Ziua Drapelului - Flag Day

Last Saturday was a special day among many in Moldova: it was a celebration of their national identity through their flag. Very much like the flag of Romania, the Moldovan flag is tri-colored with blue, yellow and red. The blue symbolizes the blue sky and hope of future generations; the yellow represents the sun and the color of grains ready for harvest, and therefore the work Moldovans undertake every day; and the red speaks of the blood shed by numerous generations to reach an independent and democratic nation.

Ceremony at the Lyceum - the 12th grade boys were honor guards.

Students in Moldovan costumes proudly recited poetry about their flag and their country.

The school had a couple of ceremonies and the flags were flown everywhere. I was especially moved by the drapes behind the monument to Stefan cel mare (the patron saint of Moldova).

As an outsider, I was struck by a couple of things: 1) How passionately proud Moldovans are of their flag and country; 2) How much like Americans they are in their ambivalence - one minute defensive and patriotic, and the next ready to list the problems they face. With some of my students, when they complain that they have no options, or that they don't like the way their country is run, I tell them to create the change that they want to see; to be the change they want to implement. With other students who try to compare how things are in the United States with how they are in Moldova, I point out that the U.S. had many problems when it was only 21 years old.

And, as an outsider, perhaps I have the distance in this country to see so many beautiful things here, and how quickly Moldovan society is developing and changing. Of course, many of my students see what is available in the U.S. or in the major countries of Europe and they want that for themselves, NOW. But, it is happening, pas cu pas (step by step)

The side effect of watching Moldova develop and grow is that I make my own comparisons with the U.S. and I question many of our own policies while also contemplating the direction that our country is heading. Of course, the only news about the U.S. that registers here is the negative news, but I am often asked why we are such a violent society, if it is true that all Americans carry guns, why we don't take better care of our sick and poor, why so many Americans are fat and eat fast food. Then, the shoe is on the other foot. I tell them how proud I am of my country and how much I respect it's people and liberties. But I'm also able to say that while all countries have problems, like Moldova, one of the most beautiful things about being a citizen of the United States is that we are able to freely voice our opinions, to point out the weaknesses and celebrate the strengths, and for this ability alone we must be proud of our countries.

God bless Moldova and God bless the United States.