Tuesday, June 16, 2009 continued...
While downtown, we were in front of the building where we would eat the following night and I was taking a picture of the beautiful building when a little boy began putting his hand in front of my camera and yelling “bai, bai!” My first thought was that it was a little local boy joking around with us, but I quickly realized that it was a homeless beggar child. “Bai!” apparently means “money”… It was heartbreaking to experience this, but the Romanians with us told us to hold on to our purses and keep walking. It is so sad to see small children begging in the street no matter where you are!
We went through a street that had been finished and a ceiling stretched between the buildings to create an enclosed area, which was quite enchanting. The lights created a warm golden ambience, Egyptian café tables and chairs packed the street. Many people were huddled together smoking flavored tobacco from negulas (hookahs). I felt like I had suddenly been transported to another place. Our final stop on Doina’s tour was to a very old bookstore that housed several stories of books and gifts. I ventured to the very bottom story and found a wine cellar…I really wanted to buy a bottle of wine, but I was so hot, exhausted and hungry that I couldn’t really focus on finding that perfect bottle of wine. I’ll save that for another day. I did manage to find a Romanian cookbook, and Raluca marked her favorite recipe in the book for me. I can’t wait to attempt to make it when I get home.
As I mentioned, we were all starving by the time we reached the bookstore, and the idea of sitting down was highly appealing. Doina first took us to a fast food complex with selections such as McDonald’s and KFC, but we all wanted authentic Romanian food since we had declined our evening meal at the university. By the way, Dr. McCollum was not very pleased with Doina because she kept us out without informing the cantina. Oops! Anyway, we ended up selecting a very nice restaurant, but I was struck by the Jack Daniel’s t-shirts that the waiters wore. They seemed very out of place. I had a delicious meal: a very fresh caprese salad (the tomatoes here are fantastic), assorted bruschettas, filet de porc with wild mushrooms and sour cream sauce and potatoes duchesse.
The most interesting part of the meal was our conversation with Doina. Alana and I ended up seated next to her at the dinner table, so she was extremely eager to share her viewpoints on Romania, monetary policy and politics. It was quite comical because the volume in the room crescendo’d due to all the people conversing at the same time, and Doina was none too pleased about that! She yelled at the other end of the table to quiet down because we were having a serious conversation. She is quite the character.
Doina explained that Romania is not a welcome member of the European Union because Romania is still quite corrupt. The government has stolen and squandered away millions or billions of dollars provided by the EU on personal pursuits and interests rather than repairing the ruined streets and building highways. The government will accept bribes and will eliminate competition so that they can award a contract to someone that allows them to keep 50% of the profits. She said there is an active mafia that enables these illegal operations. However, she said that unlike recent years ago, she does not fear disappearing without a trace for speaking out against the government. She said that many personal conversations are still recorded and electronic communications are not private. Doina was vehemently disturbed that we were asked about the cons of Romania adopting the euro in class earlier in the day. She is afraid that the younger generations are being molded to see the adoption of the euro in a negative light. She asserted that it would be wonderful for Romania because it would provide a level of status that they have not enjoyed since the days before the world wars. Romania was once referred to as “Little Paris” and she yearns for the same reputation. Beyond reputation, the adoption of the euro would be a boon to Romanian businesses. Transactions between neighboring European countries would become more standardized, and opportunities for scams in monetary exchanges would be minimized.
When asked her opinion about the US government and our new administration, she delivered an interesting point of view. She said that the election of Obama is the right thing at this point in our world history because no one outside of America can complain anymore about America’s leader selection in terms of race and ethnicity. Europe viewed Bush as a white leader with apathetic regard to them and many even believe that he and Dick Cheney were involved in the Enron scandal. She said that the hatred that many people feel for Americans spawns from envy and ignorance. She became sentimental when she told us that she considers herself an American because she is a free-thinker and strives to improve herself and learn. She told us that the only reason she has not sought permanent US citizenship is due to her inability to drive and fear of flying. At any rate, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to speak with her in depth. She opened my mind to some viewpoints I had not considered before.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Class was very difficult in the morning because I was so tired from all of the walking and going to bed late. I think it is nearly impossible to go to bed early here because it doesn’t get completely dark until nearly 10pm. Jennifer’s enthusiasm was a much needed boost of energy.
The meals here at the cantina are pretty good, and seem to be a fair representation of Romanian cuisine; however, there is seriously too much chicken! Today, there were fish cakes introduced into the normal rotation, so that was a pleasant change.
