The Weekend

May 10, 2008 (Saturday)

Last night I got a good night sleep, and woke up bright and early to write a cultural proof for one of my class assignments with Mindy. Then I worked on some things I needed to get done on the internet and us girls ran some boring errands for dinner. I think culture shock is starting to hit our apartment. All us girls have been quite irritable today at every little thing. On top of being irritated people stare at us everywhere we go…at first it was fine – now it’s just starting to get annoying. We just want to blend in! At the piata some Irish guy started talking to us and asked us to go out with him for a beer. I was like “I know this sounds stupid but we aren’t allowed to hang out with boys while we’re here.” Apparently he didn’t understand me real well, because he replied “I’m not stupid.” It was kind of funny…then I quickly replied that that wasn’t what I had said. He still persisted and asked what we were doing the next day. I told him that we had church and he could come if he wanted…I was like “it’s just down the street” and then I walked away.

When we got back to our apartment with all our groceries we barely fit in the elevator with our bags. A man was nice enough to let us get on before him because he couldn’t fit. The dang thing is so small…then when we were about to get off on the 6th floor where our apartment is the elevator suddenly shot down to the first floor before we could get off. We were all freaking out. The guy was still waiting on the first floor and then we tried once again to go up to the 6th floor. That time the door was locked on our floor so we couldn’t get out. For some reason sometimes it is randomly locked and we have to get off on another floor and walk up. Then we tried pushing a button to go to the floor below so we could walk up and it plummeted down to the first floor again. We were all laughing and freaking out because the elevator was going crazy. The elevator opened at the first floor once again, and the same guy who had let us go before him was quite irritated by now, and he decided that he would get on whether or not he could fit. I think he thought we were goofing around on the elevator. Welcome to Romania.

Saturday evening we met with President Popovici to receive callings at church. We each met with him individually as a missionary translated. All nine of us received a calling on top of being the ward choir. I was chosen to be a Sunday school teacher for the adults. Some of the other callings included teaching the Young Women, primary kids, playing piano, Family Home Evening and activities. We were each pretty happy and excited about our calling. I think we’re all a bit intimidated, but I’m pretty sure we are quickly going to be integrated into everything. I’m excited about teaching – that is probably my most favorite calling. During my meeting with the president he reminded me to be careful of the boys in Romania and to watch out because we are targets since we are American girls…not real comforting but so far I feel relatively safe…