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The second project where I forced to have a blog, the second time I must write for those, who are not interested in my life. Even more, I cannot write about my real life because it will be inappropriate content not related to the topic of the project. So, if I cannot change the rules, I must write at least not as boring texts as they want me to.

To begin with, I would like to tell that I was pleasantly surprised by the hosting team. It can be clearly seen they are experienced in receiving volunteers. On the other hand, the situation has noticeable drawbacks, for instance, overused kitchen stuff, broken kettle, vacuum cleaner which going to die in a month. Still, It is not a reason to regret about taking part in the project. The material aspects we will easily overcome. Still, the quality of being here depends on the surrounding people. I am extremely satisfied I am only man here. Why? I have my own room one all it’s benefits.

However, the self-developing plan which need to create surprised me more than anything else. Development was the reason to take part in the project. Unfortunately, I cannot give to you any conclusion for now because further year still blurred in my imagination. As soon as I will adapt to the new surrounding I will be able to write something more concrete.

 

Arrival

After a short flight and a long search for the bus station in Cluj Napoca, I arrived in Baia Mare on the 2nd of September. When the other people from the team arrived in the flat, we got to know each other better and went with Onoriu to the old center of Baia Mare and visited the city. It was really interesting and Onoriu showed us lots of cool restaurants, cafés and pubs.

Another special event in the week was the training with our mentors in Baraj Firiza where we played some little games, talked a lot about EVS and about the work with children. At the end of the week, we had meetings where we talked about our future work and now I am really excited to the work with children and participate in the events which are organized from AIST.

on the whole, I can say it feels a bit strange to suddenly be sharing a flat with 7 other people, or going on the street and not understanding one word what the people are talking about, besides “buna ziua” and I am really proud to understand these words. 😀 But I hope that in a few weeks I will understand a lot more and have the possibility to explore Romania. 🙂

 

 

Finally arrived in Baia Mare!

Hey there, on the 3rd of September my adventure has begun. After ten hours of travelling, in 30 degrees heat, so much traffic and no water. However, a lot of people helped me with finding the bus station and giving me water and food. I was very greatful.
Later, when I arrived the flat, all the other volunteers had already arrived and welcomed me. Eight people in one flat is a lot, but everybody is really nice so we have fun together with everyone for example playing guitar, going for a drink, doing sports or just talking and laughing.
In only one week, I have already improved my English skills and learnt so much about everyone else’s cultures. Concerning our work, we getting very well prepared. We were in the mountains for learning more about the project, what our role in the project will be and most importantly we got to meet our mentors.
My mentor is very very nice. We already went jogging and played tennis in the park. That was really fun :).
Everything is so cool. Of course there are some things which will take some getting used to, like doing everything on your own (cleaning, tidy up, cooking, buying food,…) and that the kitchen get dirty again very quickly no matter how often we clean it. But if this is the biggest problem we can’t really complain too much.
So in short, we are all very happy to be here and I look forward for the next month in Romania! 🙂

 

‘Ey up!

As the jet engines rumbled into life, my stomach somersaulted itself into 50 knots and my emotions began churning up my breakfast. The plane lurched forward and after a nail biting 30 seconds of uncertainty we were airborne; I was off to my new life in Romania. Rising above the clouds I thought of all the people I was leaving behind, the familiar places and my comfortable life in the South of France, as well as my beloved family and friends in England. I wondered what on earth I was doing dropping everything to start from zero, once again.

Landing in Cluj airport, what hit me first was an overwhelming wave of heat rising off the tarmac, and I instantly regretted wearing as many of my winter jumpers as I possibly could to avoid the excess baggage charges; it had seemed like such a good idea back in England….. After a tense 20 minute wait for a bus in a “bus stop” which only the popular opinion of the Romanians on the street indicated to us that we were waiting at the correct location, I was incredibly relieved to finally see a FANY bus approaching us. Following Onoriu’s instructions that the bus would not stop unless we flagged it down, I jumped into the street and started leaping up and down waving like a woman possessed… no way was that bus not stopping for me!!

Driving across the beautiful Romanian countryside, as we passed a farmer waiting to cross the road with his horse and cart laden with hay, I remembered what I came here for: an adventure in a completely unknown country, a different way of life with an exciting new culture to discover and learn. I hope that this year will be both a challenge to my comfortable Western European way of life, and a chance to reawaken my passion for teaching, which has somewhat gone to sleep in my last year of teaching to listless, sleepy students in France.

Since arriving in Baia Mare, I have, of course, been stuck in the awful black hole that is the paper work of arrivals administration. This endless box ticking, form signing, people to see, accounts to set up, and the never-ending shopping list of things that I need for the flat, or forgot to bring with me, is the reason that every year I swear that THIS will be the town and country I will stay in for the rest of my life, that I will never move again, that this is just too much hassle to go through it all again. But of course once I get stuck into my new life, I forget all about this painful limbo of the first few weeks, and before too long I’m ready for the next adventure…..

For now though, I’m staying in the present, getting established in Baia Mare and preparing myself for the looming invasion of children which, no doubt, will turn the now peaceful office of AIST from a paper-work factory into a dynamic and lively mad house of fun and learning. And, oh boy, am I excited for that day to arrive!!

Ta rah a bit now

 

First impressions

I arrived in Baia Mare 8 days ago, so this is my first post. Activities haven’t started yet, we’re still busy with meeting everybody and doing paperwork. Thus, it will be some first impressions of Baia Mare…

Waking up in the morning before anybody else does is peaceful. You see those fragile layers of clouds slowly disappearing, the hills are emerging and the sun helps the forest to show all these red and orange shades. When you go down the hallway there’s that one storey that smells exactly like my grandma’s house. People passing by in a friendly, not disturbing way. You pass by a fruits shop and the smell of overripe fruits accompanies you for a while. That’s home now.