Transnistria - day 2

I apologize up front for the spelling errors, and bad grammar, I had to type this fast.  I just sent this update to my family, and thought I would post here :)  Trying to get some pics posted.

Hey,
This is our 2nd day here in Transnistria (Tues) it's 8:15 pm, 1:15 pm EST.  Today we went to the Popenki orphanage... it was a 1 1/2 hour drive through the country.  It's gorgeous here, lots of farmland, very old buildings w/ a lot of character.  I keep saying it feels like we're on the set of some movie set back in the 40's.  We were so excited to get to the orphanage.  We met with the Director, she was really nice.  The building itself was totally like little orphan annie.  Old, old thick, bright colored paint, old wooden doors, very dimly lit...

When we got there, we thought we were going to talk to the Director about our plans for the week.  She had a surprise though.  Nastia ("Nah-stee-uh") is a little girl that my friend Kari fell in love with on a trip here 1 year ago.  They've been trying to adopt her, but it's not that easy.  She has an aunt & uncle who take her on the weekends.  They have a lot of social orphans here (orphans who's parents are in jail), so some of them have other family that will spend time with them on brakes or in the evenings.  Those ones almost never get adopted.

Annnyyywayyy... The Director brought the aunt & uncle, and Nastia, to the office so they could meet Kari & Chris.  Kari started crying... it was neat to see them get to see each other... they're trying to get to know eah other, to see if the Aunt & Uncle will let Kari & Chris adopt her.. (more on that later)

So while they were talking & hanging out, we went to one of the buildings with 7-8 yr olds.  Each class has their own "wing" with a girls room, boys room - and a large play room.  When we got there, they were a little shy at first... Then we started playing with them, and they totally warmed up.   They were sooo adorable in their little scruffy clothes & old hats.  The girls were just totally clinging on us, holding our hands, and not letting go.  They kept talking to us (they all speak Russian) so it was hard to understand them.  We learned how to ask what their name was, and we learned out to say our names "my name is" is "Me nah zavoot".  We played duck-duck goose & they loved it.  We also took a ton of pictures.  I started showing them their pictures on my camera and they lit up.  Then I started taking video of them and they got the biggest kick out of it.  They literally swarmed us!  This one little girl, Ana, held my hand and wrapped her arm around my arm the whole time.  She just kept staring at me, touching my hair... then she took me around & showed me her bed.  She kinda got possesive of some other kids that were holding my hand.  She pushed one little boy out of the room (it was funny, and cute).  then she just jumped up on the couch we were sitting on, and started french braiding my hair (they do each others hair).  It was so cute.

They just wanted to be hugged and be so close to us.  Anna had 2 little girls on either side of her, and they would put your arms around them.  We had fun though.  We ran to go get our candy & games that we brought, but the kids had to go eat lunch.  So we walked back to the office to check on Kari & Chris.  Kari got her hair braided by Nastia.  We then just walked around and took pictures of the kids.  I painted a real quick mural last night (just a picture of a flower w/ a bumble bee, and we cut out the faces so the kids could stick their head in the hole and take a picture).  So we took some pics of the kids and gave them candy

Today is a holiday out here, so the kids were free for the day.  They could pretty much do what they wanted, they didn't have class.  Tomorrow they have class, so after class - we'll get to do more games & play with them.  We're trying to get access into the little kids building (18months - 6 yrs old) but we're not sure.  The little boy that Anna & Aaron really like is in that building. 

After we took pics, we brought our lunch (just bread, ham & cheese, but kind of medeival style) :)  We ate lunch in the office area, and then headed back to town.  When we got back, we freshened up and ended up eating dinner.  The host family cooks breakfast & dinner for us every night.  All their meals (including lunch) are prepared from scratch.  It was weird to them that we brought stuff for sandwiches, b/c they normally eat prepared meals.  For dinner, we had baked chicken & rice, bread, sliced cheese, and a yummy salad w/ radishes.  Nothing looks like how you would imagine Americans making it though... it's just different some how.  To drink, we drink compote.

After dinner, we walked to the market & got a little money exchanged, then bought some food for tomorrows lunch.  Their money is weird :) the coins are so light, its like play money.  I learned how to say hello and thank you "hello = pree-vet" "thank-you = spa-cee-bah".  I swear we stick out like sore thumbs b/c everywhere we go, people stare at us.  I definitely think we look different, they all just have a unique look - hard to explain but you can just tell that we look (features) different.  The people seem so serious here.  Ana (the girl who's working w us) said the people are just kind of sad people.  All serious.  Us loud, goofy, giggly americans must just stand out.

Plus, the weather is very similar to GA weather, not too cold - a little overcast, but they're all bundled up here.  Even the kids wear jackets & beanies.  I'm not even wearing a jacket.  So after the market, we ended up coming here to the Help The Children office to use the internet.  We took a bus to the office (3 Rubles) (Rubles is their currency).  The bus was scarey.  You feel like you're in a tall hurse, it looks like a big conversion type van, doesn't look like a bus at all. 

Everything is just so simple here.  The houses all have fences & gates around them, it's like a village. The rich live next to the poor - the nicer & bigger the gate you have, the richer  you are.  I like it though - it's not like anywhere I've ever been & I'm just so glad to be here.  The best part, so far, has been playing w/ the kids.  They are just so excited to be around us.  We have a few days planned of games & crafts for the different groups.  Then, in the moring, we're going to work on the orphanage repairs.  We raised $2,150 to put towards orphanage repairs.  $400 will go towards new lihts & light fixutes, then we have to figure out the rest.  We're limited in what we can do (physically) b/c they have to hire contractors for a lot of the work.  Some walls need to be repaired.  they need new doors, stuff like that. 

The rest of the time we're here, we're going to meet w/ the transition kids, and do a potluck, where they prepare a moldovan dish for us, and we're going to prepare some american dishes.  I think we decided on potato salad, macaroni & cheese, & sweet tea :)  Maybe something else.  Then we're going to meet with the foster parents and teach them some parenting stuff.

I gotta go soon, just wanted to update. Love you all
Kim

Pics! one of the buildings in popenki orphanage

 me looking cool in front of the war memorial

 view from the orphanage, out into the hillside (there's a monestary way out there in the hillside)

 the 1st grade class we met & played with today

 me & sasha, the one who braided my hair & wouldn't let go of me :) so sweet.

 

Above, our breakfast, sweet rice, fried egg, bacon, cheese & bread...

Below, Betty, Kim, Anna & Kari on our way to Popenki Orphanage