Such an interesting mix!
My co-volunteer said she’s seen so many changes in just one
year she’s been here, including great sidewalks throughout town.
We now have 2 new grocery stores, it has changed my life. I
am eating 10 times more healthy and making food I love – mostly cooking for
myself now, host mother is making only 2 meals (we pay per meal). I suspect I will be gaining some of the enormous amount of weight I loss (good but not so much, I wouldn't recommend this way to anyone, I spent about 6 months sick and unable to eat!)
GRAND OPENING! Big party in town!
I prefer that one, more choices but more importantly they weigh fruits and veggies for you! The other you’re on your own, the scale requires you to know the code for that item, it’s on a list but of course I can’t read it. Oh by the way, these stores are Romanian chains, the means lots or Romanian labels. This leaves my partners (one fluent in Russian the other doing great learning) at a disadvantage – WELCOME TO MY WORLD PEOPLE – ISN’T FUN IS IT!?! I know that the experience of opening a package with a different product than what I thought it was will someday make me good shopper, and hopefully a passable cook – as best as I can with only a hotplate, but really, I can get almost any ingredient I want, just gotta figure them out (forget Mexican spices – they do NOT like spicy around here). Thankfully brother Jim and Sharon have sent me chili spices, this allowed me to make FAJITAS the other night.
We have Snickers, M&Ms, Lipton Ice tea, Activia yogurt, cakes and ice cream (oh nooooo!!!),bags of frozen veggies, Ramon noodles (not such a good thing but they're handy), and lots of soft toilet paper, paper towels, "spounge bob square pants" napkins, sensodine toothpaste, all kinds of fancy makeup and lotions.... too to name just a few things. But the most
exciting thing is the VEGGIES and FRUITS! Until now the small markets had a limited
variety as well as a limited supply. It may have just a few plates on top of
the deli with a handful of oranges and Bananas that won’t be there the next
time you visit Now LOOK AT THIS!
My first green salad, HEAVEN ON EARTH! There is real lettuce here! For some
reason, despite the soil that is known to be some of the richest in the world, they
don’t have it. We are fed cabbage until it’s coming out our ears and it is the
base “greens” for salads. There is still a huge lack of salad dressing, word is
there is one store in the city that has it, I will stock up next trip. They use mayonnaise EVERYTHING, including as
salad dressing. Yuck. Fortunately there are marinated carrot and pepper salads
that have enough of a dressing and I throw in some oranges and apples – oh what
a joy.
Also notice the pork chop. Up until now I have not used a
fork and knife ever. Everything is ground!!! I often wondered where are the
chicken breasts? Pork Chops? Steaks? Figured they grind them up but ooooooh the
other body parts make it onto our plates, the chicken foot in my soup was my
favorite (no I didn't eat it!!!). When there is something with a bone
EVERYTHING is eaten off of it. Clean as a whistle. When they see how much us
Americans leave on the bone they look at us crazy and say “you’re done?”
Understandable, how much hunger has this part of the world seen over the
centuries?
If there is one lesson I hope I forever hold onto from this
experience is to never ever forget the pure joy of finding a bin of mushrooms or
a package of lettuce. Shopping with Sylvia and Marjory, oh the ooohss and
aaahhhs of us finding these simple things. It is easy to understand the joy an orange
brought to a child on xmas 100 years ago.
So here is TARACLIA (and introduction to Moldova) located
way down south and almost on the Ukraine border on the East, not far from
Bulgaria south of us. The west borders Romania. Recently we were banned from traveling
in the Ukraine, lots of tension and riots there, many want to join the European
Union but Russia is fighting that. Not sure why…. But Russia threatened to shut
off oil supplies to both Ukraine and Moldova should they join the EE. Peace
Corps keeps an eye on this very closely making sure we all will have heat
should this happen. At this time we are allowed in the country but must stay
out of the capital where the problems are. I plan on visiting Odessa at some
point, it’s on the Black Sea and is supposed to be absolutely beautiful. It is
about a 4 hour trip from here. I also want
to spend time in Bulgaria. The language is similar to Russian, but even more
importantly, some of you many know, I taught myself Bulgarian for over a year
at home!! May be able to use some, if I remember any of it, Russian in one ear
pushes Bulgarian out the other.
