Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Home for the Holidays
I made it home to Pennsylvania last night, after a full day of traveling from Cluj to Bucharest to Paris to D.C. to Western PA. I'm sure I'll be posting soon, but for the next couple of weeks, I'm excited to just be home. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Third in a Series of Four: Endless, Numbered Days
If you've been following my blog, you know that I've been working on a series of four paintings, which I've entitled the "Endless, Numbered Days." Here's a link to my second painting (with a link to the first one included in that post): http://leftside-rightside.blogspot.com/2010/11/second-in-series-of-four-endless.html.
For today, here's a glimpse of the third painting in the series (the nautical scene on the painting stand- I'll post a close-up of it eventually), plus a feel for the inside of Maya's studio (I've posted about Maya before, as well as the outside of her studio.) That's me, with my instructor Maya and some of her work in the background. (Photo credits: Jennie Durant)
For today, here's a glimpse of the third painting in the series (the nautical scene on the painting stand- I'll post a close-up of it eventually), plus a feel for the inside of Maya's studio (I've posted about Maya before, as well as the outside of her studio.) That's me, with my instructor Maya and some of her work in the background. (Photo credits: Jennie Durant)
Friday, December 10, 2010
Maramures Trip Itinerary & Highlights
- Picking up the Rental Car from Andrei at Pan Travel in Cluj: The reason this task made the highlight list is that in addition to providing me with helpful maps, Andrei gave a full five-minute briefing on how to navigate around horses and bicycles. "Allow the maximum distance when passing because horses, although used to cars, can be unpredictable. Allow the maximum distance when passing bicycles, because if the biker has been drinking, he could also be unpredictable."
- Entering Maramures on a holiday (Dec. 6th- St. Nicholas Day): As we worked our way from Cluj to Botiza, the roads gradually became narrower and narrower until we suddenly realized that we were sharing a small two-lane paved road with more horse-carts than cars. Almost every horse-cart had a live pig or sheep in it, and several had large packages or barrels. We later found out that two Mondays per month, there is a market where locals can purchase live animals. Because it was a holiday, the streets were packed with people walking or clustered together on the road, having a conversation.
- Meeting our guide, George Iurca (botizavr@sintec.ro), in Botiza: Hiring a local guide was by far the best investment we could have made, and from what I've read, heard, and experienced, George is the best of the best of Maramures guides. Fluent in four languages including English and coming from a family who has lived in the area for generation after generation, George knows the Maramures Valley like the back of his hand. He and his wife run a small, clean and comfortable guesthouse, where we stayed.
- Oldest Wooden Church in Maramures- Ieud: Maramures is famous for its wooden churches- old and new, big and small, Orthodox or Greek-Catholic, constructed in a very traditional style, in all wood from the shingles to the floorboards. Set off the road and surrounded by tall pine trees, this wooden church survived fires set by invaders that destroyed many of the churches throughout the valley. Now a UNESCO Heritage Site, this church features beautifully painted murals.
- Demonstration of making clothing out of hemp fiber and a tour through a Maramures homestead: A chance to see the ingenuity of the people of Maramures, who have developed ways to feed, clothe, house, and subsist solely on materials that they grow themselves using traditional farming practices and lots of good old-fashioned manure (seriously- manure is King here.) I saw more piles of cow, horse, and pig manure and horse-carts transporting manure in these two days than I've seen in my entire life. The Valley has refused the use of artificial pesticides or fertilizers, and you really can tell, from the water quality in the stream, to the clean, fresh air, to the taste of the fruits, vegetables, and even the meat that we sampled there. While on the topic of farming, the other thing that you see in all of the fields is hay bales, tall and thick, standing vertically since they're wrapped around a wooden pole, resting on sticks rather than directly on the ground, with a little wooden roof on top to keep some of the water out of the inner core of the hay. If constructed properly, these hay bales can provide nutritious feed for the animals for up to two years.
- Barsana Monastery: This monastery was built almost entirely by the residents of the small town in which it's located. Donations of time, money, and physical labor have produced several buildings where nuns reside year-round, a wooden church, a front gate, a museum, and a guesthouse for people who choose to make a pilgrimage to this site.
- Dinner and Breakfast at the Guesthouse: Fantastic, home-cooked Romanian food by our guide George's wife. Everything was organic, local, sustainable, traditional, DELICIOUS. We stuffed ourselves Monday night, slept/digested, and were ready for a fabulous breakfast early the next day.
- Traditional Woodcarver: In addition to many wooden gates displayed throughout the nearby villages, this father-son team (the son is an Orthodox priest) is in the process of hand-carving the decorative paneling that will be installed in a Romanian Orthodox church currently being constructed in Roebling, New Jersey.
- Tallest Wooden Church in Maramures- Sapanta: Another UNESCO Heritage Site, this newly-built wooden church has a 75 meter steeple.
- Merry Cemetery: It was raining when we reached the cemetery, but we still left feeling more upbeat than sad, thanks to the cheerful colors and humorous epitaphs on the headstone-crosses. It's all the work of one man and his apprentice, started in 1935. Here's the Wikipedia link for a description of what makes this place different from your average cemetery: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Cemetery.
- Farmers' Market- This was my request. It was interesting to see a lot of Ukrainian products for sale (which makes sense, considering that Sapanta is on the Romanian-Ukraine border.) I was happy to go away from the market with a couple of interesting purchases to sample: smoked pork fat, fresh sour cream, and dried fruit.
