Last Good-Byes at the Train

When I left Sighisoara for the last time - very sad - Dorothy took me and Cristy to the train station. And we were met up by Svetlana (and Vasile who was more there for Svetlana!!) and shockingly- VLAD! I couldn't believe he actually came!











It was nice because all the times I had imagined when I would leave Sighisoara - which I would have never anticipated it would have been that soon or under such circumstances - I always thought I would be taking off on my own. But it was a great feeling to be with my friends and to say our good-byes! It was like something from a movie!

me & Svetlana

Vlad & Petra

Vlad (tepes) and Petra were my couterparts during most of my service in the Peace Corps. They were wonderful friends and gave me so much support throughout my experience that I would not have had such great success and fond memories without them!

Though everyone is still amazed that Vlad and I never killed each other!!! We are living on two different continents now and that is probably better for the forces of good and evil in the world!




For some reason Vlad just didn't like my parting present - which was a re-gifted ceramic dog that my neighbor had given me right before I had left to meet Vlad and Petra for a drink. I kept getting gifts which really could not be brought back with me - nor made much sense for me to bring them back! Later Vlad threw the dog in a garbage bin on our way home!

Don't deny it!

Saying Good-Bye to FdC

I left Sighisoara rather suddenly and it's quite a long story - maybe I'll tell it later! But I was so touched by the people that meant so much to me over the last two years - who really made living in Romania like a second home to me! It was a tearful good-bye with so many kind words shared.








These were the most wonderful ladies that I was honored to work with. I learned so much about life and the job from them. And we had a great relationship - professional and committed to the goals of the project and the victims of domestic violence.

Eva, Me, Monica and Dorina

Vesel Cemetary

I visited the Vesel Cemetary in Sapanta (a village of Sighet).

It is a unique cemetary for it's tradition of wood cross carved ephitaphs. In 1935 a wood scupltor, Ioan Stan Patras, started carving carving wooden crosses to mark the graves. He painted each cross in blue - the color of hope and freedom specific to the Maramures region. Each cross depicts an image from the life of the person who is burried - mostly relating to the person's profession such as teachers, farmers, horsemen, weavers, mothers - unless the person was too young to have a profession when he/she died - in that case they are depicted with images of childhood or the cause of death. Some of religious people are depicted praying. Each cross has a witty ephitaph that reads like a lymric.

The sculptor Patras died in 1977, he is burried there and honored with his own cross which describes the cross he bared all his life, working to support his family since he was 14 years old. Since his death, his apprentice has carried on the tradition.

Sighet Prison Memorial

Sighet has a prison that was used from 1948 to 1977 mostly to house political prisons. The prison was closed in 1977 due to Romania's obligation to comply with international laws that came into effect in 1977 - UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights. It would be a violation of international law to continue the detainment of persons for political reasons.

The Prison was made into a Memorial Museum in the last few years. It is a memorial to the thousands of people and families who suffered from communist persecution in Romania.

The Prison is chillingly placed in the center of the town of Sighet.

It was shocking to see the horrible conditions that were endured and to learn about the stories of the people who were imprisoned - mostly for political reasons because they opposed communism, supported the resistance movement, were intellectuals/students with the power/will to organize anti-communist campaigns, or were formerly top-level government officials prior to the communist take over.

Prison cells were a small and narrow space with no heat (absolutely freezing in this cement icebox), no toilets, and high windows above head level which were sometimes blocked to prevent light as a punishment. Some prisons were prevented from sitting or laying down by having their metal-rack beds/cots removed.

Many techniques and instruments of torture were used - electric shock, being hung upside down, having to stand in water up to your knees for extended periods of time. There were specific isolation cells called "Black Cells" with no windows, no light, prisoners were chained by their ankles to the center of the cell naked and only given 1/2 food rations.

Both men and women were imprisoned. Women who were pregnant in prison would have the baby taken away 3 months after the birth. The children were put into orphanges without ever knowing their identity!

Families were never told if their relatives in prison were sick, dead, or well. Sometimes families had to pay for their relatives to be fed or clothed.

Group 18 in Botiza

From left to right: Adela, Laurenzo, Curtis, me, Julie, Al, Rebe, Alec and the guy in the front is someone we don't know.

