The Seaside

The Seaside

I just returned from the black sea last night after 10 days of sun, fun, travel and meetings. After being in Romania for a little more than a year now, this was the 1st chance I have had to see the seaside and it was beautiful. The water was great, and the sand was soft. Not to mention all the moving scenery. I had been to a European beach once before, but nothing prepared me for Vama Veche.

I spent two days in Vama Veche, and ever since I have been referring to them as the most fun I have had in two days here in Romania. We arrived in a near by town at about 10 in the morning and after a quick (and cheap) bus ride we were in Vama in no time. After finding the campground that my friends were at I hit the beach and was enjoying the sea by noon.

Now for just a little information about Vama; this is the beach for all you wanders, hippies, adventures, rockers, and poor volunteers. It is not ritzy or glamorous, but it is a great time! Up until about 10 years ago it was just a campground that not many people used. But as the youth culture of the country has continued to develop they embraced the location and the laid back attitude offered there. In true capitalist fashion, businesses started growing up in the area that suited the clientele. There are multiple bars right on the beach, great fast food (meaning shoarma, and snitzel) and tons of people camping right on the beach. We opted for the campground as it is a little more secure, but if you want the true Vama experience go the beach camping. Nothing beats waking up and heading straight into the Ocean 1st thing in the morning.

Back to my story…after laying on the beach all day, I made my way back to the campground, cleaned up ate and headed back down to the beach. As I mentioned before there are a number of bars right on the beach, and these places come alive at night. We started out at Stuf (Stoof) and ran into some folks from Paris. After a few awkward moments of trying to communicate in Romania (ok, communicating in Romanian is always awkward for me) we switched to English and were off and running. After a bit we all went our separate ways and more my friends continued to join the party on the beach. We wandered further down the beach to another place called “The Shire” and this was by far my favorite. It was a tall structure, with the beach as a floor in most of it, and made for great dancing. This is where we spent most of the night, literally dancing the night away with friends.

Sunday was more of the same with a little bit of an earlier start. Just sitting on the beach, enjoying the sea when things got to hot, and having fun with friends. At one point a Frisbee diving contest started where we all did our best to run, jump catch and flop into the sea in style. Yes I am still a little kid and love playing in the waves. I also got the chance to connect with a fellow volunteer named Jason. We spent a couple hours talking about our experiences thus far and what we want to pursue after leaving the Peace Corps. Once of the things I have really enjoyed about this whole experience is connecting with people who have different outlooks, interests and goals in life.

After Vama it was time for work. The whole reason I went to the seaside was for a conference for the Peace Corps. After being in country for a year, our group all got together for MST (Mid-Service Training). It was a great chance to see everyone again and connect with people I haven’t seen in a while. The conference itself was also the best we have had to date. We recently got a new Country Director, and it gave us all a chance to get to know him and how he envisions the future of Peace Corps Romania. He also happens to be the youngest country director in Peace Corps, and as such he is able to connect with most of us in a way that is energizing. We also had a number of breakout sessions that were meant for our individual sectors. Another change has been the addition of a new CED program manager. We have gone through a few in my short time here in Romania, and Dan really seems ready to tackle some of the challenges that face our sector and help redefine the ways in which we can be most effective. We talked a lot about relevance, and the challenges we all face, and brainstormed on ways to combat these elements. Some can be changed easily, while others are a long slow process of change that has been going on since before we came and will continue long after we all leave.

After being in meetings all day, we had the nights to ourselves. Although the first night we were given a real treat with a Barbeque at a restaurant on the beach. Some friends of mine and I used the time to conduct a fantasy football draft, and believe it or not I came out with a team that might actually do something! It will be fun to follow the happenings back Stateside this fall, and gives me something to root for. The food was great too. It was all cook your own, and it was fun making my own kabobs, it felt a lot like home. The next night we found a great little Mexican place with some killer nachos. After nachos it was poker with some folks, where I proceeded to loose my shirt! I really need to practice more on that whole thing…

Once MST ended though I still wasn’t quite done, as I mentioned before we have a new CED program manager and we spent an additional two days talking about the future of the program. The sessions were informative and allowed for a lot of group time to analyze the situation we currently face and ways to address it. Some of the take-aways included focusing serving in smaller communities, with reputable international organizations opening new branches, with city halls while staying away from serving too much with one organization time and again. These were just a few of our observations, and it will be interesting to see our program reinvent itself over the coming months.

I also had the chance to have some conversations with some of the Peace Corps staff during this time. One idea that was bounced around involved a change to the way feedback is given. At this time we as volunteers give feedback to the staff and language teachers, but there is void in returning that feedback to the volunteers. What we discussed was the possibility of implementing more of a 360° feedback system allowing staff, volunteers, and organizations to all give feedback as to the effectiveness of the parties.

After all this, I finally made my way back home, both exhausted mentally and physically, but re-energized for the next year. I came back with a long list of to-do’s which I am trying to work though diligently. As I said before these conferences were among the most beneficial training days we have had thus far, and I am excited for the next year.

Click Here for more pictures of the seaside.

A New Day

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~Robert Frost


I have been thinking a lot about potential and comfort. If life is a journey (and I believe it is) then we must all choose; each for themselves the path we take. Sometimes the way is clear as way leads on to way and at others it becomes more difficult to tell. One thing is certain though, we must press on.

As for me I stepped out of my comfort zone and started a journey a little over a year ago. It has not been anything like I expected, and it has caused me to grow in ways I could not have imagined. I find myself living in another country, learning a new culture and a new language. The first step of this journey was taken when I got on the plane from Fort Worth to Philadelphia, and then on to Romania, but I am learning that as with any journey you only go as far as your last step.

Since being in Romania I have good times, and down times. I have been energized and questioned just what the heck I am doing here. Through it all I am learning to approach each day as new adventure, as a chance to build on the past and work toward a future that I want for myself. One thing I wanted to do when I first left the US was to keep a record of all that happens over here, both for you to read, and for me to remember years later. Well so far I have not done a great job of it, but that is the beautiful thing about each day, we have a chance to start over.

