the same star.
Some of the neighborhood kids caroling or - colinda. The caroling tradition varies from village to town, and we were also caroled to by a Romanian praise band from a local church, with a guitar and everything - but for a while it was like every kid suddenly had a job. Caroling for change, cookies and mugs of hot tea. However my hot Christmas tea flavored with oranges, sugar, cinnamon and clove too foriegn and was not appreciated by the Romanian kids.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
It's beginning to look a lot like...something
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
This is a post is a combination of thoughts I've had for a while. It took a while for it to look and feel like Christmas here in Romania and I think that's a little strange seeing as how there is no mainstream celebration of Halloween and no Thanksgiving in Romania. Signs of Christmas such as lights and window displays in stores, wreaths and public Christmas trees didn't appear until early December and it was weird forgetting that Christmas was coming - or even weirder knowing Christmas was coming and was being advertised and being celebrated in the U.S. in October and November.
I remember thinking that the first late November sign of Christmas I saw was a car going around town with a speaker attached to its roof playing music. It was a song I recognized and I assumed it was a Christmas song but then I actually stopped and paid attention and realized that was Ode To Joy. Turns out the car was driving around encouraging political support for a candidate in the upcoming election.
But with St. Nicholas day the chocolates, the holly, the evergreen and the real live mistletoe started showing up in stores. The city put up lights and a couple of Christmas trees and I've noticed that I distinctly hear American Christmas carols played on the PA when I'm grocery shopping. Maybe because I don't watch the American tv being subtitled in Romanian - but I haven't noticed if there are Christmas movies, or tv Christmas specials or those heartwarming Seasons Greetings commercials about Peace on Earth goodwill to man brought to you by coca cola. Sarbatori Fericite by the way is Happy Holidays in Romanian.
There are no huge sales, no Black Friday, no shoppers bustling every where with over loaded shopping bags and fewer kids out of their minds with Christmas excitement that I've noticed.
I think it's because, as I said, many kids get their presents on St. Nicholas day and Christmas is a time for food, family, carols and church. I'm looking forward to celebrating with my friend's host family. I've also gotten the idea that like most things Romanians will celebrate Christmas when they get around to it. It will come. No need to rush.
It's interesting because I knew Christmas was a capitalist holiday but I kind of assumed it was everywhere - including Europe, but I'm beginning to learn that few other countries have the emphasis on gifts that you see in the U.S. Romania also has its National Day on December 1st, and today December 22 is the anniversary of the revolution in 1989. At least I'm pretty sure as most cities I've been to have a strada 22 decembrie and in Deva strada 22 decembrie turns into strada primul decembrie. Romanians have that history added on to their celebration of Christmas. Ceaucescu was executed on Christmas morning 1989 and it was widely thought of as a new beginning for the country.
We'll see how this history informs the celebration of Christmas with the Romanian family I'll be visiting. I'm mostly excited for the excuse to celebrate (i.e. feast, song and movie marathon) with friends and to get out of town for a little while. I'm interested and grateful to be welcomed into a Romanian family's celebration of the holiday. But, this being my first Christmas in my entire life I'm away from my family it's also an opportunity for me to step back and look at what Christmas really means to me.
I guess it means the Muppet Christmas Carol. No seriously, I didn't bring this movie with me to Romania and it was only recently (Thursday) I was able to secure a copy to watch on Christmas Day. Until I knew for sure I was going to have it I was anxious and kind of depressed. I remember when this movie came out on video we watched it at my birthday party in 7th grade. The Muppet Christmas Carol has been part of my Christmas tradition since 1992 and keeping this tradition alive was very important to me. Somehow watching the Muppet Christmas Carol makes it more like Christmas - even though in recent years my brother and I, I'm sorry to say invented a Muppet Christmas Carol drinking game. I think we thought we should try to ruin everything good and pure in the world.
It's funny because since I grew up and went to college I wasn't that in to how we carried out family Christmas traditions. I didn't care if we went to church or stayed home and watched Fight Club, if I cooked a turkey or made vegetarian lasagna and samosas, if I was sick or well; not much phased me. Because it was Christmas and I was home where I belonged with my friends and family around me. Now that I'm far away these traditions take on so much more importance.
