Blogging out....

Every day, every minute something new, unexpected is there or just around the corner. Thank goodness I welcome change and variety! Life continues and it helps to go with the flow for the current is far greater than one's capacity to cross it.

Since I last blogged, school is up and going, schedules are fixed!!! (for the time being), Halloween has come and past (lots of fun), Thanksgiving is upon us and then IST and Sibiu for a Peace Corps check up and check in. Good timing! Just right for getting together again. And since I was there in September for a conference I know it's a great place to complete my Christmas shopping and get a package off to the States. Then it's back to Targoviste for Christmas with my PST gazdas and my niece who will be visiting from the States for ten days. Yeah!!!

Next weekend we PCV's living on the train line and others, too will gather in Onesti for a Thanksgiving feast. I'm hoping I can track down someone here in the country who will butcher and dress a chicken or turkey for the occasion. Is that stepping back in time or what?? I remember going to the country seventy years ago just for that reason!! No, here it is not stepping back in time. We live close to the land, life is simple, joys are simple.

This will be my last blog. I'm low tech and cannot make my blog appear as I would like. Secondly, I prefer the email route to friends and family. Know that, if you have been a reader of this blog, I have appreciated your attention to it.

Best,

Mil

Ready! for what??

Three weeks now living in my new home has been a welcome relief and an opposite experience to the firmly structure life of a trainee. There has been time to just soak in my surroundings, go out to meet whomever I can find, and become good friends with my gazda, Maria. My daily routine includes a walk through the village (total perhaps a mile and a half round trip), saying "Buna ziua!" to all I pass and engaging in conversation anyone who will talk with me, buying something in a little magazin (store that sells sausages, canned items and bread) Now, after three weeks, the "looks" no longer say who are you?? but many are welcoming but some are shy and probably some are simply not interested nor give a hoot. I count as friends the storekeepers by name, relatives and friends and neighbors of my gazda and counterpart, as well as my tutor and her friends. All are so very gracious and hospitable!

My room in Maria's home is huge and quite beautiful. We share the kitchen which is small but adequate. There is a sitting room, so to speak, where I'm sure we'll spend many hours in the darkness of winter. We cook with propane which one turns on and off as needed. When one wants/needs hot water you fire up the heater in my bathroom with wood. The original heat was by firing up the sobas in each room (furnace with wood) but we now have central heat...which source is still wood. I'm curious to see how that works. One of Romania's ecological problems is the devastation of forests for fuel and the detrimental by-products by burning it.

I have a young woman who is tutoring me and I work on my language every day, with others and by myself. I quite enjoy trying to be understood and to understand but it is very frustrating at times. My two-way dictionary is always at arm's reach. Yesterday she took me to what used to be a Jewish neighborhood and we visited a Jewish cemetery. We talked with an old man by the road who told stories of what happened there in 1944. We are very close to a Hungarian population in Transylvania and went to a restaurant where I had my first Hungarian gulas! (goulash) Absolutely wonderful, served with jalapena peppers and sour cream and heavy, heavy potato bread!

Peace Corps friends have visited this week, all longing for a taste of country atmosphere, they being "city" folks. They loved the peacefulness of this too. One day we had a picnic in the shade along the river. Another we visited a castle ruin where we had a 360 degree view of the valley. I suppose some day I shall tire of taking photos but certainly not yet! We tried to hitchhike home..no luck...we walked probably a total of 6 kilometres that day and I was b

The transportation to elsewhere is by maxitaxi every couple hours or by train once or twice a day. It's a challenge to learn the schedules since the maxitaxi schedule is not written anywhere or at least no one can tell me where to find it. The train schedule is online however and trains do run on time. I managed to take both and found my way out and back without incident. Our little train up the valley stops at every village and I hung out the window the whole way taking photo after photo.

My gazda's married children live nearby and her grandchildren are just a delight. One family lives six houses down the road and the other lives 30 kilometres nearby. Yesterday was little Maria's eighth birthday and what a feast we had. Her mother had spent the entire day in our kitchen preparing the dinner as well as cooking up six roosters that saw the end of light that morning, courtesy of Addy's axe. (They are now in the freezer ready to be eaten this winter.)

