Summer time!
June 17, 2007
1pm
Hi! I hope all is well and this little message finds you happy, healthy, and stressfree. I am mostly all the above, except for the inevitable blistering from new summer sandles (thanks Granny! Once I get them worn in, they will be kickin for the summer!)
Lots of plans for the summer….several summer camps for students, projects I have previously mentioned with school and hospital, July 4th benefit concert, and of course some relaxation. My host brother recently had a baby and lives in Chisinau and Adam lives there as well so I visit the capital frequently. Last weekend I helped Adam move into a beautiful apartment with 2 balconies overlooking the center. He has 2 roommates, Oleg and Masha. Oleg only speaks Russian but he’s very charismatic so we understand each other somehow. He runs the live music scene in Chisinau and is really cool. Masha hasn’t moved in yet, but she speaks English well and is a really sweet girl. She is dating one of our friends (volunteer) and so we all have fun together.
Warm weather in Moldova means something a little different than what I’m used to in America. Airconditioning is beyond luxury. However, my host family’s house is surprisingly cool due to the cement composition. Not so fun in winter, but that’s all over now thankfully and we even had a mild winter according to everyone here.
Now that it’s summer, when I leave the village, the rutieras (small bus) are crammed full with people and animals (ducks, chickens, turkeys). People take them in town and sell them or sometimes buy them in town. My host mom just bought a bunch of chickens eggs and put them in the incubator. We have about 15 more days till they will hatch.
It’s really interesting how Moldovans take care of animals. I went for a walk today in the hills and on my way home there were 2 shepards bringing the goats back to the village. I know it sounds like a weird fairytale..it kinda was. I say “weird” because Mr. Sheppard (this is in NO reference to the attractive Sheppard guy from Grey’s Anatomy) looked at me like….well, let’s put it this way: I think he mostly just looks at goats usually so I would HOPE to be eye candy for someone with that lifestyle.
Anyway, the goats sped up to me (with a little help from their ringmaster) and when Mr. Sheppard finally caught up to me he obviously didn’t know what to say and I didn’t feel like explaining myself and where I was from for the millionth time.
This is a conversation I have AT LEAST once a day.
Them: De unde sunteti?
Where are you from?
Me: Sunt din America. Satul Missouri. Oras Kansas City. Eu predau sanatate în scoală aici si eu voi lucuesc în Susleni cu familie gazda meu pentru un ani mai mult. Eu am lucuit aici pentru aproape un ani.
I am from America (and I usually save breath and go ahead and answer the next few questions that follow.) The state Missouri and city Kansas City. (It never matters, they only usually have heard of New York and California or the kids know some cities that 50 Cent or other rappers sing about.) I teach health in school here and I will live in Susleni with my host family for one more year. I have lived here for close to a year.
Then there are usually questions about what food I like from Moldova (which honestly is just vegetables but I do enjoy experiencing living with other cultural foods so I say that usually) and the question about what’s it like in America the beautiful. Then there is always a joke, usually very unfunny, about me helping them or a family member get to the magical dreamworld of America. America is great, I know. But seriously guys, many people believe that in America there are no problems. Dreamland. (and actually I am starting to think like the Moldovans!!!! as I sit here writing this note dripping in sweat and thinking of days back home when I’d sit around a pool drinking refreshments and then go home to airconditioning after being “in the sun”. Wow what a joke!)
So back to the story….
In avoidance of this sometimes mundane conversation (I know mundane makes me sound like a terrible person, but really, unless I have lots of energy to GUIDE an amusing conversation—it’s the EXACT same conversation over and over and over so many times Energizer Bunny would beat his drum stx to toothpicks.)
Anyway, before my walk quickly turned into a “jog”, I observed the goats for a minute. They were interesting to me and Mr. Sheppard finally spoke up. He profoundly said, “Noi plimbam.” (“We walk.”)
