Team 35 arrived in Bucharest in little groups during the day: First Lynn and Bridget on Tarom from New York City, then Lorelei, Angela, Jeanie, Rita, and Tonia, and last, Jonathan, who taxied to the Hotel Caro when Mihaela brought the others, not knowing if he’d arrived or not.

We went out to eat at the Boehme restaurant - several delicious appetizers and a hearty chicken dinner - and then Mihaela took us on a walking tour of downtown Bucharest. We passed a huge crowd enjoying an outdoor rock concert (or something!) and many interesting statues and impressive buildings. Everyone had a good night’s sleep.

Sunday, November 10, 2002 - Traveling in Romania

We had a leisurely buffet breakfast at the Caro - the scrambled eggs/omelet was popular - plus the yogurt of many flavors - and then started out on our day-long bus journey to Barlad.

Our driver, Vasile, first took us past the huge People’s Palace, 2^{nd largest building in the world, and then on through fields and villages to the city of Buzau’s welcoming McDonald’s for lunch. An added treat was Ronald McDonald, who kidded around with the children who sang and danced enthusiastically. It provided good entertainment for all the diners. We traveled on and arrived at Hotel Moldova in Barlad at about 3:30 pm.}

Mihaela gave us a couple of hours to rest and then we had our first “home-cooked” meal - featuring tasty stuffed grape leaves. Afterwards we introduced ourselves in more detail - a diverse and interesting group: Lorelei, our only Canadian, has been traveling all over Europe for three months. Jonathan, a law student, is from Boston, Mass. Bridget, a computer consultant, and Rita, a retired nurse, are both from the Chicago area. Jeanie, who works with refugees from Bosnia and other places, is from Georgia. Angela, who has been in Barlad three times previously, is from New Jersey, as I was before I recently moved to Tennessee and then New Hampshire. Tonia, who will only be here ‘til Friday, is a new Global Volunteers employee, a native of Minnesota again after many years in St. Louis. She’s having an experience “in the field” with us. We were happy to hear more about Andra and Ramona, Mihaela’s two young assistants.

(Mihaela had started off the “revelations” by telling us of Global Volunteers’ start in Barlad. She’s been with them the whole time - this is Team 35!!)

Thought for the Day(s): We came - we saw - we hope to conquer!

As the only team “repeaters”, Bridget, Angela and I were expecting hard, almost impenetrable rolls at breakfast, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that this time they’d been split and toasted. Tonia thought at first they were bagels! Although there were eggs and meat available, most made do with juice, cereal, cheese and yogurt plus coffee and tea and cappuccino. The latter is a mixture with hot water, very mild and tasty.

We gabbed enthusiastically, like old friends, and after eating congregated in our new Global Volunteers classroom on the 5th (top) floor of the hotel. There Mihaela introduced us to many common Romanian words and phrases which we wrote down conscientiously - and often phonetically. For example, “Come here” is “Hai aici” which I wrote down as: hi/eye/each (to be said all together). We practiced our numbers and greetings several times, struggling a bit with difficult vowel sounds and c’s and t’s with “tails” (multumesc - thank you - has the sound of the z’s in pizza in the middle).

Leaving our bright, comfortable classroom, we walked the few blocks to Scoala Nr. 5, named for a famous pianist, Principesa Elena Bibescu. The small, one-story school, located behind the open air market, has a very ambitious principal, Maricela Popa. Mihaela told us she had accomplished in her first six months more than other schools have in years. Although Ms. Popa didn’t speak English at all, she’d achieved a carpeted, newly furnished modern language lab and had gotten US, the famous Global Volunteers! The children in the hallways were smiling and attractive, and we got to meet the 6 sixth grade students I’ll be working with every morning. Lorelei and I will have the same groups every day, which should be more effective than the “one shot” pattern in the past. Everyone enjoyed seeing the school and places of interest on our walk back to the Moldova (ATM machines, photo place, bank, post office, etc.).

After a lunch of soup, chicken and French fries, our fearless leader briefed us about the hospital and babies in Tutova and we set out for that village by van. We didn’t get to meet Dr. Delia yet, but certainly met dozens of delightful babies, from young infants to active toddlers. The whole building was gaily decorated with murals and bands of large, painted flowers.

We visited the various playrooms and bedrooms and kitchen and were then free to hold and play with children of our choice. They were so smiley and wonderful (most of them), it was hard to believe they were “on their own” and might never rejoin their birth families. The pleasant staff there seemed very loving and ten teams of volunteers do much each year to make the children healthy and happy.

After dinner Mihaela and the “baby people” worked out their assignments. Many team members went to the Internet Café while I delightedly visited with three of my former students from 2 years ago.

We learned a lot today and enjoyed everything. Now tomorrow we get to work!

Thought for the Day: When embarking on a job or project on which you will spend your time, ask these three questions: 1. What is it you love to do? 2. Where is the most adventurous place you can do it? 3. Are you certain it will serve other people?

Today Mihaela allowed us to get breakfast on our own . . . sort of. At 7:45am all of the basics - juice, coffee, cereal and milk - were already waiting for us. As everyone gathered at our T-shaped table at the hotel, the servers brought out toasted rolls, fresh bananas and oranges, and a “Hotel Moldova version” of scrambled eggs. A few of us endured warm coffee or tea, while others started our day with cappuccino (where is a McDonald’s when you need a really hot cup of coffee??).

