Post Script

Epilogue

I have no idea how long this blog will stay on the Internet.  When I started it eight months or so ago I barely knew what a blog was or how to make the technology work. Eight months on and I am still pretty clueless.  I am one of life's natural losers - by that I don't mean that I have a poor opinion of myself and am the opposite of a winner.  I mean that I lose things a lot.  Part of the reason for doing a blog was to record what was going on contemporaneously and not lose it - as I would have done with a paper record. Hopefully it will stay around and I will be able to review it in my dotage.  You might have found this blog in 2021 by accident through googling 'Romania', 'Mental Health' or even 'Vlad the Impala'.  I can only hope that things in the hospital have changed beyond recognition by then.  I really hope that the patients I know well as friends will be in the community being supported in a way where they can start to have a life and become themselves. 

Being Back

I have been back just over a month now.  It still feels strange.  There was a charity meeting (http://www.vfmh.org.uk/) soon after I got back.  It was lovely to meet up with people who truly understood what it was like to work in the hospital because they had done the same themselves.  It was also good to discuss and plan the future strategy of the charity - all for the benefit of the patients.  It was really nice to see Kiki, my co-volunteer, again.  We live at opposite ends of the country, so it is difficult to just drop round.  One of the 'new' volunteers came to the meeting.  She will be going out in January.  I am so jealous, but wish her all the best with her preparations.  I am sure she will love it.

Most of my time at the moment is being spent job hunting.  I have had a couple of near misses and have some interesting things in the pipeline.

Olivia

The picture of Olivia wearing a fake pink fur stole (check out a previous blog entry) is now my desktop on my laptop and I get to see her everyday.  She really was a living metaphor of the whole experience.  Cruelly rejected and totally dependent on someone to save her, she nevertheless grew into a strong loving and playful kitten.  Kiki and I really wanted to bring her back to England.  Unfortunately UK rabies control makes this nearly impossible.

We have heard that Olivia went missing from her new home two weeks ago.  There were a group of children seen playing near Olivia's new home on the day she went missing.  One theory is that they might have picked her up and taken her home.  We really don't know.  It is very upsetting.

Photos

I used to meet goats (and geese) all
the time out jogging in Romania.
This is a sign in the UK highlighting
the danger of the 'untethered' goat.

beware of low flying motorcycles.
Explosion? - I'll let you work that
out for yourselves.

I often commented that Romania has never heard the phrase 'health and safety gone mad', in fact they have probably never heard the phrase 'health and safety'.  it is one of the things I like about the country.  You really notice this when you get back to the UK.  Signs, barriers and restrictions all over the place.

I also noted one of my highlights in Romania being invited on a police car chase by the same policeman who had just booked me for speeding (I was doing 71 kph and really thought it was a 70 limit - it wasn't).  In London the other day I saw a illegally parked police van outside a police station being towed away. - Wouldn't happen in Romania.

You thought I was joking didn't you.

I miss Romania.  It is a lovely place.  I miss the patients.  they are lovely people.  I miss my co-volunteer.  She and I shared a very important and unique experience.  I miss Corina, VFMH's only employee.  She is just an absolute star and helped Kiki and me more than she will ever know.  I miss Olivia.  Just watch the video in a previous blog, you'll understand.  I am very lucky to live in a nice place in UK next to the sea.  it is nice to be back by the sea.

Taken from the end of the pier.
Sea good.  clouds not so good.

Anyway, that really is it.

If you haven't done already, please do take a look at the charity's web site and have a good read.

Te Pup

Paul

The very, very last blog (kind of)

Well this is it

The first part of this week's blog is being written in Romania.  My plan is to finish it in the UK and post it on Monday as (nearly) normal.  Slight difference this week.  I am going to turn the comments option on (or at least I am going to try - sorry if it doesn't work).  I would be interested in any comments or questions about anything on the blog or the work etc.  I am fascinated, having found the 'stats' option a short time back, on the number of people reading it in different countries.  I will post one more blog on 11th September just over a month after I get back to the UK just to give some reflection on the last 7 months after a time back in my 'normal' environment.  And also to try and answer any questions if people leave comments.

