Snow Bunny Buffoon

Yep, this is my second winter in Moldova, and I still can’t walk in snow. I have to leave an extra 15 minutes early to get to school because of how slowly I walk. I have to wear YakTraks, which are like chains I put on my boots to eliminate some of the slipping, but unfortunately for me, not all of it.

And there really is no shoveling of the snow on the sidewalks. Since everyone walks so much, the snow becomes quite packed, but it’s uneven and still slippery. I guess I’m strengthening my ankles.

I can’t even begin to compare myself to the Moldovan. Not only do the women walk much better (and more gracefully) than I do through the snow, they do it in heels. Not to mention they all walk much more quickly. When watching me walk, it’s easy to tell who’s not from around here.

Beware of the Kitchen

Well, the snow has returned and with a vengeance. It was snowing quite hard on my walk to school; my face was stinging as the snow was blasting into my face. My whole walk to school, the snow was blowing into me. Good news is that my walk home was much more pleasant since the snow was hitting my back.

After I got home from school and warmed up a bit by the heater, I head downstairs to prepare some lunch. And Roman was in the kitchen, drinking glasses of wine to stay warm. Of course, he insists I join him. If Roman is in the kitchen (or comes to the kitchen when I’m there), he wants to drink. There’s no legit excuse for me to not drink. Once I’m home, he thinks I’m done with the day. Therefore, getting drunk at 2 o’clock is perfectly acceptable. This used to bother me a lot, but I’ve accepted that this is life here.

Today’s conversation was fun. He kept telling me my boobs are a nice size. FYI, you do not need to be able to translate Russian to understand when someone is talking about your boobs. He told me that small boobs weren’t good, and big boobs were good.

I don’t know which is worse: that he finds his behavior appropriate or that it doesn’t bother me any more. I’m going to need some serious help with integration when I return to America.

Spring Already?

We’ve had a weird little warm front here. Walking around in my winter coat was making me sweat. I’m starting to wonder if I should get my fall/spring coat out since my winter coat is too heavy. Maybe we’re having a warm winter. All the snow has now melted in Criuleni; so now, I have to walk through this terrible mud. This wasn’t supposed to happen until March or April. I’m not a big fan of the mud.

Vacation

Well, it’s back to the real world for me. I just got back from an amazing two-week vacation with some awesome friends. We traveled in Portugal, Morocco, and Spain. It was wonderful, and it only made me want to travel more. And it made me start thinking more about what I want to do when I’m finished here; and more immediate, the trip I’m before returning to America. I’m planning on going to Greece with Sarah. After this vacation, I’m excited to start planning my Greece trip.