Moldova: The first week part 2

June 22, 2009
Peace Corps Moldova-The First Week
Warning: This is a long one!! A whole weeks worth o stuff!!

So, after typing my last entry on my computer, I ran out the battery. When I tried to charge the computer I realized I had not brought with me the correct adapter plug. So here it is a week later (and one trip to Chisinau the capital) and I am finally able to use my computer again with the correct adapter!!

So Saturday (6/20) our professor in my Romanian class congratulated us on making it through our first week in Moldova. Our response was “What!! Its only been a week!!” I was amazed that only one week had passed, it felt like a month. Two years is going to be interesting.

PST (pre-service training) has definitely kept me busy and very obosita (tired). We have language classes every day for at least half the day, then if not language we have “tech” classes. These are classes specific to our job. So my tech classes are all about how to teach English in Moldova. After a full day of classes, its time to go home and integrate into our community. For me at this point it means getting to know my family and neighbors. All of whom seem to have fun teaching me Romanian and in exchange I teach them a little English if they are interested.

So, some highlights from my first week:
~ Bonding with my host niece over music. She has a lot of American music (mostly hip hop and pop) so we talked a lot about that. She has also introduced me to some Romanian contemporary music which is pretty decent!! What cracked me up the most was hearing Richard Marx circa 1980s. And apparently Moldovans love him because I have heard him playing on many a teenager’s cell phone (which they all use as an MP3 player).
~Learning enough Romanian that I can for the most part carrying on a basic conversation with my host family. I do keep my trusty dictionary next to me, but our after dinner activity is usually vocabulary and my favorite-conjugating verbs!!! Its amazing how much you can learn if language is the only thing you are studying every day.
~My niece coming into my room to ask me if I wanted to watch American tv with her. The show: Passions. I did not watch it when I lived in the States and now I know why-HORRIBLE!! But she and I got a good laugh out of it. And again-getting to bond with her is nice.
~Meeting my host uncle Ion (E-oon). His family lives right behind us and they are a crack up. He knows a little English and loves to give me a hard time about my inability to roll my Rs. But with his jesting, I am actually getting better.
~ This one I wouldn’t necessarily call a highlight, but it is definitely memorable for me. Last week we traveled to our main site Ialoveni (Ye-all-o-vin). We had to ride the public bus back to Costesti at commute time. Well these buses hold about 15-18 people usually but at commute time its more like 30. People get real friendly!! I have never been one to get claustrophobic, but I was not doing well by the end of the ride. It also didn’t help that I was squatting for part of the ride and my legs had gone numb haha. But I just look at it as being part of the experience. Yet even with that outlook on it, I am still going to hang in Ialoveni until after the big commute time then take the bus back when its not so full. A couple other volunteers are doing the same.
~This past Friday we had a cultural day. Peace Corps took all of us to visit a monastery which was amazing (see included pictures) and then we had lunch (traditional Moldovan cuisine) in the forest. While we were there we were entertained by a group of students at one of the universities in Moldova. They performed traditional Moldovan, Ukrainian, Russian, Bulgarian and Roma (Moldovan gypsies) music and dances-see videos and pictures. The performances were great. Afterward, we all danced the Hora-a traditional Moldovan dance that is incredibly fun!
~All the volunteers in my village decided to meet for pizza at a local restaurant at the bottom of the very steep hill I live on top of. Well, we were on our way back up the hill when it started raining. At first it was light, no big deal. Then out of nowhere straight downpour. By the time I got to the gate of my family’s house I was drenched. To make matters more funny, the gate had been locked. I had no way in!! Fortunately, my host father (tata meu gazda) heard me at the gate and he came running. Fortunately it was a warm rain.
~My favorite thing of all!! I was asleep when all of a sudden the roster that is right outside my window starting crowing at 3:30 in the morning. It was so loud it startled me awake. I couldn’t believe it. But I did go back to sleep although it was a bit more tough. Its those little things that take some getting used to.

The weather here is a lot like Sacramento, only a bit more humid as my hair can attest to. But unlike Sacto, the nights cool off a lot with this wonderful breeze that seems to stick around throughout most of the day. And I love that it stays light for so long. I went to bed one night a little after 10pm and it was still sort of light outside. And the sun is pretty bright by 5am.

The food is pretty good. The first couple of meals I was hesitant, but I have lucked out. My host mother (mama mea gazda) is a cook in Chisinau. And her food is gustos (delicious). Lots of cucumbers and tomatoes (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Although hands down, my favorite breakfast has got to be the macaroni in warm milk. I laughed a little the first time I was served it, but it’s actually good. Chicken is served in a variety of ways with lunch and dinner. And I’m usually offered a hard boiled egg with breakfast and lunch. Its been interesting to see how my family watches me. My mama gazda (host mother) has taken note of what I like and don’t like to eat. And they don’t force me to eat or drink anything I don’t want which is really nice!! The wine is excellent and I have enjoyed talking to them about what California has. Although they think having the vines grow along the ground is weird. All of the grape vines here grow up overhead.

I’m sure there is more to say, but I think this is enough for now. I do really miss home, having privacy and in some ways my independence. Peace Corps has us so structured right now I feel like a child but it’s a good thing since we are like children in this country.

I should have better access to the internet now that we will be going to Ialoveni two times a week so I will post more often. It feels weird to me that two weeks ago today (Monday) I was getting on an airplane. That feels like a lifetime ago.