My Romanian Weekend

The outer walls of the church at the monastery were covered with painting of bible stories, saints, philosophers, martyrs, events in Romanian history... it was exquisite. This is a few of the front part of the compound.

The church in the background and a shrine to the Theotokos in front of it.

This is the little church at the university. It was transported from a village some distance from Oradea and placed on the grounds. The church itself was built in the 1700s. (I wasn't able to take pictures of the inside then, but next time perhaps.)

I had the most glorious weekend. I slept in Saturday morning (sleeping in for me is until 8:00am... the girls believe that if they are awake, I should be as well). Spent the first part of the day puttering around the house and enjoying the first perfectly sunny day I've seen yet. Then I headed out to meet up with a Romanian girl that a family friend put me in contact with). We had spoken the day before on the phone and she had invited me to attend the Saturday night service at the local monastery with her. We met, and then walked to the university because she wanted to show me their church. What an amazing (very small) building. We got there in time for vespers and it was nice to hear words and phrases that were vaguely familiar. After, I met a few of her friends here, who are part of SCORA (when translated into English, it stands for the Romanian Orthodox Students Association, or something like that). We then walked for about 30 mins to the nuns monastery just outside the centre of the city. I have never been to a place like that before. About sixty nuns live there, and the compound is about twice the size of my high school's entire property. It is encircled by large, white wall that is quite thick and about three stories high. The nun's cells are built into the wall, the set up brings to mind a motel. The railings are lined with flower boxes, and everything is painted a fresh white. The grounds of the compound hold the original church, which is so old people are no longer permitted inside expect on special occasions. There is also the new church, which they just completed. There are shrines to various saints scattered about as well. The compound is built on a hill, and we walked to the highest point and watched with sunset. We then went into the church for the service. The service itself lasted about 2 1/2 hours.... what an experience. The walls inside the church are covered with icons, both hanging and painted on the walls themselves. And yet, it doesn't look crowded. The church itself is quite large, with an intricately carved iconostasis. I don't have the words to describe the service. Standing there, listening to the nuns singing and the priest chanting, it didn't make a difference that I couldn't understand a word. I'm sorry, I really don't have the words to describe what it was like. (There was only one un-mystical experience. At the end of the service, we did a sort of circuit to venerate the icons and relics arraigned at the front of the church. I was going around, trying to venerate the correct icon at the correct time and still take in everything. Things were going very smoothly. Then I feel a tug on my headscarf just as a loud clanging noise breaks the absolutely silence of the church. My head scarf had gotten got in a candle holder that was hanging in front of one of the icons. And then I couldn't get unstuck! I stood there struggling to get untangled, clanging and banging the whole time. Finally, I was free. I struggled not to be embarrassed and to just concentrate on what I was doing. Then I reached the last icon. It was tucked into a dark corner and I didn't see that there was a plane of glass covering it. I bent to kiss it and my forehead bounced right off the glass! Luckily, it was in a dark corner so I figured no one could notice. I turned and sitting right there is an old nun looking at me with one eyebrow raised. Oops.)
We walked back with a whole group of her friends. It was so cold, but the sky was clear and beautiful. Everyone was talking and laughing and I couldn't make myself care about not understanding the language. It was just fun.

Sunday morning I got up and had to take the girls to their church, because Kathy had to go down to a high security prison to participate in a worship group who ministers to the woman there. The tram ride went without a hitch, as did the service itself. It was an Evangelical service that was almost identical to the services I've been to back home... just a little bit more reserved. There were a group of visiting Swedish bible school students and sang some songs (in English!) and did a little skit. One girl gave her testimony (with one of the Romanian parishioners translating) and I really enjoyed what she had to say. We then returned home with one of their friends, who is also from Canada. I made french toast with bananas and honey... yummy! The sun was so warm, we sat one porch in tshirts and just basked. I then ran inside, got ready, and headed out to meet up with my new Romanina friends. Every evening they read from the psalter in their little university church, so we attend that and then the whole group, myself included, walked through the city to reach the tallest hill in the area. It has stone steps built into it, with little benches for resting along the way. We hiked up to the top and had a snack while the sun set over the city. We watched a presentation on some one's laptop about their winter retreat at a monastery up in the mountains. Then they all sang Romanian folk songs, one guy recited some poetry, while I sat and looked over the city. Once it got to late and to cold to stay, we hiked back down and everyone went home. I don't have any pictures from Sunday because my camera batter was dead *sob* but I'm sure I'll be able to got back and take pictures.

P.S. Today was my first shopping expedition and we bought some amazing cheese. I'm not a big cheese eater, but this stuff is more like cream cheese. The farmers make it and bring it to the market just near the apartment. It's soooooo good!

