I left immediately after the avian flu conference to head to Kiev for a business school interview. I took an overnight (double-decker) bus there, which was actually a lot more comfortable than I thought it would be. Sunday I wandered around the city - ate a monstrous hamburger with an oreo shake at TGIFridays - and took it easy. Monday's interview went well - I guess we'll find out how well if I get an acceptance letter - and then I hopped on an overnight bus back to Chisinau.
After my interview I wanted to check out the Chernobyl Museum, as it was only a couple blocks away. Unfortunately the last Monday of each month is the museum's "Sanitary Day," so I couldn't go inside and disturb the cleaning process.
Last time I was in Kiev, it was with fellow PCV Bryan to take the GMATs. We had a good time and I missed my partner in crime this time around. Honestly, it was a bit lonely. So Bryan, perhaps you should reconsider your Christmas travel plans and save up your vacation days to accompany me on 24 hours of bus rides and border checks.
When I got home, I slept for 12 hours - must have been more tired than I thought. I don't remember the last time I did that.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Gobble, Gobble
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I'm certain I've regained a few of the pounds that I've shed over the last 14 months in Moldova. A crack team of PCVs prepared a real feast for almost 300 PCVs, staff, embassy workers, and invited guests. There were turkeys and stuffing and cranberry sauce and gravy and pecan and pumpkin pies. "Full" doesn't begin to describe the way my stomach felt. And, there were even left-overs the following day for yet another feast at lunch.Following the dinner, I hosted a PCV Talent Show. Highlights for me included a rockin' 80s lip sync medley, a line dance to both American and Moldovan music, and a performance of a hit Moldovan song - usually performed by a 3-year old girl (for real) - by my 30-year old male friend while dressed in drag and smoking. And word on the street is that my own performance of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was either beautifully poignant or grounds for dismemberment because I made everyone cry.
Thanksgiving wasn't all fun and games. All PCVs attened 3 days of a conference that addressed topics like our safety and security, secondary projects, appropriate dress for PCVs, and avian flu. Interestingly, despite being surrounded by avian flu findings in both Ukraine and Romania, Moldova has yet to find a single reported case. As most probably already know, the real danger of avian flu would be if the virus (the H5N1 strain) mutated to be able to infect humans from other humans, as the typical flu virus can do through the air. To prevent this, any infected birds or pigs - which can carry both the avian and human flu viruses at the same time, and thus act as incubators for a potential "super" virus strain - are slaughtered.
And just so I don't end this posting on the word "slaughtered," here's a nice picture.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Volunteers in High Society
Last weekend I broke with the usual PCV practices – cabbage and potatoes, heavy boots, and speaking in a foreign language – to take part in the pomp and circumstance of the Marine Ball. Apparently, every November the Marines celebrate their birthday all over the world. Sometimes, when the Marines are stationed in the field, the ceremonies are very simply, nothing more than a few cupcakes. In Moldova, there was a live band, DJ, steak dinners, men in tuxes, ladies in gowns, and six Marines in their finest.
Four PC staff members and eight PCVs attended, and I think we all had a blast. I finally remembered to get my picture with Ambassador Michael Kirby and his wife, Sarah. Krista is next to me in a gown sent over by her father – well worth the shipping costs, if you ask me…
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Cold & Computers
The weather has definitely turned a corner. The longjohns are out of the closet and the sleeping bag has become another blanket. But with my feet resting on the electric heater, I’m comfortable and happy in my home. My host-mother and host-brother returned from three months working abroad in Germany. It’s unclear how long she’ll be here – the brother is living in Chisinau – but she seems genuinely happy to be back and more accustomed to my presence than last time she was here. We had a good chat the other night about her son’s walnut business and the general state of things in Moldova. [Incidentally, how much do unshelled walnuts go for in America these days? I bought a 17-kilogram bag for the Ambassador for 200 lei, or about 12 lei per kilo, or about 40 cents per pound.]
Since my 6-month contract was up this month, I was worried that host-mom would ask me to move out. But she agreed to let me continue living here until I complete my service, which was of great relief.
The cooler weather has also tempered Copceac’s level of activity. Copceac, and probably most of Moldova, might best be compared to a resort town. Both have their busy seasons (the summer), and their down times (the winter). Now that the harvests are complete, and there’s nothing left to can, there’s less to do once the sun goes down. This morning, I actually helped my family complete probably the last of the farm chores – tilling the earth before the winter freezes it. I think I mentioned this a year ago, there are no gas-powered tillers like you see in America, like push tractors with vertical food-processor-like blades that chop up the ground. Here, we do it with shovels, scooping up and turning over.