It was a nice weekend, spending time with my group - Alec, Curtis and I took the train up to Salva, hopped a Personel Train to Iza where Ioana met us to take us to Botiza.


Saturday morning we went to the market - where we learned how to kill a pig, we visited an old medicine woman, Matt & Laurenzo had a beer and made some friends, Julie picked up some tourist-Romanian guy (you go-girl!)...

So busy morning!






On Saturday afternoon we took a hike with "poufy" (Botiza's version of Lassie) up the hill/mountain, through the orchards, around the hay stacks, over the deep entrenched road... A few of us hung-back from trying to reach the peak - I hung-out with Maria and had some girl talk.

Maria is a 10 year old little girl from Botiza. I tried to convince her to marry a guy who will cook for her - she looked at me like I was out of my mind!


Curtis Before...
Julie, Matt and Curtis who went on climbing, came barreling back down the hill, running... Curtis led the pack with his arms raised yelling "BEAR!!!!" Right at the end of the hill he bit it! It seemed staged and therefore comical - he fell so dramatically. But it was real and he ended up hurting his ankle. So Matt and Rebe - wonderful people that they are - improvised with a make-shift sled from thick braches that were on the ground. Curtis got on top and they pulled him down the hill! It was tear-jerking love...

Curtis After...

Later Curtis (after some tuica treatments) was nursed back to health by an old medicine woman in the village - who also offered to sleep with him... Rebe immediately identified with the old woman.

Sunday morning we were all on our separate ways - I went up to Sighet - I hung-out a little with Julie and later met up with Rebe, Al and Ioana, who showed me some sights and sent me off on the afternoon Accelerat train - jam packed with whole the population of university students from Sighet with enough luggage to occupy all the space in the small compartment - computers, ancient monitors, baggage, probably kitchen sinks too. I had to "sweet talk" the conductor a little to sit in first class. The 9 hours (2 accelerat trains - which I had the good fortune to connect and buy a ticket in the 5 minute window between trains in Cluj) was aggonizing! And I came home with flea bites all over my back! One of the greatest fear-factors in public transportation - the fleas you're likely to pick up!

Pumpkin Pie

PUMPKIN PIE!!

The ladies I work with wanted me to make pumpkin pie - I don't know why. But I agreed and I made it! My first ever pumpkin pie! I had a to make it completely from scratch including baking a pumpkin and scooping the guts out. Friday we get to eat it.

Group 18-ers

WAITING... always waiting...

GROUP 18-ers

AL CHILDERS - "MA KEY AM A AL." Al is from North Carolina and he is a real mountain man! Al gained a fameous reputation with his tea tree toothpicks which he gave to everyone and anyone. Al is a natural people person which is the real secret to success in the Peace Corps. He did so well, he even found himself a wife. Al and Ioana (a incredibly wonderful Romanian woman you can see in the background) got married in August 2005. Al didn't need to learn Romanian - somehow the language of love just tells itself.





MATT MAGIONE - Often standing in the "Alpha-Beta parking lot" a lot... Matt is the kind of guy that runs up the mountain and then runs back down to see how you're doing...








REBE FERALDI - here is Rebe being Rebe. One time I was cooking dinner and Rebe came in and said- where can I take over. Rebe is the most eccentric from our group! She'll tell you a story from being a naked crayon to expeditions around the world.





ADELA ARDELEANU - Adela was born in Romania and moved to the USA when she was young. She came here already able to speak Romania so for the while she was our spy when guys would come in to check us out, we'd have her listen to what they were saying and then she's break out into Romanian and surprise the hell out them!




ALEC HEISEY - GET A ROOM!



CHRISTOPHER CURTIS - aka "Dirty Curty." Excuse me Agent Curtis - we have a code BLUE - that's Jackie Blue...

GROUP 18 STUDS!

MICHAEL TAYLOR - group 18 Editor of Spuneti - who reads that trash! Mike has one of the keenest perspectives of life in Romania.










THIS IS MIKE AND CRISTY TOGETHER - this is what you call "faking it!" I saw them hugging and I went to take a photo and it was too late. Then they faked it just for this photo. Look at picture of Kyle and Sarah, then look at Mike and Cristy, you'll see...

