Another press release - swearing in**

Hello Everyone!!

I've got internet! That means I don't feel bad about going online to work on my blog. Yes this is soooo anti-social right now, staying in my apartment to work online, BUT these pictures must be put up before I forget about them:

Here are pictures from Swearing-in.


Let's start it out right: here is Cynthia with her homestay coordinator (guy who's in charge of housing issues), and her language professor. Daniel and Samuel are brothers and I believe both are going to be working with the next group of volunteers coming in 1 week: group 25.

This is Anne and our new Program Manager for CED. Her name is Oana, and she's my manager. If I need something for projects I ask her, if I have problems with housing, etc..she can direct me to the right resource. I met her only 2 weeks before this ceremony, right before the site visit. She made the time to sit down and help me translate with my counterpart, which was very sweet of her. I don't have the best memory (sadly), so sorry if I repeat things in my blog. Anne's outfit matched the pansy's at the Ambassador's house =)
That is "Dreamy Dave" which all the pre-teen female youths are in Love with. I admit it, I think he's dreamy too, and his insides are just as amazing as his outside, he really is the sweetest guy I've ever met, and from what I've gathered in our hang outs, I don't think we have too much in common, asa [ah-sha](oh well).

Well here are some of us all dressed up waiting in line for the food. Keep scrolling down and see why. It was very pretty food, unfortunately I was near the end of the line, and didn't get to taste some of it, but that's okay! Because I had good company in the back, and you know what? It's time to lose some of that Romanian 15 (lbs, or if we want to do it the EU way: about 7kgs).
It's not that food is that horrid: salami, bread, oil, pasta, mayo, and some cucumber and tomatoes. It's the fact that I was Taught to eat Everything put in front of me out of politeness. So...It was for the best that I didn't have to see and smell the food I missed.

My pictures are scrambled and I can't move them, so:

Here's me and Erica, the two doll like people (or so I've heard us being called).





Here's 2 of my language teachers: Ioana and Elena (real name: Corina).














Here's the Ambassador's house in Romania, in Bucharesti. We had the ceremony under a canopy over the the left in this picture.
No idea why?! But a Lot of the female cops in Romania look like supermodels. I am not kidding. Look at her! but the men are old and cop looking, not like super models. Their nails are usually painted nicely too. I don't get it? Do they get harassed as hot female cops? I haven't seen a fat ugly Romanian woman cop at all.








Awww. I love this picture of Emily and I. I have no idea why she's so tall in this picture because I'm sure we're closer in height. My leg is bent I think. Don't we look pretty? (rhetorical question here)




Nils just woke up, sleepy head.










Here's the press release:

In on the very very left, you can see 1/2 of me.
http://bucharest.usembassy.gov/US_Policy/Press_Releases/Peace_Corps_04052008.html

Practicum

We did a project, where we went to a place and met with people and had to decide on a project to do over the course of 7 weeks and finish it.

It was vague and our projects all differ greatly, from teaching at a school to meeting with the EU to working with farmers.

We started at the Mayor's office and gradually were able to aim ourselfs towards a school and work on a smaller project.

My group taught 7th and 8th graders how to start their own business. From where to get loans, to knowing that locations are key, to covering topics such as marketing and competition.

We touched the basics, but I think it was fun and easy enough to comprehend.

We taught the class on Tuesday last week and then we made the class split into 4 groups and they each designed their own business.

My group made a magazin = a small market kindof like a 7/11.

The English teacher there: Roxana was a great help in getting us students, in organizing her classes so that we could teach, to even letting us borrow her lesson plans so we could make our own.

This is a picture of the 5 of us.

Yesterday we went to 3 of her other classes so we could say a few words to her other students too. We gave them candy, so it wasn't too awkward.

From left to right: Neil, Janet, Cynthia, Erica, Roxana

Alive! and Awake!

I am alive!!

I arrive in Romania Ploiesti yesterday (2/21) approximately at 4:30pm. We were allowed time for a short nap and shower before dinner at 6pm. I took the shower, because 1 day 8 hours of traveling can make a person feel dirty and then I took an Amazing 10 minute nap.

