Today marks both a disturbing and enjoyable day here in Moldova. For me its just another day of work but across the country Moldovan natives grumble at the excitement over the existent-yet-nonexistent border of Transnistria while simultaneously celebrating the fact that today marks the beginning of the school year and havoc-reeking summer kids finally disperse into semi-organized school programs. I'm secretly excited as well because this means I don't have to trek around town hunting kids in a soviet block safari when I want to ask them about project ideas. All kiddos are now all neatly organized into classrooms sorta. Yes! I say sorta because class schedules are still not official and they will probably write and re-write the goofy Moldovan school schedules for the rest of the month until everybody is satisfied.
September 2nd marks the "Independence Day" for "Transnistria" also known as the "PDR: The Pridnistrovian Moldavian Republic." Happy kinda-23rd-birthday, Transnistria. Not. Protesters today are rioting in Chisinau, the capitol of Moldova as the Russian Deputy Prime Minister (Vice President guy?) in their mind, basicaly showed up to snicker and rub Moldovan citizens the wrong way today before heading over to to booze up and boogy down in Transnistria, where he helped lead the Transnistrian (Russian) Army in the War of Transnistria as an Army Major 21 years ago. And on top of that Russia keeps poking around saying they will raise gas prices and give Moldova hell because of the new pipeline being installed between Romania and a city in western Moldova. It's no wonder Moldovans have a drinking problem.
Onto lighter things... Since when has it been September? How did it get here? Why am I wearing a sweater!?
I have to flip through my camera just to remind myself of alllllllll that has happened since I've last blogged/blabbed about life. This is going to be a multiple blog sesh so bear with me and you will get more. I want to give you quantity and quality all at once instead short, dull bits all mushed together.
This is where I left off:
The day after the 5 day walk around Moldova ended I made my way onto a tour bus drenched from a wicked downpour that happened as I was in transit through Chisinau and headed to Romania with 30+ Monastery-hungry Moldovans. 4 days of fun-filled Monastery hopping through Romania. That was the idea. It took what was originally only 3 hours to get to the border about 7 hours because well, the drivers and the bus weren't the sharpest tools in the shed. The trip ended up being great. I saw amazing sites across Romania including the religiousish celebration remembering (Saint) Stefan Cel Mare at the site where he is buried, bonded with people in my community and learned so much more about Romania.
After that trip I was genuinely jealous of former Peace Corps Romania volunteers that just wrapped up work there in 2012. Because it was so awesome I am going to pick my brain at a later date and write a blog exclusively on the trip. We had such an impressive guy guiding us along the way I have to give him justice by documenting the route and stops we took to really show you how much I did, for such little money, on such a short trip.
Less than three weeks later I met my parents at Chișinău's airport. How surreal. With beautiful Moldovan weather, my great host family and friends I think my parents were able to see a great side of my current country of residence in only a matter of 4 days.
I made sure to organize a little party outside my apartment and welcomed just about everyone I knew in town to come and meet my parents and help me celebrate the birthday of mine they missed as I was on the walk across Moldova. In the states it's no big deal to miss a birthday but here, it will not go unnoticed if you fail to show up to your birthday responsibilities. If you want to integrate, you have to,,,,,,you neeeeed to,,,,, drop a bunch of money and pass out food and drink to all your friends and co-workers for the entire day. Usually when it is someone's birthday where I work, my feet don't walk home the way they normally do. Next year I won't be so lucky with my parents in town to help me purchase 15 kilograms of freshly killed pork neck and about that weight in fresh veggies and fruit but I am banking on endless bottles of almost-end-of-the-year-housewine from my neighbors like I did this year.
After hours of translating, eating here and there, an impromptu visit from some members of my choir, singing songs for my parents and whatnot, the only thing I can complain about is that the local kids took my ladder golf balls. I schemed and plotted like an engineer with a local construction store owner and friend to create the game and was excited to introduce it and play it at my little party.
