Femme Fatales!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Day 15 - Photoblog Challenge

A Stranger and Why You Chose Them



For this stranger post I chose my grandfather and I know what you're thinking..."Why would she choose her grandfather?"

I have a perfectly good reason.  Though yes he is my grandfather, he's also like a stranger to me.
I didn't grow up going to my grandparents house every weekend.  Well I did, up until we moved to Canada when I was about eight years old so anything I remember about him is from earliest childhood, which isn't much.

He lives here in Canada with my uncle now and he swaps between my uncle and my mom's place.  I would love to have him come stay with me but I think it would be uncomfortable for both of us because of the language barrier.
I've been Canadianized so much that I don't speak Romanian anymore.  I can mumble the basics but to have a full on conversation is next to impossible because I couldn't even begin to remember how to translate properly.  I can understand it perfectly, and I can even read it, but to answer back in my broken Romanian is a joke.  Half the time I make up my own words and they sound correct to me but then the Romanian speaking Nazi (my cousin) comes around and makes fun of me.  Very frustrating!

He's a doll though.  He was right in tenth heaven when my son was born and I hate the fact that I feel like I took Dorin away from him when we moved to BC, but such is life.
He ALWAYS saves a treat for Dorin when we visit!
Before we moved, if we'd go visit for the day he would always buy a special cookie, or a chocolate bar from the specialty Italian stores around the house.  Whether it was bon bons, or licorice he always had something for Dorin and I love and miss that.
He's also very old fashioned.  He grew up in a communist country so to have freedom to do things here that he didn't have back home, he feels guilty.
In a time in his retired life where he should be resting and relaxing, he cooks, he cleans and he loves to plant and play in his gardens.  My grandparents were farmers back home and to this day I still dream about their farm house.  They had chickens and pigs, bunny rabbits, a huge farmers field.  We'd always pick our own vegetables and fruits.  I remember the endless cherry trees they had, and the sour gooseberries.
Those were the days!

Even to this day my grandfather is the most generous person I know.  Perhaps a bit senile now (not his fault, comes with age) but he'll still give you the clothes off his back without asking questions.  He's a kind, generous, stranger of an old man and I LOVE him!


These are my grandparents with me and my brother years ago.
My grandmother is not around anymore.  She's always missed though! <3

This was at Christmas two years ago.  My grandfather, my mother and my Uncle.
And then there's ME!  :P


XoXo,
Zxen

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