Friday, September 29, 2006
MAMA MEA GAZDA ESTE ACASA
"My host mom is home!" Last night I met my host mom for the first time. It was wonderful, she gave me a huge hug and kiss on the cheek and made me eat lots. She has been away at...um...a spa, I think. Through broken English and Romanian this is what I have deduced. She doesn't work at all and will be home all the time to cook me great food and plump me up for the "miserable, cold winter"(a quote from a host country national). The food has been amazing so far. Lots of potatoes (my favorite), lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, bread, pasta...speaking of pasta, I got to make ravioli the other night with my host sister, from scratch. It took us about two hours to make the dough, roll it out, fill it with brinza (sheep cheese), fold it up and boil it. We ate it covered in sour cream, it was gustos!!!! Whenever we have HUB Site days, where all of our group gets together for a full day a lectures and lessons, it is fun to compare the hearty lunches our mama gazdas give us, and it is always way more than any of us can eat. Many people might label me a picky eater, but not anymore. I have been eating everything, well except eggs and mayo, I may never give in to those. I had eggplant for the first time the other day, my oh my, it was delicious. Oh, I am getting so excited for lunch!!!
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Contact Info
Here is the address of the Peace corps office where you can send me mail:
Jennifer Nelson
Peace Corps Moldova
12 Grigore Ureche Str.
Chisinau 2001, Moldova
**Don't send letters in regular envelopes, they will not get here!!!! People think they contain money because many people work abroad and send money back here to their families. Use either padded envelopes or big manilla type ones.
Here is how to call me:
011 + 373 + 268 + 26526
This is my home phone. Please, remember to call your phone company to make sure you don't have and international block on your phone and find out how much it is to call. I have heard you can call for 50 cents a minute (alot I know). Don't worry about calling me. Letters and email is good enough. But if you do call, remember there is a 10 hour time difference from the west coast to Moldova. Also, I am usually only home in the morning until 8 am and don't return until after 5pm.
Jennifer Nelson
Peace Corps Moldova
12 Grigore Ureche Str.
Chisinau 2001, Moldova
**Don't send letters in regular envelopes, they will not get here!!!! People think they contain money because many people work abroad and send money back here to their families. Use either padded envelopes or big manilla type ones.
Here is how to call me:
011 + 373 + 268 + 26526
This is my home phone. Please, remember to call your phone company to make sure you don't have and international block on your phone and find out how much it is to call. I have heard you can call for 50 cents a minute (alot I know). Don't worry about calling me. Letters and email is good enough. But if you do call, remember there is a 10 hour time difference from the west coast to Moldova. Also, I am usually only home in the morning until 8 am and don't return until after 5pm.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Holy Crap! I am in Moldova!
Alright, so I am here. I made it safely. I don't know where to start...
For starters, last night was closest to my first normal night of sleep. Since leaving Seattle I haven't slept more that 6 hours a night, usually about 4. I have been very tired and try to go to bed early but I can't sleep. Excitement and jetlag have kept me up staring at the ceiling all night. Last night was my first night out of Chisinau (pronounced quiche-now), the capital, staying with my host family, which is a whole new adventure. The past three days in the capital we have had all day language trainings, medical evaluations, and talks. I am now in the town of Ialoveni(yal-o-ven) with my host family. We met them yesterday around noon at our hotel. It was the worst anticipation ever. I was on the verge on hyperventilating, crying, and throwing up. I was terrified and excited to meet them. But once we met it was all ok. So, for my family. I have 2 brothers and one sister, and a mom and dad. They live in a normal size house with a garden surrounding the entire thing (no yard to play, maybe that is what the street is for- "game on") and they have a chicken coop with chickens and two ducks. When they get big enough we will eat them. The food has been great. Yesterday I ate fish which I was told not to eat and fruit washed in the tap water which I was also told not to eat. You will probably hear soon that I am sick, like always when I travel. For dinner we had mamalinga which is a cornmeal type bread/polenta/cornbread and I saw my host sister pick the worms out of the cornmeal while she was sifting it(uh-oh, more sickness on it's way). With this dense cornbread we had brinza(sheep milkcheese), sour cream(from a bag), fish, and a fish sauce that ws full of garlic(I was burping garlic all night). This meal is eaten with your hands and mixed together, it was good. The gross thing I tried yesterday was Kefir, sour milk. Oh my goodness it ws terrible. My sister and brother both speak english which won't be good for me learning Romanian, it is hard to be strict that they speak only Romanian because it is exhausting playing Charades for 12 hours a day. La revedere(bye) and stay tuned for more....
For starters, last night was closest to my first normal night of sleep. Since leaving Seattle I haven't slept more that 6 hours a night, usually about 4. I have been very tired and try to go to bed early but I can't sleep. Excitement and jetlag have kept me up staring at the ceiling all night. Last night was my first night out of Chisinau (pronounced quiche-now), the capital, staying with my host family, which is a whole new adventure. The past three days in the capital we have had all day language trainings, medical evaluations, and talks. I am now in the town of Ialoveni(yal-o-ven) with my host family. We met them yesterday around noon at our hotel. It was the worst anticipation ever. I was on the verge on hyperventilating, crying, and throwing up. I was terrified and excited to meet them. But once we met it was all ok. So, for my family. I have 2 brothers and one sister, and a mom and dad. They live in a normal size house with a garden surrounding the entire thing (no yard to play, maybe that is what the street is for- "game on") and they have a chicken coop with chickens and two ducks. When they get big enough we will eat them. The food has been great. Yesterday I ate fish which I was told not to eat and fruit washed in the tap water which I was also told not to eat. You will probably hear soon that I am sick, like always when I travel. For dinner we had mamalinga which is a cornmeal type bread/polenta/cornbread and I saw my host sister pick the worms out of the cornmeal while she was sifting it(uh-oh, more sickness on it's way). With this dense cornbread we had brinza(sheep milkcheese), sour cream(from a bag), fish, and a fish sauce that ws full of garlic(I was burping garlic all night). This meal is eaten with your hands and mixed together, it was good. The gross thing I tried yesterday was Kefir, sour milk. Oh my goodness it ws terrible. My sister and brother both speak english which won't be good for me learning Romanian, it is hard to be strict that they speak only Romanian because it is exhausting playing Charades for 12 hours a day. La revedere(bye) and stay tuned for more....
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