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Sunday, August 29, 2010

Welcome to Mărăndeni!

I couldn't help but laugh a bit inside as it felt like my first day of elementary school again have both my host mom and dad walk me to my first day of work at a school.  Or mama Lucia and Tata Nicolai as I like to call them.  They walked on either side of me speaking rapid fire Moldovan giving me advice and the run down of the people who work there.  I laughed when they laughed, to make it seem as if I understood.  In reality I think I picked up about 63-66% of it....but just a guess.

Anyway, my first day school was a bit of a waiting game because we didn't have the text books and didn't know which grades we were teaching yet, so we couldn't start planning.  Instead, I chatted with my main partner and three other teachers for about 2 hours about various topics, mainly about if I am married, how I like the Moldovan men, and if I like Moldovan food.  I have found this to be the typical first meeting conversation.

Then the other teachers left and I waited to work with my other partner teacher, who is also the director of the school.  With school starting, she is very busy as you can imagine, so I read my book outside her office for a little over an hour.  When her meeting finished we got the chance discuss what she expects me to complete during the week before school starts.  In the middle of our meeting the Mayor of my village walked in.  He made a special trip to the school just to meet me, which was pretty cool.  Eh-hem, Sergio, and I exchanged cell phone numbers, told me to call him directly if I have any questions or need any help, chatted a bit more, shook hands (which is a huge sign of respect here if a man shakes a woman's hand) and said "La revedere."

Needless to say, I felt like a pretty big deal.

Finally my director/partner and I decided which grades I will be teaching.  They are: two 2nd grade classes, two 4th grade classes, a 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th grades.  Then I went home for lunch, and had the rest of the afternoon free.

The next day I worked on long-term plans for over 8 hours straight.  They have to follow an exact format, written in romanian, and be approved by the Moldavan Ministry of Education.  Wednesday I was invited to go to a teachers' conference in the capital of my raion (county).  There isn't a rutiera (bus) to go to Faleşti (capital of the raion) so we all piled in to the cars of two of the teachers' husbands.  Let me just say these were some sweet soviet rides.  I mean I wish I could bring one back with me to the US...but then I might be tagged as one of those russian spies that werejust arrested.

At the conference we listened to the Moldovan national anthem both at the beginning and end of the conference.  Again, I nodded along, while only really understanding about 70% of what was being said.  The high light of the trip though was finding a huge statue of Lenin!  Apparently it is for sale as well, so if anyone has 1 million euros, you can be the proud new   owner of a giant Lenin for your front yard.  I thought it was rad, and my colleagues were all very impressed that I recognized and knew who he was.  Then laughed when I wanted to take a picture.

Friday was Independence day for Moldova - 19 years!  So I went to the big city near me, Băţi, where they had traditional singing and dancing being performed all day, and street vendors all lined up.  I tried to negotiate for some sunglasses that I have been needing badly, but like everyone else in ţi, she only spoke Russian, so I'd have to say it was pretty unsuccessful, and I'm too cheap, so I'm still sunglasses-less.  The waitresses also only spoke Russian....or maybe just refused to understand our Romanian, so ordering, and paying proved to be rather difficult.

School officially begins on Wednesday because Tuesday is also a holiday "Day of our language" which to Moldovans was a more important sign of independence.  The Soviet Union had forced Moldova to use the Cyrillic alphabet, but in 1989 with perestroika, Moldova was allowed to revert back to the latin alphabet.  Then 1991 Moldova claimed its independence.  GO MOLDOVA!  Anyway, school should be interesting.  I have to give a speech.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Official Volunteer

Yes it is true, I am now an official volunteer with the United States Peace Corps.  I'd like to start by thanking our good President  John F. Kennedy for making this idealistic dream, a reality...just kidding I'm won't be this cheesy.

Yesterday though we did have our official swearing-in ceremony held at the US Embassy.  After a saying a sad goodbye to our village and families we have have been living with for over 2 months now, we boarded a rutiera with all of our luggage and headed to the capital.  All dressed up, sitting on stage, with all of our future school directors, partners, host family members, current peace corps volunteers, a returned volunteer, all the head-hauncho's of peace corps, the US Ambassador, and the Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs in attendance.  We started by taking the same oath the President, and all other government officials take before assuming their post, "I swear to defend the constitution of the United States..." Then we received our official Peace Corps Moldova pin.  It was pretty surreal to have that put on, looking at it I couldn't help but think about when I was first introduced to peace corps.  I remember in high school thinking how cool of an organization, that someday I wanted to do something like that.  Finally here, after all this time, after the two years of applying and waiting, after my 10 gruelling weeks of training, this little pin has symbolized and concentrated the reasons I have joined Peace Corps and the values I held close enough to dedicate more than two years of service for.

After we were given our pins, the assistant country director spoke detailing our training, then our program director spoke and introduced each one of us and showing on a map where we are from, and what village we will be going to.  Then the Country Director spoke, the top of ladder of peace corps moldova.  He then gave the floor to the US Ambassador, who after giving his speech officially swore us in with the peace corps affirmation.  Finally, the Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs gave a speech, which was awesome.

Directly after the ceremony I was interviewed by the national news.  I felt like a celebrity with three microphones and two cameras pointed at me while answering questions in romanian.....and then repeating my answers again, but this time in English.

There wasn't much down time after the ceremony, as we took some pictures, filled our water bottles and fetched our luggage.  It was hard to say goodbye to all the volunteers we have become like family with through training.  To think we had spent at least 12 hours a day...and on certain occasions much more than 12 hours a day, everyday, for the last 10+ weeks straight.  But with only a few watery eyes we all rode away separately with our future host families and school directors, to our separate villages, where we will be living for the next two years...a bit daunghting.

