My good friend Kristen Fuest reminded me that it’s been awhile since my last post. Which is very true. So, in the spirit of Christmas, I thought it’d be fun to share a few of my favorite things about life in Moldova (NOT raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens):
1) being stopped on the street for directions
As strange as it may sound, here’s why it’s so great: because it means that, occasionally, I’m blending in. It means that, to some stranger, I can pass for a Moldovan. To them I don’t have AMERICAN stamped on my forehead. I look like I can speak Romanian and that I know where the hospital is (both of which happen to be true!).
2) receiving “exact change”
I went to the store the other day, and since the cashier was out of banuĊ£i (coins), she handed me a stick of gum as change instead. I’ve also had people give me candy. You just can’t beat that.
3) new holidays
December 13th is “Saint Andrew Day” in Moldova. I’m not sure what the religious significance is (or whether Saint Andrew refers to the apostle Andrew or another historical Andrew). But I do know that boys go to the houses of girls they like in the middle of the night and steal their gates (yes, steal them). Moldovan gates are huge and made of metal, so it’s no small task. If a girl wakes up on the 13th to find her gate missing, she has to figure out who took it and—according to tradition—give him wine and food in order to get her gate back. She’s also supposed to be his girlfriend. I don’t think the forced dating part is practiced anymore, but the gate-stealing tradition is still alive and well in some villages. Ain’t love grand?
4) the “English” language
I was grading my 10th grade students’ semester tests today, and some of their answers had me practically rolling on the floor. They had to complete noun phrases, such as glass of water, or loaf of bread. One student wrote “slice of toothpaste.” They also had to create dialogues between them and their parents, and another boy wrote: “Mother, I beseech you!” There are definitely perks to my job!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
When Teachers Play Hookey
My Moldovan teaching experience has been full of firsts. And now I can add to the list my first strike. When we came back from fall break this past Monday, my school voted to participate in a nation-wide teacher’s strike. The motivation behind the strike—the same as it is for most—is lack of money. Teachers are trying to convince the Moldovan government to increase their salary in order to try and keep up with rising costs of fuel and electricity.
As a PC volunteer, I wasn’t allowed to get involved in any way (for two main reasons: 1. PC is apolitical—we stay away from strikes, protests, elections, etc. We’re here to work with people, not take sides in their politics. 2. PC volunteers don’t receive salaries for working in schools. We get our living stipends directly from the PC). But since no kids came to school this week, this meant that I didn’t teach either. So I ended up participating by default.
As a result, my week-long fall vacation has stretched into nearly two (with the possibility of more days off in the near future if the government continues to be unresponsive). It’s been interesting to hear how the current grievances of Moldovan teachers compare to past ones. Two of my fellow English teachers told me that about 10 years ago, there was a period of several consecutive months that they went without a salary because the government simply didn’t have the money to pay them. And when they did get paid, it was the equivalent of 20 American dollars a month. Moldovan teachers get more than that now, but a Moldovan teacher’s entire monthly salary is still less than what I pay my host family per month for food and rent.
I’ve been asked by several Moldovans if we have strikes in America. What comes immediately to mind is that the kind of strikes that make national news in America are ones in which professional athletes are protesting the fact they’re getting $7 million a year instead of $10 million. In all fairness to them, I’m sure they’re also motivated by the rising cost of living. It takes a lot of gas to fill up a Hummer. Yes, we Americans suffer greatly too.
Speaking of media coverage, my school made it onto Moldovan national news! I’d post the video clip on here, but since that would mean publicizing on the Internet not only the town I live in but also the name of the school I work at, I’m going to opt against it (sorry to disappoint you, all you potential stalkers out there). For those of you who actually know me and who are interested in seeing some shots of teachers and classrooms at my school, just email me and I can send you a link to the video.
As a PC volunteer, I wasn’t allowed to get involved in any way (for two main reasons: 1. PC is apolitical—we stay away from strikes, protests, elections, etc. We’re here to work with people, not take sides in their politics. 2. PC volunteers don’t receive salaries for working in schools. We get our living stipends directly from the PC). But since no kids came to school this week, this meant that I didn’t teach either. So I ended up participating by default.
