Welcome to my new life

I hope as I tell you the events of my life in Romania you will enjoy and find it as interesting as I have.

Tuesday 29 July 2008

Another Hot Summer!!

Yes it is another long hot summer with temperatures in the 30's every day for weeks now. I see UK is not having it so good with all the rain and just a few hot days. Everyone is busy here, Kathy had 25 norwegian visitors at the day centre yesterday plus of course the street children, they all had a barbeque. Kenneth is working hard as usual mainly on the house at Dorabanti for Johanna and Philip to go and live in when they are married. Johanna is doing her final exams and arranging things for the wedding. Kenny is sorting out things ready to restart uni. and Amy is learning to drive, helping with the little ones Rosanna and Yasmina and helping me too, she comes to the supermarket with me and helps with everything.Phlilp is working and getting ready for a visit from his Dad, who is coming from Australia.

As for me I do keep busy with keeping the apartment clean and tidy, trying to study Romanian, ( which I find difficult) going to town, meeting friends etc and hope to go to the ECC ( English conversation club) tomorrow night, I did not go last week and really missed seeing everyone. I am getting to know the city very well now and don't get lost as I used to. There are the most interesting shops to see in the side streets and lot's of them are down in the basements, (no space is wasted here) and very qaint.

As I walked through the village the other day I saw many Damsons , Plums, Grapes all nearlly ready for picking (Hope to make Damson Gin for Christmas) and it looks like a good crop of walnuts too, how wonderful and there are so many you can just walk along and get as many as you like Yum!!!! It also seems to have been a good year for roses they are beautiful , there are so many flowers here and everyone makes the effort with window boxes and hanging baskets.

I just fancied Pitta bread the other day and as you can't get it here I made some , it was so good I shall make more tomorrow, much better than shop bought and of course the smell whilst it is cooking Mmmmmm!!! Well must go now and do some more study I so much want to learn the language, wish I wasn't so thick !!!! Bye for now!

Wednesday 16 July 2008

So much to do!!!!!!





Hello everyone, well there is so much to lately I have to write down what I am doing each day on my calender and really have not much time left to email friends or Blog, ha ha. However I seem to be able to have a quiet day today so here goes. We have had my niece and family here, you remember baby Oliver and Niamh. They have every moment of the visit and loved all the different food they had. I was having a party for some of my friends from the ECC and it was Estela's birthday so it was great to have everyone at my house. I made chili and rice, cold buffet, trifle and summer pudding. It all went down a treat we all laughed and sang , it was a great evening and well worth the hard work to see everyone mixing with each other and having a jolly good time.

It is still very hot on Sunday we all went to Hajni's house in the village and had a nice meal there and more singing and dancing. It was almost 90deg F so the barbecue was done outside but we had to eat indoors it was too hot to go out.The children were fantastic and Niamh sang 5 or 6 songs for us she is a lovely little girl and very well mannered too, of course we had performances from Daniela, Rosie and Alexandra too .

I felt rather fragile come Monday so had a quiet day and studied my Romanian as I had a lesson at 5.30pm. Tina said I had done very well and got fairly good marks for my homework.On the way home there was the most fantastic thunder storm (Fortuna in Romanian) the sky lit up with the streaks of lightning I just managed to get indoors before the down pour, but we do need the rain. The people rely so much on their home grown veg. and it was so dry so they will be pleased and by Tuesday the air was lovely and fresh.

Tuesday and it was Kirsy's last night ( Gosh!!! that went quickly) we wanted to take them to the "Bulzan" for traditional food but they are closed so we went to the Terrace at the Hotel Arad. We had a very good meal and the children played in the gardens. Niamh was heard saying "Oh it is so nice here , I must come again" and we hope they will all come again we shall miss them.

