Cosmina's 18th Birthday Dinner

I was at work while (I interrupt this blog to post this message: I GOT A VIDEO TO WORK!!! ON MY MP4 PLAYER DAD GOT ME FROM ASIA!!! I'VE BEEN USING IT FOR MUSIC, but I knew it played movies, and nothing worked!! Until I researched and found that I AMV's would work, but no!!! not any AMV'S *muahahha that would be too easy!!! After many-a programs later, and may trial runs made from differently formatted files HA!! AVI --> AMV MUST BE DONE!! I GOT THE ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES TO PLAY!!! I can watch a movie!! All I have to do, is download things, reformat things, download it into my 1 1/2 inch by 2 inch mp4 player to watch it *happy dance jiggle*) Maybe I could have boughten a dvd player, maybe there was an and obvious solution: something worked!)

Okay, so was teaching kids during Cosmina's day festivities, but I got home at about 5-6, I was sat down to a very late lunch of (think it was chicken or turkey) and mamaliga, then I ran into the house to get ready. Neighbors didn't get ready and I was confused.
We were driven to the city, and we ran into a jewelery store: Cosmina, Yulla, I and Aunt, and we bought Cosmina her birthday necklace. Apparently we can trade in our old gold jewelery for 1/2 price of it's worth (they weight it) and that's what we did for Cosmina.
p.s. I've noticed it's very very popular for women to have gold necklaces, bracelets and many rings, and for both guys and girls to have earrings. For guys two or one earring, but the earring has to be on the left ear (how 80's and 90's!) I remember that generation style!

Girls got ready at Aunt's house. Don't they look cute! Yulla is 15 and Cosmina 18. They are my neighbors and include me in whatever they do these days.

I didn't realize I wasn't wearing enough mascara until I saw this picture. Gar....I always always have to look my best (and more!) cause everyone else looks too good!

We had a dinner for Cosmina. She said it's normal for people's 18th to be a giant party (not like an Indian party, but I guess like in the US, people's sweet 16), but they're moarning for someone right now and they didn't want too big of a celebration. Doesn't this look just like parties in the US?
(p.s. Okay, That girl across from me doesn't drink too cause she doesn't like it. That's like th 10th person who's said that to me, and I didn't say I didn't drink first, however, I've noticed all of them have been female). I though ppl drank a lot more commonly in Europe, but *shrug*

Me with Yulla, and then with Cosmina. As I promised: more pictures of me =)

We with other neighbor who's 23 and I just met really, and her name is Yulla too.
Happy B-DAY to the Birthday girl!!!
In Romania, we say: La Multi Ani!! [lah muhl-zee ahn]
I noticed I have a very different taste in photos from everyone there. I thought this pictures of Cosmina was wayyyy cute! But no once else did =/

I got a video of us all singing the song =) I was kinda mumbling along at first, but them I stopped because my horrible singing would be recorded louder than the rest (yes you may thank me through comments on the blog). Practice Practice my friends (in Romanian) my b-day is in September. Though, for me this year, it's kinda an ewie age, a lot less fun that 18 for sure.

Here's the pretty b-day girl. She wanted to be a Princess, and I think she looked the part. She's kinda like my sis Amelia, in the way that she's hot and got a talent for style and taste (I admit it, I think my sis Amelia is hot, hotter than me for sure).

After the party, the 3 of us girls (we are becoming closer because I eat with them at least once a week, and I am welcomed to hang out in their house, I've been to their grandparents' homes, and their aunts, and quiet a few of their family events) all went to the aunts and spent the night (there was no where else for me to go anyway in the city). I didn't know I was spending the night, cause when I asked Cosmina said not to worry because it's her birthday....=/ So I didn't ask. 3 very hot (as in it was probably 90's at night) girls in a bed too close to one another, in our underwares: how cute.
(I was a dancer, and on a swim team, so I am a lot less conservative than most, and a lot less conservative than the normal Asian for sure!) We turn our backs and close our doors when we dress in my Asian family, but here in Europe I've seen topless people I've met that same day!
So that was my Wednesday.

BBQ picnic for Iuliana's name day

For my neighbor's name day: her name is Iuliana, but we call her Yulla [You-lah] we went out on a BBQ, it started at 11am Sunday and I was home at 7pm. I didn't expect that we'd eat breakfast, lunch and dinner there.
I reminded me a lot of camping, without the sleeping outside part.

Her family from the city came, we got into cars, drove not too far and found a spot in some trees out where there wern't houses but there were forests. It's random how there's patches of forest off the main road of houses.
We just pulled over and had a BBQ, we brought our own wood and ax, and the men prepared the fire.

We ladies laid out the blankets, and those two girls are my neighbors and the older lady is the grandmother to the tyke. His parents are in Italia, like soooooo many families of Romania.
We had yummy mici's [meee-ch]. They are pork...think of hamburger meat, with garlic. Just a mix of meat with spices, we grilled. That was breakfast and lunch.

We dipped them in mustard and ate them with bread. I think I ate about 7, and I had a very full tummy for the rest of the afternoon. The little kid reminds me of Dudely Dursley, but my neighbors are in love with him. Yes, he's drinking mustard, and they are in the correct order.

I was the only girl to play football. I can't aim in flipflops, but I think I impressed them with my powerful kicks with my thighs of an elephant. I have huge stubby thighs, as of the people of my race, but most Romanian females have long thing legs and I'm semi jealous, if not just self concious.

I tried to make a game for the little guy. Here's me trying to sit in a tree, it didn't work very well.

Dinner was grilled chicken and more bread. We had watermelon and cakes, and sunflower seeds, beer and soda. My neighbors are super giving and gave the random sheepherder and his two kids a full meal too. =)


My neighbors, as in the whole family = giving. The girls always have a candy for a little kid, or an ice cream, or a toy (if they're on the way to a small shop in the village). The mom and dad are the same way too.
I told the girls about how we're more hesitant about giving in the US, especially in CA since we're mostly afraid of being sued. They think it's odd. I would love to give someone a cupcake if I had two, but I don't want to get in trouble. Maybe I'm just paranoid.