I am finally doing what I came here to do... teach!!!!! It has been a difficult time the past few weeks with packing up all of my things, meeting another family and trying to figure out their routines and habits, meeting my colleagues at the university, etc. I think part of my problem when I first got to Cahul was that I had too much time on my hands. I had almost two weeks before the term started when I couldn't start on my lesson plans because I had no idea what I was teaching, but I really didn't have much else to do either. (Those of you who know me well will know that the worst possible situation I can be in is one where I am bored!) Know I am in the full swing of teaching at the university here, I have some amazing students, and I am working really hard to plan well, to have interesting and relevent lessons/lectures, etc. I REALLY like the university here, and it is a novel and interesting idea to find myself standing in front of a group of students that really want to learn what I am teaching. This is going to make it very difficult to go back to teaching high school in America.... Jim, save me a spot at the university! I like it, I like it!
I am also lucky enough to have some amazing site mates. I have interesting things in common with both of them. Liza is working with the Pro Europa Center as a community developer. From what I understand so far she does translation and helps with grant writing. I only know a bit about the organization, but it looks like they are set up to encourage a more Western orientation for Moldova. (Looking toward Europe rather than Russia!) and they put together programs, social and business related, toward achieving that goal. I have briefly met some of the people in the organization and I am very impressed with what they have had to say. The "No Way!" connection I have with Liza is that she used to be an employee of good old Dillard's inc! She lived in Hillcrest and worked at corporate office with Dean about ten years ago. Sorry to say it wasn't her favorite job (go figure, Dean?) and she didn't live in Arkansas for a really long time, but kind of a weird thing. Michelle is my second site mate. She rocks!!!!! She introduced me to a great bar in town where the wine is in barrels and you order it by the pitcher. (People even come in with their own plastic bottles and have them filled there!) It is a dive by any standards, but a really fun one! There seem to be no women that go in there (we were the only ones and it was full!), but there are definitely some interesting characters there. On our first visit we met a man who proclaimed himself a Russian soldier that had just been in Iraq. After talking with us for a short time, he said that his job was to kill American soldiers in Iraq. (Keep in mind the language barriers we were facing. He spoke no Romanian, only Russian. We speak only Romanian and no Russian. Our conversation was a lot of hand gestures and a small amount of broken English on the soldier's part.) Needless to say we proudly proclaimed ourselves citizens of Canada and tried to encourage him to go back to his own table.
Thanks for keeping up with my adventures on the blog. I will try to figure out how to get pictures loaded some time soon and let you see some pictures of my new family and my new town. It is great down South!!!!!! Except for meetings and trainings, I don't have any need to leave here at all. We are all on what is called "lock down" right now, so we aren't allowed to travel anywhere in the first three months. It is designed to make us get involved in the community and to make us interact, but I know for people who live in very small towns it is very difficult. I am really lucky that I live in a small city with lots of shops, a few restaurants, etc. It makes life a lot easier!
For all of my wonderful friends starting the school year, I wish you the best of luck with your students and colleagues! For all of you folks with regular jobs, I wish you a swift end to summer in Arkansas, because I know how gross and hot it can be in September. Cooler weather is coming, along with the holidays. We are off lock down in the middle of November, so I plan to spend Christmas with my friends in Germany. (Andi, Susa.... Get ready!!! I am definitely going to be there to see you!) I am looking forward to indoor plumbing and lots of relaxing!!!!! Until then, I plan to work my butt off here and keep learning Romanian. Stay tuned for pictures....
Jennifer
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!)
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. 
