134. Three little words

This song is about how men do not like to say 'I love you', but this song is called 'Those two words' because in Romanian to say 'I love you' you only have to say 'Te iubesc'.

It is a fun song and is translated into English:

This song is like a rebuttal to the first song and has women saying that it is not hard to say 'I love you' and such.  I cannot find the lyrics and this one is not translated, but it is still funny.  All of these women are singers or TV personalities in Moldova.

Leia Mais…

133. Take me out to the ball game

I went to visit another volunteer in a village not too far (1 hour walk if I cannot catch public transportation or hitchhike) to see the grand opening of playground equipment for an orphanage/elderly home.  The ceremony was great, the funders came to the opening, there was singing and dancing.

After all of the festivities were completed, the after party started.  All of the staff and those involved in putting on the production ate some foot and drank a little wine.  Whenever there is an event like this, there is also usually singing.  So the group was singing different traditional songs and then they asked the three American volunteers who were at the party to sing a traditional song.

We sat there and thought, what songs do many/most Americans know?  We tried to tell them, that generally Americans do not sing together at a party (unless it is a fraternity, choir, or Christmas gathering).  But they kept asking us to sing an American song, so we sung the one song that the three of us knew:  Take me out to the ball game!

Everyone thought it was great, even the guy playing the accordion understood out rhythm and made something up while we were singing. 

Leia Mais…

132. Your Children

Host mom:  If you stay in Moldova, you can send your children to me [for the summer].

As mentioned before (see post), many Moldavians send their children to their parent’s house for the summer.  A few days before my host mom made this statement my host parents were talking about how I should stay in Moldova, find a Moldavian wife and they were also giving me business ideas (see post).

Leia Mais…

131. Family Tradition

All of my host siblings’ children are at my host family’s house for the summer.  All of my host parent's children live in the Capital but generally stay the summer with their grandparents.

I was talking to the oldest host niece and she was telling me that her best friend was coming to our village to stay with her grandparents; I asked if it was common for youth to go to their grandparent’s house and she said that it was sort of a tradition in Moldova.

So now I have four children ages 3 to 13 in the house for the rest of the summer.  It should be fun and exciting.  One thing that will be cool, but could potentially not be good for my Romanian, is my 13 year old host niece speaks very good English.  It is nice to be able to ask her questions about Romanian but I am sure I will talk to her a lot in English, but that’s fine, I would like to help her grown her language skills.

Leia Mais…

130. Stay Here

Host dad:  Tim is going to stay in Moldova.

Host mom:  Yeah?

Me:  Possibly.

Host dad:  I told him to buy that large, old store in the center of the village.

Me:  But what will I do with that?  Start some business?

Host dad:  Sure.

Me:  But I will have to find a woman.

Host mom:  O, that’s very large problem *said sarcastically*.

Host dad:  That is a little problem.

Leia Mais…

129. Computer Seminars

The NGO I work with focuses on the areas of computer education, community development and business development in a small village in the South-Eastern corner of Moldova.  The “Communitas” NGO (www.communitas.com) has a computer lab at which it conducts Internet and business trainings as well as time available for the public to use the computers.

In the past, the NGO has conducted computer education seminars for youth and adults that the students had to pay for, but this month we offered three seminars each with two parts, Internet navigation and e-mail administration for free due to a Peace Corps/USAID grant (read blog post).

We had 30 students from 10 to 15 years old that participated.  Other than programs offered at the local churches and the local school, it was the first time for the majority of the students to be in a training/seminar atmosphere.  Every participant had a computer to use and the director of the director NGO lead the trainings and used a projector for the students to follow along.  A five hour training is difficult for the students but because of their high interest in the subject and a short snack break, the students gave the trainer their full attention.

Before I helped with this training I thought that e-mail administration and navigating the internet might be a little too basic, but it was perfect for these students and I forgot how few really have computers.  Before they came, only 2 of the 30 students had e-mail addresses, now they are all proud owners of Gmail accounts.  They know how to e-mail people, attach files, and other information about e-mail.  I think we gave them all a small glimpse of what the internet has to offer.  Before this seminar many only knew of the website www.odnoklassniki.ru (“Classmates” a Russian Facebook-like social networking website) but we helped them see that almost any information can be found online.  Now only were they shown sites like Google and Wikipedia, but they also were given time to explore those sites and asks questions.  The other sites they discovered included information about finding jobs, online marketplaces (like Craig’s List), weather, banking and news.  They also explored a word processing program and how it could be used for school or other things.

Leia Mais…

128. One Year Review

First photo taken in Moldova:

It has been one year (and a few days) since I have been in Moldova.  I feel like the time has flown and this next year will go even faster.  The first 6 months in Moldova were difficult, I was learning a new language, trying to learn how to maintain relationships with friends and family in the US, trying to get use to a new culture and trying to find ways to be beneficial to my new community.

