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What exactly are you doing in Sighisoara?

I have been asked this question quite often, and to be honest, I was not so sure of the answer myself for the first couple of weeks. Because Jill and I are the very first Hope students to participate in the Romanian Studies Program, we were both unable to give many details about what exactly we would be doing while here. Finally, after a month in, I feel as if I have settled into a routine, and somewhat know how to prepare for the day ahead of me…

Monday:

8 am Romanian language class
9:30 am Teen Club adviser meeting at the Veritas Family Center
12:30 pm Lunch at Veritas Family Center
2 pm Teen Club
5 pm Cross-cultural checkup at Dorothy’s house
6 pm “American” dinner at Dorothy’s house

Tuesday:

8 am Romanian language class
10 am School visits
12:30 pm Supervision with Dorothy
2 pm Teen Club
5 pm Elderly home visits with Zsolt, my translator

Wednesday:

9 am Elderly home visits/ Food delivery with David and Mia
12:30 pm Lunch at Veritas Family Center
2 pm Teen Club

Thursday:

8 am Romanian language class
10 am School visits
12:30 pm Lunch at Veritas Family Center

Friday:

8 am Veritas team meeting
10:30 am Social Work Seminar
12:30 pm Lunch
1:15 pm Romanian History and Culture Class

Every other weekend, Dorothy plans day trips and tours to different cities in Romania, and these are a lot of fun! During the week, the majority of my extra time in between clubs or meetings is spent preparing material, researching, or studying Romanian. Because I do not speak the language, it is extremely difficult to focus on the counseling aspect of social work. The majority of the Veritas staff can speak or understand English well, and translators are available, but nonverbal communication is huge when working one-on-one with clients. My role as a social worker here is more focused on the aspects of being an educator, an advocate, a researcher, a service provider, and a net-worker. Throughout the week, I help lead group activities, lessons, and games for the teens and elderly clubs that focus on getting them involved and interacting with one another. I also go on home-visits to assess the needs of the family or client, and to observe their home environment. Through my daily interactions with my clients, I look for opportunities to meet their needs with the help of the already existing Veritas programs, and I am encouraged to voice my suggestions and opinions about possible new program ideas to my supervisors. At the end of the day, I am usually exhausted from the mental and emotional stress, but I am blessed to have this unique experience. I continue to thank God for the strength He provides, and for stretching me further than I would have ever thought possible! So, what exactly am I doing here in Sighisoara? I am here trying to love God, serve His people, and learn more about what it means to be a social worker in a non-profit Christian organization from those with greater wisdom and experiences than my own.

Pa! =)

Marga

Is That A Whale?! Nope Just A Rock

photo (10) — There were facts like this one posted all over the festival

Howzit?! Last weekend I spent time away at the Hermanus Whale Festival about two and half hours away from campus. My program sponsored the event and about thirty Americans signed up. We left Friday night and stayed through until late Sunday afternoon. It was so nice to get away from campus for a few days and see a new place. We stayed at a quaint and comfortable hostel walking distance from the festival and all of our meals were prepared for us by the owner and staff. We were all ready and geared up to see whales on whales in the bay, take pictures of the whales and buy whale t-shirts. After sitting looking out at the water for about an hour, it seemed the festival was lacking one minor detail. I might have seen the back of one whale, but… it very could have been a rock. Regardless of the whale aspect, the trip offered the chance to really get closer with some of the other Americans. It was such a beautiful day and valuable time was spent bonding with the other students while lying in the sun on the shore.

I still remember my first week here, worrying that I would not make any authentic, genuine relationships. This was one of my main goals in coming to South Africa- to find new people to connect with and learn from beyond the surface level. Prior to coming here, I honestly had the perception that I wouldn’t really even talk to Americans and would be laughing and scampering about South Africa with the locals. Surprisingly, those that I have become closest to are not local South Africans, but other American students in my program. As time passed, I found myself wanted to discuss and reflect on the experiences I was having with people who would understand the context. Through both the good times and the more challenging times, I wanted to find peers that could really relate to what I was feeling. I have definitely made local friends and have had many conversations with South Africans; I just have not developed the relationships I anticipated. With all of this said I am so grateful and blessed for the strong relationships I have made! I am learning so much through these friendships and my experience here would not be the same without them. Several of us are already making plans to get together back in the States after the program ends! 🙂

This is Rebekah, one of the other American students. I guess you could say we have become pretty close :) — This is Rebekah, one of the other American students. I guess you could say we have become pretty close 🙂

Kars Kars Kars!