After class, we met with our tour guide for the afternoon, Olivia, and hopped onto a chartered tour bus. She took us through Bucharest, and we saw some of the same territory from the day before, but it was a different perspective and a lot less walking! The main stop was to the Parliament building, or the House of the People, which is the second largest building in the world- the largest is our very own Pentagon. We had some trouble getting in because we were not told in advance to bring our student IDs with us, so the guide at the palace made the university pay for the students without ID. It was clear that we were all students, but they decided to exercise their right to be difficult.
The building is quite magnificent—we only saw the mezzanine level and it was enormous. It was clad in white marble, stunning chandeliers, lots of intricately carved oak and mahogany and expansive hand-woven rugs. By appearances, you would think that the building was hundreds of years old, but Ceaucescu began building in 1983 and was 70% complete at the time of the Revolution. Today it is approximately 90% complete. While the beauty of the building cannot be denied, I found it to be a giant scar for the Romanian people. My view is that it was an indulgent and selfish project by Ceaucescu. Rather than supporting the well-being of the Romanian people, he was picking out artwork and gold to guild the halls of his grand palace. I shared my observation with Olivia and she confirmed my suspicion that many Romanians do not appreciate the building. Thousands of people lost their lives while building Parliament.
Olivia was a great tour guide, but Jasmine served as my own personal tour guide. She shared her favorite locales and offered to take me out sometime next week to get a local perspective. She is so nice and has really opened up a lot.
From Parliament we stopped at a gorgeous Orthodox church where they were conducting a service. We were concerned for a moment when we realized that our tour bus was not starting—it had to get a rolling start to move!
The highlight of the evening was our meal at a wonderful restaurant called Caru cu Bere (Beer Café) to eat. The food was incredible- the best I’ve had here- and the atmosphere was traditional and festive. Jasmine and I shared an exquisite plate of traditional Romanian items such as toba, cheeses, olives, red onion, tomato and other cured meats. Then, Florentina recommended a traditional entrée called Sarmale- cabbage stuffed with minced meats, served with polenta, sour cream sauce, and a small slice of fatty bacon. All of the Romanian students ordered this dish, so I felt that was a pretty good sign. We finished our meal with crepes with honey and walnuts. Oh, and I can’t forget the carafe of wine and bere (house-brewed)! After our meal, traditional music filled the restaurant and dancers began performing some of their folk dance. Jasmine, a few others and myself joined in the dancing. I don’t think that we could have gone to a better restaurant to get the Romanian experience. I enjoyed spending time with all of the Romanian students so much. I gave Jasmine my home contact information and I invited her to stay if she ever comes to visit the States. We celebrated Dr. McCollum’s birthday, which was so sweet. Unfortunately, he will be heading home early due to his health.
The Romanian students expressed a lot of curiosity about the fact that I’m married (and coincidentally, most of the other American female students as well). I don’t think that many people get married while still going to school, but they do have long-term relationships. Considering that the Romanian people can come across aloof or cold in the city, they are remarkably affectionate with their loved-ones and friends.
When we left the restaurant we all piled into cabs (5 to each!) to head back to “the 11th floor” for a party. The taxi ride was a tourist trap at 65 lei (about $22). Razvan was really upset with himself for not preventing that from happening. When Jamie got out of the cab, she dropped a 100 lei bill and a bus ticket, and the driver tried to claim that it was his money. Of course, it was a scam. Jamie was not going to let him steal her money, so we narrowly avoided an ugly scene. We all went upstairs to grab our giant 2.5 liter beers and went to room 1111, which is apparently a popular party room. We partied and danced the night away, but I was especially excited to see Alex’s negula (hookah) up close and personal. The flavored smoke is delicious. It looks illegal, but I can assure you, it’s not! J I met some of the Romanian students that are not in our class. It is the end of the semester here because the students are taking exams and getting ready to go home. Everyone had a wonderful time, but Jamie managed to suffer a burn to the leg from the negula—this just is not her night! Since we were all sweat-drenched from dancing in a room with no air conditioning, a few of us headed outside for some fresh air. I took the opportunity to talk to Razvan (he looks like my cousin, Daniel!) and he asked if we had parties like this in America. They see our movies and listen to our music, so their idea of an American party is straight from a scene in American Pie. Ha.. Anyway, I told him about games such as flip cup, so I’m looking forward to sharing that gem with the Romanian students! I asked what made him decide to take the summer class since the Romanian students do not receive course credit for taking the class. He explained that they were interested in meeting us and interacting- something different to do, I suppose. I asked if there were many American tourists, and he said he didn’t feel that Romanians properly marketed the country for tourism. It is a shame because I really think that people would enjoy it here. At 2:30am we all finally decided to turn in for the night. The roosters will be crowing in just a couple short hours!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Amazingly, waking up and going to class was not difficult after only sleeping 5.5 hours. The morning lecture was very interesting to me- European Union in the 21st Century. I learned more about the structure of the EU and how it operates. The EU has proposed many strategies to improve connectivity, jobs, wages and employment. They have a long priority list, The Lisbon Strategy, that has proven to be somewhat unattainable. There are still many challenges facing the EU, especially since each member country is different. The economic climate on a global scale has dampened growth to a certain extent. I asked the professor how budgets work in the EU. Doina had brought up the disparities in the Romanian financial system. The instructor’s commentary seemed to support Doina’s concerns about Romania.
