The English Club

A couple of weeks ago, I volunteered as facilitator for an Expat English Club. My responsibility entails organizing meetings and facilitating online discussions. So, this past Thursday we had the very first meeting of this 'club' and 6 people showed up out of the 60+ signed up. Considering this was the first meeting, 10% is not a bad start. Why would we devote time to something like this? First of all because it is an excellent avenue to make inroads into the international community in Bucharest. Secondly, because we want to be a positive force in the lives of those we get to meet and would like to pursue discussing spiritual matters with them.

Here is a quick summary of those who came:

DANI - an American from Oregon who is in the middle of a world motorbike tour and is currently wintering in Romania after having come here form East Asia and Rusia.

KAIS - a Frenchman from Paris, has only been in Bucharest for about a week. Wants to meet other internationals and get to enjoy life as a bachelor while in Bucharest.

MICHEL - also from Paris, he's been in Bucharest for about 3 months. He works at a French bank in the city, and is an atheist. We established this after I commented how refreshing it was to be able to feel free to discuss politics and religion without cultural inhibitions. Unlike in the US, in France there no politics/religion taboos in discussion, and people are not relegated to discussing the weather. Michel was kind to inform me that he shocks people when he tells them he is an atheist, but that he categorically believes there is not a higher being.

RANDY - from Pittsburg, has been in Romania for about 3 years and is currently working for an English business magazine in Bucharest.

DANIELA - a native Romanian, has a boyfriend in Atlanta who is considering moving to Romania in the summer. She wants to practice her English, as well as have a group of people to introduce him to when he arrives.

MARGUERITTE - from France, is Michel's colleague at the bank and is wanting to get to know people as she's only been in Bucharest for about 2 weeks.

Please keep them in your prayers as you ask God for others to come to know of the sacrifice of Christ, our Lord.

This is a blatant no-no in Romanian culture, one just does not go out in the cold without being bundled up. If anyone would have seen us they would have yelled to go inside so we don't catch a cold or worse. Therefore, we're here in clear contravention of cultural norms and would have to deny it ever happened if this picture becomes public :).

The view from our balcony. Last night snowed a whole bunch. Fortunately, the city is not panick striken when snow falls, and clean up crews can be seen hard at work clearing up the roads.

Week in review...

First of all, sorry for a rather slow posting week. Between the customs office, visa office, and clinic work, time has flown by once again at a fast pace. We're making slow progress in terms of visa and customs office, but we're making some progress and we're thankful for that.

After a relatively warm winter, it is now snowing outside! The kids are totally loving it. We went to some friends' house for lunch today, after crossing the town from one end to the other, and made it there safely after going only 20-25 mph on the snowy streets.

Which brings us to the next point! We got a car! Praise God for this! On Wednesday, I spent about 5 hours with the seller going to the different offices needed to complete the sale, only to find out that we can't buy a car in Romania until we get a visa. Why? Because the car has to be registered in someone's SSN (the Romanian equivalent is PNC - personal numeric code). However, we paid the seller the money due for the car and were able to obtain ownership of the car immediately, though we have to register the car in our names after obtaining the visa - which from what we understand will take a few days of no driving while it is being transferred.

A sticker shock was the fact that we had to pay 1% of the money withdrawn to pay the car. In othe words, the bank charges 1% of our own money when taken out.

- C

Coming in soaked to the bone after playing in the abundant snow at some friends' house.

Bundled up and ready to go for a drive in the snow.

And we finally got some snow.

Daniela getting picked up from school. On rainy days, the unpaved street becomes challenging to navigate as water puddles hide the big holes.

Naomi, our little supermodel, graciously displays the dryer and the microwave, both located in the kitchen pantry.

The living room, with A/C!!!!!

The main hallway, with good storage on the right, the bedroom doors on the left, and the bathroom straight ahead.

This is the kitchen, which is right by the entrance door. What you see is pretty much about it. The appliances are new, and the apartment has been recently renovated, thus making it a lot easier for us to enjoy it.

Welcome to our home. This is the entrance. Notice the 4 locks on the door. The area we live in is quite safe, so fortunately we don't have to go through the daily routine of quadruple locking.