Like my newly founded tradition of watching the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy every year about this time whether it be on Christmas day or New Year's. I finally got to watch the Trilogy again (- it had been far too long) and completed it on my birthday. Again - I was anxious and unhappy at the approach of the holiday until I knew that I could watch these movies again snuggled up with someone I love. Who "gets" it. It seemed right and good because it reminded me of the first time watched extended edition ROTK which was released on my 24th birthday which I watched with The Family all gathered at Andy's apartment in Stevens Point - crying our eyes out so that Chris had to get up and had everyone tissues. Natalie and Brent were even there! This year taking the ring to the Mountain with some different friends was still good because I got to remember past trips to the mountain and that's what makes me feel closer to all those I miss. And until this moment I don't think I've even felt properly grateful I have the opportunity to take part in the film trilogy with a new close friend I didn't know a year ago.
So if you want to call between Christmas and New Year, I might be on a Journey - but I'll be happy to pick up the phone. Or I might be watching the Muppet Christmas Carol once a day for several days straight and I guarantee I'll be singing along!
Speaking of other holiday traditions, though, I "magically acquired" a Christmas album I used to love as a kid. Willie Nelson's Christmas album Pretty Paper. It was the only country album I ever listened to growing up but for some reason when Willie sang it it meant Christmas to me in a way that Bing Crosby or anyone else never did. Listening to this album again now just makes me depressed though and I realize I haven't listened to it - or any country for that matter - since Brokeback Mountain came out. That twangy guitar sound now means something to me that can not be undone and listening to Willie now is like pain itself singing you a lullaby. Very weird.
With all that in mind - tomorrow Bella and I are off to visit a friend for a few days while we celebrate with good friends, good fun and a lot of movies and food! I plan to make little videos on my camera of Christmas 07 in Romania and post them here so you all can feel closer to me if you've not got access to the muppets or 9.9 hours to spare watching Lord of the Rings.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Hyper-sensitive or How I experience culture shock
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps
I've been thinking lately about how crabby I am at some people's comments about culture. I think I've come to realize this has something to do with my experience of culture shock.
They told us in Peace Corps training we would experience culture shock but no one could really explain what that would look like. Some said it would be the day you broke down and cried in the post office because the woman behind the desk was rude to you (or more rude than usual) or a day you were so homesick you couldn't get out bed. A friend of mine who spent three months in Costa Rica said he experienced a culture shock that made him hate Costa Rica because of all the problems in that country and the stress things he saw as "wrong" with the country caused him. (I'm paraphrasing here because he told me this more than four months ago and said he hadn't experienced anything like it in Romania.)
I haven't had any days where I hated Romania. In fact every time I'm asked "Do you like it here in Romania?" I'm able to respond with a heartfelt yes, I like Romania. I think Romania is a country with problems - like every country, but in a lot of ways it is refreshing to get some distance from the USA and all of its problems. I like Romania. So I thought I hadn't really experienced any culture shock. I noticed things that were different, and have always done my best to "roll with it." I have been heard to earnestly exclaim "we're Peace Corps volunteers, we're flexible!" and have mostly given up my American notions of getting things done in a hurry.
Lately I have come to realize that my reaction to other peoples comments about culture is disproportionate to the offense given by the remark. I am hyper-sensitive. It started back in training when friends from home whom I haven't been in touch with for a while made innocent jokes about Romania on my facebook page I became furiously angry at their ignorance*. I know these comments were intended to be funny and that a lot of people in US just don't know anything about Romania-I didn't really know anything about Romania a year ago. I tried to respond in a similarly humorous tone, while setting them straight, but I was still angry. *except for vampire jokes. I don't like the vampire stereotype, but I think vampire jokes are funny.
It even got to the point where I was irritated with people from home who displayed an ignorance about how Peace Corps works. I don't know how I could expect you guys at home to know about that stuff but be assured that if you made an erroneous statement about PC instead of asking a question, I was probably a little irritated with you.
I had a similar experience to this when I was in Mississippi and well meaning friends and family members would congratulate me on volunteering in New Orleans and a fiery venom would burst fourth from my lungs proclaiming I'M NOT IN NEW ORLEANS. I'M IN MISSISSIPPI! GOD! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT MORE THAN NEW ORLEANS WAS HIT BY THE HURRICANE?!!!!
What was that about?
Then I became aware that I am feeling immensely crabby at comments made by other volunteers about Romania. Every time I hear "it's even good by US standards" or "almost as good as in the US" it lights a little flame of anger in my soul. Little things like "fresh honey is one of the best things about Romania" elicits an undeserved response of "Way to reduce an entire culture down to fresh honey!"** in my head. **If you said this, I'm not angry at you, it was just a recent example.
