1. Moldovan Conversation Topics.

    Tomorrow will bring me to my eight month mark in Moldova, and during the course of these eight months, I think I have sat at cumulatively 1928721 hours of masas.  As my language has improved, so has my ability to sit through these masas, which often times simply consist of hours and hours and hours of sitting and eating and talking and drinking. One could imagine that when you have no idea what people are saying, this can get old after one hour, let alone eight.  But now that I know everything people say, I must admit that it hasn’t gotten drastically more interesting for me.  I can’t say I carry the most thrilling of conversations myself.  But Moldovan table talk, in my experience, can be condensed like so:

    • In the summer, a kilo of potatoes cost 4 lei (33 cents).  Now it costs 6 (50 cents).  Can you believe it?  
    • (Regarding a random guy on the outskirts of the village whose relation to anyone in the conversation is unclear): ‘So Petru.’  ‘Which Petru?’  ‘Petru, Ana’s husband.’  ‘Oh you mean Oleg.’  ‘No, I mean Petru.’  ‘The man that lives over near Larisa?’ ‘Yes, him.’  ‘Yes his name is Oleg.’  ‘No no, that man is Petru.’  ‘Oleg.’  *much heated discussion ensues for a good 15 minutes before it is realized his name is Victor*
    • We need to find you a husband.
    • ‘How much did you pay for this beer?’  ‘23 lei.’  ‘WHAT?  How? I paid 21 lei in the center. Where did you buy it?’ ‘In the center.’  ‘No, not possible. I paid 21 lei in the center yesterday for that beer.’  ‘Well today it is 23 lei.’  *another 15 minute heated discussion ensues*
    • Have you seen her Odnoklassniky pictures lately?
    • I wish I had nice nails.
    • ‘How do you like Moldova?’  ‘I like it.  The people are great.’  ‘There are all different kinds of people.’ ‘Yes it’s true, but I’ve had only good experiences in Moldova.’  ‘Yes, but we’re very poor.’

    Most of these conversations are small petty arguments that turn into yelling matches.  I don’t mean to jest, truly, but by the 5th hour talking about people I have never met and therefore cannot comment on whether his name is Oleg or Petru, it does get painful.

    Again, I’m sure if a foreigner sat in on my conversations with my friends, I’d be ashamed to hear what they had observed.  So I will comment no further.





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