I helped skewer pork, onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes for eight long kebabs. Bread is always a staple at every meal. I thought that was it but then they brought on the grilled meat...probably 5-6 pounds of mici (a sausage), more pork, links of another kind of pork. Meanwhile Addy had carved a small pumpkin into a jack -o-lantern...such a boy at heart he is! Then the piece de resistance...a torte made with at least five kinds of fruit and simply beautiful! Much conversation and enjoying each other. The "cousins" are 10, 9, 8 and 2 1/2. The boys (10 and 9) entertained us with their "performances" singing with air guitars, judo and being "boys" while the two girls were their audience on little chairs. Then the 2 year old entertained too. We laughed until we cried. So reminiscent of my own grandchildren!!!

School begins for the teachers September 1; the children start on September 13. I haven't a clue what will happen next; I'll go to school and someone will fill me in. Because I don't know much about the level of English of the pupils or how Anca and I will share teaching responsibilites, it hasn't been possible to prepare. My best preparation has been to relax, enjoy getting acquainted and take in everything I can.

I think I'm ready...but for what?

Heading for the high country...

On to Moldavia and Bacau County! Early in July we Peace Corps trainees learned where we will live for the next two years. The site

announcement

ceremony

took place at our training school, complete with the

U.S. Ambassador to Romania, his wife, son and grandson present. For the most part, we have been placed in small rural villages or comunas (a grouping of even smaller villages), many in Moldavia, the northeast part of the country and the poorest region. I received a packet and parcel of photos and gifts from my community and my counterpart. What a welcome, indeed! I knew it would suit me to a T...a small community of 3800 persons in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains teaching English to grades 3-8!

My counterpart (a person assigned by the host school), Anca, a young woman born and raised in my host town, has taught English there for six years. We met, as did all trainees and their counterparts, at a three day conference ten days ago where we learned about each other and how we work together. Then she and I traveled by car back to our community, a nine hour trip because we stopped to tour Peles Castle, summer home of King Carol I.

In my little town I spent three days being squired around by Anca and Domnul Director (head of the school) getting acquainted with the people and the area. The people are so very welcoming and friendly. It's also clear that I am an oddity in the neighborhood...I feel right at home! ;=)

I'm highly motivated to conquer this language now; Anca is the ONLY person in the village that speaks English (in addition to the students who are learning from Anca, of course.) Not my gazda, not Domnul Director, not the mayor, not the store keeper. Talking to myself is not a whole lot of fun; besides, I've heard it all before! And poor Anca needs a break from all the interpreting she did for me for three days! And knowing me, I'll misplace my roman/anglais dictionary before you know it. Peace Corps will pay for tutoring for six months; I'll line him/her up at the first opportunity!

Wow! I'll be living a "Heidi" life! It's true! Upon stepping outside for my morning coffee I heard the faint tinkle of cowbells as the cows worked their way up the mountain to their grazing pastures. And in the evening the cows wander down the road to home. Proof positive, the night before, my host Marius brought in a large bucket of fresh milk.

I passed up the offer to have some. That morning Marius, his girl friend and I climbed the nearby mountain/hill, Marius pulling me up the steep and muddy parts. I fell only twice coming down! We met the cows and shepherd dog guarding them at the top. Nuf said! I don't mingle with dogs who say "no closer".

Living with a gazda family during training has been such a positive experience I chose to live with a gazda again. I have not met my gazda yet; her son, a student of Orthodox Theology, and his girl friend, were my hosts at her home for the visit. However I brought much "stuff" with me by car so it is now waiting to be unpacked in my bedroom. The rest will come with me when I make my move permanent on August 7.

In spite of the fact that this will be such a different way of life for me (it is NOT rural Ohio) some things remain the same: there are gracious people all over the world, our needs and wants we share in common. In spite of the language differences somehow we found a way to enjoy each other's company through a lot of gestures and had many laughs together...yes, with the Domnul Premari (mayor) and Domnul Director too. There was time to reflect while I was there and I became aware that I felt a little more at "home" each day. It will be good!

Now...for two weeks more of training and planning ahead. We have a final language assessment to determine of level of proficiency and then we become sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers, no longer trainees! This ceremony will be at the Ambassador's residence in Bucharest on August 6. It's a big, big deal! Our gazdas will come by charter bus too. Bring tissues!