Anyway, to give a timeline with pictures of our travel from Phili, PA to Ploiesti, Romania:

This is Erika and Anna, taking a bus from Phili to New York. They are engaged in a very deep conversation. There are authentic East coast trees in the background, notice the have no leaves in February.



(disclaimer) The writer of this blog is still suffering from jet lag, which includes delusional writing, dehydration, and apparently swollen ankles.



Above are signs I took pictures of to show that we went past New Jersey and we were on the Brooklyn Bridge. Eh. After seeing the Golden Gate bridge all my life, the Brooklyn was impressive, but I was indifferent. If you squint really hard (as hard as I had to, even with my 12X zoom) you can see the Statue of Liberty behind and to the top right of the red barge. It's several shades lighter than I thought it would be.



Alight, here is New York. We got into some traffic, so I had more time to enjoy the scenery.
I saw China town of some sorts because there were a bunch of Chinese stores down a few blocks. Then I saw a lot of Getty gas stations, which I've never seen in California. Here's a White Castle restaurant for those you who appreciate it.

These two pictures were taken at the NY airport; the J. F. Kennedy airport to be precise. Notice Joe standing in the line in the picture to the left. Behind him sits Janet (I believe, it's hard to see the image), Besty, and then Sean. On the picture to the right, there is Maggie giving us a beautiful greeting! I think that's Neal looking off into the distance.













Here are some pictures of us on the plane. I've only taken 2 international flights, old enough to remember, but this one was by far the better one. The 7 hour ride flew by, so to speak. In these nifty seats sits: Dave, Betsy, myself and Prudie. We got a blanket, a pillow, and free headphones! to use, not to keep.













Here's me getting ready to dig into that airplane food. We were given real silverware!! I was impressed. The center picture was an impressive dinner, and the right picture is lunch. We had real butter and cheese and everything. International flight also served free alcohol, which I didn't consume but I thought it was cool they offered. We also saw 2 movies, but nothing I really liked.

Here is a sign from the German airport we spent a long long time at. We were sad because there was no carpeting and we were really tired. We couldn't go into our gate area until 1 hour before our flight and the security checking there is very very thorough there (some may say exciting or invigorating).

This is us trying to sleep at the airport (Megan, Betsy, Jenn, Jackie). Some succeeded more than others. I couldn't sleep a wink there. There were too many people watching (I was hoping we didn't stand out too much yet, guess not)

Here's some pictures I took as we were riding the bus from the airport in Bucharest to Ploiesti (Ploy-yes-t). This is not how all Romania looks like, but just from the strip from our ride. See the chickens on the bottom right? I was under the impression that there was only bread and pigs. Yay chicken! Too bad I left my lemon pepper at home =(

Here are some big corporations I
found in Romania. They weren't hard to spot. I've not spotted a Denny's yet, but here's a McD and Coke a Colas.
It's weird cause Poly has no Coke and now I like in a place where I don't think there's Pepsi.


This is where we've been staying since we've landed in Romania. We're share our rooms with a roommate, and while lots of stuff in these rooms are similar to hotels in the US, there were a few surprises.
One surprise involve me flushing the toilet thinking it was the light switch. (I wasn't the only one)

Here is a picture of the currency here. It's called the lei (like the Hawaiian lei you put around your neck) or Ron (like Ron Wesley).

It's exchange rate is 1 Ron per 0.40 USD as of today.

Pictures!! of people during our 1st official Romanian dinner. There's Susie sitting next to Anne, myself sitting next to Mrs. Nils (aka Emily) and Sarah from Montana and David. For people who were really really sleep deprived, and some of us unshowered, I think we looked very impressive.


I saw this picture while eating dinner. It's a Greek scene, the world Artemis is chiseled in the glass too, but it was pretty.

And that my family and friends, was the end of our long trip. It was concluded with a tiramisu like desert and then bed.