Darcie, David, and Big Mac: Peace Corps Email #2

On our second Friday installment of Peace Corps Email, you get to enjoy my first in-country mass email home.

Hello Friends and Family!

I feel like I have been cut off from the outside world for years. I've only been in Moldova 10 days, but
it's crazy how long it feels like I've lived here! I live with a host family in my village... there are 5 children and mama and tata. It's a crowded house, but they are very welcoming. We have electricity (yay!) and even TV and a computer (but no internet...), but, no running water. It was very hard to figure out how to use an outhouse or bathe in a bucket when I didn't speak their language. I haven't even attempted to do laundry yet and I'm bathing as seldom as possible...yuck, huh? I go to language classes everyday but Sunday and Romanian is getting easier by the day.
Last night, I even (mostly) understood what my host family was talking about at dinner.
There are 5 other trainee that live in my village with me. On Friday, we went to a wedding. It was really
pretty and the food was... unique but in a good way. Everyone sits down at a long table and eats directly
out of the serving bowls. No plates or even napkins. There was a lot of wine and cognac, which we toasted
every other minute. When they dance, everyone is always in a big circle and doing special kicks. I'm
not very good, but the people are pretty forgiving of me (since I'm an American). It's kind of funny
because this one Moldova guy kept dragging me into the middle of the circle and saying (I think) "Dance like
an American!" I didn't really know how to tell him I wasn't good at that either...
The wedding lasts 2 days. I went at 7 pm and went home around midnight. When I was walking by the
wedding the next day to get to school, there were still people partying at 8:30am. These people have
stamina that boring old me doesn't have!
That's all I really can think of now. This should probably be longer since I had to walk 4 miles to get
to the internet (see subject line). If I can figure out where the post office is in my town, I'll start
sending real letters. If you all feel like sending me mail, you would be more likely to get some from me...
hint, hint. Plus, it would make me feel super popular to get a letter. My address (until sometime in
November) is

I deleted this because, seriously, you don't need my old address in Moldova.

I hope everything's super in the states-- with your close internet, showers, toilets, and lack of chicken
jelly (not too good)...

Heart,

Darcie "I smell" Brownback