I left Monday morning with my counterpart for Burcurești Nord, the main railway station in the capital and the largest in the country. We arrived mid-morning and found a seat at McDonald's (the food was decent at best ... quite a let down). An hour later we boarded a different train headed towards Iași. The trip up north took a little over six hours but thankfully I chatted and read most of the way. At one point I fell asleep and snored only once, but it was so loud I actually woke myself up (and had fun laughing at myself). We got off the train at Vaslui and boarded a Maxi Taxi to our town, Negrești.
Traveling the countryside in the train was beautiful. We skirted rolling hills with settlements spread throughout. For 90% of the time, either side of us was flat farm land covered in sunflowers, corn, wheat, etc. As we traveled into the town, I remember seeing much of the same but in higher detail, with herds of animals pockmarking the hills, horse-drawn carriages crawling along the roadsides, and huge stretches of farmland spread over alternating plains and gently slopping hills. We passed through some outer villages as we entered the town center.
The town is very small, poor, and somewhat disconnected from major urban centers and entertainment, all qualities of which my resident hosts were constantly reminding me. I can't say I am surprised by their reactions as Romania is said to be somewhat cynical towards themselves and their own country. I think also they anticipated something of my character as I am an American and there are stereotypes about the US, it's culture and it's people everywhere. There was one individual at site who had been the counterpart for a volunteer ten years ago; he gave me three months before I would be ready to leave.
What I don't think that my community understands about me is that I made a commitment to be here, to learn, to help, and to grow. This experience is important to me; it's not a vacation. Barring any major issues of physical violence, extreme political unrest and so on, I fully intend to meet my challenges head on with a sober perspective and a professional attitude. They also do not realize that my conditions, even in Negrești, are not poor at all. I may have a wood heater and my site may be somewhat rural, but Peace Corps members prepare themselves for conditions far more challenging. Peace Corps Romania is the most developed country in the program, as I reminded a few of them. Their main streets are paved, they have streetlights, running water, modern amenities, access to health care facilities, etc. Lets be real Romania, I could probably deal with worse than what you could give me.
Thus, with this somewhat discouraging issue explained, allow me to move onto the rest of my visit.
I stayed at the school's dormitory, which was rather nice. A stove and oven, a bathroom with very hot water, a fridge and balcony, I wouldn't have hated living there. Indeed, I was supposed to live there but Peace Corps told them it was unacceptable, possibly because it was student housing. I have no idea. I suppose I would rather not stay on school grounds anyways.
The apartment that I was supposed to receive was no longer available. Apparently the rent was too high (I was told that the price was driven up with the knowledge of my citizenship). They have yet to identify a permanent spot but must do so by July 8th, so we'll see how that works out.
The school I am working at runs like clock work, or so it seems. The students that I saw seemed loathe to disrespect the teachers. My English teaching colleagues are all interesting, and all of them are nice people with whom I look forward to working. There was a cool philosophy professor I look forward to speaking with more, especially as my Romanian improves. I met the directoara of the school who was very pleased to have me there. I also met the mayor who also seemed kind and happy that I was to be a volunteer in his town.
The people of the town were constantly out and about, sitting on the benches, standing around and chatting, playing games in the park, etc. I was heartened to see such a lively community (something that America lacks in many places). I saw some of the restaurants and stores in the center which had plenty of goods, hopefully most of everything I may need.
Dinner the three nights that I was in town I spent at my counterpart's parents house. The sarmale, meats, and homemade wine was excellent, of course. She has two parents, a grandmother, and a younger 21 year old brother. There were two dogs, two horses, two pigs, a bunch of chickens and pigeons and a beautiful garden with all sorts of fresh vegetables and fruits. The view from the back of their house, out across a large fish hatchery to an enormous state farm, was breathtaking. I wish I had sense enough to take a picture of the beautiful scene.
