Tomato Juice in Moldova

So, I had the opportunity to visit a long lost part of Romania... Moldova.

Now free from Russian rule, but not free of their influence, Moldova is trying to regain it's Romanian heritage.

People there speak Romanian, as well as Russian. It's much poorer than Romania, and more than 80% of the population are agrarian.

I went with my uncle and aunt to some of their friends, and we planned to make tomato juice for the winter.

First a tour of the area. I forgot to take pictures of the house... but oh well, we were outside most of the time anyways.

And now we're off to the field, picking a variety of tomatoes. Big ones, small ones, oval ones, red ones and orange ones.

My aunt.

My uncle.

My aunt and the lovely couple from Moldova.

They also had a bunch of nut trees, and naturally, like a squirrel, I filled up my pockets.

By the end, my hands were dirty and smelling like tomatoes. It was divine!!

That evening I helped milk the cow. She was not being very generous with me. I think she didn't feel too comfortable with me fiddling around her. 

In the morning, the lady made sour cream with cheese and polenta for breakfast. Very hardy!

Then we got to making the tomato juice.

First, sorting and washing the ripest tomatoes.

Then cutting away any damaged parts and also cutting them into smaller pieces.

 And then running them through a food processor that separated the pulp and juice from the seeds and skin. It was super efficient. 

Then off to get boiled, with some salt and pepper.

Toader checking if it's ready.

You let it boil until the froth at the top dissipates. 

In the meantime, my aunt was washing and prepping the bottles.

And in the juice went.

Then the bottles were set on a blanket, and covered, so they'd cool of slowly throughout the night.

I was free to flutter around and take pictures of everything and everyone. 

I saw this really old and cool wood stove.

Seed saving!!!

From the biggest and ripest tomatoes, we squeezed and cut out the seeds to save for next year. I got to take some seeds with me as well, and have them drying nicely next to the window. Next year when I'll go do that farming internship, I'm definitely going to try growing some of these tomatoes.

Wash, rinse, and let to dry.

They also had tons of grapes over the outside table. 

I got me some and ate them. I gave the chickens some as well.

For a late lunch we made this. I don't know what it is. But it's supposed to be really healthy, and full of good stuff. It tasted great too.

Here's soup, some chicken and sour cream sauce, and then the cereal stuff in the smaller pot.

Delicious sour soup, not complete without some liquor. It was so wonderful to share with this family the work, the conversations, the food and the alcohol.

I got a very nice buzz by the end of the day. I was feeling very happy and warm.

Everyone engrossed in the meal. It was perfect!

And then the main dish, not complete without a shot of liquor and some scrumptious NOT SWEET pickles. 

These must have been the best pickles I've ever eaten.

Washing up now. There was also a really cute tom cat meowing around this lady every time she had a dish in her hand. That cat was smart. He knew who had the food.

Both of the people from Moldova are teachers, and so, the lady took me to her school, grades 1-12, to see how it's like. It was so cute inside.

The gym. 

Romanian royals from the past.

And Romanian famous writers.

I was very impressed with those 2 displays in particular. It showed that the school valued the history and literature of these people, and displayed it in the busiest areas of the school.

Then, in the evening, I helped make some crepes with soft home made cheese and sour cream, and some with some awesome jam.

We also had some tomato soup made with the freshly finished tomato sauce, and with freshly home made noodles. Also not complete without the shot of liquor, and this time onion. The bread is missing from the picture.

It was a busy Friday and Saturday, and by the end, we were all tired and a bit tipsy. Lots of work, lots of food, plenty of drinks, good conversations and lots of radio shows about the Romanian language and the Russian occupation of Moldova. It was a great and productive 2 days.

Iasi Photos

On Wednesday, my uncle and me went to the Iasi region. My mom went to university in this city.

We first visited the house of a lady painter. They have a huge wine yard.

 These are not wine grapes. They are just plain old delicious eating grapes. Super sweet and juicy.

They have a bunch of varieties. White and red too.

And then we went to an exposition of art done by painters who hadn't studied professionally to paint.

 These were the ones that impressed me the most. 

And these are all the artists. They got a catalog and a certificate. My uncle is the man with the white shirt in the middle.

I took a break from the festivities and went for a little walk around the art gallery. 

I stumbled upon this abandoned lot with two really pretty looking abandoned buildings. 

I wish I could have gone in to see, but the gate was locked and it was pretty high... too high to jump over.

Bucharest Photos

Here are some of the lovely photos I got from Bucharest with my cousin.

 In the first morning, Irina is preparing our breakfast.

 This is the view from her balcony. In the distance, you can see the big building that's now the 3rd largest in the world.