We gathered the remaining fruit, juice and milk for the babies in Tutova, and added some yogurt from the kitchen. The “baby people” somewhat nervously gathered the children’s files, which had been entrusted to us the prior evening. We boarded the van at 8:30am, and headed for Tutova as we envied the teachers, who didn’t have to be at the school until 10:00am with Andra.

Before leaving Barlad, we stopped at the pharmacy to purchase three sizes of Pampers for the babies. Angela, the most experienced at the business of changing diapers at the clinic, had convinced us that these were the way to go. Not only did it make it easier for the babies and the volunteers, but it also gave the hospital staff a break from washing so many cloth diapers. It should be noted here that the Pampers cost about the equivalent of $20 per package. Considering that the average salary in Romania is $80 per month, it’s no wonder the Pampers were such a welcome treat at the clinic. (The pharmacy probably appreciated our stopping as well!)

As we arrived at 9:00am, the babies were awake and eagerly awaiting the opportunity to escape from their cribs. Some of us were a bit apprehensive about our duties, but the hospital aides had their routine down to a science. So they made our jobs much easier.

One by one, each little person was changed, clothed and taken to his or her appropriate playroom. Angela and Rita were responsible for 11 non-mobile infants. Rita expressed that she felt a little overwhelmed at the thought of so many babies all at once, but soon felt very comfortable. She remarked that the concept of the impending twins her niece will be having now seemed like a cinch! Jonathan and Bridget cared for 10 mobile infants, who all seemed delighted to politely take their turns during feeding and snack time. All played well with one another or amused themselves until each got that special time with a volunteer. There were many smiles among very few tears for so many babies! Jeanie cared for the four special needs babies, who were each content to spend their day with their caregiver, who obviously knew just what they needed. We are thankful for Jeanie’s commitment to come to Romania, especially since we know that there is a little one back in America tugging on Jeanie’s heartstrings from across the ocean!

I found my three toddlers to be delightful and equally as charming as the infants. While everyone else played indoors, two of the children and I went outdoors for a long walk in the crisp, cool air and sunshine (lucky us!). We discovered leaves, grass, stones and other such materials that slipped easily into either pockets or little mouths. It was great fun to explore! Later it was a test of wills as pink yogurt made it to faces and hair almost as much as into the toddlers’ tummies!

Once everyone was fed, changed again, and placed in the appropriate cribs and beds, Mihaela escorted us to another building at the hospital. There, we enjoyed steaming hot soup and rolls, plus a large serving of white rice with herbs. The highlight of our lunch was a chance to visit with Dr. Delia. Mihaela was our translator, as Dr. Delia expressed the following:

“Everything that has been accomplished at the clinic in Tutova is due entirely to Global Volunteers. We thank you for all you have done, and hope that you will continue to send your wonderful volunteers. These children live because the volunteers keep coming.”

More discussion on children’s rights ensued. After lunch we returned to the clinic, where babies had already been fed. The preschool teacher took over with the toddlers, as I assisted with the mobile infants. While Bridget and I played, Jonathan built a house! And he did it in record time, despite the fact that I had accidentally thrown away the essential screws needed to complete the project (I recovered them from the trash, and the walls went up!). The children enjoyed pulling themselves up to standing positions with the new picnic table that was also assembled by Jonathan and Bridget. Everyone was grateful for this special donation made by Bob Bradley and other former Global Volunteers.

At the end of the day, the “baby people” joined the teachers. Lorelei had great fun with the very bright and sweet students, who competed eagerly for the floor. When one student outshined all of the others, Lorelei split the students into two teams. Then one team was better than the other. So she had to get creative so that everyone got a chance to speak. She found it helpful to hold off on a strict lesson plan for the first day or two, until she could get a reading on the skill levels and interests of her pupils. Lynn worked with a small group of girls, who enthusiastically performed a “modern version” of Little Red Riding Hood. In this version, the play ended with Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother beating up the Big, Bad Wolf! Both Lynn and Lorelei found that the students oftentimes knew more about some topics of American history or geography than most of us do. Such wonderful enthusiasm was appreciated by both teachers.

At 6:30pm we all walked to “Alona”, a beautiful restaurant that Mihaela considered to be the best in Barlad. The atmosphere was very upscale, with blue accents throughout. We started off with a delicious salad that contained tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, ham, red onions, grated cheese and black olives. The “vegetarians” of the group were served generous portions of beautiful green beans, peas, sautéed mushrooms and rice pilaf. The rest of us had sautéed potatoes and a lovely portion of “perch pike” fish that had been pan-fried. We topped off our dinner with chocolate crepes, apple ice cream (which made our tongues green) and coffee and cappuccino. We were all pleased with the success of our first day of actual work!

Wednesday, November 13, 2002

Today is the 2nd full day at the school and at the clinic. We start with 8am breakfast, fruit, cereal, yogurt and Romanian omelets. I personally am hooked on the A.M. cappuccino. We gather up the leftover meat, cheese, fruit and yogurt, and it’s off to work we go. Lynn and Lorelei to school and the rest of the team to the clinic. We know the drill now: Dress warm, a 15 minute bus ride and a walk through the “Spital” grounds to the back building known as the clinic. Once in the door we now know where to put our belongings and automatically change from shoes to slippers. We start right in with the feedings. Each of our babies gets a large bottle of liquefied food of an orangish color. Most gobble it up with no problem. After which we place them in their respective playrooms. Those of us with large groups of babies are still getting to know their names, a challenge as Romanian common names are very different than American common names, such as Vladut (pronounced VLADUTZ). But one by one we are putting a name to the adorable little faces. We spend the next few hours in the playrooms where as best we can we try to give TLC, individual cuddles, exercise to the arms and legs to loosen tight muscles, and we babble a lot to get a smile or a squeal. Today we came up with a system that worked for us. At least it worked today. While Angela mans the playroom, I take each baby for a diaper change and at the same time have a one-on-one chat, exercise and gentle massage session.