As I enter my last year of service here in Romania I am committed to making each day count. I am tired of seeing the days slip away with nothing to show for them. I am rejecting “comfort” and spending my time as wisely as I can. Up till now I feel like I have looked at my time here as this seemingly endless stretch out before me. Now I find that I only have 11 months left, I wonder how I will get everything done that I have planned.

So what is the point of all this? I simply want to encourage you, and remind myself that all we have is today. If there is something you want in life you have the power to go after it! Take a couple moments today and ask yourself what it is that you are working toward, what it is that you want out of life, and then go after it. Live life to the full, no matter where you are what you are doing, it is an adventure, don’t miss a minute of it.

A dream come true

OK, for once a post that is not about Romania, the Peace Corps or my faultering state of mind and indecision. I woke up Monday morning to some of the best news I have heard in a while. The CHICAGO BEARS ARE HEADED TO THE SUPERBOWL!!! Yes it is true, after 21 long years of excile my team is headed back to the promised land! In preparation for the big game I wanted to share one of the greatest video's of all time!


Super Bowl Shuffle - video powered by Metacafe

Bears fan or not, you have to love that just for throwback to 80's style!

I hope you are doing well, and I would love to hear from ya when you get a chance. Drop me a line anytime.

-john

The Great European Adventure – Part 2

The final part of our trip seemed to go at break neck speed; two nights in Prague, two nights in Krakow and finally three nights in Vienna where we spent New Years. I enjoyed the whole thing immensely, but here is travel tip. If you want to see a lot of cities but don’t have a lot of time, don’t cheat yourself. Plan to spend at least 3 nights in each city this will give you a good opportunity to see at least a majority of what a city has to offer.

Prague - December 26^th (Evening) – 28^th

We arrived in Prague after a long 9 hour train ride, which in my world, was not that bad. I have actually come to enjoy traveling by train, while it takes more time; you have the opportunity to see more of the landscape, to walk around and stretch your legs, and in many cases meet new people. Having traveled together now for about a week Kate and I were determined to reach out and meet some fellow travelers and include them in our adventures.

Upon arriving in Prague we made our way to the hostel which this time was much easier to find given our directions. After getting settled in the room, we wandered down to the bar and started meeting some of the fellow guests. Before we knew it we had joined a group of other travelers consisting of Aussies, Kiwi’s and other Americans. What is a group of international travelers to do for fun you ask? Karaoke of course! So we headed out to karaoke bar across town, which we came to find out was a gay karaoke bar. Despite the lack of songs in English we had a great time, and got everyone singing along. For those of you not there, you missed a banner rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” sung by yours truly. From there we decided to head back towards the hostel and hit another bar. After an hour of walking around the city, getting lost and finally cutting a deal with a cabbie we arrived at our destination; a place called the Cross Club. I have never seen anything like the Cross Club and may never again. Outside the place looked like a normal brick building, inside it was mechanical wonderland. Everywhere you looked was piping and scaffolding; it all had a very industrial look, completely original.

The next day we made our way to a park near the castle with a bluff that overlooked old town. Prague was the first real old European city I had seen and I am not exaggerating when I say that it stopped me in my tracks. From the river and the bridges crossing it, to the chapel spires and the castle in the foreground I was simply amazed at the imagination, ingenuity and resourcefulness of man and the works that were created so many years ago. Some of the buildings were soaring and beautifully decorated monuments to God, while others served to celebrate royalty and man’s accomplishments. Whatever their intent the end result was the same; they made you feel small and filled you with awe at the same time. In the midst of this beauty my mind turned toward heaven. If Prague is an example of the beauty that man can craft, how much greater will heaven be? The city, the throne room, the chapel?

As I wandered down the streets of the old protected town and thought back to a time when the most valuable land was not the wide open spaces of the country, but rather within the walls of protection that surrounded the castle, high on a bluff bordered by a river. The guards still marched through the city, and the changing of the guard was done with pomp and circumstance and if only for a moment you were able to catch a glimpse of what life used to be like.

From the castle grounds we made our way down the hill and across the river into old town and city square. Everywhere I looked I was amazed by the architecture and knowledge that I was walking down streets that held humanity long before the US was even thought of. In the main square was a clock unlike anything I had ever seen. Although ancient in design (constructed in 1410) it has accurately tracked the orbits of the sun, moon and stars for centuries. Each hour a little mechanical show takes place as a skeleton rings a bell as the saints and Christ come out and bless the city. Unfortunately by this time in the day my camera had given out, it was not until the next day that I was able to capture the images of this part of the city.

All in all Prague was a bit like Disneyworld, amazing but a bit touristy; at least in the places I went. It was absolutely the most beautiful city I visited on this trip, and I will return one day when I have more time and a less hectic schedule. One of my favorite memories from my time in the city was walking along the river from the “Dancing House” to Charles' bridge. It was a very cold day, and the frost had formed on the trees across the river, steam was rising from the water and you could see your breath. As the air stung my face and as I took in the amazing architecture all around me I was reminded that this is what I had come to see; the history, the culture and the beauty.

To see pictures of Prague click here.

Poland - December 28^th (Evening) – 30^th

After another day long train we arrived in Krakow a little before 10pm. It was a long day on the train and by the time we finally got to town all we wanted to do was eat and go to bed. After checking into the hostel we ran into a fellow traveler from Prague and went out for some great food, and “interesting” Polish beer. Poland has a lot of things; good local beer is not one of them however.

The next morning we woke up and made our way to Oświęcim, a town about 1 ½ hours by train outside Krakow. To the world however it is known by its German name, Auschwitz. This was one part of the trip that I wanted to do, but not one I was necessarily looking forward to. Once I set foot on those grounds all the movies, stories and the history seemed to fade away, and I was left with the sure horror and scale of all that happened there. As a memorial to those that lost their lives in this hell on earth, the governments of Poland and Germany have kept the camp in much the same state as when the Red Army first liberated it. The dorms have now been turned into museums dedicated to a number of different people groups who lost their lives in this place. For so long Auschwitz has been synonymous with holocaust in my mind and the attempted extermination of the Jewish race in Europe. At some level I knew that the atrocities went further than that, but seeing the exhibit on “The Extermination of the European Roma” really hit home with me after spending the last 8 months in Romania. The extent of Hitler’s true aim of promoting the Aryan race came to reality.

