Well, I'm finally here (Severin, south west Romania, on the Danube and borders Serbia (I see Serbia across the way) and working with the unemployment agency, this is where I will be located for the next two years. Little difficult now (in the agency) since majority of the documents and people are/speak in Romanian, I'm getting about 40% (fast speakers).
The mosquitoes are feasting on me. First time they get to feast on a Filipino. I swear I saw one try to put sweat-and-sour sauce on me before trying to take a large bite. I find myself whacking myself pretty hard at night. Peace Corps issued us a mosquito net but my room is pretty bare so I really don't have much to hook it to, I need to buy some hooks or some coat racks to use. All the raid and candles and stuff don't work, I hear faint laughter from the mosquitoes when I try to use them. I actually had to put the mosquito net over the dining room table a couple of times and sleep under the table. Worked pretty well and slept pretty good (assuming there are no bugs on the floor). Other than that, it's been great, getting acclimated and meeting new people (at work). Pretty safe to assume that there isn't much diversity here. I think I maybe the majority but I did hear there is a shop owned by a Chinese person. I personally have not seen any other color here.
Pop (dad), if your reading this, I want to say I feel a little of what you went through when you came to the U.S. and trying to get established here in the 60's. I have had my share of Dr Pugh stories (inside family story). However, whereever I go and even though I don't understand fully I smile and wade my way through somehow.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Hey Steve, I'm glad you're hanging in there. May you get some hooks to hang your mosquito net from.
They have completely eliminated mosquitoes in Chicago. It's part of some initiative kicked off by Mayor Daley -- man, that guy is powerful.
The pictures in your blog are pretty amazing.
I hope you make a big difference in many people's lives. I know you will.
--Mike R.
--
Hi,
I know that you don't know me but we found your blog while searching for blogs about Romania - we'll be there in a week.
I've never worked in Romania but what you are describing seems to me to be a national problem not a problem specific to the Roma. Everyone in Romania seems to want to "work the system".
I have some qualitative and quantitative papers about the Roma saved on another computer - which I'll try to quickly access later today (that computer has some issues - won't charge and only has 45% of its battery left - no way to get a new battery/charger here in Palestine). I'd be happy to forward them to you. I'll also try to send you some internet links that deal with the Roma and projects/programs that are showing some success.
Regarding the education of the Roma there are, as you know, a lot of problems with getting the kids to school. As you rightly said the culture but also the abuse of the children by teachers and faculty at schools. The drop out rate due to perceived and actual physical, verbal and emotional abuse is astounding.
I don't envy the job you have ahead of you but I am grateful that you are doing it.
sorry for the comment here. I couldn't get the comments to work on the most recent post.
xmattodx [at] gmail.com
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought you have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix if you werent too busy looking for attention. Escorte Romania
Post a Comment