Bucharest, November 23, 2002
Being an American is a blessed thing. We have been given the gift of freedom, a gift that does not come easily to much of the world.
Bread, Salt and Plum Brandy, A true story of love and adventure in a foreign land, chronicles Lisa Fisher's odyssey as a Peace Corps Volunteer in post-communist Romania (2002-2004). Often humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, this collection of observations and experiences offers unique insight into the journey of a Peace Corps Volunteer, and the indomitable spirit of the Romanian people.
Most of us would not consider being assaulted on a train or stranded in a blizzard in the middle of a former communist country a great adventure, but Lisa Fisher Cazacu views all things as a glass half full.
Bread, Salt and Plum Brandy is an insightful and eye-opening account of Lisa's odyssey in a remote European country where horse-drawn carts are acceptable transportation, and peasants still watch Dallas reruns via satellite TV. With humor and pathos, Lisa shares her reflections on the world of a Peace Corps volunteer, her challenging experiences, and her relationship with a charming young lawyer from Bucharest, who experienced first-hand the horrors of Nicolae Ceausescu's reign of terror.
Assigned to an environmental project in Giurgiu, Lisa faces the challenges of trying to volunteer in a society where she is, among other indignities, suspected of being a spy. She experiences exhilaration and frustration as she nurtures the orphans, gets her environmental curriculum adopted, and teaches computer classes to mothers of children who are HIV positive, all the while navigating a cultural minefield of poverty, corruption, and bureaucratic nightmares.
During her service, Lisa encounters both unsavory characters and inspiring souls. There's Madame Director, intimidating and just plain mean; Vlad the Impaler, with his annoying habit of skewering victims; Paula, the "pit bull"; Dana, the "hot" gazda; Anca, who needs open heart surgery; and Danutz, a darling little blue-eyed boy born with hydrocephalus whose parents were told at his birth that their baby was a monster and that they should let him die.
Baia Mare, Romania
"I was an American woman traveling alone. It would never have happened to a Romanian. And unless I was missing something about Romanian train practices, I was pretty sure a 'massage' was not included in the ticket price. Horrified, I realized I was the only passenger in the entire train car. Whatever I tried to do, he could overpower me...