Week Two Down....

I know that there is still one day left to the week, but Thursday marks the end of my second week in Romania. And what a week!

This blog is getting more and more difficult to write, not because I don't want to and not because I have nothing to say. I think that my issue is related to the emotional journey that I am experiencing every step of the way. It is hard, when I read back over this diary entry, as I delete and re-write, delete and re-write, to make sure that I don't sound condescending or conceited, as this was never my intention. The experience is raw and touches me deeply which makes it hard not to gush, and to speak about the NGO with genuine feeling, for both the charity, the staff, the volunteers and the patients.

I think at the moment I am feeling what every volunteer goes through, questioning themselves. Am I doing enough? Can I do more? What more can I give? As I meet the staff and listen to their stories, I realise that what I am doing, although makes a small impact, is nothing in comparison to the hurdles they undertake every day. They start early, usually leaving late - and this is not only the Medical team, but also the Fundraising team that support them. Everyone is so dedicated to looking after the patient, that they sometimes forgo their own needs. Their are so many people asking, needing Hospice care and only a limited resource to meet their requirements.

This week I spent time with some UK high school volunteers who were in Romania to the week, not only helping Hospice Casa Sperantei but also other NGOs. Every day, three groups rotated through different experiences. It was interesting to see the changes day by day.

Day One: The group were positive, energised, even raucous, as they sang on the bus on the way out to the site for the future Paediatric Hospice Centre at a farm donated by a local family. They were expectantly looking towards the week, what they would see, what they would achieve.
At the farm, we met with the farmer and one of our wonderful staff members who led us through the site, showing specific points of interest, the animals, the vegetable garden, the chapel, the old homestead (I know this is not the right word for a two storey, expansive building with sunroom, and potential for a balcony) and site for medical centre and accommodation for patients and families. The girls (including myself) were then instructed to weed the gardens, and the boys to muck out the stables. This was hard, and seemingly uninspiring work but as the morning progressed and you could see the difference between what was, and now is, the group understood what they had achieved. A fountain was found, underneath all the weed, and undergrowth, and the chapel door was now easily accessible.

In the afternoon, the students were taken to Holiday Club, an annual event hosted by the Hospice. Here they were encouraged to led afternoon sessions, which they had painstaking planned for before their arrival to the country. Watching them play with the children, and seeing how the children responded to their energy and motivation was inspiring.

Day Two: The second group were quiet in comparison to the first day, there was low conversations on the bus ride over and the difference in energy was palatable. They had visited with a family that suffered extreme poverty only the day before, and this obviously impacted their thoughts and emotions. I was asked to show the team around this day, and I was grateful for the opportunity to show them what I had learned about the farm, the buildings and its future.

We uncovered this huge block of marble on this day, it looked like it had been a part of the garden. As we dug around, we could see that it was a part of the path, and created quite an impression when it fully revealed.

Uncovering these gems gave the students a real sense of achievement, and when they met the children at the Holiday Club in the afternoon, they understood who they were working for, and to what end. Again, the children loved having the students there, commenting on their hair, their appearance, their clothes. They asked them to sign their clothes at the end of the day, and you could see that these young volunteers were flattered to have made such an impression.

Day Three: From loud, to quiet, to sleep. The final group arrived on day three and were simply exhausted by their experiences. They slept on the bus ride out to the farm but were quickly underway and working on arrival and a quick tour of the farm. Today we worked on the steps and the path. A much bigger undertaking, and as the weather had taken a warmer turn, quite hard yakka! I wish I had the forethought to take before photos as majority of the weeds were at shoulder height!!

In the afternoon, games at the Holiday Program were underway, the students now having quite the reputation as a fun team... Outdoor activities including skipping, bubble-blowing and board games.

Tomorrow I am off to Brasov, to attend the 20 year Hospice Casa Sperantei Celebrations. It will mark the end of an inspiring week.

Dani xx





What a week!!

Sorry to all my blogger readers, I have been very remiss with my blogging this week, as it has been massive! Romania is quickly becoming one of my most favourite places. The people, local and ex-pats are incredibly funny, witty and compassionate.