Rarely do I tell other volunteers about their tiny offenses that irk me - unless it's something major that seriously needs to be addressed. And so far I'm glad I haven't brought it up because there are so many little things it seems petty - but maybe if I had I would have realized sooner that my anger is a little intense; that I'm spending an increasing about of time peeved with everyone.
Assumptions that everything is naturally better in the US make me furious. But I don't think the volunteers who make these statements of assumption or bad people, nor are they trying to say the USA is better at everything than Romania. It's just what comes out of your mouth. I guess it's kind of natural with the way we Americans were socialized. I know they don't mean to sound like jerks. I don't even think Romanians think we're as jerky as I do. I'm just tired of comparisons.
It's hard to realize that you're going through culture shock though. It's one of those things that appears to you - perfectly rational and justified. It's kind of like experiencing PMS or being drunk and angry - you think the way you're reacting is totally reasonable. Until you realize it isn't.
I know I'm not innocent of this either. But it's always easier to be upset about what's wrong with everyone else. This weekend I just said to my Romanian co-worker "I don't have one of those round pizza cutters. I should get my mom to send me one" and she said "you know we have those here, in Romania."
And I've been feeling like a jerk for two days. Surely that's not normal. Surely this has something to do with culture shock.
Or maybe I'm just a bitch.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps
I've been thinking lately about how crabby I am at some people's comments about culture. I think I've come to realize this has something to do with my experience of culture shock.
They told us in Peace Corps training we would experience culture shock but no one could really explain what that would look like. Some said it would be the day you broke down and cried in the post office because the woman behind the desk was rude to you (or more rude than usual) or a day you were so homesick you couldn't get out bed. A friend of mine who spent three months in Costa Rica said he experienced a culture shock that made him hate Costa Rica because of all the problems in that country and the stress things he saw as "wrong" with the country caused him. (I'm paraphrasing here because he told me this more than four months ago and said he hadn't experienced anything like it in Romania.)
I haven't had any days where I hated Romania. In fact every time I'm asked "Do you like it here in Romania?" I'm able to respond with a heartfelt yes, I like Romania. I think Romania is a country with problems - like every country, but in a lot of ways it is refreshing to get some distance from the USA and all of its problems. I like Romania. So I thought I hadn't really experienced any culture shock. I noticed things that were different, and have always done my best to "roll with it." I have been heard to earnestly exclaim "we're Peace Corps volunteers, we're flexible!" and have mostly given up my American notions of getting things done in a hurry.
Lately I have come to realize that my reaction to other peoples comments about culture is disproportionate to the offense given by the remark. I am hyper-sensitive. It started back in training when friends from home whom I haven't been in touch with for a while made innocent jokes about Romania on my facebook page I became furiously angry at their ignorance*. I know these comments were intended to be funny and that a lot of people in US just don't know anything about Romania-I didn't really know anything about Romania a year ago. I tried to respond in a similarly humorous tone, while setting them straight, but I was still angry. *except for vampire jokes. I don't like the vampire stereotype, but I think vampire jokes are funny.
It even got to the point where I was irritated with people from home who displayed an ignorance about how Peace Corps works. I don't know how I could expect you guys at home to know about that stuff but be assured that if you made an erroneous statement about PC instead of asking a question, I was probably a little irritated with you.
I had a similar experience to this when I was in Mississippi and well meaning friends and family members would congratulate me on volunteering in New Orleans and a fiery venom would burst fourth from my lungs proclaiming I'M NOT IN NEW ORLEANS. I'M IN MISSISSIPPI! GOD! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT MORE THAN NEW ORLEANS WAS HIT BY THE HURRICANE?!!!!
What was that about?
Then I became aware that I am feeling immensely crabby at comments made by other volunteers about Romania. Every time I hear "it's even good by US standards" or "almost as good as in the US" it lights a little flame of anger in my soul. Little things like "fresh honey is one of the best things about Romania" elicits an undeserved response of "Way to reduce an entire culture down to fresh honey!"** in my head. **If you said this, I'm not angry at you, it was just a recent example.
Rarely do I tell other volunteers about their tiny offenses that irk me - unless it's something major that seriously needs to be addressed. And so far I'm glad I haven't brought it up because there are so many little things it seems petty - but maybe if I had I would have realized sooner that my anger is a little intense; that I'm spending an increasing about of time peeved with everyone.