As a result, my week-long fall vacation has stretched into nearly two (with the possibility of more days off in the near future if the government continues to be unresponsive). It’s been interesting to hear how the current grievances of Moldovan teachers compare to past ones. Two of my fellow English teachers told me that about 10 years ago, there was a period of several consecutive months that they went without a salary because the government simply didn’t have the money to pay them. And when they did get paid, it was the equivalent of 20 American dollars a month. Moldovan teachers get more than that now, but a Moldovan teacher’s entire monthly salary is still less than what I pay my host family per month for food and rent.
I’ve been asked by several Moldovans if we have strikes in America. What comes immediately to mind is that the kind of strikes that make national news in America are ones in which professional athletes are protesting the fact they’re getting $7 million a year instead of $10 million. In all fairness to them, I’m sure they’re also motivated by the rising cost of living. It takes a lot of gas to fill up a Hummer. Yes, we Americans suffer greatly too.
Speaking of media coverage, my school made it onto Moldovan national news! I’d post the video clip on here, but since that would mean publicizing on the Internet not only the town I live in but also the name of the school I work at, I’m going to opt against it (sorry to disappoint you, all you potential stalkers out there). For those of you who actually know me and who are interested in seeing some shots of teachers and classrooms at my school, just email me and I can send you a link to the video.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Life in 3 Languages
I grew up surrounded by one language: English. My encounters with other languages were few and far between, the most extended one being my three semesters of college Spanish. And then I moved to Moldova.
Now, there are three languages in my life.
Romanian, the official language of Moldova (or “Moldovan,” depending on who you ask), is in many ways the dominant language of my everyday world. I hear it on buses, in stores, on the radio, in the street, at school, and at home—it is my only means of communicating with my host family.
But, surprisingly (or, not so surprisingly, considering my job), English remains a prevalent part of my life. It is the subject I teach five days a week and the focus of three after-school clubs I lead. Every day I am conscious of its pronunciation, its grammar rules, and the millions of possible patterns in which its words can be arranged. In the hallways of my school and in even in the street, I am constantly greeted with an enthusiastic “Hello!” (and, if the person is feeling particularly brave, “Do you speak English?”).
And then there’s Russian--the language that all Moldovans understand and that a large percentage of them primarily speak. It’s the language of most Moldovan television channels and of countless books, magazines, food labels, and street signs. Because many of the students and teachers at my school are Russian speakers, I hear it on a daily basis. Even though my Russian is limited to the most basic of words and phrases (such as, “Good morning,” “I don’t understand,” “Excuse me, where is the bathroom?”), I know the sounds of it well enough that I can instantly tell when someone who had been speaking in Romanian suddenly slips into Russian. And since this happens quite a bit, this is a valuable skill.
I’ll admit that it can be frustrating that my knowledge of Romanian isn’t always enough to get me by (i.e. when I’m at a store in Chisinau and the cashier only speaks Russian, or when I’m trying to decipher the operating instructions of a household appliance which are written in that dreaded cyrillic alphabet). But it’s a fascinating thing to live in a country where the lines between languages are so often blurred.
I recently sat in on a faculty meeting in which I observed a conversation between two other teachers. One of the women spoke entirely in Romanian. The other teacher carried out her end of the conversation in Russian. They spoke like this for several minutes, completely oblivious to the fact that two different languages were being spoken.
And the other day as I was sitting in church, I noticed that the woman to the left of me was holding a Bible printed in Romanian, the woman to my right had one in Russian, and I was sandwiched in between them with an English Bible. A perfect snapshot of my life here.
So, yes, life in 3 languages can be exasperating and bizarre. And sometimes I miss the certainty of knowing that when I open my mouth, the person I'm talking to will understand me. But I like my new life. It's rich, complex, and decidedly more interesting.
Now, there are three languages in my life.
Romanian, the official language of Moldova (or “Moldovan,” depending on who you ask), is in many ways the dominant language of my everyday world. I hear it on buses, in stores, on the radio, in the street, at school, and at home—it is my only means of communicating with my host family.
But, surprisingly (or, not so surprisingly, considering my job), English remains a prevalent part of my life. It is the subject I teach five days a week and the focus of three after-school clubs I lead. Every day I am conscious of its pronunciation, its grammar rules, and the millions of possible patterns in which its words can be arranged. In the hallways of my school and in even in the street, I am constantly greeted with an enthusiastic “Hello!” (and, if the person is feeling particularly brave, “Do you speak English?”).
