Back in the USSR (and I am not talking about the Beatles!)

Greetings Everyone!
My holidays in the States were wonderful, and it feels just as wonderful to be back here in Moldova, if not a bit cold. We are stuck right in the middle of the Ukraine/Russia gas quarrel, and the end seems somewhat near. All those who use central heating have had their temperatures halved, the schools have all been temporarily closed, and the breakaway Republic of Transdniestr has had no gas for nearly two weeks. In fact, one of my better friends here Sasha lives within the Transdniestr borders and has been freezing in a single room with an electric heater and a single element for heating food.
I had one of the more iconic nights of my Moldovan social scene the other night, Saint John Day (Russian Calendar not Western.) After finishing a meal with my host family, as my host father’s name is John, I left with some of my friends from the village. We quickly, and somewhat recklessly, drove too quickly through the small dirt village roads until we arrived to a seemingly abandoned house. There about ten guys and I gathered around a small round plastic table with a dirty bucket of barbecued chicken, a few glasses, a two liter bottle of vodka, and bitter tasting bottle of house wine bottled in a two liter plastic coke bottle. As the drinks began to dry and the food disappeared we walked over the icy cold road towards the local bar and finished the night with a few beers. It reminded me just how much the experience is different from home, but at the same time interesting and valuable in a different way.
Currently at work we are trying to convert an incredibly complicated excel spreadsheet to a Access interface. The project will really streamline the business, and help the less computer literate accountant and cashier input information more easily. As for my entrepreneurship seminar I teach in the centre things are currently at stand still because of the gas dispute, but I expect that next week we will once again start up. I have a verbal understanding with the directors of both schools to start as soon as possible.
I will try and post some pictures of Moldova in the winter time as soon as possible!