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!