And then there’s Russian--the language that all Moldovans understand and that a large percentage of them primarily speak. It’s the language of most Moldovan television channels and of countless books, magazines, food labels, and street signs. Because many of the students and teachers at my school are Russian speakers, I hear it on a daily basis. Even though my Russian is limited to the most basic of words and phrases (such as, “Good morning,” “I don’t understand,” “Excuse me, where is the bathroom?”), I know the sounds of it well enough that I can instantly tell when someone who had been speaking in Romanian suddenly slips into Russian. And since this happens quite a bit, this is a valuable skill.
I’ll admit that it can be frustrating that my knowledge of Romanian isn’t always enough to get me by (i.e. when I’m at a store in Chisinau and the cashier only speaks Russian, or when I’m trying to decipher the operating instructions of a household appliance which are written in that dreaded cyrillic alphabet). But it’s a fascinating thing to live in a country where the lines between languages are so often blurred.
I recently sat in on a faculty meeting in which I observed a conversation between two other teachers. One of the women spoke entirely in Romanian. The other teacher carried out her end of the conversation in Russian. They spoke like this for several minutes, completely oblivious to the fact that two different languages were being spoken.
And the other day as I was sitting in church, I noticed that the woman to the left of me was holding a Bible printed in Romanian, the woman to my right had one in Russian, and I was sandwiched in between them with an English Bible. A perfect snapshot of my life here.
So, yes, life in 3 languages can be exasperating and bizarre. And sometimes I miss the certainty of knowing that when I open my mouth, the person I'm talking to will understand me. But I like my new life. It's rich, complex, and decidedly more interesting.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
This and That
Some random thoughts...
I visited a Russian-speaking church last Sunday (the language divide here affects even Sunday worship). I was invited by the pastor and his wife—they and I have a mutual acquaintance in
My host mom informed me the other day that I am very well behaved. Not exactly a compliment you’re looking for when you’re 23! Sometimes I get the feeling that she doesn’t quite see me as the independent, self-sufficient adult that I feel that I am. But then I think about the fact that I can’t cook, sew, preserve fruits and vegetables, tend a garden, butcher poultry, or even heat water by myself (the pilot light for our hot water has to be re-lit with a match every time and is such a complicated affair that my host mother informed me she wouldn’t teach me how because she’s afraid I’ll blow up the house—I think she has a point there). It also doesn’t help things that I do crazy, un-ladylike things, such as walk around wearing a backpack and wipe my hands to dry on my jeans after washing them. So unless I start honing my domestic skills, I think I’m destined for eternal adolescence!
This past week I acquired 3 English clubs in the course of a day. I’ll be leading two at my lyceum (5th-8th grades and 9th-12th) and one with students from the other lyceum in town. That’s in addition to the 7 different English classes I’m teaching in school. Do you think a person can get tired of her own language?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
more pictures
It's a happy day, folks! I added more pictures to my Picasa web album (see link to the left of the screen). The PST album has some more, and I also created a new one. Happy viewing!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
One Down...
This past week was my first week of school. I feel a sense of accomplishment writing those words, not because I did anything great, but because I survived. And because I accomplished small victories like communicating to the school librarian about the textbooks I’ll need and successfully reviewing past, present, and future simple tenses with my 12th graders. Such accomplishments are significant to me because I very rarely knew what was going on this week, let alone why. Feeling clueless is par for course for any new job. Throw into the mix a completely new set of cultural norms and a language which I don’t really know yet (not to mention the fact that some students and teachers at my school primarily speak Russian, not Romanian), and I was one lost soul.
Somehow I managed to show up to the right classes, do a little bit of teaching (usually with no prep time), and—I think—successfully hide my fear. I also managed to learn quite a bit about education in Moldova. The following observations aren’t true of every school in the Moldovan public educational system, but they are reflective of my own experience:
- There is no set schedule for the first (and sometimes even the second) week of school. Teachers find out in the morning what classes they have for that day and their times. Moldovan teachers have perfected the art of going with the flow.
- Students have no textbooks the first week or two of school. This is also often the case for new teachers (myself included). For some classes students have to buy their textbooks.