The EU commission programs funds to the member states for projects such as building infrastructure (i.e. highways) and it is very important that the member states are good stewards of the money. It sounds as if, though, that Romania or a member state would propose a project and would pay without state funds and then could seek reimbursement from EU. The instructor indicated that Romania was performing poorly with its infrastructure and fiscal policies- due to low taxes on salaries and poor management and oversight. It is evident when walking the streets of downtown Bucharest that someone is stunting the progress. Renovation projects are very slow here. I definitely took from the class that I want to learn more about their systems and fiscal policies—I suppose that is the budget analyst in me coming out! I would also love to look into working in international affairs.
The instructor was hesitant to make projections about the future and she shared a funny quote by Avery Graham that translates, “If you have visions, see the doctor.” By the time morning lectures were over I had discovered that coffee is a necessity here. It is really strong, but it certainly keeps you alert!
The afternoon lecture was given by a somewhat dry speaker, so my lack of sleep started to catch up with me. Some people didn’t even make it to class, and I think that Despina was a little upset. One of the students was quick to imply that we had all stayed up partying. After class was over, we bee-lined for the room to rest up. It was much needed!
We woke up in time to have dinner at the cantina. Mihai and a few other Romanian students joined us. He was curious about the attractions that a tourist might be interested in visiting in Huntsville, so after explaining NASA and the Space & Rocket Center, I said, “there’s mountains and rivers…,” and Mihai said, “I just heard you say something I want to ask about.” “Ok,” I say, “what?” He then says, “Would it be ‘there is mountains’ or ‘there are mountains’?” He corrected my English! Too funny- of course, I was just casually speaking, but I was impressed that he even noticed. He said they want us to correct them if we hear them misspeaking, so I better stay on my toes! J Apparently, they learn British English rather than American English- they speak very well!
After dinner, Alana and I decided that it was the opportune time to wash up some of our clothes with the travel laundry kit I brought. Blake helped us string all of our wet clothes up on our makeshift clothing line. Good memories. Haha.. Despite the fact that we did not go out, Alana and I managed to stay up late as usual- not a wise decision! Ugh.
Friday, June 19, 2009
I can’t believe how quickly this trip is passing. I am currently sitting in the second half of morning lecture on the EU monetary policy, sipping out of my tiny china espresso cup of strong coffee. As much as I’ve been drinking this stuff, I’ll probably have withdrawals when I leave! The horrid roosters don’t even phase me anymore because I’m always so tired. Alana and I made a pact this morning to go to bed early tonight- I’ll bet it doesn’t happen!
The lecturer this morning has been very interesting—we have learned the genesis of the euro and some of the challenges within the EU. One of the primary issues within the EU is the pride of each member country. We have discussed the duties of the ESCB (European System of Central Banks) and the ECB (European Central Bank). BRIC- Brazil, Russia, India & China are forecasted to have the strongest purchasing power parity and GDP in approximately 20 years.
We will be listening to the Vice Governor of the National Bank of Romania today and we’ll be sharing the discussion with both Romanian and French students. Unfortunately we won’t be able to visit the National Bank due to renovations, so they are bringing it to us!
So, we just heard the speaker from the bank, and I have to be honest- I wasn’t blown away. I was taken aback by the French students because they sat along the wall and slept. Due to the guest speaker, we were given the rest of the afternoon to have a late lunch. We ventured out to a traditional folklore dance festival. This was so much fun because there were vendors set up peddling their arts, crafts and food items. There was traditional music and dancing to be enjoyed, which really transported you to a different time. It was very easy to imagine what Romania must have been like years ago. We all took the opportunity to load up on souvenirs. Antonio was our translator and guide for the day because it was quite difficult to communicate and attempt to negotiate a bargain.
We took the subway, which is remarkably clean, to and from the festival. When we returned we had dinner and then went back to the room. I was able to talk to Heath, which is always a treat! I can’t wait to hear his voice again.
Oh, just as I suspected, Alana and I stayed up until after midnight just talking- so much for our pact!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
We had to be up early and in the bus by 7:30am—ugh! Today we are embarking on our weekend trip, which is scheduled to take us through Prohova Valley, Brasov, Sibiu and Oltheus Valley. The bus ride was extremely long, but the scenery on the ride was breath taking. The countryside has sprawling landscapes dotted with cottages and homes that make you feel as if you should begin yodeling, and singing “the hills are alive with the sound of music!!...” The mountains are gorgeous and the entire area is undeniably Europe.
The first bus stop took us to Sinai, a place that is best described as a living post card. Everything is so lush and beautiful. King Carol I built his summer home, Peles Castle, in a stunning wooded area overlooking a valley and mountains. The castle was amazingly detailed with 160 rooms, and was known as the most modern castle of its time because in the 1800’s it boasted amenities such as central heating and cooling, sophisticated plumbing, a built-in vacuum system (that still works today!), elevators, and electric stoves. The interior was exquisite- each room represented a distinct style ranging from “art nouveau”, French country, Asian, Austrian and Italian, to name a few. I really enjoyed this tour because it provided a small glimpse of what Romania was like pre-Communist era.
We made many stops at monasteries, and as beautiful as they are, you can only take so much! They all began looking alike after a while. We encountered more beggars at one of the monasteries- so sad. The bus ride was incredibly long, but we did stop in Brasov to check out Bran Castle, aka Dracula’s castle. Unfortunately, we had to rush through the castle because we were behind schedule. The trip seemed somewhat unorganized due to lack of itineraries (for the American students, at least), lack of timeframes, and lack of overall communication. I think that is a necessity with such a large group. We were there long enough, however, to get a sense of foreboding from the castle. The exterior was stony, and beautiful with amazing views of the landscapes below, but the inside was cold and slightly dungeon-like. Much as you would expect Dracula’s castle to be.
There were lots of vendors outside the castle and I was able to try a sample of farmer’s cheese- it was very earthy and had a slightly crumbly texture. There is a delicious fair food that we encountered a couple times along the way. It is a pastry dough in the shape of a cylinder or cone that cooks over a spit much like gyro meat would. It is then coated in sugar, honey, nuts or cinnamon. The texture is similar to a churro.
We stopped for lunch at a restaurant that reserved an entire area for us. They served homemade dill pickles, which were fabulous, fresh baked bread, chicken schnitzel (better than the cantina variety), cartofi (potatoes) and vegetables. We had a traditional doughnut dessert with fresh strawberry jam and cream to cap off the meal.
After lunch, we continued on to Sibiu, which was about a three hour bus ride. I took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep. When we arrived in Sibiu, we drove to the middle of what seemed like no-where. We pulled into a quaint lodge and suddenly, power lines and clothing lines started dropping around the bus. Our driver had to get on top of the bus to remove the lines, and I was so sure I was about to see him get electrocuted.
The lodge was charming with humble wood paneling and beautiful flowers and surroundings. Along the side of the lodge were smaller replicas that served as extra lodging for guests. Alana and I were assigned to a room upstairs with pretty dormer windows that opened to the backyard. The smell of cooking meat wafted through the fresh mountain air. We all went to the water side next to the lodge and skipped rocks- some were more successful than others! We ate dinner, which was served by the family that owns the property. I felt like I was sitting down in my grandmother’s kitchen for a homemade meal. We had grilled chicken, sausage and pork served with mashed potatoes and cabbage salad. Dessert was a pastry filled with farmer’s cheese, that tasted much like the variety I tried earlier in the day, and it was not sweet at all. The jury is still out on whether we enjoyed the dessert or not. After dinner, I enjoyed a delicious black beer called Ursus. Antonio and Ruxandra joined us for dinner- they are the sweetest people. Alana and I are convinced that they are in love with each other but they are taking pains to hide it. Since Jasmine brought her boyfriend along for the trip, it threw off the rooming assignments so Antonio and Ruxy chose to bunk together- ooh, la, la! Haha.. Speaking of Jasmine, she pretty much only has eyes for her boyfriend when he’s around. I took the chance to spend more time with some of the other Romanian students, though.
Antonio is pretty funny- he was just shy of having a panic attack because the men’s bathroom had a broken lock and he thought he might have to shower in the women’s bathroom. He also did some great impressions of American cartoon characters, which was pretty entertaining.
The bedrooms at the lodge were so comfortable compared to the rooms at the university—the beds emphasized just how uncomfortable mine is at the dorm. I also actually needed a blanket for the first time the entire trip!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
We had breakfast around 8:30am, and again, it felt like eating a family meal. Breakfast consisted of bread with homemade strawberry preserves, meat that tasted a lot like bologna, cured olives, tomato and cheese. It was very good. Much like we’ve been eating a lot of chicken at school, we’ve been eating a lot of eggs for breakfast, so this was a welcomed break.
We all packed up on the bus and made stops at more monasteries and a beautiful museum. One stop at a monastery resulted in a heated argument between our bus driver and a church employee. The man was not pleased that our bus was next to the gate “in case someone important showed up.” I guess we didn’t fit the bill of someone important!
The bus ride felt like an eternity—I managed to finish a book I brought along on the trip, My Sister’s Keeper, which had me choking back tears. We stopped at a village museum with gorgeous scenery—the area was so green and windmills sprouted from the landscape. There was also a serene lake to enjoy. We had lunch under a pavilion overlooking the scenic area, and we dined on sarmale and crepes (nowhere near as nice as Caru cu Bere!).
After several hours on the bus, we stopped for dinner at a McDonalds. I had a mozzarella salad with vinaigrette, which was really refreshing. The mozzarella was wonderful- not like any McDonalds at home!
When we finally returned to the university at 9:30pm, we quickly spotted an MTV stage set up right next to the dorm building. Placebo was having a concert, so we took advantage of the view from our dorm windows to enjoy the show. Several of us grabbed a beer and headed outside to enjoy some fresh air. We pulled benches together and shared great conversations.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Monday morning was a bit tiring, so I found it kind of difficult to keep my eyelids from drooping in class. After the morning lectures, Jennifer announced she was cancelling afternoon classes and that we all had the option to take a trip back to Sinai to spend more time enjoying the nature. That would have a required a four hour roundtrip train ride, which was not appealing after spending so much time on a bus the day before.
Instead, Ssanyu and I opted to go out with Irena shopping because she has an effortless bohemian-esque style that we loved. Razvan and Alfred also joined us, which was a lot of fun. We started out at the plaza shopping mall in downtown Bucharest where I found my Romanian bottle of wine! We wanted to go to more unique shops, so the girls went back to the ruins area to some of Irena’s favorite shopping spots. I found lots of unique handmade jewelry, but clothes shopping was not very lucrative for me. When it began raining, we tucked into a lounge bar and had drinks and shared stories. Later, the guys met back with us and we decided to go eat pizza. Razvan led us to a place that was in the upstairs of an old building overlooking a beautiful Greek Orthodox church we had visited earlier in the trip. Only a local would’ve known that this place existed because of its obscure location. I had a delicious pizza with olives, mushrooms and prosciutto. For less than $10 USD I was able to get a whole pizza and a beer! What a deal. Razvan and I battled it out over a game of foosball, and to my great surprise, I won! Woohoo. It was really touching because Razvan expressed how much he liked all of us from UAH and that he was going to miss us when we go home. The dinner conversation was quite interesting and took a bit of a serious turn when we began talking about the state of Romania. Irena and Razvan told us that the average household income in Romania is approximately $25,000, and a doctor averages around $50,000 per year. It is so sad because they still pay western prices. We asked how people coped and they said most people are in serious debt. Razvan said that the government is so corrupt in Romania that hope for the country is fairly dim. He explained that this problem is why the Romanians never seem to smile and people are quick to be short with one another. Also, the work ethic of the people is severely damaged. It seems to be a viscious cycle. All of the Romanian students in our class are doing everything they can to leave the country so they’ll feel that they have an opportunity to succeed and prosper.
It is sad that Romania cannot retain their best and brightest talents due to the corruption. Irena is well traveled and she has spent time in Chicago and Orlando. She said that her parents have always encouraged her to leave the country when she is able to. I can’t begin to describe how beneficial this experience has been for me—very humbling and eye-opening. I feel like a whole new side of myself has been developed.