This week has continued on that steep learning curve, I have listened to Hospice professionals discussing the importance of their roles, the needs of their patients, and how they envisage the future. I do hope that their vision becomes a reality. I also hope to travel with one of the medical team, and see first hand the care that they bring their patients.

One thing that has really resonated with me throughout this experience to date is Hospice Casa Sperantei's motto - " Pretuim fiecare clipa de viata " or "Cherish every moment of life". The team live this motto daily. There was a staff joint birthday this week for Alina and Magda. I was amazed to watch them both bringing in bags and containers of food for both the fund raising and medical team. It was a true feast of generosity and kindness. The home-made and carefully prepared traditional dishes were delicious. (I do have to say that I wimped out when it came to the soup though, everyone assured me that it was delicious, but just the idea of eating something cooked with a cow's stomach turned me of it. I hope that I become cuisine-ly braver  as time continues.)

Ladies Night with the Hospice was a treat this week. Every month, the office put on a ladies only fundraiser, with raffles, music and performances. It is an opportunity for the professional sector to get together, network, have fun and of course, raise much needed funds for the Hospice.

I also joined attended a meeting with the expat community this week, a huge thanks to Alice, it was really nice to meet like-minded people with the same passion for Romania as I have, probably even more so as they make the conscious decision to stay.

It has been a big week. Big hugs to friends and family at home.

Dani

Reality Check...

I had a great conversation today with a friend at work, Mona, about the economic state of Romania. Whilst I marvel at the beauty and the relatively inexpensive items I am buying, a large population of Romania are not sharing my enthusiasm.

At home in Australia, we have choice, we have freedom, we have great health care and a supportive social services system (even though many may complain otherwise!). Here, they have a low documented unemployment rate but still, many people are sleeping on benches, many people look hungry.

You can see that there is a conscious effort for change, to make a difference, but it is incredibly difficult without having the financial independence to back up those needs. I really hope that I am inspiring other Australians, Americans, Africans and Europeans to visit. Bring your money! You will be able to buy so much whilst supporting the local economy, visit the beauty and the natural wealth that is Romania.

While I am here over the next six months, I will continue to share my journey with you, the ups, the downs, and ultimately why this country has the potential to be one of the greatest countries on Earth.

Signing off for this evening,

Dani

Lost Again!!

Today I was pumped, ready to face a new work day and excited by the prospect of taking the Metro train solo to work, but little did I know I would get lost, again!! My uncanny sense of direction is renown with my GSK work mates, I get lost headed to the supermarket and back. So after one hour of wandering aimlessly looking for the Hospices, I jumped in a cab to work, only to find that the cab driver was lost also!! He dropped me off in a leafy suburb that was nowhere close to work, luckily Patricia from the Hospices saved the day and came and collected me. I think that it was fate, as two Japanese tourists were in the same predicament and were so grateful that Patricia offered to take them to the station before we headed back to work.

This is usual practice. People here are kind. Generous. The doorman to my building speaks only Romanian, and I, only English, but we have been talking, trying to bridge the gap. He greeted me this evening with "Hello ma'am" and I greeted him with "Ce mai faci?", this was the end of our conversation before we launched into our seperate languages, but it is definitely a start! :) I also learnt how to say "Bon Appetit" in Romanian, "poftă bună", I am sure that I will be fluent in no time, well maybe I will be able to confidently speak a few phrases.

I had my first one on one discussion with my manager today, Cristiana. I am overwhelmed and humbled by the opportunities I am exposed to and the intelligent people that surround me. I have been incredibly lucky with my managers/mentors, and I know that working with Cristiana will be no different. She is an inspiration. She takes her role very seriously and surrounds herself with like-minded people to ensure success of the NGO she works for. I only hope that I can offer the same level of support and contribute to the success of the Hospices in the short time that I am here.

And the food! Oh my goodness, delicious! I am sure to gain kilos while I am here. I had a caramel, chocolate ice-cream dessert today. Chocolate here is much more bitter than I am used to, Australian chocolate is so sweet. I am getting used to the flavour though and I know I will miss it on my return. I may have to turn to dark chocolate that is similar in taste.

