Cav's Place

To finally pick up from where I left off, after walking to the tents and taking the first of the day’s pictures, I signed the form that I had to sign there, despite having also signed two others on the bus, and picked up another reusable bottle and another one of those things that go on the neck, though it was black instead of gray, plus the gloves and a vest, which we were asked to return at the end. Then I took tea, a banana, even if they were all very green, two packs of the regular biscuits and one of the nicer ones, since there didn’t seem to be many of those nicer ones while the others were available in various kinds and they had piles of boxes of them, plus that I recalled a post on a site that I follow recommending them at some point. However, I then remembered checking the ingredients and being bothered by something, so I read them again and, after putting on the vest and eating and drinking the rest, I decided to put the regular biscuits back, and then I waited for a moment when I could cut in and get another tea, during which time I also grabbed another banana off the ground… And then I drank that tea and ate that banana as well, doing so while standing next to a trash can where others had dumped several bananas that they had taken no more than one bite from, some only being partially peeled and otherwise untouched, and when I wondered out loud who had done that a guy from the group that was next to me said that they had, and even sounded rather smug about it. Either way, since the nicer biscuits seemed gone by the time I had cut in the line and no other breakfast was being offered, I ended up getting a pack of those regular ones after all, from the other table where they were placed, and it was of a kind that I expected to like less than those first ones which I had put back, but I ate them nevertheless.
The problem was that time was passing and there didn’t seem to be any sign that we were about to start working, so I peed again and then just stood around until 10:40 AM, when we finally started moving to the actual “PlantFest” site, and after I stopped to take a couple more pictures I saw the woman who had been talking about the elections on the bus again and we exchanged a few more words, that time about the way the planting was organized, with each row being meant for a certain kind of tree and signs placed to specify which that was, so I said that I was certain that people were going to mix them up anyway while she disagreed, saying that she believed that people had their brains with them. Either way, it was a couple of minutes after 11 AM when the speeches started and a little after 11:15 AM when that part ended and we could start planting. However, even though I had grabbed a spade and obviously didn’t try to find a partner, I got moving rather slowly and then, once I picked a row where I thought that I could plant on my own, I found myself unable to untie the bundle of saplings placed there, and when someone else came to help he was unable to do it either, trying to cut the string with my spade but being unable to do so, saying that I had picked a blunt one. So I wasted a fair bit of time, but while I was there those who were on either side of me confirmed my earlier assessment, since literally the first thing I heard was them asking each other why should they stick to a single type of tree per row and saying that it’ll be nicer to mix them up. Admittedly, those signs had only been placed up to a point, starting from the end of the planting area, the only indication of what should be planted on each row everywhere else being the bundle of saplings placed before it.
By the time I finally managed to pull three saplings out of the bundle, which remained tied, others hand started planting on pretty much every row that I could see, so I eventually took a cue from others who were starting from the other end of the rows and did the same, finally starting to actually plant a little before 11:45 AM… But that day I kept needing to pee, and I just barely managed to hold it in long enough to plant those three saplings, and while I initially meant to dash a few steps into the overgrown area and take care of that problem then and there, I quickly realized that it’ll be pretty difficult, so I rushed to use the toilets, just barely making it. And I believe that it was at that point when, after placing my gloves on those portable things before washing my hands, one fell between them and I had to pull one aside in order to retrieve it. And then I couldn’t find my row again, so I eventually walked back to the “proper” end and looked for another that I could start to plant on. But that took me quite far and I had just planted two more trees by the time some announcements were made and I stopped planting and haltingly made my way back, until I got close enough to actually hear what was being said… At which point I saw people coming back with more of those nicer biscuits, so I decided to go back and see whether I could take some more as well… Only to reach that table just as what seemed to be the last box was being put away, empty. So I just peed one more time, since I was there, and in the unlikely case that the problem with the fallen glove didn’t happen the first time, then it must have happened at that point.
