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| My dear friends, i am sorry for not keeping in touch lately but i've been so caught up with so many things!! Life is hectic around here!! i have so many things to do, and i can seem to get it all organized. i am taking driving lessons, of course my classes at the uni, working, plus that i am in a students' organisation!!!! i have the weekends full.... Last weekend i had a training in "Leadership" and "team work", and this weekend the training continues. i enjoy it a lot, as i am learning new things, but it takes all of my time. I hope by 3rd or 4th of November everything will settle in for me... i will finish with the trainings and hopefully with the driving lessons too. besides this, i have received a scholarship to Norway. i will be leaving on the 17th of january and i will be staying there untill 17th of April (with a little variation, depending on the flight). it is a 3 month exchange program for international students (i dont know if you're familiar with the Erasmus scholarships). it is offered by Faculty of Arts and Education, Univ of Stavanger and the domain is called COMPARATIVE EDUCATIONAL STUDIES. i am so very excited!!!!!!!!!!!! there's a lot of paperwork that needs to be done, but that's ok!! i cant believe i was selectioned!!!! there were only two students who've been selected to go, and i am one of them!! of course, i had to go to an interview before with the dean and one of my professors. for my future career this is exactly what i needed!!!! Considering that Norway is one of the richest countries, or with the higest standard of living, they suggested we should have an amount of 1000 euros with us (this includes the flight). So now i am trying my best to figure out a way of raising this huge amount. I know that this is a lot, but for me this is a great opportunity that i am not willing to give up. I am trying to be positive and have faith that everything will work out. Blessings, Gaby | | |
| Dear friends, i dont have enough words to describe the beauty of Paris; My trip to the City of Lights was a wonderful adventure and i got to discover some of the most famous monuments; Everything was great, starting with the bus, the hotel, the guide, the weather etc; I took this trip through a tourism agency, i didnt know anybody on the bus; i was the only one who was by herself, all the others were at least 2, or 3, 4, but this didnt stop me from enjoying every single second i have spent In Paris We have started our journey at 5 am in the morning and we arrived in Paris at 11 am; The company had some excursions planned, so we could choose either to go with the guide (and pay an amount of 10 euros for each excursions taken) or to go by ourselves; The first excursions was ¨shopping^ which i was not interested in; So, for the very first time i have stepped in Paris i went all by myself (actually with 2 close freinds: a map and my photo camera); The bus stopped at the Arc de Triomphe, so i went on the Champs Elysees admiring the surroundings; There were many tourists from all over the world; you could hear so many languages (i have to tell you i didnt hear much French); Before i continue my story i have to tell you that i am really greatefull and i thank God for all the Japanese people; We use to make fun of them and laugh every time we see them with their cameras taking pictures; well, let me tell you, that most of my pics were taken by Japanese (i know they are good at taking pics, so every time i wanted my pic taken, i asked a Japanese); I have met 2 guys (an Egyptian and an African right in front of the statue of Charles de Gaule and i asked them to take a pic for me); then we kept on meeting ( we seemed to go in the same dirrection) and one of them said: we seem to have the same dirrection, so why dont you join us?? I accepted, though i was a bit cautious at the beggining, but they ended up being a good company; I have visited the Hotel des Invalides, Le Dome des Invalides, Les Jardins de Tuileries, le Louvre, La Place de la Concorde, L,Obelisque and many others with my new friends; They were very nice and we got to talk about each one,s country and traditions; we said goodbye in front of the Opera as i had to meet my group; At 3 o,clock i went with the group on a tour of the city; we have been guided around Paris, we stopped a little bit at the Pantheon; we ended our journey for the afternoon at the Eiffel tower; it was absolutely great!!!!!!!!! i took many pics of the eiffel tower! At 6 o,clock we went to the hotel, for a short brake and dinner; as i dont eat at night naymore, i took advantage to get some rest; At 8 o,clock we left for another excursion: Paris by night; i t was wonderful!!! i felt tired, but i was unstoppable; the Eiffel Tower has 2 ôutfits^that change every 10 minutes; it is no wonder they call Paris the City of Lights!!! Absolutely amazing!!! we got stuck in the traffic on the Champs Elysees on our way back to the hotel; it was passed midnight when we arrived; next morning, after breakfast we left the hotel in order to enjoy a cruise on the Seine; it was magic!!!!!!!!!!!!! we admired all the buildings in the calme of a Sunday morning; What i was surprised to see, was teh Statue of Liberty; at a certain point the guide said: and here, at left, you can admire the Statue of Liberty! i was astonished to hear that, as i know that the statue of Liberty is in New York; but yes, there is one in Paris too; a smaller one, of course which was offered as a gift to France by the US, as the Eiffel tower too; After that, we had some time off, so i went again by myself in searching for the Pompidou Centre; it took me quite a while to get there, but i eventually found it (at a certin moment i thought i was lost); on the way there i have found Le Chatelet and many other interesting monuments; At 1 pm i have met the group in the Place de la Republique and we went together to see la Place de Vosges, Le Marais (where i saw the Moulin Rouge) - there is a street there where only travestites hang around, and another street only with sex shops- nothing else; we have ended our excursion at Sacre Coeur; there are many stairs that you have to climb in order to get there, but i said to myself i didnt come to Paris to admire Sacre Coeur from a distance!! we were not allowed to take pics inside, plus that when i got there they were getting ready to start teh service; it was funny as they had their service tourists were coming in and out all the time; From up there you can admire a beautiful view of Paris; incredible!!!!!! absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!!! Paris is a wonderful city, and it,s not just the center which is nice, but all city; When you,re there you feel it,s Paris; there,s something special that floats in the air!! i encourage you all to go and visit; Of course i cannot describe you everything - you cant decribe in words - you just have to go and visit!!! i will soon put all hte pics on yahoo photos so you can see them!! Lots of love ,gaby ps: i have only 3 days left untill i return to Romania - i am looking forward!!
