50% off!!!!
Buna Ziua,
It’s been awhile since I wrote the explanation about Peace Corps and about my 3 months of Pre-Service Training.
Now I am almost 2 months at site, finally getting my feet wet. I mean that metaphorically and literally. I accidentally sprayed water ALL over the indoor bathroom the other day…that’s a story for another time over a beer or 10…
(Just some fair warning…this update is lengthy, my apologies, but you can do it!!! I know these kinds of things take some encouragement…I know you are busy but you have no idea how much I appreciate you reading my experience here!!!! Keep going….there is a coupon at the bottom!)
Anyway, I am doing well. Mostly healthy, getting my daily exercise via walks/yoga/stretching/hunting my next meal (Mom, that was a joke), drinking lots of water and house wine, working, sleeping pretty well, getting along with life’s challenges same as you I suppose. (However, I believe our challenges may be slightly different…the other day at school I was on a bathroom break and got stuck in the outhouse…. I dropped the roll of toilet paper in the hole…now THAT was a challenge.)
;)
Enough about that..What’s happening in Moldova you ask??? Well, as in America it’s harvest time…woohoo!
Dad would have been so proud of me this week…out in the cornfield handpicking corn and then helping my family clean it at home. Yes, I said HANDpicking. No machines.
It seems inefficient at times through my American eyes, but the vibe surrounding all the hard work is very wholesome and refreshing. My host parents work all day at their jobs (Host mom is a math teacher at my school and host father works for a man who lives somewhere else but owns land here), after work-they go to work at home with preparing for winter and harvest and animals or whatever, and they crawl to bed around 9/10pm. I think they watch TV for an hour too.
Anyway, harvest time is fun so far…soon it will be time for grapes and I have always wanted to watch the wine making process. My host family has huge barrels for wine in the cellar along with many preserved vegetables, compote (real fruit juice with fruit), jam, potatoes, potatoes, and more potatoes, and nuts. Since Hy-Vee is a plane ride away and my host father doesn’t like flying, they have to preserve all the food they want to eat for winter…it’s quite the task.
Typical Moldovan produce: potatoes, different tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, different peppers, pumpkins, eggplant, cucumbers, green beans, corn, apples, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, nuts, prunes, plums, and grape vines all over the entrance to the house.
(keep going..you are halfway through!!!!)
So I eat a lot of that and traditional foods like soup, mamaliga (corn meal mush stuff), placenta (which is a pastry with potatoes, or cheese, or my host mom puts apples in them and it’s almost like apple pie..I love when she makes that kind.)
I have 8 classes a week ranging from 5th grade to 8th grade. I am a good teacher, but I have a horrible time with disciplining them. Moldova hasn’t developed standards of discipline besides physical abuse. It’s crazy to see b/c as an American I know at home that would NEVER fly in school without serious repercussions.
I know this is not ok and I try to curb my partner teachers from doing this, but I don’t know what to tell them to do INSTEAD. Sometimes the kids are really bad. But I need something else to tell them to do…For example; at home we have detention after school and things like that. Well, here, the kids have to go home and work. It’s harvest time and they won’t stay after-school because they don’t have time. I really can’t stand telling the kids not to hit each other and then watch my partner teacher pull them by their ear to the corner or whack them in the head if they have a wrong answer or take too long to respond.
Not all the students act up, some of them are very interested in learning. It’s hard not to give all my attention to them. But I can’t, as the “bad kids” are usually most in need of the attention. (Especially b/c it seems to be a rule of thumb that if a kid is slow they are “bad” and not to worry about teaching them)
We have been teaching about self-esteem, respect, stress and relaxation, etc. We also have started an after-school Health Club. We make a health journal about what we eat, how much we exercise, how we feel, etc. and then afterward we have an hour of a physical activity. So far it has been yoga..they all wanted to learn about yoga for some reason.. (Thank you Fred and Jacquie Lamer for Midnight Yoga) Obviously I am not a professional instructor but you’d be surprised how much you really know when you come to a place like this.
(I don’t mean to generalize because not all places in Moldova are so far behind..but it is especially a problem in the smaller villages)
After I finish with school, club, or discussing with the local hospital about different presentations we will be having for the community (AIDS/Tuberculosis/Family Planning to begin with…) I usually go for long walks in my village or read. My 2 host brothers showed me this beautiful hill that overlooks my village, I go there and think about you all and other things. I am finally reading Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead. All you architect friends of mine will be happy to hear that I’m sure.
