Facebook Phishing

Facebook users beware; apparently scam artists have found another avenue to try and steal money, this time from your friends.

This is a real conversation that I had this morning on Facebook Chat:

Friend: "hey Josh"
Me: "Oh hello!"
Friend: "how are you doing?"
Me: "I'm doing pretty well, thanks! How are you?"
Friend: "not so good"
Me: "Oh really? What's going on?"
Friend: "I'm in London and I'm stranded"
Friend: "I was mugged"
Friend: "I lost my credit cards, my cash and my cell. My flight home doesn't leave for another few hours and I don't have any way to check into a hotel"
Me: "Wow! Are you OK?"
Friend: "Someone came to help, but it was too late and they already took my stuff"
Me: "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do to help?"
Friend: "I just need to go to a hotel for a while before my flight leaves"
Friend: "but they also took my boarding pass and my passport so I don't know if I can even get on plane"
Friend: "hey, can you do me a favor?"
Friend: "Josh, are you there?"
Me: "Yes I am"
Friend: "would I be able to borrow a few bucks? to help me out so I can get home? when I get back to states, I will pay you back I promise!"
Friend: "I would really appreciate it"
Friend: "I need up to about $850"
Friend: "could you send it through a Western Union money transfer?"
Friend: "hello Josh?"
Me: "Nice try, but that's the oldest scam in the book. I'm reporting you and calling the real [friend] right now."
Friend: "what do you mean?"
Friend: "Josh?"

For starters, it's pretty obvious right off the bat that this is a typical scam. Some of the things this person said are typical scam stories.

1. Getting stranded in London
2. Needing a Western Union money transfer

The person obviously didn't know that I would know better, but it worries me that this is going on, especially with so many adults and older people getting Facebook accounts that might not be familiar with online scamming.

So, if someone is trying to contact you via Facebook for money, don't do it. Even if it's your best friend. Hopefully this doesn't become a widespread problem, but just try to use caution and it's always a good idea to change your passwords!

Romania - Final Thoughts and Reflections

As I did with India, now that I am home from my trip I wanted to share all of my general thoughts, experiences and random stories with you all in one single post. This helps me try to recap everything about the trip as well as bring closure to the event.

So without further ado...

- I was not prepared for how modern Bucharest was. In India, the biggest city we were in was Hyderabad, which was HUGE (well, to us) but wasn't entirely all that modern. However, Bucharest hardly felt foreign to me at all. There were familiar stores and advertisements all over the place, ranging from The Gap, McDonalds, movie theaters, and Old Navy, and I even spotted some billboards and posters featuring celebrities like Ben Stein. All of that helped me to feel a bit more comfortable right off the bat in the city.

- Speaking of celebrities, the Romanian CTL director's wife looks EXACTLY like a Romanian Sarah Michelle Gellar. She had all of the same facial features and even smiled and talked like her! It was crazy!

- Traffic in Romania isn't nearly as crazy as it was in India. Sure, people were cutting in front of each other and rarely used traffic lanes, but it didn't feel as chaotic and wild as India.

- I don't have a Romanian font to type it, but "moosh-ka-ma" is now going to be part of my daily vocabulary. That, and "dah."

- The weather in Bucharest was so sporadic! It would be hot, sunny and humid all afternoon, and then we'd be hit with a massive thunderstorm in the evening. This happened several days during our time there. I've never seen such ADD weather.

- The kids that we got to spend time with were amazing! They were all funny, entertaining, but best of all they opened up to us completely by the end of the week and were joking, playing and hugging us non-stop. It was special to be a part of it as it shows that people can still build relationships despite obvious language barriers.

- Despite how awesome the kids are, their stories are quite heartbreaking. And it's a shame that more isn't done to fix things. Unfortunately, due to the government having strict restrictions on what can be discussed or shown from their country, especially by foreigners, I can't get into too many details. I will just say though that the state of many of the orphanages is not good... and I don't mean the condition of the buildings. Girls and boys too have many struggles and terrible things that they have to deal with inside the orphanages. My heart breaks for them.

- I made a comment about so many Indian women were beautiful during that trip... and the same applies for this one as well. Wow! There were so many beautiful Romanian women everywhere we went! Unfortunately, there are tons of really good-looking Romanian guys, so I don't think I have as much of a chance. But still... Wow.

- People in Romania love to talk. Seriously! But it's one of the things that I really enjoyed about the people there. Someone made a good comparison to how they hold conversations compared to most Americans. Romanians are actually interested in hearing the details about your day and actually expect them. A simple, "Good" when asked how your day has been doesn't cut it. It's refreshing to tell someone about yourself a bit and they actually seem interested!

- The food in Romania is killer! Many of the different kids come from different regions though, such as Hungary. But wherever it comes from, it is delicious! And we had some of the best desserts I've ever had. I have no idea how to spell them, but "papanosh" and "kerkosh" are some of the greatest things I've ever tasted.