We then took a one hour lunch break. A delicious soy, eggplant and tomato casserole was provided by Mihaela’s mother. Andra was with us at the clinic today. We all sat around the table having a lively discussion about - what else - politics and how it affects children and childcare. Conclusion: The U.S. and Romania both have a long way to go. Back in the clinic we finished the afternoon feedings, bringing the children again from their cribs to the playroom where extra time is spent enjoying the little ones. Did I mention diaper change again? That’s a given. My big accomplishment for the day was naming all 11 babies correctly for anyone who would listen to me recite them. I’m proud of that feat. Angela and I work very well together. And Jonathan has graciously helped us carry babies back and forth. His ulterior motive may be to hold Neculai.

Down the hall to our left is Jeanie, God love her. She worked very hard with her four little special needs babies, even to the point of getting sore shoulders from pitching Gigel in the air most of the day as that was all he wanted to do. She seems knowledgeable and comfortable with these special needs babies. I think it’s safe to say we all appreciate her being on this team.

Now down the hall and to our right, Bridget and Jonathan man the fort (literally) with the most active group - the mobile babies. I can see they are both so pleased with the new colorful table as several of their little ones are now able to pull themselves up to standing using it for support. The mobiles are still getting used to the new house. At one point today I saw a Kodak moment and snapped a picture of Bridget and Jonathan doing their assembly line feeding shtick. They seemed to have mastered the art of full spoon to moving target mouth. Good job! Jonathan thought today was as hard as yesterday and I can see why. Those tykes are in constant motion up and down the hall in their rolling walkers. Plus today Georgiana started walking on her own. It is also necessary to make sure no one gets beaned in the head by someone else’s toy.

A few doors further down are Tonia’s Toddlers. Tonia knows three Romanian words and the toddlers know three different ones. This area needs work. Tonia would like the translation for “share”. The Tonia Toddlers, or TT for short, are not talking as much as Mihaela thinks they should.

After a dinner tonight of mixed veggies and chicken for the carnivores of the group and beans for the vegetarians we had another lively discussion about the day. We each had a chance to verbalize our accomplishments and frustrations. Good ideas came out of this such as having the high school do a video as a project for the babies. Also how certain materials can be best obtained for the clinic, possibly having the next group of Global Volunteers bring designated items to alleviate costly shipping. And lastly, placing a mirror in the hall so babies can see themselves and a few extra books in the playroom.

Time to segue to our school teachers’ day, which consisted of only Lorelei as Lynn was out to dinner with a few of her former students. Lorelei had only an A.M. class since it was Teacher Institute Day. While a free day for students, her morning class came anyway. She reports she is getting more comfortable. Especially in the area of knowing how and what to prepare for class. She was then thrown a curve as her P.M. class did not come. So she took two of Lynn’s students who were older and her prep didn’t work for them. It was another challenge, but Lorelei was a trooper and rose to the occasion.

I’m in my room trei-zero-doi (302) writing this. I’m getting very tired. So that’s all for today folks. Over and out.

Thursday, November 14, 2002

We began our day with our usual terrific breakfast. Today, though, the coffee and water for tea were piping hot! Yogurt was shared so that more could be brought to the clinic, along with fruit and leftover bread.

Once again, we made our stop at the pharmacy for Pampers. It is our way of making life a little easier for the babies and staff, and our attempt at curing some of the diaper rash on a few of the little ones.

This morning Lynn had a chance to visit a pre-school or kindergarten class, which proved to be great fun. Lynn remarked on how tiny the chairs and desks were, and how everyone sat and did their work, despite their young age.

Lorelei found that one of her groups again would not attend today due to a Geography test. She has cleverly come up with a word game to fill in between exercises and other games. She has made a list of words that are spelled the same in English and Romanian, but that have very different meanings. Some examples are “pot” (means the verb “can” in Romanian) and “camera” (means “room” in Romanian).

Meanwhile, back at the clinic, the babies are enjoying another day with our team. Jeanie has found that reading to Stefan and Alexandra is what they enjoy, but she’s still learning about her other two little ones. I have a feeling she’ll discover how best to satisfy them before long. Angela and Rita now have their routine down, and with the help of the aides, everyone gets bottles, clean diapers and much holding and loving. Angela is in her element with a baby in her lap! And Rita is practicing for that new grandbaby that’s on its way!

Down the hall, Bridget and Jonathan have also mastered caring for their brood. It really is all about teamwork, as runny noses are wiped clean, many diapers are changed, and bottles and snacks are distributed as though they’ve done this all their lives. They must be doing things right, because everyone is smiling and happy, with the exception of an occasional stolen toy or bump on the head, which brings about tears.

One disturbing behavior, however, is the bumping of their heads repeatedly against the door of the playroom. We’re not sure if it was started by one and the others have just followed suit, or if this is common among little ones in an institutional setting . . . perhaps some of each. Or, as we hurry over to stop each one from doing this, perhaps they’ve managed to better gain our immediate attention.

