Anul Nou (New Year) / Crăciun (Christmas)

I finally made it to Bălți (the 2nd biggest city behind Chișinău)! Here is the center.

The Mayor's office.

Then I went to Soroca for New Year's.

The Mayor's office.

At midnight we danced the hora (with everyone else), but didn't stay out too long cuz it was coooooooooooold!!

Christmas in Moldova!

On Christmas Eve, some fellow PCVs and i rented an apt. and made a "traditional" Christmas meal with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (Rosie's mom sent from 'Merica), dressing (also sent from the Homeland), and rotisserie chicken. It was delicious! 

Me, Nate, & Rosie.

Nate, Rosie, and Scott.

The next day, on actual Christmas, we had more people over and made Mexican food. 4 people got stuck in the elevator for an hour with half the food! We had to call the apt. lady who called the repair guy who came and fixed it.

While we were waiting for the rest of the food, we ate guac & chips (avocados are expensive here, so it was a nice treat)!

Nate took the above photo, but i didn't want to leave him out! He's trying to make my hair into a fro (as can be seen in the 1st photo), but i had washed it that day, so no fro, yo. I was pushing him away cuz my hair only stays clean for like 12 hrs and i didn't want him messing it up!...Get back to your hookah and leave me alone! ;op

Maratonul de Crăciun (Christmas Marathon...really, only a 3k)

There was a 3k "fun run" in Chișinău to kick off the Christmas season. You were supposed to come in costume, so, as the good PCVs we are, we did! We dressed up as Santa and his reindeer. We ended up with exactly the perfect amount of people we needed for Santa and all 9 reindeer (including Rudolph). It was sooooooooo fun! We actually tethered ourselves together and sang carols the whole way! :oD

Top-to-bottom, left-to-right: Cat, Sandra, Jessica, me, SHam, Chelsea, Miki, Olivia, Kirsten, Sarah, and Rochelle...a mixture of M29s and M30s...YAY!

Yes, those are leopard print leggings (my host dad bought them for me for my birthday last year, and i finally found the perfect occasion to wear them!) i'm wearing with a furry top (that i got from China) and black rubber boots (my hooves...duh)...i was reindeer committed! 

Don't know who the dude on the far right is...?

We were given these FedEx boxes at the beginning of the race to pick up free gifts along the way. At the end, we were given covrigi (pretzels) on strings as "medals"...pretty dang cute. ;o]

Before the race started we were given Santa hats (which we obviously couldn't wear with our antlers) and hot tea! YUM!

We named ourselves each of the reindeer...i was Vixen. ;op

We even got a diploma for finishing the race! Moldovans love their diplomas!

Here's all the goodies we picked up along the way in our FedEx boxes! - ice cream cone bubbles (for the kids), tea, free McDonald's coffee, notepad, pen, pencil, apple, gingerbread cookies, a toy horse, sparklers, and discounts for various places, including FedEx, of course.

And a Happy New Year

Hello, 2016! This year will start in Malawi for me and end in the good old US of A. It's kinda hard to believe.

New Years Eve in the village is like a big party. There was music late into the night, and people were out and about, laughing and talking into the wee hours.

When the kids came by this morning, we all wished each other a Happy New Year in English, and talked about our Christmases. Then we decorated a little  Christmas tree, since I didn't have time to do it before I left for the holiday. They got a little carried away with the stickers.

Then we collected fallen mangos, practiced some English vocabulary with the flash cards I made, and I gave then some biscuits. Cuz it's a holiday after all!

In the afternoon I went to my neighbor's house to chat. They were preparing their New Years meal of chicken and rice. These are both expensive foods for villagers so they are usually only served on special occasions. They gave me a small piece of chicken to eat since I said I was making beans and rice for dinner. It was boneless and soft, and I have no idea what part it was except it wasn't a wing or breast. They use the whole chicken here, feet and all. It was well-cooked and tasty. Then they gave me a mandazi (donut) to take home with me.

For dinner I made lentils and brown rice and veggies. It took a long time to cook on the hot plate, but it was worth it. And I made extra so I could share some with my neighbors too. They said it was "kucoma" (tastes good).

Oh, and this evening I saw the first toad of the year! It was two inches long. So cute-- look at it's little feet!

Merry Christmas from Malawi

Khrisimasi Yabwino, Aliyense! (Happy Christmas, Everyone!)

For Christmas this year I went North. Northern Malawi that is, not the North Pole. Which means I was still far below the equator.

I visited my PCV friend Tally at her site in Rumphi. She lives near the lake and has a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains.

Tally's family make cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning just like my family, so that's how we started our day. Don't they look delicious?

