so it's important to enjoy little things, to find pleasure in simplicity. here are a few examples from the past week.
-- wednesday i finally got up the courage to go into a music shop i'd noticed in my second week here. i don't walk past it often, and it's usually closed when i do .. but this time it was open and i went in. and i asked to look at and play a violin. so i did .. tuned it, played a scale, and then played 'tis a gift to be simple. talked to the lady about how much it cost (and the difference between a cheap one and a really nice old one..!?!), and then walked out with a big grin on my face.
-- friday we played a romanian version of "will you smile for me?" where the goal is not to smile or to laugh. i've never been very good at this game. but this time i was able to keep a straight face every time i was asked (which was often, since i was a 'tough target'). whoa! i must be growing up or getting more mature. or something..
-- thursday i went to house church even though i didn't want to. and it was good to be there. hard and frustrating and challenging, but good.
-- friday i started reading the booklet i have about retirement funds. i'm not particularly interested, but it is something i want to (and am supposed to) do, and i'm finally starting that process.
-- thursday i didn't wear a coat. two long-sleeve shirts with a wool sweater, a scarf, and a hat. but no coat. it wasn't all that cold, so i was plenty warm. and i didn't care that people (especially older women) stared at me like i would catch cold on the spot.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
snow!!!
woo hoo!!thanks, God!
not much, but still ..
it's snow.
and a sunny morning.
what more could one ask?!
classical music
last weekend i went to the philharmonic with friends. it was almost two hours of music, with a 10 minute intermission. a full orchestra (i think), with a french horn soloist for one piece. how marvelous. i have lots of friends and acquaintances from college (and other places) who play instruments or sing beautifully, so when i go to hear music like this, it often makes me miss those friends. and it also makes me want to play my own violin .. (we'll see about that .. )
so the crazy thing about classical music in romania is the price. my ticket cost:
- less than it would cost to go to the movies on a weekend here
- the same as a set of 10 bus tickets
- about the same as a novel
- slightly more than 2 liters of milk
- slightly more than 500 grams of nutella
and yet .. most romanians that i know cannot afford to go often or at all. one time i asked a friend who was rather low on funds, and her first response was 'how much does it cost? i still need to eat.' that's not something i have to think about. i have enough money to enjoy beautiful or fun things now and again. not everyday, but the material differences between the romanians i'm beginning to know and myself is often overwhelming. no matter what, though, i savored the music and my soul was refreshed.
so the crazy thing about classical music in romania is the price. my ticket cost:
- less than it would cost to go to the movies on a weekend here
- the same as a set of 10 bus tickets
- about the same as a novel
- slightly more than 2 liters of milk
- slightly more than 500 grams of nutella
and yet .. most romanians that i know cannot afford to go often or at all. one time i asked a friend who was rather low on funds, and her first response was 'how much does it cost? i still need to eat.' that's not something i have to think about. i have enough money to enjoy beautiful or fun things now and again. not everyday, but the material differences between the romanians i'm beginning to know and myself is often overwhelming. no matter what, though, i savored the music and my soul was refreshed.
Monday, January 22, 2007
hello?
so, i saw this idea on a friend's blog recently and liked it. the idea is this: getting an idea of who reads my blog. i have some general ideas (from some comments, stats, and mentions in emails or the like) .. but would enjoy knowing for sure. just cuz. no good reason, really. i like sharing pieces of my thoughts .. but it would be fun to know who is reading my thoughts (and thinking about them too perhaps). so .. if you would add a comment to this post, that'd be cool. could just be your name. or something specific so i'll know who you are if you don't want to write your name. or a funny memory we share. or some of the questions you're asking these days. thanks, friends.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
bus rules
riding on a bus in romania is an experience. so, i'll prepare you. (for any visitors i might be having, you know. or if somebody just happens to be in romania and wants to ride a bus).
BUS DESCRIPTION
3 sets of doors (all on the same side, of course!)
24 seats (really. i counted)
wide aisles
lots of standing room in the middle
poles run along above aisles for handholds
often full (sometimes very full..)
TICKETS
you must have a ticket that you put into a machine so it is marked when you get on the bus. you can also buy a pass for a certain period of time, like 2 weeks or a month. you can also buy booklets of 10 tickets. or you can buy a ticket from the driver when you get on the bus. if you get on the bus at the middle door and the bus is so full you cannot get to the driver, you send up the necessary money. it gets passed through many hands and eventually your ticket comes back, and usually someone has put it into the machine so it is already marked. no other place have i seen someone hand over money to an unknown person .. but i haven't seen any bad results.