This past weekend we had the opportunity to go on an organized trip with CIEE to Kars, a small city in Northeastern Turkey. By the title of this post, you can already tell I loved it! 🙂
It was definitely interesting to see a completely different side of Turkey: the community Kars finds itself in is very rural and it was also extremely cold, it even snowed while we were there!! The day we flew in we had a small tour of Kars and got to see some cool architecture and learn about the history of the community and the influence of the Russians, Georgians and Armenians in the region.
Our second day there was, well, interesting. Over half of our group got food poisoning from the night before and had to stay at the hotel and recover. Thankfully, my pickiness when it comes to food saved me from that one (yeah Mom and Dad, there you go 😉 ). Me and the other half of the group went to Ani, a town close to Kars, where we got to see some of the most beautiful ruins and the Armenian border.

It was really, really cold but the landscape and ruins were worth the painful cold!

After our tour of Ani, we drove in our bus to Boğatepe, a small village about an hour away. When we arrived, we split into three groups and each group had the opportunity to eat at one of the villager’s homes. The food was fantastic and fresh and it was an amazing experience to interact (through translation from our CIEE coordinator) with our hosts and learn more about their lives.

Got this from my friend Danielle; here with the lady of the house and her daughter-in-law! — Got this from my friend Danielle; here with our host and her daughter-in-law!

After our meal, we learned more about the cheese production in the village and the work of women cultivating herbs for pharmaceutical purposes.Finally, we went back to the hotel to join our sick friends who were feeling a little better after their rough day.
The last day in Kars we visited one of the only two bird-banding stations in Turkey, located an hour and a half from Kars. It was an interesting experience because I know absolutely nothing about birds. At these stations, birds are caught and they are examined and get a small band or bracelet on one of their feet. If that banded bird is caught again somewhere else in the world, more is learned about bird behavior and their migratory patterns, which contributes to furthering research and advocacy for their protection.
Anyway, I have bored you enough with my talk about birds, but I hope you enjoyed reading about this trip as much as I enjoyed experiencing it. Today, a new adventure begins! Kurban Bayramı (a religious holiday-if you want to know more about the religious significance of it, you can read a little about it here: http://www.mymerhaba.com/Bayrams-in-Turkey-119.html) break begins today and I will be traveling with my friend Keelia for 10 days; I am super excited as we will be visiting 4 different cities in the Aegean region of Turkey: İzmir, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Bodrum. My next post will be after the holiday! Hope everyone has a nice fall break! 🙂 Hugs from Turkey!

Climbing to the Scaunul Domnului (Chair of God)

Dangling my feet off of the cliffs of Scaunul Domnului! Unbelievable scenery. Never before have I felt so free. =]

Probably one of my favorite days so far this semester was this past Saturday when we went on a hike in the Calimani Mountains. Our destination was a look-out peak called Scaunul Domnului (the Chair of God). We started our hike at 10:30 am and reached the top of the cliff around 2:00 pm! We carried our lunch in our pockets, and stopped to eat in an open valley on the way up the mountain. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day for a hike!

On the trail up towards the top, we saw fresh signs of a large bear, as well as signs for wild boars. Thankfully, the only animals that attacked us that day were sheep dogs. Apparently, sheep dogs can be pretty vicious, but the shepherds were nearby and able to keep them under control.

They — The dogs may look cute in the picture, but they were pretty scary in person!!

It was a long hike to the top, and the view was definitely worth it!

on top collage — We made it!! Pictured on the top left is the side view of Scaunul Domnului, and the other two photos are taken while standing on Scaunul Domnului.

We ended up taking a different route down the mountain and didn’t make it to the bottom until 6:30 pm. The last couple of hours were miserable for some because we were all tired and hungry, but David, our tour-guide, was cheerful and showed us the food we could and could not eat while on the mountain!

The mushroom on the left is poisonous (and pretty), but the seeds and plant on the right are edible (and pretty tasty)!!

It was a long day, but definitely worth the time and energy. I felt rejuvenated after this hike, and I cannot wait for my next chance to go back to the mountains! Hopefully the snow and cold weather will hold off, because I want to go hiking as much as possible while here.

The girls minus our tour guide — The girls standing on top of Scaunul Domnului! =]

Au o zi buna!

~Marga

Elderly Club Group Outing!

One of the highlights from last week was being able to bump around on a tour bus all day for an Elderly Club Group Outing! We visited the Brancoveanu Monastery and the Brukenthal Palace near Sibiu. A team from the United States joined the excursion with the elderly, along with Damen, a Romanian adopted by an American family. Damen is 23 years old, has a mild case of autism, and was partnered with me for the day. We had a lot of fun admiring the beautiful countryside during our 10 hours together, and had many “moments” throughout the day that were memorable.

