First of all, sorry for the lack of blogging recently. Things have really been very busy. Even though camp was technically five days, it felt so short – but highlights were many. They started as dozens of campers and leaders dismounted the Curtain Bus Monday afternoon for camp. Before we started unpacking and preparing our small groups and rooms right away we simply stood and admired a gorgeous view of Micesti. We were even more awestruck when the city lit up at night.
Days at camp started off with a leader meeting (for the Romanian leaders and all Americans) and then breakfast and English Classes (which were a hit)! The coolest part about them were that they were also Romanian classes! Each group had a roughly equal amount of American English “teachers” and Romanian “students” (as well as one or two people able to translate). Every word taught in English was taught in Romanian too, and everyone learned subjects like colors, numbers, body parts, and the alphabet. It gave the campers an opportunity to teach (and laugh at) us and that was a really good thing. On the second day, everyone made a collage on their notebook from magazine cutouts. The activity was less about languages and more about group bonding – and was a definite success. Some of them included pictures that carried deeper meaning, such as their want of a home or a family. Through these lessons, I got to know a Romanian named Costi a bit better and a lasting friendship was created. Continue reading →