Beheaded

And for now, I'll leave you with this amusing photo. Before we happened upon the mini-fair and knew what that was all about, we were just walking down the street when I spotted this guy in a half costume. In the fashionable city of Chisinau, this guy stood out like a sore thumb, and I thought it was pretty funny. All of these model-esque people were strutting down the street, and this guy was thumping along in this huge animal costume, complete with bulging belly and oversized feet. The only thing missing was the head. I pointed him out to Dan and Chris, and Dan decided that he just had to take a picture with the guy. So, he walked up to him, and asked if we could get a picture with him. He shrugged his shoulders, and viola! Later, when we found the fair, we saw the head of the costume sitting on one of the tables and had a good laugh all over again.

I Don't Know Them

Here Ari, Dan, and Chris (in the back) continue to ham it up with me as the photographer this time.

Fun in Chisinau

Last week I had to go into the capital city of Chisinau for a week of language and technical training with my fellow Moldova 17s. It was a lot of fun as we all got to see each other and hang out after classes. Moldova celebrates not only an old and new Christmas, but also an old and new New Years. Celebrations were still in full swing then, and in the center of Chisinau there was a little mini-fair set up with a bunch of picturesque backgrounds forming a large semi-circle, and people dressed up as different characters, such as Santa Clause and various cartoon characters, standing in front of the backgrounds. If kids wanted a picture with one of the characters, they could pay to pose with one and get their photograph taken. I was wandering around the center of Chisinau with some of my fellow volunteers when we happened upon this scene and decided to ham it up for our own camera. If you look closely, you can see a big 2006 string of lights hanging behind us. The whole center of Chisinau had lights and at night they would all come to life, creating quite the holiday scene. The guy in the front to the right is Ari. Dan is behind Ari and to the left, and I'm in the back. It was a fun week!

Room View 2

Now, we've walked to the window at the end of the room and turned around. There's the door we came in through. There's my bookshelf with lots of books. Peace Corps has a great selection of reading material for every taste. And ther's my closet/dresser. I really like my room. It's like my own little haven. Quite comfortable and roomy. Come visit me and you can enjoy it all too!!!!

Room View 1

OK. Quick tour of my room, which is actually pretty spacious. We've just walked into my room. See the white space heater at the end of my room? Thank you Peace Corps!!! The blanket on my bed was a birthday present from my host mom. There's even a great view of the sunset from the window!

View From My Backyard

The walkway to the road behind the house is very pretty, especially with a fresh layer of snow on it, and the sun setting. The land to the left is also ours, and is another garden in the warmer months. The land to the right is the neighbors. During warmer and drier months, the road back here makes a GREAT running path. All except for the pack of dogs about a mile down that seem to think I'm a tasty treat they're supposed to catch. But going the other way, is virtually dog-free, and beautiful!

Veceu With a View

That narrow white shack-looking thing in the back on the right? Yeah, that's the outhouse. It's a bit of a hike, but hey, at least I've got toilet paper (when I buy it:) It's really not that bad. There is a toilet in the house, but, since there's no functioning plumbing, that's for small business, if you will. For all else, you've got to make the hike. The only time it really seems like a hassle, is when it's really freezing outside. Otherwise, it's kinda fun to "rough it".

Backyard

The next few pictures are different parts of my backyard. This structure here is a combination storage space for winter foods, and a somewhat warmer solution to the chicken coup for the birds during the winter months. The open space in front of it is part of a garden in the spring and summer.

My Fontana

Running water? Who needs it? Here's my alternative: the fontana (well) across the street from my house. I make many a trip to the local well with a bucket in each hand. I've got it down to a science now. The days I make the most trips to the well are laundry days, and every other day, when I use the old sun shower I brought with me, I use quite a bit of water as well. Good exercise, and it sure makes me grateful for the modern conveniences I used to take for granted.

A Sunset Worth a Thousand Words

As we're just turning the corner on the road that leads to my house, the sun is going down! Gorgeous isn't it?!? I love the sunsets here. On a clear day they are so beautiful, and maybe even more beautiful in this winter wonderland!

That's One Ugly Chicken!

This is a pretty typical Moldovan village sight. Well, the chickens and all the dried corn are. But take a look at that chicken in the front and to the left. That has got to be one of the ugliest chickens I've ever seen!!! I wish you could see him better (I guess he's a rooster, not a chicken if you want me to be specific, but regardless, he's ugly). He has no feathers from the bottom of his neck up, and an ugly little head. Poor thing. I wouldn't even want to eat him! The chickens are standing on tons of dried corn on cobs. Moldovans store up this corn for the winter when they feed it to the chickens and livestock. And they store up a lot of it! Yesterday, my host mom said she was going to kill a chicken for dinner. And sure enough, when I came home from work, there was a dead, plucked chicken body in one bowl, and a chicken head and feet in another bowl. The Moldvans eat almost every part of the chicken, including the feet,head, and the brain. They clean every bone completely, fat, skin and all. Can you imagine getting a nice steaming bowl of savory aromatic chicken soup after a cold day at work, and suddenly seeing a chicken head peering up at you from the soup bowl? Well, I can!

On My Way Home

Now we're heading back to my house from the center of town. It's a pretty walk, isn't it? Aren't you glad you're experiencing it from the warmth of home?