I have now been in my permanent site for almost 24 hours.  I love my new family, my new room, what I have seen so far of my new village, and tomorrow I am sure I will love my new school!  My family laughed when I referred to today, my one day of rest, as my summer vacation.  I start work tomorrow, I'll go to the school and start making the long-term plans for my partner-taught classes, and hopefully find out what grade I will be teaching solo.  I already know the school is going to be very different from what we are accustomed to in the US.  For instance we have to handwrite the student grades, in blue ink, with the same pen all year, without any mistakes - and I mean NO mistakes - in this giant book for the whole school to use, that will be turned into the ministry of education - which is a federal government entity directly in charge of all schools in Moldova.  Also, instead of students moving from class to class between periods, they stay and the teachers move to a different class.  So this means I will need to be very well organized, and condensed with my materials! It should be interesting to see how the beginning goes - but I think it will be funny to look back on at the end of my two years of service!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

And arriba's ensued

Last weekend's mexican fiesta was a petrece (party) for all petreci (parties).  I think at least that's how you make that word plural.  My eyes welled with my first bite into that burrito.  It also fell apart with my first bite, so that too could be the cause of the tears in my eyes.  I guess I was a bit too ambitious with the size of my burrito for the homemade tortilla.

On our way to the other village we had to first travel to the capital, Chișinău, so we decided to stop off at the piaƫă - where we found avocados! along with everything else necessary for guacamole.  Yes, yes, YES we made the most delicious, with a bit a of a kick guacamole - I might even say it -  I have ever had.  We ate, drank house wine, and danced.  We danced to American music - even that one song I think it might be called the hip hop cha cha or something like that - anyway, it was the one played at all the 'hoop dances' that told you what to do, "now slide to the left, stomp one time..." it was great.  We also, of course because no party in moldova is complete with out doing at least three different versions, danced the hora.  I affectionately called one version the Hora bunny hop, because it resembled the bunny hop, just with a couple extra steps.  Any who, lots of hora'n it up.  Then sleeping in a sunflower field.  


The next day a few of us ventured back into Chișinău, where we strolled around the piaƫă again, I bought q-tips, a hand fan (which is just precious, I might add) and some kiwis to bring back to my host family.  We at pizza, I had pineapple (anăs) on mine.  Then when headed to peace corps headquarters.  At headquarters there is a big library where you can exchange books and movies, computers for people to use, free printing, and SHOWERS.  So I showered.  Nothing has ever felt better than standing in cold water while it pours DOWN on you, so much better than when I cup and splash upwards toward myself while squatting in a bucket.  Not that I mind, I kind of like my bucket now, just its a whole different world when it comes from above.  After experiencing bliss, I cleaned my ears with the before mentioned q-tips.


We parted ways with the other village's volunteers and caught a rutiera back to Răzeni, enjoying the view of the country from the steam dripping windows while eating 1 lei (about 7 cent) ice cream.  I have really become quite fond of this ice cream as it comes in its own plain style cone.  Also, recently it has been reaching almost 40 degrees celsius, which is roughly 104 degrees fahrenheit, I think.  Lets just say I sweat in my sleep.


Probably more importantly, I met my future partner teacher!  She came down from my future village to Răzeni to co-teach the 11th grade class with me.  For the real school year I will co-teach classes with her (Natalia), my other partner teacher (Veorica - who is also the director of the school), and will have one class I teach alone.  But, she is awesome!  She is 25 and super hip.  Much hipper than I am.  I'm not sure, maybe its her high heels verse my chacos.  We have now been working everyday together for 4 days - and she has already invited me to her house (which is in a neighboring village) and to her wedding in October!  She also told me she was very nervous coming to work with me, but now she is very happy.  I think we hit it off pretty well.  I am super stoked to work with her and my other partner this school year.  I also have the feeling she will be only friend in my new village for a while - and by a while I mean that she may be the only other person between the ages of 18 and 40.  Typical for villages in Moldova.


I have this week left of teaching, on friday the volunteers are throwing a party for all the kids that came to practice school.  We'll be playing "american"  games- as in frisbee and football, because that is all we have with us- probably some soccer, a waterballoon toss, there is even talk of a cake walk.  It should be pretty fun.  A key word we hear all the time from peace corps is "community integration" as in the more we become a member of the community the safer and more effective we are.  We're thinking this party will definitely integrate us with the chit'lins of Moldova - or at least Răzeni.


Then on Saturday we have our "la revedera masa" (goodbye party) for all our host families and friends in our village.  We are to prepare American food.  Today in Chișinău we visited a supermarket that took the super to a whole new level.  Guess what I found there....well lots, but Teriyaki sauce!  So, guess who's make'n stir fry for the masa!  It may not be totally american, but it's what I ate in america at least 3 nights a week! Holla!


To continue, at the farewell party we will also perform our 3 traditional moldovan dances that we have been preparing, as well as singing a traditional moldovan song.  We have been practicing it so devoutly, that other volunteers practiced their singing in the streets of Chișinău on their way back from the disco at 3 am, while having guest singers join them, all the way down the street.  I believe someone has a video camera, so don't worry I will share the video of us dancing and singing, while in traditional moldovan clothes.


So now for pictures... This is me and my 7th grade class on our last day of practice school
This is how my little brother beat the heat...



And this is my little neighbor eating the sunflower seeds straight from the flower we just picked after visiting a gigantic sunflower field - I went for the flower the size of my head, I told her we could find one the size of her head too, but she liked this one I guess...





Also, today while trying to get home from Chișinău I boarded the wrong rutiera and ended up at the airport.  This little excursion, getting back, finding the correct rutiera, and walking a great distance took me a little more than 2 hours...in very full, very hot, rutieras.  I think I will be bucketing myself again tomorrow morning.