Moldova June

2 July...The morning after a perfect evening...I had my going away party celebrating my time in Chisinau last night. Life brings us all sorts of times...good ones, wonderful ones, bad ones, and most horrible ones; most are in-between. Last night was a perfect time--a combination of good friends, good food, and fun. We ate, we sang, we danced, we toasted, we conversed in English, Romanian, and Russian then we ate some more but it was one of those nights when you know that you are fully alive and can never forget.

Moldovans celebrate life well and it is a tradition that when you have a birthday or a good thing happen in your life that you invite your friends to an evening of merriment--and I like that idea. So I reserved a room in a traditional Moldovan restaurant and started inviting. I began to realize just what a spectacular event this has been for me when the guest list begins to grow. I wrote the invitation in English, Romanian, and Russian--just to keep all the bases covered. I admit that I had to get some help with the Romanian and basically Irina translated the invitation into Russian and then I cut and pasted each letter into the invitation. It really helped me with learning the Russian alphabet!

We had so much fun listening to traditional Moldovan music and then modern music and the food...oh, the food...there were placinte, sarmale, salads galore, mamaliga, roasted chicken, wine, more wine, juice, and a bottle of Transneistrian cognac. We had sang songs and then we danced in the traditional Moldovan circle. We had the kissing dance and young Valentin put us all to shame with his moves (and I think he got all the kisses). Toasts came one after another and since it was my party I got to make the first one and the last one!

And just so I remember everyone that was there to hear me get all teary there was:

From IRIM where I taught we had Doamna Veronica, Irina, Svetlana, and Doamna Cristina (who taught me Romanian).
From the Academy of Public Administration we had Christina and Sergiu.
From the EAC (Educational Advising Center) where I led English discussion groups we had Otilia, Angela, Corina, Eugen, and Valentin.
Marcela and Natalia from the State University.
Peace Corps--Josh and Molly.
John from the Embassy.
My fellow Fulbrighters Tricia, Ryan, and Allison.
Steven and Karen the new Knight Fellows.
Ira and Adrianna just wonderful new friends!

Just before my final toast, I put on my new Moldovan shirt, saying that it is often the custom in American universities that faculty that have spent time abroad will dress in native costumes and that now I had two hallmarks of an American academic--a doctoral robe and a Moldovan shirt and that they both had very special meaning to me.

I went on to toast my time in Moldova by thanking all the people both here and in the States that made this experience possible--the folks at the State Department, CIES, Georgia College & State University, Mercer, Lee for keeping the bills paid, and everyone else that has contributed to this experience for me. It has been a mind-opening and amazing experience for me. I ended my toast in Romanian by saying:

Este un placere pentru mine a fost în Moldova. Moldova este o ţara foarte frumos şi intersant. Dar este oameni de Moldova cu este mai mult impressive. Un parte de inima meă este în Moldova întotdeaună.

Translation--> It has been a pleasure for me to be in Moldova. It is a very beautiful and interesting country but it is the people that made the biggest impression on me. A part of my heart will always be in Moldova.

And a part of me will be here as much as Moldova will continue to shape me intellectually and emotionally for as long as I live. My time here has been far more a joy than a hardship--I have met and supped with wonderful people who welcomed me warmly and I will always be looking forward to finding my way back this way again