Hram 2005

I thought this holiday, Hram (Village Day), was going to be more spectacular and filled with drunks than it was. We didn't have anything great at our house, seeing as it was only myself, my host mom, and my 2yr old niece. We did manage to have three glasses of wine (chugging them, because that is how they do it here) with our lunch. Then around 5:30, after we had relaxed and taken naps, we went over to the neighbor's house. My host mom is good friends with another woman who has three young daughters. We headed over there where we ate good Moldovan food (not chicken jello, put pork jelly...how great right?) and took two double shots of cognac. The neighbor called two other women over and we had a nice girls' night. We blared Moldovan music and danced around the kitchen after pushing the table to the wall. Older gals dancing around semi-drunk in the kitchen is what American is missing. It was a lot of fun, and you forget about embarassing yourself when you see a 60 year old bust through the door in a dance resembling the Irish gig. After about two hours of that, my host mom the neighbor and I decide to head to the House of Culture (casa de cultura) to check out the scene there. It was sooo great! They blare music that you can here three miles outside of town and everyone of all ages gathers to dance around. I danced around in the traditional Moldovan circle and practised the great art of the step-step-clap dance. They even mixed in a few popular American songs. I had to call it quits when a grandmother began to grind in the middle of the circle to The Black Eyed Peas "Don't Phunk With My Heart." When then walked back to the neighbor's house for some late night beers before calling it a night. Now it is back to work after my extended Fall Vacation. But I don't seem to mind :)