Word Count: 1145 Well folks, I’ve been living in the Republic of Moldova, otherwise known as the Poorest Country in Europe™, for over a year now, and am slowly starting to get an understanding of this country. I must admit, it’s not easy to get to know Moldova, as it is far more bashful and less vivacious than neighboring Romania. Nonetheless, over the course of … Continue reading 4 Myths That Every Moldovan Believes
Word Count: 657 Brief background in case you’re just joining us: The Republic of Moldova (where I live) is a divided country, where some people speak Romanian at home and some people speak Russian. Likewise, politics are divided, with some groups wanting to join the European Union, and some groups wanting closer ties with Russia (and its Customs Union, similar to the EU). And so, … Continue reading Loan Shark
Word Count: 526 A lot of people misjudge why I married my wife, thinking it’s more about her looks than her personality, but one reason why I love her so much is that she already speaks, reads, and writes four languages fluently. Holy Smokes! Right now she’s learning (modern) Greek, and it’s thanks to her that I finally got the answer to a mystery concerning … Continue reading Throwing in the Towel
Word Count: 1029 A few years ago, someone asked me if I had ever thought of pursuing a career in journalism. I replied, “No thanks, I actually respect myself.” As Stephen Colbert said way back in 2006, most journalists are just whores with a notepad. Here’s a case in point, brought to you by VICE, the stupidest “news” outlet on the planet (and it’s not … Continue reading How the Brave Moldovan Police Saved my Family from Evil Russia
Word Count: 620 The other day, I took the following photograph of a carrot I bought at Chisinau’s wild and crazy central market: If I told you that I paid 3.5 MLD/kg for it, or less than $0.03/lb (0.16 euro/kg), you’d probably just shrug your shoulders and say, “Eh, that’s Moldova for you”. But I’m not posting this picture to talk about prices in Moldova. … Continue reading The Good, the Delicious, and the Ugly
All Things Romania 