CRISTY DIETERICH - pictured here - was the total suprise friendship and support I needed for PC and being on the GAD Board. We loved going to GAD meetings and emphasizing - no Cristy did NOT bring her husband!





KYLE KENYON and SARAH LASWELL - true Peace Corps love. Kyle and Sarah met and got married in the Peace Corps. Slowly our group is turning into all married people. They're actually unbelieveable together and I think we all knew right away that it was meant to be!









LIZ KIDD (left) and AMY WHITE (the other one) - Liz is probably the only person I know who can injure herself so outlandishly. Try slipping on an ice cream cone with damaged nerves or falling on deer antlers and having one go through your knee! There is some art to this I think. Actually, Peace Corps just brings a lot of very unusual injuries to many of us.

Amy did the GLOW camp with me and Amber. We had such a great time! Amber kept trying to get me to poke Amy and I kept getting jabbed by Amy's finger nail as she retaliated - even though I didn't do anything!







MELANIE LOZER - Melanie will just start running and running... Thank goodness for psychoanalyzing trees...











NANCY and ERNEST KENDALL - Both Nancy and Ernie were in the Peace Corps in the 1960s. Nancy first served in Chile and Ernie was in Ghana. They met back in the US after their service and have lived a life of untold adventure - actually they have so many amazing stories to tell they should write them down! This is their second time around in the Peace Corps - they have such an amazing drive and spirit - and have always been a great source of guidance and inspiration for me! Especially when Ernie gets really inventive and creates a new rain hat! Necessity is the mother of invention.

AIMEE McCOMMONS - the quiet observer - but she'll surprise the hell out of you! Aimee has the biggest heart and one of the toughest jobs working with children at an AIDS hospital. Aimee with Rebe being Rebe!





JACKIE BLUE - aka Agent Blue - nothing this girl won't do! Including karokee... Nearly kicked out of the Peace Corps not once but twice... and some other things I can't mention.









SOME PEOPLE THAT LEFT EARLY...
AMBER FRIIS - also a sweet southerner and people person. Amber has the best disposition on life and challenges than anyone else that I know. She is incredible and pervasive!





JEREMY MATT (here until November) and KAREN BRACK - I imagine your first year married would not be easy to do the Peace Corps... Karen and Jeremy are great! Jeremy stayed to finish up a project but as they usually say, if one goes they both go, and Jeremy had joined the Peace Corps really in support of Karen's ambition - it's so great to see how people can support each other!





MICHELE MORSE - Michele was in heaven in the snow. A lot of great new adventures and friends for Michele came during her service!

Others who left were LARRY & DIANA STEVENSON - we miss them!
BILL PECK - I didn't really know him... but he needed a different adventure!

STILL WAITING...

Botiza/Maramures

The weekend of Oct. 21-23, a bunch of Group 18-ers got together to celebrate Al and Ioana getting married. Of course, none of us were invited to the wedding! It was one of the greatest experiences tasting the Romanian culture and traditional way of life. I think it's the kind of experience all PCVs should have for their 2 years of service.


Traditional medicine woman who lives in the village. We visited her at her home which is a small wood house with one room, very basic: a dirt floor, an iron stove (probably her only means of heat), no indoor plumbing or electricity.

This woman is wearing the traditional dress for women in the region. Many people carry the wool bags over their shoulders. Most unique are the shoes and stocking which I have been assured are very warm and comfortable - you can climb mountains in them!

Tuica Making Time - It is time to make that hard alcohol that keeps you warm all winter! This region is well known for it's strong tuica. At a traditional mill - men are bringing this huge barrel of prunes, scooping it out with buckets and putting it through the process of boiling. Usually the community works together for such big productions. But many families make tuica at home.







We went to the market on Saturday morning and this lady tried to sell us some pigs. She explained to us how we should kill the pig.










An old tradition in this region is to place pots on a tree to singal that a girl in the house is ready to be married. Supposedly they no longer do this but then why are there pots on this tree?

Tapestry with traditional fibers and dyes made by Ioana and 2 women from Botiza using a traditional loom.
It took them 2 weeks to make it.