Well, the women were not at all interested in anything involving moving away from their perches and I became emerged in small talk as the ladder golf sat for the kids to play around with. What I forgot about Moldovan kids is that when they see something not theirs, something that may seem small and unimportant becomes ever so fascinating to the point they've talked themselves into taking it. Peace Corps volunteers have warned me before watching Uno cards vanish from decks and I caught a girl (more like another girl ratted her out) stuffing a scarf of mine into her backpack at my one time horrific substitute teaching of 2nd graders. One time a girl liked this tree picture I drew at a youth center so much she walked out with it as I ducked out for a minute and went down to a store. I saw her clutching it as a newly prized possession on the street and we exchanged a strange Clint Eastwood squints. The point being is that I have a 300 lei set of ladder golf without the golf ball thingies. There are no golf balls in Moldova. Fun fact.
I have to sleep! Till next week,
Kate
September 2nd marks the "Independence Day" for "Transnistria" also known as the "PDR: The Pridnistrovian Moldavian Republic." Happy kinda-23rd-birthday, Transnistria. Not. Protesters today are rioting in Chisinau, the capitol of Moldova as the Russian Deputy Prime Minister (Vice President guy?) in their mind, basicaly showed up to snicker and rub Moldovan citizens the wrong way today before heading over to to booze up and boogy down in Transnistria, where he helped lead the Transnistrian (Russian) Army in the War of Transnistria as an Army Major 21 years ago. And on top of that Russia keeps poking around saying they will raise gas prices and give Moldova hell because of the new pipeline being installed between Romania and a city in western Moldova. It's no wonder Moldovans have a drinking problem.
Onto lighter things... Since when has it been September? How did it get here? Why am I wearing a sweater!?
I have to flip through my camera just to remind myself of alllllllll that has happened since I've last blogged/blabbed about life. This is going to be a multiple blog sesh so bear with me and you will get more. I want to give you quantity and quality all at once instead short, dull bits all mushed together.
This is where I left off:
 |
| Where I celebrated my birthday. I wanted this dog. It was so friendly and we found it in the middle of nowhere! It followed us into the upstairs of the kindergarten where we slept. Whoops. For more Turul Moldovei adventure photos visit the link "Turul Moldovei" -----> |
After that trip I was genuinely jealous of former Peace Corps Romania volunteers that just wrapped up work there in 2012. Because it was so awesome I am going to pick my brain at a later date and write a blog exclusively on the trip. We had such an impressive guy guiding us along the way I have to give him justice by documenting the route and stops we took to really show you how much I did, for such little money, on such a short trip.
Less than three weeks later I met my parents at Chișinău's airport. How surreal. With beautiful Moldovan weather, my great host family and friends I think my parents were able to see a great side of my current country of residence in only a matter of 4 days.
I made sure to organize a little party outside my apartment and welcomed just about everyone I knew in town to come and meet my parents and help me celebrate the birthday of mine they missed as I was on the walk across Moldova. In the states it's no big deal to miss a birthday but here, it will not go unnoticed if you fail to show up to your birthday responsibilities. If you want to integrate, you have to,,,,,,you neeeeed to,,,,, drop a bunch of money and pass out food and drink to all your friends and co-workers for the entire day. Usually when it is someone's birthday where I work, my feet don't walk home the way they normally do. Next year I won't be so lucky with my parents in town to help me purchase 15 kilograms of freshly killed pork neck and about that weight in fresh veggies and fruit but I am banking on endless bottles of almost-end-of-the-year-housewine from my neighbors like I did this year.
After hours of translating, eating here and there, an impromptu visit from some members of my choir, singing songs for my parents and whatnot, the only thing I can complain about is that the local kids took my ladder golf balls. I schemed and plotted like an engineer with a local construction store owner and friend to create the game and was excited to introduce it and play it at my little party.
Well, the women were not at all interested in anything involving moving away from their perches and I became emerged in small talk as the ladder golf sat for the kids to play around with. What I forgot about Moldovan kids is that when they see something not theirs, something that may seem small and unimportant becomes ever so fascinating to the point they've talked themselves into taking it. Peace Corps volunteers have warned me before watching Uno cards vanish from decks and I caught a girl (more like another girl ratted her out) stuffing a scarf of mine into her backpack at my one time horrific substitute teaching of 2nd graders. One time a girl liked this tree picture I drew at a youth center so much she walked out with it as I ducked out for a minute and went down to a store. I saw her clutching it as a newly prized possession on the street and we exchanged a strange Clint Eastwood squints. The point being is that I have a 300 lei set of ladder golf without the golf ball thingies. There are no golf balls in Moldova. Fun fact.
I have to sleep! Till next week,
Kate