It is Wednesday now and very pleasant outside just warm enough with a slight breeze. Hope to get a few jobs done while it is cooler , so I must get on now. It is the ECC again tonight phew!! I have never been out so much!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday 7 July 2008

Quite a busy week



Monday,Wednesday and Thursday I was at the dentist to sort out my teeth.By Thursday I had new teeth and all a success. Wednesday I called to see Gloria, she said she had really enjoyed the crumpets I gave her so I must make more asap.We went to town together on Thursday, I called at the bank, payed my phone bill etc etc. We called at Elefantul ( a little shop on the Boulevard) and I got a summery bag in cotton. We called for a couple of coffee's and cold drinks as once again it was very hot. Found a new shop next door to Ziridava where they have bit bigger sizes and got two cotton tops , ideal for this hot weather.

Friday I stayed in and got some jobs done in the apartment and Eddie came with plumbers to fix my tap etc.I also stayed in on Saturday and Irina and Daniela came to see me which was nice. Also Paul and Kenny dropped in for a quick visit. Sunday again already, I decided to make the chili for next Saturday for a wee party for Estela's birthday, I will freeze it then there will not be quite so much to do on the day.Kathy and Ken took me out in the evening , we went to the Hotel again on the Terrace, very good, I had Papernash(hot fresh doughnuts with jam and cream) delicious!!!!! So all in all another good week.

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Last Weeks Diary!!

Dana , the sweet girl who waits on us all on Wednesday nights, We have become friends now, she is a lovely girl. The other pictures are of the Terrace at The Hotel Arad, it is a very nice place to sit and while away the evening and the food is very good too and the service excellent.


The weather is still very hot here , so I do not venture far as it just doesn't suit me, I keep in the shade and if all else fails "Wear a Big Hat!!" By the way I must tell you my good news,,, only three Mosquito bite in eight weeks , wonderful and even the ones I had did not react as bad as they used to. Thanks to Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) , one tablet 100Mg's per day and it is proving to be very successful.
Wednesday evening I went to the English conversation club on the Terrace at the Hotel Arad. It is a beautiful terrace with Honeysuckle perfuming the evening air, conifers , geraniums, begonia, fuchsia and roses. We all had a good time and Kathy , Ken and Amy came too. It is always a pleasure for me to see all these lovely people and to chat the night away.
On Thursday because it was too hot to go walking I went to Gloria's house in Subcetate, it is a lovely house and they keep the garden looking lovely. We sat out on the balcony for hours chatting and drinking refreshing elder flower cordial with mineral water. Gloria got the binoculars out as I spotted a pretty bird with yellow and green wing and tail feathers it was sitting in the apricot tree. What a nice afternoon, thanks Gloria and I went home with mange tu and apples and i think i may get some apricots next time they have lots on the tree.
Sunday I decided to make crumpets and to be able to give some to Gloria to try. I was in the middle of cooking them (it is a slow process) when Kathy and Ken came with Yasmina so of course they had crumpets with their coffee. It was good to see them and have a chat , Sundays are such long days when you are on your own. Anyway they also called for me in the evening and we spent at least two hours all the family on the river on a pontoon, having snacks and drinks, it was really good as we watched the little boats going up and down and every time one passed the pontoon rocked .
Well that was my week more or less !! A good one!!

Rosie and Yasmina just out of the bath!!

Rosie and Yasmina just out of the bath!!
My wee adopted Grand children

Watching Tweenis on computer

Watching Tweenis on computer
If your happy and you know it clap your hands!!

Johanna with her Dad

Johanna with her Dad

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

Jackson Here we come!!!!!!!

Jackson   Here we come!!!!!!!
anything you want ,, they got it !!!

Beautiful Roses

Beautiful Roses

My New Apartment

My New Apartment
Hope this is the last move!!!!!!

Snowdrops

Snowdrops
heralding the spring

Martisor

Martisor
1st March

Angie with baby Oliver

Angie with baby Oliver

Bill in the garden with Niamh

Bill in the garden with Niamh
I expect he is teaching her how to grow things

Blanket for baby Oliver

Blanket for baby Oliver
Hope it keeps him cosy