Snow!!!!!!!!!!

This week marked my 6 month anniversary here in Moldova…wow! After being sick for about a week, and having to go into the capitol to see the Peace Corps doctor, I was happy to get back to site, and yes, back to work. I was going absolutely stir crazy!

Things have been rather hectic since I have been back. I have started meeting with both of my Odyssey of the Mind teams after school a few times a week. This means that I don’t leave the school between 6 and 7pm, which makes for a very long school day. Right before I got sick, we had a teacher work day at the school. I observed, along with the French teacher and the other 2 English teachers, a Russian class…I had no idea what was going on, but it was very interesting to watch. I also observed a primary level class – the little kids got so dressed up for the occasion (it was like the first day of school again). I got to help my partner teacher give a seminar on the “8 intelligences” and the different styles of learning. The seminar was for all of the teachers in my school – about 30 in all. Since it was all in Romanian, I was more of a Vana White than anything else but it was a seminar I had actually attended during training (in English) so I did have a pretty good idea what was being said. One of my jobs was to write on the board during a brainstorming session…all of the other teachers were impressed by the fact that I could write (with only 1 mistake) in Romanian (which made me pretty happy). The day wouldn’t have been complete without the traditional masa, so after all of the seminars, we had a bit of a party in the teachers room (tons of food and, of course, wine).

As I am typing this, I can see snow falling outside. It is the first real snow of the winter (here in my part of Moldova, that is) and I am sure there will be much more in the coming months. I checked the weather forecast yesterday, and it is looking rather bleak. One day the high is supposed to be no more than 14°F…eek!

I have to keep reminding myself that it is almost Christmas. I was thinking about why it doesn’t feel like the holidays the other day and I think that is more than just the obvious fact that I am away from home and my loved ones. In America, we hardly get past Halloween before we are bombarded with advertisements, Christmas carols, lights, decorations, and the Salvation Army Santa Clauses everywhere. I have yet to see so much as a wreath here. This may be due, in part, to the fact that many people here celebrate Christmas on January 7th…following with the Orthodox tradition. My own host family prefers to celebrate on the 25th, but usually end up celebrating on both days…who doesn’t want 2 Christmases? My host mom came home from the piaţa this weekend with our Christmas turkey. He is currently sitting on death row in our chicken coop because my host mom doesn’t want to kill him until closer to the day so that he is fresh. While I am looking forward to experiencing Christmas in Moldova (not to mention the end of the school term), I am a little sad I won’t be able to spend the holidays with my family…although, after 4 years in the hotel business, I guess I am kind of used to it.

Let’s hope I don’t eat it on the walk home from school today…I just went outside and it is quite icy and the snow is still falling. Ice + my natural clumsiness = face full of sidewalk. It has been awhile since I lived in Denver and this Texas girl is definitely not used to this whole winter thing!

Back to work...

I never thought I would say that I would be glad when a vacation ended, but I have to admit that I am. After one week of Fall Break and then an extra week off because of the Swine Flu, I was beginning to feel rather useless. Classes were back in session on Monday and things are almost back to normal…sort of. Due to the continuing spread of the flu, many schools in Moldova are taking extra precautions to protect students and teachers. My school is recording every student’s temperature daily and sending any child with even a slight fever or any symptoms to the hospital immediately. I personally think that many students see this as an open invitation to get “sick” in order to miss a few lessons. Today, I was walking to the school and passed 2 of the boys in my 10th form class who were walking to the hospital because they were “sick”. I am no doctor, but those boys definitely did not look like they were feeling even slightly under the weather. One of my friends is teaching in a raion center (a bigger town) close to the capitol and, as of today, has to wear a mask to school every day. Unfortunately, the school calendar doesn’t have built-in inclement weather days (or swine flu days) like we do at home, so we have to make up the missed days elsewhere. It looks like the schools are going to be given the option of extending the term into the Christmas break or making the days up on Saturdays. I personally hope that my school picks the latter since I have already booked my trip to Istanbul and my plane takes off 2 days before the term would end if they extend it into the vacation. I am rather skeptical of the effectiveness of trying to make up the time at all…what kid would willingly go to school on Saturdays or on Christmas day (classes could be extended until the 29th)? I have already been told that we can’t give any major assignments, quizzes, or tests because a significant percentage of the student body will be absent on the make-up days. Oh well.

