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!