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