- Unlike many American middle/high schools, students only have a certain class, such as English, 2-3 times a week. There are 6 periods in a day, and school is done by 1:30.
- Most students start learning English in the 2nd grade and continue to study it up through 12th grade.
- Moldovan teachers get paid by the hour. So the more classes they teach, the higher their salary. My workload will probably be about half that of my fellow teachers.
Here’s hoping that my second week will be just as enlightening but slightly less exhausting!
Friday, August 22, 2008
It's Official
It's official, folks: I am now a Peace Corps Volunteer! What was I the past ten weeks? Only a trainee. The lowest of the low. Even pond scum enjoyed a higher social status. Just kidding! Kind of. Wednesday the M23's were sworn in at the American Ambassadorial Residence. So now the PC claims us as its own. The ceremony itself was pretty cool, albeit boiling hot. We had to sit in the sun for over an hour, and I think it was a pretty hefty accomplishment that none of us passed out!
For reasons not fully comprehended on my part, I was asked to give a speech at the ceremony. Thankfully I was not expected to speak extemporaneously (my apologies to my Speech professor Dr. Stewart--I know he would NOT have approved). I wrote my speech in English, and then it was edited and translated by the powers that be. So all I had to do was practice reading it about a million times and pray fervently that I wouldn't embarrass myself. I gave it, and it went just fine. I don't think I'll be starting a Moldovan public speaking career anytime soon, but I'm okay with that.
Speaking of trying to not embarrass myself, there were tons of press at the ceremony yesterday, and I was interviewed by two different crews. My mind went into autopilot and started spitting out all the Romanian I had learned in class (Moldova is beautiful. The people are nice. I came here because I want to learn more about other cultures, etc.). I do also distinctly remember saying that I love Moldovan food and listing off my favorite dishes. I don't know if my other interview made it on-air, but here is a link to a newsclip about the ceremony. My interview is about halfway through (and if you look really hard, you can see quick snippets of me in the other parts. I was wearing a brown shirt and white skirt). http://www.trm.md/index.php?module=stiri_int&news_id=2891
Try not to laugh too hard, please! ;-)
For reasons not fully comprehended on my part, I was asked to give a speech at the ceremony. Thankfully I was not expected to speak extemporaneously (my apologies to my Speech professor Dr. Stewart--I know he would NOT have approved). I wrote my speech in English, and then it was edited and translated by the powers that be. So all I had to do was practice reading it about a million times and pray fervently that I wouldn't embarrass myself. I gave it, and it went just fine. I don't think I'll be starting a Moldovan public speaking career anytime soon, but I'm okay with that.
Speaking of trying to not embarrass myself, there were tons of press at the ceremony yesterday, and I was interviewed by two different crews. My mind went into autopilot and started spitting out all the Romanian I had learned in class (Moldova is beautiful. The people are nice. I came here because I want to learn more about other cultures, etc.). I do also distinctly remember saying that I love Moldovan food and listing off my favorite dishes. I don't know if my other interview made it on-air, but here is a link to a newsclip about the ceremony. My interview is about halfway through (and if you look really hard, you can see quick snippets of me in the other parts. I was wearing a brown shirt and white skirt). http://www.trm.md/index.php?module=stiri_int&news_id=2891
Try not to laugh too hard, please! ;-)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Chickens, Grammar, and Really Bad Romanian
I came home from school yesterday to discover that my host mom had killed three of our chickens. I missed the actual beheading and de-feathering, but I did get to see the bloody chicken guts laid out in all their glory. It wasn't pretty. As I stood their chatting with my mom, trying to act nonchalant and to not stare at the chicken remains like--well, an American--it occurred to me how much my life has changed in the past 2 months. It's pretty hard to describe all the ways, but let me give you my daily schedule. That might give you a taste of what life is like here for me:
I usually wake up around 6:30. Some days I shower (I'm one of the lucky ones-my host family has a shower). I have breakfast with my host mom. She packs me a bag lunch, and then I leave for school. I meet Rebeach, Erin, and Mike (3 other trainees who live really close), and we walk downhill to school. On the way we say "Buna dimineata!"(Good morning) to everyone we pass. Some people say hello. Others just stare. In addition to people, we usually see sheep, goats, ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, and cows. At school, there are 8 of us that study Romaian 3-4 hours a day, Monday through Saturday. After language, we either go to our hub site with all of the other trainees for technical/cultural/safety sessions or we have SDA's (self directed activties--PC lingo for free time). My host family doesn't eat dinner until 9:00, so I try to get all of my studying in before then. After dinner (in which I try my best to understand the Romanian flying around me and speak a little bit myself), I go to bed.
