poze.

I finally uploaded the few photos I have from my trip to Romania this summer. Although I got quite a bit of footage, I hardly took any pictures. Here are a few to help explain why I am getting restless about being stuck in Provo for eight more months.

This is what I was doing most of the time and yet this is the only picture I have of me carrying out interviews. This is also from the interview when the viewfinder on the video camera went black and I could only hope that the two men were in the shot. At that point, the outcome of my project was about as sure as the communist structure seen in the background.
The Transylvanian Alps/The Carpathian Mountians are beautiful. Someday I am going to go backpacking in Romania...any takers?
Sister Gorzo--the beautiful woman that I stayed with in Bucharest. Not only is she an amazing cook and counselor, but she is hilarious. Her humor reminds me of Grandma Hale. And yes, she believes in me too.
Just a sampling of the many meals/desserts/snacks constantly available from the kitchen of the mission grandma: Sister Gorzo's cheesecake tart (though not the same consistency as American cheesecake--more like feta consistency than cream cheese consistency, the crust, the best part of any cheesecake, was on the bottom AND on the top) and homemade apple cider. This, accompanied by a good talk with Sora Gorzo, and I was in heaven.
This is the poster of an original play I saw in Bucharest. It was in a small theatre on the roof of the National Theatre (Romania's Carnegie Hall or MET opera) and it was brilliant. The premise was all about how we dream big as kids--thinking we can become whatever we want to be, only to give up on our dreams as we get old. It was called "Monday-Friday: 8am-4pm" (both the basic school and work schedule). The pink part of the sign, translated roughly, asks "What did you want to be [i.e. when you grew up] when you were six years old?" The theatre was connected to a sort of night club-- no dancing but it had lots of installation art and films going on all over and a really diverse group of people. I felt like I had tapped into the hip underground student scene in Bucharest.
To my surprise, Brother Calinescu lives! At 80+ his mind is still sharp--he recited a five minute poem for me (Luceafarul), and believe it or not, this man has a daughter that is my age. Stud.
I ate with Stefan and Ilie, two members that I first met way back when I was a greenie, at the new Hard Rock Bucharest the night before I came home. I felt like I had already arrived back in the States. This is just one example of the hundreds of new international businesses that have opened up in Romania since my mission.

Wait a second...that looks like a washed out version of that kid on that one 80's show...
Mormon Myth Confirmed! Ricky Schroeder (Silver Spoons, 24, Scrubs, Lonesome Dove, etc.) is a MO! That's right. He was baptized several years ago and came to church while working on a film in Romania for the SciFi network this August.

Me: "Whose donkey is that?" Boy: "Mine." Me: "Yours?" Boy: "Yep, mine..."

Boy: "...see."

a petition to sanity

The longer you avoid doing something, the harder it is to do. Like breaking up, making up, or cliff jumping--especially when your cousin, who's a girl, has already jumped. Or, writing on your blog. I think, wow, I need something really good to break the silence. And for weeks I've needed something to do while I procrastinate homework. And it's not as though I haven't had plenty to write about (turning 25 and getting scores of anti-you-know-who-if-you-know-me emails), but I just could not find something worthy of restarting the blog. Well, I have definitely found it...

A sweet individual who truly cares about both my future and my present safety pointed out that I had received an alarming comment on an old blog post (thank you--you know who you are). Once I read it, I felt inclined to delete it and then destroy my computer screen in a ritual cleansing ceremony. But something stopped me. I felt a responsibility to humanity to publish this comment for two reasons. First, I hope that this will remind us all to think about what we write on-line--blogs are open to the public. Second, I hope this will help us all to think about what we say/write to people and the possible ramifications that result.

Here is the comment, edited of all information that would reveal the identity of the mother or her daughter but otherwise left unaltered. I have also deleted the posted comment. Don't try to figure out who she is or who her daughter is. You don't know her. I hardly know her. And clearly, if she knew me, she wouldn't have written this.

Jeff,

I have been praying for you since I met you on July (date omitted). I really feel that you are my future son-in-law. Oh, but you are so smart and so amazing. What would ever prompt you to take a look at just an average,shy girl with an awesome testimony who has saved her first kiss for her future husband.
Yet, my grandkids are saying,"Grandma, Dad is too busy, help us out here." There are many weird people in this world. I have just entered that relm with this comment. Somtimes the Spirit really is annoying. Good Luck with your life Jeff. Your future mother-in-law believes in you too. And the alienation with my daughter that I risk when she finds out I wrote this will hopefully not span the Eternities

(name omitted)