Enjoying the last few days of sunshine. Here in front of the Triumph Arch, a WWI memorial.

Jumping through the hoops.

Today we received word our container has arrived in Romania and will be available for shipping to Bucharest soon. After going to the customs office to find out what documents are needed to get the container cleared, we got the bomb news that we need to have the temporary residency visa before the container is freed by customs. It shocked us because just last week we obtained quotes from moving companies that also do customs clearing on behalf of their clients (for about $350) and the temporary residency visa was not one of the documents needed for them to customs clearing for us. So, in reality, there are two sets of rules - depending who's inquiring.

Another piece of news that even brought a smile on our faces is the fact that we need "photos" of the contents of our container. What for, we asked. Apparently, if we have the photos stamped by the custom authorities upon entrance in the country, we can prove we take the same things with us upon exiting the country. It seems having photos of our contents is the right way of ensuring that what's coming in is going out.

Also today, we went to the "Passport Office for Foreigners," a visa application office. One of the requirements for applying for temporary residency is 5 years worth of health insurance. Whoolala!!!! But, not too worry... just outside the building one can find about 4 or 5 guys selling... bogus health insurance. It's not quite bogus because you get a paper stating you are insured, just don't try to use the insurance because there are no covered benefits. Total price tag for 5 years worth of "health insurance": $600 for a family of 5. Some expensive paper! While we do have our health insurance covering us internationally for up to 10 million dollars, it just doesn't seem to suffice for the Romanian visa authorities. This sort of begs the question: what is their cut from the bogus 'insurers'? This, friends, is quite typical around here.

One of our Romanian acquaintances helping us through the visa process couldn't have put it any better: Romanian authorities are in love with rubber stamps. If a form or something doesn't have a stamp on it, it is not official. Sometimes there are two or three stamps, each from a different office (meaning that getting a form approved one has to spend days collecting rubber stamps from various offices). And everything has to be on color letterhead and signed with blue ink.

On a positive note, we were able to get a refrigerator and dryer. Praise God!

C & S

Crocodile saves man from killer tsunami

[World News]: London, Jan 12 : A Sri Lankan pensioner, Upali Gunasekera, has revealed that he was saved from the killer tsunami waves by a crocodile. Gunasekera said that the crocodile was one, which regularly visited the garden of his house in Matara, Sri Lanka.

He was taking a stroll in the garden overlooking a river and the sea, when the tsunami struck washing him away in the high tidal waves. According to Ananova, Gunasekera clutched a floating stool with one hand and a chair with the other, and managed to stay afloat until a wave knocked them from his grip.

That was when he saw what he thought was a log moving towards him and clung on to it, but soon realized that he was holding on to the crocodile.
Gunasekera had begun to give up the hope of surviving the disaster, but felt the 'friendly crocodile' nudge his belly and push him to the safety of the river bank. (ANI)

************************

A few postings ago we mentioned about our friends who happened to be in Sri Lanka at the time of the tsunami incident. Fortunately, they were not injured though they were critically close to the affected area. The story above is a true story of our friend's relative.

As we're now settling in and are starting to have to deal with the routine things like internet connection, telephone, electricity, etc., etc., we're amazed at the amount of energy and time it takes to get things done. As we mentioned in our previous blog, paying bills for the various things requires a serious time commitment as one has to physically go to the company's office to make the payment in cash.

The latest thing we're dealing with now is obtaining Internet cable connection for our phone. This simple task has taken at least three days of work. We've been able to sign up today and are expecting a hook up in the next 15 days. Cable companies have a monopoly over certain areas of the city and they don't cross into each other's territory. This greatly stifles competition and gives the companies an edge over their clients. So, we've now entered our waiting period, without any other options.

The car we saw last week, turns out, had its odometer changed (kilometers were 'removed' off the total number) to make the car more interesting to buyers. Fortunately, the seller told us this piece of information, yet not without making us wonder how may kilometers this car actually had since he had no way of documenting the total. Bummer, this is the second car we 'almost' had before something else showing up. Praise the Lord for the temporary car we have to drive around town! Amazing how he worked out the details!