My schedule for the past few weeks was a bit more hectic because I had practice school. During PS, every waking hour was either spent in class, teaching, or preparing for class the next day. No free time! Practice school, in case you're wondering, is the PC's version of student teaching for us TEFL trainees. We all taught two different levels of students (I taught 8th and 11th graders). Our students were Moldovan sudents who study English in school and who volunteer to come to practice school during their vacation time. As a result, most of them were strong English speakers and pretty well behaved. My students were amazing! My 11th graders spoke English SO well. I was really impressed. Let me tell you though, teaching English is not as easy as you might think. Have you ever tried explaining why we say "It is sunny" not "Is sunny"? or why "Everyone has" but "All people have"? Native speakers of a language don't know grammar rules--they just know what sounds right!
That being said, Practice School was extremely helpful. Now I have a sense of what Moldovan students are like, and I know that I have the ability to teach. The last week of PST will be pretty easy. Most of our time will be spent reviewing for our language proficiency exam next Monday. Speaking of language, let me end this blog on a humurous note. Below are some translations of phrases inadvertently spoken by my fellow trainees (one of them is mine, but I'm not saying which one). Enjoy!
"She was wearing a tomato."
[pointing to cucumbers] "Are these married?"
"I ate myself for breakfast."
"I ate my whole host family for breakfast."
"I am going to armchair grammar."
I usually wake up around 6:30. Some days I shower (I'm one of the lucky ones-my host family has a shower). I have breakfast with my host mom. She packs me a bag lunch, and then I leave for school. I meet Rebeach, Erin, and Mike (3 other trainees who live really close), and we walk downhill to school. On the way we say "Buna dimineata!"(Good morning) to everyone we pass. Some people say hello. Others just stare. In addition to people, we usually see sheep, goats, ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, and cows. At school, there are 8 of us that study Romaian 3-4 hours a day, Monday through Saturday. After language, we either go to our hub site with all of the other trainees for technical/cultural/safety sessions or we have SDA's (self directed activties--PC lingo for free time). My host family doesn't eat dinner until 9:00, so I try to get all of my studying in before then. After dinner (in which I try my best to understand the Romanian flying around me and speak a little bit myself), I go to bed.
My schedule for the past few weeks was a bit more hectic because I had practice school. During PS, every waking hour was either spent in class, teaching, or preparing for class the next day. No free time! Practice school, in case you're wondering, is the PC's version of student teaching for us TEFL trainees. We all taught two different levels of students (I taught 8th and 11th graders). Our students were Moldovan sudents who study English in school and who volunteer to come to practice school during their vacation time. As a result, most of them were strong English speakers and pretty well behaved. My students were amazing! My 11th graders spoke English SO well. I was really impressed. Let me tell you though, teaching English is not as easy as you might think. Have you ever tried explaining why we say "It is sunny" not "Is sunny"? or why "Everyone has" but "All people have"? Native speakers of a language don't know grammar rules--they just know what sounds right!
That being said, Practice School was extremely helpful. Now I have a sense of what Moldovan students are like, and I know that I have the ability to teach. The last week of PST will be pretty easy. Most of our time will be spent reviewing for our language proficiency exam next Monday. Speaking of language, let me end this blog on a humurous note. Below are some translations of phrases inadvertently spoken by my fellow trainees (one of them is mine, but I'm not saying which one). Enjoy!
"She was wearing a tomato."
[pointing to cucumbers] "Are these married?"
"I ate myself for breakfast."
"I ate my whole host family for breakfast."
"I am going to armchair grammar."
Saturday, August 9, 2008
photos...for real this time!
Technology has its moments. It really does. For instance, I am writing this blog that people halfway around the world can read 5 seconds after I post it. And I appreciate that. I really do. That being said, I think life would be a lot less stressful if we still used letters and carrier pigeons.