“The House that Jonathan Built” is being utilized well by the children, as they peek out from inside and delight in going in and out of it throughout the day. Toys are tossed out the back window just for grins, and the doorbell sounds bring many smiles.

Today I was able to take Dumitru, Vasilica and Gabi outdoors, as it was a gorgeous day. It was difficult to get all three walking at the same pace - Gabi screamed when he couldn’t swing, Dumitru refused to swing, and Vasi just went along with the crowd. Once we were out of sight of the swings, Gabi enjoyed our walk. But now Dumi walked way ahead, while Vasi lagged behind, examining every minute pebble she stumbled across. Clearly, this wasn’t working as planned. We walked for a bit more, but I had to relinquish Gabi to the aides indoors so that Dumitru and Vasilica could walk with me to visit the farm. Since the cows and pigs were inside the barns, we all stared at the chickens through the fence. It held the attention of the children until it was time for our walk back to the clinic.

Everyone was changed and placed down for their naps, and we strolled over to our usual spot for our daily lunch and discussion on how the world could be a better place. Well, OK . . . how the United States and Romania could be better places. It all seems to boil down to what each individual is willing to do, no matter where our place in the world. There are improvements to be made in every society, and in every community. So we each do what we can with the resources we have, and hope that our efforts make a difference in the lives around us. I’ve decided that “Mama Cati’s” casseroles and phenomenal potato salad are just the thing to bring us together for such discussions. I know that we all feel very blessed for what we have, and for the opportunity to have come together as a team in this faraway land called Romania.

Following lunch, we all went for a walk in the village of Tutova. We stood out as typical American tourists as we clicked away with our cameras . . . pictures of the town well, of the Tutova train station, of the horses pulling their carts. “Who else but Americans would take pictures of such mundane things?” is what these people are thinking, as we awkwardly greet them with “Buna Ziua”. As we got the okay to take a photo of one young man driving by on his cart, we called out “Multumesc!” To our surprise and his great delight, he responded with “My pleasure!” We all had a wonderful laugh over that.

As we were walking back, a few of us looked behind us only to witness Angela and one of the village women hugging like there was no tomorrow. As it turned out, when Jonathan had stopped to take a picture of one of the beautiful houses, it just so happened that it belonged to one of the hospital aides, with whom Angela had been corresponding for some time. She had always looked for the house when she’d come to Tutova, but could never locate it! It really is a small world!

In the afternoon, several of the children received special medicines, and Dr. Delia was there to oversee this process. It was also great fun to see the children wearing new clothing, which was brought from America by several of our team members. Contributions made consisted of 90 diaper pins, medicines, clothing, toys and other items, which Mihaela registered on a list at the clinic.

To top off our day at the clinic, Alexandra and Cristian’s mothers both came to visit them. The young mothers cried tears of joy to see and hold their babies, and it made all of our efforts that much more meaningful. So many of the children at the Tutova clinic are there because of anemia, a common problem for the people in this area due to lack of income and other resources. The babies first did not get proper nourishment while in their mothers’ wombs. Then, once born, they did not receive proper nutrition, as their parents are struggling to provide for their families. If not for the clinic, and the efforts of our generous volunteers, these children would not be thriving - and some still are not. This drives home the saying from the Bible, “There but for the grace of God go I.” Even for those who are not religious, it gives me pause to consider how fortunate we are to have been born in America!

This evening we were the very special guests of Mihaela, Dan and Mama Cati. Ramona came to walk with us to Mihaela’s apartment, and to say good-bye to me. Such a wonderfully thoughtful gesture! On our way, Lorelei buzzed into a flower shop to bring a hostess gift to Mihaela from our group. (We also learned that one should always choose uneven numbers of flowers for any arrangement, as it brings good luck and it is more pleasing to the eye.)

We arrived at Mihaela’s, with Dan as our escort, at nearly 7:00pm. We received a tour of the apartment, which was beautifully decorated. Once seated, we were served gorgeous vegetable salads and roasted chickens and vegetables - all of which were nearly too pretty to eat! Thank you, Mama Cati! We finished with cake, called “cookies”, made with sour cherries. Yum! Dan excused himself to go into the other room to begin the e-mail conversion to Global Volunteers’ account, while Bridget shared her photos from the first week. Everyone departed at 9:00pm, except for Bridget and me. There still was an e-mail problem, so we resigned ourselves to alleviating it before we would go back to the hotel. At 10:00pm, Bridget proved to be a “Computer Wizard” as she solved the problem! Now Mihaela has an official Global Volunteers email account! [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>

Bridget and I walked briskly back, meeting up with Jeanie and Lorelei, who were just leaving the cyber cafe. Another day of Global Volunteers - and a wonderful one at that!

SPECIAL NOTE: While I am unable to be here for the reading of this journal, I want to say just a few words . . .

Jonathan, thank you for reading this for me in absentia . . . and for opening all of our water bottles!

It has been pure pleasure working with and getting to know each and every one of you! This has been an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything . . . anything! You all are so generous and caring. Perhaps these two characteristics should be added to our list of what makes a team, because you certainly all possess them, and you certainly all make a wonderful team!

