Final Day – October 9, 2009 – Romanian Art & Medgidia Memories

Checking out in the morning by 9:00 we began our trip to Medgidia. But we were not on the road for even 10 minutes and Niku pulled over. We were at the Constanta Art Museum. Anca and I were surprised to receive a private tour by the museum’s manager. The art was phenomenal. Rare works dating from the 19th and 20th century reflected the history of Romania. From the influences of the Romanian Independence in 1877 to the era of communism and the Revolution of 1989, Romanian artist made an impact with their artistic statements. What seemed like less than a 60-minute tour was actually a two-hour stay. Niku, concerned that we stay on schedule, called Anca to find out our status. We thanked the manager sincerely. She gave a gift of a number of postcards so I could remember the exhibit. There is/was much talent in this country. I am very impressed.

We made the drive to Medgidia within an hour. When we finally pulled up in front of the library, I thought we must be at the wrong location. What are all those people doing here? There were costumed dancers of both traditional Romanian and Muslim dance. The Deputy Mayor, the library director and other citizens were there as well as a television camera. Anca looked at me and smiled. “For you,” she said. I was stunned. Niku opened my door and I stepped out of our van.

The overwhelming feeling of this warm welcome left me speechless. The Deputy Mayor and others gave official greetings. It is a traditional Romanian greeting for a man to kiss the hand of a woman and also give her a kiss on both cheeks. This double kiss is also traditional when leaving a friend or saying goodbye to a host. (I did a lot of sincere cheek kissing.)

I wanted to thank all of the costumed dancers lined up outside. I went to each, shook their hand and thanked them so much for their welcome. The Deputy Mayor then ushered me into an auditorium where there was a small head table and a stage in front. The audience filled the chairs and Anca introduced me. I was asked to give a speech about libraries and my impressions of rural libraries and the future of libraries in Romania. Again, I was at a loss for words – believe it or not – but managed to come up with my heartfelt thoughts.

I shared that as a librarian I researched Romania before I made the trip. All the guidebooks had said that the Romanian people were very friendly; but I also shared that these guidebooks are not always accurate. However; in this case, the guidebooks were right. I have never met friendlier people anywhere. I shared how my passion for librarianship began when I drove a bookmobile to isolated areas of our county in Alabama. I shared the new concept of free and equal access. I challenged the audience to become library supporters and advocates - because by doing so they would leave a lasting legacy for future generations. The speech was well received and I was able to then sit back with the audience to watch the performances.

I settled down to enjoy what I anticipated would be a wonderful glimpse into the culture and traditions of Romania. What I did not expect was to first listen to a mandolin band of young people. I was stunned and extremely touched when they started playing the Star Spangled Banner. I stood, as did the entire audience. This brought tears to my eyes. I must have been the first American to visit this cultural center. Right after the U.S. national anthem, they played the Romanian national anthem. Everyone remained standing and the audience joined in to sing this song of this proud country. I do not believe there was a dry eye in the house. Niku shared that even he had been moved to tears. After the Romanian national anthem, the young band played "Oh Suzanna!" with mandolins and guitars. Everyone clapped and sang along. You just never know what to expect. I was speechless.

Next, the Romanian costumed dancers took the state with a young soloist. They performed a number of traditional dances, all of them extraordinary and fun to watch. Quick footwork and lively moves made these dances a joy to watch. Then, a group of traditional Muslim group of young women began to dance. Their costumes were beautiful – from the scarves attached to their caps to the flowing satiny inserts in their twirling skirts – the dance team was amazing. Graceful hand gestures, body movements and ceremonial dancing were very unique and looked to be perfectly done. In fact – as I found out later – this group has won many awards at competitions throughout the country.

The young soloist from the first group took the stage again and sang New York, New York. She did an awesome job. She was followed by a ten-year-old boy who I would bet Disney would love to get a hold of. This young man was oozing talent. He was dressed in a colorful Puss ‘N Boots costume – a cat musketeer, so to speak. His song was lively and animated. His voice had a pure and clear quality with beautiful pitch, timing and tone. This precocious young man, Doru Ciutacu, finished his act with another song after which he winked and blew me a kiss. I told his parents later that they needed to watch out. We had a good laugh. Doru gave me two of his books – autographed – an one of his CDs. It was so much fun to experience this young talent.