The arrival of our container has been postponed by another week, apparently the Holy Land tour was delayed because elections in Palestine (kidding). With any luck, we may see our things February 1st, if not later. As we called around to find a method of transporting our furniture and belongins from the container which will arrive at the train station in Bucharest, we ran once again into high price territory - $2000 to transport a 40' container less than 10 miles and unload its belongings.

This week, Catalin took over as facilitator of the English Speaking Internationals Meetup Club, an online group of English speakers from all over the world. As facilitator, he will organize this group's monthly meetings for the purpose of enabling the attendees to know each other and learn about life in Bucharest. As we look at the large international community in Bucharest, we pray about developing good relationships for the purpose of inviting those that we get to know either to a bible study or a church service.

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It takes days to make progress

Life in a big city is both energetic and stressing.  There is a constant level of activity that keeps the city going at all hours of the day and night.  One of few good things about living in a large city as Bucharest is the fact that the city never seems boring.  The second best thing is that McDonalds' coffee is really good!  Cappuccino-quality!  (who would have thought!)

 

After we moved in to our new apartment, we more or less spent a couple of days waiting for workers to come finish off a couple of things in the house, like a leaky tub, a broken door handle, and a few other odds and ends the landlord volunteered to have fixed for us.  The first day the workers were supposed to show up, one of them was sick (chest pain!) and the other that came by himself was too inexperienced to accomplish anything.  After being about an hour and a half late, he spent another three hours taking things apart and putting them together because he couldn't fix them.  The following day, the 'main' guy showed up also and after 6 hours most of the things were reported fixed.  Despite the inexperience of the workers, we were impressed with the landlord's level of responsibility and initiative.  

 

When renting an apartment in Romania, one of the things that need to be done, the landlord and the tenant need to go to the City Hall to submit the rent contract for approval and recording.  Renting is, thus, a very official business involving the city, not merely a contract between two people.  With an approved contract in hand, we can now apply for telephone services, internet access, and even use this document to support our application for the visa.  

 

Happy to have the rent contract signed and approved, I proceeded to the cable company to request Internet service hook up.  Before going there, I did call the sales office and ensured the residence is connected to the neighborhood data traffic node,  as well as having ensured that the modem we have is compatible.  At the cable office, the story was a bit different, however.  The phone call didn't matter, I had to actually bring my modem to the tech center across town to receive a sticker of compatibility.  Only then I could apply for Internet access at the office back across town where I went the first time.  From what we've learned about paying bills, it seems we need to go to the individual utility or phone company to pay our bill in cash.  Checks are not used at all, and neither are credit cards. 

 

- C

 

 

New Address

Now that we're moved, here is our address and phone number:

 

Phone -  011 4021 222 4939

 

Str. Uruguay #1

Bl 1, Ap 12

Sector 1

Bucharest

Romania

 

Moved in...

We're moved in... partially! Praise God! With the help of our friends, Adrian & Geti, we loaded our many bags in two cars and made several trips to our new apartment, a 15 minute drive across town. The Drs. Hanson, our colleagues and now friends, have come over loaded with necessary tools: air mattresses, a folding table, silveware, plates, pots, pans, and cups. The apartment that was completely empty a few hours ealier is now liveable. Our furniture is still on its way, last we checked it was touring the Holy Land and it is supposed to arrive in Buchares on Jan 24.

In the new apartment building, our neighbors are very quiet and private. We met the neighbors below, and learned that just above is a German family with two young children, which made us very happy because we were afraid we were the only ones with small kids. After we heard that, we tried to brush up on our German with the hopes to befriend this family soon.

We were reminded once again how important titles are in Romanian society. People wave their titles and education quite a bit, particularly the older generations for whom schooling was a major accomplishment. Whether a doctor, engineer, lawyer, librarian, architect, or else, these titles are included on all correspondence, name plates on doors, business cards, and even when introductions are taking place.

We covet your prayers in the following areas:

- finding a good car
- getting to know the German family and become a spiritual influence in their lives
- that our container will arrive soon
- that our visas will be obtained without any problems

The weather in Bucharest has been absolutely wonderful for the past week or so. Moving forward, it seems we will get a taste for what the winter really is like here.

