Tipsy the Turkey

Me and a Turkey feather.... Potatoes - we made a lot of potatoes...a lot of potatoes...a lot. Look at the pretty place settings...o so cute. Thanks Brianna!

Not the whole group but, many of us...yay for Thanksgiving and friends!!! I am not sure what is going on here...we are not eating yet...looking at something intensly...hmmm...there is no turkey on the table...I really have no idea

Here are a few things that have been on my mind recently:

1) what in the world??? i am leaving Romania in less than 2 weeks - how did that happen

2) don't want to go - not ready to leave - I miss people already!!!!

3) I am soooo excited to see people again!!! woo!!! 2 weeks!!!

4) No time to do anything with finals - like say goodbye

5) How do you say goodbye?

6) Did I really get a Turkey drunk?

7) Yes, I did. Is it bad to put pictures of Thanksgiving on here?

8) I think no...pretty sure my Turkey lived happier and died more humanely than any of yours :)

9) however, upon further thought -- that could possibly cause problems with some people

10) Here, then, are some semi-more-boring pictures of thanksgiving in Romania

I Am Midwestern -

On our way back from Cluj, We stopped at a beautiful city in Romania Called Sibiu. This year it is the cultural capital of Europe and is def. my favorite city in Romania, aside of course from Lupeni. Pictures can't caputre the beauty but, at least it is a glimpse. This one is of Bri and I...just being us.This one is of the Orthodox Church in Sibiu - 2nd largest in Romania.Inside of the Church - Gigantic stain-glass picture of Rublev's Icon of the Trinity - you can see how big it is in the above picture --> it is the big semi-circle dome at the front of the church.ME! doesn't this look like I am in another country or something?? The little window/eye looking thing is again, something leftover from communism. They are called the "eyes of Sibiu" (though I imagine they are in other places as well) Basically, it was just to get even more into the minds of people - making them think the government was literally watching them all the time. I think, they might have actually been used for that purpose at one point but, am not positive there.

So, not sure why but, There were all these statues of men throughout the town (all of different proffesions; baker, smith, etc...) so, of course, I took pictures with many of them.Alright, excuse my failing of turning the pictures again but - this is still cool. It is the actual mechanism that makes the clock on the clock tower tick. It went tick, tick...and you could watch it...We were standing directly behind the clock at this time. Yup, no joke...it was sweet.Here is a view from the clock tower of the city - I think it is really pretty. But, if you look closely, yu can see the block apartments (brought in by communism...) in the back.Picture from the clock tower - of another clock tower :) and a square, and pretty architecture, ect....Me on the steps going up to the clock tower...they were pretty scary steps, not gonna lie.

How does one escape consumerism?

So here are some thoughts that really have nothing special to do with my stay in Romania. It is just something that just happened and I find a little annoying, though, I suppose, some may find it comforting, so I will share.

Two years ago for Christmas my wonderful, wonderful mother got me this really sweet Cafe Latte machine that was perfect for my dorm room and worked like a dream. Or, at least it did until something broke withing 2 weeks. This left me devastated but, my mother told me that we would return it and get a new one. When we went to do this, they were gone, and have been gone for 2 years. I am not kidding, I look everywhere - especially during the Christmas season. They disappeared. Last night, I tracked one down. I hunted and hunted - it actually did not take me very long - found it and then searched for it on ebay where I found a new one for an even better price. Go Me!!!! So, I ordered it off ebay and was so excited that it would be waiting for me when I got home that I told everyone here and wrote my mom quite the lengthy e-mail about it.

Tonight, I checked my e-mail and had three rather surprising e-mails from e-bay. Basically, in a nut shell, they cancelled my order and locked down my account because they thought there might be some "suspicious activity". In all honesty, I think it is quite kind of e-bay to be watching my account so closely, really, way to go for them. However, the "suspicious activity" they were watching was the fact that I ordered something from a Romanian network. Yup, I ordered something and I was out of the country and they cancelled my order and I may not get it right away when I get back. I feel like complaining--- now , I think, "have I not learned anything this semester"

Mi Ya Hi

(CLUJ AT NIGHT!! I was really excited about the xmas lights)





I am going to try to keep this post mainly about the week in Cluj but, there may be some other things thrown in as well.





We left for Cluj last Friday morning, early. Cluj is a large city in Transylvania and I am really glad we went. The only other large city I we have been to in Romania so far was Bucharest, I was not too thrilled there, Cluj has a much safer, unique, and historical feeling - in my opinion. I really enjoyed our week in Cluj.





