Halloween Festival-SNEAK PEAK!

Here are some pictures from the festival today! I will have more later when my "official photographer" Emil finished editing the pictures he took. More to come in a few days...

Books from America!

Another BIG thank you to Beth Collins and her Girl Scout Troop in Virginia! They held a bake sale and raised money to provide my students with enough copies of The Hatchet so that we could read it in class. I had wanted to teach an English literature section during the first semester  with my high-schoolers but didn't have the fund or the books to do so. Now-it's possible! Thank you so much! We're already on chapter 8 and the kids from 10th-12th are loving it.

Vali and I with the kids from 12th grade!

Larger group shot that includes some 11th graders.

They think they are cute...blocking my face from the camera. :) Love these kids.

A Barcelona Birthday Party.

A few weeks ago I went to my dear friend Cristina's house to help celebrate her son's birthday. Her family came from all the way across the country and I was finally able to meet them all! The theme was "Barcelona" because they are her son's favorite soccer team. It was a great afternoon and I was honored to be there with family. Happy Birthday Andrei! 

 

Birthday Boy.

And again. Oh and there is some homemade cozonac bread-heavenly.

Hanging with the fam. Andre's Uncle and Aunt.

Yum.

Happy Family.

Oh hey! I'm there too.

Cake, Coffee, and some Peach Liquor. Homemade of course.

Singing Happy Birthday! Or "La Multi Ani"

Cheers.

Flu shots and a Festival.

Hey ya'll. 

My 'after shower make-up free mug' for you all. Get it? Ooooh I've been living alone for too long. :)

Sitting here after another session of P90X workouts (I WILL make it to 90 days this time!!) and enjoying a hot cup of cider in my homemade coffee mug-cider which recently arrived with a wonderful care package! Yum. Today was cool but not enough to need a jacket-much like fall should be which made me happy. For awhile I was worried we had jumped right into winter but it seems we'll be able to bask in the sun for at least another week. Perfect for my Halloween Festival!

Since last year's festival was such a hit, there was no doubt I would do a 'round dos'. Thats "two" in Spanish. (And if you didn't know that don't feel bad--that's the extent of my Spanish these days as well. Horrible.) SO I've been planning my festival for next Monday. We will of course have a costume contest, pumpkin contest, face painting, relay races, singing (in English!) and prizes. However this year I am adding some skits presented by my amazing 11th grade (they wrote ghost stories), and a PIE EATING CONTEST. It's going to be great and I can't wait to show you pictures next week. Pray that everything comes together in time and we raise the funds to get all materials needed.

I've also started doing some tutoring sessions after school and I love them. We're having so much fun (I'm teaching a 9th and 10th grader) and this past week they thought it was my birthday and brought me these AMAZING orange roses.  So sweet. I told them it was the 7th but that I ALWAYS love flowers and we would celebrate my day again, right there. They will be getting candy next week. :)

I love that in Romania, they always add ribbon and awesome leaves to the arrangements.

Today I also got a site visit from good ol' Dr. Dan and our Safety and Security Officer, Cristi. Dr. Dan gave me my flu shot and Cristi checked over everything in my apartment to make sure I was safe and the smoke and gas detectors were in working order.  They also ended up taking a bunch of things a former volunteer left at my site (her water filter, PC books, REFRIGERATOR, smoke detector...) Now I won't have to try to lug them to Bucharest when I leave country. Whew. 

Well-off to finish lesson planning and preparing for tomorrow. Hope you all are having a great week!

Things that make me happy today.

 The jewelry lucky enough to come with me to Romania. :)  I finally organized it all and put it in one place...yeah after 1.5 years. Don't judge.

 It's laundry day today. And why does this make me happy? Because I'm a weirdo and I actually like hanging it up on the drying rack and then folding it. I probably will never even use a dryer again....I mean...yeah right.

 The PC poster that currently lives on my tiny refrigerator. And the quote from my cousin Dara that I love.

 It's raining today which means I get to wear these! Yay target rain boots.

 Reminding me that I've currently finished day 5 of my new stint of P90X! Here's hoping THIS time sticks? I would like to make it past 45 days for once...

 Having a room that is pretty organized and clean. It looks like a lot of stuff but this is the only place I store my clothes, books, school papers, etc. It IS a lot.

 

 My Romania map showing all the places that I've visited since I've been here. I need to get to the East side!

 My current obsession-making jewelry. Thanks to Becca for showing me how and then to my mom who had a ton of awesome beads from HER college days. I'm an earring making machine.

Lastly, the stack of quizzes and journals that I need to grade. Yes-I love grading. I get the red pen out and I can't stop.

How are you spending YOUR Sunday? Probably with a little football which leaves me extremely jealous. Go SKINS! Hope you all had a great weekend!

Bet your HS dances aren't like this...

Photos from my weekend thus far: The "Balul Bobochilor" is a dance thrown by the 12th graders for the new 9th graders and I was asked to attend last night.  This year I was again on the jury to choose the King and Queen of the dance after a series of 12 competitions. It was hilarious and even better than last year, plus the decorations rocked!  Tonight I went with my students to the Timisoara Opera House to see a comedy play. Pretty successful weekend and it's only Saturday. Here's to laundry, lesson planning and cleaning tomorrow!

*Please excuse the crappy, crappy quality of these pictures. I think my camera is on it's last leg and I hate how fuzzy/terrible my pictures are looking.*

The school gym ready for the competition/dance!

I was sitting here at the  judges table...

This little guy was adorable..just running around following the "big boys" and their cameras.

Part of the "talent" competition-popular music and song.

More competitors from 9th grade.

The photographers for the evening, Radu and Emil (12th grade)

My score card! Pairs 1-5 and then "Fata" for girl and "Baiat" for boy.

She was wrapping eggs in paper towels to throw then at her partner's bucket-see below.

Her poor partner. Haa.

More kids waiting for their turn to dance.

Anticipation of the crowning of the King and Queen!

Can you see all the dancing legs?

Emma, one of my 12th graders singing Adele.  Yeah she's THAT good.

I love how these pictures turned out.

Waiting to enter the Opera House tonight with some of my 9th graders!

Self Explanatory.

Some of my 10th. Love these kids.

Two of my 11th graders. It was their first time at the theater and they didn't know what to expect, hence the fake "worried face".

Hanging out in the center of Timisoara, exactly where the '89 Revolution started.

Inside the Opera

So gorgeous.

My previously worried student, now totally memorized by the play.

My walk home...the Catholic church that lights my way every night.