Traffic has worsened considerably after the holidays, with long lines of cars inching along major roads in Bucharest. Yesterday we came really close to scraping with another vehicle as the driver pulled out in front of us. For all the traffic in this city, we've seen almost no accidents so far.

We're continually amazed by the high contrasts in the city. There are very large, fancy supermarkets, with countless isles (generally very busy) and yet there is also an overwhelming amount of poverty in certain areas. I guess all major cities have this.

What is more eyecatching is the large number of street children weaving between cars at stop lights asking for money. They usually carry signs saying "dying of hunger, please help." I pray that we never become so used to this scene that we stop caring. Overall, many of those asking for money receive donations from passers-by. Last night, as we passed the grocery store downstairs, a young man approached us asking for money for bread. After I gave him some, he asked if we have an old blanket to give him, as he was sleeping on the street. Unfortunately, we didn't find him when we returned with a blanket we happen to have. This morning, as we left for school, Lexi brought her money savings in a bag, saying that she wants to give money to poor children if she sees any outside.

- C

In front of the school that is composed of three building across the street from each other.

Leaving early AM for school.

A few busy days

Whew...! These have been a busy few days. We wonder where time dissappears. However, we have a praise to report: we found an apartment! Actually, it is the very first apartment we saw when we started the house hunt, and after seeing quite a few other ones it was clear this was the best option. So, praise God, we're moving in this Saturday. As of right now, we have a list of items we'd like to have available for our camping experience in the apartment until our container arrives. Some of our friends from the clinic have volunteered to provide air mattresses (so we wouldn't sleep on the floor) and a microwave to make life a bit easier. As the list circulates among our friends here, perhaps we'll have the bare necessities for indoor camping for another couple of weeks. We just received word today that our container is in Israel and will come to Bucharest a couple of weeks later than originally scheduled. Meanwhile, we've got some paperwork to complete for customs, etc.

On a different topic...

You would have thought it was Christmas morning the day our girls started school. They had been counting down the days, then on Sunday night they were busy preparing for their BIG school debut. Never having been to a "real" school before they had their share of butterflies in their little stomachs but most anxiety was overshadowed with excitement. We wondered if they would be just as enthusiastic when we picked them up from school. To our delight they still had smiles on their faces and talked non-stop on the way home. Lexi's favorite thing about school was recess.....We could have guessed that! She is one of two girls in her class but the other little girl has been sick. That doesn't stop Lexi from enjoying school though. She loves all the attention she is receiving!

Daniela fit right in with her class too. She was delighted to find she had much in commom with her classmates. Several girls are from the States and enjoy talking "girl" talk. It helps her to know that she isn't the only missionary kid around. Many of her classmates are also from missionary families so they can relate well with one another. We're grateful that God has provided this positive influence in their lives.

The Car Market

We've been on the hunt this weekend for an apartment and a car.  Nothing finalized yet but we do have two apartments we're considering.  They both cost more than we originally had hoped to spend but we can't find anything decent below $1000/month.  Some places we visited were like dungeons; dark, gloomy, stinky and so depressing.  But these two are much nicer and both have their pros and cons.  They are between 1000 and 1200sq/ft which will seem spacious compared to this 800sq/ft apartment we're in now!  It's all a matter of perspective!! :-) 

 

Then there's car shopping.  We were told the best place to find a car is the "car market".  Evidently every Sunday there is a market where people bring their cars to sell, so today that's where we went.  I think we now know why the city seems so quiet on Sundays, nearly everyone is at the car market!  And not just cars, but car parts and pieces and scraps and you name it....   Some people were selling other items too.  Hey, why not adorn your hood with jeans, sweaters, hats, shoes, gloves, underwear, perfume, chocolate, gum, or any item you might find at your local Wal-Mart.  We figured that those whose hoods were covered with such items must not have been too serious about selling their car or maybe we were supposed to do some shopping in order to view the "big-ticket" item.  And of course when that many people get together in once place food merchants are quick to set up shop.  So while looking for that "perfect" car you can munch on giant pretzels or savory sausages (called Mici - pronounce "meech") or if you just want a light snack how about a cup full of sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.  Then if you do decide to by a car there's a guy sitting at a little table in the middle of hundred of cars just waiting to type up a receipt.  Do you need car insurance for that new car?  You can buy that at another table.  This is user friendly car shopping!   As we made our way through the crowd we criss-crossed rows and rows of cars.  Some old, some new but most were very nice and quite expensive.  I kept wondering how long these cars would look nice given the driving conditions we'd experienced.  Oddly enough, with so many people attending the car market the streets were pretty clear and the driving was smooth.  We didn't actually buy a car today, but we sure learned a lot and had a good time looking.

more later.....

