Another Happy Birthday and some fashion statements

It's a slow Sunday afternoon here in the village, and I am wishing that I could be sharing another birthday, this one with my friend, Bob, and also, my nephew, Dustin who is having a birthday on Tuesday. Have a great day, and know that I am missing you! Since I last wrote, I have gone to Stefan Voda on Thursday afternoon, and Friday I went into Chisinau. I met some friends and we had a mini-reunion of the training group from our village, five out of six of us, without Veronica. It was nice to go into Chisinau this time, I think the pace was better, or I was in a better mood, or something. When I got to the PC office, I had 5(!!) letters, so that alone improved my mood considerably. I took a nice, long, hot shower (!!!) and then went out for lunch with my friend, Teresa, to a fancy Uzbek restaurant. I was thinking of and missing Betsy and Momen while wondering how authentic the food was, but it was nice to have a nice lunch and visit with Teresa. In the late afternoon, all five of us headed to Magdacesti to visit and get together. It was so nice to see Maria and the girls, and we had a quick dinner, and then gathered at the "Church Bar" for an evening of fun. This bar has an Icon of Jesus on the Cross in the front yard, hence the reference. I wasn't out very long, because the day started for me at 4 am to get into Chisinau, and I didn't want to drink much. Yesterday morning, I got up early, visited with Maria, ate a huge breakfast of fried fish and fruit, and headed back into the city. I hung out at the PC office for a while, and then headed back to the village on the 1 pm bus. Along the way, there was some problem with the bus and we all had to get off and wait by the side of the road for about 20 minutes while the men on the bus jacked it up and were looking underneath. With nothing visible changing from my perspective, and little command of the language, I am not sure what they were doing, or how whatever it was that was causing the problem was resolved, but we were back on the road and home only a few minutes late. I'm glad it was August, and not January!

So, here is some commentary on fashion in Moldova. Anyone who knows me, knows that I do not care much about fashion. I like comfort over beauty, and that alone is enough to make me stand out in Moldova, where the sparklier, the tackier, the better! I have been surprised by some things that I have seen people wearing: Lots and lots of men of all ages in capri pants, with socks and sandals, man purses (lots of them), grown men wearing Tee shirts that say "Super Boy" (Who is Super Boy??) and today at the Piata I saw a toddler wearing a Tee shirt that said "Southern girls like slow, wet kisses" I know that people don't necessarily know what things say, but who makes these things? Men wear shoes that are very long in the toes, and in my opinion, not attractive at all, but they do make their feet look bigger, if that is the look they are going for. (You know what they say about big feet!) Women prefer anything with sparkles, glitter, lace, and short, (dresses and shorts) and the older women wear bathrobes as coats in the winter time. Eggplant is a favorite hair color, that lovely maroon tint looking not one bit natural. I know the questioning of sense of fashion is reciprocated by the looks I get for the hiking shoes I wear, and maybe some other things. Women especially, look at my feet and my shoes like I have just stepped off a space ship, and sometimes I feel like I have!

It is true everywhere in the world, I think, that summer goes by too fast. The days are noticeably shorter, the mornings just a little cooler, and a touch of Autumn is in the air. My mom wrote and said that I was nearly 1/4 of the way through. Math is not my strongest subject, but I do know that it is only 1/8 of the service time that is completed. Thanks for the optimism, it is appreciated! I do try and make everyday meaningful, even when I just want to be home. I know I will do good things here and that this is a good thing to be doing. That doesn't mean I don't miss you all everyday.