This week I've trying to think of what I need to write about. I can't say nothing has happened, I'm not that lame but I really have a semi-lazy brain right now. Recently I wiped my butt with Russian literature, drank some more house wine, went bowling (crazy, bowling!), carved a happy birthday card into a harbuz (watermelon) for a fellow volunteers birthday, carried mentioned harbuz through the beloved, infamous cow field between Ciorescu and Cricova to get to the party, had a blast at the party, became friends with a dog I named dude, stared at a few goats, slipped down the stairs in my house (ouch), have proceeded to get more and more lost in the language thanks to daily lanugage classes and had an epic time with Moldovan women in a fitness class held in the Romanian school's basement.

Funniest moment that gets the cake this week: Walking into a bus and noticing a pair of dentures chilling on a bench. Hanging out. Outside their owner's mouth... Who walked off the bus without their dentures!? Who in their right mind put their dentures on the nasty bus bench in the first place!? Either way we all were in near tears as the pair of dentures traveled on down the road via autobuzul until a women handed the nearest gentleman a baggie to put them in and hand to the driver of the bus.

I do want to go on a rant about whiners. Complainers. Debbie AND Danny downers (dudes this includes you). Negative Nancies. Whatever you want to call a person you want to throw something very spikey, smelly and painful at when their bitching, whining, and complaining starts pouring from their mouths start polluting my ear noise. This sort of toxic waste is fine, in small doses. Everyone can eat a little mercury in their lives and everyone can handle some gripe BUT, but... I've run into this type of character on my little Peace Corps adventure already and I must say, I grind my teeth, roll my eyes and try if possible to leave the room everytime their poor choice of words and phrases interrupt my precious, blissful time on this planet. I'm no saint but I signed up for this VOLUNTEER position to try out and feel the shoes of someone that gives their life for others, not care so much about myself for a while, I doubt Mother Teresa and I wear the same shoe size but geez I will try to fill hers the best I can and not complain about my surroundings...Like someone here said, we as Americans are so so privileged to take this volunteer opportunity for two years its kinda unbelievable just saying that to someone. Realistically, our families CAN survive without two years of income and we can take the time out of our life no problemo. That wouldn't be the case for people here in Moldova and elsewhere...
I really feel like I could go on and on but will hold my tongue.. or my typing fingers at this point to stop from sounding completely rude. I think Dr. Phil would be proud. :) 


Oh and P.S. I think dad, you have met your match with someone that washes their car as much as you do. My host dad I think washed the car twice in a week or ten days AND took out the front seats and washed them up too! :) 


No matter how far away I travel I realize we're all (kinda) the same... 


Kate

ViequesPRico2012

Testing this direct blog post picture thing. Technology is a bit over my head these days. I prefer the days when there were floppy disks and the biggest challenge was pretending to drive a wagon on a digital Oregon Trail :)

Hopefully the link in my photos page will also function as access to pictures of mine!

Kate

Today I write about my cheese incidence from the other day. Happy belated Independence Day and birthday to my Grandpa!

So the other day we had a break in training and a few trainees and myself played a game of fotbol with some local kids. Its alot of fun, the kids are really good and its nice to show them that a girl can actually play sports half way decent. Just like in the states, its super hot here too so we went through alot of water and took two breaks from playing. On one break I went to the outhouse next door (the field is in the "city center" next to the bus stop, store, bar and little restaurant) that is probably publicly wayyy too overused but that's not what this story is about... When I stepped out of the outhouse a girl my age was smoking and wearing a uniform for work/ cashier vest that they wear next door. She was super friendly and was trying to understand my broken Romanian and I went back to the field pretty excited that I made a new friend my age. I thought she was working this little drink stand thats right outside the Magazine (shop) where all the locals buy this kinda gross tasting iced tea drink called "Cvas." I think its the countries favorite and or official drink of choice. These stands are set up everywhere, especially in the capitol. Not thinking, I said, "I made a new friend, I think she works at the Cascaval stand!!!" Instead of Cvas, I said cheese, and I totally realized it a minute too late when everyone started cracking up. So that is the story how the girl from Wisconsin in the group got the nickname cheese girl. :) Oh the irony in life....

Hope all is well! Today I hit the north road up to my future work site in the city of Rezina! I am very excited about the NGO I will be working with as it sounds like they work in eco-tourism, small business, rural business and other earthy fun stuff. The website is http://www.habitat.md/ and it is in English so go check it out! I will post pictures of stuff next time including my future home!

"Respond to every call that excites your spirit." Rumi

Kate

Buna Seara!

This country keeps me laughing and learning. I have seen Russian ketchup and mayo come out of massive packets instead of squirt bottles, more house wine than what the state of California probably produces in a year, dogs eating chicken bones and not choking to death (sorry Carharrt, I should have trusted you), noodles and butter on my plate for breakfast and ham omlets for lunch, Cognac and Coke served in a martini glass, the freshest lemons that would have put the lemons used at work in Vail to shame and more than one women drunkenly sing Ava Maria or well, the first line over and over again as if they were Italian superstars.

So much has happened since I posted last so I will try and catch everybody up... My host family, the Padures and I went to to the padure (the forest) for a family picnic. Besides us, about 10 other relatives showed up and roasted chicken with a bunch of veggies and pineapple for desert. Although I had no idea what they were staying it was still awesome. I am so glad my host parents take me along to their social events instead of leaving me in the house to study, they laughed when I said "The Padures in the Padure" and enjoyed the attention of my fancy little camera.

Last week I passed into my 23rd year of existance and the celebrations started at about 6:30 in the morning when I was sleeping, topless in the hot summer morning. My host parents flung open my door, threw rose petals all over my room and handed me a small boquet of roses picked from the garden outside and gave me a necklace and perfume as gifts. It was sweet even with the ackwardness of clutching my bed sheet around my body as I registered what was going on an hour before I was supposed to wake up.. Haha I loved it. At school my language teacher also suprised me with roses, they all sang happy birthday in English and Romanian and some of my coluges even hooked up a cake for us to split at lunch. As a kid I got to avoid ackward birthday celebrations in school because of being a June baby but I am not complaining about recieving a delicious piece of chocolate cake in class this time around. This fiesta may or may not have continued after class with a bit of cold Moldovan beer in the pubic cow grazing field outside of town...

This past week went by so fast, we went to the capitol, Chisinau three times last week, once for lectures, once for an agriculture meeting and one time for an evening piano concert. Want to guess how much I paid to see four different pianists and a mini orchestra play for about an hour and a half? Less than the cost of bus fare in the states, 15 lei. Our language teacher caught wind of the concert sponsored by the French embassy and was nice enough to invite us on her evening adventures into the big city. This adventure also allowed us to avoid meat and potatoes for dinner and indulge in Andys Pizza, a pizza chain in Moldova (it was alright pizza but a great change of pace).

This Thursday we find out where our permanent work site will be and we are all super excited!!! I hope mine has horses and a river near by.... I will find out and let you know soon!!! :)