Some of you were lucky enough to see my photos before they mysteriously disappeared. That's all I have to say about that. For about 10 other reasons which I won't go into now because it's still to way too frustrating, I haven't been able to access my blog or re-upload my pictures since then. But now I have! So if you click on the "my photos" link, you'll actually see photos. Magic! I don't know if anyone is still reading this (since it has been ages- I can't blame anyone who has given up on checking back to see if I've updated), but I'm sure at least my parents are still faithfully checking. So Mom and Dad, this is for you. ;-)
Seriously though, I've got lots of things to write about since we just finished 3 weeks of practice school. I will write more again soon, I promise.
Some of you were lucky enough to see my photos before they mysteriously disappeared. That's all I have to say about that. For about 10 other reasons which I won't go into now because it's still to way too frustrating, I haven't been able to access my blog or re-upload my pictures since then. But now I have! So if you click on the "my photos" link, you'll actually see photos. Magic! I don't know if anyone is still reading this (since it has been ages- I can't blame anyone who has given up on checking back to see if I've updated), but I'm sure at least my parents are still faithfully checking. So Mom and Dad, this is for you. ;-)
Seriously though, I've got lots of things to write about since we just finished 3 weeks of practice school. I will write more again soon, I promise.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
the state of the nation
Let me start this post off with a disclaimer: I have only been in Moldova for a month. Even though I'm learning the language, and I've heard numerous lectures about the history and culture and observed quite a bit from my interactions with host country nationals, I still know very little about Moldova. If anything, I'm at the dangerous stage where you know just enough about something to think you know everything and consequently be way off base.
That being said, I'm going to go right ahead and share my opinions (isn't that what a blog is for???). Before coming to Moldova, I heard/read somewhere that Moldova is the poorest country in Europe. After arriving here, I heard that statistic again. And I am starting to understand why. Poverty is a complex thing. Moldova is nothing like sub-Saharan Africa, where poverty is so overwhleming that it reaches out and smacks you right between the eyes. In Chisinau, and in other cities in Moldova, you wouldn't think Moldova is that poor. Banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, cell phone kiosks, cars, and stylishly dressed girls in ridiculously high stilettos are everywhere.
But looks can be deceiving. Many Moldovans struggle to make ends meet. You can see this especially in villages. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moldova's political and economic infastructes dissolved as well. Since Moldova declared its independence, economic growth has been slow. Roughly 1/4 (I've heard slightly varying statististics) of Moldova's working-age population is currently abroad because people can't find jobs here (even teachers, doctors, and other professionals sometimes have to leave the country and find work elsewhere, cleaning people's houses or doing construction, because they can't find jobs that pay enough for them to live on). Many children have one or both parents who are away from home for months, or even years, at a time.
And to make things even more complicated, Moldova is a country torn between the East and the West. Russia has long been a presence here (for obvious reasons), and a significant portion of Moldovans identify themselves as Russian (speak Russian, not Romanian, etc.). But many Moldovans would like to see themselves united with Romania (re-united really--before being a part of the Soviet Union, Moldova was a part of Romania), especially if that means joining the EU as a result.
It's all so complicated, and of course, I've only scratched the surface. For anyone that thinks all of this is as interesting as I do (I won't be offended if you don't, but if you do--bravo!), you need to check out the recent New Yorker article about human trafficking and Moldova. From what I can tell, it's very accurate and well-researched. Just go to Google, type in "New Yorker + Moldova" and you'll find it.
I'm not sure yet how I, as an English teacher, am going to make a difference in the grand scheme of things, but I do know that I'm in the right place. I'm quickly falling in love with this country and with its people, and I hope that my role in my community will be a meaningful one. That's why I came, and I'm going to try my best not to forget that.
That being said, I'm going to go right ahead and share my opinions (isn't that what a blog is for???). Before coming to Moldova, I heard/read somewhere that Moldova is the poorest country in Europe. After arriving here, I heard that statistic again. And I am starting to understand why. Poverty is a complex thing. Moldova is nothing like sub-Saharan Africa, where poverty is so overwhleming that it reaches out and smacks you right between the eyes. In Chisinau, and in other cities in Moldova, you wouldn't think Moldova is that poor. Banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, cell phone kiosks, cars, and stylishly dressed girls in ridiculously high stilettos are everywhere.
