We were transported in the means of transport destined for fodder and animals. Accidents happened.  The enthusiasm typical for the youth made these incidents appear minor.

We went ? to castrate corn?(take the panicles off corn). We used to say that we went to the ?barber?s?. We were taken to the high corn, in bloom and all the pollen fell on our heads. When we got out of the field, we had great fun because we all yellow with pollen.

Everything boiled down to the canteen, the kettle, compulsory program. We felt a permanent frustration, an attack upon our personality. (A. I. I., 64)

In 1988 I was in the 6^th grade. The school year began by two weeks of ?agricultural practice?. It was during the autumn harvesting campaign. Early in the morning they gathered us in front of the school. We went by foot 5-7 kilometers to the places where we had to harvest, on the land plots of the cooperative farm, in Chitila.

Most of the time we went to pick up tomatoes. ?Work? isn?t the right word. No talk about effectiveness, I think the losses were greater. We were children and everything was just a game to us. For instance, the fights with tomatoes. The teachers or the supervisors were just as reluctant as we were. There wasn?t any motivational system, everything was done reluctantly.

There was an additional drawback, the custom of taking our own reward. If there wasn?t any benefit, then we?d get one for ourselves. We stole from the state, meaning from ourselves and from nobody actually. In fact, there you had the real competition. Even if we had vegetables at home, we had to take something home. The main preoccupation was to choose the best products, fooling the supervisors. I remember that once, owing to the guardians? vigilance, I and my colleagues had to be content with some ripe pumpkins. We simply mustn?t leave empty-handed. It was terrible, we had to crawl home in a stifling heat without giving up our precious treasure. The distance of 5-7 kilometers seemed a lot bigger. At home, total amazement: mother threw the pumpkins away. She did not have any choice, since living in a block, we did not have animals who could eat them. (69)

The ?agricultural practice? was carried out every summer until October. They take us to peel corn, to pick green tomatoes, potatoes, grapes, even cotton. The funny part was before leaving; we played football and in the bus we used to fight for the seats. After arriving upon the scene of the deed, we had to work or pretend to work.

We stole. Especially grapes. Green tomatoes, too. I remember that the class master took four pails filled with green tomatoes, that she wanted to pickle for winter. They were confiscated by the brigadier. One year, we stole corn, although we did not have animals at home. When I got home with a shopping bag full of cotton, my grandmother told me she was going to throw me out of the house if I kept bringing rubbish.