He's My Witness

If there was any lurking possibility that I would feel compelled to take in a stray animal, this past week has sealed that door FOREVER. I had the glorious experience of watching my sitemate’s dog, who was conveniently neutered a few days prior to my start date. When I first went to get the dog it was dressed in a black toga to cover the wound. Now…the idea of walking a dog, not to mention on a leash, is quite a novel idea in these parts, so the fact that I was walking a dog dressed for Caesar’s reincarnation ball did not go under Campulung’s Foreigner Radar. Secondly, since this so called dog walking business is relatively new, you can bet there is no Scoop the Poop Law, regulation nor rule of thumb. Besides, there’s already enough other animal shit on the ground that it really makes no difference. So envision walking down the populated “sidewalk” and your dog stops to relieve himself right in the middle of it all. You awkwardly await as others pass by, the dog finishes, you shrug your shoulders and continue on your way. Yeah, didn’t feel quite right to me either. Nevertheless, I finally got to contribute to the filth of the streets…well, not directly. Lastly, in a town heavily populated with stray dogs you are generally left in quite a vulnerable state having the only leashed dog in hand. Fact: Leashed dog inevitably equals dog gang advancements. It’s a wonderment that I haven’t lost a phalange. One late night walk I was fortunate to have someone come with me for things could have gone terribly awry. We heard a harsh, potentially destructive bark closing in on us and of course a few furry friends ensued. I quickly commanded a rock pick up but to our dismay, they were all frozen to the ground. As the dogs pressed on, we frantically searched the rough terrain also known as a sidewalk for lose rocks or anything really…of course the one time I could have used one of those abandoned shoes, there were none to be found. Perseverance was our savior. We made it back safely but not without several abnormally large rocks in hand. Another evening, I had the pleasure of meeting the vet on the street so he could check the dog’s lady bits. There was a need for some medication, so right there on the side of the street the vet gave the dog a shot. Honestly, I’m concerned that when I return in two years I will have no recollection of how to behave in the streets of Minnesota.

At any rate, Thanksgiving was surprisingly a great success. I believe there were approximately 16 Peace Corps Volunteers, 5 Romanians and 2 Turkeys, which we had to get from the closest big city two hours away. Regardless of my lack of kitchen utensils, seating arrangements and heat, things were extremely enjoyable. I didn’t even run out of gas for my stove until the following day. The food was delicious and often inventive. The Romanians in attendance were surprised by how good the turkey tasted, a few had never eaten it before. Friday we frolicked through Campulung (of course the wooden spoon museum was closed) and went sledding. In attempt to buy a sled, we were told that we would have to go to Suceava, same place we got the turkeys. Consequently, my blow up raft (originally attended for the Moldova River), a cardboard box, 2 plastic bags and a plastic laundry tub served as our sleds. Our success…well, that’s all in the eye of the beholder. We got a few good runs in but the rocks really tore us a new one. Oh yeah, the blow up raft was not inflated. The week before, my sitemate and I took it for its maiden voyage down my road. It popped the second time down but not before an extremely old man approached us to inform us that the raft was intended for water.

On a side note, on Friday we brought a bunch of our garbage to the dumpsters behind a Bloc and within five minutes, no lie, the turkey carcass had been found and set aside to be brought home. Life is intriguing.

On Saturday we had several departures and new arrivals so we did Thanksgiving again. You can’t ever have too many Thanksgivings. This time it was hosted at my sitemate’s Bloc, so on the way over we stopped at the piata to buy some homemade wine. It was later in the day and almost everyone had left. The people we asked did not have anymore wine at their stand but told us to jump in their car and we’d go get some. The three of us hopped in and a few minutes later we arrived behind the man’s Bloc. His truck was there and in the back he had 2 large barrels of wine. Unfortunately he did not have a cap for his reused plastic bottle so we got to walk through town with a large open jug of wine.

On Sunday, eight of us headed to Vatra Dornei to check out the skiing scene. Obviously the bus schedule had changed so we were stranded in Campulung. Two friendly guys passing by offered to take us part of the way but ended up taking us the entire way because we were so much fun. The (yes THE) ski slope wasn’t quite what one would envision for a mountainous area. Nonetheless, it was a fabulous time and far cheaper than we expected. It cost 5 RON per hour to rent equipment, so I paid approximately 5 American Dollars to ski for 3 hours. The equipment was pretty amazing and often felt as if I were skiing on 2x4’s. The T-bar was a thrill a minute, probably more of a work out than anything else that day. We probably had at least one man down each round up, which immediately results in two down. Instead of paying for a daily lift ticket, you pay for each time you go up, so you can bet we figured out how to get back on that devil t-bar.

