Romania Week 3

Ok, so after going on about the wonderful weather I must admit to walking here to the internet cafe in the rain, but it’s just part of the thunderstorm we get here after such hot weather... I'm sure it’s just a blip... as I want to further my tan... and just a quick note for my work colleagues, on Wednesday I used my very long lunch break to go swimming in the local outdoor swimming pool in 30+... if only the NHS would offer the same perks eh???

Back to real Romania, the big adventure this week was going to the nearest 'city' 'Turges Mures' which you could get a bus to on a Saturday at either 0430, 0630, or 1200 midday, can you make sense of such a daft timetable??? Anyway, it was a small old bus and it must have been 35+ on the bus... an hour seemed like a day, we finally arrived there about 1pm to find that most tourist places shut at 2pm, so we just baked in the sunshine apart from going to the cultural building, which hosted a famous 434 piped organ, a theatre, and a famous hall of mirrors.... the theatre was closed for repairs, as was the organ, and the hall of mirrors turned out to be a long room, with two mirrors, one at either end, and a host of stained glass windows, that supposedly told a story, but I could not bring myself to fork out for the explanatory tape, as everything was bloody closed! After 'treating' ourselves to a McDonald's..... I know I know, but it was well earned, we walked around the Citadel building, and then came back on the early 1730 bus, but seeing as the next bus was not until 2230, it wasn’t really much of a choice... ah well, I hope a trip to Brasov will prove more fruitful!

Back in Tarnaveni, we are getting excited as the new volunteer arrives on Friday, and that will make work a the hospital easier having another body around, I am also glad as it means there will be another women to help the female patients with the beauty sessions, because despite my best efforts, I have discovered that painting nails, and applying hair removal cream are surprisingly not skills that I am going to add to my CV.... I don’t know why women do these things to themselves... ah! No more embarrassing stories to tell, other than after emailing you all last weekend I realised that I had left my money at home, and the bank nearby wouldn’t let me withdraw money.. oops and try translating that in Romanian!!! ha ha.

I have met a few more locals, including more kids in the neighbourhood, who like speaking English, they have offered for me to play football with them because I miss it at home... surprisingly I passed going to the disco last night, as I can't find anything INAPPROPRIATE enough to wear!!!

All in all we feel very settled and coped with being by ourselves this week at the hospital, even when the priest came to conduct orthodox mass with the patients, full of chanting, it’s certainly different.....Helen (my fellow volunteer received some postcards) so those of you brave enough to try sending anything, my address is;
Strada Pleveni 6A
Tarnaveni
Jud. Murges
545 600
Romania

Hope all is well back home....
Dan