KATHLEEN LARAIA McLAUGHLIN

I met most of these girls when they were babies at the turn of the millennium. Sometime in 2012, I learned the youth of the village Sarbi were beginning to socialize on Facebook. It was then that I started getting to know them, by ‘liking’ their selfies and places they ‘checked’ into. Their lives are straddled between two worlds, one of the past and one of the present. Even though they are excited to embrace the new ways of modernity (cell phones, clothing, Facebook,…) they are quite keen on donning their folk costumes, at whatever expense or occasion.

“Call us Ileana and Valerica Ciceu. We attend the Marmatia Technological High School in Ocna Sugatag. Valerica wants to become an assistant, and Ileana wants to be a waitress. We have no plans to attend university. We plan to get married and live in Sarbi.”

“My name is Alina and I am in my third year of on-line study at Babes-Boyoi University in Economics. I want to become a successful accountant. I also want to get married and have children. I plan to live where I grew up, here in Sarbi.” 2013

“My name is Codruta and I was born in 1994. I am in class 7 in the middle school in Sighet. I am not in high school though I want to go to high school and university to study math to become a policewoman. I want to live in another area outside of Sarbi, and I also want to live in Sarbi in the future.” 2013

“My name is Lidia. I live in the village S.rbi. I am a student in class 12 in'' Forest'' High Technology in Sighet. My role models in life are my grandfather and my father. When I finish high school, I plan to go to university. I want to follow in the footsteps of my father and grandfather, sewing woolen peasant clothing. I plan to marry and have children, maybe later. Then when I get married I do not know if I will live in Sarbi or elsewhere, it depends on the circumstances.”

“My name is Lidia and I was born in 1996. I am in the 11th grade at the Dragos Voda high school in Sighetu Marmatiei. My former Romanian language and literature teacher is my role model, Mrs. Lozba. I want to attend university and study medicine (but I’m still not sure). My dream is to have a career as a pediatrician, be married after I graduate, and live outside of the village, in a nearby town.“ 2013

“My name is Arleziana and am in the 11th grade at Marmatia Technological High School in Sighet. I want to attend acting at university and have a career in acting or theater. I am not yet thinking about marriage or kids and I do not want to live in Sarbi when I am older.” 2013

“We are best friends Maria and Georgiana. I’m Maria and attend the Dragos Voda High School in Sighet. I want to go to university and study business. After that, get married and have children.” 2013

“I am Georgiana and go to the Marmatia Technological High School in Sighet. I want to be a pharmacist. At 21 I wish to marry, have a baby boy and girl, and do not see myself living in Sarbi.” 2013

“My name is Livia. I was born in 1997 in Sighet. I am in class 11 at the Forest Technology School in Sighet. My role model is the wife of the folk singing duet Petre Giurgi and Floresntina. After highschool, I plan to go to university and to be a pharmaceutical assistant. I also want to be a professional folk singer. I want to marry and have children.” 2013

“My name is Viorica, I was born in 1988 in the city of Sighet. I am a masters student specializing in Applied Biochemistry at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca based in Baia Mare. I have no role model because each person is born realizes their capabilities and there may or may not get one. I appreciate strong, honest, and resourceful people. After my masters degee, I will work in a laboratory. I want to have two children, a boy and a gir. Only God knows what the future holds and it’s important to never forget where we came from.” 2013

“My name is Alexandra. I was born in 1999 in Sighetu Marmatiei. I am in the 8th grade in the Budesti School. I want to go to high school, and I want to marry and have a baby and I see me and my family living in Sarbi.” 2013

“I am Victoria-Maria. I was born in 1995 in Sighet. I am in the twelfth grade at the National College "Dragos Voda" in Sighet. After graduation, I want to apply to the Police Academy "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" because I want to be a policewoman. Yes, I want to be married, but only after I have a job. And I do want to have kids, but no more than two. If I don’t live near my village in the near future, I will come back for holidays.” 2015