Fall back

When I got back to Magura in early October, the leaves were catching fire with autumn colour, and the new school year loomed. I'd agreed to take on the role of English teacher - profesoara de engleza - at the village school; a couple of hours a week, that's all, but I was very aware that I had no experience teaching kids, and no knowledge of English as a foreign language. What I could offer was a properly English accent, half-decent use of the language, the ability to spell and a willingness to make a fool of myself in the interests of educational entertainment. With my neighbour Roxana (who teaches Romanian and French) playing straight man to my fool, we embarked on a wobbly path of learning. So far I think I've learned more than the kids have, but we have fun and they seem to be enjoying it.

In early November, when Brits were dragging the unfortunate Guy Fawkes up on to his annual bonfire, Alina was organising St Dimitriu's Fire to keep the village safe and purify the earth for the next year. The young leapt through the flames and the rest of us watched, some with admiration, some with nostalgia. I retired around 10pm but the vim of youth kept Alina and her coterie of teenagers kept the fire going till the sky began to lighten.