Don't forget to have a look at the charity's website if you haven't already - or even if you have. www.vfmh.org.uk

There was a photo of Kiki and me on our first
day in the club back in January.  This is us
leaving the club after our very last session.
The smiles are false.

Sad Sad Sad

It has been a sad week.  We saw people for the last time this week.  We had prepared ourselves for this and actually Monday and Tuesday went better than we had hoped.  The actual club sessions are so 'in the moment' that you have little time to get sentimental.  However, the ward round on Wednesday was heartbreaking.  I'll copy below some words I emailed to a friend which almost sums it up,

"Wednesday was the worst day.  Thursday and Friday were not brilliant, but Wednesday really was a concentrated emotional scenario.  I think it was worse that we said our goodbye's in the wards.  Although I have visited the wards every Wednesday for the last 7 months (except the week when my sister and daughter came over), I still cannot really get my head around just how awful they are.  The only difference is that when we first visited they were full of unknown, anonymous faces.  Now they are full of lovely friends all with a personal story."

The patients have been so generous in wishing us a safe journey and 'lots of years'.  One lady was very nervous about the fact that we were flying and couldn't quite get her head around the fact that we were taking a direct flight.  There will be a gap before the next volunteers come out which means no club for a while.  I feel wretched about this.  I am sure I will think about the patients a lot when I get back to the UK.

None of the patients in the hospital get to read this blog, but nevertheless I want to say to them - I love you all, a lot.

Packing & Travel

2 minutes to pack. 2 hours to
close the lid

The white cliffs of Dover from the train
(unusual angle).  They don't seem
to be cleaning the green bits off
any more - Part of the cuts?

I hate packing.  However, it is a lot easier on the way back; no choices to make, just shove everything you have into the case.  Thanks again to Wizz air who ignored the fact that I was nearly 1kg over the limit - and it is quite a generous limit at 32kg.  We needed to be at Turga Mures airport at 04:00 which meant leaving the house at 03:00.  Sunday was spent cleaning and clearing up the house and eating - no point going to bed and then oversleeping.  Everything went very smoothly and I was back home by midday on Monday (today).  In fact, the only problem about 'modern' travel is that it is too quick.  Ideally I would have liked to travel back slowly by road and get some idea of the distance and cultural gradient between Romania and the UK.  Nice to see the sea again.

Anyway - that's it!

La revedere

Paul

An august day!

It's nearly August but nevertheless august



In Romania, dogs go "ham ham", not
"woof, woof".  I didn't believe this until
I met this little chap - he really did say,
"ham, ham" - I wish I had my video
camera to prove it.



I'm doing this a day early on Sunday.  Tomorrow sees the last Monday in Romania and the first of the days when we see some of the patients for the last time.  That means that next week will be the last blog.  My plan is to write most of it before I fly back to the UK and then finish it on Monday 8th August when I am home.  I am really not looking forward to next week - it will be pure bitter-sweet.

Lots of talks and conversations this last weeks on why people do what they do and would we do the same if we were in the same position.  It is pretty much impossible to say.  A lot of people will recognise the following quote:

"...Get me out of here. You can’t hold me here. Get me out. Get me out of here.’ However, only five of the forty participants refused to continue to press the button beyond this point.

Why did only 5 out of forty people comply with the request to keep pressing the button when they knew that they were causing extreme distress by continuing?  Why when the order from someone in a white coat and a fellow ‘peer' did no one at all refuse to press the button?  What would you do?  What would I do?

One lady this week was very quiet and a bit distressed during an early session.  She is quite elegant and has an air of sophistication about her.  She would not be out of place in a Cheltenham tea room.  She had a dream the previous night which was still with her.  I paraphrase, "I am not guilty of anything.  The people who put me here are not bad, just over zealous.  I dreamed last night that I was not in the hospital any more.  It was lovely.  Then I woke up and I was still here.  It's horrible.  I don't want to be here.  How can I ever get out?" 

If I could press a button to get her out I would.

