What can I get you, Love??

Oh, Ireland!!! I knew I would love my visit here when at the Passport Control desk, the man said, "Love, have a great time!"

I must admit that I had a few preconceived notions about Ireland before visiting. I envisioned rolling, green hills, stone fences and fairies! I found two out of three of these, which isn't too bad!

As we flew into Dublin, I couldn't help but notice how green all of the fields appeared to be. I thought, "Perhaps they look so green just from a distance. Surely, at this time of year, they're not really that color." It's a good thing I didn't make any bets on this statement because the scenery was indeed as green as a summer in Wyoming!

My journey began in Dublin. I took a bus to my hostel, the Avalon House, and then headed out on the town. Dublin itself has some fantastic old buildings, many of which reminded me of buildings in London. There were several cobblestone streets, a castle or two and where there was grass, it was green. I was able to visit the Molly Malone statue, Trinity College, the Book of Kells, and many of the shopping streets. Dublin was a charming city, one which I would gladly visit again! My friend Lyndsey met me here, and we then continued on to Belfast.

Belfast, although smaller, had many similiarities to Dublin. Naturally shopping was an objective while there; however, we managed to fit in some touristy things as well. We took a "Hop on, Hop off" bus tour which gave a great history of the city. I am now educated on the "troubles" (as it was called) between the Nationalists and Loyalists there. It was here that I had my first official Fish and Chips! We went to what was considered "a very local shop" and were treated to a heavy Irish accent! Although I couldn't understand a great deal of what was said, I was referred to as "Love" probably ten times in two minutes! In addition we arrived just in time to visit a German Christmas market which was taking place. The best way to sum this up destination was that the food was fantastic there!

From Belfast we went to Lyndsey's hometown. It was here that I found my rolling green hills and stone structures (I'm sure if I had looked longer, I would have discovered fairies too!). The majority of houses in Omagh were made from brick or stones. Once again perfectly manicured lawns were plentiful, and the people were incredibly friendly!

I do believe Ireland will be a traveling destination in the future!

Check out my Slide Show!

Construction has an entirely new meaning in Bucharest! Currently, Romania is attempting to make a massive amount of city and building modifications as it is trying to join the European Union. With all of these modifications, an interesting setting has been created with extraordinary circumstances.

Construction is held in a noticeably more casual and laxed fashion than is typical in America. Construction work takes place 24 hours a day. It is not uncommon to see a crew of men filling potholes at one in the morning on a Saturday. There are a multitude of construction projects happening simultaneously and just because a project is started not not imply it will be finished! There is also an apparent lack of safety concerns or liability! Fencing off construction zones is almost unheard of, and Romanians show no desire to limit the public's contact with machines, electrical wiring or holes!

London vs. Bucharest

Oh, how they differ! London is everything Bucharest is not! London might be what one would consider a fine elegant restaurant while Bucharest is the hot dog stand down the street!

Both cities have an enormous amount of traffic and people. The difference within these great populations is how people act. The traffic in Bucharest consists of illegal driving, constant honking and continual yelling at both pedestrians and other drivers. Englanders behave in no such manner. I heard one honk while there and saw no driving on sidewalks or cursing.

While boarding the plane to go to London, we were merely trampled by the impatient Romanians. A flight attendant actually stood on the stairs and screamed at the mob before we boarded. In England there were mobs of people but no pushing, no screaming and no irate employees.

The subways systems also have great differences. The subway lines in England are amazing! They are well marked and circulate throughout the entire city. Bucharest has four main lines which speckle riders through the city. Unfortunately the subways in Bucharest are also poorly marked and make it difficult to find your way.

Although I had been warned of rudeness in England, I was treated only with kindness and terrific customer assistance. Bucharestians often greet you with a frown and are not always eager to help. It must also be mentioned that the architecture and aesthetic appeal of London far out does Bucharest. It feels

That said, Bucharest does have some finer points. It is not nearly as expensive as classic London. While London does have terrific shopping, it comes at a price. I found nothing, including small snacks, under two dollars. A basic meal of a sandwich (the two slices of bread, lunch box type) and a beverage cost a minimum of six dollars. Bucharest can also brag about its cheap taxis and unlimited service. I have only waited ten minutes for a cab in Romania; there was a possibility of a three hour wait while visiting the U.K. I suppose I was glad to return to my new home, appreciating the beauty of other places even more.

