The minimal expense is due to the decision to stay home, and where that home is. Of course, Moldova is a beautifully cheap date, and village life even more so. Though I complain for real coffee, art museums, poet circles, variety in everything run thick and fast from myself and my friends, when it comes right down to it, once you're in the village habit, village life can be pretty sweet.
I've gotten so used, in fact, to eating plain potatoes and plain spagetti with half a drumstick for garnish, that a pita with some ketchup and half a handful of ricotta cheese truly does pass for delicious pizza. Also, the $3 bottles of champagne from southern Moldova, I'm convinced, are of better quality than anything moet and chandon can bottle. Wine no. Champagne yes.
So I offered to take Renata and Natalia to Sarm, our local pizzeria, after school on friday. They were worried about me spending too much money. I told them a good pizza date with champagne would be priceless, please just arrange the transport. So we went. And got tipsy--R and N too! A never before seen feat! It was glorious. Over the past two years we have made real friendships that I value, so time away from school to talk about anything else was beautiful.
Total cost: 300 lei: 100 lei for transport, 200 lei for food (2 large pizzas, three ice cream sundaes, 1 bottle champagne, 2 cups of fresh juice, 1 cappucino)
I got home and in preparation for the next day, my actual birthday, I bought a second bottle of champagne and a bottle of high end Belii Aist cognac. The champers was for me and Maria and Laurentiu for lunch, but, Maria doesn't drink and Laurentiu has recently quit (remember that? Yea, he's following through!). So, it was just me for breakfast.
The Belii Aist was to split with Grigore and Roma at the bar in the evening a la Roma's party a week ago. It was also the personal favorite of Martin, my old volunteer neighbor, and Billy when he came. I must say, mixing it is almost a shame it's so smooth and rich. But! Mixing with coke comes out tasting like a cherry coke.
At the bar I bought the coke to cut the cognac, a bag of peanuts and a bag of sour cream and onion crunchy bits of dried bread (like chips but tiny and not fried) . We started at 8 and closed the bar at 2 am, quite sauced, for G decided we would drink beer after. We each bought a single, then R sprung for a 2 litre bottle of Polar Bear's finest alcoholic drivel. G's girlfriend and several other people at various points joined us. Overall a brilliant evening akin to some of the best I ever had in Shepherdstown playing darts... IE, Melissa, Steffie, Emily... You would have fit right in and I missed you.
Total cost - 165 : 100 lei for Belii Aist, 30 lei for champagne, 10 lei for peanuts, 10 lei for crunchy things, 15 lei for a Starii Melnic.
Total for both days - 465 lei
Now, if I had gone to Chisinau to hang out with my American peeps, I would also have had fun, but, and this is not a slight to them as people, but it would not have been as fun. I would have had to travel a total of 8 hours on a tiny bus. I would have lost sleep catching them. I would have wasted time pottering around the PC lounge where a bunch of people I'd rather NOT interact with would have forced themselves on me.
Total cost would have been - 830 lei : 130 lei for travel, 130 lei for a room, 570 lei for food/drink for me alone(30 lei per beer, 60 lei per meal) plus tips for various waiters... at 10%...
Over all. A better time for half the price? Absolutely.
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