Her family were wonderful people. I felt at home immediately. The community was likewise very friendly and welcoming. I hope to have an excellent stay in this town for the next two years.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Counterpart Conference and Site Placement: Negrești
This post will be short and sweet. This past week I had a midway language evaluation before we received our site announcements on Thursday. I actually cartwheeled down the red carpet when they called my name such was my excitement. I was placed in a small town of roughly 10,000 people (including the surrounding villages) called Negrești (nay-Graysht), in the county of Vaslui. I am working at a highschool with 900 or so students. I will be living in my own apartment with my own wood-heat furnace!
I met my counterpart at a conference this weekend. Her name is Mihaela, she is 28, married with a son, she is very sweet and excited about teaching English. I am really looking forward to working with her and becoming friends over the next two years.
I am leaving (in two hours from now) on a train up north to Moldova country with her to visit my site for a few days, meet my new colleagues, see my new place, etc. I am very excited for this trip, watch out for photos and updates next weekend. Ciao for now.
I met my counterpart at a conference this weekend. Her name is Mihaela, she is 28, married with a son, she is very sweet and excited about teaching English. I am really looking forward to working with her and becoming friends over the next two years.
I am leaving (in two hours from now) on a train up north to Moldova country with her to visit my site for a few days, meet my new colleagues, see my new place, etc. I am very excited for this trip, watch out for photos and updates next weekend. Ciao for now.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Some impressions (from a perspective in Târgoviște)
This post will be broken up into different categories for the purpose of remaining ordered and on topic. I have some other news to share but I will save that for the next post.
NB: Please keep in mind that when I arrived in Burcurești April 28th, I traveled 1.5 hours via bus to Târgoviște, my training site; I have been outside the city a few times but never more that 15 km. Thus, my experience is limited to Targoviște and NOT Romania in general.
Infrastructure:
Târgoviște is a small city though it has a rich history. There is a beautiful tower with a surrounding park (displayed in a facebook album) built by Vlad Țepeș (aka Dracula) himself: there are mannequins impaled at the top. No, not really. Vlad is a hero here and the whole impaling thing was the thing to do then, plus I am sure he only impaled people who really deserved it. Also, Ceaușescu was tried and shot here in this city. Anyways, the housing here is often in communist blocs, which all look the same: cement with big red metal doors. Some of them have interesting and varied balconies and the windows are generally assorted. They are arranged in blocks (hence the same I am guessing) and can be anywhere from decent to shabby. There are the Roma communities consisting of small houses crammed into small areas, or gross, slummy looking apartment buildings. The houses are usually colorful, always cement, have multicolored (though typically red or gray) metal roofs. There are also beautiful homes, which are more often than not right next to broken down houses on ugly, unkempt property. Apparently property value here works differently.
The city center is fairly big with shops lining the sides, a pretty fountain, and a very communist-esq, "enlightening" torch statue at the head of the square. The old city center has some beautiful old buildings and some excellent restaurants of which the volunteers and I have taken advantage.
The roads are in decent condition within the city and on the main roads out of town. Aside from these main thoroughfares however you can count on a dirt road, especially in the villages.
Every house is surrounded by a gate that locks and has dangerous spikes along the top. There are some communities where individual houses are not surrounded, but then that community of houses are surrounded by one large gate with multiple entrances. There are very few to no exceptions to this rule here in Târgoviște.
Agriculture:
Everyone grows their own food and many raise their own animals here. If they don't, a brother, sister, parent, or in-law does. Many make their own homemade wine and liquor, which they spread among friends and relatives. I have been very, very impressed with the quality of homegrown food here and the competency of many Romanians to supply part of their food supply themselves. America could learn a lesson here, especially as times are becoming tougher and pennies are being pinched harder. There are also rose bushes everywhere here which makes for beautiful sights and smells (this goes far in masking the horse and dog poop for which I'm constantly on the look out).
Dogs:
Yes, Romania has a serious problem with stray dogs. They are everywhere. I may dislike dogs by the time I finish my work here so stay tuned. Actually, the strays are usually the friendliest, and by friendliest I mean the least aggressive. Strays, with no owner (and thus unlikely to have and leadership) are loathe to cross a person. They generally move out of the way if you walk towards them, keeping their eyes down and themselves well out of reach. They are almost always dirty, sometimes injured. I have seen a few stray fights, which can be scary for anyone with a super soft spot for dogs. It is usually the dogs behind the gates or at the edge of their owners property that flip out constantly, that bark and attack people. The key is to not care (good thing I payed attention to Caesar Milan's show).