The main part of the week was spent in lectures. Now, so far this semester our classes have been amazing and helpful for understanding the culture but, these lectures were very academic and interesting in the way that they covered things we have yet to study about Romania. Most of the Professors had their doctorates and, I doubt that many of them were yet thirty years old. It was amazing, we heard about Civil society in Romania, Democracy and Religion dynamics, Laws, the governement, etc... I should've probably mentioned that they were all from the political science department.





We also got to visit some small villages situated around Cluj. The dynamics in the two places (Cluj and the villages) were almost polar opposites. The drive through the country side was gorgeus and really makes someone fall in with the landscape of Romania. At one point, we had a short traffic jam with some shepards, their sheep, and some of their donkeys. It was great. It was amazing to see how close the villages and city were to each other and yet, how different they felt.









In one of the villages we visited a Reformed pastor. He showed us the church (which was beautiful and really reminded me of some very old churches back home) and took us inside his home for coffee, tea, and a really amazing story about a town called Bezidu Noa. Sometime, I will explain this story but, that would make this post uber long.




















On Sunday we visited an Orthodox monastery and were blessed with the opportunity to witness an Orthodox baptism. It was dramatic, to say the least. There were three babies being baptized that day and when the actualy baptism part came around they were taken - stark naked- by the monk and completley immersed ( 3 times) into a large copper basin. I am surprised that the monk was able to hold on to them - they seemed slippery to me. That part was the most dramatic part of the ceremony - they rest was quite interesting and steeped in symbolism, something that drives at the heart of the Orthodox faith and something that I have really begun to appreciate.
















On our way back from Cluj we stopped and spent a day in Sibiu. Sibiu is another city in Romania and it is also the official cultural capital of Europe this year. It, so far, has become my favorite city in Romania besides Lupeni. It was beautiful and the architecture was what I would picture as classic Eurpean. We visited a few churches and muesums and then just wandered around the beautiful town - I definently went a little snap-happy with my camera in that city.





Last night, driving into Lupeni really felt like I was coming home. Leaving this city and these people is going to be very difficult and I am constantly shocked at how quickly time is flying by here.

o sa mers....

FYI - we are going to Cluj on Friday and will be gone for a week so, don't expect any updates because I don't think I will be able to do them and if you do expect them then you will be disapointed and then that would be sad...
don't be sad.
:)
Peace!

Baby, it's cold outside

It snowed this morning!
Last night I was walking with my host sister to church and it was really cold. I started to sing "Baby, it's cold outside" which, she didn't know. So guess what I did?!? I translated it! I obviously couldn't translate it all because I do not even know all the English words but, I translated it and it even worked with the melody. I was so proud of myself!
It was really cold. Which, was also really exciting because I learned the other week how to make this awesome and amazing hot chocolate mix (That is already halfway gone and we probably had over a gallon of this powder that I made) so, I was walking outside in the brisk evening and thinking about the hot chocolate. It was a wonderful evening.
THEN! I woke up this morning and it was snowing. The good snow too - where the large, light flakes gently drift down to the ground in no hurry what-so-ever. Made-for-a-picture type of snow. Now, it looks only like it rained this morning because it has all melted already. Still, it makes me really, really excited for the upcoming season.
Today marks the official "one month left" mark. Not sure how prepared I was for this. As in, not a whole lot. I got an e-mail from my aunt about thanksgiving plans, which, obviously, I will not be there for. It made me really excited about the holidays though. I LOVE the holidays. So great. Wonderful. yay! I also made myself note this morning that it has not ever been nearly as windy here as it is in Iowa. This may have something to do with the fact that we are blocked by mountains on either side - it's pretty great, not gonna lie ;).
I hope it is just as beautiful where you all are!

Again!

It is Sunday here - 12:17pm to be exact.

the water is off again.

Apartement Living

I have officially been living in an Apartement with 5 girls for a week. Yup, 5 girls, one apartement. It has been quite the adventure. Basically, because the water has been turned off twice, the internet is sketchy, the light in the bathrooms keep burning out, and there is no hot water in the kitchen so, watching dishes is great fun.
Other than that, it is basically just life as normal here in Lupeni, I can't believe I am down to 4 weeks until we go home. I really actually, don't like thinking about it. Right now, I want to go home for Christmas and then come back next semester. I know that is not possible, I have to graduate or something.....but, the thought of not coming back is a little too much to handle right now. In fact, I am trying not to think about it at all because I am still here and I want to really be here my last few weeks.
Next week, we go to Cluj for a week - it is a really pretty city in Romania. Then, on the way back, we are going to stop in Sibiu. Another town in Romania that has been named the cultural center of Europe this year. woot!