Kiddos and Weekend Adventures: Another 2 Part Post

Part 1:

CHILDREN

I haven't written too much about the children here partly because I am 

worried about saying too much about them (privacy issues)

and also because it's hard to summarize such wonderful little

people into a few short paragraphs!

To satisfy my own conscience I will do some little blurbs you.

There are SO many stories I could tell and all of them eye opening but here are just a few:

• I was at the hospital and I asked for orphan children. None of the nurses spoke English but they led me to a room with 2 children. There was a new born baby just laying on a regular bed that was crying. Next to the baby was a little 5 year old blonde boy who had a cage on top of him and a sheet covering the cage. The little boy was asleep and so I picked up the baby and rocked him. Then I lifted up the sheet to see why this little boy was in a cage. This little 5 year old boy was COVERED in chemical burns. They weren't just on one part of his body but ALL OVER. I asked the nurse what happened and through some very rough translating I learned that the little boy was found in his house in his bathtub covered in the burns and they didn't know how. The little baby was his brother and they were rushed to the hospital together. The little boy woke up right after that, looked down, and starting SCREAMING (wouldn't you?!). The nurses were incredibly wonderful and we all tried to help him calm down...I don't even know what else to say to that except WHAT?!, WHY?!, and HOW?!

• This past week I was in the hospital and I went in to visit a little girl who can't see, speak, sit up, etc. (Not uncommon) Her bed was soaked in urine and hadn't been changed since I had been there the day before (Again, not uncommon). I changed her sheets, clothes, diaper, etc. and waited for the nurse to come in. I asked why she was there and through a kind family that spoke English they told me that the little girl was born healthy but that her parents were very aggressive and had beaten her with a baseball bat. They had cracked her skull several times which left her with the problems she has now and will for the rest of her life. She was a BEAUTIFUL three year old girl that will now spend her days in a crib in an orphanage. She was so gentle and kind and who knows how much she can understand but I hope that her life can be a little bit better now that she is safe and (to an extent) cared for.

• Again, in the hospital--my favorite place in the world-- there was a little girl, about 2 years old with her teeth rotting like nothing I've ever seen. I don't know why she was in the hospital but when I walked in she smiled SO big and ran up and gave me a hug! (I had seen her several times before and she must have recognized me). I spun her around, tickled her, changed her, cleaned her up, gave her a cookie, blew bubbles, blew up balloons and soon enough I had about 8 other children in the room wanting to play with us. I gave out balloons to all the kids and everyone was just SO thrilled. I think that I had more fun with those kids in 10 minutes than I have had in a while. The smiles, laughter, colorful balloons, and singing was the BEST. I felt like a younger, female version of Patch Adams. BEST. THING. EVER.

I really will have to include more stories so that I don't forget them. These children and families are inspiring, uplifting, and wonderful in every way. Goodness, I love my life right now!

Part 2:

Weekend Adventures

So these weekend excursions have taken place over the past 2 weeks and I have

just been too busy (and lazy) to post the pictures

so you get them all together.

Weekend trip one: Touch the hand of the Saint Paraschiva--the patron saint of Iasi.

She was martyred, her body smelled sweet, she's a saint, they mummified her body, people touch her

hand out of respect.

That was probably very inaccurate and very rushed but I am running out of time

to write this post so you can Google it if you want more info...

This is the inside of the church! 

It was 

GORGEOUS.

 

Then we went to the Golia Monastery.

There was a gate, a wall, a tower, a garden...

basically it was incredible.

 

It was actually a pretty small monastery but it was really 

lovely inside. 

Oh, and that's not a little Romanian woman...

that's my roommate Britta.

You're supposed to cover your head when you go inside 

out of respect.

She looks darling.

(As a little old Romanian woman)

:)

 

Here I am striking a pose in one of the doorways outside of the monastery.

Oh, how the silliness continues...

As we sat and contemplated life in the monastery's garden we decided to take silly 

pictures because that's what 20 something 

American girls do.

I have no shame.

We're cute. 

 

Britta and I went exploring through Iasi for the rest of the day and 

fount this really pretty bell tower.

Again, I struck bell tower worthy pose.

I really don't know how to pose for pictures.

Ha.

 

This past weekend's adventure:

The Flower Festival at the Botanic Gardens!

The park was HUGE and we couldn't even see all of it! 

Everything was just magical and I loved every single second.

I think that I enjoyed it more there than I have at a lot of the other sites just because 

I love being outside 

(and what girl doesn't love flowers?).

Best 3 lei I've spent here!

 (Aside from covrig cu ciocolata)

Funny story though: 

Britta and I were wandering down a path when Jenna came RUNNING screaming

ANIMALS!

Jenna REALLY loves animals guys.

She thought that there were bats in this gazebo but...

nope.

Only some teenage Romanian girls taking "sexy" pictures.

Since there weren't actually any bats we decided to commemorate her

excitement with a bat picture.

 

 

I loved this little cutout in the gazebo but I didn't know

what kind of picture I wanted.

Remember how I don't know how to pose?

Well I kept on asking Jenna, 

"Jenna, what am I supposed to do with my arms?!"

She was really sweet and told me what to do for this picture.

I felt like I was taking my senior pictures again. 

Thanks Jenna. 

:)

Confession.

I love The Hobbit.

It's one of my favorite books.

Not The Lord of the Rings.

The Hobbit.

 I'm what some would call a closet nerd.

I'm cool with that.

That book is great!

So we found this little hobbit house in the garden and HAD to have LOTS

of pictures taken in front of it.

An almost professional photographer was kind enough to take our picture 

again and again.

Bless his little heart.

 

A silly picture is up next.

 

It was kind of cold outside so we found our way into the greenhouse.

STUNNING.

 

There were literally flowers as big as your HEAD.

 

The garden went on FOREVER and then it turned

into a hilly, pine tree, wonderland.

 

It felt like we were off on some great expedition so here

enters a Lewis and Clark pose. 

I don't know what I was saying in this picture but 

just imagine that it was something profound.

 

There were darling little families with such sweet children playing in the fall leaves.

I couldn't help but take a picture of this little cutie with her apple.

Too bad I missed what happened right after I took this picture

where she punched her brother in the face.

HA!

She looks sweeter here I guess...

That was my weekend!

How was yours?

This week (as in about 15 minutes) I am going to Bucharest and Brasov 

(Transylvania baby!)

and so I will have many more stories and adventures to post.

Dracula's Castle on Halloween?

Don't mind if I do.

:)

**The pictures might be rough though people. Minimal make-up and leggings 

are going to be the norm (both of which make my heart and soul cringe). But hey, I'm in Romania and traveling with girls. If I can endure no make-up days I can do anything. :)**