Medieval fun in Sighisoara

Sighisoara is famous as the most perfectly preserved medieval city in Europe.  They had a medieval festival this weekend.  My old town of Rochester (see the very first blog) also has an eleventh century castle and hosts many festivals on the cobbled high street.  The weather was kind and loads of people turned up.  One of the nice things about having a fully walled city is that it was easy to charge everyone 10 Lei entrance fee - well worth it.  Wall is much too high to climb over - I tried it and they threw a dead cow at me.

This fluffy chap was my official guide
last time I went to Sighisoara, it was
lovely to see him again. 

Loads of things going on.  Several different stages and a main amphitheatre in the square - where (most) of the sword fighting happened.

 

Good crowds.  This was the day's
opening ceremony prior to a procession

Sighisoara really is a very pretty town and I can recommend a visit to anyone.  Unfortunately the (mini-) bus was completely crowded for the one and a half hour trip there.  Corina stood, Kiki sat on a beer crate and I curled up on the floor next to the driver - ouch! 

Bunting

Cute and tiny little flat overlooking
one of the squares.  But three
satellite dishes?

Loads of people dressed up in medieval garb and really looked the part.  Just a jolly fun day for all the family.

Just like the Rochester festivals. 

As you enter the town the
bouncer asks if you are carring
any weapons - if you are not
they give you one.

Great vantage point, but a very long
queue to get in

House for sale

We visited a lovely (older) lady who we have got to know over the last six months.  She has been trying to sell her house as she is out in the sticks and really wants to be somewhere where she has access to some company.  She cooked the most moreish and fattening Hungarian pastry dish; so the 9kg I have lost during my time here have all gone straight back on.

I ate all of these - lovely

Me actually eating one - not so lovely

Not quite sure what she wants for her house, and the only advert seems to be a small typed sheet of paper in the window.  No central heating, no mains water, floods nearly every year.  But very peaceful and loads of character.


Very fertile garden!



Bits and pieces

Not a lot has happened with the house build opposite - I was hoping to include a photo of a complete house by now.  Here are a few images from the week...

Adamus - so good they named it
twice...or, thrice...or even five times.

I think I might let these guys
give me a blue-rinse.

I have really fallen in love with some of the detail you find
on some Romanian buildings - the roofs have eyes!

Anyway, if things go according to plan, the next blog will be posted from the UK on August 8th.  I will probably post one more a month later just to record a few thoughts after a month of reflection.

Until Soon!

Paul

The world outside

A good week?

It is quite easy to get very insular in this placement.  The hospital and the patients become your world.  For the patients, the inside of a large crowded ward literally is their world.  I mentioned a few blogs ago that we often took groups out to a small shaded area near the road - patients have started calling this 'the park'.  Some patients are really interested to see what is happening on the street and every car, person or horse drawn cart is of great fascination.

Just like the Cotswold's, but with
attitude!

We got permission to take one of the patients out to lunch last week.  I won't identify male or female or why.  However, it is probably only the third time that this person has been outside the hospital in the last 20 years.  In the UK they would never even be in an inpatient setting.  Great credit to the hospital management that when we went up to the ward they were dressed in new clothes with brand new shoes (taken away as soon as we got back).  We had planned to go to a small pub/eating place just along the road.  Previous volunteers have taken patients out there before.  On the way we popped in to the supermarket and our lunch guest was able to choose a few things for themselves and purchase them at the till. 

It would be lovely to post some pictures of the meal, but it wouldn't be right and in any case I wasn't allowed to take any.  We all had a lovely meal - with lots of coffee.  We then went across the road where they sell the most wonderful ice cream and have a small seated area.  We were a bit worried that it might be too much for the patient/guest to take in.  However, we saw them again today and they looked great.  I do hope the hospital starts to relax its attitude a bit more about going outside with the patients for future volunteers.

This has been quite a week in the news around the world.  The events in Norway just defy belief and my heart really goes out to the whole country.  Also, just last week I was listening to the great Tony Bennett (R4 Front Row) coming up to his 85th birthday and talking about how his duet with Amy Winehouse that he had just recorded was the highlight of the album.  He described a shy nervous girl who was also one of the greatest jazz singers he had sung with - and he has sung with them all.  What a loss.

