Hello to all my friends in the states! I know it has been a while, but internet access hasn't been as easy as I thought. (I can get on the internet a couple of times each week, but the pages are all in Russian for everything, so navigating and knowing what buttons to push has not been easy!) At any rate, I want to update you on what has been going on since I left, so here goes...
We started this adventure in Philadelphia, what seems like a lifetime ago. We went through two days of intense (but strangely non-specific!) orientation, getting-to-know-you activities, etc., then the next thing I knew we were on a bus headed to JFK for our flight! We spent about 24 hours en route, then we arrived in Chisinau to begin our official training.
Our first few days in Chisinau were packed with warnings about safety and security, not drinking the water, etc. We were all pretty jet-lagged, overwhelmed etc., so a lot of the information went in one ear and out the other, but they are repeating things during our PST (pre service training!) so I don't feel like I missed out on too much. Chisinau is a big city, but it is different than other large cities I have been to in Europe. First, it is a bit more run-down, but it is also lacking in a lot of the historic buildings you see in most European capitols. My theory on this is that Western Europe spent billions reconstructing what had been destroyed in WWII. I get the impression that it wasn't the biggest priority under Communist rule, so what was rebuilt was done in a more communist-era style.
After three closely-supervised days in Chisinau in a hotel, we were sent out to our families in villages about 25-35 kilometers away from Chisinau. I am in a village called Peresecina, the largest of the PST villages. It is an interesting place. The past seems on a collision course with the modern here. Most families have a number of cell phones, TV's, etc. but no indoor bathroom. The streets off of the main road are mostly not paved and are rutted and full of potholes. Horses and carts hug the left lane of the main street here while BMVs and the occasional Mercedes fly past at break-neck speeds.
I am living with an amazing family. My "host mother" is Luda. She is a nurse and about the hardest working woman I have ever met. She has two drop-dead gorgeous daughters that live at the house. Olga is 25 and a doctor; Zina is 20 and an accountant. Neither of them are married, but Zina will marry in the spring, so I am looking forward to my first Moldovan wedding!!!!! Now to the important stuff... The food and the wine is amazing. It is an interesting mixture of Italy and Eastern Europe. We eat stuffed cabbage, polenta, borscht, and all kinds of meats and cheeses. Cucumbers and tomatoes are to be had at every meal. My host mother is a fabulous cook, so I am all kinds of great food. There is a mysterious and seemingly unlimited supply of wine (brought to the table in little pitchers!) in the basement, so nothing ever gets too bad! I have a big room with a bed, table and chairs and a bit of space in a wardrobe for my things. The only down side is.... the toilet. It is a stroll past the chicken coop, a squeeze past the pigs, and ... an outhouse! I have to admit that it was the hardest thing to get used to, but I am also proud to say that I am getting used to the whole process. I don't want to say that I love it, but it definitely does not overshadow the fact that I am living with a kind and wonderful family that I adore!!!!!
My days are basically spent learning Romanian, attending sessions on how to be a great foreign language teacher, and learning about what it is going to take to be a great volunteer. This week we learned where we will be going in Moldova for our permanent teaching sites, so I am happy to say that I will be in Cahul at the university there. This weekend I go to visit the university, meet some of my colleagues, and stay with a couple of potential host families to see which one I like best. Wish me luck!!!!
I hope that I will be able to do better keeping up with the blog once I get to Cahul. They have an English lab at the university, so keeping up with e-mails and things should be easier. I have uploaded a few pictures of some of the adventures, so take a look if you have time! I miss you all and hope that everyone is doing well and staying safe and busy. Pottery ladies, I hope you are making beautiful things and having a blast!