Euro Alyssa

Love Moldova

2006-07-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

Moldova has treated us well. We were very happy to be back after a somewhat trying journey from Odessa, through the separtist state of Transdniestr. For such a small area, they have plenty of border guards, as well as tanks and who knows what else camouflaged on the side of the road. After holding up the bus for perhaps half an hour and being told "big trouble for you" about 50 times, we gave in, payed them around $15, and were on our way. Staying positive, we decided it was a fair price for the story and a short tour on the bus through the major city Tiraspol. We had one Lenin monument sighting, and saw many soldiers and communist blocks.

We have easily fallen back into our routine at the center. Many good oppertunities to photograph and a nice session recording and spending time with the man who plays the accordian. With a little arm twisting from Alex, I was also able to get Vanja to do an interview with some good information and stories. We have been spending most of our 'work' time trying to complete painting the fence before we leave. This has become more of a struggle recently because it has been raining off and on for days on end and it is predicted to go on this way through Wednesday. What did happen to that umbrella? hmmm

Yesterday we piled onto a muchutka, mini bus, along with about ten other staff people from the center for a day trip to two monasteries north of Straseni. Our first stop was the Tipova Monastery, Eastern Europe's largest cave monastary which dates from the 10th to 12th century. It was fairly run down, with lots of graffitti, but fun to climb through and in a beautiful location, right on the edge of the Dniestr river. We also went to a short part of an Orthodox service in the town's cathedral. I had to borrow Alex's O's cap because covered heads for woman were a must.

We then went to the Orthodox Sharna Monastery in the town of Rezina, also near the river. They had packed a nice and very filling picnic lunch, which was a nice surprise. The churches were all very ornatate, with tons of idols and lots of ritual. We saw a ceremony where two cars were being blessed with holy water. There was also a nice park and we hiked to a cool waterfall. It was fun to be with locals and it was an enjoyable day trip.

Odessa

2006-07-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

After somewhat of a rough start, our excursion to Odessa has turned out fairly sucessful. We were looking forward to some quality beach time so that is the first thing we did yesterday. The beaches are a little outside of the downtown, so we caught a very crowded cable car to Arkadiya beach. It is also the area where there are many night clubs and resaurants overlooking the Black Sea. Imagine the beach pictured here but about 50 time more crowded. We walked around for a while trying to find the perfect beach. Many of the beaches are artificially created, with shipped in sand, and are either private or have an entry fee. We checked out one free section that was all rocks and glass and decided against it, finally winding up at a very narrow and very packed strip that seemed fairly clean. Most of the men were dresses in spedos, kids were generally naked or topless, and there were quite a few old, fat woman in next to nothing. We also heard mixed reports about the quality of the water, some people claiming it was full of sewage. It was an experience and I would have happily gone back today if it weren't for the fact that we got a little too much sun.

We have met some nice guys at the hosel, an American and three Brits who are travelling together, and today we tagged along on a trip to the Catacombs. The tour was given in Russian so I can't tell you too much about their history, other than the fact that they were used by the Soviets during WWII. It was a good time anyway, and we had some laughs and told a few ghost stories.

When we got back we went to get our bus tickets back to Chisinau. We were standing in the station completely overwhelmed, not being able to decifer anything in cyrrilic, when we lucked out and ran into a girl we had met in the hostel who spoke Russian. After obtaining the tickets, we treated her to lunch (pizza for the third time in Odessa, ugh). After a short rest, we went out for tea and walked around the city for a while. Beautiful! Too many rich Russian and Ukranian tourists for my taste though.

Sweet

2006-07-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Interview Turned Sing Along

2006-07-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today was the first big group event we have experienced at the center and we were front and center. Anton, the teenager who speaks english, acted as translater and all the seniors (about 30) gathered around and took a seat. We introduced ourselves and told them about Baltimore and America. We also complimented Moldova, the people here, and the center.

We then asked for questions about us or America. They were interested in the food grown in America, the animals raised, and if we have so and so bug that lives on this and that plant. We answered the best we could before Alex exclaimed, "we're from the city". That got a laugh all around. There were also a series of questions about our grandparents and if they lived with us. They were perhaps unhappy to hear that families generally do not live all together. The 'grannies', as Anton calls them, were excited to hear that Alex's grandmother was from Ukraine. One then asked Alex to talk to then in Ukraine, and asked why his grandmother had not taught him.

