Where is Moldova, anyway?

One of the things that most frustrates me with my village is the way they spend the money that they do have. (In this case, the word “they” refers to people, families, school directors, the mayor, etc – both institutions and individuals, in general). I’ve mentioned it before in my blog, but in Moldova, there is pressure for everything to be “frumos” or beautiful. Thus, money is spent on beautifying instead of improving, fo example, elaborate paint jobs in schools, instead of on new books. Also this year, school children are required to purchase (purchase = have their parents or neighbors make) uniforms for school. While it is cute to see the kids running around in little black and white outfits, there are better uses, in my opinion, for the money. Why not let the children wear their own clothes and charge each family a sum, collecting money for supplies, a computer, heating, field trips, better specialists etc?

Individuals are guilty of this too… Moldovans will complain about being poor, but will not let their gates or houses go without a fresh coat of paint, or some frivolous decoration for long. They will have one parent in a family work abroad (usually illegally), and then spend that money on fancy cell phones or other consumer goods. Our mayor’s office, for example, installed a very “expensive” fountain in front of the building. Does the fountain operate? No, because not only is there no running water, but if there was, I imagine, it would cost too much for the water to be running “nowhere” all day long. And thus, the fountain just sits (covered in plastic so no one will defame it). But it’s beautiful, of course.

Perhaps most of it is about appearance. Moldova is a poor country, but its people, obviously, are trying to put their best (individual) face forward. They decorate their private property, will serve guests with TONS of food, and give graciously large gifts at weddings. Maybe it’s a symptom of trying to hard to show that you, personally, are not poor, while the country and its public assets suffer (it’s almost as if everyone cares about what is there’s, and no one cares about the public property ((parks, streets, etc)) kind of like the ultimate reaction to the fall of a communist system?). Okay, my ramblings have set sail and this blog post is adrift in the middle of no where… now back to my regularly scheduled point.

Most of the villagers think of Americans in general as rich (and probably as other things too such as: loud, irresponsible, promiscuous, smart etc). But most often, rich. This stereotype of the “Rich American” comes from TV, news, movies, and hearsay. So when I walk by with my backpack, water bottle and t-shirt, and pay for chocolate with change, their assumptions are questioned. Yes, I say, Americans have more money, but things are more expensive in America. Which is true sometimes.

One question I get so often, from people who know me, is about the “jewelry” that I choose to wear. More specifically, about the friendship bracelet I wear. You know the type, string of different colors, different patterns, thin, and now after 1 plus year of wearing it, a little raggy. Think back, you might have made one yourself in camp one year? Anyway combined with my hemp necklace, they paint a pretty picture, or so I thought.

But Moldovans cannot accept them. Last week it happened again. One of my youth group kids came up to me and, pulling the string on my wrist, asked me what it was. I said “a bracelet.” He said, “It’s not a bracelet, It’s just string! Why are you wearing string!” “Because someone made it for me.” “Ha, ha why would someone give you STRING!”. And the conversation goes on in this manner. They don’t understand why someone would wear string, just string.

I try to explain how not only do I like the “string look,” but the bracelet is important to me because someone took the time to make it especially for me. This person had to think of what colors I liked and what design I might like, and thought that this bracelet would make me happy, as it did. But for some reason these points were not understood to the degree I would have wanted them to be.

My host mother pulls at the bracelet often too, asking me why I am wearing it because it is not “frumos.” I tell her I don’t care, and I’m not wearing it to be beautiful, I’m wearing it as a connection to home. “Don’t you have money to buy some real jewelry?,” she asks. “Ask someone in your family to send you some… I’m sure they would help, or lend you some,” she adds, in a manner that so softly suggests that my family would do ANYTHING to ensure that I am not running around representing them by wearing string, just string.

Yes, I have jewelry, but I choose to wear something so simple. This, I think, is hard for some of my acquaintances here to understand, especially when their country right now is young, trying out its independence and attempting to prove itself. How are they doing this? Basically by trying to catch up to the rest of the world with consumer goods. I guess we can be relaxed more, and have less a need to prove ourselves to anyone (especially in terms of consumer goods, eek!).

I think my next project will involve some sort of bracelet making craft… I figure its just as good of an export as say, mtv.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 6:37 AM.