Sometimes all the volunteers in my group must meet for Peace Corps training sessions on technical aspects such as how to create peer groups/clubs/network clubs/etc. and Romanian language training sessions. I love when we have these IST’s (In Service Training) b/c we all get to relax with other volunteers and speak English. I am amazed at what an intelligent group we have. I expected to see a bunch of hippies or uptight change the world or die types…not the case. Everyone here has a degree and specialty in something and a lot of motivation. Good people.
(And you are good people too, for taking the time to read all this!!! almost there!)
On my way home from the IST last week I was on the crowded rutiere (maxi taxi/bus) and before we took off this cute little girl squeezed her way in and recited this little story about how she was sick and needed money. I was disgusted that someone was making her do this.
This is not uncommon because obviously people feel more sorry for children. Taking advantage of children BS is really ticking me off. I am sure you all have heard about sex trafficking and this too is very common here. I realize this happens even in America, however, I know that we have more resources for help.
Here, there is NOONE to go to if you need help.
My school doesn’t have enough teachers…so paying a counselor is at the bottom of the list of priorities. In my village, there is no one designated for help in any abusive situation, well alone a toll free number to call. Let’s also not forget about people with handicaps. Yes, in the capitol and larger cities there are places for this, but in the villages there is not.
One volunteer told me about her little 10 yr. old host sister who is deaf. She does not know sign language. Her host father told my friend not to worry about talking to her b/c she doesn’t understand. Can you imagine being trapped inside a body with no way to communicate yourself? Of course there are simple hand gestures, but I know from experience (my 1st month here with no Romanian) that those only go so far.
Anyway, slowly but surely I am adjusting and loving it here. Well…I laugh more than I cry anyway, and that’s the point. Again, I apologize for missing very special events taking place at home, but hopefully after reading a little about what’s happening here you can understand why it is important for me to stay.
I feel that Peace Corps is very effective by placing volunteers in schools and hospitals with partners. Working side by side is the best way to teach new methods of teaching (group work, activities, role-playing, clubs, organizations, etc.) It’s amazing what we take for granted in the American public school system.
I know this is old news, but I gave a little speech for our school on 9/11. All the teachers and students knew all about it and were very respectful and had lots of questions.
My host grandpa died a few weeks ago and I was given the opportunity to see a Moldovan funeral. (Our relationship was somewhat restricted due to the fact he spoke Russian to me. We just ate watermelon sometimes and stared at each other…with an occasional grunt.)
I was happy to be there for my host family and also witness such an extravagant event. My host family is Orthodox and so they have all these rituals such as: you must stay with the dead body for 3 days w/o sleeping (people take turns), there are lots of rituals with a priest, there are little branches of trees that they tie ribbons and presents to like socks, candy, etc., the day of the ceremony they prepare a huge table of food but nobody eats it (it is for the soul of the dead person), we walked with the decorated casket through the town and one man with our party had a bucket of wine and filled a cup for people in the street, along with a women who handed out candy. It was similar to a parade with flags and everything, but people were sad. Afterward there is another huge feast (you can eat this one) and the family of the dead person hands out gifts such as towels, forks, candles, bowls, and things like that. The family all pool their money so they can buy all this stuff!
Another volunteer told me this is similar to the Egyptian style funeral “but with an economical twist”. My host mom wears her black mourning clothes and will for 40 days.
It was interesting and I felt flattered to be a part.
(You’ve practically made it. Your coupon is waiting…)
I know this is long again…sorry! I know this pisses some of you off, but there is so much to say. I will try to keep it shorter with more pics next time. But there it is… a recap, if you have questions, feel free to email. missryandaniel@hotmail or missryandaniel@gmail (preferably the gmail account)
Take care. Good luck. Thanks for reading. Done. Gata…hope you enjoyed yourself…ok, now you didn’t REALLY expect a coupon did you??? False advertising, sorry. But I appreciate you reading all this!!!! No coupon, but hey, tell you what…. I’ll leave you with a happy note instead…
C sharp.
Sucker….haha!
Love,
Ry@n
It’s been awhile since I wrote the explanation about Peace Corps and about my 3 months of Pre-Service Training.
