The visit to "Centrul De Îngrijire Şi Asistenţă Zătreni"

We started very early our travel to visit the "Centru de Ingrijire si Asistenta Sociala la Zatreni".

This center is locaded  in  Zătreni, between Craiova and Ramnicu Valcea and is a home for people with physical and mental disabilities.

The purpose of this visit was to donate some goods to the center (sweets, clothes, food, books, etc.); provide a different day to patients and especially the recognition of the efforts of those who work there daily. 

It was organised by:

Biblioteca Județeană Antim Ivireanul

Liga Femeilor Creştine Ortodoxe

Direcţia Generală de Asistenţă Socială şi Protecţia Copilului Vâlcea

Asociaţia "Zâmbete Colorate” Vâlcea

Societatea Culturală "Anton Pann” Vâlcea

Asociatia Tinerilor Formatori pentru Promovarea Dezvoltarii

We talked with those responsible for the center who responded in all our questions and greeted us with a table full of typical romanian sweets prepared there in the center.

During the visit to the center we met some patients and workers.

It was difficult for us to see that reality ... we do not feel volunteers in there, once again we felt that are they who giving us.

We can´t forget their joy in welcoming us, the pleasure that they had to embrace and touch us; to take pictures with us, the curiosity to learn more about us, the enthusiasm  showing us their chambers and their belongs ...

The morning continued with cultural and entertaining performances.

Tatiana sings different traditional songs.

Gigi and Paul recited poems and funny stories

There was even a kind of improvisational theater: the simulation of a marriage between Tatiana and Paul, whose priest of the ceremony was a patient with a refined artistic vein.

Other patients joined and enlivened the morning with their songs.

After visited the Center we went to the restaurant, and in the way to there we stopped in Horezu.

The day ended with a visit to a new church (yet to open) and with a wonderful lunch with typical Romanian food.

It was a very touching day for us all.

Thanks to everyone who had the privilege of knowing, and that have guided us in this so remarkable visit:

Aurora Gherghina "subprefect" of Vâlcea

Tatiana Mărcoianu : Romanian folk music singer

Marinela Neagu from "Liga Femeilor Creştine Ortodoxe Vâlcea"

Antoanela Enacache from the Asociation ''Zâmbete Colorate''

Paul Stănişor - plastic artist from the cultural association ''Anton Pann''

Gigi Poşircă - poet, from the cultural association ''Anton Pann''

Zenobia Zamfir from the cultural association ''Anton Pann''

Georgeta Mureanu our our project coordinator from Asociatia Tinerilor Formatori pentru Promovarea Dezvoltarii 

Pig slaughter: 12 december

The wonderful people we met in Bărbăteşti invited us to show up on the pig slaughter! The slaughter was going to be held in the house of Bărbăteşti´s mayor.

We left very early in the morning, at 7 am. When we arrived one of the pigs was already killed! And there he was, laying with his tongue out of the month, looking like he was smiling! So big he was! They were already in the phase of burning the fur with the blowtorch.

Almost all of the people were there that we had already met before and I felt that everybody was very happy to see us! One does not really need to speak a language to understand when there is empathy!

They immediately offered us hot Țuică and, of course, we didn´t refuse it (I don´t remember of drinking alcohol at 8 am before!!)

In Portugal we also keep this tradition of pig slaughtering but the last time I attended one was more than 10 years ago, so I just had a distorted image!

I believe that the big difference of the process, comparing with the Portuguese one, is that here they do not profit the pig blood (we use it to do other kind of sausages)  and they eat the skin without cooking it before!

It was quite cold and standing there doing nothing was difficult to handle, so we went inside of the house. We ate cozonac, drank coffee and there we were, entertained and having fun, enjoying the Denises´s company and singing Christmas carols.

When we went to take a look outside, another murder was committed already!

The women were separating the meat and in some pots something was being prepared, but I dind´t pay too much attention to that. It was actually a surprise to me when at 12pm the table was already set! Mămăligă, cheese and meat from the first dead! It was certainly the best pork I remember to have had eaten before! And believe me, I ate it in a lot of different places, also in villages, all and all, for more than 10 years, I was a countryside girl…! Perhaps because it was so fresh or because they feed the pigs with different food… I don´t know, but it was really delicious. If one day I will think about becoming vegetarian, the memory of that pork will be enough to dissuade me!

The lunch was great! I can say that almost just Denise was speaking English but it wasn´t at all an obstacle to communicate and laugh with the others.

Unfortunately, shortly after lunch, we had to leave because we had Martha and Roshan´s birthday party and we still had to prepare some snacks to take and prepare disguises (it was a thematic party). We lost too more deaths. 

Handmade in Călimănești

My visit to Călimănești was fantastic.

My partness couldn't come with me but I went with our great friend Andrea.

In the first moment we wanted to go to Dăesti but it was impossible because we didn't have transport, so finally we went to Călimănești, a place known like a spa town.

When we arrived it was very difficult to find someone to speak and we decided to see Mănăstirea Ostrov, the first nuns moastery in Romania.

After the visit, we continued to look for people to speak and when we though that we didn't find anything, we found an interesting man who work in handmade wood. He showed us his home and his art, then we saw his work in live action; It was great!

He told us that he learned from his father but now the young people aren't interested in to learn this tradition how is the handmade wood and the traditions are losing. New generation doesn't take care about the traditions that always been in our life.

As a part of this generation I can understand that now we have new tecnology to make things easier but I think that learn and preserve the traditions it's important because it's part of our history and it can be an important thing to be accomplished like person for the fact to know, because more that a tradition, it's something that you make for yourselves with their imperfections and merits with out machines, and that is amazing.

The handmade isn't something to remind, it's something to continue.

Remember: The machines can do things easier, but with out human they couldn't exist.

The taste of November

I can't believe that already passed two month that the project started! Time goes so fast!

This was also a great month! We travel a lot around Romania and other countries, passed good moments with the volunteers and learned more things about the romanian culture.

Regarding to the activities, well, we continued enthusiastic with the Romanian lessons; we had a religious celebration in the village museum that began with a Mass in the church and then we had lunch together traditional Romanian food; we prepared some activities for Tolerance Day; we did many activities at the office and we participate in the treasure hunt with the purpose of knowing the rural traditions and we spent amazing moments in Barbatesti. Some of  my team went to planting treens in a iniciative …..

Here some pictures :


-The welcome party that the old volunteers organise for us.

-The religious celebration in the village museum.