The fact that people weren’t going to respect the planting plan was yet again confirmed after I got back to work and planted three more trees, the saplings from the start of the row that I was working on vanishing by the time I went back to take more, and I didn’t see them nearby. So I moved yet again, picking another row, planting one more tree… And then being told by one of those who were planting on the row that was to the left that I shouldn’t plant on the left side, because they had planted on the right and our trees ended up right next to each other. That was an issue because the organizers said that they hadn’t managed to prepare the area properly, the weather having made them consider canceling the event before the forecast improved as the date approached, so it was fortunate that it had rained on the previous days and the ground was soft and easy to dig, since they said that it had last been plowed three days earlier and otherwise they had just pulled those strings to mark the rows, without being able to also mark the exact spots where the saplings should be planted, so we were just told to plant them about a spade’s length from each other and on a specific side of the row, depending on which side of the road we worked on. And on that side we were supposed to plant on the left and I said so, but they had already planted on the right and the row to the right of mine had also been planted on the right, and when I spotted the coordinator and asked him about it he confirmed that we should be planting on the left, but said that, under those circumstances, I should plant on whichever side I could as long as I did so as close to the string as possible.
At least I could finally get into a rhythm after that point, leaving that first sapling from that row where it was and planting 11 more on the other side by the time I stopped, a few minutes before 2 PM, so it took me much less time to plant those 11 than the first nine, counting from the moment when I actually started to work. And 20 trees seemed good enough under those circumstances, especially since, when I was getting back to work after peeing the second time, there was an announcement that lunch was going to be served soon, so it was a good thing that it didn’t happen that way, because in that case I’d have done even worse than last year, when the conditions were so awful. Not that I’m exactly certain that they hadn’t started serving lunch much earlier, maybe as soon as they started talking about the band that was going to play, but there never was a specific lunch announcement and, while people gradually stopped working and gathered in that area once that band started playing, I kept at it pretty much as long as possible, since by the time I stopped I only saw a single other group still at work, on one of the rows, as you can also notice from my pictures.
After peeing yet again, I poured myself what was left in a carton of almond “milk”, but then I noticed that the cup which I had grabbed was dirty, having likely been used by someone else and then put back on that table, in a stack, so I left it there, took another cup and filled it with rice “milk”, which I drank before taking a tea as well, which I drank while eating lunch… Which was served by that same woman who had talked about the elections on the bus. Either way, since I didn’t feel full after that first serving, plus that I was once again seriously bothered by those who were just throwing away food, the bins being full of plates that still had food on them and someone even throwing her plate away after literally taking only two spoons of beans and one bite of sausage, and since I saw that some more servings were left and simply laid out for those who wanted them, I decided to take a second serving and then rushed to eat it as fast as possible, since the last of the others were finishing and walking away by then. And it was almost 2:50 PM when I walked away from the lunch area, spotting the table where some of the organizers were eating and meaning to ask Petruta, since she was among them, where to leave the vest and the gloves, but she ignored me completely while I hovered around a little, so I ended up asking one of the guys who were also there, and then I went to where I was told and dropped them off before rushing to the buses, since few of those who had arrived by bus were still around.
What made me reach the proper buses even later was that I ended up going the wrong way after reaching the road and only realized it after taking some time to try to get more of the mud off my shoes, walking to the closest bus that I saw and noticing that all of those who were about to get on it were part of an organized group. So I then rushed in the other direction, rather confused and starting to worry, so it was a relief when I spotted the other buses, three being left by the time I reached them. However, when I asked the driver of the first one whether he was going to Bucharest, he said that he wasn’t and pointed me to the one that was just driving away, yet when I approached that one the driver gestured towards the other remaining bus, which I climbed on a little after 3:10 PM… Only for the driver to ask whether I had been on it on the trip there as well, and when I said that I didn’t know he said that if someone who had been on his bus will need a seat, I’ll have to leave it for them, and he won’t take me standing up. So I was once again concerned, even if many seats were empty at that point, but I calmed down after recognizing the inside of the bus and realizing that I had actually been on it after all, at which point I moved from the first seat which I had picked to the one which I had sat on before. And the bus got moving a little after 3:20 PM, though it then stopped again for a little while, to take a couple more people, the driver asking whether there were seats left. But at least the actual trip was once again uneventful, and while that woman continued to engage those around her in the talk about politics and I’d have had some opinions to share, I put my headphones back on and sat quietly until we were dropped off at Victory Square, at 4:45 PM.

