The Fall of the Monuments

Today I had a chance to get out for a walk and catch some final days of warmth before the autumn comes to a close. I often walk around the empty lake neighbouring our apartment, surrounded by a forest where many tree’s leaves are seeing the season out, changing from their bright green texture to a colourful array of brown, yellow and rich reds. Yet as I walk around the empty lake I’m always reminded of better days, and as I pass the various park benches, pathways and old monuments crumbling away, it’s very evident that the pride in this land has slowly dissipated into abandonment and neglect.

…

Scraps from a Bin: Part 2

The other day Jessie and I had a life changing experience.

It wasn’t anything dramatic or seemingly out of the ordinary. It was a simple and innocent connection that Jessie made with one of the lowest of lows. Funny how these moments touch us the most. …

The Morning Walk

I’ve mentioned before about the homeless lady who was searching in a bin just outside our apartment. But I’ve been thinking since then that for those of you not living in Moldova it may seem like this is an unusual occurrence for us. Sadly, that is far from the truth.

…

Rebuilding of a Nation

At times the reality that we are living in a post-Soviet nation seems more real than at others.  While there are signs of a Communist history in Chisinau, for me it’s when I hit the villages that the underlying currents of the country’s past become more evident.  Empty factories and buildings mark just about every village, and many speak of times when villages were thriving before mass population shifts took place to the nation’s capital. …