Thanksgiving Weekend

No matter what, my first Thanksgiving weekend abroad was bound to be memorable. But I think overall, the weekend managed to stand on it's own as a memorable moment in my Peace Corps experience.

Friday night I hitched down to the city where some gal pals and I rented an apartment for an evening of girl talk, good food, tons of laughs, and little sleep. This view from the 14th floor gives the city a whole new identity at night time. If this was the only photo you ever saw of the city, you wouldn't recognize it in the day time. Cities are the same all over the world I guess. In the bottom right corner you'll note some juice boxes sitting on the window seal. Although there was a refrigerator in the apartment, there didn't seem to be anywhere to plug in the ancient contraption.

After a hot shower at the Peace Corps office and stopping to buy some OJ, I headed out to the main event in the southern city of Cahul. The bus ride down took about three hours, but in reality the trip is only two. The buses stop in several cities along the way, and in between to pick up waiting passengers.
It was really foggy on my way down, but I got the impression that the middle of the country is quite rich with hills that we don't have up north. On the way back up north, when it was less foggy, I was easily reminded of the agriculture dominated, rolling hills of the Palouse. Or, wait a second, was I just passing through the five stages of grief upon hearing this year's Apple Cup score....probably a little of both.

When I arrived at my colleague's apartment in Cahul, some PCVs were still lounging in their PJs, the turkeys were being pulled out of the oven, the mac and cheese (which tasted like it's value in GOLD!) was being topped off, Na'Ima was prepping her cornbread for stuffing (I am now, and forever will be on team corn bread stuffing), the scent of sage was filling the whole apartment, Suzette jumped in to peel fresh yams, Kyle was making both of his pumpkin pies with lots of love, and Pan arrived shortly after to start pouring the homemade peach brandy. This spread was overwhelming even before Jessica and Vince arrived with homemade Pecan pie and carrots sauteed in organge juice and cumin. The fastest way to a PCV's heart is through his or her stomach. No doubt about it!

As we sat and ate, we discussed, with no apprehension or sense that this conversation was a-typical of a holiday movie, the things we were thankful for in our lives this year. Among the most popular responses were our friends and family back home who care about us, support us, and send us amazing care packages. Peace Corps staff was up there too, along with a general consensus that we were all happy to be together on this holiday. Shortly after we dove into one of the most intense game of charades I have ever been a part of, followed by two rounds of Mafia (another game), before the sleeping bags were pulled out and we found our respective places on the floor, pull out furniture, and air mattresses. The following morning we lounged for a couple hours drinking coffee, eating pumpkin pie and apple crisp, and thanking Na'Ima for having us! Could not have asked for a better weekend!

Work Update and Thanksgiving Greeting

I planned to wait and write a little Thanksgiving note later this week, but now I can't wait. I just found out, we won the grant to facilitate volunteerism seminars in our district's villages. We plan to help develop local youth councils in the villages of our district. As the local youth council in our town has shown, an active youth population greatly affects the attitude of the community.

Writing grants is, in my opinion, not one of the most sustainable means of fundraising because the community doesn't always have to support the project, the writer just has to be pursuasive. However, our project is among those that invests in human capital, neither infastructure nor material. We are hoping to educate young people about their opportunities to facilitate their own change. Afterall, "if you don't manage your change, your change will manage you." On one hand I am very excited about this project, but I do not neglect the responsibility that comes with us receiving this money. It will be a great lesson in accountability for the youth I am partnered with. I will keep you all updated as the project progresses and would love to answer any questions along the way!

This news comes just in time for Thanksgiving. A holiday I won't actually celebrate until Saturday with my colleagues, but can't help but celebrate all week since I'm accustomed to having a whole week off from classes for it! Oh how I miss that drive from Pullman! I know, crazy...but true!

I am incredibly thankful for all that I have experienced and learned since this time last year. Five different mailing addresses, a second language, and a taste of the D.C. political arena...Oh, and I guess somwhere in there I graduated college. Did that really happen? HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Swine Flu in Moldova

I'm glad I don't own a television, because I'm sure the media is living on the swine flu situation right now. In Moldova, there have been a few deaths, and of course, the number of cases continue to grow each week.