Things were slowing down, when the granny who speaks english suggested that we sing them an American song. We did mediocre renditions of 'someone's in the kitchen with dina' and 'she'll be coming round the mountain' with a clap along. Luckily we had practiced singing these songs on the fourth. We then had them sing to us and they knew many beautiful traditional songs. Most of them knew the Russian songs, and a few of then sang songs in Moldovian. After the first two songs, I grabbed my recorder. People were singing until their lunchtime, and I recorded about 8 songs. We are also invited to their music school next week, where a grounp of them sing.

I have been keeping my art project / exhibition in mind and I think it will be great to have audio to accompany the photographs. Last weekend a got my first group of photographs developed in Chisinau. It was very cheap and the pictures look pretty good. Hopefully the negatives are in good shape, they didn't give me them in sleeves and unfortunately I didn't bring any with me.

2006-07-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Full 'o Cherries

For us, almost every day working at the center has meant a new cherry tree. Each tree, or grouping of trees, has its own character. This character is dependent not only on the shape and size of the trees but also on the experience of picking and the owner of the tree. I enjoy cherry picking because it allows us to visit Moldovan's gardens and homes. They welcome us to visit, as well as to take their fruit, always saying that they have too much. Here is a listing of the trees as I remember them:

1. Singe tree at the neighbor's house, located behind the center. Climbed through a back entrance in the fence and past the chicken coup. One middle aged man offered us a bench to stand on and some advise, then he went to do some other work outside. The man told us not to worry about dropped cherries because he will feed them to his chickens.

2. Grouping of three smallish trees located behind the house of the busy bee woman who lives at the center. One of the trees was perfect and you could almost reach the top with the ladder. The old woman picked rasberries in a small clearing behind the trees. I took two short videos of Alex picking cherries and her picking rasberries.

3. One very tall and skinny tree cramped between the house and the fence. Sasha gave us homemade black house wine in a juice bottle before we went in. Yum! There was only room for about two people to pick at a time. There was a big pile of sand in the road outside the fence. Bartek had to climb high in the tree and stay there in order to reach any good cherries. The old woman, who owns the tree and visits the center, kept telling us what to do and would randomly pull on the branches when we were up in the tree. There was a small dog named Julia that kept barking at us.

4. Large tree at the Baptist church. This may have been the best single tree that we picked from and we actually went back to pick there a second day. The tree grew over top of a well, a shed, and two stone walls that were convenient to climb on. Margaret, a woman who lives that the ceter, attends this church and came with us the first day. There were a lot of kids around both times, and at least one was the pastor's son. We played soccer with them.

5. Trees at the home of the man with no legs. One afternoon Veronica, the social worker at the center, took us here for a home visit. The man was around 50 years old, and lost his legs around a year ago when his car broke down and he was forced to walk very far in the snow. He has applied for aid from the government but has recieved none. He lives in a small, dirty room and has no way to get around. Neighbors have been helping him out and the center is considering having him move in, although he is not very old. He invited us to come back and pick his cherries the next day. There was one medium tree and two very small ones in the back of the yard. Alex was afraid of the loose turkeys attacking us and the Poles found garlic planted and brought one clump back with us.

6. Series of trees by the fence of the Babushka with the 10 year old grandaughter. A Moldovan teenager accompanied us on this picking. His father, who knows Didi from putting in the heating a the center, brought him so that he could have something to do over his summer break and practice his English. He spoke great english and was kind enough to translate a lot for us, so that we could talk to the older woman. We found out that she is originally from Kiev and would love to go back but she has no money. After her husband, who was Moldovan, died she sold the car and saved the money. When the banks went under, she lost all of that money. Her grandniece lives with her because she is an orphan. The girl is full of energy and sometimes a trouble maker, but is also a very good student. She also has a twin sister who lives in another village with some other relative. Their home and garden were very beautiful and well maintained. While we were there she had us saw off the top of the biggest cherry tree, so the one next to it could have more sun. Quite exciting.

7. Not a cherry tree, but one day we picked flowers that are used to make tea from a large tree in the children's park. We had to use a very tall ladder because the tree was much larger. There were ton's of kids in some kind of loose day care that we tried to entertain and interact with.

In short, we are cherry crazy. Alex claims that when he shuts his eyes at night, he sees cherries. His hand reaches, as he passes over those that are rotten or not ripe, and reaches for the biggest, reddest one of the bunch.