Picture Day

Codi, Andrea, and I singing the 'Rattlin' Bog' song.

Me on the deck outside the apartment... behind me you can see the steeple from a nearby church.

The view from my bedroom window (which is also the view from the living room window :P).

The Catholic bishop's cathedral.

Codi playing our favourite game: dogs.

Today I stayed home from the hospital, just in case my stomach wasn't quite settled. I did some organizing and some napping while the girls were at school, then we went for a walk to the Catholic cathedral. What a beautiful place. They have this massive organ, and I'm hoping to go to a mass next month just to hear it played. Kathy says the choir there is amazing as well. I did take some pictures inside, but they didn't turn out so well. I shall take better ones another time. Afterwards, we just came home and played until dinner. And then played after dinner until bedtime.

P.S. There won't be very many pictures from the hospital because I'm not allowed to bring my camera inside. There was a scandal a few years ago when some British volunteers came and took some pictures during their stint at the hospital. On their return to Britain, they published the pictures with a story that talked about how awful the situation was in Romania for children, etc. After a great uproar, most of the foreign volunteer groups were kicked out of the hospital and foreigners are no longer to bring camera's on the premises. Kathy had to get special permission from the administrator in order to take pictures.

P.P.S. I watched the new Glee episode online... those were some of their best songs ever!!!! I must say though, the plot line is getting a tad ridiculous.

Not According to Plan

Today went exactly as I had planned, right utyg6grtfdddddddddddp until 9:30am... then everything just broke away and did it's own thing. I woke up especially early in order to catch Julia on skype before she went to bed. (That is still a funky concept for me: I'm getting ready to start today while they're still finishing yesterday.) I hadn't talked to her since I got here and so that was a really great way to start everything. The girls left for school, with Kathy in accompaniment, and I played with Grishka (their cat... who is completely adorable... he plays fetch better than our dog!). Then I headed out to meet Kathy at the 'banca' (bank) to cash in those pesky traveller's cheques. The lady had never even seen one before, and she was quite excited about the whole thing. (Her coworker was not so enthusiastic. I think she didn't appreciate us ruining her morning routine.) After that, we went to the money changing office to get the euros converted in lei. Then I came home and sorted out the donations from my own personal money, and everything was just peachy. The sun was shining, I finally had money, and the jeans I bought yesterday were a perfect fit. I decided then and there that I have been doing way to much complaining on this blog of mine and I should endeavor to write only the lovely things that happen to me. Then, I ate some chocolate. *INSERT OMINOUS MUSIC HERE* Well, long story short, the chocolate was bad. I spent the rest of the day lurking around the bathroom. Codi and Andrea, while being sympathetic, decided that my brain was the issue and we had immediate surgery in order to remove my brain with a tennis racket. Kathy phoned Vera and told her I would not be coming into the hospital today, and she may do the same tomorrow. By dinner time I was well enough to eat something, followed by dishes and playing 'gradi' (preschool) with Andrea while Kathy took Codi to basketball. We then sang some songs, read some books, and tucked the girls into bed.

Because nothing exciting happened today, I'm going to write a bit about Oradea... or at least, what I've seen of Oradea so far. It has the population of a small city, but when you're walking down the street if feels like a large town. All the building are made of old brick with red shingle roofs and the streets are narrow. Is some places the sidewalks are really only accessible on one side of the road at a time, and the side changes multiple times over the course of a block. In other words, you take your life in your hands whenever you try and walk on the sidewalk. Being a pedestrian here requires a certain aggressive demeanor and state of mind that I find rather difficult. The drivers will not give you an inch unless you absolutely demand it. But, oh, the architecture here! It just has an whole atmosphere that I can't really explain. The churches, the schools, the banks, everything. Even the buildings that are breaking down have a certain... something. I promise there will be pictures soon. I'm waiting for a sunny day to take them. Maybe Sunday.

P.S.

I have written down Kathy's address and phone number to keep in my pocket, just in case. I also photo copied my passport, so then I'll have some proof of Photo ID.
Just in case 'yall were wondering. :P

Day 4: Gypsies and Money Troubles

When I arrived at the hospital, Pamela's mother had returned :) and so she was no longer with us. Toni had the room all to himself. That was nice for both of us because it meant I got to hold him the entire time I was there. The abandoned babies simply don't get held as much because the staff have too many things to do, and too many other babies to care for. Every now and again he would look up at me with this little smile on his face that warmed my heart and broke it at the same time. As I rocked him to sleep he kept opening his eyes to look up at me, as if he was making sure I was still there. Around 11:00am one of the gypsy mothers moved into our room because her baby was crying so much and the other mothers in her room were getting upset. The poor little thing (Dono, I think his name was) had a hair-lip and I thought he was crying because it was causing him pain. The poor thing cried for almost three hours. And not just whimpering, full out wailing. It upset my stomach to the point I couldn't even eat my lunch. Vera (the woman I'm working with) had such a headache. Finally, the mother picks him up and gives him his bottle and, lo and behold, he stops crying! He was crying because he was /hungry/! She just didn't feed him. I don't know why. Anyway, so after she put him down again he just lay there gurgling away to himself. And goodness, he has the most beautiful grey eyes.