 

-Shannon

Update

The Hunt for Red October is still going on, meaning that we're still without a car. The past few days have been needless to say adventurous. First, the '86 borrowed car we have had a flat and after the taking the wheel to the shop we weren't able to find anything - a very mysterious flat tire indeed. Then, a day later, the car wouldn't start. Finally, a mobile mechanic came to the car to try to figure out what is going on but could only find out that there was no diesel coming from the tank to the filter, so that narrowed down the problem but he still could not fix it and had to take tow it to the shop. By towing I mean me driving the car across town to his shop while being pulled behind his Yugo-like car. It is by the grace of God that I didn't smash in the rear of his car in the middle of towing. At one point we were stuck in the middle of an intersection with big busses coming towards us from both sides. At the right time, the cars started moving again and were able to decongest the traffic. After working on the car for a day, the mechanic told us he thinks a plug may have formed inside the diesel line, possibly from dirt in the fuel. Recommendation: open up the diesel line where it connects to the filter, and with a pump blow back any dirt that blocks the diesel artery. Cost: 1.5 million lei ($55).

In the news, there was the case of a 12-year-old boy who committed suicide after being scolded by his grandparents for buying a photo camera with the money he saved from caroling the neighbors. The cost of the camera: 200,000 lei (roughly $7). The boy was so upset over the incident that he went outside in the courtyard and jumped and water well, making rescue extremely difficult and delayed.

Also in the news was the case of a woman who gave birth to twins... a month apart and to everyone's amazement. The issue: the mother has two uteri. The question is whether these boys are actually twins.

Life in the big city is almost back to its original crazy state. Traffic has worsened considerably throughout town and the stores are all open again. The noise level has gone up also quite a bit as well. Talking about traffic, I experienced my first 'take this street and see where it goes' type of getting lost today. After taking a wrong right turn and entering a maze of one-way streets, I ended up inadvertently a few miles away from where I wanted to go to. Fortunately, the direction from which I entered the main street was good and was able to get back on track a few minutes later.

Today we saw two apartments. One was smack in the city center, fact which we didn't like very much because of lack of parking and high noise level. The second apartment was off a very busy road, on the third floor of a tall house. The first floor was taken by a car shop, the second by a beauty salon - whose employees where on a smoking break on the stairwell, and on the third was this two-bedroom-no-kitchen apartment for which the owner was asking - $1100!!!!!! The real estate agents keep telling us that in this price range we'll only find not-so-nice units, but that decent apartments 'start' at $1300. Pinch, pinch - is this a nightmare, or what?!

Say you are in a group of two or three little kids, roaming the streets and very hungry because you haven't eaten anything today. How do you get food? Well, one way is to watch for people walking while eating a sandwich or other goodies, knock it out of their hands, picking it up off the walkway and running away with it. We witnessed this very thing today. The victim, a teenage girl, had a bag of goodies in her hand, when all of a sudden, an 8 or 9-year-old knocked it out of her hand, another picked it up off the floor, including all of the goodies that fell out of the bag and ran away with the food. Everything was a good 2 seconds long, and before anyone could say 'stop' they were far and away.

Worshiping at the International Church of Bucharest,
a congregation in great need of a building.


The usual Sunday afternoon stroll, weather permitting.



Is this the REAL thing?


An Orthodox church with people streaming in and out.
The small building to the left is a place where candles are
purchased to be lit in honor of family and friends passed
on into eternity.

Romanian TV scenes

Romanian TV scenes - the gypsy channel


Music and costumes from the countryside. A must for celebrating the New Year.


What is the "Revelion" without the 'funnies'?




A scene in which a police officer breaks up a fight between two gypsy brothers who turn around and beat him up. A parody about how helpless the police is at times.

