1. I always love seeing the aesthetics of the buildings around the world, so when we arrived in our 
small Romanian town, the rooftops were one of the first things my eye was drawn to. Many homes have elaborately embellished metal roofing. They actually almost remind me of something you would see in Thailand or Cambodia!
2. Kaput is an English word that is not often said by Americans; however, our Romanian friends said it quite frequently when speaking to us. For example, “I was so tired when I got home. I just laid down in bed and kaput.”
3. Due to my fractured ankle, I’ve had quite a few hospital visits this month. In Romania, nurses wear scrubs, but they also wear a little addition if they are cold. I saw multiple nurses wearing bathrobes – yes, bathrobes – walking around and treating patients!
4. Wood stoves are popular all over Eastern Europe. They are a common form of heating a house. They are also very useful for heating up hot water!
5. Another fact I learned in the hospital is that Romania has free emergency rooms. This is nice for small incidents, but paying will definitely get you better service.
6. The Parliament Building in Bucharest is a sight to behold. This monstrous building is the second largest by square footage in the world following the Pentagon. It even expands further underground than it does above.
7. In our small town of Dragonesti, it is not uncommon to hear the clip clop of horse hooves. Though many people have cars, others (especially farmers) still use carts pulled by horses. So fun to watch, but, unfortunately, we never got a chance to ride in one.
8. A popular snack in Romania is fresh pretzels! These yummy treats come in a variety of flavors. I haven’t tried them all, but so far my favorite is peach.
9. Another not so yummy snack is salty licorice. This candy is a strange mix of sweet and salty, and my taste buds just don’t know how to handle it.
10. Trains are a popular mode of transportation in Europe. On these trains, people will walk up and down the aisles trying to sell you things. They will lay out the items that can be purchased on your table, and then come back to collect them and your money if you choose to make a purchase. Items range from key chains to light up Hello Kitty toys.
11. Easter is a big holiday in Romania due to the influence of Orthodoxy, and we got to spend this celebration here. One custom unique to the Orthodox is the slaughtering of an actual lamb on Good Friday. Fortunately, we did not have to witness this first hand.
