Sfintel Valentin (Saint Valentine)
Original Sent Date: February 14, 2005
Hello everyone back home...
It's been a while since I've written. Today, Black Monday, is Valentine's Day. I'm not really sure if it's St. Valentine's Day here in Moldova as no one has mentioned it to me yet. As there have been 6 Saint Days in the last two weeks here, I think it would be incredibly odd if today isn't celebrated. But, then there have been stranger things in Moldova...
Last week it got to -22 degrees C here. After some math (and looking up the formula) I discovered that's
about -8 degrees F. I thought my toes and eyelashes were going to freeze up and fall off. Spent the entire evening wearing all of my clothing, lying underneath all of the blankets I could find, hoping to avoid frostbite. Ok, I exaggerate a little bit, but that's still really cold for a place primarily heated by fire.
about -8 degrees F. I thought my toes and eyelashes were going to freeze up and fall off. Spent the entire evening wearing all of my clothing, lying underneath all of the blankets I could find, hoping to avoid frostbite. Ok, I exaggerate a little bit, but that's still really cold for a place primarily heated by fire.
The center where I work is closed until next Monday (the 21st) because all of the kids except for one have the dreaded GRIPA! Apparently, wearing necklaces of garlic did not ward it off with enough vigor. Too bad. My counterpart and host mother say that I didn't get sick because I drank hot wine mixed with pepper and sugar-- another concoction to ward off the gripa.
I don't now about that, but the hot wine really warms you up after sledding.
I don't now about that, but the hot wine really warms you up after sledding.
I've been teaching all the kids at my center some English and I just finished teaching body parts to this little girl named Olea. I'll walk by her classroom, which is a madhouse of Romanian and Russian voices and overhear her yell above the clamor-- "I have a nose!" which is about all of what I taught her that she can remember off the top of her head. Part of me wonders if she remembers what she actually is saying, but I'm just happy she's using English.
I hope to hear from you all!
Darcie "Super Volunteer" Brownback
Darcie "Super Volunteer" Brownback
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| My clothes "drying" outside in the cold. They froze solid and we picked off the ice. |
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| Lenuta photobombs a Saint Day celebration photo. |
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| Celebrating the Midnight Pony's birthday. He makes friends everywhere he goes. |
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