Other Spring Activities in Romania

Time to update you on the other things I have been up to here in Romania.  I have been having class as usual and even have had to schedule some make-up classes since there were several times when only 1 of the 4 students was able to come to class.  I also have had lots of Romanian class, though many of those have been rescheduled as well due to issues that the instructor is having.  Outside of all the classes, it really has turned into a beautiful spring here in Cluj.  What a beautiful place!  Fun things I have been doing....

#1 Sushi Making Class (Wed., April 14, 2010)

Much to my surprise, there is a Japanese Cultural Center in Cluj (http://www.nipon.ro/web/guest/acasa), and they offer a variety of classes, including sushi making and ikebana (Japanese floral arranging).  One of the women in the CIWC lived in Japan for a couple of years and is married to someone from there, and she organized a time for 12 people from the group to learn how to make sushi.  For just 25 lei (around $8) we got to attend the workshop, make 2 sushi rolls, and we got to take the rolls and eat them.  Mine weren't perfect looking, but talk about delicious!

Everyone working away with the instructor in the background.

Ta-da - the finished product!

#2 First BBQ of the Spring (Sun., April 25, 2010)

The weekend between Budapest and Turin-Paris was absolutely beautiful (and practically hot!).  That Saturday I went to April's house to practice some of our flute-piano pieces.  We also picked out a couple of them to play at a CIWC music concert that we decided to organize.  That will be a lot of fun because I haven't gotten to play much since leaving Arizona and the wind symphony, and I really haven't gotten to do much solo stuff since college.  I think this will be a fun, low-key opportunity to do a performance. 

The next day (Sunday) I FINALLY made it to the art museum in Cluj.  It was pretty good, but nothing too different in the permanent collection.  Just your basic religious and impressionist art, but by Romanian artists.  They did have a very interesting temporary exhibit - all modern art by local artists from the Cluj area and many of whom still live and work here, at least part time.  Perhaps the best part was to see an exhibit like this (ex: glass ear of corn sitting on a cardboard box) in an old palace.  Definitely not the usual setting for modern art and kind of a fun for a change!

That afternoon Shari (one of the other Fulbrighters here in Cluj) invited me to a bbq at someone else's house.  It was a bit of a meat-fest involving all kinds of things I couldn't even identify.  My sister definitely would have been in heaven.  They even had some of the mici, which are these Romanian sausage things, and they smelled delicious!!!!  But, I stuck to the delicious spinach salad and potato salad. 

I love potato salad like this that isn't covered in mayo.

Everyone eating away.

Beautiful magnolia tree in the yard.  We definitely don't have these in Texas or Arizona.

#3 Trip to the Botanical Gardens (Tues., April 27, 2010)

Since it has been so beautiful, Shari and I decided to go to the botanical gardens and see all the spring flowers.  We had perfect timing because all the tulips were out in full bloom and it was a beautiful sunny day.  I am so glad we picked that morning because by the afternoon it started to pour rain, and I bet it ruined all the flowers.  I have heard that it is one of the best botanical gardens in all of Europe, and I think I would be willing to believe it.  For more info: http://www.cjnet.ro/t/gradinabotanica.html

Just some of the pretty tulips in the garden.

What kind of crazy tulips are these?  It is like some petal-y hybrid!

Just smelling the...tulips?!