Olivia



Day one.  She looks tiny in
Kiki's hands - and Kiki's
hands are tiny in themselves



This will be Olivia's last blog.  She gets her final injection this week and is then off to a new home.  We know the people she is going to a bit and Kiki has visited.  I am going to visit later this week, but have no concerns that it will be anything other than a lovely and loving home.  As I promised last week, I have included a short video of her just to show how she has got on over the last few weeks since we found her in the cruelest of circumstances.  She really is a living metaphor of so many aspects of our stay here in Romania and our work in the hospital.  - I was going to draw some of these out, but let's be honest it would be boring, I really can't be bothered, and you can work it out for yourself anyway.

We are going to miss her.

Other Stuff

Just a few assorted photographs to end with this week.

Definately not Joi la doi

We have a session once a week at Thursday 16:00 for 'open patients' (patients not locked/kept in their wards).  Coffee is handed out, lots of table tennis played, Remmy, Chess, DVD's (usually 'Stan si Bran' or Charlie Chaplain).  It is not enough time.  There should be a club like this open all the time for open patients to drop into.  Unfortunately, the closed patients get no freedom at all and we have to restrict the open sessions in order to give everyone a chance to attend.

Click to enlarge if you want
to read the text or see the
links

We have started to use the notice board outside the club.  Patients are very interested in this new poster announcing that 2011 is the European Year of Volunteering.  Kiki and I have been wearing one of those plastic armband things each.  Bright yellow, announcing (in Romanian) that it is good to volunteer.  Some of the women patients think its a bit strange that I am wearing a bright yellow bracelet. - Non of the men have noticed.  Men eh! Typical!  I spoke to a professional person in town about the work at the hospital a while back.  He spoke excellent English, but simply couldn't understand the concept of working for no money.  He thought it was his English that was letting him down as he asked for the tenth time, "Yes, but how much do you get paid?"

Snowy's Brother is very easily
differentiated from Snowy, but
only when you see them together

I have mentioned before that all stray animals have been given nicknames.  There is a lovely fluffy dog that wanders round the hospital who looks nothing like Tin Tin's dog - nevertheless I decided to call him snowy.  One day he appeared with an exact mirror image of himself who immediately got called Snowy's Brother.  The dogs tend to keep their distance, but have been know to chase people out of the hospital in the hours of darkness.  I wandered down to the old hospital pig sty's the other day.  Quite a growl came out of one of them so I decided to investigate no further.

A bold statement

Anyone who has wandered round an ex-communist country will have noticed the murals, mosaics and statues portraying strong family values and military superiority etc.  East Berlin is full of them.  This relief statue is in the ground of the hospital and quite tucked away.  The figures are slightly larger than life size.  The whole thing is made out of beaten and welded metal.  It is quite a feat of artistic endeavour.  Very symbolic and I have absolutely no idea what it is supposed to mean.  There are plenty of signs of communism in Romania.  The way 'mental health patients' are treated is one of them.

You can see our house from here

The housebuild opposite has not progressed much.  Probably waiting for Kevin McCloud and the camera crew to turn up.  However, they have built this lovely hill that the geese love to stand on.






Anyway, because the Olivia video took about an hour to upload, that's it for this week.

Pe Curand

Paul

TW3

Fast Forward

That was the week that was, or was it?  This last week has just flown by.  I hate to keep harping on about the countdown to leaving Romania and returning to the UK, but it has become a topic.  Quite a number of the patients are asking Kiki and me when we are off.  Time is certainly flying at the moment - it is like having the DVD player stuck on fast forward.  After today, there are some patients we will only see two more times.

Transylvania is full of spooky looking
buildings.  You might recognise this as
 the original 'Munsters' house; which
would be odd, because it isn't.

I have absolutely no idea what to write this week, but that has never stopped me before.  It was about this time last year that I applied to VfMH to do a volunteer placement.  Final decisions from myself (and VfMH) were made in about August and things set in stone for me to come out (here) at that point.  In a way the whole year has been a fast forward experience.

The cat that lived

No video of Olivia this week, but the last in the series will appear next week (Olivia Catter and the Squishy Marrows - Pt2).  Slight glitch getting her re-homed, but we do have plans B, C, D & E.  Fingers crossed.  Anyway, she is still a delight, and at least half kangaroo as I have never seen a cat jump like she does.  Here is a recent picture...