- Sighet Prison- (separate detailed post below)
- Small-scale Waterworks Industry: Corn Mill, Felting Wool, Distillery, Washing Machine: Although the original equipment was sold to the Astra Museum of Romanian Ethnography, located outside of Sibiu, this practical water-powered family-run industry was both impressive and ingenious.
(Photo credits for all of the pictures in this post: Jennie Durant)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sighet Prison- Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance
One of the most memorable stops that we made during our trip to Northern Transylvania was the Sighet Prison, located only one mile from the Ukraine border. The Sighet Prison, originally built in 1897, became part of the network of prisons used during the 1950's-1980's to incarcerate dignitaries and intellectuals deemed to be in opposition of the Communist regime. Many of the political prisoners were Greek- and Roman- Catholic priests, former democratic party leaders, historians, artists, and academics, and were frequently males over the age of sixty. The prison has been transformed into a fascinating and thorough museum, with each cell block featuring one aspect of Communism, Imprisonment, and/or the Resistance.
For additional information, here are some links:
http://www.memorialsighet.ro/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=93&lang=en (The official website of the museum, including a description in the "virtual visit section" of each of the cell block exhibits.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sighet_prison (An overview of the prison and list of some of the political prisoners incarcerated in the Sighet Prison.)
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g608955-d622822-r71790078-Memorial_of_the_Victims_of_Communism_and_of_the_Resistance-Sighetu_Marmatiei.html#REVIEWS (Reviews of the prison museum and logistics on how to get there.)
Perhaps the most fascinating exhibit in my opinion was a cell focusing on "Poetry in Prison." Here's an excerpt from the website on the topic:
"Born without pencil and paper, transmitted from cell to cell through the Morse alphabet, this poetry was equally a mental gymnastics exercise, one of spiritual unloading, of human solidarity, of spiritual raising, of ascesis [self-discipline] through the acceptance of anonymity. The authors of some of the poems are still not known, for others famous authors have been found, but we preferred to mix them without names, as in the moment of their birth lacking vanity, when those who memorized them were as important and necessary as those who composed them."
 | ||
| Exterior of the Sighet Prison; Shutters covered the cell windows to prevent prisoners from seeing anything outside other than the sky. |
http://www.memorialsighet.ro/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=93&lang=en (The official website of the museum, including a description in the "virtual visit section" of each of the cell block exhibits.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sighet_prison (An overview of the prison and list of some of the political prisoners incarcerated in the Sighet Prison.)
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g608955-d622822-r71790078-Memorial_of_the_Victims_of_Communism_and_of_the_Resistance-Sighetu_Marmatiei.html#REVIEWS (Reviews of the prison museum and logistics on how to get there.)
Perhaps the most fascinating exhibit in my opinion was a cell focusing on "Poetry in Prison." Here's an excerpt from the website on the topic:
"Born without pencil and paper, transmitted from cell to cell through the Morse alphabet, this poetry was equally a mental gymnastics exercise, one of spiritual unloading, of human solidarity, of spiritual raising, of ascesis [self-discipline] through the acceptance of anonymity. The authors of some of the poems are still not known, for others famous authors have been found, but we preferred to mix them without names, as in the moment of their birth lacking vanity, when those who memorized them were as important and necessary as those who composed them."
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Stay Tuned: Maramures Trip
Friday, December 3, 2010
December 1st- Romanian National Day
Dec. 1st was Romanian National Day, and I got to experience a great and memorable event (albeit a tiny bit Communist feeling- no offense to Romanians, since I'm sure our U.S. 4th of July celebrating and flag waving would feel very nationalistic to a foreigner): a crisp, cold Dec. night, crowds in the Piata Avram Iancu between the Opera House and the Orthodox Cathedral, streets blocked off for a military parade (marching band, followed by soldiers and police who came marching through, carrying lit torches, marching in sync, and singing a military song), music broadcast over loud-speakers, Romanian flags waiving, then a big show of fireworks.
Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me, but some friends (and friends of friends posted) great pics here: http://www.adevarul.ro/locale/cluj-napoca/galerie_foto_1_decembrie_2010_cluj_napoca_5_382211795.html
This shot was also fantastic, taken from further away (photo credits: Alex Marchis):
Overall, a fun and memorable Romanian evening! What an honor to get to celebrate this important day of Romanian Unification with great Romanian friends.
Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me, but some friends (and friends of friends posted) great pics here: http://www.adevarul.ro/locale/cluj-napoca/galerie_foto_1_decembrie_2010_cluj_napoca_5_382211795.html
This shot was also fantastic, taken from further away (photo credits: Alex Marchis):
Overall, a fun and memorable Romanian evening! What an honor to get to celebrate this important day of Romanian Unification with great Romanian friends.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
World AIDS Day
If my time in Africa has taught me only one thing, it's this: AIDS has not gone away.
This distinct moment of realizing stays with me always, in my mind:
In Kigali, Rwanda in Spring 2007, I showed up for basketball practice with my girls' team on the outside court in the center of town. It was evident right away that we weren't practicing that day; the entire court, the grassy areas around the court, and the parking lot next to the court were packed with people, almost all women, mostly with a baby or two in tow, standing shoulder to shoulder, patiently waiting. A 14-passenger taxi van would show up, a group of people piled in, and the van left. There was a continuous stream of taxi vans, but it was obviously going to take a long time for all of these women to get wherever they were trying to go.
