Nearing the end of PST now. A certain comfort has been developed and maintained with our current host families, that I will be reluctant to leave. A sort of broken language has somehow been pieced together from the daily barrage of language classes. My host family is patient and speaks slowly, for the benefit of my understanding (nearing upwards of 75%, I might add). We all, as a PST group blissfully flew through the early weeks of training, discounting of course the first week of confusion, delusion and a sort of waking state of sleep. As PST has pushed forward we have all begun to feel the pressure to pick up the language, become sparkling examples of Americas finest at every waking moment, while still integrating seamlessly into the fabric of Moldovan society. In other words, we are exhausted. A weird sort of exhuastion I believe is independent of all other I have known.
While confusion of communication has a strong hold over many of us, acting as the keystone of our exhaustion. The still relatively new landscape that we will be living in for the next 2+ years is not absent in our sleepy minds. Unfortunately for us this exhaustion is taken out not only on our loved ones back home, host families here, and fellow volunteers, but is most commonly taken out on our loyal and unbelieveably patient LTIs (language trainer instructors). These women are the cream of the crop, the most wonderful Moldovans and people you could be blessed to have teaching you. But, given our close quarters for 6 mornings a week...for the past 7 weeks...it is not surprise, that we, once bright eyed and bushy tailed volunteers, have morphed into rather cranky, impatient and utterly lost beings. Often, I enjoy being corrected when speaking, it allows me to recognize my mistake. However, on some unpleasant mornings, when I have woken on the wrong side of the bed, and seem to say everything wrong, the correction of my nouns from masculin singular definit to feminine plural indefinit is about all I can take.God bless them for putting up with us, without them there is no way any of us would accomplish anything during our time here. Their patients allows us all, when needed, to feel successful, and to act as a support when we are clearly failling behind.
In my almost two months in Moldova I have begun to make observations about the Peace Corps ideals and values. Coming fresh from the University life, I, as anyone who knows me can atest, base my life in large part around success and failure. I try to maximize the success and minimize the failure, well don't we all. Luckily in my short time here I have quickly begun to newly define these two words; success and failure. Success, atleast in my narrow definition has been learned anew here in the Peace Corps, and is measured entirely differently from how I view the word back home. Success back home was acing the exam, scoring the job, and solidifying the resume. Success here is talking with a local, being invited to help with cooking a meal, joking with your host family and growing fond of the many new traditions. Success has taken on a new fulfilling, wholesome and rewarding meaning. I was never able to understand this definition back home. This being said, failure too, gets a newly defined meaning. In the US failure is viewed as bombing the test, getting fired from the job, and spending time in a socially-viewed unproductive fashion. Conversely, failure here is the unwillingness to try, the isolation of ones self and the indifference to create sustainable change. I must say these shifting definitions make it easier for me to consider myself thus far, considerably more successful than a failure. Though I can't say I will not hold myself to the highest expectiations, this is my life after all, I intend to steer this ship to greatness! I will continue to discover and explore the newness of this country and my microscopic role in it as my position shifts from trainee to volunteer. And, perhaps, if you are bored on a saturday afternoon, you too will join me as I clumsily record these simple pieces of peace.
Until next time,
Peace
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Heat, Prey, Lug
As a huge fan of the book 'Eat, Pray, Love', I thought this play on words was too cute to pass up when thinking about what to write in this blog post. Though my moments here in Moldova have been (in the majority) amazing, many adjustments have been made. I have identified three of the major slight adjustments between life here as compared to life back home. These three things in particular have become more noticeable as time has gone on.
My first summer in Moldova. My summer of Heat, Prey, Lug.
Heat:
Being that it's summer, it's hot. Living in NH my whole life I understand...hot summers, cold winters; just a part of life. This being said, the humidity here is dreadful. The saying 'you could cut the air with a knife' doesn't begin to cut it, this stuff needs a machete. The sort of heat where sitting still, in shade, not moving, still leads to the trickle of sweat. Now, I was not raised with air conditioning in my house, but living in this heat without a fan is rough. My ice cream intake has seen a steady upward linear progression since my arrival. One of my first language misunderstadnings in Moldova happened in reference to the heat. My host sister and I were walking down the street when she truned to me in the sweltering heat and said one word: "Cold!". My being the unadjusted American, thinking she was trying to practice her English, and simply mismatched her antonyms, replied "No, hot!" The next day in language class I learned she was actually saing "cald", the Romanian word for "hot". Yes, summers here are filled with cald, cald, heat.
