Another full day, or at least a full half-day.

In the afternoon I went with my friend Sorin to a 1-8 school where he gave a workshop to kids about Success. He is a psychologist who has found a local niche giving motivational talks to middle school kids. He's very funny and irreverent, so they think he's great. He also has cerebral palsy and tells the kids how lucky he is.

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At the end of his talk, he asked me to sing, so I did a rousing rendition of "Puff the Magic Dragon" and got great applause. :) I also answered their questions about America and about Peace Corps.

From Blog pix

Afterwards, Sorin and I and the school counselor Carmen, went a local restaurant called Taco Loco for pizzas. We tried the "burritoes" at Taco Loco when we first came, and they are so not like anything in Colorado that we never order the "Mexican" food there anymore. We each ordered a pizza. Here, everyone eats their own pizza -- yes, full sized. I told them that in America three of us would share one of those pizzas. They shook their heads. Poor silly Americans!

After the pizza, Dennis joined us and we went to a concert at a local pub. It was three young men; two playing guitars and singing and another on the bongo drum. They were songs in the style of Peter, Paul and Mary or Simon & Garfunkel. Later, Sorin told us that the songs are from Romania's 1960s and 70s. They have a lot of symbolism about being in the shadow of the Soviet Union and hating communisim. These songs are coming back into popularity.

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Afterwards we discussed the songs with Sorin and Carmen. They are glad the old regime is gone, but worry that the kids today don't have good values. Sound familiar? These folks finally have the same worries about the next generation as the rest of us, instead of worrying about how to feed and protect their families.