Biserica View 2

A close-up of the biserica. I love the beauty of Orthodox churches. I feel like I'm back in Russia again whenever I see one. They're all similar in some ways, and yet very unique in others. They all have the domed roof, and the crosses on the top, but they come in all colors, shapes and sizes, and the insides vary from extremely elaborate to simplistic. I have yet to go to one of the Orthodox services here as they last FOUR HOURS!!!!! And you're standing up the whole time. From 8am to 12pm. And they're not usually heated. That takes committment!

Biserica View 1

A view of the Orthodox biserica (church) from the front of the Center.

Good Boys? or Up to no Good?

These three boys were waiting outside of the NGO because they wanted to play computer games and the NGO wasn't open yet. They're regulars at the Center (as the NGO is called by most locals). Let's see if I can remember their names. From left to right: Sergiu, Vasili, and Katalen.

Soba!

This is the picture of a soba I promised earlier. It's the white brick thing taking up most of the photo. The soba is the main heating source in most Moldovan houses. It usually shares a wall connecting two rooms, and the bottom part is a small oven. To heat it up, they build a fire with coal, wood, etc....in the oven, and then the bricks start to get warmer heating up the two rooms the soba is connected to. Oftentimes, there are also pipes running into other rooms, and the heat is conducted through these as well. It's actually a very efficient way to heat smaller spaces, and there's nothing like sitting against a warm soba on a freezing day like today.

A Great Group of Ladies

After I took pictures of the NGO, Svetlana asked me if I wanted to take pictures of her employees fromt the co-op business. So, I followed her into the other office, and when I told the ladies I wanted to take a picture, it was hillarious! They all pulled out hairbrushes (from where? I don't know), and took turns primping in front of the mirror before they would let me snap a picture. They were very excited to see the picture on the digital camera, and decided they each wanted a copy when I get them developed. It was pretty amusing. :)

The Center: View 2

This room was just partitioned off of the other room, and is to be our seminar room. We have already held various seminars, some teaching kids to think about their futures and how they can impact them, some educating them on computers, and even one on an American Christmas, where the kids got to prepare food and do a gift exchange. As you can see, the wall to the left was just put up, and still needs some "decorative touches", if you will. If you look really close, you'll see a paper on the whiteboard with red writing. That was what I used when teaching my first English class yesterday evening to a group of three teenage girls. I have another English class on Monday with five more girls. So, the pace is picking up just a bit, and that's exciting!

Then Center: View 1

Although it's hard to see her, my counterpart, Ala is sitting behind the desk on the far right. She's a great person as well. She's a Romanian language teacher at the middle school, and also the president of this NGO. The kids in the background are playing games on the computers. There are seven computers in all, and kids pay by the hour to play games or use the internet. In the future, we hope to hold seminars educating the kids on the many versatile uses of computers. Until then, they continue to play games, their favorites of which are Contra-Strike and Grand Theft Auto. You know, just your run of the mill wholesome and educational games.

Businesswoman

Meet Svetlana. She's one of the three members of the NGO I work for. My counterpart's name is Ala, and Svetlana and Ala are both partners in the NGO I work for. However, Svetlana also runs a variety of co-op stores in Recea and the surrounding regions. She's a very successful businesswoman, which makes her an unusual Moldovan woman. Most women are expected to stay at home and tend to the children, the food and the homefront. Svetlana does all the above, and also runs, I think about 9 or 10 stores in all. Most of her employees are female as well. She's a really neat lady, and I enjoy working with her. Here, she's in her office on the second floor of the NGO building. The store on the first floor is one of her co-op stores, and there is a bar next to it that is also one of her co-ops.

Moldovan Tacky

After I took her picture, the cashier wanted me to pose behind the counter. So, behind the counter I went! She was amazed at how easy it was to use a digital camera. As you can see, I am decked out in full winter gear. The jacket used to be my Moldovan partner's daughters, but they felt I wasn't warm enough so I got a hand-me-down. The style is what I call "Moldovan Tacky". Girls here dress much more...what's a good word....flamboyantly, I guess. It's amazing what's started to look stylish to me after being here for four months!

Alimentara

This is inside the alimentara on the floor below where I work. The cashier and I are good buddies. I stop in here quite often for wafers or candy, and we shoot the breeze as much as my Romanian language limitations allow. When I asked her if I could take her picture, she was afraid she wasn't looking frumos (pretty) enough. But I convinced her it would be a great picture to show everybody back home. After I took the picture, SHE thanked ME!!! She's really sweet. As you can see, most of the store here in Moldova, have everything located behind the counters. It's not very space efficient as there's all this open space in front of the counters that is not used. But I guess it does cut way back on shoplifting. Selection is also limited, but you can get your basics.

My Office. (Wink, wink;)

And this is where I work. If you want to call it work. The first floor of this building is a little local store or alimentara. The second floor is the NGO that I work at. Next time, I'll take a picture of the outside stairs leading up to the 2nd floor. They are scary!

My Road 2

Same road. Same spot. Other direction. It was too pretty to leave out.

My Road 1

This is the road outside my house leading to my work. I usually enjoy the walk as it's very pretty. It's only about a ten minute walk to my workplace, and now with my handy dandy Yak Traks given to me by Peace Corps, I can walk on the icy roads without any fear of slipping. Yak Traks are a great invention!