When we returned to the university, Alfred, Razvan and I went to a convenience store to buy some beer and wine (I’m beginning to realize that we sound like alcoholics, but we really didn’t actually drink that much while we were there!). As I’m accustomed, I automatically opened the cooler to get my drinks out, but a Romanian clerk immediately came over to stop me. Apparently, you have to pay first and then they’ll get your stuff according to your tab. So different!
We hung out in Razvan and Alfred’s room for ahile, and some of the other students that went to Sinai came back. Razvan allowed me to use his computer to talk to Heath, which was really nice. I thought Alana would appreciate the break!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The morning lectures were pretty interesting today—we have determined that the Romanian professors are extremely knowledgeable and highly interested in making sure that they convey their intended message; however, they are missing the “umph” that gets everyone to sit up and really take notice. They are nota s inclined to initiate group discussions, which I feel is an integral part of teaching, otherwise the audience disengages to a certain extent.
Anyway, the mosquitoes have found our room and they feast on us at night—I have evidence today by the spots on my face L. At lunch, Jasmine offered to take me shopping after school for souvenirs and a few others decided to join us. So, after class we all took the tram and we ended up at a place that I can only compare to an old flea market. At this point, I was really grateful for the others that tagged along because Jasmine’s non-English speaking boyfriend came along, and as I noted before, she only has eyes for him. So, back to the flea market—all they had was very cheaply made clothing with really high prices, no souvenirs. The language barrier seems to be more of an issue with Jasmine, but she is trying very hard to please me, which is so lovely. After the flea market excursion, the group majority decided to head to another shopping mall, and Jasmine and her boyfriend took off. I hope she was not offended, but I don’t think she had other plans for us.
I think I’ve seen every mall in Bucharest at this point- The Beneassa Mall, Carrefour, the Plaza Mall, the flea market mall…and a mall I didn’t know the name of! Whew! I did manage to find another dress and a cell phone charm, though. Cell phone charms are all the rage over here, but I don’t want to set foot in another mall anytime soon! I still need souvenirs and my time is rapidly running short.
Alana, Kathleen and I went back to the Turkish restaurant and we ordered an eggplant appetizer—sadly, it wasn’t the same one we had before. That must’ve been a chef’s speciality. My entrée was pretty good- it was a gyro-like meat wrapped in pastry dough and baked, then served with tomato sauce and greek yogurt. It was not as impressive as the fish, but was very satisfying. The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful aside from preparing for Blake’s birthday tomorrow. Oh! I have cankles from all the walking- I am going to have to sleep with them elevated to get the swelling down!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I think it is a cruel joke that they are starting the morning lectures with Prof. Bonciu this week. He is so dry and it is an extreme test of will power not to fall asleep. I think we are going to receive copies of the presentations which will be a nice review.
I can’t help but admire the fact that they serve our coffee in china espresso cups in the classroom. I feel so sophisticated! Last night we were noticing how comfortable we are here now—we can get around with ease, we love the people, yet our trip is almost over. I am really going to miss the Romanian students—it is very exciting that I have been able to experience college dorm life, even if just for a short period. I feel like a bit of a hole in my college development has been filled since I never went away to school.
I realized that I never really addressed what each of the Romanian students is like. I have made a point to spend time with each of them because they are all so unique and shape a different experience for me. So, here is a re-cap in no particular order: Raluca- She has dark olive skin, dark eyes, and black hair with red streaks. She has a funky sense of style and proudly displays her star tattoos. She is our comedienne—very talkative and somewhat blunt. She is quickly likeable; in fact, she was the first Romanian student I had a conversation with. Jasmine- She looks like a genie or Egyptian to me. She is tiny with black, wavy hair that flows past her waist. She has dark skin and wears thick black eyeliner that rims her eyes like a cat. She is the most quiet of the group, but very willing to help out. She has an affinity for black leggings and unique jewelry. Ruxandra and Antonio- I am describing them together because you will always find them that way. They complement one another like a comfortable pair of shoes. Ruxandra, or Ruxy, looks very Mediterranean with her light olive skin and dark eyes- her hair is cut fairly short with blunt bangs. She has such an endearing personality. I feel so comfortable and at ease spending time with her and Antonio. Antonio has a kind face and a shy demeanor. He wears modern, thick rimmed black glasses. He is quick to assist anyone and has a great sense of humor. It is so evident that he is totally in love with Ruxy. They do everything as a pair. I am convinced they’ll get married one day!