2006-06-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

Death and Love

Death

On Monday the center took in a small puppy that was a stray and very weak. We learned that they have taken in hundreds of dogs over the past years who they feed and treat, and then find a home for. Now people around the town know of this and they will leave sickly strays outside their gates. I found this all very positive, and was looking forward to seeing this small pup grow and gain strength over our stay. However, in the following days the puppy became more and more lethargic and sickly. By Wednesday, there were flies buzzing around and landing on the puppy and it could not walk. That afternoon they took it to the vet, and after giving it a few shots it passed away. The other volunteers were critical that the center did not give enough care to the puppy soon enough, but I guess that is the fate of many strays.

Another death has occured, though not in the same sense. That is the death of couchsurfing, a worldwide network of cultural exchange and free hosting, which had become very important to me over the past month. On Wednesday the network crashed and today we found a message saying that it was a "perfect storm" and that couchsurfing no longer exists. This is sad both because I no longer have a way to contact the people we have met so far on our journey, and because of all the future oppertunities and possibilites this site offered.

Love

Today we were able to attend a poetry reading in Chisinau. As we were walking in the park with Vanja, several college age guys approached us and handed us a flier with a poem. It was in Romanian but we were informed it was about love and friendship. They were organizing a poetry reading by a young Moldovan poet at the fountain in the center of the park. Their goal was to spread poetry, culture, and the arts, to the Moldova people. We all found this a wonderful pursuit and decided to attend. Their was only a small crowd but Vanja invited them to visit and perform at the center. Hopefully this will work out.

2006-06-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

These photos are from our time in the Czech Republic. I have not been able to upload digital images recently, but hopefully I will be able to do this at the center's computer sometime soon. Enjoy!

2006-06-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Fruit and Photo

Another pleasant day at the center. This morning we began by picking spinach out of the center's garden. Then we ventured over to the next door neighbor's to pick as many cherries as we could off of his sour cherry tree. We spent a couple of enjoyable hours climbing around and grabbing handfuls. We filled about three buckets and ate a few as well. Tomorrow we will go to pick at another neighbors tree.

Vanya grabbed me when we returned and gave me a bit of a pep talk to start photographing, assuring me that the seniors respond very positively to having their photo taken. I was worried that they would be scared or take offense. I began and found that she was right. When I went up to them, smiled and asked photograph, they sat up a bit staighter and seemed pleased and proud. Perhaps it makes them feel valuable and important. I just hope they don't get tired of it! I look forward to getting the roll from today, as well as about 3 others I have taken on the trip, developed this weekend in Chishinau. Hopefully it won't be too expensive.

2006-06-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Sunrise Center

Today was our first work day at the center and we looked to the two other volunteers to set the pace and instruct us. They are a fairly young couple from Poland who have been at the center for about a week and a half. One is a political science student and the other has been working and volunteering for various non profits for the past five years or more. They were at first not very friendly and have not spent much free time with us, however they were a joy to work with today. They are able to speak a good amount of Russian, and can relate to the Moldovans more easily because of similarities in their language and history.

The schedule for the day was as follows:
8:00 Wake
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Sand and paint fence
12:00 Sit on the porch and chat / play with the dogs
2:00 Staff Lunch
3:00 Weed and paint fence
5:30 Shower
6:00 Read and studied some Romanian
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Walk to town and internet
9:00 Games or movie
11:30 Bed

The center is very laid back and fairly relaxing. The only challenge may be to keep entertained and busy. Volunteers must be self motivated and self directed because Vanya, the director, spends the day in the office and is not around much to supervise. The entertainment for the day was mainly talking to the center's driver, Sasha, and playing around with the dogs. Sasha, a nickname Russian for Alexander, speaks broken English and is very much the typical guy, into cars and porno. We had lots of laughs trying to understand each other, and talking about his idea of America. There are four dogs, all mutts, and today another sickly stray puppy wandered in and we adopted it.

We have had some interaction with the elderly, but it is somewhat limited because of the language barrier. We say hello to them in Romanian and we are picking up a few other things. Mostly alot of smiling. Last night I had a cool experience with two of the beneficiaries who live at the center. They were sitting outside and this little blind man was playing traditional songs on an accordian, while the woman sang along at times. It was nice to sit down with then and enjoy the evening. I really want to photograph, and I took a few pictures last night, but I still feel a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps by next week they will know me, and I can take some portraits.

2006-06-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

Straseni Conditions

Straseni, along with the rest of Moldova, has a decining population due to the lack of jobs and poor living conditions. Currently one forth of the population is living abroad. The streets of Staseni were once paved, probably in the 1970s by the Soviet Union. Now, however, they are mostly rubble and yesterday a short heavy rain turned them into rivers and then mud flats.

