So it has been a few weeks since my last post. Traveling back from Sinaia was decent, I chatted with a fellow PCV Bay Stater on the way into to București before the longest leg of the journey to Roman. I got into Negrești that night, picked up my key from Mihaela, and moved all of my belongings into my new apartment.
The apartment has been decent the past few weeks. I have picked up a few things for it here and there, slowly tidying it up. Although I badly need more furniture in my kitchen, it is beginning to feel like home. A few more things need to be done before I post pictures, so hang tight!
The first week of school was pointless (for me). I literally did nothing but show up and stand around, listen to Romanian (occasionally speak it), and leave. The schedule did not actually come out until after the official start of the school year, something that seems absurd to me, but it works for Romania I suppose. My schedule is that of another teachers until the end of this week when he returns from sick leave. What should happen is some of the more advanced English classes will be split between some of the teachers and myself. I am supposed to teach 16 hours a week. Breaking into my final routine will help me plan for future projects that I would like to carry out here in Negrești.
Classes so far have been just fine. I have been planning different activities to help review basic grammar and vocab. I only have them for sure these two weeks so I am trying to come up with activities that reinforce what they know without introducing too many new topics. It is not too difficult, the being creative and fun thing, though it is not something natural to me and I have to force myself to concentrate. The students are 95% respectful and many of them seem interested in education, though not necessarily in English, which I can understand.
Most people around here seem to know who I am by now or they have a rough idea that someone like me is in town. It is a small community after all. I do think however that I am integrating fairly well. I have made a few friends here and I know a number of others. My Romanian is still a bit shoddy, but I can communicate well enough. It needs to seriously improve however; I haven't had any tutoring in nearly a month, my tutor has been very busy but I hope now that the school year has started we can begin once again.
A quick story about the first day of school: I was told to be at school by 9:45 for the opening ceremony at 10. I arrived and walked with the teachers to the courtyard out back where the (I would guess 500 - 600) students were gathered in a large crescent shape. In the center was a mic and an amplifier, a table, the director of the school, and a priest. The ceremony opened with a prayer and blessing for the school. Yes, this is public school and the priest was orthodox. It is just accepted here that the Romanian Orthodox church is the state church and that it presides over state functions. After the priest circled the crowd with his incense smoker-shaker device and hum-sang a few lines, the new diriginte (basically, a homeroom teacher that cares about you) were introduced, a few speeches were given, and there was the closing, or so I thought. Right before the closing statement, one of the administrators leaned over to the director and whispered something in her ear. She says "ahh" like she remembered something and proceeded with a bunch of Romanian, none of which I understood until she said "Corpul Pacii", at which point she turned around and looked directly at me, 60 meters away. Everyone turned to look at me as I awkwardly shuffled towards the table, unsure what I as supposed to do. A few teachers pushed me on towards the microphone, telling me to say something in English. I grabbed the mic, said hello and startled myself with the sound of my voice. It was awkward for a second but I managed to eek out two sentences in Romanian and there was a round of applause (for whatever reason) and I finished, feeling slightly less awkward than before. A few hours later the teachers met in the Cantina for a religious ceremonial lunch to mark the start of the school year. The food was good and the ceremony was interesting at least. Still I understood nothing, like much of my days outside wherever in town.
I will mention in close that I have also been to Iasi a few times in these past weeks to see two concerts (with the same artists) and to meet with a former volunteer who arrived back in the country to do some work here. This past Friday I met her (Jennifer from Florida) and my buddy Theron (group 28, in Pașcani) for a nice evening listening to music and drinking beer. I really like hanging out in Iasi, I plan to spend more time there these upcoming months.
That will be all for now. Sorry for the lack of updates, I am trying to get my head on straight and get the ball rolling here. Until next time, pa pa.
