Merry Christmas! both Old and New Calendar!
After two days on a bus from Chisinau, ankles swollen to twice their normal size, and sleep deprivation from lengthy border crossings, pit stops, and bus repairs, I finally arrived in northern Italy where, I am happy to report, that the shoes are expensive, the food is superb, and the company is incomparable.
I am spending the "New Calendar" Christmas (December 25) and New Year's Eve with friends in Italy. I'll make it back (also via bus... remind me never to travel by bus again if I can help it!) to Moldova on the 6th. That way I'll get to spend Orthodox or "Old Calendar" Christmas (January 7-8) with my host family in Moldova. So I get TWO Christmas's this year! Yahoo!
I have many presents to be thankful for on my traditional Christmas (Dec 25). Here in Italy I'm immensely enjoying the light cuisine (NOTHING is fried and no oil is added). I am also immensely enjoying the peace and quiet of hanging out with friends who are fairly sedentary due to having a 6 month old baby in the family. We stay in most of the days, and watch the sun rise in one window and set in another window. It's SO restful.
Here is a picture of the fabulously beautiful 6 month old Lavinia in a Christmas outfit from Moldova.
I am surprised by how much Italian I understand. I only studied it for a year in university (how many years ago???) But it is VERY similar to Romanian. Lots of words that are either exactly or almost the same.
It's really quite funny the cross-cultural conversations we have. I speak in my broken Italian, and my friends and their family answer in their (MUCH better) English. Sometimes I wonder how much real communication is happening. LOL!
However, if I only speak English, it is much harder to get anyone to talk to me. No one wants to be the first to make a mistake and look foolish in something as 'simple' as talking. Being able to take the first step and show that it's ok somehow opens the doors of friendship and removes the major barriers of self-consciousness.
Jesus, thank you for the gift of being able to be silly. It has given me family AND friends wherever I go. Merry Christmas, indeed! How can I repay my Jesus for His great gifts to me except with my heart and my service to the ones He loves?
I am spending the "New Calendar" Christmas (December 25) and New Year's Eve with friends in Italy. I'll make it back (also via bus... remind me never to travel by bus again if I can help it!) to Moldova on the 6th. That way I'll get to spend Orthodox or "Old Calendar" Christmas (January 7-8) with my host family in Moldova. So I get TWO Christmas's this year! Yahoo!
I have many presents to be thankful for on my traditional Christmas (Dec 25). Here in Italy I'm immensely enjoying the light cuisine (NOTHING is fried and no oil is added). I am also immensely enjoying the peace and quiet of hanging out with friends who are fairly sedentary due to having a 6 month old baby in the family. We stay in most of the days, and watch the sun rise in one window and set in another window. It's SO restful.
Here is a picture of the fabulously beautiful 6 month old Lavinia in a Christmas outfit from Moldova. I am surprised by how much Italian I understand. I only studied it for a year in university (how many years ago???) But it is VERY similar to Romanian. Lots of words that are either exactly or almost the same.
It's really quite funny the cross-cultural conversations we have. I speak in my broken Italian, and my friends and their family answer in their (MUCH better) English. Sometimes I wonder how much real communication is happening. LOL!
However, if I only speak English, it is much harder to get anyone to talk to me. No one wants to be the first to make a mistake and look foolish in something as 'simple' as talking. Being able to take the first step and show that it's ok somehow opens the doors of friendship and removes the major barriers of self-consciousness.
Jesus, thank you for the gift of being able to be silly. It has given me family AND friends wherever I go. Merry Christmas, indeed! How can I repay my Jesus for His great gifts to me except with my heart and my service to the ones He loves?
posted by Emily at 10:06 AM
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