The most striking part of the entire grounds however were the buildings dedicated to “Evidence of the crime” and Block 11 “The death block”. Once again the sheer volume and extent of the death in this place was overwhelming. Contrasting this place with where I was just days ago showed the great divide in the beauty and the horror that we as humans are capable of. From rooms filled with shoes, suitcases, personal effects and even human hair that was used to make rolls of fabric the depravity that occurred here overwhelmed the senses. The Death Block in some ways was even more overwhelming. In the basement for example there were some small rooms, with only a small door in the floor for access. As a punishment prisoners were placed in these 1.5 meter square “rooms” with three other people for the night and then required to work the next day. Sleep if it came at all was done standing up.

After walking around the grounds for a few hours I started to block out all that I was seeing. Just thinking about how cruel and callous these people were treated is amazing, and I found that my mind could only take so much. So after taking a few pictures in an effort to capture the essence of the camp, we made our way back to train station and Krakow.

The thing I regret most about the entire trip was not having a day to spend in Krakow. For a small town, it was amazing. There was so much to see, and I only really got to see it at night, hence no real pictures. I will say this though, if you make it to Poland Krakow is worth the trip, both for Auschwitz and the town itself.

To see pictures of Poland click here.

Vienna - December 30^th – January 3^rd

Ahhh Vienna…quite possibly the most fun stop of the trip, mostly likely due to the fact we here over New Years. After arriving at the hostel in the early afternoon, we found a bite to eat and then explored some of the local shopping, finding a multi-story sporting goods store with everything from golf to climbing gear to horseback riding equipment. I even got to swing a club for the first time in months hitting a ball into a digital screen and I am sorry to say that is showed. I had one good shot and a bunch of worm burners. Oh well...I will get it back sometime in the next couple of years I am sure of it.

The next morning (New Years eve) we spent our time walking around the city and exploring the landmarks. Most stores were closed for the holiday so it was a great time to save some money and see all of the architecture that Vienna has to offer. From walking through an archway and out onto the Hofburg square, to standing in front of the Votivkirche, the structures are beautiful as they are grand in size. I once again felt small and awe struck at the magnitude of what was accomplished with what we would consider today rudimentary tools.

New Year’s Eve evening was an absolute blast! Vienna knows how to throw a party! We decided to make our way down towards the center of the city and walk along the New Year’s path, which wound its way from St. Stephen’s Church to the Votivkirche (City Hall). It was a path lined with stands selling everything from souvenirs to food and champagne to celebrate. Being smart, and cheap we brought out drinks with us in advance. We moved along the narrow streets with a crowd of thousands lit by large chandeliers hung high above. As we neared the Votivkirche and squeezed toward the front we prepared for the strike of midnight. With singing and dancing all around us it was the first time I had celebrated the holiday in this way. Normally I am with friends at a small party, this by contrast was completely different and a lot of fun. I rang in the New Year with a brother and sister from France, a brother and sister from Australia, and a Russian; it was as diverse as it was enjoyable! At the stroke of midnight we all danced the Blue Danube Waltz (well some danced, others like me shuffled out feet). The party went on well into the morning but after a couple more hours we had enough and started making our way back home.

The next day our little group hit the streets again, exploring the city, castle and museums. The highlight of the day however was attending the Vienna Opera. While tickets to the Opera start at 70€, standing room only spaces are sold for a mere 3.50€. To be at the Opera house and witness the talent of the performers was a true experience. The Opera in and of itself was also quite entertaining, and very funny.

Vienna was also the city we stayed in the longest, allowing us to see more of it than anywhere else. It also allowed for a much more leisurely pace in our explorations. With no schedule and nowhere to be we simply drifted from sight to sight. In the following days I visited more museums, the fair grounds and a special area of town where art and architecture met in a city block called Hundertwasser Village.

To see pictures of Vienna click here.

My mother always said that the sign of a good vacation was that when it was over you were ready to go home. Using that measuring stick this was a great trip, one that I remember for years to come. It was filled with great moments, and sights that filled me wonder. All in all it was nice to get just a little taste of home in certain ways, and take a break from my daily routine.

To see other pictures click here.

The Great European Vacation - Part 1

I returned from one of the best vacations of my life late last week. In taking it I had the chance to fulfill a dream of mine, to see Europe. Truth be told I have a little confession to make. When I found out that I would be serving in Romania not all of my thoughts were altruistic. I would be finally traveling to Europe, and I knew that sooner or later I would have the chance to see parts of this continent I had always dreamed of. From December 21^st to January 3^rd I got to do just that. My travel partner was Kate Neidhamer a friend from Peace Corps who has really become like a second little sister to me.

December 21^st (12:00 am)

Yep that is right, I was going to maximize this trip! I left Oradea on a Maxi-Taxi (think 15 passenger van) and with my friend Kate already on board we got ready for a short 5 hour drive to Budapest. 2 hours of which were spent at the boarder. Just a little travel tip for all you would be adventurers, maxi-taxi’s are not the most comfortable places to sleep. Try the marble floor at the airport, it is much better; I did. After a quick three hour nap upon arriving at the airport using my backpack as a pillow, I was ready for more travel.

We arrived in Berlin about 5pm that evening and after a searching for our hostel for about 20 minutes and walking past our street multiple times we finally dumped our stuff on the bunks and headed out to eat. Just blocks away was a little Chinese takeout, never mind that it was staffed by Turks, it was great food! One of things I miss most about the US is the abundance and ease of getting different types of food. The food in Romania is good, but it starts to taste the same after a while. Therefore I was determined to get a wide range of tastes this trip.

