Am Sosit (I've Arrived) in Bucharest

I made it!  I arrived here yesterday 12:30 pm Romania time.  Waiting for me were Daniela and her daughter, Sonya, Daniel, Sabina, and another student of hers. What a calamity!  We were yelling and hugging and it was a crazy-happy moment for both of us!  I love Daniela...she is totally awesome...we are like sisters!

From the airport, we went first to my apartment, then back to hers for a sumptuous dinner.  It was grand!  Daniela's apartment is only 2 subway stops from me.  Not close enough to walk, but fast by train. Here is the view from my balcony.

Bucharest is a very big and very old city.  Much of it is falling down so there is construction everywhere. Stray dogs roam the streets looking for handouts, and there is poop in the streets!  It reminds me of South Boston. The dogs are so sad.  There are strays kitties too, which really tugs at my heart strings.  The people here seem like the big city folks back home.  No one looks at each other...

Shopping is like...Brooklyn! No big department stores or supermarkets..just small grocery shops, butcher and cheese shops, and lots of pharmacys.  There are Western Unions on every street corner!  The subway cars  are very clean...I have to mention this because I've never been in a clean subway car. Daniela had to go to work today, so I was out exploring most of the day, shopping for food and necessities like soap and matches (to light the gas stove...(still haven't figured that one out.  I can't find where to light the pilot!).
My apartment has cable and internet...thank goodness for Wesern influences!  There are 10 English language stations.  One being all day news from the UK, and the others are broadcast from America.  Cable channels like The National Geographic Channel (I don't even have that one at home!) and MTV, The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet! The English language channels have Romanian Subtitles...what a great way to learn another language! At home I find myself wishing the Spanish channels had English subtitles so I could listen and learn. 

And...speaking of language...I am getting around quite well on my own.  I can't read anything, but I can speak enough to find what I need!  I am really happy I took the time to study the language for the past 18 months! All that time I listened to my language CD's really paid off.  I was pulling words out of the air like a pro!

I need to quit writing now because my back is aching.  I am sleeping on a box spring...no mattress! and the furniture feels like it's made of concrete.  I need to stretch or something.  Soon I will find the pool near here and get into the swim of things again.  La revedere!