A day in the life of a Peace Corps Trainee

Hi All,

A few days have past since my last post, my apologies, I couldn't figure out how to create new posts...and I probably won't be able to figure out how I got here later to create another and so this stupid cycle will continue.

Anywho, here I am, in Moldova. I live in a suburb or Chisinau, Ciorescu. It is quite nice here, being a suburb of the capital, it is a more affluent part of Moldova than most. So, my day-to-day life, I wake up at about 7:30am and have breakfast and bathe before going to the school for morning language lessons. Lessons at school are from 8:30-12:30, I head home for lunch at 12:30. At 2 I am back at the school for technical training, so that we are prepared to partake in the 'business' world here in Moldova. This lesson ends at about 5pm at which time I walk back home. When I return home, I usually study. Being a competitive person in the Peace Corps holds very little importance, and so, I create competition with myself in learning this darn language as fast as possible.

It is the end of cherry and strawberry season, so usually after dinner my host sisters and I will go to the garden and binge on fruit. This can be problematic given that it is customary to feed guests until they are on the brink of explosion. Granted, the members of my family are petite, I am clearly not, but still, the portion of food they give me could easily feed three grown men. Luckily, I quickly learned how to politely ask for smaller portions...and 'no I don't like butter on everything, thank you'.

Bathroom situation: we have an out house, and an outdoor shower, I was unaware that these were, in fact, two different places. The first day I needed to relieve myself so I headed for what I thought to be the bathroom. When I walked on I realized, no, this can't be the bathroom there is no hole. I slowly peered outside the curtain to find my host sisters questioning what I was doing. I asked 'toilet'? They both burst into laughter...'NO..hahahahahhaaha'. With red cheeks and a full bladder I was shown where the actual bathroom was. I was happy to find a hole in the second location...I'm not saying I made it in the hole, but I tried my best. I reminded myself 'practice makes perfect' and headed back to the house to wash up.

So there you have it, a day in the life of a Peace Corps Trainee in Moldova.

Until next time,
Peace