Now I am almost 2 months at site, finally getting my feet wet. I mean that metaphorically and literally. I accidentally sprayed water ALL over the indoor bathroom the other day…that’s a story for another time over a beer or 10…
(Just some fair warning…this update is lengthy, my apologies, but you can do it!!! I know these kinds of things take some encouragement…I know you are busy but you have no idea how much I appreciate you reading my experience here!!!! Keep going….there is a coupon at the bottom!)
Anyway, I am doing well. Mostly healthy, getting my daily exercise via walks/yoga/stretching/hunting my next meal (Mom, that was a joke), drinking lots of water and house wine, working, sleeping pretty well, getting along with life’s challenges same as you I suppose. (However, I believe our challenges may be slightly different…the other day at school I was on a bathroom break and got stuck in the outhouse…. I dropped the roll of toilet paper in the hole…now THAT was a challenge.)
;)
Enough about that..What’s happening in Moldova you ask??? Well, as in America it’s harvest time…woohoo!
Dad would have been so proud of me this week…out in the cornfield handpicking corn and then helping my family clean it at home. Yes, I said HANDpicking. No machines.
It seems inefficient at times through my American eyes, but the vibe surrounding all the hard work is very wholesome and refreshing. My host parents work all day at their jobs (Host mom is a math teacher at my school and host father works for a man who lives somewhere else but owns land here), after work-they go to work at home with preparing for winter and harvest and animals or whatever, and they crawl to bed around 9/10pm. I think they watch TV for an hour too.
Anyway, harvest time is fun so far…soon it will be time for grapes and I have always wanted to watch the wine making process. My host family has huge barrels for wine in the cellar along with many preserved vegetables, compote (real fruit juice with fruit), jam, potatoes, potatoes, and more potatoes, and nuts. Since Hy-Vee is a plane ride away and my host father doesn’t like flying, they have to preserve all the food they want to eat for winter…it’s quite the task.
Typical Moldovan produce: potatoes, different tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, different peppers, pumpkins, eggplant, cucumbers, green beans, corn, apples, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, nuts, prunes, plums, and grape vines all over the entrance to the house.
(keep going..you are halfway through!!!!)
So I eat a lot of that and traditional foods like soup, mamaliga (corn meal mush stuff), placenta (which is a pastry with potatoes, or cheese, or my host mom puts apples in them and it’s almost like apple pie..I love when she makes that kind.)
I have 8 classes a week ranging from 5th grade to 8th grade. I am a good teacher, but I have a horrible time with disciplining them. Moldova hasn’t developed standards of discipline besides physical abuse. It’s crazy to see b/c as an American I know at home that would NEVER fly in school without serious repercussions.
I know this is not ok and I try to curb my partner teachers from doing this, but I don’t know what to tell them to do INSTEAD. Sometimes the kids are really bad. But I need something else to tell them to do…For example; at home we have detention after school and things like that. Well, here, the kids have to go home and work. It’s harvest time and they won’t stay after-school because they don’t have time. I really can’t stand telling the kids not to hit each other and then watch my partner teacher pull them by their ear to the corner or whack them in the head if they have a wrong answer or take too long to respond.
Not all the students act up, some of them are very interested in learning. It’s hard not to give all my attention to them. But I can’t, as the “bad kids” are usually most in need of the attention. (Especially b/c it seems to be a rule of thumb that if a kid is slow they are “bad” and not to worry about teaching them)
We have been teaching about self-esteem, respect, stress and relaxation, etc. We also have started an after-school Health Club. We make a health journal about what we eat, how much we exercise, how we feel, etc. and then afterward we have an hour of a physical activity. So far it has been yoga..they all wanted to learn about yoga for some reason.. (Thank you Fred and Jacquie Lamer for Midnight Yoga) Obviously I am not a professional instructor but you’d be surprised how much you really know when you come to a place like this.
(I don’t mean to generalize because not all places in Moldova are so far behind..but it is especially a problem in the smaller villages)
After I finish with school, club, or discussing with the local hospital about different presentations we will be having for the community (AIDS/Tuberculosis/Family Planning to begin with…) I usually go for long walks in my village or read. My 2 host brothers showed me this beautiful hill that overlooks my village, I go there and think about you all and other things. I am finally reading Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead. All you architect friends of mine will be happy to hear that I’m sure.
