Good News From Kishinev
Today I called our back-up contact in Kishinev and introduced myself. He's a guy named Vitalii who is a good friend of the brother of one of my father's most reliable long-time employees, Fima. Fima likes me -- we used to play pick-up soccer together with my dad and a lot of other Brooklyn Russians in Marine Park-- and so he got me hooked up.
Vitalii sounds like a pretty neat guy. He's been in Kishinev his whole life and has worked for the Embassy to the US in Kishinev for the past 11 years. It was a bit awkward talking to him since I don't know him and our connection is not much of one. I also insisted on speaking my broken Russian, though it was obvious that his English was really good. He was quite helpful, offering to take a few days off of work to show me around Kishinev, some Moldovan monasteries, and maybe some of rural Romania. He told me he knows of apartments for rent in the center of the city, in a good neighborhood for 30$ a night (two bedroom, full apartments). I told him that was more than I needed and I could do with less and cheaper and he said he'd look into other options for me. It seems that heating and hot water are issues in more short-term type housing.
The impression I get from Vitalii is that Kishinev is pretty safe - safer than we hear in the news and read in the papers. I realize, however, that people don't usually perceive their home town as unsafe.
I wish I had someone close to travel with in Moldova so I could just rent a car and go, but I don't think that person is going to come along. It is theoretically possible that my trip might get held up in other areas (maybe if I get some volunteer positions) and then I might be there late enough in March that Matt will come visit me there, and Matt is the only person I know who'd be willing and excited to take such an adventure.
Vitalii sounds like a pretty neat guy. He's been in Kishinev his whole life and has worked for the Embassy to the US in Kishinev for the past 11 years. It was a bit awkward talking to him since I don't know him and our connection is not much of one. I also insisted on speaking my broken Russian, though it was obvious that his English was really good. He was quite helpful, offering to take a few days off of work to show me around Kishinev, some Moldovan monasteries, and maybe some of rural Romania. He told me he knows of apartments for rent in the center of the city, in a good neighborhood for 30$ a night (two bedroom, full apartments). I told him that was more than I needed and I could do with less and cheaper and he said he'd look into other options for me. It seems that heating and hot water are issues in more short-term type housing.
The impression I get from Vitalii is that Kishinev is pretty safe - safer than we hear in the news and read in the papers. I realize, however, that people don't usually perceive their home town as unsafe.
I wish I had someone close to travel with in Moldova so I could just rent a car and go, but I don't think that person is going to come along. It is theoretically possible that my trip might get held up in other areas (maybe if I get some volunteer positions) and then I might be there late enough in March that Matt will come visit me there, and Matt is the only person I know who'd be willing and excited to take such an adventure.
posted by duckie at 10:48 AM
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