Here is a video of the swearing in ceremony in Chisinau at the ambassador's residence. They interviewed a few of my friends, one of my language instructors in Rusestii Noi (in yellow), and our country director in the tie. I'm in the background... sort of :). The jist of the conversation is why PC (Corpul Pacii) exists, and the volunteers interviewed are saying why they like Moldova and why they're there in Moldova. Because of the culture, and of course, because it is frumos. Beautiful.
So I've been at my site for a little over a week now. Honestly, things are going as well as could be expected. I've had very successful first meetings with my teaching partners and I like everyone I've met in the medical center where I'll be working. My teaching partner, Valentina, in particular is amazing. She invited me over to her house one day this week to meet her whole family, have tea and try on some extra winter clothes she has. She's giving me a heavy winter coat to use while I'm in Moldova which is so generous and thoughtful. Her husband has taught himself some English and actually speaks pretty well... so I can speak English with him when I see him around the village which is nice. I've nearly completed my long term plans with both partners and will probably meet with Val some more tonight to finish up our first lecture for next week. Classes start Monday and we'll start teaching Tues. I will teach 7 hours per week with Viorica and 1 hour with Valentina... but I will have the after school club with Valentina. Our club is going to teach kids about basic health issues and be a time to prepare presentations about health issues that the kids can give to other students around the school... and possible to their parents. So it should be cool. We'll talk about food safety, nutrition, eating disorders, drugs, domestic violence, how to conduct interviews and give presentations.
I've hopefully found myself 2 tutors for Romanian so starting next week I hope to begin classes with 2 women from the school. One lady Doamna Maria is a French professor, but I will just spend (I hope) 2 hours per week sitting and conversing with her. Doamna Ludmila is a Romanian instructor and will help me for 2 hours with grammar and writing. I think I kind of rocked the boat because the other 2 PC volunteers in my village in the past both worked with Doamna Maria. But the last volunteer told me she's terrible (Valentina said that Nina-last volunteer-would sit and wait for her for hours and the woman wouldn't show up for lessons) so I made sure to choose someone else.
So with my work at the school on Tues, Wednes, and Thurs, I'll be volunteering for 4 hours per week on Fri at the medical center / hospital (Centru Medical). I've been twice already and everyone was very kind and friendly to me. The building looks like an old house. It's been very crowded both times I've visit. People remove their shoes at the entrance of the building and pack themselves into the hallways where they wait to be seen in groups in other rooms. Some of the sanitation issues I've seen there scare me. I asked one of the nurses what the most common health issues are there and she said cancer and tuberculosis. But I'm not sure if she understood my question. My job at the health center will be to work with a partner to prepare presentations for community members... on health issues that are most common in the village. For the next few months I hope to just get to know the people there, show them I'm serious, and observe what goes on. After being there for 1 hour yesterday the nurse kept asking me if I wanted to leave... and I kept telling her I wanted to stay the full 4 hours. After most patients were gone the nurses changed clothes and put on scarves to paint some of the rooms on one side of the building and I tried to stay and help, but the doctor eventually smiled at me and told me that the day was "terminat". Over. But trying is important. The most important thing for me to do is show that I'm just like them and willing to help with whatever tasks needed.
So how is the home life? Mmm. Interesting. When I visit Pepeni to select my host family from the list of 2 I only had about an hour or so to spend with my host mother because she left for a meeting in Chisinau. Not enough time to get a good taste of a family. I really like the smaller house I live in connected from the outside to my host family's home, but I'm going to do my best to find another alternative after 6 months in there house is up. My host mother is an interesting character. She treats me like her 11 and 15 year old kids, except that she hasn't yelled in my face yet. I'm doing my best to be polite to her and only spend the necessary dinner hour in her presence. My partners have asked "So ah, how are things going with your host mom?"--My host mother also teaches at the school--and after saying things are okay in the house (don't care to elaborate on a not great family situation with people I don't know incredibly well when I can't articulate my feelings very well in the language yet) my partners told me they aren't friends with my host mother.... and that she has a different character. Another teacher in school asked me who I'm living with and when I told him he apologized to me. Soo... at least I realize I'm not having a personal problem. I have lots of fun stories about conversations I've had with my host mom. I'm sure once I'm not living there anymore the stories will be more fun.
Without even asking, Valentina showed me an abandoned house across the street from where she lives closer to the school. The family's home I'm living in right now is a longer walk (15 min?) so I'm going to site distance as being the reason I want to find a new home after next February. The abandoned house was owned by a family that is now living in Italy. They have people living near by that take care of the gardens and property and Valentina seems to think I could pay them rent if I wanted to stay there. The casa mica (small house) next to the larger house has 2 rooms similar to what I'm in now, but a little larger. There is a stove inside, but I would have to buy a gas balloon for cooking. I think the shower is inside of the larger house and I'm not sure if I could use it, but there is a well near by if I had to use water from there to bathe. It's something to think about. Another female volunteer I know lives by herself and it has worked out well. My house would be very close to Valentina and 3minutes from the school. The idea of having space to have my own garden, and really just having more privacy would be nice. We'll see what happens. Valentina's husband asked me if would like to live at there house, but I don't think living with a work partner would be something PC would support. There house has 4 rooms and they have a few kids so I don't know where I'd sleep either. I'll try to worry about all of this later.
At the start of tomorrow's classes at our village school I have to give a speech to the village so that should be interesting.
I found out from Valentina's husband that DSL is available to have installed in my village, but I'm going to wait 6 months to find out where I'm living permenantly before doing anything. Right now I'm able to stay pretty busy at the school, medical center, reading at home, and out jogging. The radio you gave me, dad, has been amazing :). I listen to BBC news every day so that's my dose of English every morning and night if I choose to listen to news specials. It's nice to be able to keep up with what goes on in the world.
Best of luck to those of you moving soon and thanks so much for the messages I've been receiving!! Good luck at UNC, Sarah :). Got your message and the wonderful birthday messages! Much appreciated.
Love.
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