Romania Week 8

Hello everybody,
well I'm really happy to report that nothing spectacular happened this week... not near death, public transport experiences, no confusing language mix up's... just a good old run of the mill week...so we can finally chat about the hospital, which is after all, the purpose of my stay here!
Don't get me wrong, I have not exactly been house bound, but have stayed here in the village that is Tarnaveni. I've even been out socially with some different people including neighbours, and it’s been great to get back to relaxing. I did have a mini shopping spree of 35 pounds, which is almost equivalent to a person’s monthly wage here, but I did buy trainers, two tops, and some jeans, all in local shops... that’s my justification anyway. I have met another family on my street who are Hungarian and who have 10 children, yeah 10!!! I almost got an invite to the wedding of one of the children this weekend, which would have been good... I have been out for drinks with one of the family who is a nurse and has worked abroad, and again have discussed the whole idea of people's ideas of life outside Romania. She told me of the difficulties that here in Transylvania, there are three nationalities, Hungarians, Romanians and the Roma (gypsy) people... and that no one really feels like this land is their own, with all three nationalities facing prejudices from the others... She thinks that life in Romania (at least in Transylvania) is limiting, because of these issues.

We have also spent some time this week with a local Roma girl (Alex) who is 21 and has a 5 year old son, who loves to go to the local river and try catching fish with a little stick... she has been telling us her dream (which is something I have heard from several of the other young people, mostly girls) that they want to go to 'the west' and meet someone (a man) that will look after them, so they have the material possessions that people see as a sign of quality life here. It’s interesting because the more time I spend here, the more I perceive that people here are, ironically, more free than we perceive ourselves to be... by this I mean there is no great social pressure to be well dressed, to have a car, to have a nice house, or treasure anything of great material value. Here people look after each other, neighbours just stand in the street talking to passers by, and people just share what they have with each other. For the youth, the ideas of the west are becoming more prominent and the difference between the generations is growing fast... yes, the fact this is a small town plays its part. Some young people just want to escape to a bigger place, but there is definitely a belief that 'the west' has opportunities that are not available here, and that all people from the west are rich, they seem very sceptical when we tell them there is great poverty in parts of the UK... and the idea that people can be homeless is a concept that many find unbelievable.

The hospital is also interesting at the moment, the reason I say this is because we are having some real difficulties accepting, 'what seems like', a lack of human rights, afforded to the patients. The patients like to write letters whilst visiting the club room, but become angry and frustrated when we won’t give them an envelope with their letter (as is the rule)... the hospital has a rule that no letter can be sent without it being checked for 'offensive material' or 'improper accusations' so you can imagine how few letters ever get sent... but us volunteers in the club, face the frustrations of the patients over this issue, and of course we feel strongly that the patients should be able to send letters, make phone calls etc.. but this does not always happen... imagine, you have put in this hospital, possibly by your family, and no one comes to see you. You can not contact anyone, and you can not do anything without the permission of the people that are keeping you locked up. Also remember that some people are here not because they have mental health problems.. and are living with 200 other people, sometimes fighting for food, cigs, or clothes... and the idea soon dawns on you that if you have no family, or your family doesn’t come for you, there is no way out of this place... there is no social security or welfare state... many patients talk of losing their homes, and possessions, stating that family members have conspired to have them kept here, so they could sell the patient's house. Some patients have been / are qualified teachers in language or art, we have a former chess champion, so many people with skills that could be used to rehabilitate themselves, but no infrastructure or resources to allow this to happen. Please don't think this is the hospital staff's fault, because it is not... the government have not provided, or have not had the funds to provide for these necessary services...

The charity I met last weekend in Brasov, had been funded by a mental health trust in Northern Ireland, and now by a Dutch organisation.... unfortunately, Romania is many years away from moving people on, but hopefully with them joining the European Union, they will begin to be supported in these endeavours...
Sorry for the sombre tone of this email, but I felt it appropriate to share some of the more difficult, but no less important issues we face here...
Regards from Romania
Dan