Assumptions that everything is naturally better in the US make me furious. But I don't think the volunteers who make these statements of assumption or bad people, nor are they trying to say the USA is better at everything than Romania. It's just what comes out of your mouth. I guess it's kind of natural with the way we Americans were socialized. I know they don't mean to sound like jerks. I don't even think Romanians think we're as jerky as I do. I'm just tired of comparisons.
It's hard to realize that you're going through culture shock though. It's one of those things that appears to you - perfectly rational and justified. It's kind of like experiencing PMS or being drunk and angry - you think the way you're reacting is totally reasonable. Until you realize it isn't.
I know I'm not innocent of this either. But it's always easier to be upset about what's wrong with everyone else. This weekend I just said to my Romanian co-worker "I don't have one of those round pizza cutters. I should get my mom to send me one" and she said "you know we have those here, in Romania."
And I've been feeling like a jerk for two days. Surely that's not normal. Surely this has something to do with culture shock.
Or maybe I'm just a bitch.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Gender and Development Romania Calendars!
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.There is still time to order your 2008 Romania GAD calendar and have it delivered to your door before the New Year! We have only 70 calendars left to sell out a record-breaking printing of 500! You can help us move the last calendars by buying one for yourself or one for your friends or family members. It makes a great Christmas gift for under $20!
Proceeds from the calendar sale benefit the Gender and Devlopment committee, a committee of Peace Corps volunteers and Romanians working together on gender equity projects. This year the printing was donated - so 100% of your $12 (because $2 is shipping) will go to help fund projects such as youth development camps, anti-human trafficking projects, domestic voilence awareness campaigns and seminars on women in the media.
How to order? Just send me an email (theonlylunchbox@hotmail.com) including the number of calendars you'd like and who you'd like them sent to (we deliver to friends and neighbors for the same price as to your door!) You can even order six calendars and have 3 sent to your best friend and three to yourself for just $2 shipping per order from Romania! Or if my checking my email 45 times an hour isn't reliable enough for you, you can send an email directly to Monica (Monica.Gadkari@gmail.com) with the same information.
How to pay? When you send me an email I will click reply and send you a convieneint address in the USA to which you can mail a check. It's that simple!
Don't have any money? I believe we'll continue selling the calendars until we run out so (don't tell anyone I told you this) but I think if you don't put your check in the mail until early January it'd be OK. You can also check in with me in late Jan, early Feb when you break down and realize your 2007 calendar isn't going to get you through 2008, or just keep us in mind for next year!
How to order? Just send me an email (theonlylunchbox@hotmail.com) including the number of calendars you'd like and who you'd like them sent to (we deliver to friends and neighbors for the same price as to your door!) You can even order six calendars and have 3 sent to your best friend and three to yourself for just $2 shipping per order from Romania! Or if my checking my email 45 times an hour isn't reliable enough for you, you can send an email directly to Monica (Monica.Gadkari@gmail.com) with the same information.
How to pay? When you send me an email I will click reply and send you a convieneint address in the USA to which you can mail a check. It's that simple!
Don't have any money? I believe we'll continue selling the calendars until we run out so (don't tell anyone I told you this) but I think if you don't put your check in the mail until early January it'd be OK. You can also check in with me in late Jan, early Feb when you break down and realize your 2007 calendar isn't going to get you through 2008, or just keep us in mind for next year!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Hanukkah
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I woke up this morning to a dark gray sky and little light in my room although it was almost nine o'clock. I thought, Oh if it's going to be this dark out all day why even get out of bed? But I did, and now I have a pale blue sky and some sunlight coming in through the windows. Enough that I don't yet have to turn the lights on. When evening comes I'll probably turn on the lights and light the candles I bought yesterday. Winter is the time of year when I enjoy having some candles going. It's cheering.
While feeling thankful for the sunlight I remembered my dream last night. I dreamt I was back in high school choir and the director was passing out the music for the holiday concert and I was begging him to sing the Hanukkah song we sang in fourth grade. I still remember that song though i don't remember any other specific song from that concert n fourth grade - we probably sang Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas but I can't be sure. I just remember the Hanukkah song was my favorite song that year, but I didn't know until my dream the other night that I remembered all the words.