Just a glimpse of the monastery — Just a glimpse of the Brancoveanu Monastery

Damen and I sharing a “moment” while walking back to the bus from the monastery.

Beautiful — This photo was zoomed in and taken while riding on the bus, but it was my first time seeing the snow-capped Carpathian Mountains! Absolutely beautiful.

Our second stop of the day was to Brukenthal Palace which during the summer months is open for tours. However, we arrived in the off-season, so we were only able to admire the mansion, guest house, and garden from outside.

One of the elderly women felt the need to pick up a live mouse that we found on the staircase leading up to the mansion. This provided loads of entertainment for all observing and involved!

All in all, it was a fun but long day. We frequently had to stop the bus on the side of the road because someone was feeling car-sick, so that an elderly club member could use the restroom, or to pick the wildflowers and mushrooms on the hillside near the road. It was quite the adventure, and we had a lot of fun touring different parts of Romania!

Sarah and Darbi were the only other two RSP students that traveled with the group. We were fortunate for the opportunity to join the Elderly Club Group Outing!!

La revedere!

*** Marga =)

A Family-Filled Weekend

Oh hi again 🙂

I have decided to write another post about my weekend at home in Granada! Carmen and Fabi’s grandkids stayed with us and I spent a lot of time with them. Their names are Cásper, Laurenzo, and Paulita. It was a special weekend because it was Laurenzo’s 8th birthday :). Now, I have had the chance to get to know them more, especially Cásper. Yesterday, I helped him with his multiplication facts, which I was more than happy to do. We had a lot of fun, despite that it was math homework! I succeeded in making him laugh when I asked what 4*100 was. Later, however, he didn’t make me seem like a good tutor when he didn’t know the answers to the facts Carmen asked. I think he was just messing with her though hahahah (a typical boy). Afterwards, I joined Carmen and Fabi when they took the boys to the García Lorca park, where we tried to pose like the people on the random exercise signs. I was sad that I didn’t bring my phone to take any pictures of this! It would have been a great supplement to this post :(. But, not to worry! I have included a lot of photos from Laurenzo’s birthday party, which was earlier this afternoon. Allie and I were lucky enough to receive invitations ;).

Lol apparently, he couldn't contain his excitement to take a picture with us. — Lol apparently, he couldn’t contain his excitement to take a picture with us.

It’s my host family’s tradition to celebrate birthdays on the mountain, San Miguel, in Granada.

As you can see, Allie and I had fun taking pictures.

The first thing we did was set up the decorations!

I figured out that "Cumple" is a colloquial expression for birthday — I figured out that “Cumple” is a colloquial expression for birthday

After sipping sangria and eating paella, it was time to put the snacks for Laurenzo’s friends on the table.
Unfortunately, Allie and I left early, so we didn’t get to try the cake (I know, what a bummer!), but it was definitely a neat experience to be part of the birthday festivities with my host family.

The American Girl in Spain

Hey everybody! And of course, Happy Homecoming, Hope!!

Over the past couple weeks, I have noticed that I’m starting to see Granada as my new home. Maybe it’s because I found my new favorite drink for breakfast hahaha (see picture)??

ColaCao- The spanish version of chocolate milk :) — ColaCao- The spanish version of chocolate milk 🙂

Or that I found a solid group of girl friends, who encourage me to be more adventurous? When I visited Barcelona, I was sad to leave Granada just for the weekend. I thought if I’m feeling like this now, how about when I have to leave in December? That’s when I realized I am growing attached to this city. I have a pretty good idea of where things are and thus, I rarely have to ask for directions when I need to go somewhere…Yayayy! However, it’s more than just the small things that have been adding to my experience.
For one, I am taking a class at the Universidad de Granada about how to teach spanish :). So far, this has helped make my semester abroad more of an immersion.The class is full of native speakers, but there are a few girls who have been very welcoming.They always invite me to sit by them, clarify things if I don’t understand and are genuinely interested in hearing about life in the States! It’s been fun for me because for the first time ever, I am the popular girl! Also, I have started to dress up on a daily basis like other young Spanish women. There is not one woman on the street wearing athletic attire, which has been a cultural shock for me because I love my gym shoes! Even if I do put together an outfit, I still feel like I don’t quite fit in because my clothes are from American brands. So, I bought a skirt and bracelet from the street market, La Rambla in Barcelona.