Thank you, and please keep in touch! You will be in my thoughts and prayers over the next two weeks of your service to Global Volunteers and the country of Romania, and into the future. - Tonia

Friday, November 15, 2002

Friday morning we ate breakfast together, gathered items from the breakfast table for our new friends in Tutova, and then departed for the day. Lynn and Lorelei went back upstairs to prepare for their morning classes and the rest of us boarded the van.

When we arrived at the clinic, all of us were delighted to see Stefan’s father and grandfather in the entryway having a visit with him. Stefan’s family looked so, so happy to be spending time with him. Of course we all wanted pictures of them together and they happily agreed to let us snap a couple of thousand pictures of them! As Stefan’s family was getting ready to leave, Jeanie slipped them a picture she had received from Bridget of Stefan. Jeanie later observed Stefan’s dad and grandfather on the sidewalk staring at the picture. Stefan, who has Down’s Syndrome, receiving a family visit was quite touching to all of us.

Those of us at the hospital had quite a busy morning, and before we knew it noon had arrived. Since we were departing for trips, we only worked until noon today. It was difficult saying good-bye to the children. I know I was feeling a bit of guilt for leaving them to go off to have fun. (I think some of the others felt the same way.) The departure from Tutova was especially difficult for Tonia. Today was her last day. A few tears were shed, some big hugs were given and gratitude was all around.

The gang from Tutova met up with the gang from the school and we enjoyed having lunch together. Afterwards we rushed up to our rooms to pack for a journey back to the U.S. and a weekend adventure for Rita, Jeanie, Bridget, Lorelei and I. Back downstairs we all said a final good-bye to Tonia and the rest of us boarded our small van. Lynn and Angela stayed in Barlad - they have seen the sights before and thought it best to spend their time exploring Barlad and getting some much-needed rest. Tonia left for the train station to begin her journey home.

As we climbed aboard the small van, we met our guide for the weekend, Lorin Dragah, and our driver, Ciprian Tanase. We drove from Barlad to Roman and then on to Suceava. The journey seemed to take forever and we were very tired when we arrived. Dinner was served at a Turkish restaurant that was within walking distance of the hotel. There we enjoyed our first Romanian wine. After dinner, we retired for the evening anticipating an exciting day to come.

<sup>Wednesday, November 20, 2002

Hump Day - We seem to have settled into a routine and this is my 2nd journal entry, so here’s the abridged version. Our 11 babies are all much more animated. Several babble quite well, and a few are working hard to turn over. This is a huge accomplishment for them. Today my personal goal was to line up all 11 - 5 girls and 6 boys - for a photo. Mission accomplished. It was something to see. Pics to follow.The noon walks after lunch have been great this week as the days are sunny and mild. Bridget reported that there are no newsworthy events at her end of the hall. Jonathan added Vasilica to our room, making us an even dozen. She has been overwhelmed today by the rowdy crowd of mobiles. Jeanie was kind enough to lend us her tape player for a short time. A few of our babies Vladut and Ionut really responded to the music. It’s still the international language, even for the little ones.</sup>

We had a meeting at 6:00pm to review our goals. Everyone seems very positive about the experience and it appears we are in line with our goals. Lynn and Lorelei, with Mihaela’s guidance, are working out the schedule for the remainder of our stay. Students are not consistent in attending class so it is possible they will alternate helping at the clinic starting next week. We ended the day by learning an old Romanian Carol. We will sing it tomorrow at the school performance. Buna Seara.

Thursday, November 21, 2002

As is oftentimes the case, this morning began with some questionable coffee chaos. Today it was so cold and sludgy that Angela not only had to dump her cupful into a soup bowl, but then had to rinse the cup out with bottled water to remove alllllll traces of the nasty stuff before attempting the next pot. Second time was a charm!

On my way out to the van, I ran across the street to the Fuji store to drop off some film to be developed and to buy still more film for the weekend. Those Fuji people must think we’re crazy for all the pictures we take!!

After we headed out to the clinic, we made a quick stop to replenish our diaper supply. Those pharmacy people must think we’re crazy for all the diapers we buy!! While we waited for Mihaela to return to the van we were given a crash course in Rita’s “Off” language. She said all you do is add the word “off” before every vowel in every word. OffI thoffink shoffe’s offa loffittle woffackoffo, moffy soffelf!

Finally we walked into the clinic, where we greeted our smiling babies, all thrilled to be taken out of their cribs and given some attention. Our little ones are, to use one of Lorelei’s favorite words, lovely. Little Vasilica has recovered from yesterday’s fever and was in much better spirits. Madalina still spat up her requisite six times, but today was kind enough not to get any of it on me! Florentio must’ve put a fresh coat of superglue on his hands, because whenever he got a grip on a spoon or yogurt bowl (or my hair!), it was nearly impossible to pry those little fingers off! Paula got a visit from her prospective adoptive mother, and we all hope things work out for them. Marian and I played our daily game of peek-a-boo, going back and forth covering both our faces with a [clean!] cloth diaper. Gabi told me he wants to come home to Chicago with me next week, despite what Mihaela says. Robert’s dimpled cheeks seem to get chubbier by the minute. Georgiana’s disturbing rocking and hand-flapping seems to occur less often every day. Diana was at her happiest when whizzing up and down the hallway in a walker. And Petru took several breaks from his busy day of ringing the playhouse doorbell to toddle over for a hug. Just your typical day at the office! Apparently it was a little worse than usual for Jonathan, who at one point this morning made a desperate plea of “I have GOT to get out of here, RIGHT NOW!!!!!”, and he disappeared to the Special Needs room to seek counseling from Jeanie. Miraculously, in the fifteen minutes he was gone de-stressing himself, the babies in our room were perfect angels for me!! No “property disputes”, no escapees, no hair-pulling, no name-calling, and not a single tear. And Jonathan missed it!!!