I must sign off here, too much rich food and the heat has made me sleepy.

Bună seara

Dani

Day Four - Bucharest

What an amazing, beautiful city. I don't mean to gush, but really it is lovely.

This post won't be about work, but more about the city itself. I like to think of Bucharest like a phoenix, rising out of the ashes. There are many old buildings, in state of disrepair, but residents are working hard to build a strong, vibrant city from it. There are many outdated features, the trams, for instance, remind me of shoe boxes. They are not new and fancy, as the ones you would find in Melbourne, but they do the same job and are very functional. The city is clean, street sweepers are seen throughout the day, washing out the gutters, and the footpaths are clear of any rubbish or filth.

The architecture. Wow. I don't know where to begin. Many buildings are expansive. Not just tall, but wide as well. The attention to detail is second-to-none. There is artwork everywhere. Old Roman-styled busts and structures and new innovative pieces that demand attention and discussion.

The gardens are lush and green. I actually struggled to get good pictures of the buildings, there are so many trees that live harmoniously within the city precinct. The flower beds are intricate, shaped and swirled into lawns, rather than following a straight line. This is truly a city of artisans and the creative.

It is interesting to see the old Bucharest and the new, side by side. One side of the road maybe rundown, requiring urgent attention, whereas the other side may be brand new - complete contrasts and quite dizzying in the effect.

There are many casinos now, placed in prime positions close to five star hotels. They bring in tourists and money to sustain growth and industry. Although gambling is not something I am personally interested in, you can see the difference it is making to the city, and it isn't negative.

I took many pictures today. I am not the photographer I would like to be, but I hope you see why so many people fall deeply in love with Romania.

Day of rest

This post will probably be quite boring, as I spent the day in quiet reflection. This morning I got yet another SIM card for my phone, no telecommunications provider has a good plan for communicating with Australia (not that I have found yet anyway!). I have been lucky enough to have most of my family on Skype (add me if you like, Danielle.J.Nicholls - always up for a chat :) ) but today I really wanted to speak to my kids, second week without them and I am feeling the emptiness of not having them with me. So after two hours - success!! A wonderful ten minute conversation which lifted my spirits enormously.

There is a tourist bus stop close to me, and I did contemplate going on it today, but instead I did boring everyday things, grocery shopped (food is extremely cheap and of a high quality), I struggle with the packaged items as nothing is translated in English but I work with the pictures and clear packaging to get what I need. I think I got a pack of hamster-flavoured cheetos, I'll let you know how they taste. I made a delicious bolognaise sauce with local bacon, vegetables and tomato paste, I forgot to buy spices, but just with the basic items, the meal was a complete success!! I cleaned up and fussed around the apartment, making it more like my home (as it will be for the next six months!). I listened to music, craving fluent English as many of the shop keepers struggle with me and the language barrier. I watched Australian television, musing over the Romanian translation. It was nice to hear the Aussie twang. I looked to metro train maps and I think I have found a clear way to the office. I will give it a trial run tomorrow so I don't get too lost on Monday.

I intend to take photos, however I have been warned about local police and possible corruption targeted towards tourists. I am located in the middle of the city and I don't want to oust myself too much by gawking and taking many pics. I might be braver tomorrow!

la revedere până mâine

Dani

Day Two - Starting work!

Slept fitfully last night, very tired after such a long week. Started at the Hospices of Hope today, met many of the staff, everyone is very dedicated to the Hospices, and it is very easy to see why.

We take for granted our excellent health care system and our ability to have regular health check ups for early detection of diseases such as cancer. The Hospices of Hope look after people in pallitive care, given to both patients and their families, physically, mentally and emotionally. This care would be out of reach for many people financially had the hospices not been here to give them this support. The Hospices rely heavily on donations, to aid the building of new facilities - to enable them to help more people and families. To help with the payment of specialist services and equipment - all of which are offered to their patients at no charge. I will be assisting the Hospices in a small way, by helping with the implementation of a fundraising database which was introduced to the team last year, but requiring some assistance in terms of fixing issues and training. I also hope to help in the Hospices, donating time, I want to undertake the annual marathon (watch this space - I will be asking you for support!) and with fundraising activities for their events.