As I was standing there watching the crowd, irritated that I'd shown up for practice and it was clearly not going to happen, my teammate, who was standing beside me, put her arm around my shoulder and asked, "Do you know why all of these people are here?"
Me: "No, why?"
"They've tested positive for HIV. The government wants to bring them all together to discuss possible treatment options."
Just like that. Matter-of-fact. They've tested positive for HIV. Hundreds, if not thousands, of women and children right in front of my eyes, and they've all tested positive for HIV.
There's a difference between knowing and knowing. This was the first time that the true enormity of the disease, the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, truly hit me.
According to estimates by sites such as the CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2155rank.html), Rwanda is up there among the 25 countries with the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence in the world. If you continue to look at the stats, Africa's unfortunate position in the HIV and AIDS epidemic is clear; the 19 countries worldwide with the highest prevalence of reported infections are all African nations. Namibia, where I lived throughout 2009, is ranked number 5 in AIDS prevalence; it's estimated that 15% of adults age 15-49 are living with the disease.
But the country with unfathomable numbers that will definitely send a chill down your spine is South Africa. Estimates show that close to 6 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. To give you an idea, that's one in five people countrywide, though that's not the truest statistic. In reality, the society is still hugely segregated, and the majority of individuals who are living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa are poor and black and live in the townships, slums designed by the ruling white from the 1950's-1980's, located outside of the city, where crime, poverty, and disease still run rampant, more than twenty years post-apartheid.
It was there, in the townships of Port Elizabeth, that a second distinct moment of realizing the true severity of the epidemic hit me. Rob's best friend Jim moved to Port Elizabeth in 2008. For two years now, he's been going to places where very few other whites go, caring for people that would have otherwise been forgotten, tutoring kids whose teachers don't bother to show up for class, lending money, providing a shoulder to cry on, and just being there for those who really, truly need it most. He's started a non-profit for Community Development: http://www.masinyusane.org/. It's not an HIV/AIDS organization per se, but with 25%-50% HIV/AIDS prevalence in the townships in which he works, HIV/AIDS testing, education, counseling, and awareness is very much a part of any day's work.
When I went to visit Jim in Port Elizabeth in April 2009, we spent a good amount of time in the townships. Each day, on our way to the neighborhood where he's most active, we passed a massive, expansive cemetery, covering an entire hillside. Most days, we were listening to music, or he was arranging his next meeting on his cell phone as he drove. Finally, there was a day we passed the cemetery and the car was quiet. Jim, who's one of the most upbeat and positive people I've ever met, spoke up, "This cemetery wasn't here when I arrived two years ago. HIV/AIDS, man..." and his voice trailed off.
This distinct moment of realizing stays with me always, in my mind:
In Kigali, Rwanda in Spring 2007, I showed up for basketball practice with my girls' team on the outside court in the center of town. It was evident right away that we weren't practicing that day; the entire court, the grassy areas around the court, and the parking lot next to the court were packed with people, almost all women, mostly with a baby or two in tow, standing shoulder to shoulder, patiently waiting. A 14-passenger taxi van would show up, a group of people piled in, and the van left. There was a continuous stream of taxi vans, but it was obviously going to take a long time for all of these women to get wherever they were trying to go.
As I was standing there watching the crowd, irritated that I'd shown up for practice and it was clearly not going to happen, my teammate, who was standing beside me, put her arm around my shoulder and asked, "Do you know why all of these people are here?"
Me: "No, why?"
"They've tested positive for HIV. The government wants to bring them all together to discuss possible treatment options."
Just like that. Matter-of-fact. They've tested positive for HIV. Hundreds, if not thousands, of women and children right in front of my eyes, and they've all tested positive for HIV.
There's a difference between knowing and knowing. This was the first time that the true enormity of the disease, the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, truly hit me.
According to estimates by sites such as the CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2155rank.html), Rwanda is up there among the 25 countries with the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence in the world. If you continue to look at the stats, Africa's unfortunate position in the HIV and AIDS epidemic is clear; the 19 countries worldwide with the highest prevalence of reported infections are all African nations. Namibia, where I lived throughout 2009, is ranked number 5 in AIDS prevalence; it's estimated that 15% of adults age 15-49 are living with the disease.
But the country with unfathomable numbers that will definitely send a chill down your spine is South Africa. Estimates show that close to 6 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. To give you an idea, that's one in five people countrywide, though that's not the truest statistic. In reality, the society is still hugely segregated, and the majority of individuals who are living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa are poor and black and live in the townships, slums designed by the ruling white from the 1950's-1980's, located outside of the city, where crime, poverty, and disease still run rampant, more than twenty years post-apartheid.
It was there, in the townships of Port Elizabeth, that a second distinct moment of realizing the true severity of the epidemic hit me. Rob's best friend Jim moved to Port Elizabeth in 2008. For two years now, he's been going to places where very few other whites go, caring for people that would have otherwise been forgotten, tutoring kids whose teachers don't bother to show up for class, lending money, providing a shoulder to cry on, and just being there for those who really, truly need it most. He's started a non-profit for Community Development: http://www.masinyusane.org/. It's not an HIV/AIDS organization per se, but with 25%-50% HIV/AIDS prevalence in the townships in which he works, HIV/AIDS testing, education, counseling, and awareness is very much a part of any day's work.
