Let me first mention that it was my first time in the
East. A lot of issues were totally new to me - may
be they are completely ordinary and beneath notice
for one knowing this great part of the world. Further
I've to state that this text is based on my personal
views, the way how I've seen the country, the
people and their life. So, as any other journey report
this one is also quite subjective. The title "The
Moldovan Way of Life" might be a bit exaggerated
- but it sounds quite well, that's why I prefer to
keep it. For me as a westerner (even it is
questionable if Austria is western), there was a
certain temptation to judge things out of an arrogant
and hedonistic position. And this is anything but
what has been the aim of our trip.
Our second destination was Iasi. The city is in the
eastern part of Romania, already in the historical
region of Moldova. In the old city there are still
some old houses of the 18th and 19th century, so
compared with other towns it is a bit untypical.
Nevertheless the achievements of the socialistic
architecture (imagine a shoe-box) dominate the
picture of the city. Some of them get pulled down or
rebuilt, new business buildings appear in a
contemporary style. May I'm taken in, but I smelt a
little gold-rush atmosphere or at least a certain
starting-mood. Our hosts were highly motivated
people, not only in making our stay as convenient as
possible. It was much more than this. They were
amazingly flexible and committed. In my courses at
university we always get prompted to be flexible
concerning working hours, competition etc. But
that's nothing compared with their way.
Our accommodation was a dormitory of the
university. The comfort might cause some frown,
but for me it was just once again an evidence of
how easy it is to get spoilt by "Western luxury";
four beds in one room, a wooden box outside the
window serving as refrigerator and the physical
miracle that the water in the shower is despite of -
10°C still liquid. But actually all that's nothing of
real importance.
The first thing I noticed in the capital were the
wide roads. Like the Champs-Elysee, avenues
with trees - only traffic jams are missing to
complete the picture. We stayed at our
AEGEE-colleagues flat in a suburban building.
These houses look a bit seedy form outside,
but the first impression deludes. Inside the
rooms are nice furnished, people try to make
life as comfortable as possible. Next to our
block there was market. Bread get sold directly
form the lorry, farmers coming from outside
offer their vegetables and fruits... and you can
also buy plastic bags. Colourful bags from
western supermarket-chains with sportcars or
Claudia Schiffer on it.
8:30 a.m.: Time to get up. After the hardest
moments of the whole day, those of leaving
the bed, the way to the bathroom. On the
shelves are some western-styled products
neatly placed. A try to elicit some water out of
the tap fails. Nothing unusual. But our hosts
are used to it and know how to tackle this little
problem giving the new day the right start
(smell). In wise foreseeing the tub was filled
up the evening before, when supply is certain.
Our host puts a pot of water on the oven so
that we finally haven't to sacrifice our
"luxury". Breakfast: Unfortunately I can't say
much about a typical Moldovan breakfast as
we were served with excellent meat,
vegetables, "holly" Mamaliga and a lot of
other delicious things. So the meal was more
similar to a lunch than to a breakfast. I'm quite
sure that the majority of the Molovans,
including our hosts normally don't have such
delights for the taste-buds. But this is just
another proof of their amazing hospitality. I
hope someday I'll have the possibility to pay it
back.
Tiraspol is the capital of the MRP, a former part of
Moldavia, which declared its independence in the
beginning of the 90s. The big majority of the
population is Russian origin. The government of
MRP still sticks - or at least pretend to do so - to
the communist ideal, which seems to be in this
version just a corrupt and poor imitation.
We go to the university in order to find some
students willing to fill out some of our
questionnaires. Some of us dare to enter a lecture
room where a English class just finishes its lecture.
Madame Professor surveys us critically and finally
asks with dominant voice: "Who are you and what
do you want?" Nothing easier than that. She starts
to smile. After explaining the situation in Russian
language to her student, she invites us to stay. Now
the students, all of them are girls, start to survey us
critically.
Olga, Natasha and her friends seemed to be
overtaxed with our questions concerning political
future, the situation now and before the civil war,
Europe etc. Every question causes hot debates
among them before everyone ticks the same choice.
Sometimes the English students had some problems
to understand our questions. Madame Professor
kindly helped them from time to time and asked us
how to pronounce certain English vocabulary. Yep.
After finishing work we wanted to invite the ladies
for a drink. But they've lectures, so any solution?
As we didn't want to cause any inconveniences, we
asked the teacher, if we can complete the
questionnaires outside. She deliberated two times -
and cancelled the whole lecture for about 40
students. (She knows how to tread AEGEE.)
This all may sound a bit superficial, but actually
it was me who was Karl May's greenhorn. The first
impression I had was like "o my god, they have no
future, no possibility to go the way they want to
go...." The city remembered me on a museum of a
Soviet Union which existed ages ago, unreal and
artificial.
But by talking to each other, I discovered that
there's not that much difference between them and
me. Of course, like all other young people they have
imaginations of their future, their aims of life, their
fears and hopes; honestly, it looked a bit strange
seeing girls wearing skirts shorter than those of the
Spice-Girls, made-up like a Diva in a Oscar's night,
MTV free-your-mind T-shirts in a city like this.
Okay, but what's the difference to the West? There
was Olga, 19 years old, married with a Polish taxi
driver, having already a baby. As we invited her to
visit us in the Republic of Moldova or Romania, she
just smiled embarrassed. It wasn't only a matter of
money, there was something like "I can't go there
because it's...."; no why, no argument; she
remembered me to a child playing in the garden, not
being allowed to go to close to the fence. Of course
it's not everybody's thing to travel across Europe,
but at least a certain joy of discovery I thought to
find.
Now writing these impressions down, I would
like to continue our conversation. Too many
questions left unanswered.
Today I get enthusiastic when I think of the time
spent in Romania, Moldova and MRP. For me it
was history at work. We shouldn't miss it. I made
the experience that the more difficult it is to get into
the country, the culture and the people, the harder it
is to say good-bye.
