2 Months in Romania!

As of today, I have been in Romania for 2 months.  Today is one of those days were it sort of feels like two months.  I have been a little down lately.  I think because it is getting closer to the holidays (I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week and then Christmas is, what, just four weeks after that?!).  Also, in a weird way, my involvement with the CIWC has sort of made me homesick.  I know that it should do the opposite, but for some reason being around other people from the US kind of makes me miss my own family more.  It is also strange that I a missing home because I don't have a set "home" to go back to since I am between grad school and a job.  Let's hope I get a job for next year and have a place to go to when I am done in Romania!!

And, just so you can have some pictures, here are a few from orienation way back in September.  This is a building that I just love on Eroilor Blvd in the center of town.

Other information...I am having problems with my loan (federal direct from the US Dept of Ed) deferment.  I completed the paperwork and sent it off before I left, and apparently the Fulbright office received it, filled it out, and sent it to the Dept of Ed.  But, then I get an email from my dad a day or two ago saying that I have an overdue loan payment notice?!  I called them yesterday (thanks to skype and a 1-800 - super cool!), and the Dept of Ed says that they got the form but never got the additional certification that the Fulbright office needed to send.  The Fulbright office has no idea what the Dept of Ed is talking about, and I am so confused!  I think the moral of this story is don't try to go to Cambodia for the summer, be home for 2 weeks, defend your dissertation, and leave for a Fulbright in Romania a week later because it doesn't leave enough time to make sure all of these annoying little things are figured out.  To quote my sister, "le sigh."

This is Eroilor - very boulevard-y, just as the name suggests.  This statue is the image of Cluj, although the original is in Rome, I believe.

I am also pretty nervous about my class.  Apparently students here do not look at the syllabus, so I basically have to remind them every week about the readings and about what is due.  And, I am getting increasingly concerned about the final paper since several people in the class haven't turned in anything so far, it seems like the rest of the class doesn't really understand what a draft is, and I think they are all in for a shock when they realize the drafts are due starting next week!  Yikes!  What a difference in preparation for doing work and writing papers among college students here and in the U.S. 

Just one of the many small, little streets - cars and people barely fit.  Very Italian.

Other than all of that stuff, I am trying to figure out some trips.  I need to go to Serbia to see a friend on a Fulbright (only there in the fall semester), but apparently it is quite difficult to get from Romania to Serbia even though they are right next to each other.  It looks like it will be a strange combo of flying and trains and overnight stops along the way.  Whew.  Also, my sister is coming for Christmas (yay!!), and we are meeting in London.  I am trying to decide if from there if we should go to Istanbul and then take some long trains to Bucharest and then on to Cluj or if we should go from London to Paris to Budapest (a few days in each) and then the train to Cluj.  I think it will cost about the same for both, and I just cannot decide!!!  But, I have to soon because the tickets keep rising in price.  I definitely have to bite the bullet and make a decision sometime this week...check back later for my firm holiday plans :)

There are little news stands like this all over the city.  Mostly newspapers and magazines, but some even sell books.  It is amazing to see how many magazines have a Romanian version!