Situation in Moldova
and Transnistria
Transnistria is a region in Moldova on the border with Ukraine. There have been explosions there from time to time in recent weeks. It is unclear who is behind this and what this will now mean for us Moldovans.
At least OM Moldova and our team is well prepared for any situation. We know what we employees need to do in the event of potential dangerous situations arising, and OM International has an experienced and well-connected security department that has already been on assignment in many countries. We are also in contact with the Swiss Embassy.
May 9 is an important holiday in the former Eastern Bloc countries, celebrating the victory over the Nazis in World War II. In the run-up to the event, it was not certain whether there would be any riots in Moldova. Therefore, together with the management of OM Moldova, we decided to extend at short notice our vacation in Romania planned for the end of May.
Thank God, however, there were no significant events and the situation in Moldova did not really change.
Vacation in Romania
Last Saturday we drove 8 hours to Braşov, where OM Romania have their offices. Actually, we wanted to drive through in one day, but that was planned a bit optimistically. Elia just doesn’t like to drive. At this point, a question for all parents who can just put their babies in the car seat and then drive around for hours:
How did you do that? What is your secret?
We have/had four of these mini-humans, and not one of them liked to drive when they were babies. Not a single one. After half an hour at the latest the screaming starts, not even breastfeeding helps…
Back to the trip. We just kept driving as long as Elia was sleeping. Just as he woke up we passed a hearty motel at 10pm. Because the kitchen was already closed, we enjoyed our dinner in the hotel room. Anna then found out why we don’t allow her to eat bread in bed at home.
Back to the trip. We just kept driving as long as Elia was sleeping. Just as he woke up we passed a hearty motel at 10pm. Because the kitchen was already closed, we enjoyed our dinner in the hotel room. Anna then found out why we don’t allow her to eat bread in bed at home.
After a small breakfast, two more hours of driving and a stop to do some shopping, we reached our destination. The region is called Transylvania, and has an exciting historical story that dates back to the Crusades. Besides, in the Carpathians and Wallachia you can find beautiful nature, which we will explore while camping. But more about that in the next newsletter. So far we have only explored two fortified churches.
Fortified churches were built in the 15th century as protection against Ottoman raids and there are several in the area. In the Evangelical Church of Honigberg there is a small museum in the historical storerooms about the way of life in those days and you can even explore the narrow passages of the ring wall.
What happens next
We will enjoy the next three weeks here extensively, visit friends and return to Moldova in early June. As long as the situation in Moldova does not change fundamentally, we will stay and support the locals and refugees.
How are we doing
For us parents, the situation is generally challenging. For one thing, we go through the completely normal and expected culture shock in our first year. This is common when you have to find your way in a new culture and your own views and approaches are not yet compatible with the local ones. Usually this subsides in the first 12 months, also because by then you have a good enough command of the language to have deeper conversations and build real relationships. We also realize ourselves that we are slowly arriving. We can already communicate a little bit and tell who we are and what we do here. More and more often we hear as an answer “oh, YOUare the new ones living up there on the hill”. A village is a village, in Switzerland as in Moldova.
On the other hand, the proximity to Ukraine makes it difficult to really plan for the long term (that is, more than two weeks in advance 😉). No one knows what will be in a week or a month, and this affects our work and our everyday life. For example, we actually want to renovate the kitchen, but at the moment we are hesitant to do so. And even if we always feel safe, it is strange to have an emergency bag with clothes, money and all important documents always ready.
Despite all these things, we are still very happy to be here. We enjoy the spring, like the people, look forward to the incredibly fine fruits and vegetables of Moldova and are positive about the future.
