In Romania, it is now:

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Bumpy Rides and Smooth Landings

Silver linings, half-full glasses, roller coaster rides, life's balancing act--all of these could be the title for this entry. The past week has been filled with some of the worst and some of the best experiences ever. Briefly, the bad news items: whopping fine for a suitcase 3 lbs over, trains weren't running at Hartfield, AT&T cancelled my iPhone a day early so I had no service in Chicago, new netbook crashed the night before we left Chicago (staging) for Romania, seated on a totally-full plane next to a family with a screaming 2-yr.old for 9 hours to Europe (screamed when he was sad, screamed when he was happy, didn't sleep, and the parents were as loud as he was), and spent 3 days in a hotel whose restaurant seemed to be connected to a butcher shop--I've never seen so much meat and at every meal. But now for the good news: the heavy suitcase became lighter for the trans-Atlantic flight when a fellow PCV offered space in her bag for some of my stuff, my concourse at Hartsfield was only B, two different kind PCVs let me use their phones while in Chicago, I was able to dash out with less than an hour before our bus left the hotel in Chicago and, thanks to St. Jose, the world's kindest taxi driver, found a place open and bought another netbook and got back to the hotel with ten minutes to spare, after the rather miserable flight (I clamped headset to ears, watched three movies, and drank the complimentary wine whenever it came by), we were greeted in Bucharest early Friday morning by a cheery group of PC staff and volunteers holding a big banner and ushering us to the waiting buses, and I'm now with the wonderful family who will host me for 11 weeks--Mihai, a Baptist minister, Felicia (Fa LEET cha), a vocational school English teacher, and their two adorable little sons, Andre and Stefon, who all love FRUIT! The mantra we volunteers hear constantly is "Patience, flexibility, and humor." So far it's a good coping strategy--with a little help from my friends. ;-)

8 comments:

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  2. Glad to hear you made it in one piece, even if you had a bumpy experience on the way. Let me know if you have any questions about your replacement netbook, of course. We're all proud of you, Mom!

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  3. Hello, Clela! Cason passed this on to me and I am excited about hearing of all your experiences in (and reflections on) Romania. I am a more faithful reader than corresponder, but know that I am thinking about you and holding you in my thoughts and prayers.
    Joan Sherwood

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  4. Well, darn it, Clela. I didn't think that thing would weigh three pounds!!
    This was just the "test run" to see how you'd do, and it seems to me that you did just fine. I hardly can wait to read the next installation in this ongoing adventure!

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  5. Clela - thanks for the blog - great reading of your experiences! Also thanks for the updates on your books. I love all that I have and will get others that I don't have. Your Cousin, Carolyn (Kaite) Dyess Bales

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  6. Oh my! I'm sure there's more than ample material here for a poem or two. Sounds as if you have some great coping skills -- not a surprise, however.
    Lynn

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  7. Hi Sis. Proud of you. As usual you are coping beautifully. Keep us all informed of your experiences - we love and miss you

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  8. Can relate to the extra charge for overweight luggage. The night before we left Chicago, Adam proposed to Beth (we like her very much)and when we returned to the hotel, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries were in the room - sent by Adam's employer. Because it was late, Adam and Beth decided not to open it. So, Adam asked us to put the champagne in our checked luggage. Don't know if that caused the bag to be overweight (it wasn't when we left Montgomery or they didn't weigh it there). Cost us $90!!! Richard was the only one with luggage to check - we had all gone on ahead thru the screening - so he had no one to carry the bottle - which I guess they wouldn't have allowed anyway. Sure hope that champagne tasted good back in Auburn.

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