Tales from the Cold War: Pot-bellied men and red smears

IREX employees Olivia and Roxana who organized editor training Chisinau

Illona, who translated for me in Moldova, and I went for a walk in the central park during a break in editor training and we wound up talking about how odd it was consorting with the enemy, since that is what we were taught about each other growing up.

I told her I'd never thought about visiting Moldova, I didn't even know there was a Moldova; it was simply part of that red smear across the world map that stood for USSR, the Evil Empire. and she recalls textbooks in which America was represented by the Pentagon and a man with a big belly.