Spring Happenings

While we all predicted the inconsistencies of my blog posting, I can say it truly has been due to a busy schedule and not neglect. So I quickly give you a post about my Spring happenings before my visit to the Curcan/Pulyka/Turkey. That post will eventually come, my friends.

On the last week of school before Spring holiday a new program was initiated in Romania called Scoala Altfel, or another type of school. During this week, teachers prepared programs for the students that exposed them to other types of learning and activities. I went to visit a local middle school one day and we had "American Day" so to speak. I gave a presentation about myself (a topic I am an expert in), we played Jeopardy, some silly games, and roasted marshmallows. During our Jeopardy game I made the mistake of informing them that Justin Bieber was American. He is not. He is Canadian. They can claim him, that's all right by me. Nevertheless, it was so nice to be among students whose enthusiasm for English really gave me some much needed encouragement. Not to mention they went along with all my ridiculous games; I felt very powerful by the end of it. Later, it was back to Bányai Janos High School where we had a tie-dye day!

This one I made especially for
my Assistant Director, Joe.

Then came time for the Easter party at Rózsa Gyerekház complete with petting zoo, cookie baking, and face painting. The sound of little lambs "baaaaa"ing will always be funny to me.

"Whaaaaaaaat are you doooooing, Rabbit?" 

For the actual holiday, a fellow volunteer, Kelly, came to visit me for a couple days. We celebrated Easter Sunday with my counterpart's family. We had a lovely turkey lunch, and as always, delicious cakes.

That night, we went back to my place to decorate some eggs in preparation for the next morning. We used anything we could find in my house to decorate with, rubberbands, sticky putty, wax. I think they turned out pretty neat. I am pretty proud of the special horse egg I made for Péter. Kelly and I went through a little Judy Garland moment and watched Meet Me in St. Louis. I haven't been able to stop singing the "Trolley Song" since then. It is playing now. Which is why I felt the need to share.

Kelly with the fruits of our labor

In my community there is a special tradition on the Monday after Easter. The boys go around to the girls' houses, recite a poem that ends with something along the lines of "may I spray you?," then they spray the girls with perfume in exchange for some decorated eggs. It's a very cute tradition, and Kelly and I in all our unshowered glory got to participate. Some people give the boys money as well, but as Peace Corps volunteers, sorry boys you get hard-boiled eggs.  

As sweet as the tradition is, my high schoolers informed me that they do it a bit differently. They take the girls out into the garden and dump a bucket of water on them. Then the girls give them sweets and pálinka. Doesn't seem fair to me.

A little Easter snow? Why not?

Adorable. 

That night Kelly and I caught a train for our next adventure in Timisoara. I do not recommend the Arad train station between the hours of 2:00 am - 4:00 am, any train station for that matter. I really don't know what I expected.

Side Note: I made it past the year mark! I have been in Romania for over a year now. Hard to believe, I know. It has been a good year. A good year indeed.

Tavaszi Szél...

If there is one thing that I remember from my days of Hungarian language classes so many years ago, it's my Hungarian teacher, affectionately known as Paprika, teaching us a beautiful Hungarian folk song. She then informed us that there is a youtube video of Queen performing it at their concert in Budapest. I must have played this video too many times because, for some reason, I feel like I was at the concert, which is impossible since it was in 1986. But every Spring this little diddy comes into my mind, and now that the snow is melting away and the water in the creeks are flowing, it's just perfect.

Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt,

Virágom, virágom.

Minden madár társat választ,

Virágom, virágom.

Hát én immár kit válasszak?

Virágom, virágom.

Te engemet, én tégedet,

Virágom, virágom.

English translation.

The spring wind blows the waters,

My flower, my flower.

Every bird searches for a partner, 

My flower, my flower.

And whom should I choose?

My flower, my flower.

I choose you, and you choose me, 

My flower, my flower.

Such a sweet song. If, like me, you can't get enough...

Perhaps you would enjoy a more traditional performance of the folk song. here

Or maybe a Vietnamese pop group rendition. here

Ah. Now off to bed and then tomorrow it's off to Bucharest for my annual doctor/dentist visit, but more importantly for HUNGER GAMES and Swedish meatballs.

When a city steals your heart...

you have a reason to go back. 

Pancakes.

I truly believe pancakes have the ability to work miracles. So simple, yet so powerful. My moment of happiness this week came from a pancake. Just look at it. I am drooling.

I did some editing for a local organization called Civitas that promotes products from local farmers in the area and tries to preserve traditional farming methods as well as fruits particular to the region. As a PCV I am not allowed to accept monetary compensation, however if you would like to give me a 5L box of apple juice and blackberry syrup instead I will gladly accept. :) They'll go great with my pancakes.

Margaret's Adventures in Skiing

The night before the big adventure...

"Hello, Meg! Are you preparing for tomorrow?"

"... How should I be preparing?!?!"

"Oh, haha, nothing in particular, maybe your soul."

I was not sure what this phone conversation implied exactly, and I was afraid to ask. Nonetheless, I frantically called my counterpart to see if I could borrow some snow clothes after realizing that not only was my soul not prepared, but neither was my wardrobe.

Skiing is a serious business here in the Székely, apparently. Not to be taken lightly. Duly noted.

The next day we headed north to a small ski slope near Gyergyó. My actual ski instruction came from a sports teacher who lives and teaches in Korund. She didn't really speak English that well, but she did speak German, Romanian, and of course Hungarian. We managed to understand each other and make simple conversation while taking the ski lift up the mountain, but in the beginning she insisted on giving some instruction in German thinking I would understand. Now, I have never ever studied German. I only know how to say goodbye thanks to The Sound of Music and Heidi Klum's signature kiss, kiss "Auf wiedersehen" on Project Runway. Based on my experiences this assumption is made quite frequently, that English and German are somehow mutually intelligible. I had to kindly let her know that I did, in fact, know left and right in both Romanian and Hungarian. We had a little chuckle, but the Deutsch still made it's way into the instruction every once in a while. :)

After clearing up our common languages, the skiing bit wasn't too difficult! Glad to find that out. I was quite nervous of possibly dying, and in that case I should indeed be preparing my soul. Fortunately, I am alive and well, and now officially a skier! Check that off the list of things to try.

 Keeper of the ski slopes...

Honestly thought this big boy was a bear.
WHY IS EVERYONE SO CALM?!

And now some photos from the drive. It's these moments that make me think I could live here forever.

Gone ice fishin'

Kinga! New friend/skiing companion.

This one's for you, Dad. I handed the camera over to someone else like you said.