It's a beautiful song about remembering and honoring, and about a miracle and tradition. It's probably not a traditional song - someone probably wrote it so fourth graders could sing it at holiday concerts, but it made an impression on me all the same. (I considered posting the words here but this is too long so if you want to know them you should email me.)
Two years ago I was introduced to the notion that Hanukkah is part of Christian tradition because the early Christians were Jewish. Old testament traditions are part of Christian history and heritage. I really liked that idea of emphasizing the connection between the old traditions and the new, of honoring the ancestors. It's much more appealing that the us vs. them take on it and people (please!) feeling persecuted by the phrase "Happy Holidays" - which by the way includes Thanksgiving and New Year.
Is there anything stopping someone who is not of Christian faith from finding the Hallieujah Chorus beautiful? Or even from singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" with vigor if Christmas isn't something they themselves celbrate? No. And there's nothing stopping Christians from seeing the beauty of Hanukkah, the Celebration of Lights. But more than that in this dark time of the year I want to join in the celebration and remember and honor the traditions of long ago before Jesus was born. Thinking about the world Jesus was born into, thinking about light in a time of darkness, thinking about miracles and traditons all comes together in what the holiday season really means: hope.
Recently a friend of mine said on her blog that Mitt Romney made a speech where he said only someone who believes in Jesus is qualified to be President. I, of course, know nothing of this because with no Daily Show, I get no news.(The Daily show itself could be back on for weeks before I'd even know about it) But maybe what Romney should have said only someone who follows the teachings of Jesus is qualified to be President regardless of what he or she believes.
Is Benjamin Franklin a less valued statesman in American history because he once wrote "As to Jesus of Nazareth, I think the system of morals and his religion as he left them to us are the best the world ever saw or is likely to see, but I have some doubts as to his divinity." ?
In the discussion of a Religious Test one might have to pass to be a contender to the office of the Presidency, I would refer you to the West Wing on this matter, but my friend more rightly linked to her blog President Kennedy making an address in Houston in 1960 when the issue of whether or not a Catholic could govern as President was raised during that election. I would urge you to watch Kennedy's speech as he makes the point that if a good statesman can not be elected because he is Protestant or Catholic or Jewish, than the loss belongs to the entire country; because it is a country of Jews and Catholics an Protestents who expect equal and fair treatment from their government, the government of a free country which allows all the freedom to choose their faith or choose not to have faith.
I think when we talk about freedom people are too quick to become selfish about MY freedom. MY FREEDOM to hear people say Merry Christmas when I go to Wal-Mart and not to have to hear something else. MY FREEDOM to celebrate Christmas. But the freedom to celebrate Christmas or not celebrate it is also the freedom to hear songs about other faiths and recognize their beauty. Because you have the FREEDOM to choose your own faith and decide for yourself. You have the FREEDOM not to be censored in your thoughts or in your appreciations of the music, art and poetry of other faiths.
MY FREEDOM allows me wish you all a Happy Hanukkah whether you celebrate it or not without fear that the religious police will come after me for saying something that doesn't fit with the majority status quo - and what you do with my earnest good wishes for miracles and tradition and light in your life - is up to you.
I wish you all light in this season of the year. I wish you hope and success in the new year. I wish you love and happiness and family and friends to celebrate life with - however you choose to celebrate it. And I wish you the continued freedom to find faith and beauty where ever you find it.
And my hope is that in 2008 more people will be willing to freely come together as brothers and sisters of many faiths and celebrate light.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I woke up this morning to a dark gray sky and little light in my room although it was almost nine o'clock. I thought, Oh if it's going to be this dark out all day why even get out of bed? But I did, and now I have a pale blue sky and some sunlight coming in through the windows. Enough that I don't yet have to turn the lights on. When evening comes I'll probably turn on the lights and light the candles I bought yesterday. Winter is the time of year when I enjoy having some candles going. It's cheering.
While feeling thankful for the sunlight I remembered my dream last night. I dreamt I was back in high school choir and the director was passing out the music for the holiday concert and I was begging him to sing the Hanukkah song we sang in fourth grade. I still remember that song though i don't remember any other specific song from that concert n fourth grade - we probably sang Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas but I can't be sure. I just remember the Hanukkah song was my favorite song that year, but I didn't know until my dream the other night that I remembered all the words.
It's a beautiful song about remembering and honoring, and about a miracle and tradition. It's probably not a traditional song - someone probably wrote it so fourth graders could sing it at holiday concerts, but it made an impression on me all the same. (I considered posting the words here but this is too long so if you want to know them you should email me.)
