Second Saturday in Moldova

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Hello Friends and Familiy --

Wendy here. Yep, you guessed it, we're back at our Internet place. Today we tried a different cafe and I ordered a dish that showed up as veal cutlet covered in onion and mushrooms. Pretty tasty. Adrienne's was a chicken skewer with vegetables that was wrapped in an egg omelette-y looking thing. Unusual to see, but tasty.

We now feel qualified to write a book called "Moldova on $5 a Day" but feel no one would really want to buy it. After one week here, we counted our money and have spent a whopping $50 each.

By now we've had three days with our new group of orphans, and we've observed a few things going on with them. There are four orphans in this group who are singled out each day to go play with a woman who we think is an occupational therapist, or something. The four that she takes away in pairs are the ones we consider to be 'high potential" -- the ones who appear to be the brightest, most socialized, and the most adoptable.

We also seem to have won over their Russian caretaker, Maria. Yesterday, in her ever-present babushka, we asked if we could take a photo. Instead of just nodding 'yes' or 'no,' Maria raised her hand to smooth out her hair and smiled as her response, then gathered the children around her. We didn't mention that this wasn't the photo we had planned, but we took it nevertheless.

What we wanted to photograph was the children ... Adrienne had brought many photographs from many of you readers -- photos of children, flowers, Disney World, etc. -- and after having distributed them, the children were studying them closely and using them as trading cards. Adrienne took some prize-winning photos. I hope we can get these up soon so you can see them; they are amazing.

Today there was a different caretaker with the group -- Mama Elena. Not only did she support our being there, but she actually got up off her feet, organized the children in a circle, and played with us and them. It is clear that the children love her as they kept throwing the ball to her, even more than they threw the ball to us.

Other winning games today were "Ring Around the Rosey" and "London Bridge."

Yesterday was a bonus, as our group was positioned close to the Down's kids, so we mixed things up a bit -- with great success. I'm sure Adrienne will blog about this.

Keep your messages coming. We enjoy them, and it brings us closer to home while we sit pondering our next bath, or dreading our next pit stop.

Cheers,
W.

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Comments

[MJ]

Black Bras
Wendy, European women are such fashion mavens, you should buy up as many as possible and bring them back. Picture it, a store in West Lake Hills called "Moldova Chic" filled with the very clothing you see in the streets. And you could run sales on babushkas! Be safe and don't drink the wate!!! Love MJ

[John Logan]

Good for y'all!
It sounds like you are having a great time with the kids. Your book sounds like a great adventure story and I'm glad to be reading it as it happens. What is the weather like there? Humid? Hot? Is the terrain green or rocky? I hope you continue having an enjoyable time. I look forward to hearing about the details....

[Wendy and Adrienne]

It's hot hot hot
It is quite hot here -- 104 degrees F yesterday and not an AC in sight. Our host barely slept at all, but it takes more than heat to keep us from sleeping. It is a bit humid here. The terrain is green, and it's fruit season. There are watermelons, plums, and all kinds of fruit to enjoy, though I understand they are loaded with pesticides. Oh well, for three weeks -- who cares? They are juicy and delicioso!