Although I am an experienced traveller, arriving in a new country without speaking the language, knowing how to get around, or taking care of basic needs remains a daunting experience that never seems to get easier.
Thankfully I have been well taken care of by Cornelia Vlaicu, an embassy representative. For the last week Cornelia has been in charge of me--guiding me through Bucharest, Brasov, and Iasi. She has translated for me, helped me cart my luggage on and off trains, and shown great patience answering my questions and explaining how the system in Romania works (if such an explanation is possible!).
Cornelia ran away from home during the 1989 Revolution against Ceausescu and spent three days and nights in the streets dodging bullets and stepping over the bodies of the victims of repression.
I asked her how things had changed since the revolution. She paused, smiled, took a drag of her Pall Mall slim cigarette and said: "Well, before if you said anything against the government they would arrest you. Today, you can say whatever you want, but no one will listen to you."
Cornelia also seems to have a knack for attracting all varieties of humanity to approach her and divulge their life stories. As we stood at the platform in Bucharest waiting for our train to Brasov, a man in his 50s or 60s selected her from among over a hundred other passengers to serenade with a drunken version of a 1950s Frank Sinatra song. During the train journey itself two other lonely souls spoke at length with her about the details of their existence. Though she was able to disengage herself after a while, she always did it in a way to preserve their dignity. She never got angry or spoke to them rudely.
At last Cornelia has deposited me into the care of other hosts in Iasi. I am grateful to her for her assistance and good company.
Cornelia has a special appointment on September 20th. Please pray for her on this day.
Pa /Bye
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