Modeling my new skirt ;) — Modeling my new skirt 😉

I must talk about the Spanish brand Mango a lot because Fabi came home the other day with a catalog from the store for me… It was super sweet. We also bonded over my American magazine with Shakira on the cover and discussed how she is married to FC Barcelona player, Gerald Piqué and how she sings that song about “calderas”. Hahaha.
My host family continues to play a major part in my cultural immersion by teaching me what it’s like to live in a Spanish household. Unlike when I live with my parents, I feel more obligated to spend a certain amount of time at home and responsible for keeping my room clean (Carmen lectured me on the first day before I unpacked about this!).
Just yesterday, I mentioned that I was going to get my nails done. She asked me where and how much it cost. After I told her, she INSISTED that her daughter knew a better place and for me to bring her my cell phone so she could call and cancel my appointment. Lol the joke of the day became that I was “a baby” and couldn’t call myself! She is also very obsessed with my hair because she calls me “pelo lindo” or “pretty hair” everyday… the compliment is always welcome 🙂

Interview with a Kiwi

The following is an interview I conducted with a native New Zealander, my Kiwi host, and very good friend, Tim Neilson.

Christian: Let’s get the obvious question out of the way first, what is your favorite part of living in New Zealand?

Tim: Probably just the chilled-outness of the place, really. Everyone here is really cool. New Zealand comes across as one of the friendliest countries in the world. It was meant to be surpassed by Iceland, but I think, realistically, New Zealand is friendlier. Everything is chilled-out, we all get along really well. We’re very open and welcoming to people from other countries.

C: Where is your favorite place to go in New Zealand?

T: My favorite place is Stewart Island, which is a wee island down on the bottom of the South Island. It’s basically New Zealand the way it used to be before it was overcome with immigration.

C: What’s it like to be a Kiwi host?

T: Everyone has something new to teach you, and in the increased globalization in the economy around the world, it’s interesting to get different takes and learn different ways of life and how they compare to things on this side of the world.

C: What’s your favorite recreational activity?

T: In New Zealand we’ve got a huge thing about “doing nothing much”. One thing I’ve noticed about Americans is that you always have to be doing something. Over here we spend a lot of time just hanging out, sipping some drinks and talking.

C: You grew up in the second half of your childhood on a farm.

T: Orchard.

C: Right, orchard. What was that like?

T: I think rural is the word you’re looking for, but whatever. It was only 10 minutes from the township, but it was a small township. It was 70 acres worth so it was more than what you’d get in town. We had motorbikes, we learned how to ride, learned how to drive, and learned how to shoot. Things you couldn’t really do in town. It’s been really nice.

C: Rattle off as many Kiwi phrases that you can think of.

T: Sweet as, she’ll be right, all sorted, keen as, basically throw “as” in the end of words.

C: Describe the rivalry New Zealanders seem to have with Australia.

T: I wouldn’t say it’s a rivalry. It’s more of the same love-hate relationship [as America has with Canada]. We love to beat Australia and they love to beat us. It’s the same relationship as with any close neighbors. It’s just engrained in you. It’s something we’ve always had, I suppose.

C: Last words of wisdom for an American who would like to visit New Zealand.

T: I would say, just do it. I honestly haven’t met an American who hasn’t wanted to come back or move here permanently.

C: Thanks, Tim. Make sure you come to America someday. We’ll be waiting for you.

T: I definitely will.
Tim and I

Hoş geldiniz!

Finally, my first blog post from Istanbul! I am sorry I have not been updating at all but the past three weeks have been super busy and I was having trouble uploading pictures to the system! Anyway, I’m here!!!! And it’s been 3 weeks and I can’t believe it!

The trip here was one of the worst I’ve experienced internationally BUT I made it and that’s all that counts! During our first week here, protests in Taksim resurfaced and there was concern about what would happen but things seem to have settled for now and we are all hoping for the best. I decided to title this post “Welcome!” because I love that every time I go into a shop or restaurant or anything the Turks say it with such warmth it truly makes you feel welcome; and that’s honestly how I’ve felt ever since I arrived.
I admit I was very scared of coming here, I didn’t know what to expect and leaving my Hope friends was difficult but I knew this would be different than anything I’ve experienced- and it has been. In the best possible way.

During our CIEE orientation we had the opportunity to go on a scavenger hunt in groups around Istanbul. My group got to explore Sultanahmet, the historic district, and it was truly an adventure! That was honestly the moment the realization of being here hit me. We had the chance to visit our first mosque and we also went to the spice market – it was so much fun!