Prey:
It's commical really, the one animal all volunteers have been affected by isn't an animal at all, but rather an insect. Yes, that's right, the big bad mosquito. These are not just any ordinary mosquitoes out for blood. These mosquitoes are looking for limbs. Biggest difference is what these suckers leave on your body, post-bite. I have identified three different forms that the bite can manifest into. The first, the blister bite, creating a legitimate blister on the skin. The second, the cone-shaped red bump, itchy little things. The third, I more fondly refer to as the punch-shaped welt. These bites are huge, usually swollen with a hard center. Yes, the mosquitoes seem to prey on us Peace Corps volunteers. Perhpas it's fresh blood, perhaps they can smell our vulnerability, or perhaps it's just summer and these bugs are hungry.
Lug:
In the USA we are, usually, lucky enough to live in a community where clean water is in high supply. Though many of the homes we live in here have running water, well water is also a common resource for consumption. Given the standards for water quailyt in the US, we as Peace Corps volunteers, are advised to boild and filter all of our drinking water. In the summer, with the heat, this process is long, hot and is only as prosperous as the amount of water that fills the kettle. It's no lug and chug process, it's more of a lug, boil, cool, filter, sip process. As a result this leads to dehydration, given the effort to make the water is less than appealing in the heat.
But, here it is about adjustments. As Peace Corps countries go, I feel blessed to be in wonderful Moldova. For now I will continue to adjust and live in Moldova, and get used to my summer of heat, prey, lug.
~Peace
My first summer in Moldova. My summer of Heat, Prey, Lug.
Heat:
Being that it's summer, it's hot. Living in NH my whole life I understand...hot summers, cold winters; just a part of life. This being said, the humidity here is dreadful. The saying 'you could cut the air with a knife' doesn't begin to cut it, this stuff needs a machete. The sort of heat where sitting still, in shade, not moving, still leads to the trickle of sweat. Now, I was not raised with air conditioning in my house, but living in this heat without a fan is rough. My ice cream intake has seen a steady upward linear progression since my arrival. One of my first language misunderstadnings in Moldova happened in reference to the heat. My host sister and I were walking down the street when she truned to me in the sweltering heat and said one word: "Cold!". My being the unadjusted American, thinking she was trying to practice her English, and simply mismatched her antonyms, replied "No, hot!" The next day in language class I learned she was actually saing "cald", the Romanian word for "hot". Yes, summers here are filled with cald, cald, heat.
Prey:
It's commical really, the one animal all volunteers have been affected by isn't an animal at all, but rather an insect. Yes, that's right, the big bad mosquito. These are not just any ordinary mosquitoes out for blood. These mosquitoes are looking for limbs. Biggest difference is what these suckers leave on your body, post-bite. I have identified three different forms that the bite can manifest into. The first, the blister bite, creating a legitimate blister on the skin. The second, the cone-shaped red bump, itchy little things. The third, I more fondly refer to as the punch-shaped welt. These bites are huge, usually swollen with a hard center. Yes, the mosquitoes seem to prey on us Peace Corps volunteers. Perhpas it's fresh blood, perhaps they can smell our vulnerability, or perhaps it's just summer and these bugs are hungry.
Lug:
In the USA we are, usually, lucky enough to live in a community where clean water is in high supply. Though many of the homes we live in here have running water, well water is also a common resource for consumption. Given the standards for water quailyt in the US, we as Peace Corps volunteers, are advised to boild and filter all of our drinking water. In the summer, with the heat, this process is long, hot and is only as prosperous as the amount of water that fills the kettle. It's no lug and chug process, it's more of a lug, boil, cool, filter, sip process. As a result this leads to dehydration, given the effort to make the water is less than appealing in the heat.
But, here it is about adjustments. As Peace Corps countries go, I feel blessed to be in wonderful Moldova. For now I will continue to adjust and live in Moldova, and get used to my summer of heat, prey, lug.
