The Day of Tricolors

Today is a celebration of the flag and its colors, blue, yellow, and red. Apparently, this is a very new holiday; April 27 was named “the day of tricolor” in 2010. During the first lesson, the school had an assembly to celebrate the flag. And then students returned to their homeroom, where their teacher explained the significance of the Moldovan flag.

And because I’m a nerdy, I found this interesting. The flag has three colors arranged vertically: blue, yellow, and red. Blue represents the sky and peace. Yellow represents the sun and wheat. And red represents the blood of those who died for Moldova.

The coat of arms is printed in the center. The coat of arms is an eagle holding a shield. The eagle represents progress, and the shield is a symbol of defense for the nation. The upper part of the shield is red and the lower part is blue with an auroch’s head in the middle. The auroch’s head is a historical symbol in Moldova representing the continuance of Moldova as a nation. There is an eight-pointed star between the horns, which represents purity. On the right of the auroch’s head is a five-petal rose, and on the left is a crescent moon that represents eternity. The eagle holds a cross in its beak, which represents Christianity. In its right claw, it carries a green olive-tree branch, which represents eternal victory. And in its left claw, it carries a scepter, which represents strength.

Moldova Lessons

One nice thing about being a schoolteacher is the textbooks have sections for the students to learn about Moldova. I really like it because it often has basic information about Moldova that is not talked about in everyday conversation. And sometimes it has an explanation about the history or meaning of symbols I see around her. I think I’m more eager to learn this stuff than they are.

So today, I learned about the Capitoline Wolf monument. I’ve seen this statue in Chișinău and other cities in Moldova. The copy of old Etruscan Sculpture with image of she-wolf breastfeeding the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, was installed in the late 80 in front of the Museum of History of Moldova. The sculpture symbolizes the Latin origin of Romanian Bessarabia. The sculpture pedestal is engraved a quote from the famous Romanian poet, Mihai Eminescu, about the origin of Romanian nation.

Romulus and Remus are Rome's twin founders in its traditional foundation myth. They are descendants of the Trojan prince and refugee Aeneas, and are fathered by the god Mars or the demi-god Hercules on a royal Vestal Virgin, Rhea Silvia, whose uncle exposes them to die in the wild. They are found by a she-wolf who suckles and cares for them. The twins are eventually restored to their regal birthright, acquire many followers and decide to found a new city.

According to a legend, after a flood, Romulus and Remus were found and suckled by a she-wolf (Lupa) and fed by a woodpecker (Picus). My partner teacher tells me the statue represents the Latin languages. And since Moldova’s official language is Romanian, they honor the statue.

So maybe it’s kind of nerdy, but I really like learning about Moldova. So I try to use that curiosity in classroom, and I ask the students to teach me about Moldova. I think they really like the idea of students teaching a teacher.

Big Baby

Unfortunately, I have been getting sick a lot lately. At first, I thought it might be allergies since it all started about when spring weather was arriving. However, it has become clear that is not it.

Some of it isn’t really new; since I’ve been in Moldova, my stomach hasn’t felt normal. I definitely don’t get a balanced diet here, many foods aren’t cooked properly, and basic sanitary practices are not followed here. These factors added together result in my stomach never feeling great. I can’t remember the last time my stomach wasn’t bothering me.

The thing is that I got sick in America, too. But somehow, being sick in Moldova is so much worse. My sicknesses aren’t necessarily worse, except for the whole stomach thing; the act of being sick in Moldova is not preferable. I guess being sick any place isn’t preferable. But I’m noticing that I react to “small” illnesses more extremely. For example, if I had a headache when I was working in America, I would drink some water and carry on with my day. But when I get a headache here, I go home as soon as possible, bury my head in my pillow, and try to shut the world out. I guess being away from home and being sick is too much for me. Or I’m just turning into a big baby.