The sun has got his hat on!

Lazy Sunday Afternoons

This was yesterday when it wasn't
quite so hot.  Nevertheless, look
no coat!

Next week I really will try and do bits of the blog during the week rather than sit down late on Sunday and write the whole lot.  It would be a very different blog if I wrote it on Wednesday - Ward round day - which is quite stressful.  Today, however, has been a fantastic day.  The weather is absolutely lovely - 22 degrees Celcius, sunny, no wind. 

No caption could describe
how wonderful this drink is

Kiki and I started off the day with a run out into the countryside - and then completely ruined the effect by going into town and drinking two of the most calorific, but wonderful, drinks in the entire world.  Its a sort of hot chocolate drink, but with white chocolate and a huge lashing of cream. 

I then fully intended to spend the rest of Sunday getting my head down and doing some serious Romanian language study.  Unfortunately, due to the wonderful weather - which is totally beyond my control - I sat in the front garden with a glass of wine and caught some rays.

Just to put this sunbathing weather into context.  Last Sunday I went out for a run; it was freezing and snowing heavily.

Club activities

Martisor (Martzishore)

Paul, Kiki, Womens' day March 8th.
Health and happiness for many
years from the patients (my very
rough translation)

I mentioned last week that we were making Mărțișor during the sessions (red and white twisted string on a broach).  We continued this as March 8th was Women's day.  This is celebrated in Romania differently to the UK.  It is not so much about emancipation and women's rights, but more a time when men buy women flowers and are generally nice to them.  Traditionally,women wear them for the first 12 days of March,or until the first blossoms form.  Unfortunately, we are not allowed to give the female patients any fastenings, or safety pins, in case they damage themselves.  Therefore we had to stich the Martisor onto their clothes; clothes are changed once a week and the Martisor are therefore lost with the old clothes. Despite this, the women have really enjoyed making and drawing things for their March celebrations.

Team work - next week we start on
an escape tunnel.
If only...

Also had some lovely sessions with the men this week.  It is frustrating, but understandable, that I can't post pictures of patients. I have managed to crop a photo of some of the men doing some serious construction work, leaving just the hands on show.  One of the male patients is blind.  I started making a 'lego' construction with him. He really got into this and several of the other men followed suit.  This is a very mixed ability group and it was lovely to see them all totally absorbed in the activity. 


Volunteering

Yet another Tarnaveni sign

I had planned to write a bit about being a volunteer with VfMH.  I've never done a blog before, and don't really follow any (although I did look at previous volunteers blogs).  I am mainly blogging to force myself to have some sort of a record of the experience - I would never keep up a diary.  It is also a really easy way of getting info out to friends and relatives without having the hassle of writing individual emails etc - Oh come on, you knew that, don't get all huffy on me.  However, there is a link to the blog from the VfMH website http://www.vfmh.org.uk/ which means that prospective volunteers might be reading this to get a view on whether it would be the right thing for them to do.  You are welcome by the way.

Kiki and I have been here for over 2 months now.  We love the country (especially today with the sun shining).  We absolutely love the patients - If there were annual awards for nicest and most caring people in the world, then a number of the patients in the hospital would definately win them.  We really enjoy the work - both of us enjoy going in on a Monday morning. It is fantastically rewarding work - you get a lot back from the patients and can see real progress.  Of course there is a horrible side to it.  The ward conditions are truly beyond comprehension. It gets more and more difficult each time we do a ward round - it will never get easier.  However, the positive aspects far outweigh the negative ones.  KIki and I will both be here for 6 months.  Only another 4 months to go - time is flying.

Other stuff

Big news in Tarnaveni. There is a new roundabout.  For those who know Tarnaveni it is opposite Plus Supermarket.  No warnings, or road changed signs.  Very quiet day on the roads today,I wonder what next week will bring.  Luckily it is very close to the hospital.

It may just look like red and white
bricks, but it is actually a
completely new road system

Full sized model of the Eifel Tower
in Turga Mures - unfortunately
closed when we visited

Comissioned by the Score brothers?

A Romanian pigeon - threatened
to beat me up if I didn't post a
picture on the blog.  So here it is.
Note that it has two legs rather than
the customary one of its close
London relative

Turga Mures - forget the building. Just look at that
blue sky...

Anyway, that's enough for now.

Pe Curand

Paul