We're here! Its scorching and we're having lots of fun!

(There was no photo of moldova so I had to use romania)

I've decided to do a little blogging, but maybe not much. After a train, flight, overnight train, we made it to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. Where there is, in fact, a shiny mall next to our hostel called Mall Dova (a bit weird telling taxi drivers to take us there!)

We've done a bit of exploring, watched a euro game in a big square and stuff, but I'm finding being with 10 others very different to travelling with one other or by myself because it takes so long to 1. decide what to do 2. organise it 3. do it. But hey ho! There are many upsides too!

So yesterday was very interesting for me because it was the first day at the orphanage. It looks fine from the outside, and its nice and cool inside, it smells a bit like a nursery and its dark because they dont use the lights really. Wave 1 (the first group) were throwing the boys a party because they were leaving, it was like walking into an insane asylum (not because of the boys but because of how hyperactive the volunteers were!) There was foam, bubbles, facepaint, balloons- it was great we all just got stuck in!

So the way it works is 2 volunteers help with a group of roughly 12 children, they are grouped vaguely based on their ability. We were introduced to each group and then just stayed if we wanted to spend the next three weeks working with the group. The 'babies' most disabled are actually as old as 23 which is very shocking,

I decided to work with the 'crazies' although slightly less crazy since one boy has been removed from the group (though to where I don't know?) It's a high-energy group, with very little cognitative understanding, so its pretty mental. They are very dependant and need fed, though with time I'm sure they should be able to do it themselves. But with only one carer to the group normally, it's far easier just to feed them. There are two blind boys, which is horrible because they are so disabled, not by their blindness but by society's reaction to their disability, and so they've been institutionalised, been made dependant, and been mentally neglected, which has resulted in very disabled and frustrated boys.

Hygiene in the orphanage is not going to be a priority with the boy damp with wee and slobbering on me! There's one boy who's always sick down himself. I'm glad I choose the group I did (I say this at the start) rather than a more docile group because it will be fun, and there's lots I'm sure we can try to achieve.

Last night after the handover we had a Moldovan night out with the other group, and danced to the wee hours. I think today's a recovery day, and the other group are leaving. Tomorrow we're going back to the town of Orhei where the orphanage is and where we'll be based.