There is no running water in most of the town and the water they do get is full of nutrients and sulfer. The pipes are laid but the city rarely turns the water on, I guess due to epense. When they do, people fill their bath tubs with this black water so that they can use the tiolet and for other needs. Luckily the center has its own water system, including hot water and one tap in the kitchen with a purifier for clean drinking and cooking water.

This morning we attended a market in the town, accross the train tracks. People seemed to flock from all around. There was a constant flow of people coming and going. There was a wide variety of things for sale from mechanical parts, to toiletries, to heaps of cherries and rasberries that made my mouth water. One day this week Alex and I are going to go pick cherries for the center to can and cook. Vanja assured us that we would be able to eat as we go.

Last night after dinner we took a hike up the hill, through the mud and past many homes and gardens with cherry trees, grape vines, corn, and green beans. We pass many people on the roads of all ages, including kids playing (only two cars). At the top of the hill there was a great view of the whole town. Unfortunately too many mosquitos to linger.

2006-06-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

Grand Entry to Moldova

Last night we took the night train from Bucharest to Chishinau, which I had been dreading. I didn't know what to expect and I had heard some horror stories about being gased and robbed. As soon as we entered our 4 bed cabin I was greatly relieved. We shared our cabin with an American Peace Core worker who taught in another town outside of Chishinau. It was great hearing about her experiences in Moldova and getting a few tips. She also helped us communicate with the border guards and staff along the way. We were able to sit up, talk, play cards, and then sleep for most of the journey. The train does stop for three hours at the border to change wheels from western style to soviet style. Meanwhile the guards have time to be silly and act important, collecting our passports, looking over luggage, asking questions, returning several times (all at 3 - 5 am).

Vanya picked us up at the station and we took public transport to the center because their driver was sick. More of a hassle with the bags, but it was an interesting ride. Our first taste of Moldova. The center is in great condition with newly redone buildings and and a beautiful volunteer apartment. We had a shower, then a great first breakfast, then immediately after, lunch, with the company of Vanya and some of the elderly that live in the Rainbow senior apartments. Very good vegetarian food and we didn't even miss the garlic or onions.

Tomorrow we tour Chishinau, then I guess we will start to help. We are already thinking of things we could do to improve the garden and grounds. I can't wait to settle into the routine. For tonight, we will watch a movie at center.

2006-06-23T04:55:00.000-07:00

Alex's Blog

Just a reminder that Alex also has observations and often a more complete summary of the trip at alexinvadeseurope.blogspot.com. He also blogs occasionally on issues surrounding the trip, though he must not forget Baltimore politics, at baltimorewritersproject.com/blog. Enjoy!

2006-06-23T04:15:00.000-07:00

Bucharest and Travel Hassles

This is our third day in Bucharest and I don't have many good things to say about the city. It is dusty and hot, with lots of road and building construction. The overwhelming traffic is my biggest complaint, with tons of exhaust and very limited traffic lights. In order to cross the street you must just step out into the road and trust that the cars will put on their brakes (very scary). We also have been told about the difficulties of using public transport, so we have been walking everywhere! It is definately different from any of my past experiences and very eastern European. The people watching has probably been my favorite part.

We have really been making use of our map and guide book, and although we got very lost our first night here, yesterday we managed to navigate the city on foot. Obtaining the Moldovan visa was a whole day event but it went fairly smoothly considering the nightmare stories we heard. We decided to pay $15 extra (total $75) so that we could have two entries. This will allow us to leave the country and return if we decide to do a weekend trip in the middle of our stay. We have discussed going to Odesa, Ukraine which is located on the Black Sea and should be very nice. Swimming! The only problem with this is that we would have to take the train through Transnister, the separtist lawless region of Moldova.

Nothing with couchsurfers worked out here so I had my first hostel experience. It was very homey and a friendly environment. Our hostel, called the Funky Chicken, had character as well as clean sheets. There was a nice living room and an outdoor courtyard. My complaints are just the lack of space and privacy. The bunk bed was kind of uncomfortable and people did not go to sleep until late, so it was kind of like camping... hard to sleep the first night, but by the second you are so tired that you're out.

2006-06-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Travelers!

2006-06-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

Vienna and More Couchsurfing

We have been in Vienna since Saturday night, after taking a fairly smooth train ride through a thunder storm. I have enjoyed the train so far but they tend to run late, and this one just randomly stopped for an hour. Our second couchsurfer host met us at the station. He has been pretty good but definately a change after our last host Ray. Ray was an expatriot from San Francisco and very easy to relate to, while Stefan is Vienna all the way. He lives in the same house that he was born, in the 10th district, and hopes to get the house from his parent and continue to live there. The house has 4 floors and he has about half of a floor, as well as sharing his parents bath and kitchen. His sister's family and some other family friends live on the other floors. His parents live in a second home in another district outside of Vienna. We have not seen them but it is interesting to see a typical family structure.