Apparently there was a bill passed recently stating that strays can be put to sleep after a certain amount of time unclaimed in a pound. There were animal rights groups protesting for weeks in the capital but I have no idea where that is at. I heard recently that some authorities were picking up dogs from their own city and dropping them off in other cities.
One time I was walking into the city from my Gazda's house when I noticed a dog following me. I realized quickly he wasn't aggressive, in fact he was avoiding all eye contact with me. I stopped at one point to see his reaction and he slowed and stopped, looking around nonchalantly. I started walking again and he continued to follow me. As I approached a busy street I waited (and he waited) for the road to clear, and as I crossed he stuck right next to me. I crossed another busy road, and another. As soon as I stepped on the sidewalk next to a major bloc complex, he doglegged right and strolled off to find his friends. Apparently dogs here figured out drivers won't stop for them but usually yield to humans.
Drivers:
Due to a Peace Corps regulation, I am forbidden operate any vehicle with an engine. After walking around Târgoviște for 6 weeks, I am perfectly fine with that. People drive very fast, regularly pass on both sides, and practice the game of "chicken" at high speeds. Consequently there are many accidents here, and a lot of road rage. The passing is particularly scary and unnerves me sometimes when I am in the passenger seat.
People park on the side walks, on public and private property, in bus stops, etc. There are also horse drawn carriages clopping their way in and out of the city (even though they are not allowed in the city). Road rules don't seem to be enforced here, at least not in this town. My transportation in the city is either by Bus, by maxi taxi (like a really big van, usually between the city and towns), taxi (if I am rushed), or on foot.
Hospitality:
Romanians are for the most part very hospitable. There is always more food and drink to fill your plates and glasses, warm greetings, a kiss on either cheek, and a genuine interest/curiosity. Most are polite in conversation though not necessarily in lines in stores or on the street. The friends and family of my host family have all been very nice though the language barrier prevents me from really engaging them.
Some students/teenagers can be rude and like to yell out things in English like "Fuck you, United States" and "Motherfucker!". This is rare however, and more often we hear "Hello!" from excited little kids. Sometimes young men (maybe I should say boys) are rude to the women in our group; the school we train at is more of a vocational school with kids who don't exactly excel so this doesn't come as a surprise.
Curent:
This deserves a special mention. Romanians are generally superstitious, more so than Americans (who themselves, in great numbers, hold dogmatic superstition of the religious sort), so anyone who knows me can imagine I find this aspect of Romanian culture rather irritating. While in the States I generally understand (and sympathize for those coerced by) superstitious belief, I cannot for the life of me figure out "curent". It basically means a draft of air, as in having one window open and another window or door open, creating the movement of air throughout a room, bus, etc. What is the big deal? Who wouldn't want to keep cool? Apparently this air is thought to travel through the ear canal and lodge itself in your head, causing every ailment from neck and throat pain to viruses and colds, perhaps even mental illness. Forget that neck pain is caused from poor neck support and muscle spasms, that illnesses are caused by viruses and bacteria. Why just air through a room, what about the air blowing around outside before it enters the room? What about modern medical science and research put into practice by the doctors in Romanian hospitals? This is not believed by just the very old or a handful of people: it's everywhere. I hope to figure this out at some point but it promises to make some uncomfortable bus rides for me in the future.
Enough of this post, I have to post something else before I leave in the morning.
NB: Please keep in mind that when I arrived in Burcurești April 28th, I traveled 1.5 hours via bus to Târgoviște, my training site; I have been outside the city a few times but never more that 15 km. Thus, my experience is limited to Targoviște and NOT Romania in general.