A Happy New Year - with "Shock and Awe"

A Happy New Year to all of you dear family and friends,

 

Being nine hours ahead, we were fortunate to celebrate the passing of 2004 and coming of 2005 ahead of you, and can tell you that 2005 looks much like 2004!   We say "celebrate" a bit tongue-in-cheek because it certainly fell short of celebration by Romanian standards.  Let's put it this way, we don't think that even the inhabitants of Baghdad felt the 'shock and awe' that we felt last night.  Had this been war time, we would have without a doubt thought our end was near.  It is only our guesstimate, but there were probably enough money  spent on fire crackers and like-devices that may have paid off half of Romania's national debt. 

 

So, what is New Year like in Romania?  Well, in terms of partying, it is perhaps the biggest celebration.  Most stores are open short hours in the morning of the 31st so people can load up on last minute items.  We went shopping yesterday morning to a big shopping center nearby and the place was indeed quite packed.  Amazingly, inside the store, as big as a mall perhaps, only selected shops were open.  Most entrance doors read "Closed for New Year, will reopen Jan 5th" - that's right, January 5th, not the 2nd, or the 3rd, but the 5th.  As Shannon and Daniela went inside to the supermarket, I waited outside with Lexi and Naomi so we wouldn't have to haul Naomi's stroller up and down the stairs or dodge the traffic inside the store.  Besides, most supermarkets in Bucharest don't allow strollers and some don't even allow kids under a certain age, usually 7 years.  One thing that's for sure is that in general Romania is not handicapped-friendly, particularly for the physically disabled.  As a matter of fact, one just doesn't see people in wheelchairs around town, probably because it would be very hard to go anywhere since curbs are high and don't have easy access, and most stores have stairs to go up on from the main street.  Anyway, so...  as I was waiting outside with Lexi and Naomi, two groups of carolers passed by us, both containing more than 10 people each and equipped with brass bands, people dressed in colorful costumes, the ever-present Capra (see earlier posting) and other mythological characters.  These groups, going up and down the boulevard, sang to the top of their lungs and played traditional Romanian music, while passers-by handed them money for their performance.  It was quite a sight to see, particularly for the kids who enjoyed the loud music and colorful costumes. 

 

In late afternoon, most people begin their journey to friends' homes where they will celebrate New Year.   It's easy spotting them on the street because they usually are dressed very well, are carrying several bags with goodies, flowers, cakes, etc.  Once the party starts, it will last until 6 or 7 the following morning.  There is eating, drinking, dancing, and watching TV all night.  Every single TV station tries to outdo each other with the quality of the programming (from 2 hours of TV 15 years ago, there are now more than 5 stations, and that's without cable TV).  The traditional New Year program consists of a plethora of songs and funny stories.  Therefore, the TV is an essential element of celebrating the New Year.

 

Above, we mentioned fire crackers and similar devices.  These have been going on continuously now since before Christmas.  Last night, at about 11:45, the city experienced an unleashing of the best fireworks that lasted intensely well past 1 in the morning, non-stop, and peaked right at 0:00.  There were a few emergency vehicles rushing by on calls, so there must have been a few injuries without a doubt.  Being on the 12th floor, we have a great view of the horizon and could see fireworks all over the town, not only in the center of the city.  Also, due to our height, we were able to see the fireworks go off right in front of us.  One of the fireworks show was less than a hundred yards from us, giving us prime seating.  The detonations and the cracking was perhaps as loud and shaking as dynamite.  The only thing we didn't get was shattered windows and cracked walls and ceilings.  I could not help but think of the pictures on TV showing the start of the war in Iraq, complete with loud detonations and flashes of light in the horizon.  That must have been one frightful experience!

 

Our celebration was quite subdued, watching Shrek, a couple of Lucy Show episodes, and playing a game of UNO.  After the midnight frenzy toned down a bit, we went to bed and amazingly slept through it all.  Next year may be a bit different, as the saying goes "when in Rome, do as the Romans do."  Well, of course, we'll do some things as the Romanians do, not everything is worth doing.

 

So, for now, we wish you all a "REVELION FERICIT si LA MULTI ANI!" - which translated means "A happy New Year's party and a Happy New Year!".