Update on What the Boys are Saying

Grigore and Roma continue to be fed up with their classmates, and the music everyone in their village listen to. They also maintain that I lost my voice because I drank a cold beer.

They are starting to come around to the idea that not all gypsies are thieves and cutthroats. And Roma wishes he were a little bit black. People, he says, who are half black and half white have the prettiest skin. But they had to informed not to use the word "nigger" which, according to every encounter I've had so far with Moldovans, is their word of choice for black people regardless of where they're from. When I tell them that word is offensive, they get a bit confused and ask why. Dunno, why do you have bad terms for, say, gypsies?

Oh, yea, but that's different. All gypsies are bad.

What about Lumilla's neighbors?

Ludmilla's crazy. Don't listen to her.

Whatever.

And that wind? is it still killing you?

Yes.

Ok.

Also discussed today: how not all Russians are in the Mafia (my counter example of what Americans think of people here), fat chicks, chickens eating their own young is disturbing (no it's not Erika. Don't be silly), and aliens. I believe in them, and they don't.