How I shall miss my gazda family! They have been so gracious, generous, hospitable and lots of fun. I count on seeing them several times while in Romania, even though I shall be a great distance from their home.

So...training is winding down. It has been hard work, make no mistake. But the staff is excellent and our group of trainees, if I do say so myself, is exceptional! Onward and upward!

Over the hump....dromedary or bactrian?

This weekend, the end of the sixth week, the 4th of July weekend, brings us to the downward slope...but there's no coasting! As trainees, we just completed two weeks of Practicum, practice teaching. The local schools had enlisted students, grades 3 through 10, who wished to experience a week of learning English with volunteer American teachers. Some 850 children signed up from our town and nearby villages. Emily and I taught 6th grade one week and 4th the next. The children were eager, energetic, delightful learners. Some logistical nightmare for the Peace Corps staff to set up 17 classes taught by 2-3 trainees...twice! About 425 students participated each week.

A week in advance of those already stressful weeks we were advised that we would have "mid-term" language assessment on Monday of the second week of Practicum. Actually, it was fun and pleasant and need not have been the cause of stress but how can you tell us who are struggling to learn the language not to be concerned? The staff was assessing not how much we knew but how we can use the language in real life situations. If you like role playing and enjoy making fun with yourself and another, one can have a lot of fun. I did!

The pace of training continues to be intense with homework every night. I continue to be impressed with the staff and the organization and execution of our training. Volunteers in the field, last year's trainees, were here to help us through Practicum, first, by teaching skills they had learned and then observing and critiqueing our teaching. I found both to be particularly helpful, especially since Peace Corps' approach to TEFL is unique and proven to be very effective in the field.

Perhaps you are reading about the rains and floods in Romania. They are the heaviest and costliest in many years. The cost in Ron (their money) and damage to homes and lives and infrastructure has been immense. Here in our town it has rained for ten days, usually at night and/or when we are in school, and now the ten day forecast for early July is rain every day. And we are not in one of many counties where there is an alert for flooding.

All this rain has not been helpful to my gazdas garden which would grow more with a few hot days. But they still harvest an abundance of red raspberries, onions, garlic, small carrots and have picked clean two cherry trees and one more to go! The method of growing tomatoes is absolutely astounding to this "farmer" from Illinois and Ohio! You must see for yourself! About 250 plants are growing in an area of about 20 feet by 40 feet, planted about six inches a part in double rows. They grow "up" a narrow strip of nylon stocking anchored in the ground and tied to a steel cable supported the length of the row. (see photo of Cristi and Rodica in the garden) As the plants grow, the flexible nylon hose is wrapped around the tall plant and holds it vertically. Cucumber plants are growing up a grid next to a wall. The carrots continue to grow and are "thinned" as they grow so we have little carrots to eat continually. Intensive gardening! Absolutely nothing is wasted inside or outside the house. Scraps and leftover food as well as day old bread are the bulk of the dogs' diets. They have much to teach me!

Aha! This morning the tables were turned. I taught my gazda Rodica about oatmeal, an unknown to her. She is a FANTASTIC cook and I have loved almost everything she has served; the variety has been endless and I have eaten her food with gusto. So this a.m. I microwaved two bowls of oatmeal, one for her and one for me. She was very reluctant to try it but I insisted. The look of "oh no!" on her face was priceless! But she ate it, and ate it all...and gave it a "foarte bine"...very good!

Friday after school my gazdas and I went to the open market in the piata where fresh fruits and vegetable, meat and fish, fresh baked bread are sold. Here you can buy for the best prices. They showed me which shops they favor and we bought an abundance of fresh foods, some to make into salads to take to the 4th of July picnic which we trainees are having for our gazdas to celebrate the American holiday in a traditional way....a picnic! Today I went back to the market just to enjoy being among the people, marveling at the wonderful produce, and yes, eating a delicious rudare cu nare! (fresh baked roll with nuts). Cherries of all kinds are abundant in the market as are cucumbers, tomatoes, apricots. An interesting, arresting smell was fresh sauerkraut in large barrels...the whole head of cabbage! It is used for sarmale, a favorite food.

