The Routine

Life has settled into something of a routine. – up everyday at 6:45, eat breakfast and walk 30 minutes to language class (or occasionally take a marshutka, but that somehow feels like cheating when the weather is nice), 4 hours of language, then lunch, and then spend the rest of the day either studying language or doing some other kind of work. I recently found a gym at which I can work out 3 times a week – plus 75 cents for each additional visit – for about $7 per month. There’s also a somewhat daily basketball game on a pretty terrible court behind a local school. Some of the Moldovans are pretty good, but they haven’t really mastered the pick yet, which I’ve been using to my advantage. Evenings are for dinner with the fam, shower, homework, reading, practicing the guitar (if I have the time), or entertaining guests and neighbors who stop by. I usually hit the sack pretty worn out by 10:30, but have yet to sleep through the night on account of the neighbors’ dogs who think it important to bark at everything between the hours of 4 and 6am.

One non-language assignment that has been taking up my time is to essentially explore your town and report back on what you found. My friend Adam and I have taken some artistic liberty and are making very hard-hitting a “mockumentry.” Highlights thus far include an interview with the 9-year old leader of a deadly gang of ruffians that rule the streets and my attempt to interview a dentist while he performs a root canal. [What can I say? I knocked on the door and he told me to come in!]
Two days a week all the PCTrainees come into my town from neighboring villages for our “Hub Days.” These include sessions from PCAdmin on everything from preventing diarrhea to opening a bank account. On our last Hub Day, we gave feedback on the training thus far. I give the staff a lot of credit for opening themselves up to constructive criticism, but that’s the best way to get better. Overall, we all thought PC was doing a bang-up job. Their organization and language teachers received very high marks and hopefully our suggestions for additional language classes and time to get to know the PCTs in villages besides our own will be implemented.