Welcome to Moldova: 

Below are the reasons that I felt like joining the Peace Corps would be beneficial to me as well as where I am after one year when it comes to these hopes and goals:

•  Language:  Becoming fluent in a new language, specifically so that I could use it in international business after my time in the Peace Corps.
• I am not fluent in Romanian and probably will not be even after another year.  I also do not know how useful the Romanian language will be in business, but only the future will tell.  I am happy with where I am, learning a new language was my biggest fear when it came to joining the Peace Corps.
• Contacts:  Networking with government officials and businesses in my host country.
• While I have not focused on networking by going to events and programs, I have gotten to know a number of people throughout this year inside and outside of Moldova.  By the end of my two years I will have at least met around 200 volunteers in Moldova, not to mention staff and others.
• Self-Understanding:  Get to know myself better, get away from the distractions of the US and to really figure out who I am.
• In many ways I do feel like I know myself better, being so far away from family and friends really makes you think about how to keep yourself happy and proficient without being a few miles away.
• Future:  Figure out what I want to do in the future, what direction to go.  I hope that the two years without monetary or employment issues with the new experience would help me in the future.
• I had a nice plan made before I came (with Peace Corps in that plan) that seems to no longer be possible.  So far, I have learned that I do not want to work for the Peace Corps, grant foundations, or write grants.  I do like working overseas, but not sure if I will in the future.  My assumption that I would enjoy working in the private sector, specifically in the consulting or production industries, continues to be strengthened.
•  Physical:  Get physically in-shape. 
• I am not in any worse that I was when I got here, maybe a little better.  But I am exercising and I walk a little daily, which it more than what I did in the US.
• Spiritual:  Focus on becoming more spiritually centered. 
• I have read a bunch of books, but I would not say I am any more centered or really giving much more time towards this goal than I did in the US.
• Travel:  Visit as many countries as possible.  I also think it would be important to live abroad if I happen to get into international business in the future.
• This goal is being accomplished, and I am glad to have lived abroad for a year.  Since I have left the US I have visited:  Moldova, Romania and Israel.  My future visits that I am planning include:  Serbia, Egypt and Ukraine.  I also hope to finish my service around August 2012 and travel around Europe for a few months before returning to the US.
• Benefits:  Finish my two years so I could enjoy the small stipend, utilize the grants/fellowships available to returned Peace Corps volunteers, and take advantage of the “Noncompetitive Eligibility” status offered by the Federal Government which is granted to return Peace Corps volunteers. 
• I am still focused on completing my two years and do not see a reason not too.

Welcome meal at my training host family’s house:

My goals for my upcoming year of service:

• Continuation:  Continue working on most of the previous goals.
• Future:  Decide what to do after Peace Corps and where to go (MBA, work for the Federal Government, or work in private industry).
• Improve:  Do what I can to improve my village and the organization that I work with.
• Friendships:  This may be the last year that I see many of the friends I have made in the Peace Corps, I want to make the most it and spend time with them and help with projects.
• See Moldova:  There are many places in Moldova which I have not seen.  I want to see the Soroca Castle, wineries, churches and monasteries that Moldova is known for; I also want to visit the locations where my friends in Peace Corps live.

Found out where I was going to live for two years:

Leia Mais…

127. Changing taste buds

I find it interesting that I now like foods that I never thought I would and/or that I did not like when I first came to Moldova.  I have also included some things that Americans generally do not like, but I liked right from the start.

Brinza:  Is a salty (because it is preserved by the salt) and dry cheese that could be used at every meal (like feta cheese I am told).  It is used in dishes as well as just sitting on the table to be eaten plain or with bread.  When I first came to Moldova I did not like it because it was so salty, but I have gotten use to it and enjoy eating it now.

Pickled tomatoes (red, green and in-between):  I really did not enjoy the picked tomatoes; in the US I barely ate dill pickles because I was not a fan of the vinegar taste.  As fall was turning into winter my host family was out of fresh tomatoes and we started eating pickled tomatoes, I ate very few.  Now it is spring and through the winter I are all that were put in front of me.

Rachituri: It is something similar to headcheese, it is generally made from pork or chicken. Most Peace Corps volunteers call it “chicken jell-o” because it is cooked and then put on a plate with the broth and left to cool. The broth has something in it and it turns to jell-o as it cools and is served cold. I did not like it at first, but I like it now and I think it is a lot like headcheese, so I look forward to trying that sometime.

Bacon:  I love bacon in the States, but it took a little getting used to the bacon in Moldova.  It is generally served cold with bread, nuts and/or wine.  It can also be cooked and used in different hot dishes.  Sometimes it is literally just slices of fat, no meat, much different than I was use too.

Meat with bones:  It took a little getting use to eating soup and other dishes that had the meat still on the bones.  But now it is second nature and I have no problem digging in and eating everything at a decent pace.

Salted fish:  Is one thing I will never get use to, just because I more or less refuse to eat it.  It is uncooked (I believe) fish that is salt cured and spiced and then served cold, usually it is served with alcohol and/or raw onions.  I believe this food is highly common here due to the huge Russian influence.

Leia Mais…

126. Contradictory Culture

Here is a friend’s blog post about the contradictory culture in Moldova of dressing sexily but at the same time having high sexual standards due to the influence of the Orthodox Church and high morals.

Pink Pangea: The community for women travelers

Leia Mais…

125. Hogtied

My host family has been talking for a while about purchasing a large hog and butchering it ourselves.  It is not out of the ordinary for a family to butcher their own animals, even larger animals like hogs.