Sometimes all the volunteers in my group must meet for Peace Corps training sessions on technical aspects such as how to create peer groups/clubs/network clubs/etc. and Romanian language training sessions. I love when we have these IST’s (In Service Training) b/c we all get to relax with other volunteers and speak English. I am amazed at what an intelligent group we have. I expected to see a bunch of hippies or uptight change the world or die types…not the case. Everyone here has a degree and specialty in something and a lot of motivation. Good people.
(And you are good people too, for taking the time to read all this!!! almost there!)
On my way home from the IST last week I was on the crowded rutiere (maxi taxi/bus) and before we took off this cute little girl squeezed her way in and recited this little story about how she was sick and needed money. I was disgusted that someone was making her do this.
This is not uncommon because obviously people feel more sorry for children. Taking advantage of children BS is really ticking me off. I am sure you all have heard about sex trafficking and this too is very common here. I realize this happens even in America, however, I know that we have more resources for help.
Here, there is NOONE to go to if you need help.
My school doesn’t have enough teachers…so paying a counselor is at the bottom of the list of priorities. In my village, there is no one designated for help in any abusive situation, well alone a toll free number to call. Let’s also not forget about people with handicaps. Yes, in the capitol and larger cities there are places for this, but in the villages there is not.
One volunteer told me about her little 10 yr. old host sister who is deaf. She does not know sign language. Her host father told my friend not to worry about talking to her b/c she doesn’t understand. Can you imagine being trapped inside a body with no way to communicate yourself? Of course there are simple hand gestures, but I know from experience (my 1st month here with no Romanian) that those only go so far.
Anyway, slowly but surely I am adjusting and loving it here. Well…I laugh more than I cry anyway, and that’s the point. Again, I apologize for missing very special events taking place at home, but hopefully after reading a little about what’s happening here you can understand why it is important for me to stay.
I feel that Peace Corps is very effective by placing volunteers in schools and hospitals with partners. Working side by side is the best way to teach new methods of teaching (group work, activities, role-playing, clubs, organizations, etc.) It’s amazing what we take for granted in the American public school system.
I know this is old news, but I gave a little speech for our school on 9/11. All the teachers and students knew all about it and were very respectful and had lots of questions.
My host grandpa died a few weeks ago and I was given the opportunity to see a Moldovan funeral. (Our relationship was somewhat restricted due to the fact he spoke Russian to me. We just ate watermelon sometimes and stared at each other…with an occasional grunt.)
I was happy to be there for my host family and also witness such an extravagant event. My host family is Orthodox and so they have all these rituals such as: you must stay with the dead body for 3 days w/o sleeping (people take turns), there are lots of rituals with a priest, there are little branches of trees that they tie ribbons and presents to like socks, candy, etc., the day of the ceremony they prepare a huge table of food but nobody eats it (it is for the soul of the dead person), we walked with the decorated casket through the town and one man with our party had a bucket of wine and filled a cup for people in the street, along with a women who handed out candy. It was similar to a parade with flags and everything, but people were sad. Afterward there is another huge feast (you can eat this one) and the family of the dead person hands out gifts such as towels, forks, candles, bowls, and things like that. The family all pool their money so they can buy all this stuff!
Another volunteer told me this is similar to the Egyptian style funeral “but with an economical twist”. My host mom wears her black mourning clothes and will for 40 days.
It was interesting and I felt flattered to be a part.
(You’ve practically made it. Your coupon is waiting…)
I know this is long again…sorry! I know this pisses some of you off, but there is so much to say. I will try to keep it shorter with more pics next time. But there it is… a recap, if you have questions, feel free to email. missryandaniel@hotmail or missryandaniel@gmail (preferably the gmail account)
Take care. Good luck. Thanks for reading. Done. Gata…hope you enjoyed yourself…ok, now you didn’t REALLY expect a coupon did you??? False advertising, sorry. But I appreciate you reading all this!!!! No coupon, but hey, tell you what…. I’ll leave you with a happy note instead…
C sharp.
Sucker….haha!
Love,
Ry@n
posted by MissRy at 7:27 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Ryan! I love reading about all your experiences and try to imagine what it'd be like to be where you're at. Sounds like you are easily adjusting to all your new surroundings! But that's no surprise. Keep posting when you can and I'll keep sending pictures. Take care!
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