Romanian Children

Today it finally happened. I ventured out of the comfort of my humble abode to a less affluent part of town. I, with two other teachers from school, volunteered at an institution for less privileged children. It cannot be called an orphanage because these children have living family members; however, the families cannot financially support these them.

Therefore, they call this "institution" home.

We arrived at the institution, and I immediately felt grateful for what I once considered less than aesthetically appealing in my own apartment. Upon entering the building, we saw several children sitting in chairs. They waved hello but did not move. After introductions I was greeted in a very hands-on fashion. Hugs were everywhere! Luckily, this audience was patient, and my lack of Romanian seemed unimportant. Four of us, one a Romanian psychologist, planned and implemented an autumn leaf activity.

These children had an abundant amount of energy and eagerly completed their tasks. Following their leaf creations, we simply played in the room. Unfortunately, the children are not allowed outside, so the only play they had took place between 10:00 and 12:00 whilst we were there. When we left, the kids filed back into the room with the row of chairs, energy suddenly gone, without speaking and watched t.v. On weekends the vast majority of their time is spent in this setting. Thankfully, during the week, they receive more formal instruction in school.

Many have predicted I will come home with some Romanian children. After this experience, I would say it was a possibility! Then again, should someone who likes peanut butter straight from the jar and leaves socks laying all over really be in charge of a small child's life? Probably not! I suppose volunteering will have to suffice for now!

The Post Office

I received my first package today and now fully I appreciate the U.S. postal service! Now, I must admit my postal experience is due in part to living in a large city, not just Romania.

My mailbox is located at the base of the apartment building and does not necessarily lock on a regular basis. It is about the size of two checkbook boxes stacked on top of one another. Unlike many living quarters in the U.S. there are no large, locking boxes available for bigger packages. Therefore, any package you receive exceeding the limits of your daily mailbox is redirected to another post office. I do have an office directly across from my building, but my parcel was redirected to one about 40 minutes away!

I received notice of my package arriving on a small, recycled, newspaper like paper. Naturally, all text was written in Romanian which required translating by our "go-to-guy," Mr. Lupu. The post office hours varied. Monday, Wednesday and Friday it was open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On Tuesday and Thursday it is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Normally, these hours would be quite sufficient for retrieving parcels; however, due to our travel time, we had to leave at 3:15 p.m. in order to arrive by 4:45.

Once I entered the post office, I was greeted by approximately five women behind a large glass window. My passport was required for both identification as well as name verification on the package. I was then directed to another small room where the package was opened and examined. Amongst the staff of the Romanian post office, I happily opened a lovely birthday gift.

Luckily, my package arrived in one piece and was not missing any items. Unfortunately, it is common for packages to disappear altogether or arrive empty. Regardless, it was a thrill to get something from home!!!

Paying Bills

Paying bills is really no fun in any country, but I have discovered it is especially interesting here. I'm the kind of person who enjoys collecting my bills, writing a check and mailing them, as a set, all in one sitting. In Romania this simply isn't possible!

The bills arrive in a variety of conditions. Some come in sealed envelopes while others are opened, without envelopes. And those incredibly important ones can be hand delivered. Regardless of their arrival status, none include return envelopes. Now, you may ask, "how do you mail these important documents?" The answer is..... you do not mail them! Bills are taken to the billing company building and paid at a desk( cash, not check, mind you). As you can imagine, this has completely changed my routine!!!

Another fascinating aspect of living in a once communist country is the division of the bills. I have always only paid for my own living quarters. I have not split the cost of heating, electricity, water, etc. with any other tenants; however, that now has all changed. My electrical bill, for example, is equally divided amongst the entire building. Therefore, if you have used no air conditioning, but your neighbor used it all the time, you lighten the burden they would carry alone and pay for part of their electrical.

These are just some interesting observations to ponder!!!

The Movies

I made my first trip to the cinema this past weekend, and I thought I would share some of the similarities and differences! All of the movies here are in English and have Romanian subtitles, which is a welcome treat for me! Apparently, cinemas vary from the high tech to those on a more economic budget. We began by purchasing our tickets at a large, multi-windowed counter. Most tickets are purchased prior to going to see the film. Interestingly enough, ticket prices change according to the time and day you go. So, a show on Friday night is more expensive than one on Sunday, Monday, etc.. At this theater, once you entered, you are directed to different floors where you can buy all of the necessary goodies. The popcorn does not have the liquid butter we are accustomed to. It has a plain, fine powdered salt. The small luxuries, meaning junk food, that cost you a small fortune in America are much cheaper here. A small popcorn, soda and chocolate bar can be purchased for about $6 altogether. Once you enter the theater, you must find your assigned seat! There were about thirty of us in the last five rows; the rest of the theater was empty! Well, next time you watch a show, think of me experiencing a fairly similar outing!