We decorated her basil plant with little mini-ornaments and then ate our cinnamon rolls with powdered sugar icing.

Then we planted maize. This isn't a Malawian Christmas tradition or anything, but she had just gotten her seeds and the weather was good for planting.

After that we headed to a nearby lodge to hang out. We bought cold drinks and played Bananagrams. Then we played a modified version where we tried to make words in our new languages-- Chichewa (me) and Chitimbuka (Tally). It was way harder than we thought it would be!

For Christmas dinner we made lentil burgers and chips (that's the Malawian term for fries). Full disclosure--Tally is an amazing cook and effortlessly made all these goodies herself. I just chopped veggies, did dishes and made sure there was Christmas music playing.

My Mom had sent me a can of pumpkin a while ago, so I brought it North so we could make pumpkin pie. We didn't have any eggs so we used a modified recipe. It was really good.

This is Wizaso, Tally's dog. Isn't he adorable? He got a special treat for Christmas too-- usipa, which are small dried fish they sell in the village markets.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Nothing like be welcomed home to Christmas care packages!!! YAY!!

Thanks Cin for the warm socks, made even warmer with the magical chemistry induced heat thingys!! And when i saw the snow on the ground in Moldova when we landed, finding those in my care package were a welcome treat!! THANK YOU!!!!!! And, of course, the card is what really makes my day...hung it on my door right when i got home!!

And to accompany my new warm socks and warmy thingys...my new warm winter boots!!!! THANK YOU P, T, & E!!!!!!!! Everyone was jealous when i opened them in PC. I took a shower (don't know when the next one will be and i wanted fresh feet goin into my new boots) and immediately put them on! So nice! So comfy! So warm! So WONDERFUL!!! THANK YOU!!!

Thank you Vicky for pseudo mudg and the beautiful thoughful card! Pseudo mudg went straight to my bed and i've actually been favoring her more than my blankey the past few nights! She cradles my head just right...and it's the mudg, so what else is there to say? Your card is hanging on my door so i can see it everyday and think of you and the wonderful person that you have always been, continue to be, and always will be!! Thank you for you love! I love and miss you! Please send my love to your parents! My prayers are with you all!!

This was the first pleasant greeting i saw out of my care package and it brought a big fat smile to my face! It lost some beads along the way...but it held up pretty well for the long journey it's been on! It's a survivor! And i love it! Does it have a name? It's hanging on the dulap (wardrobe) right next to my bed so it's the first thing i see in the morning and the last thing i see at night!!

Love this one too! It's hanging on my door to help keep watch over my closet to keep everything safe! I feel it's a protector. Does it have a name as well?

And, YAY!!! My sheets!! Thank you!!!!!!! I'm sure Mama-G thinks i'm the weirdest person she's ever hosted ;op  She saw them on my bed and said, "Awwww, frumos!" Meaning, "Awwww, pretty!"...really dood? pretty?? I told her they are amuzant (funny), she smiled. She gets it...i think.

They're a little too big for my duvan (futon), but they're PERFECT!!!!

Lil mudg, blankey, mom's super comfy blanket, and Marvel Comics sheets holding down the fort!

Love the pic! I MISS DISNEYLAND!! It's weird, cuz i was never really a crazy Disneyland person, but i've been wanting to go there for months now! How weird! I guess it's a nostalgic thing for missing home, but wutevz...i frkn wanna go to Disneyland!

My set up...The map shows everywhere PC has served in purple. 

My fave gift, thanks mom & dad..."A Charlie Brown Christmas" burnt into wood...so simple, yet so nostalgic and meaningful for me...

Then on the other side is the Bible Verse that Linus quoted in the movie, Luke 2:10-11. Then my mudg girlz love ...sooooo perfect!!!! Thanks Mom & Dad!!! I LOVE AND MISS YOU!!!!!!

And here i am in my super comfy pjs! THANK YOU!!!

They came with this label, which also now hangs on my door...so as to not forget... ;op

Thank you all sooooooooooo much!!!!!!!! I LOVE and MISS you and am counting down the days, weeks, months, seasons, and semesters when i get to be with you again!!!!! (19 months on the 13th, 83 weeks, 580 days, 7 seasons (including this one), and 3 semesters to go!!...the semesters sounds most feasible ;o] )

I love you! You are all blessings in my life and i am soooooo grateful to God for all of you!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

Christmas in Chișinău!

From top to bottom, left to right: John, me, Rosemary, Nate.

Me & Rosie

The day after Christmas dinner at the "Embassy House"... notice: NO SWEET POTATOS!!! Moldovans have never even heard of them!!! 😢

Rosie petting Matty at the "Embassy House".