This is my new friend Tarkus. She bit me the first day I came to visit Cahul, but we have come to an understanding and are friends now. She is going to have puppies soon, and I am going to be the Nanas! (Special godmother-not usually done with dogs, but I have insisted!)I make sure I sneak her food under the table every day to keep the relationship tight!
This is my flower garden. My host family has the most beautiful flowers in the garden. Given my propensity for killing plants, I try to just smell and not touch too much! 
This is my host "mom", Alexandra and my brother, Sandu. They are so great! This was just some spontaneous dancing in the hallway. Alexandra is constantly singing and really loves folk music of Moldova and Romania.
This is the way my famly does a "masa". The apples are from the tree in the yard and the flowers were from a student of mine. Moldovans definitely know how to throw a party!!!!!
Finally, these are my hosts, Alexandra and Nicholai. I couldn't ask for a kinder or warmer host family. I really feel like a part of the family, not just a boarder or guest! I am so happy with them and am going to stay with them for the whole two years I have left in Moldova.
Later on I will share some pictures of my students because they are just awesome as well. They have really great English skills, so we are going to be able to talk about all kinds of great subjects and ideas that I am passionate about! I am teaching British Culture and Civilization, Mass Media, Conversation, a Selected Reading course and a Practical Course to prepare 3rd year English majors for a big state test they have to take at the end of the year. I am thoroughly enjoying all of the classes and really am loving the students and the subject matter. It is going to make the next two years fly by just being with them.
I am happy, but definitely missing all of you and looking forward to the spring when I cam come home and see everyone. Sanatate!
25 comments:
What lovely people they look like! And what a pretty garden-I really don't think you'll kill anything, it looks far too healthy for that. Sounds as if you've landed in clover! I know you're working hard, though. Miss you ,too; class started Friday. I didn't make it, had a little accident that's keeping me off my feet for awhile. What's happened to the apartment plan? Where will we stay when we come to visit? (kidding) Kevin and I are home now after a couple of weeks of chasing Irish music; had a blast! Wish we could hear some of the folk music you're getting to hear-can you tape some and maybe upload it? Longer email soon-love you, girl!
Martha
Jennifer,I am so happy to have found your blog on my google Moldova alerts! My nephew Chris MCKelvey is also serving with the Peace Corp in Moldova teaching english I believe. I love reading about anything that happens there....thank you so much for sharing! Nancy from Minford,Ohio
Please tell me that this cute little dog, Tarkas, is not the 100 pound English Mastiff
I envisioned after your story of being bitten on the foot on the way to the outhouse.
Look Suni, just because she is little doesn't mean that she has sharp teeth you damn city dweller. Just to set the record straight, she tried to bite me on my first visit to Cahul back in July. The dog that tries to rip out my trachea by the outhouse is her mother. OK, so she is also small, but she is satan!!!!! I think I am actually making peace with her as well. She is no longer trying to strangle herself and break the chain when I walk by. She does, however, eye me like a juicy steak.
well, actually you have a very long experience with psycho dogs, don't you? just remember Charlie...
It's not nice to speak ill of the dead! IAndi, I am having one hell of a time getting vacation approval for Christmas. I still don't know if they are going to let me go on the 22nd or not. (Their actual vacation is the first through the 8th of January, so I may wind up coming for New Year's instead. I'll keep you posted!
oh poor Charlie...I remember her/him? Don't tell Jeremy I can't remember the sex of his dog
suni, charlie was a she and she came straight from hell - may she rest in peace!
and Jen, we are happy whenever you show up, you know that! I just don#t want you to be all by yourself at Christmas but be with your family!
thanks Andi...
I can always depend on you for my memory...When are you coming to San Francisco.....I miss you!
Suni!
I can't believe you! Charlie was a great dog, and SHE is looking angrily at you from doggie heaven (because ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, DAMNIT)
Cheers,
Jeremy
to Suni: I'll probably be in San Francisco next year and tehn we can celebrate our 10th anniversary ... do you want me to bring Markus ;)?
to Jeremy: I agree, ALL dogs go to haven, ALL but one ...
ok...Jeremy...I am sorry, and no worries, I only hope i am lucky enough to go to doggie heaven myself....
and Andi, very fucking funny, can't a person live anything down in this life....but seriously, if you are in San Fran definitely get in touch...
