Millie writes this today:

Well, the endless "to do" lists are slowly replacing the party atmosphere that greeted us on our arrival just under a week ago. I daresay that the week went by "faster" for us than for most of you. As I type this in the library, I am surrounded by my new friends, all of us trying to wade through the yards of internet information that we trust will spit out the right cell phone to buy! Being teachers of course, this process could take days! Ed's words: "If I get this one, it will end up owing ME money!" Music to his ears.

We spent the day in "culture shock" workshops, faculty meetings and being introduced to the International curriulum by which this school abides. At this point, we have not met any staff other than new faculty and boy, are we ever getting to be buddy-buddy! The weekend in the mountains was divine, replete with a day of cycling, hiking, amazing food, and singing one verse of every song that the group ever knew!! When we got back, we were delighted to find a washer and dryer hooked up in our apartment, and almost immediately "undelighted" when upon first try, it spewed water all over the floor and flooded the kitchen. This type of thing is likely not unexpected in Bucharest apartments as every room has a drain in the middle of it. This would have offered some immediate solution to the condition, except for the fact that the drain hole in the kitchen had been sealed! WHO KNEW??? Anyhow, to do the wash at all may have been ill-advised at this time, as we have no hot water. Mom, I am able to relate some hard-to-believe memories of boiling water on the stove, pouring it into the tub, adding some cold and voila ---- it's a bath! Welcome to Bucharest.

The weather has finally broken out of its scourging hot temperatures and we can turn our air conditioner down. Yes, this same apartment has AC. Mind you, it's located in a little dark hall and bedroom doors need to be closed to encourage any of it getting to the main living area of the house. The apartment is very large, which was a lovely surprise. We are exactly 5 minutes from the school in our little yellow VW Polo. As I mentioned in an earlier email, all new teachers are zipping around in a carbon copy of this car -- all yellow! Won't we be a sight arriving at school every morning! Maybe this is intentional, as judging from the way the locals drive, I expect there to be a plethora of fender-benders. This way, the police will have a heads-up before they even arrive at the scene. Oh, it's one of THEM again!!

We live on the fourth floor where our senses are treated to a fine view accompanied by an (almost) constant chorus of dogs. The city is well equipped with canines of the roaming variety, and we had quite a time of it one morning as we naively traipsed along a side road, exploring the neighbourhood behind our apartment. We got through the snarling only to discover that the "street" was a dead end. We were not so brave when we turned ourselves around to face the dogs that, you guessed it, were now much braver. Welcome to Bucharest.

We have so much to write, but will have mercy on you and try to wrap up information in small bits and pieces. We hope you are all well and happy and enjoying the "dog days of summer". Just a minute --- could that wonderful, old saying have originated in Bucharest?
Millie