Our first day at the school and hospital

The six of us gathered for breakfast around 8:00. Dan, co-country manager, came in after breakfast. We held the typical morning meeting with the message for the day and the journal reading. Richard volunteered to write the journal for Tuesday and September offered to bring the message for the day. After breakfast all volunteers returned to their rooms for final preparation before starting the day’s work.

Today was our first day at the school and hospital. Margaret, Lori, and I went to the school while Laura, Corey, and September went to the hospital. As Margaret and I are not teachers, today was a bit nervous for us. Around 12:00 we “teachers” returned to the hotel and met the hospital team, and we compared our morning. The first morning at school ended with mixed results. Rich and Margaret found that the morning students were less proficient in English than was expected. There was a need to change the program for the afternoon group. Flexibility is a necessity. Lori played Multiplication Bingo (for other journal readers – this game is used to give practice saying the numbers, from 1-144, in English, not to teach math) with her class and had a good morning with them. The hospital team all had a rewarding time with the children.  September wondered how hard it’s going to be say goodbye to them. Corey had a good time, as he expected, running up and down the corridors with one of the little girls.

After lunch we returned to the hospital and school. Richard and Margaret’s revised program worked better, and the afternoon group is also more proficient in English. We had to go over vowel sounds, an important beginning concept for all the classes. We had them write small sentences and then we played Hangman and Food Jingo. We had a good afternoon at the school.

Entry submitted by: Richard

Message of the Day – September: “Anybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Becoming a team

Our team of six assembled at the Bucharest airport. When all had arrived, the luggage was quickly loaded into the van for the trip to Bârlad. We traveled about two hours and then stopped in Bazau for supper at McDonald’s.  Then it was another two hours north. North of Bazau we began to see the vineyards, of course in a dormant phase during March. We also saw snow banks clinging to sheltered areas where the early spring sun was not yet warm enough to melt them.

   

It was dark by the time we arrived in Bârlad. We quickly checked into Hotel Moldova. The first question we had: What’s the password for the wireless? Most had good luck getting connected. Laura, Corey, and Lori went to the Penny Market hunting for important needs: wine and chocolate. Most retired for an early night as jet lag is alive and well among the volunteers.

Sunday morning found us all at breakfast around 9:00. Afterwards some went for a morning walk. At 11:30 Mihaela arrived. She led us on a bit of tour of Bârlad and then to the Alona restaurant where we had lunch. New volunteers were amazed by the restaurant’s décor which certainly can be described as “eclectic!”  While we waited for the food to arrive, Mihaela explained the Global Volunteers’ history in Bârlad. We all did a personal introduction, but truthfully we had covered introductions in the van and at breakfast as well.  Following lunch, we walked to the school at which Mihaela is both teacher and vice-principal. There we worked on establishing personal and team goals. The team goals we established are:

(1) To better a child’s life

(2) to learn about Romanian people and culture

(3) To help students

(4) To have fun.

Next we established Characteristics of an Effective Team, namely: 

patience

kindness/gentleness

flexibility

ability/willingness to learn new things

   communication

We walked about the school building, admiring the beautiful architecture. Then we came back to the hotel for a break that appeared to include some naps!

At 5:15 we gathered again in the hotel dining room. Mihaela started a Romanian language lesson, but when we were joined by Mr. Stefanik, the vice-principal of the school where some of the volunteers will be teaching, we changed to discussing the plans for the school teaching program. Mihaela then went on to plan with the volunteers who will be working at the Children’s Hospital. We did return to the Romanian language lesson, making valiant effort to roll the Rs.

Final plans for the days are to have breakfast at 8:15, team meeting at 8:30 for the journal and message of the day, departure of volunteers to the hospital at 9:00, and departure of the teaching volunteers at 9:40. We will review the day’s activities at a team meeting over the evening meal.

Entry submitted by: Lori  

Message of the Day - Dan: “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of a candle will not be shortened. Happiness is never decreased by being shared.” - Buddha 

We're Waiting For You!!

Posted by Mary Synk, intreped Romania volunteer!  Please come volunteer SOON!

Tiny Treasures

This past week, I have met some very special children and the wonderful people who care for them.  Two of the children were in isolation due to chicken pox, and that limited the number of children who could come from the placement center this week.  But I thoroughly enjoyed the children I did meet.

Alina is full of energy and joy.  I no sooner entered the room the first day than she stood on the top bar of her crib, and as soon as I got close enough, jumped and wrapped her arms and legs around me like a monkey.  She is active every minute.  She loves to sing.  The impact of previous volunteers is very evident.  She comes up to me and prompts me with "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "E I E I O" in perfect English. 

 Gabriela is quieter, and will play by herself, but her face lights up when I engage her one-on-one.  With her dark, deep eyes, it seems she is looking right into my soul.  The only problem is Alina gets very jealous if anyone else gets attention.  It's amazing how she can squirm her little body in between me and whoever else I am playing with.

 I will admit being a little nervous about meeting Delia, but I loved her from the first moment I saw her.  I discovered she likes to make funny faces and noises in the mirror.  It's fun to watch her mimic me.  I love playing on the floor with her, and watching her wiggle around, kick her leg and roll over.  When she laughs, her whole body laughs.

 Little Andre, just 11 months old seems so fragile.  When he cries, I want to cry too.  I watched Dan rub his back to comfort him, which seems all we can do for him right now. 

I felt awkward with Abel.  I didn't know how to relate to him.  I watched Dan help him walk, and he seemed to enjoy that, but I am a bit nervous about taking him out of his crib myself. 

 
Tiberiu joined us the last two days of the week.  He liked looking at the picture postcards and the pictures on the Memory game cards I brought.  On Friday, he had my undivided attention for awhile, sitting on my lap in the rocking chair.  He seemed very content, and to my amazement, Alina didn't even interrupt.

 All these children are wonderful, but it's little Cleo who has stolen my heart.  She has the most beautiful eyes and a genuine smile that lights up her whole face.  I think it is a smile of pure contentment when something delights her.   It is for her, that I selected this week's quote.  She cannot talk with words, but I can hear the song in her heart loud and clear.

I appreciate the opportunity to teach English in the middle school this week.  As much as I liked being with the children at the hospital, it is emotionally draining.  The afternoons at school were a good balance for me. 

 An added bonus of being here over the holidays is the pleasure of being invited to Christmas shows at school.  I attended one at the high school that showcased ALL the arts -- music, dancing, singing, acting, visual arts, origami, even culinary arts.  (OK, I will admit I snuck a few pastries in my purse which I enjoyed for breakfast the next day).

The show at the elementary school was delightful. I was amazed by the confidence of these young children to perform so well in front of family and friends.  I was especially impressed by 3rd graders performing a waltz and delightfully surprised by Mihaela's daughter's solo vocal in perfect English.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's Christmas party.  Now that I know the children a bit, it will be fun to pick out a special gift for each child. 

 I'm also very glad two more volunteers are arriving mid-week.  It will be so hard to leave these children.  Even just thinking about now makes me cry.  But it will be a bit easier knowing that there will be volunteers here to continue on, at least for a while. 

- Mary