Razvan: He is a big teddy bear. He is very tall and big, but not overweight. He looks the most American to me because he has fair skin, but has dark hair and eyes. He is silly and girl crazy—we nicknamed him Borat because of his impression. It is so sweet because he is very protective and is very open about how much he likes all of us. I’ve learned a great deal from him and I feel like he’s a “little” brother. Mihai: “Mike” is a small-framed guy with olive skin with dark hair and eyes. He wears his hair slightly spiky and he sports a tribal looking earring in his left ear. There is something a bit “gangsta” about him—he said he used to be a “wannabe rapper”..haha. He is a total guy- loves video games, girls with big boobs, etc. He has been very gracious and has stuck by all of us throughout the entire trip. Much like Razvan, he has been very expressive about enjoying our company.
Irina: She is just strikingly beautiful to me- she is fair-skinned with dark curly hair and light eyes. She is very natural—no makeup. She always has an artsy flair about her. She is very global and has been exposed to many cultures—she plays instruments, makes her own jewelry, and speaks multiple languages…an inspiration for sure! Alex: I know him the least of the group because I’m not entirely sure what to make of him. He has a buzz cut, olive-ish skin and glasses. He is a bit stocky looking and just when I think he’s a bit crass, he says or does something to make me like him. I think that he has a really dry sense of humor, so it makes him a little more difficult to read. I definitely want to get to know him better before I leave. Florentina: She is so much fun. She is similar to my build with fair skin, black hair and large bluish-green eyes. She is well traveled and will take your arm and make you feel like an instant best friend. She greets you with the classic European cheek kisses, which I adore! I think that is one of the most wonderful signs of respect and affection. Roxanna: She is from the University of Bucharest, and I don’t really consider her part of the group because she attends class infrequently and hasn’t participated in any of the outside activities. Her English is very strained.
We just returned from the morning break and it reminded me of a commentary I wanted to make. On the state of the toilets here in Romania, of course! There are a couple rules of thumb that one must keep in mind when traveling throughout Romania: 1) Do not count on having toilet paper (hirtie higenica) at any given location- you must always keep some spare toilet tissue scraps on your person at all times, 2) bring your own hand sanitizer, and 3) never expect to see two toilets alike….even in the same building. I have been fortunate enough to encounter more species of toilets than I ever thought possible. The varieties I have encountered include the rope-on-the-wall flusher, the button-on-the-wall flusher, the button-on-top-of-the-toilet flusher, the no-seat toilet, the hole-in-the-ground toilet, the revolving-plastic-on-the-seat-cover toilet, and the rare, but sophisticated automatic flusher toilet. The cleanliness ranges from pristine to downright rancid (the standing-hole-in-the-ground variety, for example). One common characteristic is a powerful flush and a very deep bowl. And finally, pink toilet paper is all the rage.
So, right before lunch, Despina came in with an American student (I think?) presumably from Virginia to sit in on our class. Immediately, my internal red flag went up- I can’t explain why for sure. Maybe I just feel like someone is intruding on our little group. At lunch my initial feeling was reinforced. In line I noted that we were having more chicken, and I explained to him about the surplus of pui here at RAU. His response to me was, “Well, you are from the South, right?” “Yes,” I say…he replies, “well you must be used to that, then.” Ok, so that’s a simple thing, but one of my biggest pet peeves is ridiculous generalizations and stereotypes. I am not defined by the region I happen to live in; rather, I am an individual. At any rate, I decided to brush that off and I sat at the same table to try to be hospitable to this new guy. He continued to boast of his travels and the racism and stereotypes he experienced while traveling in the Middle East. I should have reminded him of the stereotype he had branded me with moments earlier. Further, he explained that he would not be a good candidate for a security clearance because he plans to spend time in the Peace Corps and his loyalties would lie with the friends he makes in other countries rather than protecting national security. Alana had to leave the table because he arrogantly implied that she was ignorant on a topic with which she has personal experience. His reasoning for being in our class was suspect. Ssanyu implied that Alana’s views on national security and 9/11 were limited to “our region”—yet another button pushed. I am all about open-mindedness, but I hate when people speak out of both sides of their mouth. I feel like I have acid in my stomach from that encounter and I really hope that he doesn’t stick around for the rest of the day.
After class we made a trip to the World Trade Center and the Village Museum in hopes of finding some good souvenirs. We had some luck with 2 local vendors that were peddling their goods outside of the museum. They were some of the friendliest locals we have met aside from the students.