When I went to visit Jim in Port Elizabeth in April 2009, we spent a good amount of time in the townships. Each day, on our way to the neighborhood where he's most active, we passed a massive, expansive cemetery, covering an entire hillside. Most days, we were listening to music, or he was arranging his next meeting on his cell phone as he drove. Finally, there was a day we passed the cemetery and the car was quiet. Jim, who's one of the most upbeat and positive people I've ever met, spoke up, "This cemetery wasn't here when I arrived two years ago. HIV/AIDS, man..." and his voice trailed off.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Transylvania from Above
Here's how it all started: clearing the cows from the field that would serve as our take-off and landing strip for our Transylvania Sightseeing Flight. I have to admit that I was pretty nervous for my first-ever trip in a little four-seat sightseeing plane, but within seconds of take-off, I was relaxed and excited, trying to take it all in as we soared above Cluj, the 17th Century Armenian-founded town of Gherla, the Apuseni Mountains (part of the Western Carpathians), and the Turda Gorge.
The company and pilots: Skydive Transilvania (though I wasn't intending to Skydive this time around, we collected all the info for a possible future adventure.) As usual, you can click on the picture to make it bigger:
The plane (a Cessna, which I believe is American-designed):
The passengers (Adriana, the big winner of this sightseeing trip, who was kind enough to include me, and Terri):
And last but not least, the views (SPECTACULAR, to say the least):
All the factors combined to make a seriously memorable November afternoon in Transylvania.
In just two weeks I fly again, but this time it will be across the Atlantic and home for the holidays-- from Transylvania to Pennsylvania.
The company and pilots: Skydive Transilvania (though I wasn't intending to Skydive this time around, we collected all the info for a possible future adventure.) As usual, you can click on the picture to make it bigger:
The passengers (Adriana, the big winner of this sightseeing trip, who was kind enough to include me, and Terri):
All the factors combined to make a seriously memorable November afternoon in Transylvania.
In just two weeks I fly again, but this time it will be across the Atlantic and home for the holidays-- from Transylvania to Pennsylvania.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Multi-Cultural, Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Generational Thanksgiving
...and while we're on adjectives, the day featured an organic, local, fresh, farm-raised, corn-fed, 20-lb turkey that turned out amazing!
Whichever way you want to spin it, Thanksgiving 2010 was a blast. Some highlights:
-Adults: 9 (From Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, South Carolina, California, Louisiana, and Romania)- 5 of the 9 are professional basketball players; Two Kids, ages 3 & 5 (just to add to the chaos); Venue: two-room apartment (and every inch of counter space, chair, dish, and utensil was put to good use.)
-The first guests arrived at 1 p.m. The last guest left at 1 a.m. Now that's a full day of celebrating.
-Gone in a Flash: Terri's Praline Sweet Potato Casserole. Apparently, she got her recipe from the Baylor University Alumni Cookbook, but similar recipes are available online. Mark my words: we will never have a Thanksgiving again without this side dish on the table!
-Second Most Popular Side: Terri's Homemade From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole. I, for one, love the green bean casserole, and grew up having it at every holiday meal. Of course, the traditional U.S. recipe includes 2 cans of green beans, a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, and a container full of Durkee french-fried onions. Sheer marketing genius on the part of a few smart food companies. In a conversation back in 2004 with "real New Yorkers" about what's on the menu for Thanksgiving, I overheard the green bean casserole referred to as, "White Trash Casserole." Instead of taking offense, I swore to proudly refer to it as that for the rest of my life. I thought I might have had to change the name to "Euro Trash Casserole" after this Thanksgiving, but Terri's discovery and execution of a "from scratch" version of the dish has redeemed the dish entirely! Why consume all the preservatives when you can just make it yourself, using sour cream, cheese, and real onions that happen to be fried? If this dish starts showing up in traditional Romanian cuisine, we'll know why; we can credit our Romanian guests, who loved the dish and got into the American spirit of even helping themselves to seconds!
-In an odd twist of fate, Rob likes lingonberries better than cranberries. Looks like we'll be making trips to Ikea to stock up on Lingonberry preserves (or having our good friends in Europe ship them over to us) before future Thanksgivings in the U.S.
-After the second round of eating, which occurred around 9 p.m., all of the leftovers were officially devoured. Finished. Gone. Gata (as they say in Romania.) I guess that's what I get for inviting 5 professional athletes over for the day.
-Adina, my best friend here in Romania, was the quietest I've ever seen her during dinner. As she told me later, Americans talk waaaaay faster (and much less clearly, and with a ton more slang, and even with different accents, considering the Southerners of the group) when there are a bunch of us together. I also think that she and her husband were a bit taken aback at the sheer gluttony of dinnertime. Since we were packed in like sardines around a small table with a lot of hot dishes to pass, we basically were offered a wonderful prayer and then said GO, proceeding to pile our plates high, and began eating (again, pretty traditional for Americans at Thanksgiving, but I can see how it would be just a little overwhelming for an Eastern European!) Honestly, we are civilized people (sometimes.)
-Speaking of prayers, Theodore, the 3-year old son of not one, but two pastors (two of our guests for the day), had a perfectly rehearsed prayer which he recited once and then we all repeated, to his utter delight. If I had had my camera ready, it would have been a perfect Thanksgiving Day video moment to capture and remember always.
