Some of our older students are pictured above: Alix, Teo, Paol, Paola, and Maria.
Today we went on a field trip to the zoo, and another volunteer, Trevor, joined us for the first time. Trevor is nineteen and just finished his first year of college. Did the kids love him? Of course! He rode the bus with two students, Paol and Paola, because Mihaela’s car only has room for four of us. Starting tomorrow he’ll ride the bus and Mihaela will pick him up at the bus station after she drops us off. We have some new students who are going to be freshmen this year. Most of them are very shy and hesitant about speaking English. The difference between their ability levels and that of the high school juniors is amazing. I discuss politics and analyze poetry with the juniors; with the incoming freshman, for the most part, we point to clothing, name it, and have the girls repeat the name. It is definitely challenging working with such different skill levels!
I had a great time walking with Maria, Andrei, and C0smin. They read the names of the animals to me in English and told me where they were from, how fast they move, and something they found interesting about the animal.
I had a great time walking with Maria, Andrei, and C0smin. They read the names of the animals to me in English and told me where they were from, how fast they move, and something they found interesting about the animal.
The zoo has a very limited selection of animals; an American alligator is their latest acquisition, and he’s a little guy who seems unhappy about having a bunch of eyes on him. Instead of trying to mimic the animals’ natural habits (they can’t afford to do that, of course), the animals are in simple, rather dirty and smelly cages. The students told me that they aren’t well taken care of, and I could see that clearly.
The most painful part of this for me was seeing the caged dogs. Yes, caged dogs—dalmations, Siberian huskies, and some that I couldn’t recognize what they were (no sign). Their cages were especially dirty and they looked so sad. Several of them paced unhappily and barked piteously; the dalmation stared at us with sad eyes and wagged her tale, longing for a pet on the head. My heart ached for them. 
I had some interesting conversations with students on the way to the zoo. We passed a military flag ceremony; George said some Romanian troops were home from Iraq and that this was a celebration of that. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t think it would be appreciated; no one else had a camera out. Also I had been told not to take pictures of the police, and there were some there, so I kept the camera in my bag. George said that the Romanian troops, poorly equipped, were given the most dangerous assignments because their commanders thought it would bring honor to their country and elevate their status in the EU. He said that American commanders didn’t object and took the safer duties. I didn’t agree, of course, and asked for evidence that he couldn’t produce. George is our sci fi, computer programming, conspiracy theory guy; he has an incredible command of English, and he likes to talk! We also talked about how hard the transition from Communism to capitalism has been, how corrupt the democratic governments have been since, and I had to tell him that our government is also self-serving and doesn’t have the best interest of the American people at heart in my opinion. He said that many of the older generations would prefer to return to Communism because at least they would be guaranteed jobs. It has been very hard on them, but it is even harder on the young people, I think, because they see what life could be like via the internet and they want that life. Anna and Andreia want to go to New York so they can shop; Alix wants to go to school in California. His father wants him to become a doctor; he wants to be an artist. Their stories aren’t really that different from those of our students, but the quality of their lives is vastly different. They have little, but they work hard, they spend their precious time this summer improving their English, and they hope they can go to California next summer for three weeks through an exchange program. They think America is beautiful; I do, too. Opportunities abound, the quality of life is excellent, products are abundant and relatively inexpensive, and life is good. I wish I could bring them home with me!
I'm writing this while I sit at a table on the patio in front of the Pensinea Raluca, shaded by an umbrella, enjoying the cool breeze and the shade, and watching cars and horse-drawn carts go by. I'm definitely experiencing things that a tourist would never experience. In fact, a woman walking by just waved at me and said hello. Pretty neat. It's amazing to get the sense that you're part of a community; this isn't a feeling you get on a vacation, that's for sure!
I had some interesting conversations with students on the way to the zoo. We passed a military flag ceremony; George said some Romanian troops were home from Iraq and that this was a celebration of that. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t think it would be appreciated; no one else had a camera out. Also I had been told not to take pictures of the police, and there were some there, so I kept the camera in my bag. George said that the Romanian troops, poorly equipped, were given the most dangerous assignments because their commanders thought it would bring honor to their country and elevate their status in the EU. He said that American commanders didn’t object and took the safer duties. I didn’t agree, of course, and asked for evidence that he couldn’t produce. George is our sci fi, computer programming, conspiracy theory guy; he has an incredible command of English, and he likes to talk! We also talked about how hard the transition from Communism to capitalism has been, how corrupt the democratic governments have been since, and I had to tell him that our government is also self-serving and doesn’t have the best interest of the American people at heart in my opinion. He said that many of the older generations would prefer to return to Communism because at least they would be guaranteed jobs. It has been very hard on them, but it is even harder on the young people, I think, because they see what life could be like via the internet and they want that life. Anna and Andreia want to go to New York so they can shop; Alix wants to go to school in California. His father wants him to become a doctor; he wants to be an artist. Their stories aren’t really that different from those of our students, but the quality of their lives is vastly different. They have little, but they work hard, they spend their precious time this summer improving their English, and they hope they can go to California next summer for three weeks through an exchange program. They think America is beautiful; I do, too. Opportunities abound, the quality of life is excellent, products are abundant and relatively inexpensive, and life is good. I wish I could bring them home with me!
I'm writing this while I sit at a table on the patio in front of the Pensinea Raluca, shaded by an umbrella, enjoying the cool breeze and the shade, and watching cars and horse-drawn carts go by. I'm definitely experiencing things that a tourist would never experience. In fact, a woman walking by just waved at me and said hello. Pretty neat. It's amazing to get the sense that you're part of a community; this isn't a feeling you get on a vacation, that's for sure!
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