But looks can be deceiving. Many Moldovans struggle to make ends meet. You can see this especially in villages. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moldova's political and economic infastructes dissolved as well. Since Moldova declared its independence, economic growth has been slow. Roughly 1/4 (I've heard slightly varying statististics) of Moldova's working-age population is currently abroad because people can't find jobs here (even teachers, doctors, and other professionals sometimes have to leave the country and find work elsewhere, cleaning people's houses or doing construction, because they can't find jobs that pay enough for them to live on). Many children have one or both parents who are away from home for months, or even years, at a time.
And to make things even more complicated, Moldova is a country torn between the East and the West. Russia has long been a presence here (for obvious reasons), and a significant portion of Moldovans identify themselves as Russian (speak Russian, not Romanian, etc.). But many Moldovans would like to see themselves united with Romania (re-united really--before being a part of the Soviet Union, Moldova was a part of Romania), especially if that means joining the EU as a result.
It's all so complicated, and of course, I've only scratched the surface. For anyone that thinks all of this is as interesting as I do (I won't be offended if you don't, but if you do--bravo!), you need to check out the recent New Yorker article about human trafficking and Moldova. From what I can tell, it's very accurate and well-researched. Just go to Google, type in "New Yorker + Moldova" and you'll find it.
I'm not sure yet how I, as an English teacher, am going to make a difference in the grand scheme of things, but I do know that I'm in the right place. I'm quickly falling in love with this country and with its people, and I hope that my role in my community will be a meaningful one. That's why I came, and I'm going to try my best not to forget that.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Pictures
For those of you that don't know, in my list of links to the left of this page is the link to my photos. I just added several pictures that I've taken since coming to Moldova. Feel free to check them out!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Home Sweet Casa
I'm willing to bet that when most people hear the term Peace Corps, an image of a thatched-roof hut nestled in the depths of a tropical jungle comes to mind. While that may be true to life for some volunteers, it is not my current reality. While I didn't exactly expect a hut, I came into Moldova knowing that conveniences like running water and electricity might not be available at my site. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at my PST home (the house I'll be living in for my first ten weeks of pre-service training) to discover that my host family has indoor plumbing, a computer with Internet, their own washing machine, and two TVs. I'll admit--my first reaction was guilt. Wasn't I, the Peace Corps volunteer who consolidated her wordly possessions into a mere two suitcases and a carry-on, supposed to endure more hardship than this?
After talking with PC staff and other volunteers, I came to realize that our home stays during PST will probably be quite different than what we experience at our permanent sites. The Peace Corps attempted to place all of us trainees with more affluent families as a way of easing us into Molovan life. The American definition of affluence doesn't quite carry over though. For exmple, my host family has indoor plumbing, but not a working toilet (Or at least we never use the toilet. It might just be for the winter. I haven't figured it out yet). We also have so much less stuff in general than the "typical" American household (less clothes, less food on hand, etc.). And nothing gets wasted here. Any extra food goes to our animals (in our case, chickens, rabbits, dog, and cat--other families have cows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, or turkeys).
Conveniences aside, I can say without hesitation that the people I have met here are wonderful. My host family, which consists of mom, dad, 17-year-old sister, and 13-year-old brother, has been incredibly kind to me. Other than my sister, who learned English in school and can communicate with me a bit, no one in my family speaks English. They do their best to help me with my Romanian, and I do my best not to sound like an idiot every time I open my mouth. It's not always a reachable goal (especially when I have to resort to using non-verbal communication--I actually impersonated a sheep at the dinner table the other night in an attempt to figure out what kind of cheese we were eating....but now I know that sheep cheese exists.). It is amazing though how much Romanian I've learned in two weeks. By the end of PST, I'll know enough to survive on my own. Very exciting to think about! Hopefully by then I'll have regained some of my dignity.