If you would like to know more, please look to their website at http://www.hospice.ro/ for further details.

I guess another shock for me was that smoking cigarettes is still socially acceptable here. Cab drivers smoke with their passengers in their cars, apartments have ashtrays - inviting you to smoke, people on the street smoke freely without concern for their health or others. I asked Cristiana - the Director of Fundraising at the Hospices of Hope and Patricia - a Team Leader in the Fundraising Department at the Hospice about this today. Unfortunately it is still seen as trendy and is a very cheap activity so people do not think of the implications to their health. Cristiana is very keen to see this change, through education to our youth, and those already with the habit. This is something that the Hospice is keen to branch into - Prevention of disease and early detection as well as high quality care for those in the last stages of life.

The team are truly inspirational. I hope that you will join me on this journey to learn more about what they do, and what we can do to help.

Signing off

Dani

I have arrived

After four days in London, which I love love loved, I have arrived in Bucharest, Romania. The differences are obvious and shocking. I will try to explain what I mean, and beg your understanding as I am tired but want to fully capture the experience.

London is a place of wealth and abundance which you could quickly take for granted.

During my stay in London, I was fortunate enough to meet with my PULSE supervisor and my senior mentor and also met with the UK arm of the hospices of hope. It was a whirlwind of meetings but I hope that everyone got as much out of the experience as I did. I also managed to do the typical touristy things- tower of London, camden markets, paddington station, a ghost tour. I felt safe and quickly understood the public transport system and was confident on going places on my own.

And to beautiful Romania. When I landed, I was fortunate enough to get through customs and collect my things very quickly. I was quickly accosted by someone offering a taxi service within the airport but had thankfully been warned of this practice. Individuals posing as taxi drivers will sometimes take the fares of legitimate taxi drivers extorting a much higher price in the process from the unsuspecting traveler. It was very easy to tell the difference, as with most countries, there is a taxi rank found outside the airport with each taxi listing their credentials and how much to expect to pay per km written in the window of the vehicle. My taxi driver was talkative, could speak English, and very proud of his country and heritage. He discussed the issues faced by Romania post-communism and the challenges that people are still overcoming today. He pointed out sites to me on the way to my apartment, and had helpful suggestions in terms of personal safety whilst staying here.

I was amazed by the sheer beauty of the architecture in Bucharest but clearly rundown and in need of attention to restore it to its former glory. There is graffiti everywhere and you can see the severe state of disrepair in the buildings.

I am ashamed to say that when I originally was dropped to my apartment, I was scared and worried. It was down a side street and looked very shabby. I asked the driver if the area was safe, with which he laughed and said definitely. I could see the humor after I was checked in. There was a person on the door-(security and assistance) and although the lodgings are old, they are clean and very serviceable.

I went for a walk and managed to find a pharmacy, mobile phone retailer, supermarket very easily. Although English is definitely not a first language and people speak it haltingly- they are understanding and more than willing to help.

Drivers are crazy. People park where they want. People seem happy enough to leave their empty cars in the middle of side streets. There is so much traffic and an impatience to get to where they need to go. Again though, it was lovely to walk, to take in the ambience and atmosphere of Bucharest.

First day tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Will update soon.

Dani

Two days to go

Have had a wonderful break prior to starting the PULSE experience, spending a week with my parents in sunny Queensland. I have got to say, this is probably the most switched off I have been in terms of work and technology. I have disconnected the internet from my mobile, knowing that international roaming can become extraordinarily expensive and am down to checking my work emails once a day. Bliss. :) My next update should be from either UK or Romania. Not looking forward to the jet lag, but very much looking forward to meeting everyone and I can't WAIT to catch up with Jen Hewlett. :)

A huge thank you...

I am so humbled by the beautiful team I work with. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity of spirit. A special thanks to Claire for putting together the book drive for me before I left, Glo for our special noodle lunch and surprises, Iris, Claire and Jutta for my final surprise farewell today and to Monica for taking on so much of my workload in my absence. The whole team have been so supportive throughout the beginning of this journey and I truly hope I can make you all proud. Lots of love. Dani xxx