Okay, so I said I would start to say more about Moldova this year so I might as well get started!
Europe is in the news about the cold weather and I just have to say - IT IS COLD! In the states cold is relative - you have heated houses, you have heated cars and you might experience a bit of cold as you run from one to the other but you don't stand out in it, or live in it. This is why so many people across Europe have died, especially in places like Russia, Ukraine and Moldova. Houses are not well insulated - case in point my house is staying around 53 degrees give or take a degree - though it did get up to 60 today. For you European folk - that is about 11 to 14 degrees! Burr! This is with spending just under $400 a month to heat this house. I've said it once - I'll say it again - "I'm not living in this house next winter." Small fear is that the next house will be worse! Things I've learned:
1. Moldovans and most Europeans don't know what a block heater is!
2. Warm feet equal a warm body - second to that are warm hands. The extremities are very important!
3. When two of your buses pass by you too full of people to take any more passengers and you have waited in frigid temperatures for 30 minutes - it is okay to take a taxi!
4. last but certainly not least - Thank God for the times when you have warm feet and hands and for the four walls that might not keep you toasty warm - but do keep you from freezing to death. 300 + people learned that one first hand.
Pray for all those that suffer through another week of freezing cold temperatures!