Infrastructure:
Târgoviște is a small city though it has a rich history. There is a beautiful tower with a surrounding park (displayed in a facebook album) built by Vlad Țepeș (aka Dracula) himself: there are mannequins impaled at the top. No, not really. Vlad is a hero here and the whole impaling thing was the thing to do then, plus I am sure he only impaled people who really deserved it. Also, Ceaușescu was tried and shot here in this city. Anyways, the housing here is often in communist blocs, which all look the same: cement with big red metal doors. Some of them have interesting and varied balconies and the windows are generally assorted. They are arranged in blocks (hence the same I am guessing) and can be anywhere from decent to shabby. There are the Roma communities consisting of small houses crammed into small areas, or gross, slummy looking apartment buildings. The houses are usually colorful, always cement, have multicolored (though typically red or gray) metal roofs. There are also beautiful homes, which are more often than not right next to broken down houses on ugly, unkempt property. Apparently property value here works differently.
The city center is fairly big with shops lining the sides, a pretty fountain, and a very communist-esq, "enlightening" torch statue at the head of the square. The old city center has some beautiful old buildings and some excellent restaurants of which the volunteers and I have taken advantage.
The roads are in decent condition within the city and on the main roads out of town. Aside from these main thoroughfares however you can count on a dirt road, especially in the villages.
Every house is surrounded by a gate that locks and has dangerous spikes along the top. There are some communities where individual houses are not surrounded, but then that community of houses are surrounded by one large gate with multiple entrances. There are very few to no exceptions to this rule here in Târgoviște.
Agriculture:
Everyone grows their own food and many raise their own animals here. If they don't, a brother, sister, parent, or in-law does. Many make their own homemade wine and liquor, which they spread among friends and relatives. I have been very, very impressed with the quality of homegrown food here and the competency of many Romanians to supply part of their food supply themselves. America could learn a lesson here, especially as times are becoming tougher and pennies are being pinched harder. There are also rose bushes everywhere here which makes for beautiful sights and smells (this goes far in masking the horse and dog poop for which I'm constantly on the look out).
Dogs:
Yes, Romania has a serious problem with stray dogs. They are everywhere. I may dislike dogs by the time I finish my work here so stay tuned. Actually, the strays are usually the friendliest, and by friendliest I mean the least aggressive. Strays, with no owner (and thus unlikely to have and leadership) are loathe to cross a person. They generally move out of the way if you walk towards them, keeping their eyes down and themselves well out of reach. They are almost always dirty, sometimes injured. I have seen a few stray fights, which can be scary for anyone with a super soft spot for dogs. It is usually the dogs behind the gates or at the edge of their owners property that flip out constantly, that bark and attack people. The key is to not care (good thing I payed attention to Caesar Milan's show).
Apparently there was a bill passed recently stating that strays can be put to sleep after a certain amount of time unclaimed in a pound. There were animal rights groups protesting for weeks in the capital but I have no idea where that is at. I heard recently that some authorities were picking up dogs from their own city and dropping them off in other cities.
One time I was walking into the city from my Gazda's house when I noticed a dog following me. I realized quickly he wasn't aggressive, in fact he was avoiding all eye contact with me. I stopped at one point to see his reaction and he slowed and stopped, looking around nonchalantly. I started walking again and he continued to follow me. As I approached a busy street I waited (and he waited) for the road to clear, and as I crossed he stuck right next to me. I crossed another busy road, and another. As soon as I stepped on the sidewalk next to a major bloc complex, he doglegged right and strolled off to find his friends. Apparently dogs here figured out drivers won't stop for them but usually yield to humans.
Drivers:
Due to a Peace Corps regulation, I am forbidden operate any vehicle with an engine. After walking around Târgoviște for 6 weeks, I am perfectly fine with that. People drive very fast, regularly pass on both sides, and practice the game of "chicken" at high speeds. Consequently there are many accidents here, and a lot of road rage. The passing is particularly scary and unnerves me sometimes when I am in the passenger seat.