With the night still young we headed over to West Berlin to an area known as the Sony Center; a modern mix of glass and steel in what is a very old area of the city. I think they did a good job of blending the two contrasting styles, and the area was bustling with Christmas cheer and celebration. I also got to try a German holiday drink called gluvine (sp). Gluvine is hot mulled wine and tastes a little like cider with a sour aftertaste. I am willing to try anything once, and this was one drink that I only had one helping of. Kate also pointed out a line of brick that cut straight through the center where the tram line was. I found out that this represented the Berlin wall. As a moment to the past this line wanders through the city where ever the wall used to be. As a symbol to the present, it also disappears straight into new buildings in some places showing that the tragedies of the past can be built upon for a new future.

December 22^nd

After waking up and admitting to liking George Bush which got me into a lengthy political debate on the outcome of the 2000 Presidential election with my fellow conversationalist pointing out that “George Bush lost because Fox News apologized”. Needless to say it was an interesting start to the day.

With my debate for the day out of the way it was off to see the sites. While I had seen some of the sites the day before this was my first chance to get out and really see what Berlin had to offer. We started by making our way to Parliament building, an impressive reconstruction of a bombed out shell left over from World War II. During the reconstruction the workers wrapped the building so it could all be unveiled at once. From Reichstag it was on to the Brandenburg Gate and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Both were amazing to see. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe however was an interactive experience and one that hit home with me. As you stood at the edge of the memorial it looked as if all the blocks were about the same size, but when you walked into it you found that the blocks actually rose far above your head. The whole thing was set up to show that what started as a small thing, grew and grew until the issue seemed so overwhelming finding your way out of it seemed even harder. If you are ever in Berlin be sure to take the time to visit this work of interactive art.

After wondering around the city a little bit we stopped in a café / bar / sushi restaurant run by Russians. It was just the second day of the trip and already the multiculturalism was starting to hit me. When we were saying goodbye we found that the bartender also knew Romanian. This resulted in an interesting conversation in Romanian, English, Russian and German. Talk about making your brain swim!

From the café it was on to the longest standing section of the Berlin wall and Checkpoint Charlie. It was a little strange to see these once solemn, and dangerous symbols turned into tourist attractions complete with actors posing as US soldiers from the cold war era.

The night was capped off by visiting a couple bars near our hostel. From a bar with album covers posted on the wall with 90’s music videos playing and large jack & cokes to a hookah bar it was a fun evening that reminded me a lot of home.

To see pictures of Berlin click here.

December 23 ^rd – 26^th

We caught a train in the morning that took us to Zerbst and Kate’s host family in East Germany. I have never spent a Christmas away from home, and to be honest I was not sure what to expect or how I feel about not being with my family for what to me is a very meaningful holiday. Christmas is a time to be with the ones we love, remembering the blessings of the year, celebration and remembrance of the gift we all received so long ago. For me it is a time of laughter, and good food, conversation and being together. I am happy to say that my time with the Spuhn’s was wonderful. They very quickly became like family, with all the joking and laughter I am so used to. It was also the BEST food of the trip, or so I like to believe. My body chose this most inopportune time to fall sick. I was so stopped up in the nose that I could barely taste the food. For those of you in Romania reading this, put it this way I was unable to smell Palinka, even with the bottle right under my nose.

The only thing that was missing from this stay was a white Christmas. It is so warm there, unseasonably so that I am beginning to think there may be something to this global warming thing…. Christmas day we had a little celebration and gift exchange, lit the candles in the room and on the tree and had a wonderful dinner of goose. For the first time in my life I had a true Christmas goose, raised on their farm along with the pig we were eating all weekend long. Before I knew it though it was time to go, and Kate and I were on to the next part of our trip…PRAUGE!

Stay tuned for the second part of the trip (it is taking me longer to get everything together than I thought)

To see pictures from Zerbst click here.

A Holiday Update

I can not believe the year is almost over. It is true what they say I guess, the older you get the faster it all goes. Having just celebrated my 30^th Birthday I guess that means things are just going to continue to speed up. For instance, just the other day I realized that for the first time in my life I have spent more time this year outside of the US than in it. And while I miss my friends and family in the states I know that the next year and a half will fly by before I know it.

As I reflect back on my time in Romania thus far a flood of memories come back to me. Sufficed to say since joining the Peace Corps earlier this year I have seen and done things I could have only imagined a year ago. In my travels throughout this country I have stood on streets older than our country; found new friends in my fellow volunteers and Romanians. I have seen the effects of centralized planning and a command economy firsthand and the turning of a culture toward change. I have drawn on skills and knowledge that I learned in school and in business world. I am SLOWLY learning another language, and a different culture realizing that we have so much more in common than we may realize. To sum the year up I will adapt a line from a great Ray Charles song: “It was a very good year for new adventures”.

As a big fan of lists, I present you with my top five. When I started thinking about all I have seen and done these were the first things I thought of:

1. Standing atop a mountain overlooking Brasov (a city in the south of Transylvania), taking in the beauty of the Romanian countryside and the old town below. This was my first opportunity to see a true old city, with city walls etc….
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. 4^th of July in Ploiesti. Water Balloon fight, Cheeseburgers, potato salad and guacamole. 70 American’s trying to convey what the party is all about and just generally having a great time!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. My first day at work (Oradea). I know this is a strange one, but the feeling I got arrived here, as if this place was specially prepared for me was one I hope I do not forget.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Habitat for Humanity in Pitesti – This was 1^st real opportunity to feel like a volunteer here in Romania. Up till this point we were learning about Romania, and Romanian and I had feeling of being at camp/high school more than being a volunteer. A good day of manual labor was just what the Doctor ordered at this point in my stay.
   
   
   
   
5. European Vacation (Dec 2006) – Having never been to Europe before arriving in Romania earlier this year I thoroughly enjoyed traveling Eastern and Central Europe and witnessing the history and architecture of the “old world” first hand.

I have seen and done so much more than this, and up till this point I have not done a great job of recording it all. I am committed to changing that, both for those interested in keeping up with me and for myself as well. I do not want to let the lessons I learn during this time of my life pass me by and become forgotten.

May your Holidays be merry and New Year bright…talk to ya’ll in the new year!

