in the community: the quest
Our time is nearing an end in Romania. We’re trying to finish up projects. We’re traveling a lot – to say goodbyes and to work. We’re donating clothes and household items. We’re packing boxes to mail to the USA. We’re futilely attempting to train our cat to be comfy in a carrier in preparation for […]
in the community: talking to strangers
I’m an outgoing gal for the most part. There are stories of me chatting up gang members and homeless guys on the T in Boston. Or getting into a 30-minute conversation with a woman in Walmart when she asks me about condensed milk versus evaporated milk for a pumpkin pie. And I always seem to […]
in the community: blizzardiness
In case you haven’t heard, Eastern Europe is getting snow DUMPED on us this winter. Here in Ramnicu Valcea, people told us, “Ah, we’re in a bucket, surrounded by mountains. The weather passes over us.” I was a bit bummed to think that our last winter in Romania would be winter-less. Well, while we are […]
in the community: Halloween
It’s our third Halloween in Romania. I never much liked Halloween at home but here, I like it a bunch. It’s something different and American and silly fun. We like it so much so that we helped throw a Halloween party that was covered by the local media. And we dressed up. This morning, we […]
in the community: ne e dor. . .
We’ve moved from Targu Neamt, a small town in the Moldovan region to Ramnicu Valcea, a bigger town in the Oltenian region. We’re adapting and adjusting and missing… especially the Botez kiddos and their family. We chatted on skype with Emi, Mada, Marius and Claudia for awhile tonight and it was great. While we like […]
in the community: Jewish heritage
Romania used to have a rather large Jewish population and interestingly and to our surprise, our small town of Targu Neamt has both a well-preserved (and still functional) synagogue and a large old cemetery. According to online sources and local folks, the town used to have nine synagogues but during communist times, most of them […]
in the community: my Lucian
It’s hard for me to think that in less than two months I’ll be saying goodbyes here in Targu Neamt. With my beneficiaries at the center, with some neighbor kids, with kids we tutor and with my favorite stray dogs, I’m starting what therapists call “termination.” Goodbyes need to be a process, in my opinion […]
in the community: our saturday walk
With the beautiful weather, we’ve been heading outside more often. This past Saturday, we meandered around town. Here are a few pictures from our wanderings. A local cemetery where we head for some quiet and shade. A guy, a bike, and a goat. Our main man, Stefan cel Mare (a statue in an overgrown park) […]
in the community: caruta
One of my favorite Romanian “things” is the caruta — a horse-drawn cart that’s pretty ubiquitous in more rural areas. Every Monday morning I awake to the clip-clops of carutas coming through town for the weekly market. It’s one of those sounds that I’ve gotten used to and yet still cherish. When my mom came […]
in the community: a sausage anecdote
My colleagues Ciprian and Vasi eat sausages and bread every day for lunch. Well, except for days of their fast. They always offer me some and I politely decline. Today, something Vasi said had me giggling. I don’t remember what, but I thought of how in English we use the phrase “sausage fest” to describe […]