ADVERTISEMENTS
a month or so ago, a few buses started to have televisions at the front. these play just commercials for various businesses in the city. and there are maybe 7 ads? so if you're on the bus for more than 10 minutes, you see and hear them multiple times. the most interesting for me is one for a football (soccer) team, and the music is the same as a worship song i know (here are the lyrics if anybody is interested). when i hear it, i sing along silently with the real words that praise God. too bad they're singin' the wrong ones!
COURTESY
if an older woman gets on the bus, she deserves a seat. if one is not free, usually someone will stand up to give her one. this happens with older men, but mostly if they look frail or demand it. young children also often get seats given up for them. sometimes a mother with a young child will be given a seat and will take it and put the kid on her lap. i suspect this mostly depends on how tired the mother is.
FULL BUSES
many times during the day (and not always the same ones), the bus is full. this means all the seats are taken, and people are standing so the aisles are full, and sometimes when the bus stops at a station, it's a challenge for people there to push their way onto the bus. in this crowd of people, it's important to keep your bag in front of you where you can see it and possibly feel it. pickpockets might it too tempted otherwise.
FULL BUSES: POSITIONING
in terms of positioning yourself, a seat is a good option, although one might be obliged to give it up for someone who needs it more leaving you in an awkward position. i personally prefer to enter in the middle of the bus and go to the opposite side, in the standing space. there are two corners and some nice windows or railings to lean against. this way at least one part of me is safe from being touched. and touching will happen on a full bus. not sexual touching, but what, i suppose, is necessary. let's just say that for the twenty-five minutes it takes to ride from the office to home, personal space doesn't exist.
FULL BUSES: EXITING
when you need to get out of the bus, it's best to start moving toward an exit a few moments before the bus stops at your station. on a full bus, this moving toward the door often requires almost switching places with people who will not be exiting the bus just yet. no speaking is necessary, although it is somewhat polite. sometimes this also requires gently (or not so gently) pushing one's way out onto the street. if you happen to be near the door and not exiting, beware -- people might be pushing to get around from a couple directions. in some cases, it's best to get out and then quickly get back in once the outflowing traffic has ceased. if you happen to be claustrophobic, there are a few options .. waiting an hour until less people are traveling, walking (not a brilliant idea if you're alone and it's dark), or taking a taxi (which isn't too expensive). there's also always the option to just stay home ....
BUS DESCRIPTION
3 sets of doors (all on the same side, of course!)
24 seats (really. i counted)
wide aisles
lots of standing room in the middle
poles run along above aisles for handholds
often full (sometimes very full..)
TICKETS
you must have a ticket that you put into a machine so it is marked when you get on the bus. you can also buy a pass for a certain period of time, like 2 weeks or a month. you can also buy booklets of 10 tickets. or you can buy a ticket from the driver when you get on the bus. if you get on the bus at the middle door and the bus is so full you cannot get to the driver, you send up the necessary money. it gets passed through many hands and eventually your ticket comes back, and usually someone has put it into the machine so it is already marked. no other place have i seen someone hand over money to an unknown person .. but i haven't seen any bad results.
ADVERTISEMENTS
a month or so ago, a few buses started to have televisions at the front. these play just commercials for various businesses in the city. and there are maybe 7 ads? so if you're on the bus for more than 10 minutes, you see and hear them multiple times. the most interesting for me is one for a football (soccer) team, and the music is the same as a worship song i know (here are the lyrics if anybody is interested). when i hear it, i sing along silently with the real words that praise God. too bad they're singin' the wrong ones!
COURTESY
if an older woman gets on the bus, she deserves a seat. if one is not free, usually someone will stand up to give her one. this happens with older men, but mostly if they look frail or demand it. young children also often get seats given up for them. sometimes a mother with a young child will be given a seat and will take it and put the kid on her lap. i suspect this mostly depends on how tired the mother is.
FULL BUSES
many times during the day (and not always the same ones), the bus is full. this means all the seats are taken, and people are standing so the aisles are full, and sometimes when the bus stops at a station, it's a challenge for people there to push their way onto the bus. in this crowd of people, it's important to keep your bag in front of you where you can see it and possibly feel it. pickpockets might it too tempted otherwise.