A recent picture

More animal news.  I completely missed getting pictures of the baby Rabbits (kits?) after they went through the slightly odd shaped stage.  You'll have to check back to a much earlier blog to read about Rabbit Man and the large hutch in our garden.  Anyway, another batch (litter?) of kits has arrives.  I thought I'd photograph these even though they are not yet at the cute fluffy stage.  That's mum in the background - a bit blurred because I didn't want to use the flash and frighten them.  I will try and get a cute photo if they stop looking bald and gooey before we leave.

That is not a giant rabbit in the
background.  The ones in front are
absolutely tiny.

More animal stuff.  I've just found a few more animal pictures, so I will try and build this into a bit of a theme.

The weather has fluctuated between brilliant (35 C - 97 F) and awful - rainy and jumper worthy.  There is an old saying that goes, "One Swallow does not make a Summer." (or, "It is not one swalowe that bryngeth in somer", if you're reading this in Old English).  Anyway, I have seen exactly one Swallow and it was hiding under the roofing in a local restaurant.  I really hope we get to see a second before too long.

A lot of people have problems telling
Swallows and Swifts apart.  Same with
Stoats and Weasels.  This is a Swallow.
If it were a Weasel, it would be a Stoat.
Simple, isn't it.

We were due to take a visit to Sovata which is a Spa Town with a natural salt lake.  Unfortunately plans had to be changed at the very last moment.  We still hope to make a visit before we leave.  We are told that bears often come down to the edge of Sovata and rummage in the bins.  Some of the bears are starting to get a bit too familiar...

Some bears have started TWOC'ing
small cars and motorcycles.  This photo
taken at extreme zoom

Other things



Corina and me in Sibiu a few weeks ago



I completely forgot to mention last week that Kiki and I have been on our own running the club for the last two weeks.  Corina went off to the UK for a couple of charity meetings and also to have a look at some UK Mental Health organisations and provisions.  Corina is the only paid member of staff at Volunteers for Mental Heath (www.vfmh.org.uk),  She is Romanian and works 3 days per week.  Corina is an absolute star - see early blogs about her putting us up in her flat when the house heating failed.  Patients love her.  Kiki and I just about managed, but we did miss her.

I have found a facility on this blog thing that tells me how many people read it and what countries you all come from.  Had I known before, I would have tried to be a bit more sensible - so its probably a good job that I didn't.  I kind of write it for myself like a paper diary, but am happy to leave it laying around the house for anyone to read.  If you are interested, people from the following countries have had a peek; UK, Romania, Sweden, Egypt, USA, Germany, Algeria, Italy, Ukraine, Indonesia, Belgium, Hungary, Australia and Canada.  All I can say is thank you very much.

They have started to build a house
exactly opposite us.  The foundations
went down in a couple of days.  Let's
see how far they get before we leave

If you go to Crammer Restaurant
enough, they name a salad after
you.  Welcome to the Kiki Salad!

The artwork some patients produce
astonishes me

That's enough for now.

Pe Curand

Paul

Philosophical?

Greetings

Almost every morning when I walk into work there is one of the patients looking out of the shower room window through the bars.  It is one of the few places you can get a partial view of the main street; where the 4-dimensional people lead their lives.  Almost every morning he greets Kiki and me in the same way (in English), "God bless America", pause,"...and maybe England".  "What about Romania?", I asked him the other day.  Without any hesitation he responded, "Ah, Romania is a drunk man!"


A nice shady part of the hospital where
we often take patients for ice creams



(Note: The views expressed by philosophical patients in this blog are not necessarily those of the author - or any other large International News organisation for that matter)

I am trying to get this blog out early this week, or at least on time, as I would like to be in a position to pass the 'fit and proper person' test and be in a position to take over the remaining 61% share of BSkyB.  Mind you, I don't even know how to pick up my own text messages or voicemail - so I probably don't stand a ghost of a chance.

What 4th Dimension?



I think someone famous (or their dad)
lived here once.



