The past two weeks have been super busy and filled with things I wanted to blog about but I have neither had the time or the computer (mine is in Scotland getting fixed) to be able to post anything. I've borrowed my friends computer and so I will try and catch you up with the goings on:
CHILDREN'S DAY:
Saturday, the 1st of June, was Children's Day which is a huge deal here. All children are invited to dress up and join in the parade as it marches through the main street of town. This year Cristi and his hip hop dance group were leading the procession (much to his embarrassment) followed closely behind by a very happy Laz and Diana. The Mayor came to give a speech on stage which was followed by dance acts (yes Cristi and his troop preformed) and karate acts and anything else that children in the town have been involved in. Their artwork was displayed and there were pavement chalk drawing competitions, and to the delight of the children, each child was given a big bar of chocolate. It was a fun morning and luckily the sun reappeared so that we could enjoy it without getting wet.
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| Leading the parade |
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| Spider woman and India (yes India that's what he kept telling us "Look I'm India") |
On Friday we also celebrated Children's Day at school. What a noisy head splitting affair that was! It started off calm with a giant mural of sun, sky, trees and flowers painted with the children's hand prints and turned into a masquerade madness after lunch. A clown, bubbles, whistles, games, very loud music and children shrieking and shouting. Great to let them let loose and enjoy themselves but there's never a happy medium here so I had to leave, it became too much for me and my poor head to handle!
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| Cristi and I joined in the fun |
MARKET:
I love the Friday markets here. I am sure I have said that so many times before. The town is alive with such a wonderful bustle of people buying and selling home grown vegetables, flowers and animals, and then there are those moments when just in time you capture the sweetness of a small Roma child. Adorable! I had to share it....
OUT IN TOWN:
Picture this - I am out on a walk with 3 of the children from school. We are having a nice time and they are laughing and happy. Along comes a lady (probably not older than 60) who asks me first if I am a Miss or a Mrs? Then she asks if I am with the Swedish Foundation. I'm thinking "where is this going?". She looks at me disgusted and tells me it is a disgrace that I allow such a beautiful child to walk in broken shoes. That I as a 'rich foreigner' (her words certainly not mine) should buy her shoes so that we didn't have to be such an embarrassment to ourselves and others out on the street. I didn't feel like telling her that I had given the child shoes 3 weeks previously that have somehow disappeared (sold or most likely burned) neither did I point out the fact that my own shoes are riddled with holes (what can I say they are comfy!!) I suggested that if she was so concerned she was welcome to make a donation towards shoes if she desired. To which she stormed off shouting that it is not her job to give money to poor children but that it should be the Swedes that do it. That is what we are here for. Honestly! There we have our problem. Many people turn up their noses to the poor here calling them a disgrace and an embarrassment but refuse to do anything (except judge) to help the situation. This scenario made me and obviously the poor child feel really sad.
FOOD PACKAGE DELIVERIES:
Thanks to generous donations I was able to buy some simple food packages and take them out to the 5 poor families we help in Fancica. They really are starving! Rats eat through their walls and enter their houses stealing what little food they have and biting the children as they sleep. When the torrential rain comes their little patch gets completely flooded. They are so poor and uneducated they find it hard to find employment anywhere and have to settle for odd jobs wherever they can. I would love to do more (so as to help them help themselves) but for now a small food package helps to give them a little and let them know someone cares. I would love to be able to take one every month, so, if you would like to help please donate a little. It cost around £10 per family to buy a sack of potatoes, 1kg apples, 1l oil, 1kg sugar, 5kg flour, a large salami, a big tin of meat, a box of tea, 1kg pasta. All that for just over £10. If you can help please donate so I can continue to give them that little bit. Thanks.
SCHOOL:
School has been busy and chaotic and fun and everything that it always is. Last week our crafts centred on the book
"Handa's Surprise" a book about an African girl taking a basket of fruit to her friend. It was a fun book to read. The children loved it and it allowed us to talk a little about Africa which I think they found interesting. Here are 2 of their craft projects.
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| 3D Africa pictures |
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| Their little fruit baskets |
PARTY:
My not so little boy turned 10 last week. I can't quite believe that he's now into double digits - where have those years gone?? I remember those little chubby fingers and baby face like yesterday. Time is a funny thing. Even though I didn't get to cradle him as a baby or be the first face he saw in this world I am so happy for the last 7 years with him. He is my joy and reason for life and I am amazed to see the boy he is and is also becoming. What a blessing I was given to have him in my life.
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| My little one.......... |
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| ....turns 10 - WOW! |
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Party time with our family/friends.
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Cristi also had his first hip hop competition which was to my delight (because we didn't have to travel) held in our little town. Dancers came from all over Romania and also from Hungary and Serbia to compete in the competition judged by the International Dance Organisation. It was a fun day all be it very long (12pm-10pm) and very loud!! But, Cristi's dance group came 3rd in their section so there was a lot of shrieks of happiness and proud smiles from them all. Below are a couple of pics of his group and I will upload their dance as soon as it gets downloaded :)
BEAUTIFUL ROMANIA:
I will leave you with a couple of photos from this beautiful countryside. Taken over the past 2 weeks as I have been working and walking and driving around.
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| A stork in his nest |
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| Country Town |
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| Wine cellars - built into the side of the hill to keep the wine cool |
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| Sheep on the rail tracks (I wanted to capture all the poppies growing beside the tracks too but I wasn't driving the car and didn't click in time to capture that!) |
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