The capital is Chisinau and it is in the center of the country,
3.5 - 4 hours away, that is where Peace Corps
office is. One floor of the PC office is just for PC volunteers, lounge,
shower, library, as well as several other rooms. It is great if you visit, just sitting around and you meet people from all over the country. I don’t know if I’ll ever go Northern
Moldova, there are many people up there (I’d
love to see) but it’s pretty far for me..
LANGUAGE is such a huge part of who people are in Eastern
Europe and wars have been fought over it. There is a section of the country we
are not allowed in, too much tension still. They want to break away and be part
of Russia. Presently they have a different government than “Moldova” government.
My town is considered a Russian/Bulgarian town. There are groups
of Russians throughout the country (this is the only Bulgarian one) the second largest city, Balti, up north, is
mostly Russian. Now interesting, there is a prejudice against us Russian
speakers. I am told that though many people know it they won’t admit it. This
makes it difficult for us Russian speakers in the city since they officially
speak Romanian. I witnessed this prejudice twice so far. And here I try SO HARD
to speak the Russian! Only to be ignored several times!
OK, so…. modern Taraclia
COMPUTER STORE!
This store has every kind of home supply you need; towels, blankets, kitchen supplies.... and they know me now and know I don't speak the language. they are wonderful, make sure they say a few English words and understand me when I "act out" what I want.
This store has refrigerates, microwaves, toasters, furniture... limited supplies!! It's interesting, often their items are a bit "old" designs. The microwaves have the old fashion knobs that turn.
Lots of banks in town. My bank is on the right. Try explaining, in Russian, "my ATM card was sucked into the machine"!! The left is a book store, one of a few that sells office supplies and school supplies. there is SUCH a limited selection of these things. I try to buy them when in the city but I have to use my own money so it's hard to find a balance. Luckily my partner has a printer (NEVER throw away paper that still has a blank side-her husband works in an office and takes home used paper for us) tests can be two per page, cut in half, or just written on the board, since students write in their "bluebooks" there is no need for students to all have one. Flashcards, also done on the back sides of used paper, 4 per page (usually hand-drawn) or even 6! Students see well enough when you hold them up, or walk around the room.... always think think think, what is a way we can do this without using paper of as little as possible!
Government building where Mayor's office is
Sylvia and I meet here every Saturday for PIZZA!!! AND it is AWESOME!
Our police cars are SO CUTE! Don't ask about ambulances - they're interesting to see, from small vans to "station wagons" I peaked in one that had a door open, there was a cot and a blanket. That's it. Sylvia was in a horrible accident, while she waited at the side of the road for the Peace Corps to come to her she watched as they piled about 20 people in, no neck braces, boards to carry them, nothing.
Behind him is one of our "mini-malls" with a bank and stores.
House of culture where performances are
In center of town is beautiful monument for WWII
Now add in our internet park, library, post office, hospital (not too sure of the quality care), hospice (where Sylvia works), university, outside market, coffee shops (Sylvia and Marjory and I meet often at one)...
...well I've said this before and I'll say it again, WOW DID I GET LUCKY to be in this town!! Life is hard sometimes but there are lots of little luxuries to help get through them.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2014 bring all of us happy times, good fortune, great health, and plenty of fruits and vegetables - oh and M&Ms (written in Russian but the same dancing peanut M&M guy on the front). For us in the US there are so many things that we take for granted, such as supermarkets and all the food available to us all year round. Please, do me a favor, on your next visit just stop for a moment and be thankful for those things we have an abundance of when so much of the world DOES NOT! Look at that bin of mushrooms, that pile of lettuce, and smile and feel the joy.