Peace Corps is certainly taking care of Volunteers, but this situation has also given Volunteers an opportunity to learn more about traditional medical beliefs. Namely, the ability of onion and garlic to prevent the flu. The New York Times even picked up on this story. You can read about it here. It's a good thing I don't mind the extra kick in my soup!

Think globally, act localy, focus daily.

The publicity material didn't lie. The Peace Corps is one of the most challenging things I've done in my short life. But not because I'm breaking my back every day with manual labor or anything queite that measurable. Rather, it is the task of developing understanding and enthusiasm among people that is proving so difficult. Specifically, developing understanding and enthusiasm about the future of my community. I cannot, and will not, declare myself and expert and simply force direction and goals on my community. Though, this would be easier, it would not be sustainable or successful over the long term.

As a PCV and member of the millennial generation (which means I like to be efficient), I am learning to cope with the somewhat reduced size of my daily successes. The bumper sticker once read "Think globally, act locally." But I would like to print some new ones that read, "Think globally, act locally, focus daily."

Since I've spoken with my colleagues about this, I know, I'm not the only one struggling to identify and celebrate the small successes. Thus, I have developed "the bucket" (see photo) which hangs in my bedroom.

In this bucket I pencil in the small drops of activity that I think I can do. Things that would be a success if I managed to accomplish them. Once they are completed, the tasks become successes and I go back over them in pen. They are permanent, transparent, visible qualifiers of my time in Moldova.

Laugh all you want at my coping mechanism, but it's your tax dollars that are allowing me to be here. I am obliged to make my time as effective as possible.

In case you can't see them well enough to read them, here's what I hope to accomplish in the near future, my potential successes: English Club Winter 2009, computer classes with my partner, scoring "advanced-low" on my next language exam (February), building a website with the youth for the center, and raising enough funds to build a playground at the children's center.

Wish me luck!

Moldova and Me

I am on "The Dating Game" and I just chose bachelor number two. For the sake of the story, let’s assume bachelors number one and three were graduate school and an entry level government job, respectively. But Bachelor number two found a way to be both intellectually stimulating and adventurous. Let the courtship commence!

You see, coming to Moldova, I understood about as much as one can about one strange man among three behind a semi-translucent screen. I knew how old it is (at least the modern system of governing), what languages it speaks, and what religion follows. But that’s not exactly enough to buy a bridal magazine over.

The past couple of weeks I’ve been trying to do that thing that most Type A personalities do after the first few dates—define the relationship. This has literally consumes every spare second. Moldova and I have been together for five months now, but the last few mornings have felt like blind dates all over again. What do I have to offer Moldova? Ce noi putem sa facem impreauna? What can we do together?

Work with my primary partnership has slowed down considerably, though we did have our first English club session. The youth have been clamoring for this. I am not a teacher, but I’m doing my best. The rest of my time has been divided among some more centralized Peace Corps projects among volunteers, and working at the children’s center.

Talk about blind dates! The director of the children’s center and I thought we were going to see some playground equipment the other day. To get to the manufacturer, a small furniture factory, we rode a bus to a village neither of us had ever been to before, crossed some really big railroad tracks, walked through a vodka factory, stopped to look at some ostrich and deer—no joke, just some ostrich and deer hanging out in a vodka factory attached to a furniture factory in Eastern Europe—and finally arrived at the correct office to find out that the man we wanted to speak with wasn’t there. At least that’s how I think the story should be interpreted, it all happened in Russian. But is that not how most relationships go? Some days it just seems you and your partner don’t speak the same language?

Aşa e viaţa! This is the life!

Halloween comes to an end...finally!

A week after our first Halloween "celebration" of the season, we ended it with another on our weekly visit to the children's center. Here, you can see the kids racing to "mummify" the youth volunteers. This game is much harder here than in the states because the toilet paper is of a different quality, and doesn't exactly come on a "roll" like we are accustomed too.

In any case, it was much fun. The center and schools are closed this next week due to H1N1, but the director of the center and are are planning to take the time to create our plan for building the new playground this spring. Stay tuned....there may be a way for you all to help!

I hope you are all well and starting to enjoy the holiday season!