Once December came, Campulung Moldovenesc put up a giant Christmas tree on the Plateau and put up lights on the main street, giving it that small town feel. It is quite pretty; we just need our snow to come back now. It really has not felt like Christmas but my sitemates and I have been doing our best to get into the spirit. We made a wreath out of real evergreen branches that we conveniently found for free. I tell you, some of the things I find myself doing here have never even crossed my mind before and now they just tickle me pink. One slow afternoon I made some cookies with intentions of bringing some over to the neighbor, who previously that week said I was Anglo Saxon and distant compared to the previous volunteer I replaced, who was Latino and friendly (but technically, in real life, she isn’t Latino.) Either way, I was I feeling a bit homesick and ate them all. Better luck next time. Last weekend, I was mourning missing out on Ugly Christmas Sweater parties and realized I would not be attending any holiday parties this year, so I had a Mexican Christmas party with two sitemates. I had obtained some Mexican ingredients from the good ole U.S. of A and we found the ever coveted avocados for Guacamole. Although it was Mexican with a Romanian flair, it was the best thing that I had ingested in months. Speaking of which, I think I have now officially eaten all parts of a pig. The brain done up like a snitel actually was not too terrible.

I’m not sure how but I believe that I have failed to mention that my Romanian tutor is a Jehovah Witness. Not that it’s a big deal but rather interesting, as I did not imagine encountering that religious sector here. There is never any pressure of conversion or religion in general, which is appreciated. However, we do practice my reading comprehension from a Jehovah Witness magazine, which is somewhat interesting but also causes my vocabulary to be very subject specific. All along I have joked (with myself of course) that when I get my language skills tested again that they’ll be like, “well, quite frankly we don’t know how you get through daily life but you do have a strange knack for discussing Jehovah Witnesses.” Low and behold, “I be up in the gym working on my fitness…he’s my witness;” working with the Witness allowed me a triumph in the daily life. One of the several times I went to the train station over Thanksgiving weekend I met Tico, a Jehovah Witness, who apparently does his recruiting at the Gara. Unfortunately, Megan and I had a good twenty minutes before her train arrived, so Tico engaged in heavy conversation. He expressed that he just loves Americans and proceeded to take out his bible to point out all the places it discusses Jehovah Witnesses followed by, “Intersant, nu?” Tico attempted to give us reading materials but I let him know who my tutor was and assured him that I already had the materials. In fact, Tico didn’t even have the most recent issue…I let him know he would just love the newest one. Megan was a bit baffled as to why I knew what this man had been saying (and truth be told, so was I) but I let her know I had the inside connections…He’s my Witness….whooooh!

Morning Glory

What a glorious day! As soon as I woke up it began to snow and within an hour the ground and roof tops were covered in a white blanket. It's so beautiful to see the trees bedazzled - I've been waiting to see this for days. My counterpart even called to see if I was finally pleased because apparently all I've talked about for the past month is when it was going to snow. It's strange how much a bit of snow can uplift my mood!

By 11am the internet went out but that's not so abnormal as a bout of wind or rain or even sun for that matter can cause it to malfunction. Instead of checking my email, I went to shower but no water - again, not that out of the ordinary. Alas, I went to the fridge to see what wonderful dish I just might whip up today and discovered that the power was out as well. Oh my, a little snow and it all goes to pot, this could be a long winter. Nevertheless, I was still quite excited about the snow, so I put on my long underwear, performed a little Europa FM jazzercise to warm up and continued winterizing my wardrobe. I figured I might as well go out to enjoy the splendor and run some errands.

Walking into town I attempted to catch some snowflakes on my tongue but quickly realized that my jerky head movements resembled a drastic tick. I immediately ceased that movement as I'm finally getting to know my neighbors...I don't want to go back to being the crazy American. Down the street they are building a ridiculously gianormous house and I've come to routinely speak with one of the workers as I walk by each day. Earlier this summer, my running struck his curiousity and one day he stopped me to ask what in the world I was doing and why. Our acquaintenceship only blossomed from there. When his work consists of digging holes, which strangely appears to be at least once a week, he likes to joke that he is digging to America.