At lunch we got a special treat - pumpkin and apple “pie” in honor of today being a religious holiday. I didn’t completely catch the occasion, but something to do with Mary visiting a church, I think? Jonathan, Jeanie and I had an interesting experience on an after-lunch walk along the main drag of Tutova. We noticed a group of 7 or 8 people (including a few children) standing around a horse and cart, parked in front of a house across the street. They noticed us as well, and soon a little old lady in a babushka was yelling something over to us in Romanian. We had no idea what she was saying, but she continued talking to us and was patting the seat on the cart in front of her. When we still didn’t respond, she ran across the street to us and started talking even more insistently in Romanian. Still not knowing what she wanted (and not being able to get the point across to her that we didn’t speak Romanian), we decided to err on the side of caution and get the heck out of there! It was probably the first time I’d really and truly felt the language barrier here. It was really disconcerting not knowing whether to be annoyed because she was trying to sell us something, or gracious because maybe she just wanted to give us a ride in their cart, or bothered because was asking us for money. Was she a pesky beggar or peddler, or simply a sweet, innocent old lady? We’ll never know, I suppose.

When we got back to the hotel, Jonathan, Rita, Jeanie and I had to go to the travel agent with Mihaela to pay for our weekend trip. Lorelei has decided not to join us this time, not only because she’s already been to Transylvania, but also because she’s getting over a cold and doesn’t want to be too worn out for next week. At the travel agency, still no luck using credit cards. So we anted up our US Dollars . . . and while we were still standing there the travel agent got a call that the rate on one of the hotels had just gone up another $5/night for each room. After some discussion about how that would NOT be acceptable back home, we paid the additional amount and decided we’d better get out of there before the rates went up again!

We had another special treat at 5:15 - the kids in the middle school were putting on a presentation for us! From the minute we walked in the front door we could feel the electricity in the building. The kids were obviously very excited about this, as were we! We saw about a dozen different acts (most with colorful costumes), ranging from Romanian folk dancing to a “modern interpretation” of Goldilocks (superbly performed by Lynn’s students!) to country western dancing to my personal favorite: A wonderful song-and-dance performance of The Twist!! I’ll never forget them carefully singing “Can you mash po-ta-to, do the twist . . .” in their cute little Romanian accents - and boy could they dance!

For the final performance, another group of students stepped up to sing a few Romanian Christmas carols. After they sang the “Domn Domn” song, we took center stage to try and sing it for them! Mihaela made us stand up, and while Ramona held up the lyrics we tried to follow her lead and sing along in Romanian. The others tried to sing along, at least - I mostly just tried to hide behind Jonathan and lip sync! Anyway, fortunately Ramona’s beautiful singing voice carried our group through the many, many Romanian words we couldn’t pronounce, and in the end we got a HUGE round of applause from the children and staff. Ramona told us afterwards that she was very proud of us! Then we sang “Deck the Halls” for them and got another huge round of applause, shouts and cheers from the kids. You would’ve thought they were at a rock concert!! Finally we gave them a much-deserved standing ovation. As Jonathan said, and I think most of us feel the same, it was an evening he’ll never, ever forget.

After a quick stop in the Language Lab for more pumpkin pie, we walked back to Alona for dinner. I ate way too much pizza for the 2nd time in 3 days. It’s so good! We looked at two new batches of my pictures. The Laugh of the Night came when we discovered something in the background of a picture I’d taken of Ionut on Monday: Stefan lying on the floor in his broken walker!  [Editor’s Note: Stefan had been perfectly fine when found, babbling happily as he enjoyed the change of scenery staring up at the ceiling, and this is why we were allowed to laugh at the situation!] I’d told Jeanie on Monday I wouldn’t report her to the authorities for this, but now that I’ve got photographic proof I may have to reconsider! This is blackmail material if I’ve ever seen it! !

Another highlight of dinner for me was when Ramona, a few others and I started dancing the Macarena to The Ketchup Song. Why exactly I can’t remember, but it was fun! I’d heard that song a few times before this trip, but from now on I’ll always associate it with Romania . . . and Ramona doing the Macarena?!?

On the way home from dinner a few of us stopped at the Internet Café again. Those Internet Café people must think we’re crazy for all the time we spend in front of computers! I can only imagine what impression of ourselves we must be giving the good people of Barlad. They must think all Americans blow entire paychecks on pictures, Pampers and Internet time!! And they wouldn’t be far off, for this month at least!

Friday, November 22, 2002

The usual breakfast, I think - I’m never fully awake at 8:00 to remember. The baby people left for Tutova, giving Lynn and I a chance to prepare for our morning class. With the numbers of our students diminishing as the number of tests they’re studying for increases, we’d decided the previous afternoon to merge our Grade Eight classes. We’d thought it had worked well, and this morning we’d agreed to share my Grade Sevens, since Lynn’s Grade Sixes were off studying.

Bridget had kindly lent me a couple of CDs, since my own collection was decidedly un-teenager-friendly. I spent an hour transcribing the Barenaked Ladies’ song “If I Had a Million Dollars” so I could use it as a reading and comprehension tool.