 The cars parked downstairs. There was a car there that sold used books. I stopped and looked, and decided to buy an old Romanian book with legends.

 BREAKFAST!! "Tochitura". Sausage, eggs, polenta and cheese. YUM!!!!

 The buttons of the old-style elevators.

 Delicious chocolate filled donuts. OMG!

 My personal pizza. We went for dinner on Saturday, before we went clubbing. 

 In the club where we went, they had a photographer, and after hearing I'm from Canada and here visiting my cousin, he took our photo and later came back with this magnet, and a shot of vodka for each. Fantastic guy!

 A walk in one of the many beautiful parks in Bucharest.

 BUMPER CARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO MUCH FUN!!

They are waaaaay more forceful than what I remember.

 I kept getting hit and thrown around in those little cars.

My cousin Irina and her boyfriend Ionut.

She's a classy gal :P

Where to make it?

Well, it's become more and more apparent that I can't make a decision on where to buy some land and build up a home.

Canada: too cold and very expensive, but I speak the language, have lots of opportunities and would know how to start what I want.

Thailand: love the weather, it's cheap, lots of opportunities, but it's too far and I don't speak the language.

Romania: the land is cheap, I speak the language, I like the customs and food, it's easy enough to travel to and from, but I don't know how to start anything here and I don't think the general mentality is very open my idea of living.

Costa Rica: great weather, close to family and easy to travel to and from, but I only have theoretical knowledge about this place. I haven't been there yet and don't know what can be done.

So, until I go to Costa Rica and see it for myself, I still can't make a decision.

I think Thailand is definitely out of the picture.

Romania, I want to own some land here. I want to keep a part of it for myself.
And I might just do that...

It's a choice that I'm not ready to make yet, and I don't think I need to make it yet.

People all around here are living such a different life. Everyone is so practical, very smart when planning their future. But in a very different direction than me.

Sometimes I feel like I'm just running away from difficult decisions, or that I'm just trying to justify my shortcomings and not work harder.

But then I remember that I already have an idea of the life I want to live. And the process, just as much as the end result, is a journey I want to make in a certain way.

I know people try to tell me the things I need to do, the steps I need to achieve, or say that time is running out, or that I need to settle down... they are not saying it with bad intentions. But I also know that their reality is not my reality, and I fully believe that you can make your life and your existence exactly what and how you see it.

1st week in Romania

Well, I had an awesome time in Bucharest with my cousin... I wrote a blog about that earlier but Im just waiting to upload pics.

But, since Ive been in the north with my uncle and aunt, I can honestly say Ive been drunk pretty much every day.

I got here on Monday, and now its Saturday, and Ive been drunk pretty much every day. Every day, I have a shot to help me wake up, another to help with my appetite, another to help with my digestion, another just for fun, another to keep me warm, another to help me sleep. And there are a lot more when I go visit other people with my uncle and/or aunt. I love this conty and its generous and welcoming attitude. Thank you Romania for making me feel at home.

Ive enjoyed beeing here very much.

But...

I am trying very hard to keep in mind my own ways and aspirations.

Romania and its people are very practical, and live life simply. I cant do that. I dont follow the same life pattern. Im more confused and complicated and unsure.

Ive got some good ideas for here. I want to learn more traditional crafts, especially when it comes to the kitchen.

This weekend Im in Moldova with my uncle and aunt. Today we picked amazing tomatoes and tomorrow we will make toamoe juice. All healthy, organic, additive free. Im hoping Ill be able to get some seeds and when I go next year to my farming internship, Ill be able to plant some and do the same.

They have bees here too... which petrifies me. But I want to visit and check it out.

People here live a lot simpler lives. They all know the patterns of live, because they will do the same as as their parents and grandparents did before them, and how their friend and current family are doing now.

Go to school, find a partner, get married, have kids, take over the land your parents leave you, and take care of the grandkids... rinse and repeat.

Kind of nice, if thats what you want. But for me... well, I ended up in a similar place, but I would not have been happy with the limited experience and world view.

This country is beautiful, and the people are fantastic.

I wish I could stay here longer. Stay on a farm for a few months and learn some proper skills.

Thank you for the opportunities Romania!!!

(picture to come soon)

First Stop - Romania

Well, I've been in this country only 3 days and it's already been amazing.

I reconnected with my amazing cousin. I never had a close relationship to any of my few cousins. And it was just incredible.

I experienced the capital with young and lively people. I was part of it! It was fantastic!!!

After a couple of full days of excitement, I took the train up to my uncle and aunts house in the north of the country.

It's wonderful to be here. I'm so happy to be close to this part of the family again.