I've harped on long enough about Goffman and his findings that total institutions such as the one where I am working as a volunteer (www.vfmh.org.uk) essentially 'mortify the self'.  That is, they take away the very essence what it is to be a person; both as an individual and as a social being. It struck me that as part of this the patients do not have any access to the 4th dimension that Einstein made his reputation describing and we, in the modern westernised world, are always so short of; namely TIME.  In that excellent book that I mentioned quite a few blogs ago ('Speaking our Minds') one of the contributors who had been in a locked 'Mental Hospital' for several years noted that time had no meaning for him at all.  That is until the possibility of release was on the cards - then it dragged on and became something to fear in case he did something wrong.

This is only the back of what is a lovely
Greek Orthodox church in Sibiu.  You
should see the front!

There are schedules everywhere over which the patients have absolutely no control.  Doctor's visit, medication, mealtimes, shower day, shaving day, cloths change day, head shave day (I refuse to call it a haircut) etc.  Even the visits to the club are timetabled and agreed at our Friday meetings - they are then pinned up in staff offices and we have to stick to them.  Sometimes there might be a visit.  Some patients never get any visitors at all, and some never have.  Some have been in the hospital over 20 years.

The worried well?

I was talking to someone about the film 'Groundhog day' over the weekend.  Basically the lead character in the film keeps waking up on the same day with the same things happening in the same sequence around him.  He is the only person aware that he is living a series of repeats. However, at least he has a degree of free will and can make choices about what he does even if he is trapped in a time cycle.  The patients are also trapped, but have no such free will.  Can you imagine having absolutely no input in how you spend your time - ever.  We really try hard in the club sessions to allow patients as much control and choice in their limited one hour per week as we possibly can. 

In the UK we tend to work towards what is commonly called the 'Recovery Model' in Mental Health.  For a good description of the recovery model have a look at this link (Click here).  Have a look back over this blog and see how many of the essential or desirable characteristics of the model you think are being met in this environment.  In fact in many instances exactly the opposite is the case.

The Strand



This is what happens to plants
when they get loads of sun and
water.  This is our back garden.
Leeks I think.



We have had a nice hot few days, including the weekend, with temperatures getting up to 34 C (about 93 F I think).  Kiki and I decided to visit the Tarnaveni outdoor swimming pool straight after work today.  I have to say I had heard a few horror stories about the place.  Actually it was OK.  A decent sized pool, clean (an insider told us that they changed the water each Monday, hence going today) and not too crowded.  In true Romanian Health & Safety fashion there were two different bars where you could buy beer and not a single lifeguard or piece of safety equipment in sight.  However, we also did not see a single bit of loutish or unsafe behaviour.  It was nice to cool off.  Weather is supposed to be getting hotter for next weekend.

Counting down

It is difficult not to count down the weeks until we leave.  I have 4 weeks left (present plan is that Kiki will be leaving at the same time).  After the sessions today we realised that we will only see these patients another 3 times.  They have been so loving and giving and tell us how important we have become to them.  I don't think any or them realise just how important they have become to us.

No Juliet - just a pretty balcony

Many patients ask us how much we like Romania and if we will be coming back.  I would certainly love to come back, both to visit the patients and explore more of this beautiful country.  I have only seen a tiny part of it.  Despite their situation, most patients are extremely proud of their country and hometowns.

Small mountains just to the left of
Aiud - which is to the left of Blaj, etc

There seems to be a lot of Hay cutting going on at the moment with every spare verge and scrap of land being scythed (very skillful).  Great horse drawn carts of cut grasses are then carted off and formed into haystacks.  Apparently you should be able to tell where you are in the country by their distinct shape and style.

No idea where this is.

Sorry, quite a philosophical and introspective blog this week, so lets finish off with a 'That's Life' picture special.  Sorry, no talking dogs, but we do have a funny pet picture and a piece of 'odd shaped' fruit.



post modern kitten - but where to?



This is where the phrase 'pear
shaped' came from - a Romanian pear.

If you've managed to read this far - Thanks!

Until Soon

Paul

Countdown

Weather again! Whether again?

