Yay for Swine Flu!!

I am currently sitting in my room with my back against the soba (the stove that heats our house) taking a break from writing long term lesson plans for next term and trying to keep my toes warm (apparently 2 pairs of socks are just not sufficient)…

Last week was our fall break from school, so naturally, Peace Corps planned an IST (In Service Training…PC loves their acronyms) in the capitol. From Tuesday to Friday, all English Education volunteers had workshops and sessions about education in Moldova, teaching methods, and all kinds of fun stuff. While a lot of it was just a repetition of what we learned during PST (Pre Service Training), I did find that being able to share the stories, challenges, and successes that we have all encountered within our first 2 months teaching here was helpful and rather therapeutic. It was nice to hear that the things that frustrate me about my job are not specific to just me, and are present in many other volunteers’ daily lives at school as well. The training also afforded us the opportunity to hang out with our fellow volunteers and to enjoy some good food (not cabbage or potatoes) and, of course, a few adult beverages at the end of the day. While we were in training, we found out that the panic that we had been hearing about in Ukraine over the Swine Flu (gripa de porcina in Romanian, which I think sounds more ominous) had spread to Moldova and that our schools would be closed for an additional week. Since our vacation was extended, I stayed in Chişinǎu for an extra 2 nights with 2 of my friends. We rented an apartment and basically just holed up there listening to music, talking, watching movies, drinking beer, and basically enjoying some English-speaking company. I headed back to my village on Sunday afternoon and realized that switching back to Romanian after a week of English was rather trickier than I thought it would be.

So far, I have remained in sweats the entire time since I have been back at site…I see no reason to put real clothes on if I am not going anywhere. We are definitely on the cusp of winter already here. It gets dark between 4:30 and 5 every evening and the sun is making fewer and fewer appearances every day. While we have had a few days of below freezing temperatures, it hasn’t been shockingly bad…the lack of sun and efficient heating in most places, along with the constant dampness does result in a chill that settles into your bones though. I wore long underwear every day but one while in the capitol last week…so attractive. My host family (mainly my mama gazda) is constantly worrying about my clothes and shoes. They are afraid that this Texas girl won’t be able to survive a Moldovan winter. After being caught going outside to use the facilities in flipflops a couple of times by both my mama and tata gazda, I came home from my time in the capitol to find a pair of cropped off Wellington boots that my host dad had specially lined with wool waiting for me in my room. I hate to admit it, but they are definitely an improvement on the flipflops…especially now that the ground is almost constantly muddy.

I think that November will be a busy month for me. I am hoping to start working with my Odyssey of the Mind team once the school is reopened. The competition is in February, so we need to start practicing within the next couple of weeks. I am also planning to head back into Chisinau later this month for another Moldova TIP meeting. Moldova TIP (Trafficking in Persons) is a volunteer-run organization within Peace Corps that works as a bridge between Moldovan anti-trafficking organizations and Peace Corps volunteers in an effort to educate volunteers about the issue of human trafficking and illegal immigration that is so common here. While, for security and legal reasons, volunteers are not allowed to go out and directly try to stop trafficking, TIP does provide resources and education to volunteers to take back to their sites so that they can be informed and ready to identify any potential problems with trafficking within their communities. I went to my first meeting last month, and got to hear presentations given by 3 different local groups that are working on the front lines trying to combat this issue. This is definitely an organization that I would like to continue working with during my time here in Moldova. On a lighter note, I will also probably be going into Chişinǎu at the end of the month for a Thanksgiving dinner that is being planned by volunteers. It should be interesting since, like me, most of my fellow volunteers have never actually made a full Thanksgiving dinner before…it should be a good time though.

It is amazing how quickly my time here is going by. I have officially been in Moldova for 5 months already and I can hardly believe it. At times I feel like I have been here a lifetime (especially when I start thinking about fajitas, hot wings, or Chinese food), and at others it seems like I stepped off the plane just last week.

O zi bunǎ everyone and lots of love!