On the subject of Swine Flu…has anybody else ever heard that garlic is a natural antibiotic? I hadn’t before moving to Moldova, and now it seems that garlic is supposed to be my main defense against contracting the gripa. My host mom hasn’t stopped singing its praises for about 2 weeks now. At least my house will be safe from any vampires in the area…everything I eat these days is chock-a-block full of garlic.

Last weekend, I went to a meeting for coaches of Odyssey of the Mind teams. I got some good information, and am now just waiting on the word from my team as to when we are going to start meeting. My team was very successful in the competition last year and actually advanced to the International competition in Slovakia. The national competition will be in February, so we need to get going!

There has been a considerable amount of frost on the ground the past two mornings, and my host family has been lighting our soba (stove) earlier and earlier every day…I still haven’t gotten used to the sun setting so early or wearing so many layers. I guess growing up in Houston doesn’t actually prepare a person too well for a real winter.

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!

SOS!! Just Kidding

I am currently a hostage in my own room. I somehow seem to have developed a bit of a cold and, judging by my mama gazda’s reaction, you would think I had the plague or tuberculosis at the very least. I felt it coming on for a couple of days, but was trying to keep it quiet. Well, unfortunately for me, I was unable to stifle a cough in front of mama mea yesterday evening and all hell broke loose! After lecturing me for not wearing a scarf to school the day before, she immediately started informing me of all of the things we were going to do to remedy my cold…starting with a cup of tea with raspberry preserves in it (actually quite tasty). I was then promptly sent to bed with tea in hand and the promise of a bucket of hot water to put my feet in later (not really sure what that is supposed to remedy). All of our host families are told that they are not to, under any circumstances, give us any sort of medicine so my host mama kept insisting that I break out my Peace Corps medical kit and take something immediately. This morning, my host mom snuck into my room and felt my forehead while I was sleeping (well, pretending to sleep). I guess she wanted to make sure that I didn’t die in my sleep. When I went into the kitchen later, she asked how I was feeling and I gave a pretty convincing reply of “I feel just fine”…well, my host brother (whose room shares a wall with mine) felt like he needed to put his 2 cents in and totally blew my cover. When I left the room, he told his mom that I had been coughing all night…needless to say, moments later, I had mama gazda standing in my room, hands on hips, asking about my cough and entire respiratory system. After breakfast, I was ordered back to my room with another cup of tea and was told that I had to take more medicine, put wool socks on, and not stir from my bed all day. When I told my host mom that I needed to meet with my partner to plan for tomorrow’s classes, she informed me that I was not going to be going to school for the rest of the week. I had to break it to her that that was not an option and that I would have to venture out of the house later this afternoon. She was not pleased to say the least. I have spent the morning in bed reading, grading essays, and making visual aids for tomorrow’s classes. Mama mea has poked her head into my room approximately every 30 minutes to check on her invalid and to offer endless cups of tea (I feel like I am going to float away!).

Autumn has officially arrived in Moldova. The trees across from my house have turned beautiful shades of yellow and orange and the weather is significantly colder and damper. While the temperatures haven’t been extreme (ranging from 30-60), the damp air and lack of efficient heating systems have left most volunteers lamenting the fact that long underwear is already a welcome comfort. I have a friend who has been teaching in her coat and gloves every day (she is in the northern part of the country, while I am in the center). My host family has been lighting our soba at nights for the past week or so. A soba is a stove that, in my house, is built between the walls of 2 rooms. Those walls are made of brick and are heated by the fire…I have been surprised at how effective it can be, especially since my bed is right up against that particular wall. My house has a soba between my room and my host brother’s room, one in the bathroom (I don’t think it will be lit but a couple of times a week on bath days), and one in my host dad’s room. Last weekend, we used the “salon” a big room that we very rarely use when we had some visitors. The salon does not have a soba, and I am not exaggerating when I say that I could see my breath the whole time we were eating in there.

