I Love Cokey Lite

Happiness tastes a lot like a cold bottle of fizzy coca-cola light.

I had a great time this weekend in Chisinau for the Language Weekend. I got to spend time with the other volunteers in my group and even spoke a little Romanian. The by-product of all this fun was a few important lessons about the Romanian language. Just to justify the trip.
Stepping into the Peace Corps office and seeing everyone after a 6 or so week hiatus felt a little strange. I felt like I was a past member of Real World/Road Rules and it was a reunion or even one of those cheesy but addicting Extreme Challenges. Don't worry, I am sure our group also contained a little of the same dynamics as those quirky paired up people on MTV.
I got to partake in my one and only desire, unobtainable in my village....Coca-cola light. It is not calorie free...oh no, it has 1 calorie. I suppose the ingredient that they use in America to make Diet Coke calorie less is not allowed in Europe so they have to replace it with something else that, gasp, contains a calorie. It tasted so good. Ah....that is all I can say. It was great and made any hell I had to go through during the weekend (which was none) worth it. I got to sit in the Peace Corps lounge and watch old episodes of Friends on VHS tapes. I got to see Rachel have her baby and then the terrible fiasco that happened after when Joey found Ross's ring and Rachel thought Joey was proposing to her and she stupidly accepted. Ahhhh, what a dumby needy broad! I was mad and yelled at the television.
Moving right along. Today was an excellent day. After our lesson myself and a few great volunteers headed to a restaurant and sat outside and had a really swell time. It is always nice to actually sit down and have conversations with other volunteers and share experiences and horror stories. Afterwards, Levi and I bought our tickets to get us back to our villages. He lives past my village (about 45 minutes) and so we road in the same bus. The bus was a greyhound type bus, but thank goodness, wasn't full. We headed to the piata centralla (a huge freakin piata! biggest in Moldova because, duh, its in the capital) where I bought pomegranates! I love them and was so excited to see them. I also bought a pair of long baby pink and magenta striped socks. They are soooo great! They go to above my knee and I can't wait to rock them out with a black skirt. Then my students will really think Americans are strange! On the way to the bus that would take us home I stopped by a cd kiosk. I had been looking everywhere (or at least whenever walking past a place that sold cds) for the 3 Sud Est cd. 3 Sud Est is a Moldovan (or Romanian, I don't remember which one) band that has really great songs. Most of the (alright, all of the) bands in Moldova and mostly in Romania are dancey pop bands, which is great, right? You really should check them out, they are fun! The song that go me hooked is just sooooo festive, it is called "cu capu-n nori." I think it translates into something like "with my head in the clouds." I am not quite sure yet. I will have to ask someone that speaks English.
The trip back to Pirlita didn't seem that long. By the time I read a Rolling Stone, cover to cover, I am in my village. That is what I did this trip, although I had time left over only because I chose not to read the articles over three pages.
So now I am back in my village, and somewhat at peace. I did miss my little place here and was like "I just want to go home and chill." Even if it meant sitting on a children's metal chair outside with my host mom, discussing life and watching the random person walking by on the rock and dirt covered road.