balk balk chicken head

10-23-07 11:32

Just got back from language class today. It was a shorter session so I have a little more brain left currently. It rained this morning, It was cold, wet, muddy, gloomy. I was in a good mood even though I was getting wet on the way to class. I came up behind an older man in his early 60’s or thereabouts who began talking to me. I quickly turned off the volume on my I-pod (that’s right plug for the I-pod) and asked him to repeat it for me (as if it made a difference that I had my volume on and that’s why I could not understand him). He quickly repeated what he said or should I say mumbled it a second time and I still had no idea what he was saying. He looked at me as if I was dense and this made me feel great because maybe this guy thought I was a local and was just trying to talk to me wondering why I didn’t understand him. He repeated a third time and this time with some miming as to say if you listen to music on your head phones you will go deaf. It was bad for my health to listen to it. As he is telling me this he lit up a cigarette and proceeded to go about taking care of his own health. I thought about countering by showing him the label on his pack but I thought better of it thanked him for his suggestion and kept my head phones off for the rest of the trip incase he wanted to say anything else to me. He didn’t which was good because early in the morning with no warm up in the language I fail even more miserably at the language.

Also despite the rain and cold and mud and the fact that the chickens ate my jack-o-lantern I made for some kids I was going to show what we do in America for Halloween. I carved it up and everything with my handy Leatherman knife. (that’s right pluggin the Leatherman knife). So despite all of this I was still in a good mood. Then I went through 2 hours of language class and began my 30 min fun stroll home along the main highway. And on this fun hike a couple of things happened, first I thought about why people were so gloomy when I passed by them. I always smile like a complete tourist and tell them hello and wonder why they are all pissed off. Then I look at the weather its crappy outside.. the roads are crappy.. some people are going to the wells along the street to get water frothier house because they have no running water and they are not happy about it. It begins to bring my mood down a little..i carefully avoid mud and puddles as I continue to make my way towards my house when I stumble and look down to realize I nearly stepped on a dead dog and then stepped in horse crap followed by no joke a semi driving on my left nailing a puddle of water and soaking the complete left side of me. At this moment my i-pod is playing “we didn’t start the fire” by Billy Joel and listing all of these people in the song. This gets me thinking about just how great America is by contrast. I go on thinking about all the opportunities you have in America, and how here people are pissed off because their futures are unclear and for the most part depressing. I, as an American can go anywhere in the world for the most part with my pass port, work anywhere, even AMERICA and make money. As a Moldovan it is very hard to travel, they can’t afford it and in most cases don’t’ have permission to really travel with their passports is what I have come to understand…. That little blurb doesn’t really capture everything I was thinking but its more then I would have remembered if I waited a week to write about it.

Just about 30 minutes ago I was down in the kitchen eating a meat roll, (some kind of meat in bread that just sits out on the counter all the time , no need to refrigerate it I guess…) when I noticed a rabbit carcass sitting in a bowl on the counter. I was a little grossed out about seeing it laying there while I was eating my meat roll but hey its just everyday life here. My mom asked me if I wanted to watch the next time they kill a rabbit. I declined for now and she asked me why showing the universal sign for crying with her finger under her eye and I just said ya that is why I didn’t want to see it because I would feel bad and cry.

Lets see ok, yesterday evening I had dance class with about 75% of the volunteers that wanted to do it. We had a “professional” dance instructor and accordionist help us with the music and dance steps. I learned the basics of the Hurrah? I don’t know how to spell it but that is how you say it. It was an experience that is all I have to say. I am glad that I am learning it though because it is the staple dance at any wedding or festival. I tried some of the moves at home last night after I got back after my family encouraged me to show them and then they all whooped and hollered as I completely butchered the dance. My mom said I dance like a little babe in kindergarten. Sigh… lets see what else.. Oh yes I have gotten Veronica my host sister here to play cards with me. She is one of the most boring people I have ever met (not in a really horrible way .. I say this in a joking manner because she is fun to hang around with as long as you find something to do). Every day I ask her what she wants to do she says she doesn’t have anything planned. She ends up doing her homework.. then watches tv and texts her friends the whole day. Every suggestion had been shot down for the most part because she just doesn’t want to do them and she doesn’t have any suggestions for what she wants to do…. Anyway I got her into the card game Egyptian Rat Screw. I don’t know why its called this but it is.. I have my own thoughts on this subject but the story doesn’t really make too much sense and will end up just confusing more people then it would help. Alright.. the point is she loves this game and has beat me every time we have played. I just don’t have what it takes.. I guess.

Also thanks Sarah for getting mom and dad set up with the web cam, it was great seeing you all Saturday. A note to anybody reading this.. once again I hear stories of other volunteers parents reading my blog and that makes me laugh. If anybody wants to chat online, possibly with a web cam if you0 have one I am on MSN messenger from time to time around 9pm at night my time so that would be 1pm central time. But that really varies. If you want to talk just let me know when you can get on and Id love to chat it up :--). My name on msn is just kylestremme@hotmail.com

Love Yall.


10-24-07 14:46

Some days the only way I can eat is to pretend I am William Wallace (From Braveheart) and I am sitting around with my fellow comrades eating the food we just caught around the camp fire talking about old war stories and planning our next attack. If i didn’t do things like this there is no way I would sit there and eat the organs of a rabbit or the head of a chicken. Wine with meals that are not quite as appealing as your host family thinks they are is also a good way of taking the edge off of something you would have never dreamt of eating and now the situation presents itself where if you don’t eat it you are insulting the people you have grown to love and if you do indeed it you might lose everything you ate on the table in front of everyone. I love days like these. On a side not I have begun the book “A Primate’s Memoir” by Robert M. Sapolsky and have laughed out loud 4 times and I am only on the 20th page. I highly recommend it. Ok.. I demand you read it.

Update 21:19

Since my last entry I was able to go visit my dads family. One of his coworkers with a car drove us for about 5 minutes saving us about an hour of walking in the mud witch really made the whole experience 20 times better. I met his mother and father and got to see their “betch” or cellar drink some wine and have a masa. His dad told me over and over again “bravo” American and how happy he was that I came here and how tall I am and how good I speak Romanian…. I have to say this because it really made feel great. I discussed with his mom about how old my mom was and my grandmother. I also watched my dad use a 40 year old sewing machine that you crank with your hand to repair some of his pants. I was impressed and I told him I learned the art of sewing when I was in 8th grade. He laughed but said it is important that I know it. I told him it was like 10 years ago and I remember very little but he said when the time comes ill learn again. I finished off the night with cards with veronica and a dinner then some language studying. Veronica beat me again at Egyptian rat screw… still I yet to win. My only excuse is that they only have 35 cards because the only games they play require 35 cards….

That’s it.