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Nick Stevens Graphics's avatar

Ha!

This made me think of the Tony Hawks book, "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis", highly recommended if you have not yet read it. Describing his first trip here, and his attempt to have a game of tennis with all members of the national soccer team.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/994023.Playing_the_Moldovans_at_Tennis

There's a film as well, but I much prefer the book.

This is the same Tony Hawks who set up the centre for Moldovan children with special needs.

https://tonyhawkscentru.md/index.php/en/home/

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David Smith's avatar

I read the book before I came here and laughed the whole time. Excellent book. I've never met him in all these years though. I know he comes here a lot.

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Nick Stevens Graphics's avatar

I think his book "One Hit Wonderland" is even better, (though it lacks the local relevance obviously).

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Denise Riegel's avatar

Makes my stay in Moldova, especially in an apartment in Cahul, a larger city, seem like easy peasy. Fun read. Thanks. Denise

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John Goodrick's avatar

Absolutely loved the story. As an Moldovan RPCV living in a village, all of our water came in buckets from a well and we used a Brita filter. Now, most in our village have running water.

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David Smith's avatar

Yeah, it's good to see some forward motion again! I know another RPCV who got a whole town connected back up for the first time since the Soviet Union. It didn't cost a lot but took a ton of coordination.

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Gary Nielsen's avatar

Makes me think about my first time in Moldova (2 weeks in 1995), e.g., never saw a gas station in Chisinau...just a tank truck by the side of the road with a hose going into a car next to it

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David Smith's avatar

Simpler times... :)

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