25 August 2010

An Angel?

I had logged in to blogspot to write a post about how much I’ve been struggling these last few days and how this has been the hardest part about being in Moldova thus far- when I got a knock on my door. It was my NTG telling me a guest had arrived. Her name was Maria (and she introduced herself as Mary) and she must have been an Angel sent from Heaven. Seriously, I am not kidding.

She had her lightly colored red hair in a loose bun on top of her head. She was short. She looked like a grandmother coming out of the movies. Her voice was slightly high pitched, and she spoke English so well- and without an accent- that I would have assumed she was a native speaker. We talked for a couple of minutes before we reached a point where you couldn’t stop us even if you wanted to.

I eventually got to a point where I brought up my host family situation and how I wasn’t feeling like they wanted me here and I wasn’t feeling a bond with them, and how I felt like I was being restricted from integrating into the community. She said my NTG is strict (I figured that one out pretty quick). But she also said to take what he said with a grain of salt because this is my life and I need to enjoy my time here. He says what he does all with good intentions- which wasn’t something I was able to see before. After 3 days in a row of lectures about how I wanted to do something incorrectly, I felt like he didn’t want me to know anyone, when, in fact, he doesn’t want me to make a mistake or to get hurt. Now I can appreciate that (been there, done that). But there also comes a point when I need to make a mistake to learn from it. And, who knows… even if I do what they suggest against, maybe it won’t be a mistake after all.

Maria also told me something no one has admitted to yet- Romanian and Moldovaneste are COMPLETELY different languages. Everyone has tried to tell me that they are basically one in the same, just with some different words here and there. But she said absolutely not. Her granddaughter married a Romanian and they came to stay with them last week. The grandson-in-law could not understand them, and they could not understand him. Maria teaches Romanian, therefore she knows it, but it was still completely different. Moldovaneste, she says, has a lot more Russian influence than most people will admit (due to the Soviet past). Now this all makes complete sense why I could understand every word the Romanian teacher was saying the other day when she was talking to other teachers (not to me, therefore talking in her normal speed)… and why I can’t understand most of what my new host family is saying. So, Daddyo made a good point here- why are we taught perfect Romanian and not Moldovaneste? That is a good question…

The quote that probably made my week, though, was this from Maria:Me: Putin, putin (referring to me only wanting a LITTLE bit of wine in my glass instead of a full one)Maria: A little, a little. A little bit of Monica by my side.

Get it? It’s a song from in the last 90’s or early 2000’s I believe… A little bit of Monica by my side. A little Mary all night long… a little bit of Jessica (I forget the rest…). She said it not in the tune of the song, but as if it was a part of every day conversation. I about died from laughter once I finally realized what she said. It was SO funny.

After this, I had to excuse myself to go to a birthday dinner (the topic of lecture for the day)… and a story of which I will write about for another post.

OH! I almost forgot. Maria is THE reason L wanted to become an English teacher. I think I’ve found my official tutor (and lifeline) here in Varatic. What is also great about her is clearly my family respects her and we also understand each other. So I know if I ever have a misunderstanding with them again, that I can contact her and we can all work it out together. What a relief.

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