dominoes, powerpoint, and a European Cup

What is the life of a Peace Corps member like in a major Eastern European city?

Well, I have showed my little host sister how to use my computer, and she has co-opted it, and asks me to download her new music (bad music) pretty constantly. I taught my host mother to play dominoes, and upon reflection, I think THAT was a very very bad idea. I have been forced to play game after game after game for days.

Back in the day, my college days that is, I used to spend hours in April's apartment playing bones, smoking and drinking...

Those were some good times.

Somehow, it's not as fun when you're being forced to play game after game.

My family really likes me. Which is really great, but I'm not used to having to be this close to anybody. I miss, you know, not being accountable to anybody but myself and my job.

I spend most of my time at this point in a place called Havana Nights, a cafe with very fast wifi. I drink too expensive diet cokes, and have taken to rewatching each and every battlestar galactica.

God, it is such a good show.

At work, I've been given the task of creating a 10 minute presentation, in powerpoint, in romanian, about myself. I was given less than two weeks to do this, and I have to give it to people from about 30 organizations.

Rock.

I am just a little petrified, to say the least.

So i've been working pretty hard - I had to write what I was going to say in this hodge podge of english and romanian, and then work with my tutor to make it frumos - to make it pretty. Le sigh.

My tutor and the people at my work think it's very funny that I'm so dedicated to making this a good presentation. Este mai usor - it's very simple, no big deal, etc etc. Yea, well, a) it's in front of people from 30some orgs, so it's a little bit of a big deal b) it's my first test in my placement, which is a little more of a big deal and c) the reason I've gotten as far as I have in life is because I take my jobs very seriously.

I'll let you know how it goes.

As far as the rest of my life....

it's the European Cup right now... so I've been going to the big square in front of the opera house, where they've set up these massive tv screens and everyone gathers and drinks beer and generally parties and cheers for teams other than their own, because Moldova is not in this competition. Most people are routing for Russia or Romania, unsurprisingly.

Generally, I don't like sports that don't have background music. But I have to admit, I've gotten into this a little... the camaraderie of this square thing, everybody gathering together, and getting to know the teams, has been pretty cool. I have no favorite... generally speaking I go for the underdog, or whichever country I like better (meaning, which team has the cutest players...). It's interesting that the french seem to be universally disliked. I wonder where that comes from. Although Americans are often universally disliked too, so maybe we should build something other than glass houses.

In other news, later on today I go to get internet hooked up. Or rather, to sign a contract to get the process started... so maybe in another three weeks, I'll have it in my house?? Nu stiu.