Last weekend, we were visited by my host dad’s sister-in-law and her family. Her son is about a year older than Saşa (my host brother) and has been living and working in Italy for the past 5 years. He studied languages at university and speaks Romanian, Russian, English, German, and Italian…made me feel quite inadequate. He is back in Moldova for about 2 months and I suspect that my host mama was trying to play matchmaker. After our meal with them (which included champagne and wine of course), I went to a birthday party with my host mom and Saşa. The birthday girl is a 7th former whose mom is also a teacher at the school. My older host brother (the one that lives in London) is her godfather and our families have been good friends for years. We had the traditional Moldovan feast (including the delightful rooster jelly), accompanied by cognac, wine, and some Grappa that friends had sent them. Dinner was followed by dancing…oh, the dancing! We were hora-ing it up! I danced with the bday girl’s dad (a doctor in the village), a couple of old men I didn’t really know, and Saşa. I am happy to say that I was told that I learned the Moldovan dances quickly and danced like a Moldovan. My host mama kept telling everyone it was because I used to be a ballet dancer. What they didn’t know is that I had no idea what I was doing and was just kinda hopping around, hoping that I didn’t do anything too outrageous. It was a ton of fun. Moldovans are incredibly hospitable and definitely know how to throw a party. The language (and politics behind the language) came up once again while I was dancing with the doctor. He was telling me about how he had studied English at school, but hadn’t practiced speaking it in 30 years. He then went on to explain that language is a source of conflict for him…he told me “I had to grow up speaking Russian, I had to learn in Russian, now I think in Russian…but I am Moldovan”. He and his family, like mine, although they know Russian, choose to speak in Romanian, and he was explaining this to me in Romanian. This is a widely discussed (usually rather heatedly) topic in Moldova. Language is closely tied to politics, and with the current political situation here, it is a common point of discussion throughout the country.

Time is flying by here! In about a week and a half, we have our autumn break from school. Since all schools in Moldova take the same week off, Peace Corps is taking advantage of the time off to call us back to Chişinǎu for training. We will spend 4 of our days off in workshops and seminars. While I can’t say that sitting in meetings for the bulk of my break sounds that appealing, I am looking forward to seeing my fellow English Education volunteers and comparing stories etc. Peace Corps puts us up in a hotel for the duration of the training and we get a per diem for food and all that, so I am sure there will also be some socializing after the sessions are done every day. Once we get back from the break, we will only have about 6 weeks until Christmas. We work right up until Christmas Eve and then we have 2 weeks off before starting the next term.

Somehow my camera broke towards the end of training…it still takes pictures but the screen is messed up so I can’t tell what I am taking a picture of until I plug it into my computer. I have posted a couple of the pictures that actually turned out ok on facebook and will try to keep posting more as I take them…just wanted to apologize for the quality.

Oh, and on a funny sidenote…I introduced my host mom to peanut butter when I got some in a package from my dad and now she is hooked. She told me she was too embarrassed to eat any more of mine, so she made her son in England send her more. Cultural sharing at its best!

Not to freak anyone out or anything...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8308422.stm

It is interesting that the only news channel here in Moldova that has reported this so far is the European one...the one Moldovan channel that we get has not said a word. My host brother was quick to point out which political party runs the Moldovan tv station...any guesses?

Fake Posting

I have received a few requests for information about what it is like to teach here in Moldova.  In order to give a full and honest report, I think it would be best to leave the public domain of the blog and switch to email.  I have written up some of the observations that I have made so far about teaching here, the school system, the teachers, and students and would be happy to email them to you if you are interested.  Just leave a comment here or email me and I will send it your way.

PS...it has been raining all day...there is nothing quite like Moldovan mud.

Sitting at school...not doing what I am supposed to be doing

I am sitting in the English "lab" on Friday afternoon...TGIF! I have 2 more classes to go before my weekend begins (taught 5 already) and I really should be planning for my 10th form class on Monday, but as you can see, that is not really happening. I blame it on the fact that I now have easy access to the internet on my computer. Anyways, I don't really have anything important or earth shattering to share...just wanted to pop in and inform you that while checking the weather forecast for Moldova, I discovered that there is sleet in my future. Eeeek! Oh, and I finally got around to listening to the latest Regina Spektor album (yay internet!) and I highly recommend it. That is all. Enjoy your weekend! I will drink a glass (or 6) of wine for you. Hai noroc, multi ani, multi bani, si sanatate.