Winter-spring nostalgia

On the way back from Baneasa airport, where we went to wait for our "daughter" ("Getitza") and take her home, my head swarms with memories of early school years. I remember an old stupid joke, known as "the ix-pix joke" that we used to tell in 6th grade, scared of being caught and yet happy we could tell a joke that contained "forbidden" words and not get smacked for that.

And I remember my sudden decision to go to the English highschool, in the 8th grade, when I had less than three months to go for the entrance exam and I didn't know any English at all. I remember Mrs. Andronache, our nice English teacher, who managed to overcome her initial surprise when I went to ask her if she thought I could handle an English exam at that point. The answer was obviously NO, but she was too kind to do that to me. "Why not?" she said. "But I have to warn you, we're going to have a lot of work to do". We.

Mrs. Andronache worked with me for more than two months, although in the meantime I had realized the huge gap between my actual knowledge and the level of English required for the exam and I was a little bit scared that I might not be able to pass, after all.

When the day finally came, however, I was calm. I know now that this exam was the most difficult I ever took in my life. It was my first exam; I was in front of a committee of 3 teachers who expected me to speak acceptably (to say the least) in a language I had studied for only 3 months.

Looking back to that moment, I realize how much Mrs. Andronache has influenced the course of my life. I can see myself - 14, short haircut (my father's decision that I could not object to!), green pants and white sweater - possessed by some wild, weird decision, getting up and asking her if she thought I could go to Cosbuc. Against all reason. Cosbuc was the hot highschool of the moment. The place that all the "cool" people went to. I was a library rat. I wasn't supposed to be "cool" and actually I never chose Cosbuc because it was trendy, but because - at that point - it was the biggest challenge I could face.

And Mrs. Andronache saw that - or she was just being kind - and supported me all the way. I hope one day I will be able to do someone a favour just as huge as the one she did to me.

Apart from that, Baneasa airport is as small and boring as ever; Getitza recommends Wizz Air and says they're way better than blue air, and while we were waiting for her plane to land, there was a flight for Barcelona taking off and a voice was calling over and over again for the passengers to go to the boarding gates. I was so sorry I wasn't one of those passengers...

I'd like to go to some nice, foreign place. At least for a year or two.