DECEMBER 9

While parts of Europe are under heavy snow storms, Romania is not. It was another sunshiny day with mild temperatures. I felt much improved but Tal's fever has not stayed normal yet. We are invited to a wedding tomorrow afternoon, but I think we should both stay in if we plan to attend church Sunday. Luggage did arrive two days after our arrival.

I went to the grocery store with Ben and Anna this afternoon to get a few things for next week. Carrfore is like our Wal-Mart. I found grapefruit, oranges, bananas and apples, came home and immediately cut up some of each for a tasty fruit salad. Anna had brought me still warm creamed potatoes and Snitcel. Snitcel is a pounded piece of ham, dipped in an egg/flour batter and fried. Delicious! That is supper and the fruit again later before bed. I found plain yogurt and Kefir to help us keep our digestive tract healthy.

There are a lot of street dogs. They seem friendly but are always looking for a handout. Some restaurant owner must have provided a banquet for them because we were greeted one evening by a dog with two bones connected together by raw meat. We had walked about three city blocks to visit another missionary couple the second day. They reminded us about the dogs, that in some sections they are more agressive and territorial. On one earlier visit, Tal had a dog grab his pant leg in an unfriendly way.

It seems they are everywhere, in grocery store parking lots, looking so pitiful, holding one paw up in that begging position. Anna and I felt sad for them, but you don't dare reach down to pet. More tragically are the young boys in parking lots, trying to get money from anyone walking by. It was cold and foggy at the airport as we made our way to the car and a young boy looking about 8 or 10 years old followed us to the car, hoping for money. "Money!" holding his hand out. At the grocery store (Carrfore)a teenage boy was pretending to help folks find parking in hopes that someone would pay him. This breaks my heart. To give money usually creates more problems for you. It is like feeding the birds on the beach or in the park; suddenly more appear.

The IBM couple we visited told us that last Christmas a man and wife with daughter came up in their apartment building and seranaded them with carols. They were good and so they opened their door and gave them a small amount of money. It wasn't long before others came, who weren't good nor nice. The next several days, others came to try to sell things to them. When they refused to open the door, they quit coming and have had no more trouble.