My host sibling visited for the weekend so my host dad, host brother and I Sunday morning went out to fish for a while and then bring a pig back to the house from a local farm.  I was excited to help; I have butchered a hog before and have raised them as well.  I really like working with and raising pigs.

We fished for a while, caught about four carp in four hours.  The day was beautiful but they fish were not biting.  After that we went to the nearby farm and picked out a hog from a group of 20 or so… and that is when the fun began.

I was confused how we would get the pig home, even at this point.  I soon found out that the plan was to hogtie the pig and then put him in tractor’s bed.  As with anything dealing with pigs, it takes longer than it should.  They choose one hog fairly quickly but it took a while to catch it.  They first tried to tie a rope around a leg, but he was too quick and always shook it off.  They then put a noose around its nose and drug him out of the pen.  At this point we tied him up and the four of us lifted him into the tractor.  I rode in the tractor’s bed to make such it did not hurt himself by flailing around, so at times I was almost laying on him.

When we got back to the house we got him on the ground and cut the ropes to let him walk to his pen.  I was a little worried about him because we moved him in the middle of the day (around 85 degrees outside), the whole process took 90 minutes or more, and he was under a lot of stress.  These are all important because hogs cannot sweat, so they can die due to overheating.  That is why hogs wallow in water, so they can stay cool.  The stress the hog was under will also affect the meat, so it is good that my host family did not butcher the hog that night because the meat would not have been as good as it could be.

One of the best things that happened, beside me being able to work with pigs again, is that my host mom said something like, “Let Tim move it into the pen, he knows how to work with hogs.”  I really enjoyed the comment because generally when it comes to gardening, animals, or things around the house I do not really know much or they do not think I do.  So it was cool that she knew that I knew what I was doing, due to my stories of raising pigs in high school and helping at my uncle at his farm.

Leia Mais…

124. Around the House

It is interesting the differences between Moldavians' and Americans' view of food and the kitchen.  It is very common for houses to have two kitchens (especially the middle class and higher), a kitchen for summer and one for winter.  The winter kitchen is in the house while the summer kitchen is usually in another building.  They do this so that they can cook the food without making the house any warmer in the summer.  I think that this was also common in American 50 years ago, or maybe it was just my grandparents who had them.

Most Moldavians can/preserve vegetables and fruits that they grow during the summer.  The majority of houses have a basement where they keep canned goods.  Because the basements are built into the ground it stays cool during the summer so it is possible to keep fresh products too.

It is not uncommon to keep fresh milk, eggs, and cheese in the basement instead of the refrigerator.  A lot of homes have refrigerators, I do not know the percentage, but the middle and upper classes defiantly have refrigerators.  The refrigerators are generally smaller than in the USA.  But even if they have refrigerators it is not used the same as we do in the USA.  It is not uncommon for leftovers to be left on the stove overnight if they will be eaten the next day, if it will be more than a day the leftovers will be put into the refrigerators.  In my experiences with two host families, they do not seal up the food when put into the refrigerator.  In the USA I feel like everything except for fruit must be in Tupperware or wrapped with saran wrap.

It is common to have a microwave but not to have a toaster.  Mixers, food processors, blenders and such are available and not uncommon but many people do that type of things with their hands.  It is becoming more common to have washing machines (it seems like always the front-loaders, I have not seen a top loader here) but I have not seen a dryer.  Dryers are available, but generally hotels and hospitals and such have them.  Even during the winter clothes and hung to dry (outside and inside).

I find these differences interesting; they are even cooler when you know why (belief, economy, tradition, etc) things are done a certain way.

Leia Mais…

123. Spring Babies

Take a look at the baby animals we have around the house.  The only other common farm animals we do not have are cattle, goats and horses.

Leia Mais…

122. School Heating

 When the soviets were in control of Moldova resources were readily available.  The Soviet Union was pretty much self sufficient.  Russia had coal and lumber, Moldova grew vegetables, Georgia grew oranges, etc.  When the Soviet Union collapsed and all of these areas turned into independent countries it wreaked havoc on many systems set in place.

One example is the building which the NGO I work with is located; it was supposed to be a public bathhouse (this was before the city water was put in).  It was completed or just about completed when the Soviet Union collapsed and everything was in flux, people were worried and did not know what to do or what would happen to the government.  People from the village raided the bathhouse and before even one person bathed there the construction materials and everything else was claimed and removed.

Another thing that was affected was the heating system in my village.  There is a large coal burning facility that produced hot water that was pumped to the school, town hall, public building and shops in the center of town.  When the Soviet Union collapsed the prices of coal skyrocketed because it would have to be imported from another country unlike before where it was provided by the Soviet Union.

Because the government could not keep the heating facility operating there was no heat in the school for many years.  The director of the NGO I work with, who was a student during and after the Soviet Union collapse, said that everyone dressed as warmly as possible and the school days were shorter in the winter.  It must have been terribly difficult to study and learn when the whole school was below freezing.  Somewhat recently a wood and straw burning facility has been built next to the school to provide heat.

This video was made about the heating system:

Leia Mais…