Needless to say, this was the day that I wanted to sleep in and get ready to go at 8:50 without going down for that breakfast!
I am stepping into the shower at approximately 8:30 when the phone rings. I step out. Walk to the phone, answer it, and the other party has hung up. I think "wrong number" so I go back to the shower, since I now have less time to get ready. I get in the shower and the phone rings again. I ignore it, since I am in the shower. Moments later someone starts rapping on the door. It's the military person, telling me that we were supposed to meet at 8:15... I apologize (even though I wasn't told of the change!) and speed up my preparations.
Moments later the phone rings again. It is the military person again telling me that it is OK since the Romanians are not yet here... I got downstairs in time for all of us to leave at 8:50. It was no big deal, eventually, since the school-master at the first school was not expecting us so early.
Communications seems to be a big problem here.
We meet with the teachers at Crishon for a couple of hours, talking about mentality of the teachers and whether they will accept distance education. It was determined (as we expected) that a shift in mentality at all levels will need to happen, as well as computers in the classroom, and Internet connectivity. We follow up with a tour of the facilities, then go out back to look at the frogs and water snakes in the small lake area.
We then depart for a LONG (supposedly 2 km) walk to a restaurant called "Sunrise". It has 4 stars on the sign out front. We don't exactly think this is a measuring stick for comparison, but the place looks really nice. Matter of fact, it is a hotel/restaurant for the tourists.
We eat various foods, but I have fish... Well, that's what I thought I ordered. It turns out, I ordered sesame chicken fingers (de pui) and mashed potatoes. It was very good! (No ketchup today!) Oh, and lots of water (plain water. No bubbles. Seems that mineral water with carbonation is all over Europe. I didn't know that before coming on this trip!)
All of the music here is a disco style / techno style beat. We are listening to a song called "Give me a man after midnight", and a Billy Ocean disco version of "I'll be thinking about you." Yes, it was a different beat than the original (at least I think it was...)
After lunch, we hop another boat for the second school. I think is was called "Mills Dolche", but I only heard that name. I did not see it written anywhere.
Essentially the same as the other school, except that these people have 75 students with 8 teachers and the other has 40 students with 8 teachers. They have the same attitudes, which are to be expected, since the have little (actually zero) experience with distance education. I'm beginning to feel like they need to experience it firsthand to see the advantages. We will see if we can talk to the Inspectorate about that tomorrow.
We toured the school to see much the same conditions as the first school. This school actually seems a little bit worse off. They only have one computer where Crishon has a small computer lab in one office (approx 6 computers on a local area network).
We then left the school and departed for Tulcea. This time we took the long route back to see some more of the Delta as well as a few small lakes on the way back. If these people have one thing going for them it is the Delta itself. Absolutely beautiful!!! The variety of wildlife is outstanding. It seems a bit strange to see that you are traveling along in this wildlife preserve of an area, and happen on someone camping and fishing on the bank.
We eventually get back to the hotel, and some of the folks are going out to Argentina's (one of the interpreters for another one of our groups) parent's restaurant. This group consists of the flight crew and the civilians. The civilians take the flight crew out at least once as a small token to thank them for the safe trip.
As me about this night sometime and I will tell you personally what transpired (well some of it!)
We get back to the hotel later that night and hit the sack. We have another long day tomorrow!
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