-The day wouldn't have felt half as "real" without tuning into (via Internet, plugged into the HDMI output of the TV, live, but airing late evening through early morning over here ) Thursday's NFL Football Line-Up. And then, of course (for those of us who were still awake- i.e. not me), some late-night Skype calls to family in the U.S. We're incredibly thankful for technology!
-As evident from the last couple of posts, I put a lot of effort into planning this dinner. It was a true labor of love. Working with a limited amount of kitchen space and utensils, I thought through which dishes would go into the oven at what time. I started making applesauce and pies a few days ago. I carefully assigned side dishes for Terri and Adina to bring. It was planned out to a T. Dinner would be on the table at 2:00. And then, one of Rob's teammates, who had, to my surprise, offered to make a Sweet Potato Pie, called us at about 1:30, complaining that the supermarket didn't have any pie crusts. In his defense, apparently he'd found them there before, but knowing what I know about grocery shopping in Romania, I never would have expected that something specific would be there when and where I needed it. Honestly, I never would have expected that Romanian grocery stores would sell pre-made pie crusts. But anyway, as I was in the critical moment of deciding that the turkey was indeed done, Rob told me his teammate's dilemma and I told him I'd make him a pie crust. Ten minutes later, he showed up at the apartment, and I went to work- food processor, butter, flour, stir the gravy, ice water, stir til the dough forms a ball, open up the cans of corn, rotate the casseroles into the oven, clear space on the counter top, cover it with flour, get out the rolling pin, oh and "Of course you can make deviled eggs," I said, as the same teammate proudly presented a huge carton of 24 raw eggs because "We always have deviled eggs for the holidays," he said. Only then did we realize that he didn't have a pie plate either-- nothing to do except to painstakingly (attempt to) remove my nice, neat homemade pumpkin pie from the pie plate, set that pie aside, clean the pie plate, and fill it up with the crust and his sweet potato filling. Somehow, I kept it all together and can even laugh about it now.
-By 10:00 p.m., as we sat around having a drink or two, watching football, talking, dozing, our stomachs stuffed to the brim, warm and comfortable in our cozy Romanian apartment, it dawned on me that I couldn't ask for anything more in life. I'm thankful for my wonderful family back home in Pennsylvania, who I'll get to see in just a couple of weeks. I'm thankful for my brother, who made the decision to move back to California after six years, and is happily (and bravely) setting his sights on a new career. I'm thankful for my amazing boyfriend Rob, who indulges my desire to play Martha Stewart from time to time, who takes me with him (and/or accompanies me) to amazing places around the world; I couldn't be luckier, or happier. I'm thankful that I've started teaching again, and that my tax business is gaining momentum year by year. I'm thankful for the great friends that we've met in Romania, Rwanda, and elsewhere we've lived; they make this experience fun and without them, a professional basketball career, or an ESL career, would just be a regular job in a strange place away from our families and friends back home. I'm thankful that we have a special day to sit and reflect on what really matters in life and all the blessings that we've been given. Thanksgiving (whether multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-generation, or (d) all of the above) is about as good as it gets, as far as I'm concerned.
Whichever way you want to spin it, Thanksgiving 2010 was a blast. Some highlights:
-Adults: 9 (From Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, South Carolina, California, Louisiana, and Romania)- 5 of the 9 are professional basketball players; Two Kids, ages 3 & 5 (just to add to the chaos); Venue: two-room apartment (and every inch of counter space, chair, dish, and utensil was put to good use.)
-The first guests arrived at 1 p.m. The last guest left at 1 a.m. Now that's a full day of celebrating.
-Gone in a Flash: Terri's Praline Sweet Potato Casserole. Apparently, she got her recipe from the Baylor University Alumni Cookbook, but similar recipes are available online. Mark my words: we will never have a Thanksgiving again without this side dish on the table!
-Second Most Popular Side: Terri's Homemade From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole. I, for one, love the green bean casserole, and grew up having it at every holiday meal. Of course, the traditional U.S. recipe includes 2 cans of green beans, a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, and a container full of Durkee french-fried onions. Sheer marketing genius on the part of a few smart food companies. In a conversation back in 2004 with "real New Yorkers" about what's on the menu for Thanksgiving, I overheard the green bean casserole referred to as, "White Trash Casserole." Instead of taking offense, I swore to proudly refer to it as that for the rest of my life. I thought I might have had to change the name to "Euro Trash Casserole" after this Thanksgiving, but Terri's discovery and execution of a "from scratch" version of the dish has redeemed the dish entirely! Why consume all the preservatives when you can just make it yourself, using sour cream, cheese, and real onions that happen to be fried? If this dish starts showing up in traditional Romanian cuisine, we'll know why; we can credit our Romanian guests, who loved the dish and got into the American spirit of even helping themselves to seconds!
-In an odd twist of fate, Rob likes lingonberries better than cranberries. Looks like we'll be making trips to Ikea to stock up on Lingonberry preserves (or having our good friends in Europe ship them over to us) before future Thanksgivings in the U.S.
-After the second round of eating, which occurred around 9 p.m., all of the leftovers were officially devoured. Finished. Gone. Gata (as they say in Romania.) I guess that's what I get for inviting 5 professional athletes over for the day.