People park on the side walks, on public and private property, in bus stops, etc. There are also horse drawn carriages clopping their way in and out of the city (even though they are not allowed in the city). Road rules don't seem to be enforced here, at least not in this town. My transportation in the city is either by Bus, by maxi taxi (like a really big van, usually between the city and towns), taxi (if I am rushed), or on foot.
Hospitality:
Romanians are for the most part very hospitable. There is always more food and drink to fill your plates and glasses, warm greetings, a kiss on either cheek, and a genuine interest/curiosity. Most are polite in conversation though not necessarily in lines in stores or on the street. The friends and family of my host family have all been very nice though the language barrier prevents me from really engaging them.
Some students/teenagers can be rude and like to yell out things in English like "Fuck you, United States" and "Motherfucker!". This is rare however, and more often we hear "Hello!" from excited little kids. Sometimes young men (maybe I should say boys) are rude to the women in our group; the school we train at is more of a vocational school with kids who don't exactly excel so this doesn't come as a surprise.
Curent:
This deserves a special mention. Romanians are generally superstitious, more so than Americans (who themselves, in great numbers, hold dogmatic superstition of the religious sort), so anyone who knows me can imagine I find this aspect of Romanian culture rather irritating. While in the States I generally understand (and sympathize for those coerced by) superstitious belief, I cannot for the life of me figure out "curent". It basically means a draft of air, as in having one window open and another window or door open, creating the movement of air throughout a room, bus, etc. What is the big deal? Who wouldn't want to keep cool? Apparently this air is thought to travel through the ear canal and lodge itself in your head, causing every ailment from neck and throat pain to viruses and colds, perhaps even mental illness. Forget that neck pain is caused from poor neck support and muscle spasms, that illnesses are caused by viruses and bacteria. Why just air through a room, what about the air blowing around outside before it enters the room? What about modern medical science and research put into practice by the doctors in Romanian hospitals? This is not believed by just the very old or a handful of people: it's everywhere. I hope to figure this out at some point but it promises to make some uncomfortable bus rides for me in the future.
Enough of this post, I have to post something else before I leave in the morning.
Monday, June 6, 2011
A quick update halfway through PST
Yes, I realize that my last post was a while ago. Yes I also realize that I created a part one but neglected to post a part two. Perhaps neglected is not the correct word though, perhaps “too preoccupied” would work better. What was drawing my attention? Firstly, I had been coming down with a cold virus, the symptoms of which stuck around for a little over two weeks. Nearly every volunteer has been infected with it at this point. Less than a week afterwards I had some gastrointestinal pain that caused some discomfort but I will spare you the details. I mention the sickness first because of it's effect on the rest of my schedule which I will delve into momentarily. The blog will receive regular attention from here on out:
The past four weeks have been filled with language training, some technical sections, and the beginning of practicum. My days are fairly long and are usually exhausting. PST (pre-service training) is packed with a lot of information; people began to realize this after the second week as the language instruction became more complex. I do find it difficult to digest everything quickly, especially in the midst of living in a new country, getting to know a host family, and dealing with the stress and exhaustion associated with learning, adapting and being sick.
Language: Learning Romanian is difficult yes, but not impossible. I once saw Romanian ranked as the 9th most easy language to learn for English Speakers. It is most similar to Portuguese and, as with English, it borrows heavily from French. Consequently, there are many cognates. It also uses the Latin alphabet, a huge plus. I have studied Spanish in the past, which allows me to appreciate and understand Romanian's Latin core.
I have been fairly successful in my studies, though I do not study as much as I should. My teacher told me I do very well and I personally feel that I am making decent progress. At any rate, I have faith that the language will continue to seep into my brain and within a few months I will have a solidly posses a low-advanced ability level in conversation.
---
Technical Training, despite the appreciated efforts of our guest presenters, is almost always dreadfully boring. I often fall asleep during the lecture (at least I did while I was sick). There were a few good lessons, such as the medical and safety and security sessions. The sessions on teaching English I found do not appeal to my learning style, nor does the environment we are working in (a room packed with smelly, hot volunteers for three hours on uncomfortable plastic patio chairs). I suppose I would rather sit on the ground.