~Peace
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Sights at the Site visit
Upon arriving in Falesti, my post for the next two years, the current volunteer Katherine, my partner Alexandre and I made our way to the office, quickly followed by a visit to the local summer hangout. This is a nice outdoor pavillion area with an attached magazin (small shop) for our convenience. We scooped up some ice cream, given it was nearly a bahzillion degrees. We sat at a table and were minding our own business when a man walked up, dis-robed, and decided he was going to take a dip in the lake. At first I was rather envious given the heat, a swim in a lake sounded refreshing. This stranger decided to climb out on the railing and looked to be diving into the water, when I thought to myself "hmmmm I don't think that the water is deep enough in this area to be diving in". Sure enough, at his expense, my excellent depth perception was right, he dove head first onto concreate. Now immediately after he jumped I was shocked. The culture I grew up in goes above and beyond to protect it's water-sport go-ers, however, given my lack of understanding of Moldovan culture, I didn't feel comfortable to help in a situation like this. He beagn spewing blood. The water around him turned red, he was flopping around, people were staring, no one dove in. Somehow he got himself out of the water, but he was losing a lot of blood it was pouring down his face onto his chest, I was mortified. Myself and the others around me quickly realized he must have been drinking given he jumped back into the water to wash off the blood that was now covering his body. This was in my first hour at my new home...after this rough start, Katherine the volunteer currently in Falesti (and will be leaving just two days before I arrive ...by the way that sucks! And is living with the host family that I too will be living with when I move to Falesti in early August) took me back to her house, and my new home. We had a nice evening on our own. My host mom was in Cisinau for the weekend with her daughters planning for the wedding that will be held later this month. We had a good time, it was nice to spend 48 hours connected at the hip with someone whose native language is English...and who knows Romanian fluently.
We toured around the city, and by toured I mean walked down the two larger streets. Falesti is one of the few cities that is host to a huge statue of Lenin. So, if you are ever in Falesti, you will know where all the zero tourists go! The following day we went to the office and had a ...quiet...day at work. That night we made macaroni and garlic bread followed by an english movie, it was lovely.
The ride back to Cisinau on Tuesday was interesting. As I posted early, the rutiera system in Moldova is both convenient and a nightmare, at the same time. This ride was no different. It included an overcrowded mess of people, hot and sticky weather...oh yea, and a box of ducklings. After two and a half long hours we arrived in the captial and were freed from the metal box.
And that concludes a few highlighted sites from my site visit, because well, I am tired and want to go to sleep.
Peace-out
We toured around the city, and by toured I mean walked down the two larger streets. Falesti is one of the few cities that is host to a huge statue of Lenin. So, if you are ever in Falesti, you will know where all the zero tourists go! The following day we went to the office and had a ...quiet...day at work. That night we made macaroni and garlic bread followed by an english movie, it was lovely.
The ride back to Cisinau on Tuesday was interesting. As I posted early, the rutiera system in Moldova is both convenient and a nightmare, at the same time. This ride was no different. It included an overcrowded mess of people, hot and sticky weather...oh yea, and a box of ducklings. After two and a half long hours we arrived in the captial and were freed from the metal box.
And that concludes a few highlighted sites from my site visit, because well, I am tired and want to go to sleep.
Peace-out
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The beauty that surrounds me
Today has been by far the best day in Moldova. The morning started with language class, per usual. For the afternoon we planned a picnic with the neighboring town, Cricova. We were going to a field between Cirescu and Cricova. I hadn't been before, but was told it was quite pretty. We walked along, being sung through the streets by angry dogs howling at us through their fences. When we reached the field it was amazing. Rogers and Hammerstine (yes, I spelt that wrong) would have happily filmed many a historical romance film in this very place. It overlooked all of Cirescu and the surrounding villages as well as the nearby limestone quarry. The field was idillic, with wild flowers growing everywhere, cows out to pasteur and butterflies fluttering among us. We picnicked on bread, meat and brinza (a local sheeps milk cheese), and enjoyed one anothers company. When we decided it was time to head home, we started back stopping at enticing fruit trees whose branches drooped merely from the weight of the fruit that they bore.
When we came across a plum tree, we couldn't resist, and began to pick the dark maroon fruit. Across the street the neighbors saw we were enjoying the fruit and quickly summoned us into their garden, where a plum tree was simply bursting. They, like all Moldovans, were extremely hospitable and quickly fetched us bags to carry home plums for later. After we had filled our bags, and eaten a few plums whilst picking, we anticipated a much thanked farwell. Instead, we were invited to stay and eat. And so, the four of us, bewildered by the generousity of these strangers sat down and ate freshly made pulchenta (a delicious stuffed bread with cabbage, potato and brinza). Seconds after we sat down the wine basin was presented and house wine was poured. Their we sat, laughing and talking in our broken Romanian, soaking in the amazing culturally normal experience unfolding before us. A while later we bid our farewell and thanked them whole heartedly for the time we had just had. With a kiss on both cheecks, a bag of plums in my hand, and a belly full of pulchenta, I happily made the walk home. One outside shower later, and I can easily say, I am quickly falling in love with my new home.
