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I have a new favorite place to sleep…outside. My family recently put a bed outside and it is wonderful! After 10:30 there are no flies (until about 6 am) and no mosquitoes at all (that I’ve noticed). My host family doesn’t really like to sleep outside b/c in the morning it is quite cool and Moldovan’s have superstitions about people being cold.
I love hanging out with my host family. My mom is a total sweetheart and my sister is always trying to help me with everything. My 13 year-old brother is a total hoot. The other day we had a water fight in the yard. It was so much fun! My 17 year-old brother is fun to goof around with. We listen to music a lot in the living room (of course its all Euro-techno, but whatever). My dad works a lot so I don’t see him all that much, but when he is here he is very kind and funny (his son’s definitely take after him). In the typical Moldovan fashion, he is always trying to get me to drink wine or vodka or other alcohols. Surprisingly, I drink that much with them b/c they don’t really drink that much either. Also, once Moldovan’s start, its hard to stop.
The fish bowl syndrome is such an odd thing when you are the fish…It is an odd feeling to know so few people who think they know you. I try to talk to people I meet along the street (a common practice in villages in Moldova) and when I tell them who I am, they all already know. In fact, my host mom asked me if one of the other volunteers in my village was ok before I even knew that she was really sick. It’ll get worse when I can understand more of what people say I am sure.
Here are some interesting things about Moldova:
- when it is your birthday or other celebration, you do all the cooking (people don’t practice pot-luck)
- getting on a ruteria (public conversion van) is an interesting experience rolling down the bumpy road at 80 KPH standing-up with your face in someone’s smelly pit.
- They believe that you can get sick from the ‘current’. So, on that crowded ruteria, in 115 degree weather, they will close the windows for fear of getting sick.
- Along with that, they will not sit directly on anything. They generally have small carpets for chairs and would rather sit on their bag or shoe than on a stone or concrete step.
- The superstition behind this crazyness is that if you sit directly on anything cold, women will freeze their ovaries. (and men similarly will freeze their testes). Even my educated partner for practice school believes such things.
- They do not smile for pictures. They usually look quite mad…its just odd.
- They told us that on our site visits, it was important to check to make sure that the fridges were actually turned on. Seems like an odd notion, but the sometimes think that just having food IN the fridge is gonna keep it fresh (hey, at least they are ½ way there).
Man it sounds just like China, especially the whole not sitting on concrete!! Ahhh we have so much to discuss I miss you lady! Take care, I’m hoping we can muster up enough money to come for a visit!, Love you! Emily and Joe
Emily () - 09 08 07 - 02:30
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