CSR '06

Last Thursday (11/9/2006) I was asked to attend and participate at a conference in Bucharest. The conference was just two days and would start on Tuesday (11/14/2006) which gave me just a couple days to prepare a presentation on a topic I knew very little about. I was still excited though. I was excited at the prospect of doing something a little bit different; to represent my organization, the Peace Corps in front of some of the largest company’s in Romania. The conference about CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). At the same time I was nervous. This conference included members of the government, business leaders and directors of high profile NGO’s from around the world. Needless to say I felt just a little out of place. After all aside from reading what did I really know about CSR?

So what is CSR anyway? Basically it a concept that revolves around the idea that companies of all sizes have a responsibility to their employees, customers, shareholders and the community at large. That they have a duty to provide for greater good beyond just making profits. To developing their employees, providing solid goods and services to their customers, and in a pie in the sky view help make the world a better place. By comparison in the US business has long operated on the Friedman model which states “the business of business is business”; nothing like using the same word 3 times in a six word sentence. Breaking this argument down, business should focus on two things; reducing costs and increasing profits within the framework of the law of course. It is one of the reasons why millions of manufacturing and now service jobs have been shipped over seas. Some may debate that CSR’s main goal would be to socialize companies, make them act in the common good just not their own. This is starting to change as people realize how interconnected we all are. Instead of getting into an ideological debate between bottom line thinking and CSR I will just say that a comprise between the two would do wonders for businesses and communities the world over.

As I was preparing for my presentation I received a call from the organizer of the event the day before the conference asking me to speak in a second session. I had just spent the better part of the weekend polishing my first speech and now I had a little more than 48 hours to prepare another one, with a ten hour train trip and a day long conference to attend and participate in. I left Oradea on Monday night on an overnight train to Bucharest which would allow me to arrive Tuesday morning just in time for the start of the conference. After catching a cab to the hotel and overpaying (as I have a tendency to do…I have to learn to check the prices of cabs before I get in) it was into the conference. The entire conference was great, it was a good chance to learn what is being in Romania and around Europe. The breaks were also great times to meet others in business and government and I walked away with some good contacts that my organization may be able to interact with.

My first presentation was at 4:00pm, and while I was a bit anxious all day long when I finally got up on “stage” the anxiety vanished and things went well. I was able to involve the audience and got a couple laughs (not to worry they were planned). All in all, I was greatful for the opportunity, glad it is over and thrilled I didn’t botch it.

Peer Support Training & Pieces of Home

Last Wednesday night I left my home in Oradea and made the 10 hour train trip to Bucharest for Peer Support Training. What is Peer Support you ask? While in the Peace Corps Volunteers have the opportunity to serve our fellow volunteers in a number of ways, one of them is the peer support committee. As I have written in this blog and any one of us could tell you, things are different here. As we adjust to these differences culturally, work wise, and socially it is sometimes helps to have someone to talk to, bounce ideas off of etc…. This is what the peer support committee is for; there are three of us from our group who have volunteered to serve in this way. I got into Bucharest on Thursday morning after traveling all night long on the train. This is actually not as bad as it sounds, as I take the sleeping car and sleep most of the way and wake up with just about hour to go. The only downside is that no matter how well I sleep on the train I still wind up feeling a bit tired.

After arriving Thursday morning I made my way to the Peace Corps Office and it was off to a medical appointment. Everything is ok thankfully but since I have been over here I have experienced some reoccurring medical issues and the medical office had set up some tests for me in order to get a clear picture of what may be going on. I have been so impressed with the professionalism and diligence of the medical staff over here, it many ways it is the best medical care I have every received. When the appointments were over I had the rest of the day to enjoy and explore Bucharest. I ran into another volunteer from my group who was also in town for medical care and we spent the afternoon catching up on our experiences so far. We shared some funny stories of things we have encountered and commiserated on the similarities of our service thus far.

I think one of the biggest challenges for volunteers in Romania is finding a sense of effectiveness. Romania is very advanced in a lot of ways, and the basic manual or tangible projects are harder to come by. I think when most people think of the Peace Corps they envision us hanging out in a village in Africa or the Caribbean and digging ditches, running electricity etc…. The projects I am involved with however while important are softer in nature. They revolve around education and shifting people’s views, things that are not as clear on the outside, but still very important. But I digress…

Back to the training and my weekend in Bucharest. By far the highlight of the weekend was the discovery of Dr. Pepper. You heard me right, we have Dr. Pepper here! Friday night we had American junk food night; Dr. Pepper, peanut butter, chocolate, McDonald’s and Cheeto’s. A night of pure comfort food, and movie watching, it was very enjoyable. I was in meetings the rest of the weekend ending finally on Sunday at about noon. So it was off to the train station and more fun with tickets. I had purchased a ticket for my trip back before left Oradea, but over the weekend I realized it was for the wrong time. After a little back and forth and more money I was on the correct train and headed home. This is the part of the trip that is not usually enjoyable (10 hours on a train in the middle of the day and night) but thankfully a friend of mine was traveling with me. The train was packed though so we spent most of the time in the Bar car playing cards where I was soundly whooped in Rummy. I finally got home a little after midnight, and it the start of another week.

(I have also posted some new pictures of Bucharest on my online photo album)

The Hard life of a PCV

There are times when life just gets too hard, too demanding; when you forced so far out of your comfort zone that you don’t know if you will ever feel the same again. This past weekend was not one of those times!!! It was full of late nights, dorky games, goodbyes and hellos, fast food (Romanian style) and good food, new friends and old friends (well relativity old friends) and parties that last all night long. All in all it was a weekend to remember.

I arrived in Cluj on Friday night after hitchhiking from my home town Oradea. For those of you who know me, that right there is a huge step outside my comfort zone, but here in Romania it really isn’t that big of a deal. Think about it like splitting gas money with strangers. The ride was uneventful, the driver really didn’t say a word, he was too busy driving like a maniac! I have never seen a driver swerve in and out of traffic getting so close to cars. At times I thought our front bumper would touch the back tire of the car we were passing. It was a lot like a roller coaster ride!

Cluj acts as the capital of Transylvania the area of Romania that I am living in these days. To give you a visual it is pretty much the Northwestern part of the country everything to the west of the Carpathian Mountains. This being my first visit to the city however I had absolutely no idea where I was and where I was going, but this dilemma was soon solved with a quick phone call and I was on my way. After meeting up with some more volunteers it was off to a party for a member of group 20. The reason for the party was not the best, this particular individual decided to leave Romania a little early and go back home, we call it Early Termination, or ET’ing for short. But hey it was still a chance to get together with friends, meet some new folks and just blow off some steam. And blow off steam we did, with the party lasting till 5am. Being the old man that I am I could not have made it without two HUGE cups of coffee (thanks kim).

Waking up the next morning was no fun either as no amount of sleep can really help you get over going to bed the same morning. When we finally did get up and decide to explore the city we found it was lunch time and we were hungry so we were off in search of food. We stopped at a great Italian place and while pizza was out (something to do with the oven we were told) the chicken alfredo was great! After lunch it was back to the scene of the party and time for clean up. It is amazing how quickly that can go when you have enough people. The highlight of the evening was still to come however…. As a group of us sat around at an outdoor café someone was struck by the desire for sushi. Keeping in mind that I had already prepared myself for two years without this delectable dish, the thought that good sushi was attainable here made my mouth water immediately. With a quick group consensus we were off to the sushi restaurant. It was a great time and a great meal! There were sixteen of us that took over a private room in the upstairs of the restaurant, and for the first time since I have been over here I had a truly great Japanese meal complete with miso soup, tempura and plenty of sushi.

They say that as we are over here we need to take time out every once in a while and find ways to connect with things that we know. I have mainly been doing this through books, movies and e-mails, but to have the chance to share a familiar meal with friends was a great way to remember everything I love about home. And I have ya’ll to thank for it. Your tax dollars paid for it! Know that while I miss home, the friendships and familiarity of it all I do get to enjoy little pieces of it now and then.

Getting Settled

After months of living with others and getting to know Romania at a very personal level I finally moved into my own apartment in the last week of August. After living on my own for so long before coming to Romania, having my own space, and my own schedule it was strange living with a family again. This was only underscored when I moved into my apartment. It was like a breath of fresh air walking into and getting settled into my own space again. Getting here has been a bit of an adventure as the original apartment that was set up for me fell though. As luck/fate/God’s providence would have it however loosing the original apartment was the best thing that could happen to me because this place is awesome. With access to the internet and even cable tv my home is becoming a great resting place and it does not seem like I am roughing it at all. That is a good and a bad thing at times, but I am just glad that I have clean safe place to lay my head at night. I have posted pictures of my new apartment online at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jgoodell00/HomeSweetHome

Is it all just coincidence?

What is it that pulls us in one direction or another? We all have stories of coincidence. Missing the bus only to end up talking to someone who becomes a friend. Looking so hard for a job or a career only to bump into an old friend who just happens to know of a job that is perfect for you. Things like this happen all the time, and more often than not we write them off as good timing or being in the right place at the right time. Then there are the hard times as well, when we ask why me? A friend or loved one dies; the car breaks down; no matter how hard you try you just can not make ends meet. Many of look back on times like these and remember that they were hard, and uncomfortable but also see through the lens of time and realize how much we grew because of them. I can look back at my own life and see the same types of instances. And as much as I may like to at times I can not dismiss instances such as these as coincidence. So here is the question, is it all just coincidence or are there fingerprints of something greater all over our lives?

By a way of answering my question allow me to tell you about my own journey over the last year. Many of you already know some these events, but when I look back at them I am amazed and therefore I think it bears repeating.

I started my journey of joining the Peace Corps over a year ago as a step of faith. I was looking for a change; my career was stalled to say the least so I started looking at different options. Like most of us I have a huge desire to be respected for my work and as a person. So I started looking at law school because everyone loves and respects lawyers right? I took the LSAT and scored well enough to gain entry to a number of schools. When I sat down to write the essays however I froze, I didnt know what to say or how to say it. It was during this time that I also started looking into the Peace Corps. Unlike my Law School essays this application took no time at all, I was able to complete it in a night. Not exactly a shinning light from the sky, but it caused me to sit up and take notice. I decided then and there that I would see this process though till the end and leave the rest in Gods hands.

A year passed, and after a number of doctors visits to provide more information to Peace Corps I still did not have an answer. I still wanted to pursue this opportunity but I did not want to wait another year for an answer. Therefore I resolved that I would pursue the Peace Corps till the end of the 1st quarter of 2006 (March 31st that is). Things finally started moving at the beginning of March and by March 28th I knew I was accepted, by March 30th just one day before my self imposed deadline and two days before the Peace Corps deadline to leave with this group I found out I was going to Romania, and doing business development. I could not have been more excited, and that excitement continues to this day. The question was what form would this service take? Would I work with an NGO, or a Mayors Office? Would I be teaching or making copies?

Fast forward to two days agoI when I finally visited my site. I will be spending the next two years of my life in a city called Oradea a lovely little town in the Northwestern part of the county that was part of the Hungarian Empire until the end of World War II when it was given to Romania. This I am told is a bone of contention between Hungarians and Romanians but it makes for a beautiful city. I will be serving with an organization called Integra (www.integraromania.ro) whose main goal is to encourage entrepreneurship among at risk women through training and micro loans. From a business standpoint this is exactly what I wanted. I will be involved with everything from creating training materials to teaching business English. From a personal standpoint it is a faith based organization, and we started Monday off with a small Bible study. Later in the day I had a conversation with a one of the directors of the NGO who it turns out got his Masters at Wheaton College at the same time I was attending High School just a few miles away. He attended some of the same Churches and knew some of the same I did at the same time, but I had to come to Romania to meet him face to face. Later in the day I ran into a street evangelism team from America who was working with church in town. The guy doing the translation from English to Romanian turned out to be the pastors son of the church and goes to school with the daughter of the executive director of my NGO. It was at this time more than ever before that I started to feel like this was a place prepared for me.

