Un an nou fericit ("Happy New Year," in Romanian). Belated holiday greetings to one and all.
I spent the xmas and new year holiday in Slovakia, mainly in Trnava (but also in Brno, Czech Republic, and Trenciankse Teplice, Bratislava, and Banska Bystrica, Slovakia). My decision to step outside of Romania over the holiday was motivated/necessitated by three reasons:
(1) my circle of friends in Slovakia is much larger than the group of folks (mostly students) I know in Romania, and three weeks is a long time to spend mostly alone;
(2) I couldn't afford financially to go back to Canada for the holiday, since I made the decision to return and finish my teaching responsibilities in Baia Mare in the new year (airfare was just too expensive); and
(3) although my ICCS Fellowship is now officially finished, and all monies have dried up, (as mentioned) I decided to stay-on in Romania until at least the end of January so as to not leave my students hanging. With my 90 legal days as a visitor in Romania quickly drying up, I needed to step outside the country so as to "bank" my remaining 20 legal days (or thereabouts).
So, Slovakia was the closest, and most logical choice (I still consider that country my "second home" after all). My time there was relaxing and enjoyable, with time enough to read for pleasure and visit old friends.
Development #1
Over the holiday I learned that my application for a Canadian Leadership Grant was successful. This means that I will be staying-on in Romania in some capacity at the Canadian Studies Centre in Baia Mare, and I'll also be doing a "lecture tour" of select Romanian cities and universities with Canadian Studies programmes. The Canadian Leadership Grant is through the Canadian Embassy in Bucharest and DFAIT in Ottawa. My lecture dates have not yet been finalised, but this should keep me in Romania until April, or thereabouts.
Development #2
I returned to Baia Mare less than a week ago. Upon opening the door to my dorm room I was met with a nearly overwhelming wave of heat. Without exageration, it felt like a sauna. I am guessing, but the temperature inside must have been 50 degrees celsius or more (I don't control the heat, by the way). As any logical individual might do, I quickly moved to open my window. Expecting a cool, fresh breeze, I was instead greeted by an unpleasant stench. Although it was dark outside, I could see (and certainly smell) a cesspool of sewage forming just outside my window. It's now been four days, and it seems I am the only person aware of this unpleasant development (have other people not noticed it? It's rather obvious in sight and smell). With my almost non-existent Romanian I intend to try to alert the Administrator of the dormitory tomorrow (even though her office is just two doors down from mine, it seems she hasn't taken notice).
This development brings a whole new meaning to the modern linguistic meaning (so I have been told, before the appearance of the cesspool) of "Baia Mare." In old, proper Romanian, the name means "Big Mine," but apparently in modern Romanian (slang?) usage, it translates to something like "Big Bathroom." I'm afraid my neighbour the cesspool is an all too obvious (but perhaps, coincidental) metaphor.
Sewage scene panoramic
Originally uploaded by Krasny Fotograf