---
Practicum was an experience that I both valued and hated. I valued it because it was a great opportunity. Groups of five were sent two by two to different schools around the city to teach English lessons to English classes. My group started at școala opt (8), a primary school near my training site. I taught a 4th grade class a few times and observed a number of classes, including those of my fellow trainees. After two weeks we switched to Liceu trei (Highschool three) on the other side of town. I was fortunate enough to teach the same class all three times, the smaller, more advanced 10E class. They were well behaved, good students. I taught English lessons with the subjects Science and Technology, Natural Disasters, and Theater.
On the other hand I really disliked this experience (maybe hate is too strong a word) because the groups were thrown into these schools without knowing the students, their language abilities (indeed many classes were mixed levels), without the ability to discipline or follow up on the information we taught. Some volunteers struggled with discipline, and some of the teachers we were working with were … less than enthusiastic. In fact, there seemed to be a discipline problem in general in many of the classes. There were some teaching styles I witnessed that I found very odd and very unlike the American school system to which I am accustomed. Lesson planning, because of this lack of experience and information regarding the students, I found very stressful. I look forward to having my own students, beginning fresh, having actual authority, and making a meaningful impact.
Romania is a very interesting country with some oddities, some annoying qualities, and some amazing characteristics. My next post will deal with my experience here in Târgoviște.
The past four weeks have been filled with language training, some technical sections, and the beginning of practicum. My days are fairly long and are usually exhausting. PST (pre-service training) is packed with a lot of information; people began to realize this after the second week as the language instruction became more complex. I do find it difficult to digest everything quickly, especially in the midst of living in a new country, getting to know a host family, and dealing with the stress and exhaustion associated with learning, adapting and being sick.
Language: Learning Romanian is difficult yes, but not impossible. I once saw Romanian ranked as the 9th most easy language to learn for English Speakers. It is most similar to Portuguese and, as with English, it borrows heavily from French. Consequently, there are many cognates. It also uses the Latin alphabet, a huge plus. I have studied Spanish in the past, which allows me to appreciate and understand Romanian's Latin core.
I have been fairly successful in my studies, though I do not study as much as I should. My teacher told me I do very well and I personally feel that I am making decent progress. At any rate, I have faith that the language will continue to seep into my brain and within a few months I will have a solidly posses a low-advanced ability level in conversation.
---
Technical Training, despite the appreciated efforts of our guest presenters, is almost always dreadfully boring. I often fall asleep during the lecture (at least I did while I was sick). There were a few good lessons, such as the medical and safety and security sessions. The sessions on teaching English I found do not appeal to my learning style, nor does the environment we are working in (a room packed with smelly, hot volunteers for three hours on uncomfortable plastic patio chairs). I suppose I would rather sit on the ground.
---
Practicum was an experience that I both valued and hated. I valued it because it was a great opportunity. Groups of five were sent two by two to different schools around the city to teach English lessons to English classes. My group started at școala opt (8), a primary school near my training site. I taught a 4th grade class a few times and observed a number of classes, including those of my fellow trainees. After two weeks we switched to Liceu trei (Highschool three) on the other side of town. I was fortunate enough to teach the same class all three times, the smaller, more advanced 10E class. They were well behaved, good students. I taught English lessons with the subjects Science and Technology, Natural Disasters, and Theater.
On the other hand I really disliked this experience (maybe hate is too strong a word) because the groups were thrown into these schools without knowing the students, their language abilities (indeed many classes were mixed levels), without the ability to discipline or follow up on the information we taught. Some volunteers struggled with discipline, and some of the teachers we were working with were … less than enthusiastic. In fact, there seemed to be a discipline problem in general in many of the classes. There were some teaching styles I witnessed that I found very odd and very unlike the American school system to which I am accustomed. Lesson planning, because of this lack of experience and information regarding the students, I found very stressful. I look forward to having my own students, beginning fresh, having actual authority, and making a meaningful impact.
Romania is a very interesting country with some oddities, some annoying qualities, and some amazing characteristics. My next post will deal with my experience here in Târgoviște.
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