FULL BUSES: POSITIONING
in terms of positioning yourself, a seat is a good option, although one might be obliged to give it up for someone who needs it more leaving you in an awkward position. i personally prefer to enter in the middle of the bus and go to the opposite side, in the standing space. there are two corners and some nice windows or railings to lean against. this way at least one part of me is safe from being touched. and touching will happen on a full bus. not sexual touching, but what, i suppose, is necessary. let's just say that for the twenty-five minutes it takes to ride from the office to home, personal space doesn't exist.
FULL BUSES: EXITING
when you need to get out of the bus, it's best to start moving toward an exit a few moments before the bus stops at your station. on a full bus, this moving toward the door often requires almost switching places with people who will not be exiting the bus just yet. no speaking is necessary, although it is somewhat polite. sometimes this also requires gently (or not so gently) pushing one's way out onto the street. if you happen to be near the door and not exiting, beware -- people might be pushing to get around from a couple directions. in some cases, it's best to get out and then quickly get back in once the outflowing traffic has ceased. if you happen to be claustrophobic, there are a few options .. waiting an hour until less people are traveling, walking (not a brilliant idea if you're alone and it's dark), or taking a taxi (which isn't too expensive). there's also always the option to just stay home ....
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
no snow!
snow. winter. cold weather. fur hats. warm black coats. all things which romania is known for. the clothing i see everyday. the winter? not so much. it's been sort of cold here, but i'm fine with a long-sleeve shirt under a jacket. haven't needed my long underwear yet. (which i do have! in case i do happen to need it some day ..) so this is me complaining. it will be short. i promise.
the temperature outside this afternoon is in the low 50s. which is not so much winter, as early autumn. whenever i talk to my parents they make references to below-freezing temperatures and snow. which makes me jealous. i mean it's natural that the rocky mountains should have snow and cold weather. but i'd like some too! last year i lived in LA, and had a sad winter. (in terms of weather. it gets 'cool' there, but not cold like i enjoy.) friends told me it would be better this year, because romania gets really cold and snowy. i looked forward expectantly. but .. nothin' yet. ah well. just get to keep waiting. somehow that doesn't surprise me. waiting. hmmm...
the temperature outside this afternoon is in the low 50s. which is not so much winter, as early autumn. whenever i talk to my parents they make references to below-freezing temperatures and snow. which makes me jealous. i mean it's natural that the rocky mountains should have snow and cold weather. but i'd like some too! last year i lived in LA, and had a sad winter. (in terms of weather. it gets 'cool' there, but not cold like i enjoy.) friends told me it would be better this year, because romania gets really cold and snowy. i looked forward expectantly. but .. nothin' yet. ah well. just get to keep waiting. somehow that doesn't surprise me. waiting. hmmm...
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
i like books!
so .. i read a lot. i like books. i learn from them. not just facts, but emotionally -- stories are one way that i understand and comprehend life. so it's fun to read .. but also good for me. really. it's true.
and i keep a record of what books i've read, some of the things they made me question, a vague plot, and the number of pages. the books i've recently read are posted over on the right, and if you click on them you can also view a variety of others, if you happen to be interested. but the main idea i wanted to share was just how many pages i read in 2006. and the number of books. ready?
59 books
17,422 pages
and .. this is a fair bit less than last year. (believe it or not!) anyway, the range of books is rather wide -- young adult, nonfiction, fiction, Christian nonfiction, classics, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, humor. mostly stories are what interest me, in almost any variety. an intriguing story with good questions, enjoyable writing, something worth saying, and characters that feel real in some sense. mmm .. that's worth savoring.
and i keep a record of what books i've read, some of the things they made me question, a vague plot, and the number of pages. the books i've recently read are posted over on the right, and if you click on them you can also view a variety of others, if you happen to be interested. but the main idea i wanted to share was just how many pages i read in 2006. and the number of books. ready?
59 books
17,422 pages
and .. this is a fair bit less than last year. (believe it or not!) anyway, the range of books is rather wide -- young adult, nonfiction, fiction, Christian nonfiction, classics, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, humor. mostly stories are what interest me, in almost any variety. an intriguing story with good questions, enjoyable writing, something worth saying, and characters that feel real in some sense. mmm .. that's worth savoring.
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