Lect. Ioana Crețu
“Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iași, Romania
Almost 40 years ago, a university teacher with his head in the clouds and one with her feet on the ground gave birth to me, a university teacher with my head in the clouds and my feet on ground.
I teach English to medical students in Iași, in NE Romania, just a few km away from the EU border. After my first, academic attempt at writing this left me unimpressed, I decided to just tell you about my bubble.
Mine comes in quarters, actually. The first ¼ was a childhood spent in early but genuine adulation of Ceaușescu. I was at the dentist when communism ended and I spent the next ¼ in adulation of the west. I followed that with ¼ restless exploration in all outward directions. The ¼ I am in now is rather pointing inwards. None of the previous 1/4s resemble each other but all are so… Romanian. Who knew that I would be…
…wrapped up in the latest waterproof windstopper on top of the lightest breatheable fleece, on top of the warmest merino(-wool-is-back-and-soft-on-the-)skin layer that are actually my fit and not second-hand male XXLs like back in the ‘90s
…falling in and then out of love with photographing the sights, the friends, the adventures, as I become saturated / “săturată” with image ubiquity and heavy DSLRs
…YouTube gardening heirloom tomatoes next to rare chillies next to exotic herbs next to historical roses bought online from all over the world
…working in a building which, instead of collapsing, now has a glass elevator and smartboards and an English lawn
…loving my job and my students at a time when students’ respect for educators and educators’ respect for students are both taking a hit (but I don’t know, I wouldn’t know)
…settling into my bubble that is my own sense of identity and place only 5 km away from my home town, in a house of my own design – a city girl with dirty nails.
To be continued.
