Having been invited to teach English in Ukraine, I thought it would be a great idea to visit the region while I was here in Romania. I am visiting friends here for 4 weeks, and thought I would have plenty of time to take the train to Kiev and beyond. This may not be possible, however, as I lost the first 2 weeks of my visit due to a week-long stretch of the worse case of Jet Lag on record, and afterwards, due to my taking ill and ending up in bed. I am here for my Cultural Book Exchange project and exhibition, which I started with another professor of art here in Romania 18 months ago. Unfortunately I have not been able to enjoy the fruits of my labor, though I am feeling much better now, and have decided to make the most of the time I have left.
Today I will give a lecture to the faculty and students of the National University of Art in Bucharest, as well as to invited guests and members of the art community. I will be speaking about my work and the project, as well as showing images. I am excited to talk to everyone because I love my work and because the success of the Book Exchange has gone beyond my expectations. I also love public speaking, and feel that this is my moment to tell everyone how important the exchange of information between cultures is. Whether it is through art or words, connections can be formed regardless of where we come from.
Afterwards there will be a fuss made, articles printed, and (hopefully) a general overall good feeling of making this cultural connection. (Things are very formal in the University system here and politics abound, so you can never be sure if your efforts are really appreciated, or they are just being polite) Most of us have high hopes that it will continue into the future.
I am thinking I may start a similiar project between students in Ukraine and students in the US. I will be checking out the correspondence program in the World Wide Schools Program offered by the Peace Corps.
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