I have to tell you that the exchange between Andi, Suni and Jeremy absolutely made me crack up! It reminded me of the stupid repartee and hurling of insults that goes on when we are all together. Suni, sorry about the painful reference to big Markus, but that was the funniest of all!!! I love you guys!
Jennifer
yeah, well that's cuz you are a rabble rouser, always have been, always will be...and as far as the flinging of insults...Jeremy of course, unjustly but not surprisingly accused me first, when all along it was Andi criticizing poor sweet Charlie...so there it is, and that's my last word on the subject, including big Markus!!!and you can all bite me!
Deno would understand but he never checks in anymore ):
Happy Belated Birthday Deno!!!!!!!!!!!xoxo
For the record, we are all rabble rousers! And Dean would take your side because he always does!!!!! He has some kind of misguided hero-worship thing going with you. Poor deluded man... I don't think he knew he was getting two for the price of one when he married me!
Honey, I fully understand and I'm on your side totally...............what were we talking about???? Hello everyone, the reason I haven't checked in for a while is that I've been off from work ALL WEEK and am just now beginning to get chilled out from the corporate nightmare that Dillard's has become.
(Suni, I need your formula for FU money)........also, I always knew Charlie (short for Charlamaine) was a girl............and I was never that attracted to big Markus anyway - although now facinated by why we call him "big" Markus - - - - - - -
Agree with Jennifer about the banter, sounds about normal to me.
During my absence I have had the house painted, put in a big ass television in the living room, rearranged the mancave yet once again, moved the home office up to the bedroom, played in golf tournaments and invested heavily in the following companies:
Anheiser Busch, Captain Morgan rums, Cruzan rums (vanilla - yum),
Heiniken (because that little mini keg thing ROCKS!), Sam Adams, Fat Tire, Jose Cuervo, and of course Procecco and Lemoncella.
(I am not an alcoholic, Alcoholics go to meetings!)
Anyway, just thought I would check in to see how everyone is doing - Later.
I am just so relieved, Deno, that you can finally buy all that at Sam's again ...
Hey Jen, by the way, thanks for putting me on and your taking your husband off - that was really sweet of you. I owe you one for that!
Deno - did my Grey's anatomy DVD ever come in from Amazon???
and just for the record:
big Marcus means blond Marcus, blond, tall Marcus who rode to Gainesville with us and who Suni wanted to ... - remember him, Deno?
do not to confuse him wiht Markus, you know, dark-haired Markus, Margie's Markus;
or with Markus like Xandi's brother Markus, you see?
it is like with the Wolfis, broken-leg wolfi, dentist-wolfi, wolfi-wolfi ...
do I have to say more?
Deno, Jennifer and Andi,
first Deno, you...you...you...finally bought that damn TV...I am so jealous..and I want to rent Fantasia and watch in on the big screen...just got back from Disneyland today and gotta tell you it was incredible! if you are talking about franchise and uncollectibles..PG&E allocates cates .0000125 of ratepayer money to cover the shortfall...
Andi...just for the record...my riding skills have developed quite nicely over the years.....no need for anymore humiliating big M. remarks...
and Jenn...hope you are still hanging strong, but I know you are...GOD how I miss you guys!!!!
xoxo Suni
oh and Jenn....I hope we are not scaring off your more refined and well-adjusted friends from this board.
Don't worry! You lunatics are part of the package. Keep up the good work giving each other hell in my absence. I am looking forward to getting to do this in person at some point in the next year. Right now it looks like I will be able to come home the last few days of April and the first few days of May.
Hey Jennifer!
Looks like things are going well. Sorry to hear about your GI dilemmas earlier. We miss you at the Art Center...We'll have a party at my house when you get back! Also, thank you so much for the shelving you gave me. I'm hoping it'll go in my studio someday. Enjoy your blog!
DAveO
OK, with that explaination of Wulfies and Markuses, I think my head just exploded............. Andi, Grey's Anatomy did arrive and I will be shipping it to you later this week.
Suni, bring any video you want, the entire corner of the living room is now a video screen. (And I generally scare off any well adjusted people that start hanging around anyway, so not to worry) I hang wit da crazies!
LOVE EVERYONE
now wait a minute! Suni, I had no idea you were so deep into riding! I had no idea you had a horse! congratulations to you! and talking about big Markus, I just thought you had really wanted to get to know him better, because he is so much fun to talk to. I have no idea if he s into riding to - you want me to go ahead and ask him? well, at least he has a 1-year-old son ...
sorry Suni, but that was jst too good at the time!!!
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