Oh the weather outside is.. terrible.

I know a lot of you are wondering where the hell I went or what in the world I am up to. I promise you it has been nothing but a lot of work and a lot of fun the past few months. The first year here was full of idle time, this year it is full of work, hosting people and tightening connections in my community.

My favorite festival in Moldova, the National Moldovan Wine Festival held every October came and went faster than what I want to admit. Last year it was two sunny days of drinking wine samples with other volunteers and endless hours of dancing the Moldovan Hora, an easy, traditional circular dance that you can manage to do no matter how intoxicated you may be. This year I hosted a friend from London over the Wine Festival and we got into our own shenanigans thanks to my much improved Romanian language skills.

Not everything great in life is free, but cheap, delicious champagne is close enough!

One conversation after another just sitting with newly met Moldovans at the fest led to free bottles of wine and sushi. SUSHI! FREE! If there is one thing I miss in America are the endless amounts of semi-affordable sushi spots so meeting a Sushi restaurant owner in Chisinau over the wine fest just about made my year.

Besides Moldova’s version of Oktober Fest I had to play ambassador and show off my favorite parts of Chisinau including the notorious second hand piata that I frequent far too often when I get free time in the big city. My friend landed a Russian gas mask for about 5 bucks and I bought Russian children’s books to help me with my Russian studies (which are very, very slow). This place is a goldmine for Stalin, Lenin, communist era enthusiasts and collectors of all things hammer and sickle-ish.

The open air flea market/second hand piata where I bought this fox had last year!

After retreating from Chisinau, the place that guzzles up my itty bitty living stipend faster than an Irishman can drink a bottle of whiskey we went exploring. And exploring we sure did.

I found us a Soviet Bunker! Well, a what would have been bunker.

To inch its way closer to Europe, the Soviet Union in the 80s started building this massive complex that in my mind looks similar to something aliens would set up after landing in this land of alcoholics. Unfortunately, or really rather fortunately their lack of overall budgeting skills led them to scraping the project when they (finally) left this region in the early 90s. I heard the locals went cookoo for cocoa puffs when they left and stripped everything useful that they could; hence the very barren look that is left there today.

The bunker goes 5 stories UNDERGROUND. We managed to get to the third level. The fourth floor is really wet and mucky and the fifth is completely flooded (I think they hit a natural spring. Whoops.

Beyond the alien bunker are the remnants of would be officer buildings, barracks, and a marble military parade and celebration center that are now overgrown with shrubs, cow poop and empty booze bottles. I want to say we met squatters as well at the unfinished barracks but I don’t want to label two men sitting and drinking next to their horse, cart and heard of rabid guard dogs. They told us there was nothing interesting to see her but I found the first floor of the empty building fascinating and innovating how (maybe they) turned it into a little storage area for hay and other farmy things for their operations whatever they may be.

Nothing to see here, yea right. There's a pony!

When I wasn't playing host I have been doing some really great things with my time.

I organized a river cleanup during the time that the International Ocean Conservancy based out of the States did a worldwide water cleanup campaign. Over 30 kids came and helped on a sunny Saturday and the news posted this to prove it! I have a brief clip in this Romanian news release- I swear its not just the cute blonde American boy speaking with his funny accent.

Following that I whipped up a Halloween Party to raise money for our unfunded youth club. Everyone seemed to have a fun time between the dancing in fog laced dance floor, pinata bashings, mummy contest, best dressed contests, a Halloween photo booth and other activities. Unfortunately some assholes busted a window on the floor below the disco room where it was being held and I had to pay to replace the huge glass window with the profits we raised. A good idea, a great event with a pathetic, disappointing ending. 

There was a significant haze from the fog machine

Future high fashion models

Helped plant over 200 baby trees in Rezina.

The blonde women is a new PCV at my site with her husband.

Rasied money for Hospice Angelus, a charity hospital organization in Chisinau by playing some footy. We were the only team with girls on it and we kicked some major but winning as many games as we lost and tied once. This is the first year in Peace Corps history that we ever scored a goal. Yes, my big head is finally getting smaller after that boast of ego and no, I did not score one of those goals but I want to think I helped make them possible.

Led a group of 6 Moldovan students from around the country through a weekend competition in Chisinau that went through how to write a business plan off the simple Lean Business Canvas Model- something that has the business world recently by storm. It was an awesome event with money raised from donations across the US thanks to an amazing business volunteer I'm lucky enough to call a colleague. I am so happy I was able to be a facilitator in this event. I fell in love with the energy and optimism in my group of kids and their interest in learning about business development. Even though my team didn't win they were really positive and I think they got a lot out of this event.

Started working with two groups of students in Ribnita (Transnistria) on a big entrepreneurial competition that will finish in February. Teams of 2-4 students in Moldova and Kenya (I'm unsure of the connection but hey!) will pitch a 5 minute presentation in front of a panel of judges with the chance to win big $$$ to put towards school tuition or start up costs for their business plan and finalists will fly to America for the final round. Again, its a lot of teaching the Lean Business Canvas Model and getting kids to think outside their comfort zones. I'm thinking flashbacks of Peace Corps in my dreams after life here in Moldova will include one too many Business Models but I'm ok with that!

The other PCV at my site talking business

Helped on a discussion panel about volunteering at a nearby city over Thanksgiving weekend. The city with the help of Peace Corps volunteers was teaching all about volunteering and other topics to students in the area over a course of a few weekends. After that I got to eat a fried turkey and all the other delectables that go with out glorious mouth-watering holiday. Yes I made amazing Pecan Pie and yes I ate amaaaazzinng Homemade green bean casserole. The Turkey was not my highlight besides watching how the boys rigged together a safe outdoor fryer (one majored in Engineering from GA Tech which explains everything) but it was great getting together with a good 25 other volunteers over Thanksgiving weekend. If you ever had fears I wasn't celebrating my American Holidays, there are no needs to fear anymore after the pictures added here!

Promoted Peace Corps and how we can be an asset to librarians in villages across Moldova through a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation project fair in Moldova called NovaTeca. More chit chatting in Romanian. All day. 

Tried to raise money through yet another money generating opportunity at the International Women's Club of Moldova's Winter Charity Bazaar. All the embassies in Moldova sell cultural food and craft items as well as other big non-profits in a event that raises money for financing projects around Moldova. I made White Chocolate Popcorn sold in cups decorated with children's winter-themed drawings and sold jewelry some teenager girls and myself created over the last three weeks. Poor traffic flow, a crowded booth with too much other stuff going on made it hard to sell anything and we didn't raise a ton of money but its always a fun event to go to. I did manage to pick up some presents for people and Redfeather snowshoes (Merry Christmas to me!) made in LaCrosse, Wisconsin (started in Leadville, CO) for about 15 bucks at the Salvation Army booth. Yey for snowshoes! They will come in handy through my winter vacation in Georgia (think country not state!). 

And last but not least, I was able to raise all the money for my choir project thanks to you in the States! It was exciting to tell them about the great news and we are moving forward on purchasing dresses and matching bow-ties. Thanks a million again to everyone that helped us out! Thank you cards are on their way over!

The Rezina choir singing at a national classical choir festival in Chisinau in October

P.S. Happy Birthday Mom!! Enjoy your modern appliances, grocery stores and adequately heated rooms for me! (: