LATELY...

...we've been settling into a new summer in a new place with a new baby. This was the official "week out" but I was at school 3 afternoons doing some things. What are we up to?

...this week we went (except Lisa and Sofia) with some friends to a water park on the edge of town (www.waterpark.ro). It's across the highway from our international airport, so we had an interesting parade of low-flying aircraft to watch. But I digress ...I usually do. It was nice and enjoyable. Lots of slides and a very lazy river and pools. Much better than i imagined.

...had a "gratar" on the upstairs "terasa" at school. "Gratar" is a Romanian cookout and "terasa" is an outdoor patio. Very good and very filling. Lots of old standbys: mici (grilled meat sausages), carnati (another sausage), salads, breads, and desserts. About 20 people showed up ....Romanian staff and a few American families. Nice! Next time, they promise "sarmali" (world-famous Romanian cabbage rolls).

Yesterday, I was on the tram headed thru the city on a winding little street. We stopped, people got on and off and an older man got on with a cane. Nothing unusual yet. He was not holding on to anything (very bad choice on a Bucharest tram) and it busted out and he fell flat on the floor. I KNOW it hurt! We got him up (two older me and me because young people don't seem to care anymore), put him seat and he was humiliated. Poor thing. Here (like America, I guess) older people are often discounted and overlooked. They survived communism to be rejected now. it's sad.

Also, at the playground in our neighborhood, there were 2 teenagers "making out" and fondling each other on the bench right in front of many adults and a massive amount of children. No one seems to care. So, Lisa and I told them to stop, go some place else because we didn't want our children watching them act that way. The girl was probably 15 and embarrassed. I asked them, "Does your mama know you let that boy do those things to you in the park?" She couldn't look at me then ....shamed. I asked him, "Would you do those things if her Mama was here?" He didn't quite know what to say.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the first time we told someone to stop that kind of behavior in public. They do it on trams and buses too. So, if they are near me, I saddle up next to them and just stare them down "eye-to-eye" and they get very uncomfortable and usually quit immediately. I've found the guys like to "look around" while kissing to check out other girls. So, I make them check out me instead and they are very uncomfortable being watched so closely.

What a whacky world! It's Saturday morning and the girls are playing in their room and Lisa and Sofia are napping in another one. I don't think we have any plans today... that's good. Plans happen here so often, it's nice to be down for a while.