I have started volunteering at the Chisinau Assistance and Protection Center (CAP) for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking and have met a couple of European volunteers who work here as well. One of them, a German named Christina, plays the flute and when I told her I have been learning Moldovan folk music with Rod she got really excited because she's also interested in learning the nai and generally getting together with people to play music as often as possible.
Christina told us that on weekends a lot of European volunteers get together at a friend's house to have some food and play music all afternoon so Rod and I went to check that out yesterday. There were probably 15 or so people there chatting in French, German, English and occasionally Romanian and Russian. They had made some great food that was all vegetarian/vegan and the instruments there included bass, guitar, nai, violin, bass flute, regular flute, piano, and more. We played some Irish and Moldovan songs as well as a Macedonian melody that Rod taught us by ear. It was a really nice afternoon with a group of very cool, relaxed people.
After that we went to Bob and Beth's for more food. Beth cooked some delicious chili and cornbread. The chili was definitely the spiciest food I have had in Moldova. Eastern Europeans don't really do spicy as a rule. I think this meal would have killed my host family. We definitely enjoyed it though.
I'm helping with some grant and report writing at the CAP today, will be at Winrock tomorrow, and am going to visit the NGO Interaction in Transnistria on Wednesday with Matt. I also have to start preparing for the Fulbright seminar in Bulgaria because I need to plan out a presentation on the social and cultural integration issues surrounding the issue of immigration in Moldova that I'll be giving as part of a panel discussion.
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