Rekindling The Fire

Lately I have realized how my thoughts quickly jump ahead to the future. What does the future have in store for me? It's quite a looming question, what will I do after Peace Corps? So looming in fact I have already begun to lose sleep over what I will do, where I will live, when this will all happen. You get the idea. All of these thoughts have consumed me the past month or so. This was brought on by seeing the year of volunteers ahead of me leave and struggle to find their place back in the US.

I have realized that worrying is one of my favorite things to do. But, really where does worrying get a person? Besides curled into the fetal position with a stomach ache. So, I am officially challenging myself.
Challenging myself to live more in the moment and less worried about what the future holds. Life has worked out pretty well thus far. I  will always be type A, to the point of no return. I know I will stress over the little things and fear for what my future will be, but I must not let that ruin the present.

So here is my challenge to myself: I will live in the moment and appreciate the beautiful country and people who surround me. I will take in the little bits of sunshine left before the winter. I will eat all the grapes I can fit in my stomach before they turn to raisins. I will get crafty in my free time. I will work hard with my work partners, and be okay if this doesn't equate to the grand development I had originally hoped to see. I will share stories and laughter and tea with my host mom. I will remember to smile at people, even if they think I am crazy in the head. I will not take the relationships in my life for granted and I'll learn to give more praise for all the wonderful things people are doing.

And, I will work everyday to rekindle the fire I had inside me when I joined the Peace Corps, 15 months ago.  

Peace to you!

Wine

September has rolled around once again, and with the cooler weather comes wine making season!

This was my first year of making wine. Last year a few obstacles stood in the way but, this year I was not going to let the season pass me by. So, when the temperature began to drop and the sun began to set earlier I knew it was only a matter of time before we would be out in the garden picking grapes.

Wine is a big part of the culture here in Moldova. Moldovans are very proud of their wine, and every household makes their own house wine (vin de casa). And, every household believes their wine is the best, this is shown time and time again when visiting new people. The house wine always flows generously. Furthermore, When driving through the countryside of Moldova one easily sees hundreds of family grapevine plots dotted over hills an valleys. It's quite beautiful, the rows of vines bobbing and twisting around mid-height stakes in the ground.

When the time comes to conserve fruits and vegetables here in Moldova, host mom and I go out into the garden and pick said fruit/vegetable completely from its source. We leave no piece behind. Host mom, like most Moldovans conserve in large batches. One day of conserving kilo upon kilo of pickled tomatoes and it is done and taken care of for the winter. There is no difference when making wine. We went out into the garden with buckets and proceeded to pull every last bundle of grapes from the vine.

After the grapes had been collected we brought them over to a large wooden open-top barrel where we began to process all the grapes through a hand-crank grinder squeezing the grapes and depositing them in the barrel. We cranked through over 200kg (2.2lbs per 1kg) of grapes that day. Hello, arm workout. When the grapes are all squeezed then its just a waiting game.

The grapes naturally ferment overtime and by the third day it was time to siphon the wine out and put it into the holding container. This part of the process I was interested in viewing as the barrel was up in the front yard and the holding container for the wine was down in the cellar. But, my confusion was quickly erased when I saw the long hose borrowed from a neighbor dipping into the barrel with the grapes and extend down into the basement ending in the other container. For the rest of the afternoon a parade of helpful neighbors came and went, monitoring the progress of the wine. A couple of days later the remaining grape pits and grape skins were manually put into another small press and squeezed of their excess liquids. Ending the wine making process with an empty wooden barrel and a large holding container of wine in the cellar.

My favorite moment in the process was when one neighbor complained of being tired and the other neighbor chirped in "Yes, fall is tough but when winter comes what will we do? We will sit with our feet on the heater and a glass of wine in our hands." I will cheers to that!

Here's to the coming winter, with our feet on the heater and a glass of wine in our hands!

Peace

A Wedding In Moldova

Last Friday I attended my first Moldovan wedding.

My host cousin married his fiance and I was invited to partake in the celebration. The event was held at a wedding hall in the neighboring district of Ungheni. Host mom and I prepared in the afternoon, got into our party dresses, and played around with our hair for a good hour. Well, it was mostly me playing around with my hair until I was able to put together something that was deemed suitable.

