RAMNICU VALCEA


That's where I am going to be. (RUM-KNEE-CUH VUL-CHE-UH) that's how you pronouce it. IT took me all weekend to learn how to say it. I am going to be teaching high school there at a Colegiul which aparantly is better than a normal highschool. I am really psyched but really nervous. Tomorrow I meet my counterpart for the first time and then on Friday I am actually going to Ramnicu Valcea to visit. I had to pack half of my luggage to bring to my apartment with the help of my counterpart. I swear my suitcase must weigh about 150lbs. And the thing that sucks the worst is I am sick. My nose is running and i feel like I am swimming through the life. My head is under water, I can't hear or breathe. Yesterday I took Contact and I was loopy all day. I had to teach and the chalkboard was undulating. But my sickness is partly my fault because this past weekend I went to the Black Sea and I went swimming.


That was the trip from hell. First, the bus ride took seven hours ( and keep in mind that All of Romania is the size of Oregon and Coinstanta from Ploiesti is less than half the width of the country) in a supposedly air conditioned bus but it really was just circulating the same stale air. And it was ppouring. Sunami kind of weather. Twice the bus had to slow to 2mph because the one lane hwy was so flooded. But finally when we got there at about midnight we couldn't find the hotel. That took about twenty minutes and when we finally did, I wish that we hadn't. IT was ssssssssssssssssssssssoooooooooooooooooooooo nasty. The "hotel" consisted of a bunch of cinder-block out door rooms. To get to each room you had to walk through a river of mud, but the worst part was that the rooms themselves smelled and looked as if no one had been in them for 3 years. They reeked of mold and the beds were these sketchy hay mattresses with a sheet. I was lucky to get a room. Three people mistakenly got the keys to the storage closets, if you can imagine what they looked like. But at this point we had no choice. I am in the Peace Corps for goodness sakes. I had to buck up. I also had to go to the bathroom. This is when things got delirously funny. The bathroom ( across the muddy road) was a turkish toilet ( with a pile of crap in front of it) and a dripping faucet for a shower. Needless to say the next day we moved hotels, to one a little better (still had a turkish toilet). The beach though was decent. THe water was warm and the waves big. i miss the beach. Luckily it didn't rain on saturday or sunday so I got to take in a little sun. They sell corn on the cob on the beach as well as bananas. Corn on the cob is in season right now and it is good! So is the watermelon. It's seriously the best I've ever tasted!!

Anyways, wish me luck with my site I'll need it. Hopefully I won't blow snot all over my counterpart!!! Luv ya all!---nina