Allow me to take a couple steps back and explain that last statement even more. First of all as Peace Corps Volunteers we have little or no say over where we go or what we do. Therefore my placement at this NGO was out of hands other than the fact I showed extreme interest in the opportunity when it was presented to me. The real kicker though is that this assignment was not even supposed to be open. A volunteer went there just last year, but after six months in the county he got married and left the country. Leaving this post open for a new volunteer. So after connecting all the dots, I was sent to Romania though really no say of my own other than a request to go to Eastern Europe. I was then placed in this town and this NGO after just showing interest in the opportunity. Not only does this opportunity match my skills from a business standpoint, but it matches my spiritual desires as well. These next two years are going to be a wild ride, and I look forward to sharing more about my experiences as time goes on.

Time to Get Serious

Well at least partly serious. It has been a good two weeks since I have written and a lot has happened. Maybe not a lot in the terms that we as Americans think in, there were no great accomplishments made, and I have not changed the outlook of the Romanian people single handed (yet). What has been happening is a slow shift from feeling like a tourist and this whole trip feeling like one big party with 70 new friends, to realizing that I will be in Romania for the next two years. Two years…sometimes when I say those words I think the time will last forever. Other times I fear I will blink and the experience will all be over.

Last week was one of those weeks that flew by and before I knew it I had been in the country for two weeks. I as I write this note I now have been here for three. With 13 days of language classes under my belt I am beginning to remember that I have a job to do, and that job for the time being is to learn the language. The days of feeling like a non-stop party is going on around me are quickly coming to an end, yet I still find ways to be comfortable, and avoid the reality around me. From reading books (without TV around I find I can kill a book very quickly), to listening to music I find myself procrastinating and avoiding the reality that is at hand. That I am stranger in this land, and while my physical appearance will always make me stick out the one thing that is in my control is how I prepare myself. It is about time to get down to business on that front.

Now that I have poured my heart out so to speak about the ups and downs of being a Peace Corps Volunteer allow me to regale you with an amusing story. I mentioned before that things are “different” in Romania. Well one of these things is the elevators. I am currently interning in the Mayor’s office in Ploiesti, with the Department of International Relations. Sounds pretty cool huh? Their main goal is to raise funds for projects in the city and the county, everything from Environmental to Public Works projects. The office is located on the third floor of city hall and being a typically lazy American I along with the rest of my group 4 and a security guard to escort to the door all got in a space the size of a very small closet. I remember thinking as we stepped in, man it would suck to get stuck in this thing. Well a short minute later we were stuck. We made it the third floor and when the doors were supposed to open they didn’t. What made for more good times is that apparently cell phones do not work in elevator shafts, so after some banging and shouting we finally got someone’s attention. During this time the power to the control panel went out, no bells, no possibility of choosing another floor, and with the handy dandy safe lock doors no chance of prying open the exit.

It was during this time that I remembered how much I hate confined spaces, and flashbacks of childhood sleepovers and trapping each other in the bottom of our sleeping bags “for fun” came rushing back. I wish I could say I handled those times well and it did not bother me, but I would be lying. I hated every second of it, and now stuck in an elevator with no room to sit, 4 other people and a rising temperature I was doing all I could to remain the calm cool collected 29 year old I have become. Inside however the little kid trapped in the bottom of his sleeping bag by his friends was screaming to get out.

A very LONG 10 minutes later the elevator started again with a slight drop leaving my heart in my throat and then proceed very slowly down to the 1^st floor. We all exited and this lazy American was no longer feeling all that lazy. As we filed out the security guard informed us we could get back on, just not all of us. Apparently the weight limit on this elevator was much less than we anticipated. Needless to say I was not first in line to get back in, besides I really did need to work on those calf muscles anyway.

A Long Overdue Update

When I came over here I had a goal of updating my blog once a week and letting yall know what is going with me. When you last heard from me I was stuck in an elevator in Mayors Office here in Ploiesti. I am happy to say that I got out of that elevator and have even ventured (hesitantly) into another couple of elevators since then. I have also started to do some traveling since then as well. Since it has been so long I have broken this latest blog into a couple different sections. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures as much as I enjoyed experiencing them.

So what are you up to?

As of now I am still in Training, which means I have been learning Romanian for 4 hours each day and then attending sessions on everything from Medical Information, to how to do a SWOT analysis (business 101). As I have said before the whole thing seems like a mix between camp and high school. It has been a good experience but I am ready for the next step. This Wednesday (Mercuile) I will find out where in country I am going and what I will be doing for the next two years. While I dont know for sure there is a chance that I will be working marginalized people groups here in Romania who want to start small businesses. It would involve business training / Business Plan writing and review and possibly a micro-finance component. I have no clue where it is but from what I have heard about it so far the opportunity is exactly what I want! So for all of you that have been praying for me you can lift that one up. I will be sure to let yall know later this week what happens.

Brasov

The first trip I took while in Romania was to Brasov, a beautiful mountain city in the southern part of Transylvania. Unlike most of the country the city remained pretty much untouched during the communist era and much of the buildings were preserved instead of being torn down and rebuilt as bloc housing. It also houses the Black Church, a massive structure that took over 100 years to build. It sits in the center of the old city and dominates the landscape. Standing next to it you can not help but feel small as I am sure this was the intent. I went with a group of 6 people and began to experience the joy of public transportation and navigation with limited knowledge. It was actually a lot of fun. We took an accelerant train to Brasov from Ploiesti which took about 2 & ½ hours. The nice thing was that we had a cabin to ourselves and were able to talk, move around and be comfortable the entire way there. It seems to me that the secret to traveling here is to do it in a group if at all possible. As we are all traveling on the cheap we also crammed into the hotel room and real comfortable on twin size beds. When you are tired enough however just about any sleeping arrangement seems blissful. It was during this trip that I was able my first stand-up shower since leaving the hotel soon after my arrival in Ploiesti. It was everything I remembered it could be! I didnt even care that it was a shared bathroom for the entire floor. The sheer bliss of standing up and showering under hot high pressure water was enough to bring a tear to my eye.

