The journey of Moldova’s Flag throughout America

 Today our country celebrated our National Flag’s Day in the unique and beautiful way.

from www.infoprim.md

from www.arena.md

from www.carabinier.md

from www.unimedia.md

(more pics and video – here http://unimedia.md/?mod=news&id=46990#!prettyPhoto[pp_gal]/0/)

 I think these great events in our capital is an intelligent step of our Government to promote our country’s symbol, which is more and more questioned by the Communist Party lately, while trying to promote another historical flag of Moldova.

I appreciate this celebration at least because I experienced the power, pride, courage and love for my country, which were given to me by the flag, I had with me for about 330 days, while being away from home.

Further is an unique photo chronicle of Moldovan Flag’s journey throughout the U.S, while I was a Hubert Humphrey Program Fellow. I hope you enjoy it and if you are a Moldovan, it will encourage you to be proud of your country and that you will be willing to represent our beautiful  and difficult  country. Enjoy!

In Atlanta, Georgia. Played with mycolleagues a game. The purpose was to say to which country  these flags belong to. Unfortunately, from the 50 representatives of more than 30 countries around the world only my colleague from Romania knew that it is our flag

Here – in the snowy mountains of Washington State.  Again, with the flag

Here the flag of Moldova is in Seattle, at the Cultural Festival. Diaspora representative, a friend, who works at Microsoft is in the picture.

Here – Moldova’s flag is on the escort of the cars during the visit of the Moldova’s Ambassador to US. Seattle Airport

here-in a restaurant in a small town on one of the islands around Seattle, WA. I do not know its’ name. Yes, here is the flag again. This time, improvised

I really love this. Our flag during Moldova’s Parliamentary Elections on 2010. Polling station for diaspora in the U.S. Pacific

And again the flag of Moldova! This time in the city of Renton, populated with lots of representatives of Moldovan diaspora, where we held the reception for Mr. Munteanu, Moldova’s Ambassador in US and Diaspora.

Moldovan flag on the alley of the Columbia International University of South Carolina

And here I am again with the flag of Moldova. I always enjoyed talking about my country and its’ flag. I liked   so begin my presentations  with the phrase: “Hello, I am Liuba Ceban and I am coming from a small beautiful country from Eastern Europe, called Moldova” and holding a small Moldovan flag in my hand. My colleagues were always teasing me “small beautiful country” . Often I was unique in they way I was introducing myself …  this is because I had with me … yes… Moldova’s FLAG!

This time – at the official opening of the WIN Moldova organization   in Seattle, a dream I had many years before I went to US, which came true!

Here – Moldova’s flag at the meeting with people from Columbia, South Carolina, interested in Moldova.

Here (although not a clear picture for security reasons), the flag of Moldova visited the prison for juniors.  City of Columbia, South Carolina

Here – a lunch, I cooked for friends in Moldovan style. I the city of Bellevue, where the number of central offices of Microsoft located. And for sure, with the flag of Moldova !

And the icing on the cake. I flag of Moldova in Hawaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii .  I went with the flag  even on vacation!

Hope you enjoyed the journey of Moldovan Flag together with me . Considering that our country is not very well known, it was my pleasure and privilege to share the information and my love for my country with people in US. Though I never knew I have so many pictures with my country’s flag I just realised it today, on our National Flag Day, when the idea of this post came.

Got stuck between two worlds…

Today is the first day, when I had some time to walk around and to meditate on life, reality I am in and to listen to my heart.

I am back to Moldova exactly  for 35 days. Sounds strange. The time goes by so fast. Unbelievable.  So many things already happened. I realised few days ago that I didn’t have time for transition at all. Was too busy to run, run, run. Wonder why. At first, it was exciting to keep myself busy. But now I feel like I lose something by being busy, busy, busy.

Still, since I arrived back, to Moldova, I manage to do so many things: celebrated my birthday, went through the awful feeling of loneliness, fall inlove, visited my parents in Ukraine, managed to meet a bunch of NGOs, Government staff and lots of cool young people from my country. Managed to discuss the opportunities for new projects, even to apply to one, to discuss the basics of a chain of new organizations, WIN Moldova (we launched it in Seattle in July this year), extended to Germany and to Moldova…. I also moved to my appartment (exactly looking the way I wished), organized a camp for village kids, I am going to on Monday and got sick. Yes, I also fasted for 9 days for the first time in my life…

Where am I running to? I don’t know. But I am tired. This reminds me of the sequence of the Forrest Gump movie: after 3 years of running throughout US, he just stopped by saying “I am tired”. Me too.

So, I decided to take some time for myself. And… I find it so difficult. And also so full of wisdom, I need to hear. It is hard not to be active. But it is definitely good for me to slow down. At least for few days. I took a walk around the area, I live now. Never been in this part of our capital before.  So, a short walk around brought some peace to my heart and mind and faced me with special discoveries. For example, I don’t know why, but the crickets are making much louder noise here, comparing to Seattle… if there are any there… The sky is much higher and the clouds even after the sunset, still have lots of colors to admire. You still can see the lights of the sun on some clouds. Never seen something like this in Seattle…

Oh, Seattle… I still ask myself why did I get there. What was the God’s intention in His providence for me to get there. Well, I can write lots of reports and lessons and stories and make lots of plans and describe all the advantages of being a Humphrey Fellowship Alumni, which I experience fully. Still, I wonder what are the things, lessons, I have to take for my life… And the answer to this question is not simple. It required tranquility to hear my heart’s response to all intense experience, I had. But I want to hear it. I want to digest well my experience and to get equipped for the future, my heart will face.

The guy, I like to listen to, was saying on one of his sermons “God wants each year of your life to be special”. Well, it was easy to believe that, while I was in Seattle. I have to admit that I have a fear that Seattle would be a history of my life, I will always want to go back… But I don’t want it this way. I want my new year, which started on August, 13, to be the best year in my life. Hard to believe it is possible in Moldova. But in the same time, faith is not the matter of what I face, of what I see. It is a matter of what I  believe. Will I be strong enough to believe, and more than that, to think, to act based on what I believe? At least this is my prayer: God, help me hear what You want to tell me, show me the way You want me to follow, bless me the way, You know to do it, despite whatever life brings. I need tranquility to hear Him. Yes, I need to slow down to be able to move one and to have same energy for my future in Moldova. Don’t want to continue to be stuck between two worlds, nowhere… Wonder, what colors life will bring, when I will get out of this still time. Will see…