The language barrier has been the toughest part of my journey; Turkish is a very difficult language but I am working hard at it and I hope that by the end of my stay here I am able to communicate more efficiently.
Guys, I love it here. Istanbul is so alive and even though the traffic is insane and it’s so crowded everywhere, there is some magic in that chaos that I can’t put into words. My favorite historical site that I’ve visited is definitely the Hagia Sophia: formerly a church and now a museum. The mosaics and architecture are astounding and the walls and ceilings just took my breath away!

I just ended my second week of classes – registration was super stressful but I am happy with my final course selections and I look forward to learning more about Turkish culture and society and exploring things from a different perspective.
Next weekend we’re going on a trip to Kars, a small town in northeastern Turkey, very close to Armenia. It will definitely be interesting to see a whole different part of Turkey (I hear) and compare it to what I’ve seen in Istanbul so far. I think one of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with this city so quickly is it’s complexity; there is such a mix of EVERYTHING here and the tension between ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’, ‘east’ and ‘west’ is very tangible.
There is so much more that I could say, but I will leave it at that for now. I promise to be better about updating the blog! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂

The First Glimpse

I have been in Romania for a little over one week now and it feels like so much has happened already! This past week has been filled with all sorts of emotions. As I am still soaking up the new environment and trying to settle into my new routine, I found it helpful to organize my thoughts and adventures under these categories:

My Host Family

My host family is fantastic! The first night that Jill and I arrived into Sighisoara, they greeted us with a delicious fresh baked plum cake. Jill and I were a little exhausted from the 24+ hours of traveling, so after chatting for a bit, we retired for the evening in our room. Jill and I also have our own bathroom – which apparently is rare for students in this program, so we sure are lucky. 🙂

The room is huge! This is just my half. 🙂

Fortunately, Romania starts school later in September, so Oana, my host sister who is also in college, is able to spend time with us before she leaves for her school of design in Cluj, Romania. Oana, who speaks English very well, is a lot of fun and gave Jill and I our first official tour of the citadel! There happened to be a Film Festival that first weekend that we arrived, so Saturday evening, Jill and I met with Oana’s friends in the citadel to watch a Romanian film (without English subtitles!), and on Sunday night we returned to the citadel to listen to a few local Romanian bands. Oana just so happened to have studied abroad in Latvia last semester (!!!) so we were able to bond over our similar experiences. It will be sad when Oana has to go back to Cluj, because she has been extremely helpful with adjusting to the Romanian lifestyle.

Food!

Growing up on a fruit farm, I was particularly worried that I would not be able to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as I am used to. What a surprise I’ve had! The majority of the food that we eat is grown in my host family’s backyard or is bought at the local farm market on Wednesdays or Saturdays. Our milk is straight from the neighbor’s cow, so in the mornings, I strain the fat out of the milk myself! Raspberries, sweet red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, herbs – you name it, we probably have it in the garden! It is a great season to be visiting. 🙂 Oh, and I absolutely love the neighbor’s fresh grapes! They’re incredible! My host family prefers to eat only organic food, and I love the healthy options that they provide for Jill and I each day.

Schedule/ Classes

As I mentioned before, the Romanians were still enjoying their summer break this past week, and therefore some of the Veritas programs (like Kids Club, Adolescent Youth Group, Kindergarten, and Special Needs Club) will not start until tomorrow (Monday the 16th). However, we, the RSP students, were kept extremely busy this past week in preparation for the start of the Veritas programs. Jill and I have a 30 minute walk each morning into the citadel where our classroom in the House on the Rock (one of the Veritas buildings) is located. This past week, our Romanian language class started at 8 am, and was either followed by a Romanian history class or a Romanian literature class. After classes, we would have a 15 minute walk over to the Family Center (the other Veritas building where most of the programs take place) where lunch was prepared for the Veritas staff and students (we will continue to have our lunches prepared for us during the weekdays at the Family Center throughout the semester). After lunch, our afternoons were filled with home visits, staff meetings, visiting elderly clubs, and listening to presentations on what each program consists of at Veritas. These presentations and informative meetings were crucial in helping me decide which programs I wanted to participate in this semester for my field practicum. Tomorrow, after language class, the plan is for me to attend an elderly club until lunch, and then after lunch work with the adolescent/teen club.The schedules are still very likely to change, but I have been told that after this first week it gets easier because then we’re able to settle into a routine.

Most importantly on this trip so far I have learned to: 1) stay flexible – our schedules are constantly changing, 2) force myself to try to get to sleep at night at a reasonable hour, and 3) keep relying on God for strength each day. This semester will be a challenge, but I know good things are happening here.

The RSP students! In the Back: (Left to Right): Jill, Me, Deanna, Lauren, Sarah; Front: (Left to Right): Veronica, Darbi, Ashley

Marga =)

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