Next week will be a high point in our training: we shall learn where we shall live and teach for the next two years! We have had the opportunity to share what we prefer about where we teach and what level we teach but of course we are here because we have been asked to fill the needs that the Romanians have outlined. So their needs come before ours. Besides, what do I know about making such decisions! I defer to the organization which seems to be doing it right, as far as I am concerned.

Next! Where to??

On your mark, get set....

Today is Duminica (Sunday) in Romania and we trainees have been working hard for one week. We arrived here on Thursday a week ago and after two days in a hotel our gazdas (families) came to get us . We will now be with our families for about three months.

Our group of 44 trainees gathered in Chicago before flying to Romania and learned a little about each other, about Peace Corps policies and in general an introduction how best to approach our new experiences. I, like the rest, was highly energized (see photo) and excited about what lies ahead! Our group is quite diverse; many are fairly recent college graduates with many worldly experiences. About six are in the 50-60 category and many fall into the late twenties and thirties ages. Two have taught for a year or two in China, most have traveled extensively throughout the world and many lived in different countries; many have studied two foreign languages for several years, many have diverse work experiences, too. It is a diverse group by age, experience, interests, and personalities. But we are all here for a common purpose...to teach English, to share our Romanian experiences at home in USA, and to share ourselves and our culture with Romanians. It will be great fun!

Our school/training days are intense! I travel by bus to the school where we train. At 8:30 we begin language classes which last until 12:30. Four hours sounds like an eternity to spend on a foreign language but I found it extremely fun, challenging and difficult. The teaching style is entirely different from any language course any of our group has had. Peace Corps is known for its fine language instruction. So much for Rosetta and Byki. For the first week we were in groups of 9 with two instructors. They now have evaluated our style and quickness to learn the language and beginning Monday one teacher shall teach a group of 5 of a similar learning pace and preferred style. From 1:30 to 5 we have two periods in the larger group where we learn about Peace Corps policies, health, safety, culture, experiences and who knows what is next! Also this past week we observed Romanian teachers and students in a local high school. By Friday, my friends, my brain was fried!

My gazda family is absolutely terrific! So very kind, thoughtful, fun, helpful. Monica is 39, a math teacher in the high school; Cristi, her husband, is 35, works in "economics" at the Town Hall; Rodica, Monica's mother, is 62, a retired teacher of the Romanian language, does most of the housekeeping and cooking. Monica and Cristi have no children. Monica speaks English fairly well. She began to teach herself four years ago. Cristi understands a great deal but can speak little and Rodica does not know English. My Roman/Englais dictionary is always by my side. For me it will be a slow process!

Rodica is a terrific cook! There have been many new foods, some I have liked better than others but all have been very tasty. My gazda eat organic food when possible. More about foods at a later date.

Their home is very new and they spent several years helping to build it with their own skills in their spare time and vacations. They have a small garden ("L"shaped, about 15 by 35 feet plus 15x10) of carrots, beans, tomatoes, garlic, onions, cucumbers, plus, behind the slat fenced garden are sour and sweet cherry trees, raspberry bushes. There are several rose bushes and herb plants. Outside the house feels very private in spite of being very, very close to their neighbors. To me it feels like my deck in my "tree house" in Ohio and this weekend I enjoyed my morning coffee in the peace and quiet of the garden. My family all appear to be "dog and cat whisperers" having two outside dogs who have their own sort of privacy behind the slat fence around the garden and a young kitten who prefers inside but lives outside, a most loving kitty. I believe I must have one when I get to my site! (my teaching location)

So far every house I have seen in Romania has a fence around it! This was a first impression when arriving in Romania and I have seen no contradiction to that so far. The fences may be only for show or may be seven feet tall privacy fences. Ours is a privacy fence. In my neighborhood are very new houses but outside our front fence is a rutted dirt road with an abandoned field on the other side. Running through the field are two 24 inch diameter metal pipes which brought heat (occcasionally) to apartment houses during the Ceausescu years.

Then about 100 yards across the field you see the type of apartment building which the Communists built...large drab, gray concrete structures.