Two years ago I was introduced to the notion that Hanukkah is part of Christian tradition because the early Christians were Jewish. Old testament traditions are part of Christian history and heritage. I really liked that idea of emphasizing the connection between the old traditions and the new, of honoring the ancestors. It's much more appealing that the us vs. them take on it and people (please!) feeling persecuted by the phrase "Happy Holidays" - which by the way includes Thanksgiving and New Year.
Is there anything stopping someone who is not of Christian faith from finding the Hallieujah Chorus beautiful? Or even from singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" with vigor if Christmas isn't something they themselves celbrate? No. And there's nothing stopping Christians from seeing the beauty of Hanukkah, the Celebration of Lights. But more than that in this dark time of the year I want to join in the celebration and remember and honor the traditions of long ago before Jesus was born. Thinking about the world Jesus was born into, thinking about light in a time of darkness, thinking about miracles and traditons all comes together in what the holiday season really means: hope.
Recently a friend of mine said on her blog that Mitt Romney made a speech where he said only someone who believes in Jesus is qualified to be President. I, of course, know nothing of this because with no Daily Show, I get no news.(The Daily show itself could be back on for weeks before I'd even know about it) But maybe what Romney should have said only someone who follows the teachings of Jesus is qualified to be President regardless of what he or she believes.
Is Benjamin Franklin a less valued statesman in American history because he once wrote "As to Jesus of Nazareth, I think the system of morals and his religion as he left them to us are the best the world ever saw or is likely to see, but I have some doubts as to his divinity." ?
In the discussion of a Religious Test one might have to pass to be a contender to the office of the Presidency, I would refer you to the West Wing on this matter, but my friend more rightly linked to her blog President Kennedy making an address in Houston in 1960 when the issue of whether or not a Catholic could govern as President was raised during that election. I would urge you to watch Kennedy's speech as he makes the point that if a good statesman can not be elected because he is Protestant or Catholic or Jewish, than the loss belongs to the entire country; because it is a country of Jews and Catholics an Protestents who expect equal and fair treatment from their government, the government of a free country which allows all the freedom to choose their faith or choose not to have faith.
I think when we talk about freedom people are too quick to become selfish about MY freedom. MY FREEDOM to hear people say Merry Christmas when I go to Wal-Mart and not to have to hear something else. MY FREEDOM to celebrate Christmas. But the freedom to celebrate Christmas or not celebrate it is also the freedom to hear songs about other faiths and recognize their beauty. Because you have the FREEDOM to choose your own faith and decide for yourself. You have the FREEDOM not to be censored in your thoughts or in your appreciations of the music, art and poetry of other faiths.
MY FREEDOM allows me wish you all a Happy Hanukkah whether you celebrate it or not without fear that the religious police will come after me for saying something that doesn't fit with the majority status quo - and what you do with my earnest good wishes for miracles and tradition and light in your life - is up to you.
I wish you all light in this season of the year. I wish you hope and success in the new year. I wish you love and happiness and family and friends to celebrate life with - however you choose to celebrate it. And I wish you the continued freedom to find faith and beauty where ever you find it.
And my hope is that in 2008 more people will be willing to freely come together as brothers and sisters of many faiths and celebrate light.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Pictures from the train window continued: Calan
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I took this video out the window of the train and you're just going to have to read what I have to say about this video because originally it was 185 MG of countryside between the train station and the factory with explanation and Romanians speaking in the background.I had to edit it down to 99 because 100 is all blogger and youtube can handle. And apparently blogger can't handle it.
This is video of the factory in the town of Calan. When I visit my friends south of me in Baru Mare or in Petrosani this is the train I take and it goes through the abandoned factory. The factory is on both sides of the tracks. I've also been in a car that drove through Calan and let me tell you the abandoned factory on both sides of the road is an experience. I must say looking out train windows in Romania you see an abandoned factory like this every so often but this is the biggest one I've seen. It also extends back away from the tracks quite a bit.
I don't know what used to be made in this factory. I don't know how many people live in Calan, but these are things that I'm going to try to learn. I don't know if anything is being done with this abandoned factory but I have a feeling it's beyond any Peace Corps volunteer to do a project about it.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
I took this video out the window of the train and you're just going to have to read what I have to say about this video because originally it was 185 MG of countryside between the train station and the factory with explanation and Romanians speaking in the background.I had to edit it down to 99 because 100 is all blogger and youtube can handle. And apparently blogger can't handle it.