We left the house around 4pm and made the short trip to host aunt's house. There, with many of the other family members, we prepared to depart for the wedding. Preparation for departure included dressing-up a roasted chicken with a cellophane skirt, a string of olives necklace, roasted potatoes in gold tinted aluminum foil, and many other little details I have since forgotten.

When guests of the wedding arrived at the parents of the grooms home, they were ushered into the sitting room, where a quick toast to the wedding was made and the drinking was commenced. After guests were left to their own devices to enjoy the company of the others who had already gathered to chat about the falls harvest, grape prices, and the drudgery of a summer without rain.

I wanted to make myself useful and asked what I could do to help. This somehow was construed as 'I am hungry, feed me now'. I was whisked into the kitchen, sat at the table, and handed a large mug of tea and told to eat. I suppose the biggest help I could be was staying out of the way. So, that's what I did. Truth be told, I am quite good at sitting at a table and drinking tea.

Around 6:00pm we embarked from host aunts house in the rented routiera (mini-bus). As usual, there were several more bodies than there were seats, and a quick dash into the house for stools to be placed in the row between seats was made before we departed. The routiera was well past its prime, and whatever shock system it once had was long gone. So, in the very back row, crammed between the window and a few healthy women I swallowed a dramamine (thank god for those little pills) and prayed that the routiera wouldn't break down half way to the reception. We bumped and tossed our way there and around 7:30pm we arrived at the event hall.

We waited outside the event space for awhile, the entrance is important, we had to wait for the right timing. Around 8pm we made our entrance. Joining the rest of the guests who had already greeted the couple and were now forming a giant circle around the newlyweds. After everyone had given their best wishes, a few rounds of the hora (traditional circle dance) were danced before we entered the dining room.

 I had a really great seat in terms of view. I was seated with the immediate family members at the table directly next to the newlyweds table, with a great view of the rest of the guests. Prime location, score. Host cousin carried his bride into the room and to their table where they would be sharing the first official meal as husband and wife.

Moldovan weddings are a very important part of the culture and as such, no expense is spared. This is most apparent in the meal that is served. When guests walk into the dining hall the tables are already set up with plate after plate of food, covering every single table. This is one of the biggest differences between a Moldovan wedding and a American wedding. In America, the catering company knows the headcount of the guests and provides food accordingly. Also in America, time and thought goes into creating a centerpiece for each table. At a Moldovan wedding the tables are literally covered with plates of beautiful food. No space is left on the table for any sort of centerpiece, I couldn't even put my cell-phone on the table, it was filled to the brim.

The MC for the evening kept the guests excited and the atmosphere light. We dined on the first 'cold meal', drinking champagne toasts, and watching traditional Moldovan dancers sweep over the bits of free space between the tables. After the meal we adjourned back to the dancing room where the bride and groom shared their first dance, complete with fog and bubble machines. Dancing commenced after this. I like the way Moldovans dance. Everyone has their own sort of space to dance, it's also quite calm, a back and forth motion with hands slightly raised is good enough, and for me that is about all I can manage. The dancing went on for a number of hours, coffee and tea were served with some mid-evening cakes.

When the dancing finally came to an end everyone made their way back into the dining room. It was time for the second 'hot meal'. Before this meal, the chicken that had been dressed up earlier in the day was presented to the god couple of the newlyweds. This is also a Moldovan custom, the newlyweds choose another young married couple to act as their mentors in marriage. I like this custom of seeking a couple to mentor and guide couples through good times and bad. I would imagine this system comes in handy when the couple needs a third parties advice, who better to turn to than people who are entrusted with the role to love and support the couple? After the funny chicken is delivered, the hand washing ritual is performed with the newlyweds washing the hands of their god couple. Following the hand washing, braided round bread and wine is served as a toast to the god couple. The 'hot meal' is then served, customarily this includes sarmale (grape leaves wrapped with rice and meat), and some meat dishes.

When the second meal has finished the couple than gets toasts from nearly everyone at the wedding. This was the portion of the evening that definitely strays from what we Americans would consider good etiquette. At the end of every toast the person announces how much money they are giving to the couple and then the money is placed into a large glass vase. My host mom explained that people are to state how much they are giving so no one takes advantage of the couple. Luckily, host mom took the microphone when it was our turn and I was spared from having to state how much I was throwing in the pot, she said it for me. This sort of thing wouldn't fly back home.