Peace
When we came across a plum tree, we couldn't resist, and began to pick the dark maroon fruit. Across the street the neighbors saw we were enjoying the fruit and quickly summoned us into their garden, where a plum tree was simply bursting. They, like all Moldovans, were extremely hospitable and quickly fetched us bags to carry home plums for later. After we had filled our bags, and eaten a few plums whilst picking, we anticipated a much thanked farwell. Instead, we were invited to stay and eat. And so, the four of us, bewildered by the generousity of these strangers sat down and ate freshly made pulchenta (a delicious stuffed bread with cabbage, potato and brinza). Seconds after we sat down the wine basin was presented and house wine was poured. Their we sat, laughing and talking in our broken Romanian, soaking in the amazing culturally normal experience unfolding before us. A while later we bid our farewell and thanked them whole heartedly for the time we had just had. With a kiss on both cheecks, a bag of plums in my hand, and a belly full of pulchenta, I happily made the walk home. One outside shower later, and I can easily say, I am quickly falling in love with my new home.
Peace
Friday, July 8, 2011
1/26 = 1 month complete.
Well, I have been here in Moldova for exactly a month. I have settled in well and created a comfortable routine with my host family. The dogs have warmed up to me, my communication skills are improving everyday, the 'bathroom situation' is no longer a 'situation' and is now just the bathroom, my host sisters are really fun, and the raspberry bush in the garden is exploding...life couldn't get much better.
Tomorrow, one of my host sisters goes to Turkey for a dance festival. She has been asked to make the groups introduction, in English, at the start of their performance. After consulting with google translate for her write-up she decided to pass it on to me for a final check. Second sentence in, I paused and looked up at her, asking for an explanation for one of the words. The sentence read "We are young and full of beans". I began to laugh, uncontrollably. She immediately knew there was a mistake, turned a pretty color scarlet and said "No, no, no, that isn't right?". She looked up the word and began to laugh too at the google blunder. Just another funny moment in Moldova. She is currently dancing around the house singing 'We are from Moldova. We are young and full of beans."...The best.
I have composed a list for your viewing pleasure entitled: "You know you have been in the Peace Corps for one month when..." Enjoy--
10.You are so tired all the time that your host family surely thinks you have an issue because you nap whenever possible.
9. You are able to carry-on a conversation mirroring that of a two year old. "It is raining. A dog. I ate dinner. It is raining...alot."
8. You think you have the language down and feel confident enough to pay someone a compliment and it comes out as follows: "Oh, your daughter is a very beautiful boy".
7. You see kids playing soccer on the local field and realize they are using a plastic bottle instead of a ball.
6. You consider getting thorough dinner without using your dictionary a victory, and an even greater victory when they invite you to prepare meals and help preserve for the winter.
5. You realize that when getting your permanent site, if given the option between toilet and internet, you would choose internet everytime.
4. You begin to crave food from home you didn't realize you liked to begin with.
3. When you have to pay more than 2 lei (about $.22) for ice cream you think you are being overcharged.
2. The woman in front of you on the bus pays for her ticket with apricots...and you think to yourself 'wow, that's a great idea'.
1. And finally, You know your in the Peace Corps when, at random moments during the day, you smile and think to yourself, this is exactly what it is like to be a volunteer in the Peace Corps.
Stay Well ~
Peace
Tomorrow, one of my host sisters goes to Turkey for a dance festival. She has been asked to make the groups introduction, in English, at the start of their performance. After consulting with google translate for her write-up she decided to pass it on to me for a final check. Second sentence in, I paused and looked up at her, asking for an explanation for one of the words. The sentence read "We are young and full of beans". I began to laugh, uncontrollably. She immediately knew there was a mistake, turned a pretty color scarlet and said "No, no, no, that isn't right?". She looked up the word and began to laugh too at the google blunder. Just another funny moment in Moldova. She is currently dancing around the house singing 'We are from Moldova. We are young and full of beans."...The best.
I have composed a list for your viewing pleasure entitled: "You know you have been in the Peace Corps for one month when..." Enjoy--
10.You are so tired all the time that your host family surely thinks you have an issue because you nap whenever possible.
9. You are able to carry-on a conversation mirroring that of a two year old. "It is raining. A dog. I ate dinner. It is raining...alot."
8. You think you have the language down and feel confident enough to pay someone a compliment and it comes out as follows: "Oh, your daughter is a very beautiful boy".
7. You see kids playing soccer on the local field and realize they are using a plastic bottle instead of a ball.
6. You consider getting thorough dinner without using your dictionary a victory, and an even greater victory when they invite you to prepare meals and help preserve for the winter.
