Putting Moldova on the Map : Flapjacks and Themeparks

Today I'm pretty sure I almost died, but I think I'll start on a more positive note (and keep the suspense so all you people who usually get bored and just skip to the picture portions have to keep reading)

This morning we started the day off with pancakes! Mikayla brought this really great pancake mix from New York and I was the commissioned pancake cooker. I nailed it, none burned or undercooked. Bert you would have been so proud, though nothing compares to you pancakes on lazy weekend mornings.

After pancakes, Mikayla and I had our weekly American Councils meeting with the program coordinator. It turns out there is another program looking for American mentors for kids going to the States for study abroad programs, and we might help out with that!

Then off to Hospice for work- Which was also fabulous and actually work filled today! I began writing the June newsletter and worked on more different small design projects (YAY- Go me!!)
I won't bore you with all the details, but ultimately I feel helpful and that is just the best of feelings.

After work, Ana-Maria and Inga wanted to shows us the Chisinau theme park. (this is the part where I almost die) It appeared that the theme park was---eh retro perhaps? I am almost sure it hadn't been updates since the 70s.. then again maybe it's even older than that.
Safe to say, Mikayla, Karina, and I found the rides were quite thrilling, mainly because we thought every time there was a lurch or a weird noise we thought the ride was just going to fall to pieces. Yes, so thrilling. Had me on the edge of my seat... ready to tuck and roll. Ana-Maria was genuinely afraid of all this kitty rides which was absolutely hilarious, I would have loved to show my two host sisters a big American theme park.

All in all another great day in Chisinau... honestly always a good day in Chisinau.
I've found if you really look for it, or are just open to it, there really is an adventure out there.

Yes. All of the cotton candy.

Cotton Candy feat. soviet style theme park

HOSPICE! Our building is extremely old, but I really like it. Old buildings have character.

The tree is very much stuck in the Hospice window...

We love the rainbow trees!

Killing the game with pancakes.

Ana Maria helping make breakfast.. "Ajutor!"

PANCAKES! They don't quite fit in with the traditional Moldovan breakfast.

So many old buildings.

Lunch at Cantina! It was like two dollars.

I could have sworn this ratchet ass ride was going to fall apart right below me, which was very scary.

Questionable right?

But still hilarious

The whole time we were on this ride I kept thinking, "How the hell did I end up here?". Sitting on a "roller coaster" that is definitely older than my grandparents with girls who I didn't even know existed a month ago, but having so much fun. It's crazy sometimes when you step back and think about it... like if you told me last summer this is where I would be and what I would be doing, I would have laughed at such a bizarre thought as a theme park in a post soviet country.

Ana-Maria is not please..

But we were loving it.

Okay see Ana-Maria hunched over and death-gripping the bar? Hilarious. It is definitely more dangerous driving in local Chisinau traffic that riding this silly ride.

We were very hype over the cotton candy.

Ana-Maria who refused to look over the side of the Ferris Wheel. She said she would either look straight at me or close here eyes and refused to eat her cotton candy at the top because she was so fear stricken. Ana-Maria (who usually follows my blog) will definitely kill me for saying this because at the end of the ride she was telling everyone how "calm, cool, and collected she was".