Following the toasts, we went back out into the dancing room and watched the bouquet and garter tosses. Then the couple sat on two chairs in the middle of the room and proceeded to get presents placed in front of them and blankets strewn over their shoulders. After some time they had been completed buried in the blankets. The guests would go up, wrap another blanket on top of them, duck down and wish the couple well. They were swallowed up by all the blankets, it was hot just looking at them sitting under the growing pile. When the parade of well-wishers and presents finally ended the couple emerged from the pile and waited for the presentation of their wedding cake. I shouldn't have expected anything less but, out came the huge three tiered cake with sparklers going off and music playing. We dined on cake and coffee for the remaining time.

And then, the most humorous thing happened. When people had finished their cake everyone slowly disappeared back into the dining room. I wondered what was going on so, I made my way with the crowd. And there, I found everyone taking plastic produce bags and filling them with all the plates that still had food on the table. All the food was taken, down to the last slice of bread. Host sister could tell I was slightly thrown off by what was happening and she explained that every place setting of food was about $80 and so all the food would be brought home and eaten later. The plates were scraped clean, the wine pitchers were emptied into containers, the half full bottles of cognac and vodka were consolidated or drank, and the dining hall was left empty of food and drink. 

I do love weddings, they are such a beautiful celebration of love. Watching the way the bride and groom interact, and seeing the way they look at one another is so special. I was honored to have been apart of one of the most special days of their lives. And, I don't think I could have gotten a better example of a truly Moldovan wedding.

At the end of the night, we filled our arms with all the leftovers and piled into cars to make the journey back to Nisporeni. We arrived back home around 5am. I was told to change, and that we were going back to host aunt's for the after party. After party? It was 5am, I was done. I told them to go on without me, I had experienced all the Moldovan wedding I could for that day. I was tired, and it was time for the lame American to go to bed. They understood, I said my good nights (probably should've said good mornings) and headed off to bed. As I dozed off I was happy to have experienced such a night. And then I went to sleep, mind full of champagne bubbles and Moldovan folk music.

And to the newlyweds,
Multi fericire si drum bun in viata! (Much happiness and good travels in life!)

Peace

Family Visit!

The end of August I had the great privilege of showing my family my life here in Moldova.

I woke up early the day they were flying in. I couldn't help but be a big ball of excitement and nerves. I took an early bus into the capital and waited patiently at the Peace Corps office before it was finally time to go to the airport and pick up my dad and brother. The day of their arrival also happened to be the same day as an important visit from the German Chancellor and so, it was quite busy both on the road in to the airport, and at the airport. Extra security had been put in place, lining the road every 100 meters from the city center in to the airport, to make sure the first visit by this high profile guest would go as smoothly as possible. I couldn't help but laugh and think about how I would later make a joke about how I had informed the Moldovan government of my family's coming and that they were sparing no expense for their arrival.

Like a giant loser I broke into tears the moment I finally saw my dad and brother after more than a year apart. Those two hugs were what I had been waiting for so many months. We quickly got our footing, finding our way to the rental car agency and after a few set-backs we were on the road with our car for the next week and a half. I had put in a call earlier at an apartment for rent, so we had a place in the capital to use as a base for our adventures around Moldova.

We took that first day easy, getting some lunch at a local Greek restaurant, a favorite among volunteers. We took naps at the apartment, we had drinks at an out-door bar, and ate dinner at a delicious restaurant. The restaurant was also notorious among volunteers, but known more for its high price-tag on a volunteers budget, rather than as a frequented joint.

The second day we got an early start. Dad made American coffee just the way he always does. It was odd, sitting on a fold-out couch in this high-rise apartment in the middle of Eastern Europe with so much of home in this one apartment. Sipping the beautiful coffee, talking with my family, it was a surreal moment. Similarly it was weird later that day driving in the Moldovan countryside listening to my dad's ipod playing through the speakers. (I was a passenger, not a driver. Don't worry Peace Corps, no rules were broken.) We visited a couple of famous monasteries on the second day. The first, Capriana, beautiful and white with black domes. The second, Hincu, huge and currently under construction. Overall, it was a successful full day of site seeing.