-Adina, my best friend here in Romania, was the quietest I've ever seen her during dinner. As she told me later, Americans talk waaaaay faster (and much less clearly, and with a ton more slang, and even with different accents, considering the Southerners of the group) when there are a bunch of us together. I also think that she and her husband were a bit taken aback at the sheer gluttony of dinnertime. Since we were packed in like sardines around a small table with a lot of hot dishes to pass, we basically were offered a wonderful prayer and then said GO, proceeding to pile our plates high, and began eating (again, pretty traditional for Americans at Thanksgiving, but I can see how it would be just a little overwhelming for an Eastern European!) Honestly, we are civilized people (sometimes.)
-Speaking of prayers, Theodore, the 3-year old son of not one, but two pastors (two of our guests for the day), had a perfectly rehearsed prayer which he recited once and then we all repeated, to his utter delight. If I had had my camera ready, it would have been a perfect Thanksgiving Day video moment to capture and remember always.
-The day wouldn't have felt half as "real" without tuning into (via Internet, plugged into the HDMI output of the TV, live, but airing late evening through early morning over here ) Thursday's NFL Football Line-Up. And then, of course (for those of us who were still awake- i.e. not me), some late-night Skype calls to family in the U.S. We're incredibly thankful for technology!
-As evident from the last couple of posts, I put a lot of effort into planning this dinner. It was a true labor of love. Working with a limited amount of kitchen space and utensils, I thought through which dishes would go into the oven at what time. I started making applesauce and pies a few days ago. I carefully assigned side dishes for Terri and Adina to bring. It was planned out to a T. Dinner would be on the table at 2:00. And then, one of Rob's teammates, who had, to my surprise, offered to make a Sweet Potato Pie, called us at about 1:30, complaining that the supermarket didn't have any pie crusts. In his defense, apparently he'd found them there before, but knowing what I know about grocery shopping in Romania, I never would have expected that something specific would be there when and where I needed it. Honestly, I never would have expected that Romanian grocery stores would sell pre-made pie crusts. But anyway, as I was in the critical moment of deciding that the turkey was indeed done, Rob told me his teammate's dilemma and I told him I'd make him a pie crust. Ten minutes later, he showed up at the apartment, and I went to work- food processor, butter, flour, stir the gravy, ice water, stir til the dough forms a ball, open up the cans of corn, rotate the casseroles into the oven, clear space on the counter top, cover it with flour, get out the rolling pin, oh and "Of course you can make deviled eggs," I said, as the same teammate proudly presented a huge carton of 24 raw eggs because "We always have deviled eggs for the holidays," he said. Only then did we realize that he didn't have a pie plate either-- nothing to do except to painstakingly (attempt to) remove my nice, neat homemade pumpkin pie from the pie plate, set that pie aside, clean the pie plate, and fill it up with the crust and his sweet potato filling. Somehow, I kept it all together and can even laugh about it now.
-By 10:00 p.m., as we sat around having a drink or two, watching football, talking, dozing, our stomachs stuffed to the brim, warm and comfortable in our cozy Romanian apartment, it dawned on me that I couldn't ask for anything more in life. I'm thankful for my wonderful family back home in Pennsylvania, who I'll get to see in just a couple of weeks. I'm thankful for my brother, who made the decision to move back to California after six years, and is happily (and bravely) setting his sights on a new career. I'm thankful for my amazing boyfriend Rob, who indulges my desire to play Martha Stewart from time to time, who takes me with him (and/or accompanies me) to amazing places around the world; I couldn't be luckier, or happier. I'm thankful that I've started teaching again, and that my tax business is gaining momentum year by year. I'm thankful for the great friends that we've met in Romania, Rwanda, and elsewhere we've lived; they make this experience fun and without them, a professional basketball career, or an ESL career, would just be a regular job in a strange place away from our families and friends back home. I'm thankful that we have a special day to sit and reflect on what really matters in life and all the blessings that we've been given. Thanksgiving (whether multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-generation, or (d) all of the above) is about as good as it gets, as far as I'm concerned.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Picture of the Day
Here's Rob and the Romanian farmer who raised our Thanksgiving 2010 turkey, earlier today on turkey pick-up day. We're missing our families, but happy to be putting together a holiday feast. It's supposed to be a high of 40 degrees Fahrenheit tomorrow, with a chance of our first snow showers tonight after midnight, so a great late November Thursday to hole up in our cozy apartment with friends and be thankful for all that we have.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Fifth Consecutive Thanksgiving Outside of the U.S.A.
This week, I'm in the midst of lots of planning, shopping, and cooking for my fifth consecutive Thanksgiving outside of the U.S.A. It's become an annual routine of making the decision whether or not it's worth trying to attempt to cook a turkey and all of the trimmings. If the answer ends up being yes, then the challenge begins: trying to track down as many "traditional Thanksgiving" ingredients (or reasonable substitutes) as possible. Had I been living in the U.S. all this time, I never would have figured out that so much of what we eat for the holiday is specific to America. I guess that makes sense, considering it's our holiday, but it sure doesn't make cooking a full Thanksgiving meal abroad very easy.
Take cranberries, for example. There's definitely no "Ocean Spray" equivalent in Europe. From what I can tell, there are few or maybe no cranberry bogs outside of North America (the U.S. & Canada are by far the leading producers and consumers of these berries.) Through careful research (and help from my brother, who lived in Germany for five years), I was able to track down a very similar berry, the Wild Lingonberry, which is eaten throughout Europe with game meat. It turns out that Lingonberries are seldom cultivated, but rather almost always collected in the wild.