Sunday we walked around the city center and saw most of the tourist spots. Vienna is more modern, with some larger building and wider streets. I think I prefer Prague because it seemed less American, seemed to have more interesting streets and architecture, and more of an atmosphere. The food in Vienna and people have been nice though. My favorite meal here was this pancake dish filled with great cheese, nuts, and vegetables. The city is amazingly safe, as most of the places over here are. People from Vienna call the neighborhood we are staying in 'the ghetto' but it is bussling with shops and free of danger. The only reason they label it in this way is because of all the foreigners. We see lots of muslims, women in veils, unlike anywhere we saw in Prague.

Last night we went over to this girl Susi's house for a great homemade Austrian dinner. I met her on couchsurfing as well, and we had a fun time eating, drinking wine, and talking with her and her friend Max. They were both originally from a small town in Lower Austria but are studying and living in Vienna. We share similar views on music, politics, and religion, and got along very well. We may meet up with them again tonight.

2006-06-16T05:31:00.000-07:00

Night Life

After being here for almost a month, Alex has discovered quite a few of the hot spots around Prague. Most of them he found on expatriot websites, so they are filled with English speaking hipsters. Last night we went to a Brit pop/ Indie dance party. It was located in a basement with an arched stone ceiling, great lighting, comfortable mix matched couches, a bar tender in his underwear, and a small dance floor. The beers in Prague are almost all 1/2 liters and sell for one to two dollars! They also put American beer to shame as far as taste. We will be spoiled by the time we return.

2006-06-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

Kids watch an amature football game in Wencenlas Square. Football is huge here and the World Cup is on every TV. On Monday evening we watched the Czech vs. US game on two huge screens which are permenently set up outside in Old Town square for the duration of the World Cup. Lots of fans waving Czech flags and drinking beer but nothing too wild.

2006-06-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

Prague is an amazingly functional city after coming from Baltimore. There is great public transportation, both a metro and trams. There are an amazing number of pubs, cafes, and stores of all kinds that all seem to be doing good bussiness. The streets are very clean and as far as crime all you have to worry about is pick pockets. It is very walkable because you know you arn't going to end up in an unsafe area.

2006-06-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Pruhonice

Yesterday we went on an outing to a town just outside Prague, where Alex had spent several nights before I arrived. He didn't speak too highly of it, probably because he is not a fan of suburbs, but I thought it was quite lovely.

We took a hike to a lake in a well maintained park, which reminded us of Loch Raven. I was excited to see that there were people swimming because I had been itching to take a dip that morning. I was only wearing my bathing suit top so I had to be inventive. I ended up muddy, wet and a little embarished but it was definately worth it.

We then walked to the castle grounds, approaching the castle from behind. Picture perfect views and not another tourist in sight.

2006-06-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

Czech Dining

Almost every meal so far has been quite satisfying. The only mishap occurred when I made some guesses and we ended up with a pizza and salad covered with meat. Luckily most menus have English translations. Pizza is popular and is similar to American but with a very thin crust. Eggs are everywhere and are a common topping for pizzas and sandwiches. Bagettis with cheese and eggs or tomatoes are a good lunch. The breads are amazing, dark and full of grains. As far as vegetarian pub food there is fried cheese, which comes in a breaded pattie with potatoes or fries on the side. It is actually very good and not too greasy. There is also great Chinese food, out doing many places in Baltimore, at good prices. A meal for two usually costs us about 4 to 7 dollars. I'll have to do another post just on the beer and coffee, but that is enough for now.

2006-06-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

Kutna Hora

Yesterday we took the train from the main station in Prague to Kutna Hora, a town about an hour east of the city. It was originally a mining town, which made coins. It is most famous for a this church decorated with human bones. Quite twisted and morbid. It was rather small inside and all in all I was not that impressed. Lots of skulls stacked in pyramids but the most original part was a coat of arms made from a wide variety of bones, from teeth to tail bones. The coat of arms demanded some creativity, and some of the bones were carved to create birds and small figures.

More enjoyable was walking around the town itself, set on a hill side. Narrow stone paved streets and beautiful views over the town and countryside. We did a lot of walking and rested at what Alex claims is the best coffee house find so far. It was decorated with lots of floral prints, yellow walls, and old photographs and prints.