Although it's Saturday and the bank is closed, I was still able to successfully access the ATM - sometimes I get nervous that technology will fail and I will get trapped in the entrance so I usually stick to open bank hours. I wasn't entirely sure if the electricity place (yes you still have to pay your bills in person here) and post office were open so I headed there next, no such luck. However, I was able to find a store open to buy more credit for my phone. As I walked through town, I noticed they were setting up a stage on the Plateau. Could it be true? Maybe there was going to be an outdoor concert in the snow. Just around the riverbend I ran into a man, who had approached me on the street two months ago asking if I was American. How do they know? And even before I utter a stutter of Romanian? It's not like I go streaking through the quad waving a giant American Flag. That's one thing that will never to cease to amaze me...unless of course, I find out what that tipping point is. Any hooters, he explained there would be some Popular (folk) dancing on the Plateau tonight. Just when I didn't think this day could get any better; I have been yearning for some form of live entertainment or any entertainment not produced by my imagination. However, he then started talking about chess and that Bobby Fischer was going to be at the High School next Tuesday, so perhaps I was not understanding him correctly because isn't Bobby Fischer dead? I'll just have to wait and see.

I continued onto the Piata to buy some fresh produce and I noticed the vendors were almost down to just root vegetables - potatoes, carrots, onions. I passed two Roma ladies dressed in traditional Gypsy garb, who I recognized from a few days ago. One of them had been performing some type of magic voodoo on a man (I apologize that I don't know what it was exactly, please excuse my ignorance, I will be sure to do my homework.) She had been talking to the man and at the end made a hand motion, as if she were releasing powder or dust, towards his mouth and then his unit. Absolutely fascinating, I must find out more. Today, when I walked by she said she had just the thing for me but I kindly declined because many of the vendors make such offers. I bought onions from my favorite lady, who is extremely patient with my Romanian and often encourages further discussion, for which I'm quite grateful.

On my way to the super market, I ran into two of my sitemates on seperate accounts. We agreed to meet up later to make dinner and check out the "concert." After getting my groceries I headed home satisfied with my progress. An older neighbor lady, who reminds me of a combination of both my grandmas, met me at her gate. She expressed disappointment that I did not stop by the other day when she had asked. I apologized and explained I must have misunderstood her. Nevertheless, she smiled, tweaked my cheek like I was 5 and gave me a plate of food to take home. When I reached my nextdoor neighbor's house, she was waiting for me with my mail (for some reason it goes to her house.) When I asked how she was, she replied unhappily, "Ce sa fac? What to do? There is no water, power, etc." For some reason when I smiled and stated in agreement, "nope, nothing," a small smile broke across her face - the first one I've ever seen. I climbed my stairs, stomped my boots and took in one last breath of the fresh snow air. I could not have been happier.

Although...I watched Into the Wild last night and at the end he realized that "happiness is only true when shared." That exact sentiment is what makes this experience difficult. I definitely am not isolated in the wilderness of Alaska but I do have a lot of me time, so it was humorous to see some of the similarities of how one fills that time - talking to yourself, having loud random outbursts, etc. Well, time to fac foc. I guess on days like today I can be happy that my house is heated with wood.

In Search Of A Turkey

After being in Bucharest for a couple days I arrived home at 5:30am to a nice temperature of 44 degrees Farenheit inside my humble abode so I immediately stoked up the soba. Five hours, two cups of coffe, a hot chocolate and now a tea later, I'm still bundled in my down jacket and sleeping bag. Despite the chilly interior, it still has not snowed in Campulung Moldovenesc and frankly I'm growing a bit anxious. I have not seen snow since I left home...9 months ago (exactly today). I can't believe how fast it has gone by, I'm already a third of the way done. I hope the rest does not go by too quickly.

Last Thursday was a difficult day - I just could not grasp life nor the language. All I wanted to do was get away from Romanian for the day but it is impossible from the moment I step out my front door. However, even when I am at home...there's the radio, cooking ingredients and sometimes the Landlord drops by...all Romanian. But like the good days, the bad ones also come to an end.

