A trecut înca un an (Another year has passed)

This post is, predictably, a little late in coming, but I want to belatedly wish everyone a Happy Holidays (Sărbatori fericite), Happy Hannukah (Hannukah fericit), Merry Christmas (Crăciun fericit) and Happy New Year (La mulţi ani)!! Although decidedly lacking in snow, the holidays in western Romania were filled with the music, celebration, sights, smells, tastes, lights, and general reflection on life that are synonymous with the end of the year...not to mention the cold. And this year-end held extra significance for this grizzled old PC volunteer, as I celebrated my much-awaited, much-feared 30th birthday. I have to say, though, that despite all of the white-knuckle anxiety and dread normally associated with the arrival of that infamous 30th year, I utterly failed in finding things to be depressed about: I have been extraordinarily blessed (or lucky) in the first three decades of my life, accomplishing goals I've set for myself (well, except for becoming a rock star and a lobsterman...but there's time yet), seeing places I've wanted to see, getting to know a vast assortment of remarkable people, and becoming evermore awed and enamored of the world we live in. Quite simply, life has been getting better for me every year, and I look forward to each new birthday kind of like I used to look forward to opening the little doors on the advent calendar at Christmas. Perhaps by the time my 90th rolls around...I'll have actually figured out what the heck I'm doing! Eh, maybe not.

Once again, I spent a terrific Christmas here in Recaş with my host family, along with two other orphaned Peace Corps volunteers from this area. My host father's oldest sister Anişoara was also visiting from Bucureşti, a woman who, immediately upon crossing the threshold of our house, began to cook at a crazed, feverish pace. Suffice to say, it's amazing that we three Americans are still able to fit through standard door-frames, after being force-fed with great Romanian holiday food for several days.

(Photo courtesy of Yale University Library Online)

Two days after Christmas, I left on the train with another friend of mine for Krakow, Poland, where we planned to meet up with several other traveling PC volunteers. Warsaw may be the Polish center of state these days (and the one Polish city many Americans would be able to name), but Krakow is and always has been the cultural heart of the country, and the place where Polish kings and queens were crowned for centuries. In the 20th Century, it very well may have saved Krakow that it was not a more important governmental or industrial center, as the city made it through World War II without damage (like Prague) and now contains what is reportedly the largest surviving medieval town square in Europe. And let me tell you, Krakow's old town center is stunning, populated as it is by medieval and baroque buildings, and ringed by a greenbelt of parks. Pope John Paul II came from here, and it's easy to see why he held a special love for the city throughout his papacy in Rome. Polish people themselves are extremely generous and kind hosts (perhaps too generous, if you happen to be sitting next to them at the bar!), and -- even after Poland's long and chaotic history as the battleground for many wars -- the Poles continue to be a very proud and robust people. Not to mention beautiful, considering the masses of blue eyes, blond hair and high Slavic cheekbones you see on the street! We began our visit to Krakow in a smoky basement bar, listening to old Polish sailors from the Baltic Sea (in the north) sing sea shanties on their guitars. And we culminated our visit by ringing in the New Year with hordes of ecstatic Poles in the streets. And if I were Polish, I'd be ecstatic too: this is a country that clearly has much to look forward (and back) to.

The second, and somewhat more rushed, leg of our trip took us to Prague, in the Czech Republic. And as anyone knows who is somewhat familiar with travel in Europe, this is a city that needs no introduction. Since the breakup of Czechoslovakia and the economic and political reforms of the early '90s, Prague has steadily grown into one of Europe's (and the world's) most visited tourist cities. And it's not difficult to see why when you arrived: the city's old center is awash in medieval churches, markets, cobbled streets, winding alleyways and tunnels, palaces, sculpture, excellent food, and quaint bars serving Czech beer (which many consider to be the world's best, though I might take issue with this). And it must be said: the city's also awash in tourists. Granted, we visited during the holidays. And granted, I have spent the last year and a half in far Eastern Europe, largely without the international crowds, bustle, bright lights and capitalism of Western Europe's or America's major cities. Yet I found it all a little overwhelming and off-putting. I'd like to believe that perhaps there's a quieter time of year in which to visit a city like Prague, but I'm just not sure that this is ever the case. And don't misunderstand me: Prague is a wonderful city. But as someone who has intimately experienced the developing world in Romania, I find myself torn. Improved commerce, infrastructure, and global "image" are things I wish for Romania's own cities. Yes, I would love to see more international travelers taking notice of cities like Timişoara, near me, perhaps because I'd like to believe such exposure could lead to increased cultural respect for Romania and its people internationally. And yet with increased exposure come those other less ideal elements: crowds, lines, tourists filling public spaces to snap photos, overpriced amenities -- in short, the partitioning of cultural "worth" into a series of trolley stops and photographs, just as one does in Prague, or New York. Lest I sound too fanatical about this subject, I'll stop here. But I suppose all that I'm saying is that we should always try to be mindful of all that is being gained through development, and equally all that is being lost. Both aspects of the equation are equally fundamental to the process.

The final "whistle stop" on our tour was Bratislava, Slovakia, a city that was for over two centuries the capitol of the Kingdom of Hungary under the Habsburgs. And until 1919, it was called by its German name, Pressburg (some still call it this). Slovakia makes up the eastern half of former Czechoslovakia, and although the Slovaks and the Czechs share much in common culturally and linguistically, the Slovaks are proud of their modern independence and uniqueness. Slovakia traditionally played the part of the poorer, less developed, more rural partner in the Czechoslovakian duo. But after joining the European Union in 2004 with the Czech Republic, Poland and several others, the country has made growth a priority, and seems (as far as my eyes can tell) to be doing extremely well. Bratislava, like Krakow, is a city that has managed to keep a lower profile on the global tourism circuits, perhaps due to it being situated that much further east. Consequently, although the city is every bit as clean, well-maintained and photogenic as any number of other main attractions, you don't get the sense that it is absolutely overrun by tourists...at least not yet. As in Prague, we were only able to spend about a day in Bratislava, but the city is truly a jewel: smaller and less bustling (and certainly cheaper) than Prague, but with much the same medieval beauty.

And now I'm back, reinvigorated, for what is incredibly my final 6 months of Peace Corps service (my service officially concludes at the end of July). I recently heard that my fund application for trees and shrubs for our local park has been approved, and so we will hopefully be receiving the money, purchasing the plants, and putting them in the ground by early Spring. My town hall has already begun to replace sidewalks and benches, and so I am hugely excited by the idea that we will have a reborn public park by the time this next Summer rolls around! In addition, my once-a-week advanced English classes for working professionals continue in nearby Timişoara, as does the publishing of our local newspaper -- which we're hoping to put out monthly now (rather than 3-4 times a year). And starting this week, I am holding Movie Night for students at the local highschool, with a movie in English followed by a conversation about it, also in English. I'll let you know how it all goes...as I usually do.

Again, I hope everyone is rested, energized, and looking forward enthusiastically to all that this coming year has to offer. As always, I love to hear from people, about matters big and small. It won't be long before I'm able to sit down with some of you in person to trade stories. And considering how many important events I've missed back home lately (at last count: 7 weddings and 4 births since I've been in Romania)...I suppose it will soon be high time for me to start thinking about those gifts/cards I haven't bought!

Peace in the New Year.