As for the other staples of a Thanksgiving Day feast, many of them fall into the same category: hard to find overseas. Sweet potatoes were originally native to the tropical areas of South America and started spreading north to parts of the southern U.S. Although sweet potatoes and yams are now cultivated in a lot of different climates, it seems that they don't grow well in Europe. In Germany, you can buy them imported from the U.S. In Romania, when they are available, you can buy them imported from Israel. The remainder of the ingredients can be found or substituted, though the short-cuts aren't available here: pumpkins don't come canned; there's no such thing as "pumpkin pie spice"; no Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup; no Durkee onions; no Stove Top Stuffing; no Cool Whip.
Turkeys, which are practically given away for free in U.S. supermarkets this time of year, are also difficult to track down overseas. It wasn't even an option back in 2006 when I was living in Rwanda; we cooked a pork tenderloin instead. In Southern France, in 2009, we could have bought a turkey (or part of a turkey) if we had requested it ahead of time. The French, like the Romanians, tend to raise turkeys for Christmas, so they're not generally ready in November. Since I had no luck finding a turkey in the day or two leading up to Thanksgiving last year, Rob & I settled for a home-cooked seafood feast and lots of Bordeaux wine-- not a bad alternative, but definitely not Thanksgiving.
Here in Romania, you can buy whole, frozen turkeys (imported from Greece or Poland) in the major supermarkets. In Medias, Romania in 2007, I purchased one of these 12-pound Greek turkeys and it turned out fine, but when I checked the dates stamped on turkeys around Cluj, I found that most of the turkeys available for purchase have been in the freezer since December 2009 (presumably for last year's Christmas.) In 2008, also in Medias, we opted to cook two fresh turkey breasts instead of a whole frozen turkey.
Over the last week or so, I've been contemplating whether I want to fight the uphill battle to cook a Thanksgiving dinner. I gained courage from a few close American and Romanian friends, who are willing to share in the cooking responsibility, and so, it's a GO, and Thanksgiving 2010 is shaping up to be the best Thanksgiving Outside of the U.S.A. yet, compete with (drum roll please...) a fresh turkey, picked out three days ago from a farmer on the outskirts of Cluj, who typically raises a couple of animals for his family's Christmas celebrations. He even offered to slaughter and pluck the bird for me for an extra $7- the deal of the century, if you ask me! As it turns out, Romanians never cook turkeys whole, so I'm sure this year's butchering process will be a new experience for this particular farmer. It's a story for him, too, as he happily contributes to an American's holiday needs.
It'll be an adventure; I'm hosting, and in charge of the turkey and a few of the sides and desserts for 8 adults and 2 kids. As of two days before the big dinner, after countless trips to multiple stores and markets around town, I've found everything I need except: 1.) a meat thermometer (how irritating: turns out Romanian farmers don't add the little pop-up turkey timers when they butcher a bird) and 2.) cloves. Pretty good, all in all (though the lack of a meat thermometer is really nagging at me; how did the Pilgrims know when it was done?-- ahh!) Pictures and updates to come, but for now, here's the menu (and now I'd really better start cooking):
**UPDATE: Wed. noon-- I found cloves, but they were whole. Tried a few settings/adapters on the food processor, and was able to grind them somewhat successfully. The pumpkin pie is in the over (guests beware of crunchy bits of cloves as you enjoy your dessert.)**
****UPDATE #2: Wed. 6 p.m.-- I finally have in my possession a meat thermometer, so I'll sleep well tonight. We borrowed it from friends who own a local restaurant. We picked up the turkey from the farmer this afternoon- a 20 pounder that (most importantly) fits in my refrigerator for tonight and the oven for tomorrow. I think we're good to go!****
******UPDATE #3: Wed. 9 p.m.-- One additional adult added to the guest list. Good thing there's gonna be a lot of food.******
Veggies & Dip
Fresh, Romanian TURKEY
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Pralined Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Roasted Vegetables
Macaroni & Cheese
Homemade Apple Sauce
Corn
Bread
Pumpkin Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
German Apple Cake
Hot Mulled Wine
Terri's Special Autumn Tea
Take cranberries, for example. There's definitely no "Ocean Spray" equivalent in Europe. From what I can tell, there are few or maybe no cranberry bogs outside of North America (the U.S. & Canada are by far the leading producers and consumers of these berries.) Through careful research (and help from my brother, who lived in Germany for five years), I was able to track down a very similar berry, the Wild Lingonberry, which is eaten throughout Europe with game meat. It turns out that Lingonberries are seldom cultivated, but rather almost always collected in the wild.
As for the other staples of a Thanksgiving Day feast, many of them fall into the same category: hard to find overseas. Sweet potatoes were originally native to the tropical areas of South America and started spreading north to parts of the southern U.S. Although sweet potatoes and yams are now cultivated in a lot of different climates, it seems that they don't grow well in Europe. In Germany, you can buy them imported from the U.S. In Romania, when they are available, you can buy them imported from Israel. The remainder of the ingredients can be found or substituted, though the short-cuts aren't available here: pumpkins don't come canned; there's no such thing as "pumpkin pie spice"; no Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup; no Durkee onions; no Stove Top Stuffing; no Cool Whip.
