A quickie before vacation

This is gonna be a short post. I am trying to get everything in order for my trip but wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!! Hope your Christmas was great.

I spent my first Moldovan Christmas with some fellow volunteers in a town called Balti (sounds like Beltz). There were5 of us who stayed at a volunteer who lives there Cristine! We all got in on Thursday (Christmas Eve) and enjoyed some fun beverages and super yummy nachos!! The next morning (Christmas Day) we made pancakes and omelettes while we enjoyed more fun beverages and coffee. The day was filled with building a Gingerbread Cookie House (I have included a link to my Facebook photo album so you can see the progress!) Later we had dinner which was roasted chicken, baked potatoes, carrots with Ranch dressing, stuffing and a black currant sauce. It was FABULOUS!! And a lot of fun to make because we all had a hand in making it. For dessert, we decorated sugar cookies!! By now I am sure you have noticed a theme of food in how I describe my Christmas. This would be because it has been awhile since I've had more traditional American food and awhile since I've helped prepare it. It felt a lot like Christmas because I spent most of my day in the kitchen helping and having a lot of laughs with people I love!

As I have stated in previous posts I was concerned about being really homesick and missing the holidays with my family and friends. While I did get a little homesick and I certainly missed spending the holidays with family, I was happy that I was able to have such a wonderful first Christmas here in Moldova with my new volunteer family!

Happy holidays! Spain here I come for New Years!!

Check out the pictures and some videos (but you will need to have a Facebook account for the videos. I will try to reload those later-sorry)

First Moldovan Christmas

Traditional Moldovan Christmas Song that two of my students sang for me so I could share it with all of you.

How to make it snow on a Gingerbread house

Fun in the kitchen while we make Christmas dinner

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Here are some pics of the snow we just got (and its still coming down as I type!!)

In the morning, took a ruler to measure what had fallen during the night...it had almost doubled by the time I got home from school. Its a little hard to read, but the snow is at the 5" mark.

Our garden

A fountain in the center of town

One of my roads to school

Snow is definitely for kids...they were giddy with it all day!

The view of the front walkway from my classroom window

Its (finally) beginning to feel a little like Christmas

I was talking to a fellow volunteer over the weekend about the fact that I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner. Thanksgiving came and went as if it was just another Thursday. In fact, Thanksgiving Day was just another Thursday here in Moldova with the exception of a few Happy Turkey Day texts from other volunteers. The nice part was the weekend that followed and being able to celebrate.

But it still doesn't feel like the holiday season. My friend and I talked about this, there is no planning among the family to decide who is making what food for Christmas day, no secret santa, no holiday music on the radio, no clay-mation tv shows on the television

(Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman...), no A Charlie Brown Christmas (but at least I have A Christmas Story that I can watch all day on the 25th!!) Also, there is no frantic holiday shopping and I haven't seen an increase in traffic (like we get in the States). At the time of this discussion, I knew there was something else that was missing but couldn't figure it out.

It came to me while I was sitting on the bus from Chisinau to Floresti. We drove past a building that had a string of lights along the roof. It hit me....none of the houses are lit up. There are no Christmas light tours in neighborhoods where the whole block has coordinated their Christmas decorations. I think of everything I am missing about the holidays at home (although I don't miss the frantic shopping and traffic) I miss the lights the most!! To me it always made this time of year a little more magical and shiny.

It was nice to sit and listen to the Rat Pack sing some Christmas music at Dan's house over the weekend and that got me into the Christmas mood. Some volunteers are going to come to my house in Floresti on December 24th so at least I will be with friends on Christmas day. And (thanks to my cousins in Texas for sending me a box of goodies) we will be making a Ginger Bread Cookie house!

Who knows, since this is my first Christmas away from home and seeing that the weather has been turning tragically cold lately, maybe this will also be my first White Christmas!

Waking up to snow

I woke up this morning like any other morning and followed my routine... shower, dress, do something with my hair, throw on a little makeup, go to the kitchen, look out the window to see what the weather looks like, get some cof....whoa,wait, back up WHAT IS ALL THAT WHITE STUFF ON THE GROUND?!?!?!? Oh, its snow!! Oh, its snow (picture me excited, then concerned about my walk to work). Yes kids, today 9 December 2009 was the first day (since my arrival) that it has snowed in Floresti. Now granted, 1 November we did have a few little flecks of snow, but it never stuck and only came down for about 5 minutes so I don't really count that.

The walk to school wasn't bad other than being really cold (although the walk home was even more cold). The snow was really a lite dusting, but enough to write my name on the table in the snow and to stay for several hours on the ground, cars, trees and houses. I like the idea of snow, but I am not sure I will like/enjoy the reality of it haha Well, at least I know that winter is getting ready to join me here in Moldova. Glad I have plenty of layers to wear and got my boots that my parents sent.

Notice the frost on the shirt that was drying on the line.

Our garden with a side of snow