what am i doing here
After all the wedding fun we headed back to Bucharest for the final week of my stay. There we spent the week visiting people, maybe a few too many, but it was great to see everybody, especially another week of Ana.
It was nice to have my mom and Horia meet Ana’s parents. I think Ana was a little nervous (and maybe so was I), but everything went well and I think the genuinely liked each other which is a good thing.
It was also nice to have real summer, which does not exist in London.
Since we were in the middle of nowhere, or like Horia pointed out: “Where you hang the map,” nobody rushed away from the wedding. So, with everyone still around, we had some organized and less organized fun.
First we visited the private art collection of the Pipas family, in the town of Tisa, at the border with the Ukraine, featuring the works of the Romanian artist Chirnoaga and a beautiful collection of old lace work.
We also saw the happy cemetery of Sapinta, but mostly we just laid around in the beautiful summer sun, and ended the wedding with a gathering that was highlighted by singing in several different languages.
This was the wedding. Done in traditional maramures fashion between a girl from Bucharest and a guy from the Netherlands, in one of those old wooden churches with the tall steeple. The most fun was the horse ride with everyone from the village out to see us. We also danced, drank, and discussed.
From Bucovina we went west to Maramures, where the wedding was going to be held. We arrived a day ahead of the ceremony so we had some time to see the sights.
In Maramures the churches are completely different, but equally beautiful. Here the tradition is for wooden churches, with very high, almost disproportionate, steeples and muraled directly on the wood inside.
Also went and saw the Communism Museum, which I recommend if you are in the area. And more traditional gates and bread from our gasda.
My friend Karina’s wedding was in Maramures, in the Northern part of Romania. So we (me, Ana, my mom, Horia, and Teresa) took advantage of this to do some tourism in the area. I had never been. We first went up to the Moldova region of Romania to see the land marks there which are the Painted Monastaries. These were beautiful, as you can see above and more here.
But we also saw some other really nice things, like theses two cemeteries (an old Jewish one and a new Orthodox one):
We also had the great luck of staying at a beautiful pensiune, called Pensiunea Cristina, which I would recommend to anyone thinking about taking a trip in the area.
So I just want to catch up on the social side of things and then go back cover the work I did. During the spring social activities were limited to the previous post, but after the end of the year I went on holiday to Romania, where a old friend (and love) was getting married…
Just click on the Rafael’s cartoon to see what other mayhem the basement boys were up to last semester.
We also worked a lot. More on that later…
Last but not least from my Easter Holiday:
It was on Ana and my last day in Delaware. We were at my dad’s and just sitting and talking about stuff. And I asked her to marry me. It was as simple as can get, no ring, just us. I thought it would be a lot harder. I couldn’t find the right time earlier in our time together, but I had decided since I was in Brazil.
At the wedding the night before my mom had asked me when I was going to do it, not knowing that I actually was about to. I think the ease with which I said “tomorrow” threw her off. But knowing that I was missing a ring, the next day she had a ring ready for us, so now Ana has my ring along with my heart.
I just want to say that she is amazing. I feel so comfortable since I have met her, and as long I can make her happy, I’ll be happy for the rest of my life.
The plan is for the wedding to be in Romania next summer. Hope to see you all there!
just a note:
added a couple of links to the “blogroll” on the right hand side
one is for all my Picasa Photo albums so you can see all the stuff you’ve missed and even some stuff I haven’t gotten to yet.
And also put up a couple links to my good friends Tudor Timotin and Pete Wohlsen, who also have blogs going.
So I’m back in London and in my summer break. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch you up on all the fun stuff I’ve been up to.
In any case enjoy the summer.
The last planned event on my trip was my mom’s wedding. it was also the highlight.
The actual ceremony was inside, which was fun. Everyone crowded in to the house and we set up the chuppah in the sun room (the only room it would fit, and there only by pushing the drop ceiling up at the poles). The cantor(-ess) (in the background) was a very nice lady, she gave a good service and sang nicely. Then the fesivities began.
We had luck with the weather and people were outside and inside, dancing drinking, eating, and most importantly talking. It seems its what Romanians are best at. All my mom’s friends were there, it was good to see them and catch up. Everyone wanted to know what plans I have after I finish this masters. I still don’t know, but it includes getting a job.
So after a night full of fun I was ready to head back to London and resume my masters . . . . or was I?