Turkeys, which are practically given away for free in U.S. supermarkets this time of year, are also difficult to track down overseas. It wasn't even an option back in 2006 when I was living in Rwanda; we cooked a pork tenderloin instead. In Southern France, in 2009, we could have bought a turkey (or part of a turkey) if we had requested it ahead of time. The French, like the Romanians, tend to raise turkeys for Christmas, so they're not generally ready in November. Since I had no luck finding a turkey in the day or two leading up to Thanksgiving last year, Rob & I settled for a home-cooked seafood feast and lots of Bordeaux wine-- not a bad alternative, but definitely not Thanksgiving.
Here in Romania, you can buy whole, frozen turkeys (imported from Greece or Poland) in the major supermarkets. In Medias, Romania in 2007, I purchased one of these 12-pound Greek turkeys and it turned out fine, but when I checked the dates stamped on turkeys around Cluj, I found that most of the turkeys available for purchase have been in the freezer since December 2009 (presumably for last year's Christmas.) In 2008, also in Medias, we opted to cook two fresh turkey breasts instead of a whole frozen turkey.
Over the last week or so, I've been contemplating whether I want to fight the uphill battle to cook a Thanksgiving dinner. I gained courage from a few close American and Romanian friends, who are willing to share in the cooking responsibility, and so, it's a GO, and Thanksgiving 2010 is shaping up to be the best Thanksgiving Outside of the U.S.A. yet, compete with (drum roll please...) a fresh turkey, picked out three days ago from a farmer on the outskirts of Cluj, who typically raises a couple of animals for his family's Christmas celebrations. He even offered to slaughter and pluck the bird for me for an extra $7- the deal of the century, if you ask me! As it turns out, Romanians never cook turkeys whole, so I'm sure this year's butchering process will be a new experience for this particular farmer. It's a story for him, too, as he happily contributes to an American's holiday needs.
It'll be an adventure; I'm hosting, and in charge of the turkey and a few of the sides and desserts for 8 adults and 2 kids. As of two days before the big dinner, after countless trips to multiple stores and markets around town, I've found everything I need except: 1.) a meat thermometer (how irritating: turns out Romanian farmers don't add the little pop-up turkey timers when they butcher a bird) and 2.) cloves. Pretty good, all in all (though the lack of a meat thermometer is really nagging at me; how did the Pilgrims know when it was done?-- ahh!) Pictures and updates to come, but for now, here's the menu (and now I'd really better start cooking):
**UPDATE: Wed. noon-- I found cloves, but they were whole. Tried a few settings/adapters on the food processor, and was able to grind them somewhat successfully. The pumpkin pie is in the over (guests beware of crunchy bits of cloves as you enjoy your dessert.)**
****UPDATE #2: Wed. 6 p.m.-- I finally have in my possession a meat thermometer, so I'll sleep well tonight. We borrowed it from friends who own a local restaurant. We picked up the turkey from the farmer this afternoon- a 20 pounder that (most importantly) fits in my refrigerator for tonight and the oven for tomorrow. I think we're good to go!****
******UPDATE #3: Wed. 9 p.m.-- One additional adult added to the guest list. Good thing there's gonna be a lot of food.******
Veggies & Dip
Fresh, Romanian TURKEY
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Pralined Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Roasted Vegetables
Macaroni & Cheese
Homemade Apple Sauce
Corn
Bread
Pumpkin Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
German Apple Cake
Hot Mulled Wine
Terri's Special Autumn Tea
Sunday, November 21, 2010
From My Balcony
Maybe I'm being nosy, but as a foreigner, it's pretty interesting (okay- I'll be honest-- it's endlessly fascinating) to people-watch. As it turns out, some of the best people-watching happens from my fourth floor balcony, which overlooks a courtyard and several other apartment buildings. I think people tend to behave a little differently when they're home, or close to home, as opposed to when they're out and about in town. They're just doing normal things that they do to survive, to provide for their families, to live a good life, or to relax. As a new blogger, I've started to get in the habit of having my camera handy, just in case something important happens that I want to document. Here are a couple of favorite "from my balcony" pics:
Keep in mind that this is right out my window- a FOURTH FLOOR apartment in one of Romania's biggest cities. This guy is shaking the tree to try to harvest some walnuts.
Not a very happy picture, but an unfortunate reality here in Romania. In this economy and also with a significant "Gypsy" (or Roma, as they're now called) population, the dumpsters are constantly being checked out and searched through. Very sad, but true.
A piece of Old World charm (and noise): especially on Saturday mornings, you can almost always see and hear someone (old, young, male, female- you see it all) taking their rugs down to this special rug-cleaning-bar in the courtyard, beating them clean, the old-fashioned way. It's one of the many frugal survival skills, (like preserving your own food or resoling your shoes) that has just sort-of gone by the wayside in the U.S.
Aside from the awesome sunset that we get to see from our balcony most nights, I love this picture because it sums up the complexity of Cluj and Romania: An Orthodox church, a much older Catholic church, an old-fashioned Communist-era apartment building, a modern apartment building, satellite dishes, and massive construction cranes, way off in the distance. There is palpable growth here in Romania; things are changes and moving towards modernity, but so many elements feel Old World, Eastern European, distant and far off to me, like a glimpse into the past, where so much of the American blood and ethics and traditions stem from. I can't get over how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to experience all this, without even leaving my apartment.
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