The following day we visited a famous winery, Cricova. With over 170 kilometers of underground storage space its the largest underground wine village in the world. After our tour we buzzed out to a little village, Clisova Noua, in the central region of Moldova to visit with a local artisan who I had worked with the previous week on marketing and collaboration of a new step-by-step guidebook. She happily showed us around her museum, show-room, and work space. Her plucky disposition brightens anyone's day and it was a great little side trip for our day.

The next day we went to the Gustar festival of traditional music, held annually at Orhei Veche, one of the most famous monasteries in all of Moldova. The sun was blazing hot out in the field where the festival was located but, we stuck it out to hear the prime minsters opening remarks and the first couple of bands play. After the festival we went and picked up all the supplies needed for the bbq the following day. It was overwhelming to go and buy all of this food, like I mentioned earlier, our volunteer stipends heavily restrict our spending.

The following day, Sunday, was my 23rd birthday. We woke up early and went to the market  in my town in order to stock up on all the fresh fruits and vegetables that would be needed for the day. After we went back to the house and spent the rest of the day cooking lots of food and waiting for the arrival of a few of my volunteer friends. The ladies finally arrived in the afternoon and we spent the rest of the day eating, drinking semi-cold beer, and enjoying each others company.

The 27th of August is Moldova's Independence day. We stayed in Nisporeni and enjoyed a quiet day. A couple of my host mom's colleagues came over and met my family, there were toasts made and even more food eaten. It was slightly rainy outside and we opted out of the festivities in the center of the town for an evening in, eating homemade chicken noodle soup and chatting with my host mom.

The next morning we woke up early to say goodbye to my host mom and head off for more adventures. We spent the morning in Nisporeni. I was able to show my family the work I am doing with the Craftsman house for the dance studio, I took them to my office where they met both the vice president of the district and my awesome partner, Vlad. After, I took them to another volunteers site, Sadova, to see the work that he did while he had been in Moldova. Later, we reached Chisinau where we stayed the night.

The following day we woke up at the crack of dawn. We wanted to get an early start, as we were headed to Odessa, Ukraine for the next two days. We drove through the countryside of Moldova, it was pretty seeing the soft lighting of the morning bathed over the little villages we buzzed through. We reached the border early and after some slight confusion purchasing car insurance for our stay in Ukraine, we were on our way into the city.

Once in Odessa the task of finding the Black Sea became our number one priority. I got frustrated trying to communicate with people. Everyone spoke Russian, I have next to zero understanding of Russian. Although, after some confusion we finally found the beach. We walked down the beach until we found a big beautiful hotel directly on the beach that was deemed good for both my dad and brother. A fancy hotel room was purchased for the night and our mini-vacation was underway. We spent some time on the beach, some time in the roof-top jacuzzi, and dinner at the roof-top restaurant with a view of the hotels biggest attraction, a dolphin show. The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast at the roof-top restaurant before we went in search of the most famous landmark in Odessa, the staircase. After exploring the historical center of the city we decided it was time to figure out how to get back to Moldova. The map provided to us by the hotel wasn't entirely accurate and made our navigation slightly more stressful than helpful. Luckily, a generous stranger who didn't speak a lick of English or Romanian signaled for us to follow him and he showed us where we wanted to be, thanks friendly stranger! We re-traced our steps back over the border and in to Moldova. I was relieved to be back on 'my territory', I don't tend to stress too much when traveling alone or with a friend but, with my family I easily get stressed knowing their standards are a lot higher than mine. But, we were now back in my comfort zone, it's funny that Moldova has become 'my comfort zone'.

The last full day was spent leisurely, we woke up late and ate delicious homemade omelets with fancy blue cheese that was bought the night before. Later, we went out to lunch and after explored the mall. That night we went back to that expensive restaurant (in the eyes of a Peace Corps volunteer) that had clearly become my family's favorite. That night we enjoyed each others company before it was time for them to head home, and me to head back to the Moldova I was used to, the one without the rented car, the centrally located apartment in the capital, and the many meals at restaurants.

The next morning we packed up everything and headed to the airport. We sat at the airport, sipping on coffees and waiting for their flight. It had been a good visit that none of us will ever forget. They were able to see a lot and, meet the people who make up my life in Moldova. I was so proud to show them my little corner of the world here.

Peace to you on this September day!