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| i hope you wll love this as much as i did; it cae for me just in the right time, when i needed it the most, from my spiritual guide, Ruth. i got it in February when everything seemed too much for me to do..i felt powerless in tat time. Too Tired I am too tired to trust and too tired to pray, Said one, as the over taxed strength gave way. The one conscious thought by my mind possessed Is, Oh, could I just drop it all and rest! Will God forgive me, do you suppose, If I go to sleep as a baby goes, Without an asking if I may, Without ever trying to trust and pray? Will God forgive you? Why think dear heart, When language to you was an unknown art, Did a mother deny you needed rest? Or refuse to pillow you on her breast? Did she let you want when you could not ask? Did she set her child an unequal task? Or did she cradle you in her arms, And then guard your slumber against alarms? Ah, how quick was her mother love to see, The unconscious yearnings of infancy. When you’ve grown too tired to trust and pray, When your over wrought nature has quite given way; Then just drop it all, and give up to rest, As you used to do on a mother’s breast. He knows all about it – the dear Lord knows, So just go to sleep as a baby goes, Without even asking if you may, God knows when His child is too tired to pray. He judges not solely by uttered prayer. He knows when the yearnings of love are there. He knows you do pray, He knows you do trust, And He knows, too, the limits of poor weak dust. Oh, the wonderful sympathy of Christ, For His chosen ones in that mid-night tryst. When He bade them sleep and take their rest While on Him the guilt of the whole world pressed… You’ve given your life up to Him to keep, Then don’t be afraid to go right to sleep. | | |
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it,s already August!!!!!!!!! time flies...... and i am counting the days untill i go back home to Romania. Honestly, it is the first time i am away and i wish to go home. I am having a good time here, except the moments when Tom is really really bad, but i feel i am trapped. i am used to be out all day, but here, there,s no place to go and visit, except by car, and i dont drive..unfortunately. ( the first things i am going to do when i return to Romania is to get my driving license!!)
Another bad thing is that i cannot go to church on Sundays because i never have the Sunday off; this is one of the things i really miss. Luckily, this sunday i got to see 2 sermons on CNBC Europe; it was like a river of fresh water. both sermons were in English, from 2 different chuches in the Us.
i have planned a trip to Paris for the 2nd or the 9th of September. it,s only for 2 days, but i am looking forward to see some new things and places. i have to take advantage that i am here, just 350 km from the city of light. i said i can do this for me, as a gift of working hard 3 months with ¨denis, the menace¨, except paying my studies, the rent and bills in Romania with the money i earn here. plus that i love to visit and travel.
we,ve had a big thing here, at the circuit ,at Francorchamps, and things were busy at the hotel and at hte restaurant. Luckily, i got out a bit with Tom and grandma..we went to a nice playground and the next day to a farm. it was lovely to see the deers. it was the first time i saw a deer for real!!!! we fed tehm, thanks to Tom,s little trick (he managed to get hold of some maize for the animals). After that we ate a ¨gaufre¨...a belge speciality, with cream. it was so good!!!!!!!!!! that reminded me of my grandma, who used to do something similar when i was little.
i also met a group of 3 romanians at the restaurant last week. they were coming from Italy, as they live there; two of them returned the same evening and we got to chat a little. i was happy to speak my language after a month!!!
this Tuesday i visited Spa, a little town close to Francorchamps. Grandma took me to visit. There, we visited an art galery, that i enjoyed very veyr much!! it was an exhibition of gold paintings! I have never hearg od gold paintings ( shame on me!!) ad it was my first time. It was worth visiting. We also visited the thermes of Spa, where many people come for treatment. they have a big pool there...i felt like jumping in the water.
the weather here has been very hot, as throughout the whole world. luckily it cooled down this week, and now we had non stop rains. it,s very cold now..it,s like autumn in Romania; it;s strange how from very very hot it got to very very cold.
i miss all of my friends in Romania, and i feel so sorry for not being able to attend the wedding of 2 of them! :((
lots of love ,
Gaby | | |
| hello to all of you out there!!
not many things happened here in teh last week, except for all the usual screaming and shouting of tom. the truth is that teh western families are so different than the eastern, or at least teh romanian families. here the people are too concerned about the well being; i dont say that teh romanians are not, they are too. it,s just that they get to the point of ignoring their children, and leaving them in the hands of others, and that turns out very bad. the children have no education, and by that i mean no manners, no respect. i know that it is important to work, in order to provide all the necessaries to the family, but i think it is important to keep in mind that teh family has priority and not work.
i dont want to have a lecture on this subject, but this stroke me; it gave me smth to think about...... if you want a career, that requires sacrifice; i dotn know how many people are willing to do that, especially when children are involved. it might not sound difficult for some of you, but in time this has a big impact on the children,s psychological evolution.
monday evening we had a bbq at the house in the forest LA CHOUETTE (THE OWL), and teh second day we went to Coo - a little touristic village where there,s a lake, a waterfall and many things to do. we took our bikes with us, and made 2 tours around the lake; that is 2 times 30 km = 60 km. it was awesome!!!! i was the last, because i dont ycle very often, but i enjoyed the experience. it,s a pity i didnt take pictures, but iam sure we will go there again, because it is not very far from our place.
this weekend it;s a big thing down on the circuit/relay.... formula 1 or smth like that.
in AUgust we will be going to Brussels, to visit qnd qlso to the sea for a couple of days. i am looking forward to that!!!!!!
that;s it for now.
lots of love to all of you!!!!
gaby
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