On the other hand, Saturday was one of the best days I've had here. I went hiking with my sitemate, Thomas and Iulian, the gym teacher from the high school. Iulian brought us to a new place that overlooks Campulung, yet another beautiful view. We saw wild boar tracks, which obviously terrified and forced me to develop an escape route up the tree. 800lb piglets shouldn't be able to climb trees, right? Well, for that matter neither can I so praise 8lb 6oz baby Jesus that we did not encounter one in the flesh. We did however encounter a bunch of turkeys but the farmer was not willing to sell us one for Thanksgiving, so the hunt must go on. The highlight of the hike was going down through the forrest that was quite steep and the ground was covered completely in leaves. We were able to slide down on our butts the entire way, sometimes moving at an incredibly fast pace. Definitely one of the most enjoyable things I've done in Campulung. Yeah...so there's not a whole lot to do here.

When I went home, two neighbor ladies and my landlord were in the street cutting up a tree they had taken down. I said hello and went inside. I hesitated briefly and went directly back to where they were working. This is the kind of opportunity I have been waiting for since I moved in, one to meet my neighbors and bond, so I couldn't afford to let my nerves get the best of me. They thought I was quite odd for wanting to help but warmly accepted. Although we did not exchange many words, we got to work side by side for a good hour and a half. Another lady brought out coffee and cookies, so we "am facut o pauza," in which my not so glorious Romanian skills were demonstrated.

Afterwards, I met Thomas for Ciorba Radutieana, a delicious garlic chicken soup of which I can't get enough. The restuarant owners know us and chatted with us for a while. It's nice to know familiar faces, familiar faces that also know you. On my way home a neighbor girl approached me and asked or more so verified, "Esti Betsy? (you are Betsy?)" I had never seen her before so it was exciting to meet yet another neighbor and talk briefly. It has taken a long time but people are slowly opening up to me...it's a nice feeling to be reached out to.

That night I took the train to Bucharest with my Counterpart, Gabriela, who presented at a conference Advocacy Through Blogging about the project we've been working on. If you click on the link Blogging The Dream in the right column you can read another blog, where I write about one of the projects I have been working on with the NGO, Fundatia Orizonturi. In short, we received a grant from Global Voices to increase the use of technology amongst marginalized groups. We are currently training 15 individuals how to use the internet and eventually create blogs to share their experiences with mental health issues, as well as demonstrating that they too are functioning members of society. On the left is my favorite participant during a training.

As long as were on the topic, I'll briefly share what else I've been doing since it has been nine months and I haven't really done so yet. In addition to the one day of training we have for Blogging the Dream each week, we also have another day during the week that the participants can come in for extra help and practice what they have learned. Once a week I teach an Enlglish course for any Mental Health beneficiaries who are interested. Throughout the week, the organization has other social activities such as a game day and literary club, which I usually attend. Fundatia Orizonturi works closely with the Psychiatric Hospital, a state institution, to collaborate on various projects, so I get to hang out there as well attending pscyhotherapy groups and work on a variety of activities.

Additionally, I work at Centrul Scolar, a school for children with special needs, doing social integration. In terms of projects, not much has developed with them yet but it is slowly getting there. Several of the children come from extremly poor families and live in surrounding villages, so approximately 60 children live at the school during the week. I've been helping with an after school program so the kids have some structured activities. It's just getting off the ground but I do some English with the children who have asked to learn. Otherwise, I've just been spending time, playing with them until we are able to put together something a bit more organized. There is usually one, maybe two other adults supervising these children - it is chaos. The majority of these kids have extreme behavior issues and it's not uncommon for me to see kids young as 8 smoking, so the need for structure is definitely there.

Other weekly activites include two lessons with my Romanian tutor, a much valued time. Recently I've started to attend "aerobics" at the Cantina. Not sure how one would describe such an occasion but it takes place in an old, old wooden auditorium with about 10 other ladies in leggings. It's all about the cultural integration, and my counting has vastly improved!

Anywho, back to the conference in Bucharest. We were put up at a fancy hotel and fed amazingly! Who knew the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in would be during my Peace Corps experience? Nevertheless, no complaints here for I got to enjoy all the glorious amenities - heat, TV and never ending hot water. For the first time since I have been in Romania I had the privelege of eating steak, salmon, green olives and cheddar cheese - almost better than Thanksgiving dinner (or at least the one I will be attempting to host next week.) The conference itself was quite interesting and I was in awe of the ladies in the translation booth! We got to wear headphones, providing our language of choice - I was amazed throughout the entire experience.