Sorry for all those people not from the UK reading this, but in England we are obsessed about the weather.  So, its weather again.  It has rained almost solidly since the last blog.  Temperature had also dipped considerably.  However people are optimistic that things should improve.  We shall see.



Men's ward enclosed balcony.  The
gaps on the bottom panes have now
been covered in opaque plastic.  So
that the patients can't see out, or so
that the world can't see in?
you decide.



A few patients have said that the lack of good weather - and in fact, the oppressive stormy feel to the weather - is causing low moods and problems.  We have noticed this in the club sessions.  People had got used to spending some time outside in the 'exercise yards'.  These are large walled (8ft high - so no views) areas with rough grass and fixed wooden benches and tables.  Problem is that in the women's yard the shade doesn't cover the benched area (benches and tables are fixed into the ground and can't be moved).  Therefore the women either lie next to the hospital wall or perch on the small shelf that runs along that wall. 



The club room.  This particular table
has seen many art and craft projects
over the last 6 months.



As I mentioned before, Kiki and I have extended our placements by one month.  If we hadn't we would be heading back to the UK this coming Friday!  Difficult to comprehend.  However, we are now starting to count down the weeks.  Only 5 to go.  We are also starting to reflect on our time here.  Whether we would do it again if we could.  A definite yes.  It is quite difficult to take 6 (or 7) months out and be self-funded (the charity cover housing costs and flights - for a six month placement), although things here are extremely cheap compared with the UK.  However, it is totally worth it.  I am really pleased I have done it.

I have said this before, but if you know anyone working in the 'caring' professions (social work, mental health, psychology, occupational therapy, arts therapy, drama therapy etc etc) - email them a link to the charity website, or even this blog.  I thought about this for about 2 years before I came out.  I am so glad I did. www.vfmh.org.uk.  Someone might really thank you for bringing this opportunity to their attention.

Outings

The weather (here we go again) has meant that we have not taken a lot of outings.  We have several in plan and will need to fit them in over the next few weekends.  Not a lot to report on that aspect.  For those that know the area, there are big improvements afoot in Tirga Mures centre.  The square in front of the National Theatre is being significantly improved - hopefully finished before I leave.

Work in progress

You can get some idea of how it
will look when finished

Olivia

Just look at how she has grown since
the first photos when she was about
the same size as my thumb.

We now have a very firm offer of a home for her.  Nice family with youngish children in a small village nearby.  It is someone we know (a bit) and trust.  We just need to do a few more checks and ensure that they are a good match and Olivia could be off to a new home soon.  We will miss her like mad.  As I said last week, she is a living metaphor of our time here.

A photo of hard-as-nails-cat taken
earlier in the year from a safe distance
the other side of reinforced glass.

I mentioned before that we have given nicknames to all the stay animals around here.  There is a large tom cat that comes into the garden occasionally.  He is all shades of grey with the most piercing eyes you have ever seen.  I wouldn't want to pick a fight with him.  Hence the nickname 'hard-as-nails-cat'.

Anyway, Olivia had an encounter with him the other day. Kiki and I watched from a distance prepared to step in just in case it went pear shaped.  She rushed up to him, gave a nose to nose stare and then let out one of her hisses (sounds a bit like Golam in the Lord of the Rings films).  She also arched her back so much that she was about twice as tall as she was long; tail fluffed out like a loo brush and wrapped firmly under her nether regions. To our great surprise hard-as-nails-cat started to back away.   Olivia stood her ground for at least 3 minutes and then walked slowly back to Kiki and myself.  She really is a little toughie!

What else?

Blog is a day late this week.  Many apologies.  They were spraying again in the hospital - it really is like a scene from Ghostbusters or Men in Black.  Blokes with breathing masks and huge great spray wands.  They did the club last week at lunch time without telling us.  We had to close for the rest of the day.  They sprayed other bits yesterday.  Both Kiki and myself felt positively unwell at the end of the day - hence I didn't do the blog.

A block of 'communist' flats in
Tarnaveni

A 'saxon' street in Sibiu

Crab is cheap in Romania

Sighisora - pretty

Not many of these blogs to go now.

Two of my favourite people had birthdays this week.  Mult Ani to both!

Pe Curand

Paul