I met a Canadian man and his wife who ran a local orphanage. His wife wanted me to stay. She was passionate about Medgidia and needed more time for me to see all there was to see. She was a delight.

I was then moved into the county library. The Deputy Mayor had a few more words. Then I was given a tour. The children’s room was upstairs. As I have been in the past, I was impressed to see American authors translated into Romanian. Classics by authors such as Vern and Twain were on display on the “Recommended” shelves.

After touring the closed deposit collection, I was led back to the main area where I was to be interviewed by the local television station. The interview and filming went well. I was surprised to hear that this was this young reporter’s first interview. She had been at the dance ceremony a few minutes earlier and I had noticed her jotting notes. Now she made me feel at ease and did a really good job.

After bidding all a warm farewell, we drove to enjoy a late lunch with our Medgidia colleagues at a local pizzeria. Before lunch we toured the headquarters of the Turkish Democratic Party. I was shown a number of traditional Turkish items by the secretary of this organization. I was once again surprised by this unexpected tour. I found it extremely interesting. We walked next door to the pizzeria and ordered. I treated my hosts to lunch. Niku knew I wanted to try to purchase a couple bottles of a wonderful wine/brandy type drink that was from this area. Anca and I enjoyed a bottle the night before at the seafood restaurant. So, he and one of my library colleagues took off on a mission. I had no clue where they were going, but they returned with the last two bottles they could find. How thoughtful was that?

We bid a final goodbye to the final folks I had met on this trip. It was a two-hour drive back to Bucharest. I was exhausted. Niku always promised me he would return me in one piece. We laughed so much about that – the speed limit on the highway was 85mph. I stopped looking forward and just watched the scenery whiz by. It took us two-hours to get to Bucharest and about an hour to get through Bucharest to my hotel. Traffic was just unbelievable. Niku reminded me that because of our diplomatic plates, we couldn’t drive crazy. What??? If this wasn’t driving crazy, I shudder to think what was.

We pulled over at a currency exchange so I could exchange some of my Lei for American dollars. Niku pulled in to an open spot. “Oh, Niku. Look, a casino. Slots!” He looked up and realized he had parked in front of a small casino. I told him that my husband would be so proud of me for not going in. Tempting, but I was too tired.

We finally arrived at the hotel. Niku declared that he had “gotten me back in one piece, as promised.” How do you say farewell to two new friends? Hugs and kisses and tears. And a “see you later” instead of good-bye. Anca called me later to confirm my car for the morning, and the name and number of the driver. He would pick me up at 6:00 a.m.

I think back upon this week and the events that have led up to this experience. It seems like just yesterday a message was sent out from the American Library Association asking for anyone interested in traveling to Romania to discuss rural libraries to contact them. I since learned that the final selection of who to go was made by the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest. It was Anca and her colleagues who reviewed the final three applications and choose me.

The turn of events in ones life can be viewed as fate. But, I know better. I know that God has prepared me my entire career for this opportunity. Each day I was able to confidently share information about the passion the vision and the imagination needed to be successful in any venture. Each day I was able to talk about the concepts of privacy and intellectual freedom. Each day I learned how to work with an interpreter – about timing – about the fact that a rubber chicken and a funny story translated into any language.

I learned that we in America are so blessed to have a strong public library system. And, I realized how so many of our citizens take their blessings for granted. I wish every one could spend time in Romania – to see how an entire nation is staying hopeful and optimistic after their revolution twenty years ago – even though there continue to be struggles at all levels. They are learning about the possibilities of freedom and are embracing this newfound freedom with gusto.

I leave being optimistic about the future of rural public libraries in Romania. The seed has been planted in so many areas of rural librarianship. Seeds have been planted regarding possible bookmobile service (or bibliobus service) as being a viable option to reach isolated populations. Friendships have been made and lifelong contacts established.

There are no words adequate to express my appreciation to the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest for this opportunity. I will be forever grateful. I pray God continues to be with the good people of Romania. I pray God continues to guide me on my daily journey as I give him all the glory. PaPa for now.