Day 4: Bucuresti

I wake up early this morning. I'm feeling like I have a little cold.
I have breakfast.
I eat Romanian bread.
With Romanian gem de caise.

And Romanian cereal
With Romanian milk

Asa.

I write in my blog. I talk with Delia C. She says I can go to the big Communist Palace if I get there before 16.00. I take a little nap. I head over on the subway to a stop that I can't remember now. I get out and it's very peaceful and lovely to me.
Not crowded. Just serene. I walk to the Palace. "Passport?" "Nu." "I'm sorry, you must have original passport." I didn't bring it with me, so I can't go in. Quelle dommage. I walk out, sit down in the park for a smoke, call Gerrit on the phone and then get back on the subway and head over to Piata Victoriei, big commercial center. My camera died. It's a huge Piata. There is no way to cross directly through the intersection. It's started raining. I walk around. It's lovely and huge. IT STARTS HAILING! I run into the metro station with some other pedestrians. Wait for it to stop. I head out, walk around the whole square. Look for some tea. Find a little place with an American name. Struggle with ordering. Have some tea. I'm drenched. I go home. Didn't really know what to look for.

On the way back I stop in the store and ask for an umbrella. "Vorbiti engleza?" "Engleza? Nu." "Stiti dumneavoastra unde pot sa cumpar un *signal with my hands umbrella*?" At MegaImage, they say. I later learn that umbrella is the same word in Romanian. I go back to the apartment, talk to Delia. It's my last night in Bucharest. She invites me to attend a round table discussion, with business people and marketers to help with discuss how to help an NGO (Non-Government Organization) that helps low-income mothers not to abandon their children by giving them jobs making jewelry. It is therapeutic for them, and also can provide a couple of the mothers with an income. I run to the grocery store because going to meet her. They don't have umbrellas at MegaImage, by the way, but I buy some sandwiches and a croissant for my journey tomorrow. I run home, then run out again. I meet Delia at Piata Romana. We walk to a little cafe called Music Rooms. There I'm greeted by a bunch of really inspiring Romanians and one Israeli guy who's in the same boat as me language-wise. They say that they cannot present the conversation this evening in "CNN version" (that's what they call presenting something in English). So it's all in Romanian, but Delia translates for me. The group who helps the mothers make the jewelry is called Touched Romania, and you can visit their website at www.touchedromania.org. They were really inspiring, and what was even more heartening was that a group of socially-conscious people had gotten together to help them discuss how to network and develop their business. The second part of the discussion separated into two groups. My group ended up being in English, which was foarte frumos. We stayed there for a good 3 hours, I would say. I bought a little piece of jewelry, and gave them my info. FOR MY ENTIRE STAY IN BUCURESTI I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE A POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE IN THIS COUNTRY, AND ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING. I'm very blessed.

Delia and I run the catch the last metro. She is extremely kind and gives me a Romanian film, a guidebook, and a book of poems from Mihai Eminescu. I feel stupid for not thinking to get her a gift. I want to cry saying goodbye. She has been so kind and hospitable to me, and put me in contact with so many good people. I can't repay you! I hope that you really do come to Chicago!

I take the metro home to Iancului for the last time, eat some more Romanian cereal and Romanian milk, because we didn't have time for dinner. Rush around re-packing my bags. What will I need for tomorrow? I'm a little nervous about the train ride. I have to be up at 06.00. Cami is picking me up at 06.45. Tomorrow I am for Cluj-Napoca and the Visky family, cu trenul!!!