Seven students joined Lynn and me at 10:00, and seemed to enjoy the Barenaked Ladies, though they may not have appreciated the finer points of cultural references to K-Cars and Kraft Dinner.

Mihaela joined our group as we were taking turns answering questions - complete sentences only! - drawn from a bag I’d originally made up for the Grade Eights. She drew two questions that gave her the chance to talk to the students about her own experiences - “Why do you study English?” and “Who is a Romanian you admire?” I think the kids were really impressed by what she had to say about the opportunities learning English provides, and also by the impact a special teacher had on her.

After a few rounds of questions Lynn recognized restlessness in our exuberant students and led us in a round of “Simon Says”. We finished up with a game of Pictionary, back by popular demand. Note to self: “Stairway” is apparently not a widely used word outside Canada.

The baby people returned from the hospital early so that Bridget, Jeanie, Jonathan and Rita could leave for Transylvania - more about their weekend adventures from Jeanie tomorrow.

After lunch, Lynn and I returned to school to meet our Grade Eights for a field trip to Barlad’s museum. Ten students joined us for the trip. On the way over, I was telling one of them how much we’d enjoyed the previous night’s program, and how impressed we were with their dancing and singing. “You sang also, in Romanian,” Mirela said. I asked her if she could understand the words when we sang the Romanian carol. She didn’t reply, which I took to mean that none of us should quit our day jobs back home to pursue musical stardom in this country.

The art museum features collections of paintings and sculptures by Romanians, including some from here in Barlad. Our students ably translated - at least as far as we know - our guide’s explanations of the artwork. Lynn and I were surprised at how interested these fourteen and fifteen year olds are in the art - unlike in North America, we expect.

A quiet dinner at the hotel for Angela, Lynn and me.

A few Barladian weekend highlights

Lynn and I joined eight of yesterday’s ten students at Barlad’s Museum of Collections on Saturday morning - again, can’t believe how keen these teenagers are to spend time in museums. It’s an eclectic museum with paintings, furniture, jewelry, military costumes and medals, and some many-million-year-old fossils.

U.S. President Bush’s Saturday visit to Bucharest was widely covered on Romanian television - one of the commentators was Nadia Comenici - and watched with interest by us. No new words invented by George W. on this trip.

Lynn continues to be wined and dined - or at least entertained - by her charming former students.

Angela continues to pilfer cups, bowls, and assorted cutlery from the restaurant, though she claims to be returning it all faithfully.

Saturday, November 23, 2002

Today we toured the city of Brasov. We first walked down the cobblestone pedestrian street to the center square, which was very nice. We then visited the Black Church and then had an hour of free time to shop. As usual Jonathan and Bridget were off in search of Romanian CDs. We then went to a fortress where they were filming the movie Cold Mountain with Nicole Kidman, who supposedly had just left. Then it was off to Bran Castle which we toured in about 3 minutes . . . Unfortunately it was raining and very cold so we didn’t enjoy as much as we would have liked. It was then off to Sinaia.

Sunday, November 24, 2002

We met for breakfast and found that most of us weren’t feeling well. We decided if the weather was the same as the day before we would not go on the cable car up Mount Furnica. We first visited the Peles Castle, where we found it to be closed for cleaning and renovation. But our guide Lorin managed to bribe the worker to give us a tour of the grounds and the gardens. Due to the castle being surrounded by soldiers we had to be very quiet, stay close together and walk single file. We were soon whisked away to a hiding place due to the grounds being patrolled. It was like a scene in the movie The Diary of Anne Frank. Jonathan was so nervous that he informed us that he had to pee. After it was over we all agreed it was well worth it. The weather was beautiful so we decided to take the cable car up the mountain. Once up there we saw how beautiful it was and were happy we had decided to go up. It was time to go home, and though we enjoyed the day, we were happy to be heading home.

Monday, November 25, 2002

Breakfast as a meal was the usual, but it seemed more like a wake. Many of us, well the baby people, weren’t feeling so well. Seems we have come down with the Tutova Hospital Virus. Jonathan took the day off with Lorelei going in his place. Everyone tried to talk Jeanie into taking the day off, but being the stubborn Leo she is, she went in spite of not feeling well.

Once we arrived at the hospital it was business as usual. We rounded up our children, took them to their correct rooms, fed them and then discovered that Mihaela had left the key to the storage closet back home so we had no toys. Mihaela sent her driver for the keys and it was back to business as usual. Rita was not herself as her little Vladut was in isolation due to a staff infection on his head, but she did have the joy of being able to go in and feed him. Angela had to see the nurse today as she had picked up Cristian’s eye infection from Friday. It was time for the first round of diaper changes, where I discovered three of my children had purple bottoms. I figured it was for the diaper rash many of them had, but confirm this with Mihaela [Editor’s Note: Confirmed!]. I went and let Rita know before she made her first diaper change, as I didn’t want her to go into shock, as this might have sent her over the edge, as she had been delirious from not having Vladut in her room.

After lunch, Angela, Lorelei and Bridget went for a walk and Rita and I went back to the clinic for some rest and hot tea. Rita made us tea and Mihaela was very kind and brought me plenty of blankets so I could try and take a nap. Angela came back and joined us in the playroom. As I was trying to nap I heard Rita tell Angela not to move as there was a mouse under her chair. I jumped up to look, and there was this cute little fluffy mouse just sitting there. I got a toy to cover it and then one of the workers came and got the mouse by its tail. For some reason Rita and Angela didn’t find the mouse as cute as I did.

