My week in photos

I went to a BBQ on the river with my host family and the extended family:

I danced the hora (photo credit goes to my host mom!)

Watched the little kids dance the hora;

Got stuck in the rocks on the "beach":

Had dinner with my host dad's brother and his wife (and my host family):

Laughed at the kitten begging for food:

Gave this photo to Eugenia (a relative of my host family), to which she smiled and then said, "Oh wow, look at this beautiful woman" and then put the photograph on display.

Cut my host brother's hair (I think I'll actually leave the hair-cutting to my sister) and then watched how to do it correctly as he cut both his mom and dad's hair:

Watched this man do a "woman's job" canning vegetables and asked him what happiness means: "Happiness is being able to fall asleep and not be hungry."

He then told me that at one time he, too, had wanted to be a photojournalist. In fact, he studied photography in Moscow when he was younger. Then he went inside and pulled out some old photographs to show me and said he'd love for me to come over and look through his archives of 2,000+ photos. I can't wait.

Talked with this man while his friend canned the vegetables and asked him what happiness means... “Listen, Miss Cate” Vasile said as he was taking a break from watching his friend prepare jars of tomatoes for the winter, “You want to know where to find happiness?” Yes, I told him, I want to know where you find happiness in your life that many people find so hard. “When everything you have is yours and no one else’s, then you are happy”. So I then asked him if everything he had was his, and he said that at one time it was, but now, no. But was he still happy, “Sure, some of the time”. That’s a good enough answer for me!

Chatted with these men at the bar, and this is how one conversation went: “Doamisoara Cate, everyone is happy when they’ve had something to drink!” “Apa?” meaning water, I jokingly ask, which leads to even more laughter.

Oh, and I celebrated Moldova's 20th year of Independence, but no one would know it because I did it in my heart since no one else around me was celebrating. So, HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY, MOLDOVA!

To see more photos of this weeks adventures, go here, here, and here.