We arrived in Brasov on Saturday afternoon and walked around the town a bit. A few of us even stumbled upon an Irish Tavern complete with Pizza and dulce ketchup (they serve ketchup as sweet or spicy here in Romania) and of course GUINNESS!!! So for the second time since I have been in Romania I got to experience the awesome goodness that is a pint of Guinness with all of it frothy goodness. I am sorry to say that because of the price it is the last one I have had. We continued to explore the town the rest of the day which included watching the World Cup in a completely deserted bar and having an honest to goodness cheeseburger for dinner with sweet ketchup of course.

The next morning we got up bright and early and had breakfast in bed. And because breakfast consisted of bread and cheese most of breakfast remained in the bed in the form of crumbs. It would be safe to assume that the cleaning lady was not our biggest fan after that little performance. After breakfast we headed up the mountain behind Brasov called Mt. Tampa. It was nice little 3000 ft hike with plenty of switchbacks. The view from the top was amazing as well! You could see for miles or kilometers whichever you prefer. They had a little restaurant on the top where we had a wonderful lunch of peanuts and chocolate along with some drinks, just what was needed after a nice long hike. A friend and I ended up taking the tram down the mountain due to her asthma kicking up and spent a few more hours exploring the town in search of Romanian patch and or sticker. Amazingly enough there were none to be found. It seems that tourist items such as stickers and patches are harder to come by then one might think. I suppose it is has to do with the development of the country but I am finding that little trinkets and the like are not found in the abundance that they are in the states. Another 2 ½ hour train ride back and we were home.

I have included some pictures of this trip on my online album at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jgoodell00/Brasov

Pitesti

A couple of weeks ago I traveled to Pitesti with a group of Peace Corps Volunteers to do some work with Habitat for Humanity. It was an unbelievable time and for once in my life I got paid to work with Habitat. The Peace Corps put us up in a hotel for two nights, and gave us money for travel there and back as well a good chunk of money for food and beverages. Talk about a rewarding experience! In all seriousness though, it was just nice to get out in the air and do some real physical labor. We had to dig a ditch around an apartment building for a new septic system, 2 feet wide and 3 feet deep from the foundation. The fact that there were mounds of trash another 2 feet high around the foundation just added to the fun. Nothing like a doll crawling with maggots to get your juices flowing. Aside from the maggots and the other creepy crawlers we unearthed the project went off without a hitch. That is until the heavens opened up and started to fill our newly made ditch with rain and the mud we just shoveled out. All in all it was a great trip and a lot of fun. With the extra money in my pocket I also got to enjoy a great meal and learn a little Romanian lesson. They sell liquor by the milliliter here and while I thought I knew what I was doing it turned out I didnt. I ordered a Jack and Coke thinking I was getting one shot of 20 ml. Turns out a jack and coke calls for 2 shots of 20 ml so my drink doubled in price. There are worse things that could have happened, but I could not help but feel that I was taken advantage of. I guess I had to learn sometime.

You can find more pictures at:

(Insert link here)

That is it for now. I will be posting another message in a couple of days once I know where I will be going and what I will be doing.

Not in Texas Anymore

Wow! What a week! It is hard for me to believe that I have only been gone a little over a week; it seems more like a month. I have to concentrate to think back on my weekly routine before quitting Handango, and then leaving for the Peace Corps. It mainly consisted of getting up, going to work, watching TV, spending time with friends and going to sleep. To say the least it was comfortable and easy. I now find myself in an environment where simple conversation is a chore. That is not to say that things are not good though. I am being stretched daily, and in a lot of ways it is like High School again. school all day, sack lunches, a pretty set schedule and parents (gazdas: “host family”) that treat me like a son.

A good friend told me before I left to remember that above all “It’s not bad. It’s not good. It’s just different.” That and a few other simple quotes run through my mind daily. Romania is so different, yet so very similar. My 1^st weekend here there was a city celebration “Ploiesti Days”. We spent the evenings listening to music, and one thing that will stick in my memory is walking past the town fountain with friends and listening to “Sweet Home Alabama” sung in English by a Romanian country band blaring over the speakers. Another night I found myself two steppin’ in the street with friends from the Peace Corps as another band covered Shania Twain songs.

There are many differences as well though. The friendly smile, nod or wave and a “Howdy” is gone. It is replaced by Buna Dimeata (Good Morning), and a blank stare back. People here keep to themselves, and spend a lot of time looking at their shoes. Perhaps it is a big city thing, but Sebastian (my host Father) has let me know, “You just don’t do that” as I kepy waving hello. Some other adjustments to daily life are things like: no dryers or dishwashers, toilets that look a bit different than what we are used to with the tank mounted high on the wall, non degradable toilet paper and a small trash can for your used TP, showers that you sit in a tub to take because most people don’t have shower curtains and a wand to wet yourself down with. In my case it is accompanied by an enormous lack of water pressure and very little hot water. My favorite daily 20 min hot shower is a thing of the past. So once again…“Its not bad, Its not good, Its just different.”

Overall things are really good though. My host family is becoming just that, a family. They are a couple with one older son who lives next door in a second house with his Grandmother. They also take care of their 2^nd cousin as he goes to High School here in town. In fact I am pretty sure I have displaced him from the room I am staying in for these next 10 weeks. The fact they have a house is quite an accomplishment as most families live in blocs – that marvelous feat of lasting construction that we have all heard about from the communist era. Having been in at least one and seen too many already from the outside I can tell you they are every bit as ugly/depressing as you have heard. On the inside though they really aren’t that bad, not the four seasons by any means, but very livable. I am also amazed at how much people seem to provide for themselves. The family I am staying with has a garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, radishes, a couple cherry trees and I can not imagine what else. The best part though has to be the food! It is so GOOD, and so fresh! Every meal I have had, while different has been delicious! There has only been one or two things that I have had so far that don’t taste all that good. No matter how much I try to “integrate” fish egg pâté is staying off my diet.

There is so much more to tell, from grabbing a pizza and beer on the top of one of the oldest buildings in town, to “raving” until 1 am with my Peace Corps friends and my host brother. That’s right folks I can rave with the best of them. In order to keep these things readable however I will limit myself, but let me know if have any questions. Tune in next week, and remember I love comments (it is the only way I know you read this stuff…