- I definitely hope I get to go back. The staff that we worked with were all incredibly wonderful and funny, and I would love to get to see them again. I know I'm excited to see Victor when he travels to the states in August! That will be fun.

And to conclude, here are a few videos from the trip. The first two I made, and the last one Kelly made recapping our teams entire trip. I hope you enjoy.

http://gallery.me.com/kellybergen#100720

http://gallery.me.com/kellybergen#100692

http://gallery.me.com/kellybergen#100682

Romania - Day 9

The final day.

Here is something a little different for you all. Hope you enjoy.

Romania - Day 8

Since we had finished our main projects with the kids this last week and were now entering the final few days in Romania, we spent our Saturday fleeing the city and visiting part of the Romanian countryside. And it was beautiful.

We took a 2 hour train ride to Sinai, which is a small tourist village in the mountains. It is famous because there is a massive and extraordinary German castle that is open for tours, and the girls and I were able to go inside to check it out. We weren't able to take any pictures sadly, but believe me when I say that is was gorgeous. The best part of the tour was when the guide pointed out that the king had a secret spiral staircase in his study that went directly down to his bedroom... Nice. He knows how to do it.

It was a really long day of hiking and exploring, but it was totally worth it. Especially since we've been kind of cooped up in our villa most of the week, so the chance to see more of Romania was a welcome change. It was definitely one of the most beautiful sights I have seen in my life. If you ever get a chance to visit Romania, make sure you go to Sinai.

But in other exciting news, I received another question about Romania! That's right ladies and gentlemen, it is time for...

THE ROMANIA MAILBAG MINUTE

Today's question comes from the ever-wonderful Amanda Fretz, who asked, "What's the best Romania food you've had so far?"

This one is tough to answer, because I have experienced all sorts of different Romanian food this last week and most of it is delicious. However, if I had to choose just one, I think it would have to be the chicken schnitzel. Our cook here at the villa made some for us one night and it was phenomenal. Think of a soft, breaded chicken patty that is really moist and juicy, and you have the chicken schnitzel. Honorable mentions go to franettis and pan-fried cheese.

However, I can't mention good Romanian food and not bring up their dessert. They are absolutely incredible! I can't seem to find the names of them right now, but when I do I will make sure to update you all.

If you have any other questions, make sure to send them my way!

Romania - Day 7

Today was the last day that we got to spend with the children, and it was a great one.  By the end of the week, I feel like I've really begun to build a relationship with a few of them despite the language barrier.  One in particular, Marion, has been really great with me and has spent a lot of time hanging out around me.  He is a cool kid, knows a good amount of English, and is very funny.  Unfortunately, he also struggles with many problems and his life has been very hard.  My thoughts and prayers go out to him and I hope I will get to see him again someday, as he specifically requested that I will.

I am a little exhausted though, as I pulled an almost-all-nighter trying to finish our video project for the kids.  When I say "almost," I mean that I accidentally fell asleep while waiting for something to render and had to finish in the morning.  But I am currently running on 3 hours of sleep and facing a long evening ahead of us.  Sounds like college all over again!

The video turned out amazing though.  I was so, so impressed with the finished product.  I really enjoy digital videography and every opportunity that I take to indulge myself in it always leads to great happiness and a sense of accomplishment.  I truly hope that I find myself in a position to do this regularly, because I know it is something that I am truly passionate and excited about.

There was one little problem that I ran into though... our green screen didn't turn out how we hoped.  We were incredibly rushed in setting it up, getting the lighting right and filming, so we definitely had to chalk it up to a lack of time.  So we had to scrap part of that idea.  But I still got the experience and practice in, so that is a plus!

Tonight, we are going out for dinner and then to a rooftop pub to hang out and relax.  It sounds wonderful and I can't wait for a little rest.  Tomorrow, we are off to explore the Romanian countryside!

Romania - Day 6

So I only received one question about Romania... but that's OK, because one is better than none, amirite?

The question was, "Does milk come in a box and not have to be refrigerated?"

Answer:  Yes, milk comes in liter-sized, rectangular cartons.  Before opening one, it does not have to be refrigerated.  And the average shelf life is around 3-4 months.

So there you have it, folks!  A deeper look into the Romanian culture has occurred, and I hope it was enlightening for you all.

Romania - Day 5

I don't really have much to update with. Currently, it's almost 5:30am and I've been up for half an hour. Why? Because I thought I would take a nap yesterday around 6:30pm... and didn't wake up until then. Good grief!

But everything went well yesterday, including the green screen filming. I had never done that before, so it was cool to add that experience to my belt as well.

I thought that since I'm running out of ideas to blog about, here's an idea to help keep things interesting: All 2 of you that read this, if you have any questions about Romania, ANYTHING, ask me! It can be about the people, the culture, the food, the shopping... Anything you want to know! And in an upcoming blog, I will either answer everyone's questions, or if I don't know the answer I will have one of the Romanian staff answer it! So think of something you might want to ask and send it my way soon!