Grocery Shopping

Going to the grocery store has been an experience from the get go! We started with the small market just below my apartment, we progressed to the more trendy, NIC, and I have now graduated to the larger, mass produced stored named Kaufland. With this progression, I have been forced to learn more. Here are a few interesting tidbits about grocery shopping in Bucharest!

Upon entering the store, you, like in America, may get a basket or cart. However, at the Kaufland, picking up a basket/cart is easier said then done! You must insert a coin into the cart which allows you to unlock it from the string of other carts. Unlocking it requires button pushing and the use of a metal key I still have yet to master. Carts are not taken and left in the parking lot, they are returned, by the consumer, to the cart corral and chained in again for the next user.

We have all heard about the large farmer's markets in Europe. Indeed they do exist; however the closest one to me is almost two miles away. Thus, purchasing fruit at the store is necessary at times. At all stores, fruit and vegetables are weighed and individually marked before going to the checkout stand. Some places have isolated weighing stations while others require a trip to the meat counter. Not weighing your fruit/vegetable before paying can cause quite a stir and ultimately omit the item from your purchases (I know this from experience; I didn't make it home with my bananas one day)!

Finally, the checkout process is slightly different. From previous experiences, in America, I had always assumed having your groceries bagged was a part of the buying process. As they say, you should never assume because it makes an .........I'm sure you know how the phrase goes. Grocery baggers do not exist here. A person is in charge of bagging all of their own purchases. In order to bag the items you purchased, you will also need bags! I have discovered that although stores provide small, almost transparent bags, if you want one that will last longer than the trip to the parking lot, you must purchase them! Many of the grocery stores have more sturdy carrying contraptions located at the checkout stand.

Happy Shopping!

The Black Sea

My exploration of Romania continued yesterday when I traveled with four other ladies to the Black Sea in the southern part of Romania. We were unable to go swimming as it was a bit chilly. We did wade up and down the coast, and it was lovely. The sea itself was not too gorgeous. It was a cloudy green color and trash was ubiquitous as you walked. There were some washed up seashells and lots of restaurants to choose from. I did see a few topless women and almost everyone, regardless of age, shape and size, wore a bikini!

Traveling by Bus

We had our first experience with the local bus this past week! In our attempt to see the countryside, we decided to travel about 25 miles from the city to a town called Snagov where a beautiful monastery supposedly exists. We took a taxi to the bus station, or so we thought. It turned out to be the wrong place but do to the kindness of strangers, we eventually discovered our destination amid a bunch of trees in a park. With the assistance of about three non-English speaking Romanians, we bought our go/return tickets to Snagov. (Just as a side note, these tickets are not checked by anyone, that we have seen. You simply insert them into a plastic, white contraption mounted on the bus poles and manually punch them. It appears it is almost like the honor system in using them) We waited at our stop for roughly 45 minutes and then quickly boarded the bus as seats are a cherished possession on these things. The 25 mile journey took us about an hour and with the help of two non-Englishers, we once again found our next location. Unfortunately, our dropping spot was simply a spot in the road with hardly any markings. A green bench sitting by a landmark was our landmark for our return journey. Looking around a bit we eventually found a bus station with no attendant and a handwritten schedule not containing the bus number given to us earlier. Shortening this story up a bit, I will say we explored the area a bit, never finding the monastery. We did, however, locate about four bars, one closed restaurant and a mini-mart. At this point, we thought it best to cut our losses, find some snacks and wait for the returning bus. According to the handwritten schedule, we would be people watching for at least two hours. We resigned ourselves for the long wait when, at the bend in the road, a bus suddenly appeared. Not wanting to miss a traveling opportunity, we jumped aboard! By chance alone, we ended up back at our starting point, the bus station in the trees!

A picture to go with the previously published post

Here is a picture of King Carol's

castle in Sinaia...postcard like isn't it?

Sinaia, Brasov and Bran

When Romania is mentioned, different images are created for different individuals. My idea of Romania included vast amounts of trees, small villas with scarf covered women milling around and lots of farm animals. Arriving in Bucharest shattered these pictures; however, traveling to Sinaia, Brasov and Bran restored them a bit!