Before we knew it the children were all up from their naps. We gave them their usual afternoon bottles and played until it was time to go.

At dinner Jonathan told us he slept most of the day and felt much better. Bridget and Rita shared some more pictures with us and Lynn brought a collage she made for the school thanking them for their wonderful show they put on for us the week before.

It seems we were pretty tired or not feeling well and we all retired early for the evening

Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Writing up these last few days is getting easier because it’s all been said before. But decades from now it will seem weird if it just sort of fades away during the last week, so here goes…

As Jeanie mentioned, all of us are “ailing” with some discomfort or another. When we started out for Tutova this morning (it was my turn to help out there while Lorelei met with the School #5 students), Jeanie was not with us - she needed a day off. We stopped for a last supply of diapers, and Jon announced he’d better not go after all. He’s had stomach problems. So we brought him back to the Moldova and then headed out again. Missing two of the “regulars” necessitated some rearrangement of assignments, and I found myself crawling around on the playroom floor with varying numbers of “mobiles”. I think nine was the most. Bridget had kindly offered to do Jeanie’s “special needs”, so I enjoyed the lovable bunch all day. I saw a couple of what appeared to be “first steps”, carted the “immobiles” around a bit (and got upchucked on for my reward), and thoroughly enjoyed myself all day.

After a nice vegetarian stuffed cabbage and soup lunch (the former provided by Mihaela’s mother), Bridget and I took a longish, brisk walk up the road, saying “Buna Ziua” to everyone we met. It was kind of dreary and chilly, but the fresh air and rural scenes were nice. I regret I didn’t get a snapshot of a bunch of black and white turkeys we encountered.

Back home in Barlad, we pre-ordered dinner at Alona (pizza and their famous Bulgarian salad - without ham) and were astounded when we arrived to be served a whole pizza each. So as not to waste food, I gamely sacrificed and ate my entire meal up! (except for one small piece that Rita tried.) Mihaela promised to make our hotel reservations for Saturday night at the hotel near the airport, and we decided that reconfirming our flights probably wasn’t necessary. I hope I don’t have to eat those words!

We all turned in early, hoping a good night’s sleep will make us more chipper in the morning. It’s hard to believe we have only a few days left of our Romanian adventure. Thought for the Day: Keep on truckin’!

Wednesday, November 27, 2002

I spent the day in Barlad, at the bank and School Nr. 5. My mind was though at the children in Tutova. These are the last days this year where children are in the caring hands of volunteers. A month from now on only a few aides will take care of them as well as they can. However, the children will miss you so you know you have to come back. Soon!

At lunch, the same vegetable soup was served. I don’t understand how some people could make it for three weeks with vegetable soup. If my mother would only know . . .

At dinnertime we had a guest speaker, a friend of mine, Pedro, who works at the City Hall in a department that is the equivalent of IRS. Pedro and his wife, Mihaela the travel agent, will be my godparents and my child’s godparents as well. Volunteers were tired so there were not very many questions. I guess that Pedro liked that as he seemed to be tired too.

This afternoon I went to the City Hall to make sure that I haven’t missed the day of presenting the papers so Dan and I can get married. In front of the City Hall I met Luci, a child that was at Tutova for three years. Now he is in a foster family that, I hope, will adopt him. He asked me what I was doing there. I told him that I was going to get married, and I told his new mother that I would like to have him by my side next Saturday. That would be really special for me. I know that Luci will do something to make everybody laugh. That way he will break the tension of a very important moment that I already feel.

Today was the last day for Team 35 to go about our usual schedule, and there’s no doubt about it, we all felt a little sad that our time in Barlad had come to an end.

At the hospital Dr. Delia met us and took us on a complete tour of all the hospital buildings. We were all impressed at the cleanliness of all the rooms. There have been some changes since I was here two years ago. Some of the hospital rooms have been renovated, and more will be done when money is available.

The most important improvement was in the laundry room. They now have a large commercial washer and dryer. I must call Mike Hostage in Boston and tell him I’ve actually seen both washer and dryer in action. It was Dorothy and Mike Hostage’s generosity that supplied both. Dr. Delia calls them her “Crown Jewels” (meaning the washer and dryer, not the Hostages).

We tended to the babies for only a short while this morning before we had our usual traditional celebration with all the staff. Mihaela supplied the oranges, bananas, nuts and cookies and orange drink. Then it was time for a rather emotional farewell to all.

My thought for the day was “Anything worthwhile is not in the having, but in the doing.” I think that sums up the philosophy of all Global Volunteers, and certainly that of Team 35.

After our farewell dinner at the hotel, which ended with a special cake with candles, it was time to pack up and then retire - to get up for an early 7:15am breakfast Saturday morning.

Now we’ll all go our separate ways - Jonathan to face his law exams, Jeanie to her refugees, Lynn and Bridget to take on new assignments, Lorelei to continue her travels in Turkey, Rita and I to our families.

My special thanks to Rita, my teammate, who changed twenty-two diapers a day so I could stay in the immobile baby room keeping order. The last week Jonathan joined us and, to the astonishment of the aides, also changed diapers. I took pictures to prove it, just in case anyone doubts it.

And now it’s time to say goodbye. I’ve enjoyed being with all of you. I wish you all good luck in the future, and hope you will return to Barlad.