thrown away. This is what makes Romania special – this gift. - Will you please tell me something, like a funny story, about an experience since you married Ioana, and started interacting with the family? - A funny story? I have a few but the one that comes to mind is the first time I went to Romania and met Ioana’s family. The first morning that I woke up in Romania (in a small village in Moldova). I woke up before Ioana and went to the kitchen to make myself a coffee. My motherin-law (who I also call Mamaia) does not speak English and then my Romanian was limited, so we communicate with common words and a lot of pointing! I insisted on making the coffee as I wanted to make a good impression and show that her daughter married a well-to-do-man that wasn’t lazy and could look after her. Well, that was the plan. So, after a little help getting started with the boiling of the water, 1 x table spoon of coffee into the pot, 1 x sugar, I asked for milk. Lapte!, Lapte! (I knew that one). Mamaia pointed to the refrigerator and then left the kitchen as she was preparing the food for lunch. I opened the refrigerator and down the bottom were 2 clay pots. I opened the first one and yes, milk – I opened the second one and yes, milk (2 pots of milk – Romanians drink a lot of milk!). The pot boiled and I poured the coffee into my cup, just as I picked up the first pot of milk. Mamaia came back into the kitchen. I poured in a little milk and stirred it in. Mamaia was looking at me strangely but I didn’t realise why. I sat at the table and started to drink it. Wow it was bad – what is going on with the Romanian coffee? How can anyone drink this? It was so sour?! I now understood why so many Romanians wanted to leave Romania – The Coffee! I finished half a poured the rest down the sink when Mamaia went out. The next morning Mamaia insisted to
make me a coffee and I agreed. Again it was bad but I did not want to insult her and I drank it all. This went on for 3 days. On the fourth morning Ioana was up before me (too much tuica with my “Cumnate” the night before). Mamaia asked if I wanted coffee and I agreed. As mamaia was pouring the milk and Ioana screeched “Mamaia what are you doing”! I did not know; but the 2 x pots were: lapte and lapte prins. I, of course chose the lapte prins (this is why Mamaia was looking at me funny when I made my first coffee). And Mamaia was just making it the way I liked it…. Mamaia said to Ioana that, she thought it was weird but this is how Australians must like their coffee – with lapte prins instead of lapte……. And yes, Romania does have good coffee – ‘Jacobs’. - Christmas is coming now, what do you wish to all Romanians from here and around the world? A permeate home for our St Apostle Thomas Dandenong Church Congregation. To stop instant gratification. We are all too focused on gratification now and we seem to lie, cheat, manipulate, steal and position our personal situations to achieve this (no matter how big or small these sins are). It is easier to change yourself than to change the world. If we change ourselves – then the world around us will also gradually change, regardless if our personal world is large or small. - I would like to thank you very much. All the best to you and all your family. Merry Christmas!
Veronica Dinca
63