At least I managed to get to the point when I actually stopped planting before midnight, editing the post in order to add the last two paragraphs from the above section in the early hours of Tuesday. And then I edited it one more time Saturday evening, in order to add the following section as well, to also cover the rest of that day.

After getting off the bus, I walked to Obor, considering checking Auchan first but deciding to go straight to Carrefour instead, putting the one recyclable with the deposit symbol which I had found on the way in the recycling machine from there, peeing one more time and then having a quick look in the store, without even cashing in that voucher, since I then meant to continue to that other Carrefour, since I had the time. However, after starting to walk in that direction I remembered the expiring palm oil which I had seen at Auchan two days earlier, and dad had said that it might be interesting to get one when I had told him about it, so I went back and checked Auchan after all, but none of it was left and I didn’t find anything else to get, so I just asked an employee to let me out, showing him that I only had more empty bags in the bag that was in my hand, neither of us mentioning my full backpack.
When I reached that other Carrefour, I put the one recyclable with the deposit symbol which I had picked up on the way there in the recycling machine and used both vouchers when I paid for the two breads and one sweet pastry which I grabbed from the expiring products, confirming that a lot of bakery products were still to be found among the expiring ones in that location. On the other hand, these boxers that I’m wearing seemed to no longer be available there either, and I checked because it was the last place where I had seen them, so I should have bought a few more back when I did, in October of 2023, to be able to fully replace the old ones that are falling apart with the same model as I’ll start to throw them away. Either way, I then peed one more time and started on my way back, having a very quick look in a Profi and then going to the Penny location where I had seen on-line that some cheaper cooking oil was supposedly still available, putting the few recyclables with the deposit symbol which I had picked up on the way into the recycling machine, putting my things in a cabinet and then just cashing in that voucher, since I couldn’t find that cooking oil there either, which was unsurprising, as I had assumed that listing to be an error all along.
After retrieving my things, I continued to Kaufland Pantelimon, putting the two recyclables with the deposit symbol which I had picked up on the way in the recycling machine and then going up to put my things in a cabinet, but then deciding to have a quick look in that Carrefour as well… Which proved to be another waste of time, so I then returned to Kaufland, washed my hands and rushed in when it was past 9:45 PM, grabbing some expiring germinated wheat and some bananas that had a good evening discount and actually being about to start using the self-checkout machine when the closing announcement came. And then I retrieved my things and rushed to pee yet again before also checking that Mega Image, once again putting my things in a cabinet but then just retrieving them, without finding anything to buy. And then I picked up two more recyclables with the deposit symbol, which I put in the recycling machine from Kaufland, keeping the voucher for another time, but I still got back with two others, which I picked up after that point.
It was almost 10:55 PM when I got back, after having walked some 18 km after getting dropped off at Victory Square, without counting the distance covered while wandering around inside stores. Then, after talking to dad a little and putting the germinated wheat and the bananas in their place, it was 12:10 AM when I went to the bathroom, wasting time on the toilet yet again and then taking an actual bath, so it was past 1:30 AM when I was done. And I had plenty to wash and clean in the kitchen, so I took care of that… And when I put the sweet pastry which I had grabbed from the second Carrefour in the fridge I saw that the bag was opened, which I hadn’t noticed until then. Either way, I also took a pill, and ate dinner between 3:55 AM and 4:40 AM.