After I got home (without running into any bullying ticket checkers :P), Kathy and I picked up Codi from school and we all went to the bank. I wanted to cash in some of my traveller's cheques, but the lady had never seen a traveller's cheque before. She then proceeded to tell that they didn't accept traveller's cheques in Romania! I just about had a panic attack trying to figure out how I would survive the next two months with no money (since I had converted all my money into traveller's cheques before coming here). But then she phoned the big-ish branch (the biggest in Oradea) who then told her to call the branch in Budapest, and they worked something out. So if I go tomorrow I can convert a limited amount but they will take 10% as some kind of fee. Kathy says when her mother came they took 20% for extra charges, so I count myself lucky.

We stopped and bought me a pair of pants (since I forgot to pack any pants in my suitcase) and the most expensive pair were the equivalent of $7 CA! Clothing is just so cheap here! So I'm going to go shoe shopping next week and I expect I'll actually enjoy it, for the first time in my life.

The rest of my time has been spent playing with Codi and Andrea... we have so much fun. I'll see if I can't post pictures tomorrow.

Kathy and I went to the hospital today. She only stayed for about half an hour and then she left. I'm going to be working in the Preemie ward, with the abandoned gypsy babies. Today there were only two, Toni and Pamela, and tomorrow we'll be getting one more. Many of the gypsy women bring their children to the hospital and then never come back to claim them, and so they are left in the care of the nurses. After the children are brought back to health, if they're parents still haven't come for them, they are placed in foster homes.

Toni (who is in the picture) is about 3 months old, and loves to talk and sing... sort of. Pamela is about four months, but she was born premature and so she only weighs about 4 1/2 pounds.

I had a bit of an adventure on my way home. The tram system here (much like ours at home) runs on an inforced honour system. You buy blank tickets ahead of time and then a machine stamps them when you get on the tram. This was my first time on the tram and I was concentrating on not missing my stop, so I didn't take much noticed when someone brushed past me to get off the tram. It wasn't until the security got on and started checking people's tickets that I realized the person who brushed past me had swiped my ticket! The man didn't speak English so we both got off the tram and waited for his co-worker to arrive, a co-worker who he said spoke English. And he did speak English, after a fashion. I was able to explain to him that I /had/ a ticket, but then had lost it. He then communicated to me that I had to either pay a 24 lei fine, or they would call the police and I could pay 20,000 lei at the police station! Luckily, because we couldn't really communicate all the well, and I didn't have any ID for them to identify me with, they had to let me go with a rather mumbled warning.

I must say, life has sure been exciting so far.

Arrival

Well, here I am. All in one piece with my luggage in tact. I had a few interesting moments (arriving cross legged in Amsterdam after not being able to use the bathroom on the nine hour flight from Vancouver) and met some really neat people. The service on KLM was phenomenal. Two full meals plus various snack foods and not just the skimpy cups of beverages, but full cans and bottles. All the movies, tv shows, and music was complementary as well. I arrived in the Budapest airport, gathered my bags, and headed out to meet Kathy. We recognized each other right away and let me say she is a wonderful lady. We gabbed away on the drive to Oradea and arrive at her apartment at around 11:00 pm (but for me that was only 1:00pm). Luckily, I hadn't slept on either flight, so I was more than ready to fall asleep after getting my bed set up.

This morning I met the girls, Codi (nine years old) and Andrea (seven years old). After they left for school I took a shower, which was heavenly after so much traveling the two days before. Then Kathy and I took a walk around downtown ('centru'). We visited some of the local churches and peeked into a couple of the stores. We picked up Andrea from her half day at kindergarten (which involved my first every ride on a tram) and after eating lunch, she and I played for a couple hours. I'm not sure which one of us had more fun. The we all walked around the corner to pick up Codi. I'm now writing this while the girls play with the crafts my mom sent them.
Tomorrow I will go to the hospital and meet the babies. Also on the agenda is shopping for pants. I managed to forget the completely when I was packing, so the only pair I have are the ones I arrived in. *sigh*


I think I'm going to love it here. Heck, I do already!!!!!!!!