Prieten vs Prietenul

What a bonding dinner with the family. I'd spent all day in Balti with Kim, Mandy, and Chris- just to get away for awhile. It was absolutely wonderful. But, after not being able to fall asleep the night before and so therefore only getting 5 hours of sleep, I was quite tired. Then, to top it off, I'd been speaking English all day, so I knew the switch to Romanian at dinner would be difficult.

And it was. But it sure made for a funny story!!

I told my host family that I've decided on Paris for winter break. I know I've been there a million times in the past, but Mandy is going, I have a lot of friends I want to see, and it will be cold so it will be nice to relax for a week instead of going somewhere new to "sight see" in the cold.

My NTG was doing his normal "woe is me, life can't be happy, everything is expensive" thing. I kind of felt like he was trying to make me feel guilty for wanting to go to Paris. Oh well. It happens. Regardless, I counteracted that comment by telling him that I have many friends "prietenii" there, so it will be cheaper (ie places to stay, even though we're really going to get a hotel). He thought I said "prietenul" (which means boyfriend), so he thought I was saying I have a boyfriend there so things will be cheaper. Of course this poses a problem considering Ross is my boyfriend, and he'd just finished telling me how he doesn't like people from Turkey because they have many wives. I was so confused as to why he was so serious about this matter of me going to Paris to see my friends- and then my host mom burst out laughing (vocabulary phrase for my 8th formers!) and explained the miscommunication error. That got all 3 of us laughing together- for the first time.

Then my NMG was saying how she wants to go to Paris with me (I really beginning to see her soft side and that she does like me). I told her I'll put her in my suitcase. NTG, being how he is, told me that wouldn't work because her back would hurt, and they wouldn't let her go through because they have to scan the bags or something. That's when my host mom looks at him straight in the eye- very serious- and says, "she's joking". Laughing session #2!

Then NMG said she is ready to go to Paris now. I said ok, tomorrow. 8am. And she said no, 7 am. I said perfect. We will go to Paris tomorrow at 7. And she said, yes, Paris, the "dial" (field). Laughing session #3!

These are probably all "you had to be there" moments, but I thought I'd share them with you. Within the last few days things have really started to turn around with my host family. I really don't know if it's something that has changed in my head so I am finally seeing this side of them, or if they are changing somehow. Regardless, I'm not complaining. I like how things are getting better- especially with this cold weather that is quickly approaching!

It's getting to be in the 30's at night... I'm so afraid that I'm not ready for this.