After talking with PC staff and other volunteers, I came to realize that our home stays during PST will probably be quite different than what we experience at our permanent sites. The Peace Corps attempted to place all of us trainees with more affluent families as a way of easing us into Molovan life. The American definition of affluence doesn't quite carry over though. For exmple, my host family has indoor plumbing, but not a working toilet (Or at least we never use the toilet. It might just be for the winter. I haven't figured it out yet). We also have so much less stuff in general than the "typical" American household (less clothes, less food on hand, etc.). And nothing gets wasted here. Any extra food goes to our animals (in our case, chickens, rabbits, dog, and cat--other families have cows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, or turkeys).
Conveniences aside, I can say without hesitation that the people I have met here are wonderful. My host family, which consists of mom, dad, 17-year-old sister, and 13-year-old brother, has been incredibly kind to me. Other than my sister, who learned English in school and can communicate with me a bit, no one in my family speaks English. They do their best to help me with my Romanian, and I do my best not to sound like an idiot every time I open my mouth. It's not always a reachable goal (especially when I have to resort to using non-verbal communication--I actually impersonated a sheep at the dinner table the other night in an attempt to figure out what kind of cheese we were eating....but now I know that sheep cheese exists.). It is amazing though how much Romanian I've learned in two weeks. By the end of PST, I'll know enough to survive on my own. Very exciting to think about! Hopefully by then I'll have regained some of my dignity.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Technical Difficulties
Okay, so I have tried about 3 different times to get online and add new posts, but I've been having a lot of problems with my flash drive (Moldovan computers don't like it). Since I write everything on my laptop (which I can't currently use to access the Internet) and save it to my flash drive, complications ensue! I will try my best to put new posts as soon as I can. I talked to someone at PC tech support today, so I think a solution is in sight. For those of you who keep checking back for updates, they are coming--I promise (scout's honor!).
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Welcome to Moldova
Buna ziua! I am now in Moldova. We got here Wednesday evening after a 11 hour flight from JFK to Frankfurt (it should have been 8 but we sat on the plane for 3 hours at JFK waiting for thunderstorms to pass by. Good times!), and a 3 hour flight from Frankfurt to Chishinau (the capital city). I don't have time for a long post at this point, so I'll just list some of the highlights of my trip so far:
-getting to know the other PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers--get used to my acronymns. The Peace Corps is in love with them).
-eating some Moldovan food (Most of it is really good, My only complaint so far is the fact that they put mayonnaise on just about everything, including pizza. You haven't lived until you've eaten mayonnaise pizza!)
-starting to learn Romanian (it is a Romance language, so my 3 semesters of college Spanish is actually helping a bit)
-getting ready to meet my PST (pre-service training) host family. They don't speak English, and my Romanian consists of about 50 words at this point, so it should be fun. We meet them today (!).
-realizing that I'm in a foreign country, don't speak the language, have no clue how to get anywhere, but I'm still insanely excited to be here. So I think I made the right choice! ;-)
That's it for now. Hopefully I'll be able to email people and do more blog updates again soon. For those of you who have my mailing address (let me know if you don't but want it), feel free to write me!
La Revedere!
-getting to know the other PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers--get used to my acronymns. The Peace Corps is in love with them).
-eating some Moldovan food (Most of it is really good, My only complaint so far is the fact that they put mayonnaise on just about everything, including pizza. You haven't lived until you've eaten mayonnaise pizza!)
-starting to learn Romanian (it is a Romance language, so my 3 semesters of college Spanish is actually helping a bit)
-getting ready to meet my PST (pre-service training) host family. They don't speak English, and my Romanian consists of about 50 words at this point, so it should be fun. We meet them today (!).
-realizing that I'm in a foreign country, don't speak the language, have no clue how to get anywhere, but I'm still insanely excited to be here. So I think I made the right choice! ;-)
That's it for now. Hopefully I'll be able to email people and do more blog updates again soon. For those of you who have my mailing address (let me know if you don't but want it), feel free to write me!
La Revedere!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Testing: 1, 2, 3
This is my first venture into the world of blogging. I thought it would be a good idea to create a blog for those who are interested in getting a glimpse at what my life will be like the next couple of years. I have to admit--I have mixed feelings about blogs. I don't want this to replace any individual contact I might have with people (letters, emails, etc.). BUT for those of you who want to see pictures and read heartwarming/funny/ranting anecdotes about my time in Moldova, read on! I have no clue how reliable and/or frequent my Internet access will be. That being said, I'll add posts and pictures as often as possible. Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