5. You realize that when getting your permanent site, if given the option between toilet and internet, you would choose internet everytime.
4. You begin to crave food from home you didn't realize you liked to begin with.
3. When you have to pay more than 2 lei (about $.22) for ice cream you think you are being overcharged.
2. The woman in front of you on the bus pays for her ticket with apricots...and you think to yourself 'wow, that's a great idea'.
1. And finally, You know your in the Peace Corps when, at random moments during the day, you smile and think to yourself, this is exactly what it is like to be a volunteer in the Peace Corps.
Stay Well ~
Peace
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Site annoucement.... and a sex talk
Where will I reside for the next two years? That would be Făleşti, Moldova. Once you get past the name, pronounced 'fuh-lesh-t', it sounds like an awesome place. A rayeon center in the north of Moldova, a stones throw from the Romanian border, and a 40 minute rutiera ride from Belti, the unofficial 'northern capital' of Moldova. I am quite pleased with my placement, as mentioned earlier it is a rayeon center, or the hub of a sub-division of Moldova. This weekend we will be embarking on site visits where we will be able to make awkward small talk with our new host families and work partners. Updates and pictures to come later.
In other news, today we had a hub site visit. Hub sites typically happen once a week in the capital. There are pros and cons to these visits, able to interact with all the other volunteer (pro), having to wake-up early to catch the bus into Chisinau (con)....the list could go on but I won't bore you. Anyway, today we had the delightful topic of sexually transimitted diseases. Now, I have never been one to relish in these sorts of conversations, and my defense mechanism tends to be ill placed humor. So, when we were broken off into small groups to discuss the different STIs, and I was asked to scribe for the group, I tried my best to make light of this...sore...subject. Not to worry, our poster was complete with hand drawn pictures and statistics, including: "In the US 700,000 people each year are infected with Gohnerria...good thing we are in Moldova." Luckily most of the inappropriate humor was taken in stride, after presenting I slowly bowed my red face and returned to my seat. Yay, for training.
Till next time,
-Peace
In other news, today we had a hub site visit. Hub sites typically happen once a week in the capital. There are pros and cons to these visits, able to interact with all the other volunteer (pro), having to wake-up early to catch the bus into Chisinau (con)....the list could go on but I won't bore you. Anyway, today we had the delightful topic of sexually transimitted diseases. Now, I have never been one to relish in these sorts of conversations, and my defense mechanism tends to be ill placed humor. So, when we were broken off into small groups to discuss the different STIs, and I was asked to scribe for the group, I tried my best to make light of this...sore...subject. Not to worry, our poster was complete with hand drawn pictures and statistics, including: "In the US 700,000 people each year are infected with Gohnerria...good thing we are in Moldova." Luckily most of the inappropriate humor was taken in stride, after presenting I slowly bowed my red face and returned to my seat. Yay, for training.
Till next time,
-Peace
Monday, July 4, 2011
A bit of good ole' Uncle Sam in Moldova
This past weekend the US population in Moldova gathered to celebrate the fourth of July. As everyone back home gassed up their grills and gorged on cheeseburgers and beer, we here in Moldova partook in the Molodovan take on this American holiday. We too had burgers, and beer, a hot dog eating contest and a live band. It was a fun night, the drinks were plentiful, while the burgers were a rare commodity. We danced in the rain to a Moldovan band, covering many of the classics, that we, as Americans, can't help but love a little more being so far from home. It's funny how much more pride I have for my country when I am away from it. Luckily, I am in an amazingly fascinating new place. Blessed to be here, thanks to the country I call home, and those who dedicate their lives to keeping it free and safe.
I look forward to celebrating Moldovas Independence day on August 27. A country whose history has seen the overcoming of challenges, freedom from oppression and strength in the face of hardship. Though I will never be a Moldovianca (Moldovan woman), I am filled with a sense of pride for this little land locked country in Eastern Europe. A place I will call home for the next few years. The passing of stories and traditions between national and volunteer will continue to awe me, and illumine my little world.
Peace and Joy be with you on this day of independence!
I look forward to celebrating Moldovas Independence day on August 27. A country whose history has seen the overcoming of challenges, freedom from oppression and strength in the face of hardship. Though I will never be a Moldovianca (Moldovan woman), I am filled with a sense of pride for this little land locked country in Eastern Europe. A place I will call home for the next few years. The passing of stories and traditions between national and volunteer will continue to awe me, and illumine my little world.
Peace and Joy be with you on this day of independence!
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