I was actually just looking at how the animals walked. Some slow and lazy. Some biting and butting into the slow ones. Some rubbing up against trees for comfort. Some standing on all 4’s trying to reach green leaves from the trees. It all suddenly seemed really human-like. Or actually maybe I was comparing humans as being animal-like. I love when things like that happen to remind me how we are all so connected. I don’t want to break my Grandma Rosmarie’s writing hand here by speaking too much about evolution, but that’s what I was thinking about. ;)
(By the way Grandma Rosemarie, I really did appreciate the letter about Buddhism in comparison to Christianity and I took it very seriously.)
So anyway, the goats made it back into town. They all belong to different people, it’s cool. Just like the cows, they magically just go to their respective home. Sometimes the owners are standing on the street waiting for their returen, sometimes a kid meets them on the road, sometimes people let their dogs out to guide them home.
I asked this woman how she knew which goat was hers and she said because she named them then calls their name-duh. But I know not all of them name them so I don’t know how that really works out. You would think people would steal. But Susleni (my village) is really small (5500 people) and people know.
Anyway, I have adjusted being back to Moldova. I guess that was back in April when I had my visit. Wow. It was a lil rough transitioning back though. It was incredible to see so many loved ones in such a short period of time. I wondered about my strategy to see as many people as possible…because I still didn’t get to see everyone I would have liked to and my time with everyone flew so quickly and seemed rushed. But hey, I’ll take what I can get and it all was amazing!
And little sister Erin is now married! It was very special to be standing next to her. Everything in the world felt like the perfect place, time, people, everything. I really enjoyed myself. My roommate from Australia, Danielle didn’t make it until the closing out of the reception so I was pretty much dateless (which made my toast bombing pretty embarrassing with nobody to laugh with about the non-laughter ;) I think the mic must have been defective. (Yeah, there were jokes like that one throughout, no wonder right? ;)
Anyway, Erin looked really beautiful and it would have been a tragedy to miss such a beautiful moment. Thanks Dad and Tina for helping me get home. And thanks to everyone who let me stay at their place, took me out to eat or drink, shopped and donated things for Moldova…thanks for everything. I know it was awhile ago but I am still so grateful for all the kindness.
I forgot to post an entry from when I had just returned from America. I’ll post it now.
Have fun in the sun!
Much love!
Ryan
1pm
Hi! I hope all is well and this little message finds you happy, healthy, and stressfree. I am mostly all the above, except for the inevitable blistering from new summer sandles (thanks Granny! Once I get them worn in, they will be kickin for the summer!)
Lots of plans for the summer….several summer camps for students, projects I have previously mentioned with school and hospital, July 4th benefit concert, and of course some relaxation. My host brother recently had a baby and lives in Chisinau and Adam lives there as well so I visit the capital frequently. Last weekend I helped Adam move into a beautiful apartment with 2 balconies overlooking the center. He has 2 roommates, Oleg and Masha. Oleg only speaks Russian but he’s very charismatic so we understand each other somehow. He runs the live music scene in Chisinau and is really cool. Masha hasn’t moved in yet, but she speaks English well and is a really sweet girl. She is dating one of our friends (volunteer) and so we all have fun together.
Warm weather in Moldova means something a little different than what I’m used to in America. Airconditioning is beyond luxury. However, my host family’s house is surprisingly cool due to the cement composition. Not so fun in winter, but that’s all over now thankfully and we even had a mild winter according to everyone here.
Now that it’s summer, when I leave the village, the rutieras (small bus) are crammed full with people and animals (ducks, chickens, turkeys). People take them in town and sell them or sometimes buy them in town. My host mom just bought a bunch of chickens eggs and put them in the incubator. We have about 15 more days till they will hatch.
It’s really interesting how Moldovans take care of animals. I went for a walk today in the hills and on my way home there were 2 shepards bringing the goats back to the village. I know it sounds like a weird fairytale..it kinda was. I say “weird” because Mr. Sheppard (this is in NO reference to the attractive Sheppard guy from Grey’s Anatomy) looked at me like….well, let’s put it this way: I think he mostly just looks at goats usually so I would HOPE to be eye candy for someone with that lifestyle.
Anyway, the goats sped up to me (with a little help from their ringmaster) and when Mr. Sheppard finally caught up to me he obviously didn’t know what to say and I didn’t feel like explaining myself and where I was from for the millionth time.