Oh, and a totally random thought... Milk here blows my mind. Not in terms of taste, but its longevity. The milk that was just recently bought doesn't expire until the middle of October! I did notice that their milk kind of tastes a bit like half and half cream, but it's still good. I wonder if that's the secret to its long shelf life? If any experts know, tell me!

Romania - Day 4

"Tuesday's gone with the wind..."

Thank you Lynyrd Skynyrd.

But yes, Tuesday has come and passed in Romania and I am sitting here after a very lazy evening of reading and relaxing, contemplating what to do next. I think I might hit up the 'ole iMovie and get some editing in before bed. A possibility? It seems so!

Speaking of editing, I'm incredibly proud of how a lot of our projects are turning out so far. I finished a 100% stop-motion video featuring a bunch of the Romanian orphanage kids and staff, and it is really, really fun. Unfortunately, there are strict rules and laws from the Romanian government preventing us from posting videos on the internet featuring children that come from government-assisted organizations. If you are interested in seeing it though, just post me a comment or send me a message about it and I will see about personally sending it to you to watch. Trust me, it's entertaining, and the best use of a DC Talk song I've seen in years.

In other news, I had the opportunity to share with the staff a bit about myself this morning at our meeting and I'm discovering that I really enjoy opportunities where I can open myself up and just be vulnerable around others. Why do we feel the need to put up walls around our hearts at every turn? We should let our guards down more often and just let other people in. I mean, that is how relationships start after all.

Tomorrow looks like it is going to be a little less on the video-side of things and we should be focusing more on all-out fun. Dodgeball, soccer, relays, t-shirt making... of course, I couldn't possibly go a full day without some sort of technology incorporated into it, so we will finish the day with some green-screen action. If all of this videography jargon sounds foreign to you... well, tough. That's what Wikipedia's for!

Romania - Day 3

Today marked our first day that we spent with the kids here in Bucharest. It's always a little nerve-wracking because you aren't quite sure if any of the plans that you have are going to actually work. Thankfully, everything went perfectly according to plan and the day went well.

I realized today just how video-centric this week is going to be. I guess I just didn't expect to be doing so much more filming and editing with the kids' activities, but it keeps things fresh and interesting. Kelly has had some amazing ideas and I'm getting opportunities to play with new styles and techniques that I never have before, like stop-motion and animation. Anyway, the kids loved what we've done with them so far and I can't wait to see how these projects evolve and form over the next few days. It's going to be fun, that much is certain.

Other points of interest from today:

1. We had an INTENSE thunderstorm! It was ridiculously loud, and I've never see it rain so hard. It was AWESOME.

2. I rolled my knee out... again. I think it was about this time last year that I did it last, at Keola. Joy.

3. I enjoyed getting to hang out, chat and watch Jim Gaffigan with Corrie Hilty. She's such a great person and one of my favorite people from college. Shout out! Woot!

I'm tired, and so now I'm going to bed.

Romania - Day 2

(Technically, since this is Day 2 that we are here, I edited my blog titles to match that and to be less confusing. But for you Facebook readers... sorry, I can't change it, so too bad!)

*ahem*

Today was our first full day in Bucharest. So far, things are great... Better than I hoped.

We woke up early this morning to attend a church service that was about an hour away from our home. The church was nice, but that wasn't even the most interesting part. Bucharest is more modernized than I anticipated, with a fully-developed metro system not unlike Washington DC's or New York's, complete with different lines that spread across the city. I wasn't prepared for that, but it was really cool and felt completely familiar to me after getting acquainted with DC's earlier this year.

For lunch, we walked to a nearby mall and checked out their food court. And once again, I have moments where I don't even feel like I'm in a foreign country. We passed by a Gap store, Dockers, a massive multiplex cinema, and I think I even saw an Apple store off in the distance (apparently there are a few in the city.)

At the food court, I had McDonalds since I had several people hyping up how much better it was than in the states... and I have to say, I was not disappointed. The burgers are much tastier and the fries actually have a flavor to them instead of just salty potatoes. The employees there are very friendly and extremely fast about getting your order to you, and overall its just a much better experience. Thumbs up, Mickey Dee's!

The rest of the day has been spent hanging out and relaxing. Took a nap, played with one of the boys that was around here, had my Facebook status messed with by one of the Romanian staff, and had a really great dinner at an Italian restaurant with the team and the interns that are working here the whole summer.

Tomorrow is the first day of our program. We will be hanging out with kids and doing activities that we've planned with them, but I will specifically be running around with a camera filming everything, then ducking away during any free minute I can get to edit. We will see how it all goes, but I am looking forward to it.

Until tomorrow, faithful readers.

(Also, for any of you beer lovers out there... the waiter at the restaurant was insisting that I try a domestic Romanian beer with my Italian pizza, so I tried "Silva"... if you ever see it anywhere, make sure you try it. It was really, really good.)