We went back to the room to prepare for the evening and the celebration for Blake’s birthday. We ate at the Hard Rock (again!), which would not have been my choice, but I had a really nice meal, and provided a little taste of home. It was definitely a nice change of pace from the food we’ve been eating at the cantina. We all headed back to the university and I taught everyone how to play flip cup, and it really seemed to be a hit. I think the Romanians had fun—I know I did! We finally cleared out of the hallway around 11:30pm and headed out to the Princess Club. It was so much fun—we had our own couch and area to dance at the club. I think Blake thoroughly enjoyed himself and he really liked his gift we all pitched in for. I had absinthe for the first time, although I didn’t drink it properly. Everyone over-indulged in the libations a bit, and we didn’t get back to the university until 3:30am. For some awful reason I stayed up even later talking politics with Mihai! Getting up for class will not be a pleasant experience!!!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
So, getting up was not a pleasant experience. I managed to peel myself out of bed and once I downed some water, ibuprofen and strong coffee, I was ready to go. I think I’m running on reserve energy today. I don’t want to waste the day since tomorrow is our last day (!), so I’m going to try to take a short nap and find something else to do. Raluca mentioned going to see Angels & Demons, but I might not be able to stay awake for a movie. I need to make a Carrefour run, but it is not that convenient.
After sitting through one of the most awkward lectures I’ve ever heard—or read, should I say—we headed back to the dorm for a much needed nap. Three hours later Alana and I headed over to the World Trade Center to buy a few souvenirs and we were frustrated by the clerk at Market Andy. We wanted to buy some chocolate and the store hours posted showed that it should be open, yet the clerk locked the door and took an indefinite break. We saw at least five customers get turned away in a ten to fifteen minute time-span. Also, I noticed that there were several stores that were closed with the lights out despite signs that indicated they should be open.
Most of the group headed out to the mall to watch the Hangover, but Ssanyu, Alana, Razvan and I decided to stay in and order pizza and watch movies at the dorm. I am so glad we did because it was like a PJ party!
Friday, June 26, 2009
So, the first thing I found out this morning is that Michael Jackson passed away. It is so hard to believe! I guess he is the first really big musical icon of that scale to die in my lifetime. I am so sad that my trip is coming to an end—I have made some amazing friends. I wish they could all come home with me, but I suppose I’ll just have to settle for Facebook! I am also happy that I have gotten to know my UAH colleagues better. This has been one of the most worthwhile experiences of my life.
After class we attended the closing ceremony, which was very emotional. I cried like a baby when I tried to give my little speech about how much I enjoyed this experience. Mihai’s speech was so great…he wrote out a speech and he began crying while he was delivering it. He went out of his way earlier in the day to find boxes of matches for me to bring back to my grandfather. Jasmine gave me a giant hug after the ceremony and she began crying, which was so sad, but nice at the same time. I hope that we are all able to keep in touch. She clung to my side for the rest of the day, holding my hand or my arm. Like I said, the Romanians are very affectionate with their loved ones and friends. After the ceremony, we all ran back over to the World Trade Center to find some last minute souvenirs and to attempt to buy candy again at Market Andy. I had to buy some Happy Hippos!! I went to one of the shops, and to my horror, my debit card was missing. The last time I remembered using it was the day before. I quickly alerted everyone and right before we were about to dash back to the university to find it, I went into a shop that I bought a t-shirt in the day before and the clerk started waving me to the register. She recognized me, and she took my card out of the register!! Apparently I had left it there after paying for my purchase. She could not speak English, but I could tell she was trying to say that she tried calling the US Embassy to track me down, which I thought was awesome. We were both so joyful that we were nearly crying. I gave her a big hug, a kiss on the cheek and a box of Happy Hippos. Haha… My faith in mankind has been given a giant boost! J She could have very easily stolen my card, but she didn’t. I was then massively grateful for Market Andy’s lack of customer service the day before because we probably would not have come back.
We all met back at the university to go out to dinner for our last meal together. All the instructors went with us to a beautiful restaurant with outdoor seating. Despina ordered a huge meal and we ate family style, which was appropriate since we all felt like one big family at that point (cheesy, I know, but true!). Anyway, I was alarmed when everyone started dispersing right after dinner…I wasn’t ready to say my final good-byes yet. When we returned to the dorm the atmosphere was a bit somber, but we began packing. Slowly, the dorm room began to look like the same sterile room it was the day we showed up. Alana and I hung out with everyone for one last game of mafia, and we decided that we would just stay up since we had to be up at 3am to catch our taxi to the airport. We said our goodbyes, and at 3am in the morning we went downstairs to wait. We made it to the airport without incident, and headed home. Two weeks summed up just like that! I would go again in a heartbeat.