Last weekend we visited a monastery; I had my picture taken with a Romanian (who else!) nun! While there Cristi performed the most amazing feat of maneuvering a car that I have ever seen, (bar none!) of getting his car, a Dacia, out of a tight spot. A large tourist bus was parked in front of our car at a 90 degree angle to our car. There were about 10 available feet on one side of us and a car parked on the other side. He maneuvered his car with about 20 or more forward/reverse moves, positioned his car parallel to the bus and pulled out between the bus and parked cars!

Last evening Rodica and I strolled to City Center and through a large park, a most enjoyable time on a beautiful evening after a short hard thunderstorm.

I looked forward to this weekend to "crash". No joke, I was dead tired. Now, the stress and strain of getting here, beginning training, feeling at home with my gazda is behind me. I expect next week to be hard and long but easier than this week because we are now here and more settled.

Crash landed but came out whole! Yeah! Bring on Monday!

One day at a time…

As I am about to embark as a Peace Corps trainee, I choose to journal via this blog, weekly, perhaps monthly, for my friends, family, others who may care to traverse twenty-seven months, Romania, and the Peace Corps experience with me.

Aha! Finally! A definitive date! May 19, 2010. And my name still appears on the list! (tongue in cheek, I think) Whooppee! Our group of plebisites (30-40) gathers in Chicago on May 19 to begin our 27 month journey together. As I understand it, we spend about 36 hours in a hotel near O’Hare making sure we’ve all brought the necessary required papers and data (now, THAT’s scary!) before winging it across deep and wide waters for Romania. Also, we begin the get-acquainted process that quickly turns into a bonding for life in some cases. I’m excited to meet my teammates…from so many places, different ages, skills, experiences, personalities. So much to learn!

Brian Williams…fall of 2008…Making a Difference. After watching Brian interview a retired couple who were just finishing their two year stint with the Peace Corps, sez I, “I can do that. I must do that!” (And by the way, I did prayerfully consider it and the answer was “Go for it.”) And as if shot by cannon, I was under way….

To think that I’ll be enroute in five short weeks! This 18 month period of preparation has moved excruciatingly slowly, for the most part. And yet, the myriad of details has more than filled whatever time was left over from daily living. From slow to frenetic. It seems that there’s not nearly enough time to accomplish so much. To put life in limbo in the States for such an extended period has been exciting and daunting. Passing on my business of 27 years, selling my home, preparing for long term storage of my worldly possession, leaving friends and life here in rural Ohio (see photo), passing on financial responsibilities to a dutiful and willing son, has been stressful and yet accomplished with the certainty that these changes are just perfect for me at this time of my life. I feel like I understand the relativity of time in a new way. Tasks done a week ago seem like a month ago and yet the present seems to both drag and flash by…and the future seems an eternity away. Doesn’t sound much like it but I am really trying to stay in the moment.

The truly rewarding part of this preparation has been learning more and more about Romania, their history, their peoples, problems and challenges, their cultures, taking a European history course with students the ages of my grandchildren. Trying to learn the Romanian language is a challenge. Which of the three languages of Romania will I eventually need to know best?

Forever keeping me on my toes has been complying with the many requirements of the Peace Corps. One can be certain if you make it this far it’s with grit and a grin, plus a big whew!

Heart strings are being pulled. Saying goodbye after thirteen years in this small rural mid-Ohio community (where friendly Walmart greeters must have found their mentors),.. goodbye to good friends, to Amish friends and co-workers, to my church, to my home, to “my” birds and squirrels. Saying adios for awhile to family, sons and daughters-in law, five granddaughters and a new grandson in England, and other special people in my life will be very hard. Thank goodness for Skype—and we’ll trust that I’ll be in a location where I can use my laptop. Family and friends can come visit. I’ll look forward to that.

So far I’ve put minimal effort in preparing or thinking about how best to approach my primary Peace Corps responsibility…teaching English in middle and/or high school. I’ll take materials I used with Global Volunteers when teaching English in China in 2005. There are too many unknowns of for whom, what, where re: teaching to devote much effort into “how” at this time. Secondary responsibilities for us as Peace Corps volunteers are to become very much involved in our communities. I look forward to finding ways to integrate into wherever I live and to find needs I can help fill there.

Stay loose, Mil. It’ll all come together…! Peace by piece.