Orthodox Easter, and many accidents on public roads

The traffic in Romania, especially in big cities before the Orthodox Easter, sometimes is getting rather... impossible. As the below photo shows accidents are happening frequently. Unfortunatly much too frequently...

Price estimate and exchange rates

I contacted the PREX manager, Mr. Buhociu, and he told me that early next week he will give us a quotation price estimate of the replacement of all the fuse boxes in the Hospital.

Now, as the prices go up the rate of the GB Pound is going down, unfortunately. Today, we can sell a GBP for only 4.30 lei (it was 4.80 in January). The cheapest unleaded petrol cost now 3.92 lei per litre.

A nightmare with Carpatair

Carpatair flight from Timisoara to Bucharest on 22 April could not land properly at the Otopeni airport. For all the 67 passengers on board this flight was a nightmare. The good thing is that nobody was hurt or injured, but the question still remains: who is responsible for the increasing number of accidents at the Otopeni airport?

Future meeting with Robert and Judith Edwards

Today, I got contacted by Elder Robert Edwards, who together with sister Judith Edwards are the new Country Directors for humanitarian services for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). They are very interested in the Vulcan Hospital (Mina 1 Mai) and they want to continue the work which was started last year under the leadership of Gerald Jacobs and G. Val Lofgreen. May God bless them in this ministry. Hope, they will continue the fine collaboration with the North Nibley Romania Team.
We have a meeting appointment on 8 May in Brasov, just a few days before the arrival of the survey team.

Bucharest, where the traffic is...impossible!

Aren't you just glad that you don't live in this city?

News from Metro

From April 2008 all "METRO Cash and Carry" hypermarkets from Romania accept Visa and Mastercard. That is one step forward...

Electrical assessment and adventures in the field

This morning went out to Mina with the manager of an electrical company, Mr. Marius Buhociu. I was driving the Dacia, he was driving his new Toyota. At a certain point we decided that no reason to go further with 2 cars so I left the Dacia in the parking around Codlea and went with him further to the village.

We did noticed that between the road junction and the village sign there were a lot of gravel and JCB's and lorries, so we noticed that these people are working hard on the road, even it was raining.

It's kind of an unwritten law here that major road works are mostly done in bad weather and rain... So you can be sure that the quality it will be really bad, and next year perhaps they will ask you to do it again, and if you're lucky get more money too...

So we arrived in the village and went directly to the Hospital. I showed him around, than the electrician joined and showed him all the fuse boxes and the electrical connections.

I found out that the hospital was rewired around 1990 just after the revolution, but unfortunately with aluminum wiring not copper. After we have seen around he has told me that he will make a price offer, in the next few days. Most importantly, according to his advice we have to replace all the existent fuse boxes, because they are not only old but dangerous too. He was surprised to see the main fuse box how bad condition it is.

Marius Buhociu checking on the fuse box

So number one priority replacement of fuse boxes. After this has been completed, we can discuss further what we want and how much we want replaced. Now at least he knows the hospital, he said that he has never been in this village, but he liked it! Also asked me if I hear anyone selling land around, he would be interested.

When we left the village the adventure began. Between the village and the junction because of road works the main road was temporarily closed. As we have seen cars on the right going down from the main road and driving in the field till the junction he decided to follow them. And he went on OK till a moment where was marsh, a swampy area, it was very wet as in the past 2 days was raining full time, and from that moment was impossible to move in any direction. And it was raining continously...

I went to the road asking for a strong rope or anything and managed to find a rope which seemed good than asked a JCB to pull us out, he came but the rope broke and he had to go back to work along the road. Later on I found a much stronger rope and asked the same man to come, he came but was just struggling, could not really move us out and he suggested to ask for the bigger JCB. After 15 minutes the bigger JCB came but he only managed to pull us out from the deep swamp. Than the driver thought he can manage alone. After a minute he got caught again, and than the small JCB which was there pulled us out for good.

This is wonderful

Of course in the meantime I tried to push the car, so no need to tell you that when I got home I was dirty. These JCB drivers had to be paid (quite well as I would say). The good news is that the charity car was not there, but I feel sorry for this event especially for the manager. I admire how calm he was in the certain situation.

Would you try a driving here?

Next time if the road is blocked better just wait...

Furniture, dental items, JCB and exit

I have met the furniture workshop owner today and paid him for the work they did for the school: the 2 cupboards where to keep the croissants and milk for kids. These cupboards were delivered already yesterday, I took some photos today.

I went to the dental surgery and left there the medicines what I bought for them, according to the doctor's list.

Around the hospital a big JCB was leveling the ground. They plan to plant there an orchid.

In the hospital, all the wards and corridors now have installed EXIT signs.

After I got home I phoned the director Dr. Grigoriu and asked about this company who installed the EXIT signs. I was thinking perhaps they could do the rewiring of the building. Dr. Grigoriu told me that this company is not authorized for thast kind of electrical work and we should try somebody else. I told him that I already contacted the PREX but they did not gave me a straight answer yet. Also informed Dr. Grigoriu about the survey visit in May and also about the planned job for July, regarding the water, which he said that is a very good idea and very necessary for the hospital.

Electrical company

I have been shopping for the dentist today. I have found most items but there are still a few things I will have to got from another shop as they were not there.

I have not been at the Western Union yet, hopefully will go later on today.

I found an electrical company which is not to far from us, whose manager was actually a neighbor of us years ago, when he lived in the same area where we do now.
This seems a serious company, named PREX SRL and they have a web site named: http://www.prex.ro/
So I visited them today. The manager was not there, but I left a clear message who we are and what we do want in Mina 1 Mai, left my phone number and they will contact me, as I was told today.
They like to do proper job, and I am happy for it. At this moment are very busy, but I want to go out with them when they have free time, show them in the hospital, and emphasized that a survey team will come over between 13-18 May, and it would be good if we could sign some papers than. Obviously we need some figures of the cost of the work. I just hope that all will be fine.

Bucharest, NATO summit

Airports closed, trafic restricted, offices closed too. Some people do enjoy the 3 days off received as gift for the people of Bucharest. Others, just complaining.
It is for best to avoid Bucharest for the next 3 days at least.