My mother, two teachers from the U.K. and myself took a day trip to these three small towns. Through a travel agent, recommended by a fellow teacher, we arranged for a driver to escort us to these locations. As an added bonus, we were treated to an English speaking recording which gave a brief history on each area. Each town had either a historical palace or significant role in Romania's history.

First, let me please paint a picture for you. What Romanian consider the mountains, we would consider large hills! As we traveled on many winding roads we slowly entered tree covered areas. Not pine trees as we find in our mountains, but lush, green trees that would be gorgeous in fall and miserable-looking in winter. The roads were a typical two lane highway, although yellow lines were missing in many spots, and drivers passed regardless of oncoming traffic. (Drivers here are absolutely crazy. We have already been in one taxi accident and come close two other times!)

Our first stop was Sinaia where old-school Romanians, as we might call them, first appeared. There were men leading cows with halters, women in scarves, handstacked hay piles and farmers moving loads with horses and carts! It was here that I first thought, "maybe I will like it!" This type of scene was very common on the rest of our tour. I would also like to add, there were cows everywhere: on the highway, ditches, lawns, everywhere! We decided it must be a fence out area just like in Wyoming! Sinaia was the home of King Carol, and his very decadent palace. Going in, we were required to wear booties over our shoes and were given an English speaking guide. This palace had rooms decorated for several different countries like Turkey, Arabia, etc. It also had extensive wood carvings and handmade glass flowers in almost every room, many which were gifts from mechants, etc. Like any castle, it also had a hidden door in the library!

Our next stop was Brasov. When first entering this city, the most visited in Romania, we were baffled as to why so many people would recommend going. However, at the heart of the city was a true treasure. A once walled-in town, the older part of this city, has beautiful architecture! Its small, colorful buildings were quite European and cobblestone streets added to the charm. There is a distinctive difference between the old town and the new developments. The old town no longer allows vehicles on the streets and was a favorite location for weddings. I think we saw about 12 brides!

The last stop was Bran. This was the supposed home of Count Dracula; however, we learned that he actually only slept there a few nights. Here we visited a palace, much less glamorous, that featured several floors, small staircases and open balconies. It was a major tourist attraction and thus was surrounded by vendors outside the palace gates.

My recommendation to all of you, should you come to Romania, please go on this tour! It was fantastic!

Bucharest

The city itself might be what one would consider a diamond in the rough! Although there are several hidden treasures, they are not apparent to the casual eye! Upon arrival, I was a bit deflated and disappointed at the lack of European beauty; however, my perspective is slowly changing. The block my apartment is on is a little shabby and very much under construction. My apartment building is a worn looking gray cement, and there are not flowery balconies or tuscan colors. Walking into the entrance leaves a very sterile feeling but it quickly warms as you enter into the actual apartment. If you venture past my now humble abode, you will quickly discover a more clean, warm portion of the city. The main streets, like any city, have boutiques as well as closed store fronts. One might find a high end clothing store next to an abandoned bakery. I will attempt to attach photographs once I learn how to!

International Travel

The flights over here were great and quite an experience in comparison to domestic travel! We were showered with food, hot towels and a very friendly flying staff. Unlike domestic travel, with meals we were given real silverware. We had drink service constantly and were continually treated to free beverages. The beverages available varied from water to cognac! It should be noted we even received a sandwhich, candybar and drink on an hour a half flight! We were also treated to two movies: one quite appropriate for children and the other made me blush at times! Flights from Germany were a bit more formal and they were quite thorough in their inspection of our bags. Once reaching Bucharest, formality was thrown out the window. We arrived with all of our baggage and walked through customs with no delays. I shall definitely look forward to traveling through Europe in the future.

Let the Games Begin!

The day is quickly approaching when I will leave the comfort of my old home in Powell and brace myself for the upcoming adventure in Romania. My mother and I will be leaving Billings, MT this coming Monday, the 27th. We will fly to Denver where we will catch a flight to Munich, Germany. From there we will go to Bucharest and arrive on the 28th. Thankfully a representative from the school will be meeting us at the airport and will take us to my new European apartment. (Details on that will follow our arrival! I don't know if I should expect luxury or the basics...photos will tell all!) After we arrive we will have a day of rest, and on the 30th I will begin orientation. I shall write again to keep you all posted on life in Romania!