This is a conversation I have AT LEAST once a day.
Them: De unde sunteti?
Where are you from?
Me: Sunt din America. Satul Missouri. Oras Kansas City. Eu predau sanatate în scoală aici si eu voi lucuesc în Susleni cu familie gazda meu pentru un ani mai mult. Eu am lucuit aici pentru aproape un ani.
I am from America (and I usually save breath and go ahead and answer the next few questions that follow.) The state Missouri and city Kansas City. (It never matters, they only usually have heard of New York and California or the kids know some cities that 50 Cent or other rappers sing about.) I teach health in school here and I will live in Susleni with my host family for one more year. I have lived here for close to a year.
Then there are usually questions about what food I like from Moldova (which honestly is just vegetables but I do enjoy experiencing living with other cultural foods so I say that usually) and the question about what’s it like in America the beautiful. Then there is always a joke, usually very unfunny, about me helping them or a family member get to the magical dreamworld of America. America is great, I know. But seriously guys, many people believe that in America there are no problems. Dreamland. (and actually I am starting to think like the Moldovans!!!! as I sit here writing this note dripping in sweat and thinking of days back home when I’d sit around a pool drinking refreshments and then go home to airconditioning after being “in the sun”. Wow what a joke!)
So back to the story….
In avoidance of this sometimes mundane conversation (I know mundane makes me sound like a terrible person, but really, unless I have lots of energy to GUIDE an amusing conversation—it’s the EXACT same conversation over and over and over so many times Energizer Bunny would beat his drum stx to toothpicks.)
Anyway, before my walk quickly turned into a “jog”, I observed the goats for a minute. They were interesting to me and Mr. Sheppard finally spoke up. He profoundly said, “Noi plimbam.” (“We walk.”)
I was actually just looking at how the animals walked. Some slow and lazy. Some biting and butting into the slow ones. Some rubbing up against trees for comfort. Some standing on all 4’s trying to reach green leaves from the trees. It all suddenly seemed really human-like. Or actually maybe I was comparing humans as being animal-like. I love when things like that happen to remind me how we are all so connected. I don’t want to break my Grandma Rosmarie’s writing hand here by speaking too much about evolution, but that’s what I was thinking about. ;)
(By the way Grandma Rosemarie, I really did appreciate the letter about Buddhism in comparison to Christianity and I took it very seriously.)
So anyway, the goats made it back into town. They all belong to different people, it’s cool. Just like the cows, they magically just go to their respective home. Sometimes the owners are standing on the street waiting for their returen, sometimes a kid meets them on the road, sometimes people let their dogs out to guide them home.
I asked this woman how she knew which goat was hers and she said because she named them then calls their name-duh. But I know not all of them name them so I don’t know how that really works out. You would think people would steal. But Susleni (my village) is really small (5500 people) and people know.
Anyway, I have adjusted being back to Moldova. I guess that was back in April when I had my visit. Wow. It was a lil rough transitioning back though. It was incredible to see so many loved ones in such a short period of time. I wondered about my strategy to see as many people as possible…because I still didn’t get to see everyone I would have liked to and my time with everyone flew so quickly and seemed rushed. But hey, I’ll take what I can get and it all was amazing!
And little sister Erin is now married! It was very special to be standing next to her. Everything in the world felt like the perfect place, time, people, everything. I really enjoyed myself. My roommate from Australia, Danielle didn’t make it until the closing out of the reception so I was pretty much dateless (which made my toast bombing pretty embarrassing with nobody to laugh with about the non-laughter ;) I think the mic must have been defective. (Yeah, there were jokes like that one throughout, no wonder right? ;)
Anyway, Erin looked really beautiful and it would have been a tragedy to miss such a beautiful moment. Thanks Dad and Tina for helping me get home. And thanks to everyone who let me stay at their place, took me out to eat or drink, shopped and donated things for Moldova…thanks for everything. I know it was awhile ago but I am still so grateful for all the kindness.
I forgot to post an entry from when I had just returned from America. I’ll post it now.
Have fun in the sun!
Much love!
Ryan
posted by MissRy at 2:03 PM
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