This past Saturday (January 7) was the Eastern Orthodox Christmas. The great majority of people who live in Moldova celebrate Christmas on the 'old calendar' with Christmas falling on 1/7 and New Years falling on 1/13. A holiday is always cause for celebration here in Moldova and Christmas is no exception.
Friday night, host mom was busy cooking up a storm for the masa (meal) on Saturday. I asked how many people we were expecting, host mom laughed, and told me she didn't know and that was why she was cooking so much food. I helped make the clatite (first: lets just take a moment to appreciate the hilarity of that word. second: they are not nearly as dirty as they sound, it's simply crepes filled with sweetened cheese and pan-fried). We all stayed up late preparing for the next day, cooking food and drinking tea.
Saturday, I woke to find host mom busy at work in the kitchen. I skirted around, helping when I could, mainly putting myself in the charge of the electric kettle (coffee is a requirement for normal functioning). When people did start arriving we were prepared, the food was laid out on the table, and the champagne was ready to be popped and poured.
When living with a host family there is always a period of awkward transition. A period of time when you tip-toe around, smile, make pleasantries, and get to know one another one day at a time. Luckily, I have built a strong relationship with my host mom. She is a really warm and caring woman who enjoys spending time with me (or, at least, she does a good job at pretending). Recently she has begun calling me by my nickname 'Britt'. So, when I met a few members of the family on Saturday and introduced myself as 'Brittany', host mom was quick to jump in and add "but, her family calls her Britt, it's easier". These are the little things that make me feel like I belong, like I am building the kind of relationships that I will hold on to when I leave Moldova.
Sunday, my host sister came home for a visit. She and her husband live in the capital, Chisinau. This, to me, was the true day of celebration. In the late morning we started up the BBQ and spent the day drinking vin de casa (homemade wine). We enjoyed each others company, ate until our stomachs were full, and drank until our minds were a buzz. It was a fun weekend here in Nisporeni.
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