This is video of the factory in the town of Calan. When I visit my friends south of me in Baru Mare or in Petrosani this is the train I take and it goes through the abandoned factory. The factory is on both sides of the tracks. I've also been in a car that drove through Calan and let me tell you the abandoned factory on both sides of the road is an experience. I must say looking out train windows in Romania you see an abandoned factory like this every so often but this is the biggest one I've seen. It also extends back away from the tracks quite a bit.
I don't know what used to be made in this factory. I don't know how many people live in Calan, but these are things that I'm going to try to learn. I don't know if anything is being done with this abandoned factory but I have a feeling it's beyond any Peace Corps volunteer to do a project about it.
Happy St. Nicholas day!
I decided to celebrate St.Nicholas Day (why not) by buying myself some chocolate. And oranges. When I was a kid we always got oranges and Hersheys kisses and sometimes dimes in our shoes. I think we celebrated this holiday to calm us down in the run up to Christmas - the time when everyone under 10 is out of their mind with excitement. I'm not out of my mind with excitement about Christmas, but there are things I'm looking foward to and I thought it would be nice to treat myself today.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Today is St. Nicholas day. The day when Romanian children wake up, run to their shoes and open their presents, and then go to school. I imagine however, since it's not a National holiday and people still go to school and work, that the school day is probably mostly St. Nicholas day parties.
As I understand it Christmas eve and Christmas day in Romania are more about feasting, drinking, singing and going to church with your family and the majority of gift giving happens on St. Nicholas day.
I decided to celebrate St.Nicholas Day (why not) by buying myself some chocolate. And oranges. When I was a kid we always got oranges and Hersheys kisses and sometimes dimes in our shoes. I think we celebrated this holiday to calm us down in the run up to Christmas - the time when everyone under 10 is out of their mind with excitement. I'm not out of my mind with excitement about Christmas, but there are things I'm looking foward to and I thought it would be nice to treat myself today.
Well a little treat turned quite extravagant because I don't usually eat lunch. But I decided to celebrate my birthday a little early and buy myself my new favorite cheese spread which is a little like cream cheese with garlic and herbs and dark bread.
I got up early to go to the piata to buy oranges and collect a package of treats sent to me from Hawaii! Better than anything I could find in my shoe, I get the taste of something new, reminders of loved ones far away and favorite tea! On the way I ran into my neighbor and wished her a happy St. Nicholas day. On the way I home I decided I would give her half my oranges later. Then I went to the store for chocolate and Schwepp's Bitter lemon (my new addiction) and stopped by my office to share the experience of Stash Chai Tea. There was only one person at the office but St. Nicholas had left little gift bags for everyone with chocolate Santas. Interestingly, he left a little bag of chocolate for me there, too!
Then I came home to light a big stick of cinnamon incense and induldge in cheese, bread, an orange and a banana, chocolate, Schwepps and tea. All for me! It's nice to have a special treat for yourself every once in a while. Thank you St. Nicholas!
Oh, an my neighbor thought oranges on St.Nicholas day was strange until I told her it's what I always found in my shoe. She responded by knocking on my door and presenting me with - more chocolate!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Pictures from the train window
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Here are two different journeys, one I've taken twice now and maybe not again, the other I take every time I visit three friends to the south of me. First here are the pictures of the beautiful Transylvanian scenery between me and Miercurea Cuic to the northeast of me. It's a seven hour train ride one way. Miercurea Cuic is supposed to be the coldest city in Romania and when I was there in the begining of November it was cold and snowing, but now that I went again on Nov.30 it's not so cold. In between here an Miercrea Cuic is a scenic country side with lots of quaint houses set beautifully against the snow covered hills and my photography out of the train window doesn't do it justice.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Here are two different journeys, one I've taken twice now and maybe not again, the other I take every time I visit three friends to the south of me. First here are the pictures of the beautiful Transylvanian scenery between me and Miercurea Cuic to the northeast of me. It's a seven hour train ride one way. Miercurea Cuic is supposed to be the coldest city in Romania and when I was there in the begining of November it was cold and snowing, but now that I went again on Nov.30 it's not so cold. In between here an Miercrea Cuic is a scenic country side with lots of quaint houses set beautifully against the snow covered hills and my photography out of the train window doesn't do it justice.
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