Village Bound

I have been teaching a small adult English class at the Woman's Center in my town. This week one of the directors of the Center invited me for lunch at her home. She lives in a small village that is a fifteen minute bus ride outside of Onesti.

I was very excited as this was my first invitation to the countryside as discussing village life always seem to spark many debates among the Romanians I have met. Some love the community and beauty that exists in villages, but others will expound on the hardships that lie in village life.

The village I visited is home to around 450 people and does not have running water. People utilize public wells that line the roads. I got to see visit a couple families who live there. During this time of year many people only use a few rooms in their homes as it is too expensive to heat more spaces. We visited a family of five that is essentially living out of the kitchen and a small bedroom. It was very interesting to learn a little more about village life, especially as about many of my students live in villages and take the bus or train to school each day.

I had an amazing lunch including cheese from the family cow that I got to meet and pork from a pig whose family members are pictured here. I ate the pork before I met the pigs otherwise I am not sure I could have done it, they were so cute.

Below are a few other photos from my afternoon tour around the village. I hope to be able to go back in the spring when everything is in bloom.

Maya helping her mom give me the village tour.

A traditional gate.

Looking back down the valley towards Onesti.