I’m keeping busy with yet another computer class – well, one and a half. My “half” class consists of helping another teacher teach teachers (can I say that?) how to use the school computers. It’s definitely his gig, and though we may have different teaching styles, I’m happy to help with anything that helps people work more efficiently.
Because of some problems at the local internet café (which still has no internet), I have only 4 people in my personal class. Although I’d like to have more spaces available for the other people who are on my list, I have to admit I’m really enjoying the smaller class. We’ve been able to move much more quickly than any of my previous classes – perhaps a sign I’m getting better at this teaching thing?
Since my 6-month contract was up this month, I was worried that host-mom would ask me to move out. But she agreed to let me continue living here until I complete my service, which was of great relief.
The cooler weather has also tempered Copceac’s level of activity. Copceac, and probably most of Moldova, might best be compared to a resort town. Both have their busy seasons (the summer), and their down times (the winter). Now that the harvests are complete, and there’s nothing left to can, there’s less to do once the sun goes down. This morning, I actually helped my family complete probably the last of the farm chores – tilling the earth before the winter freezes it. I think I mentioned this a year ago, there are no gas-powered tillers like you see in America, like push tractors with vertical food-processor-like blades that chop up the ground. Here, we do it with shovels, scooping up and turning over.
I’m keeping busy with yet another computer class – well, one and a half. My “half” class consists of helping another teacher teach teachers (can I say that?) how to use the school computers. It’s definitely his gig, and though we may have different teaching styles, I’m happy to help with anything that helps people work more efficiently.
Because of some problems at the local internet café (which still has no internet), I have only 4 people in my personal class. Although I’d like to have more spaces available for the other people who are on my list, I have to admit I’m really enjoying the smaller class. We’ve been able to move much more quickly than any of my previous classes – perhaps a sign I’m getting better at this teaching thing?
Ambassadors & Politics
A few nights ago I had the pleasure of spending three hours with the US Ambassador to Moldova, Michael Kirby. This was the second time we met, though this time we were able to chat for longer at a bar in Ceadir-Lunga with our PC Director, Jeff, and PCVs Bryan, Amy, Josh, and myself.
Turns out he’s a political junky like me, so we spent most of the first half of our 3 hours together talking about the election returns from America. He was a little more up-to-date than the rest of us (It’s good to be the king…) and told us that Mark Allen (R) of Virginia had, in fact, conceded the Senate race there and that Donald Rumsfeld, long a lightning-rod for the administration, had finally stepped down. As I write this, I know that both the House and Senate are not controlled by the Dems, but at the time of our meeting it was still unclear and fun to speculate.
[As a side-note, I should mention that I’m thrilled the Dems took over Congress for two reasons. First, it means that there’s a better chance my country will start moving in the right direction. Second, it means I was not responsible for keeping the Senate in Republican hands. You see, I requested an absentee ballot from my home state of NJ. It arrived a bit late. The Peace Corps office here in Moldova offered to collect all absentee ballots and overnight them to the PCHQ in DC, and from there they would be mailed to PCVs’ respective states. Unfortunately, I live 3.5 hours south of the capital and wasn’t heading in until the day after they were to be collected. I tried to find others who were going, but couldn’t. So I didn’t vote. The race between Bob Menendez and Tom Kean, Jr. in NJ was one place that the Republicans really felt they could make a last-minute surge, and if my one vote turned out to be the deciding factor in that race, and thereby the majority of the Senate – well, let’s just say it would have been a very bad day. So special thanks to all those voters in the great state of New Jersey who cast their ballots and rendered mine unnecessary. And yes, I know, it’s terrible that I didn’t vote. Cut me some slack – first time I’ve ever missed an opportunity to do so and I think my present situation qualifies as somewhat “extenuating circumstances.”]
All this sets up a very interesting 2008 presidential race 2008. Some points made by James Carville in a recent Newsweek interview:
-This is the first time since 1952 that neither a vice-president nor an incumbant president will run
-This is the first time since 1940 that we don’t know who the Republican nominee will be.
But getting back to Ambassador Kirby… The thing I liked about the meeting was speaking (at length and in a small group) with someone who has spent most of his life overseas – even before becoming a FSO – and getting his take on the events in Moldova and the world. One of the biggest difficulties in this work is to remove our American biases and world-view and truly see a situation through the eyes of a host-country national. Essentially, it’s like trying to have an out-of-body (or out of your mind?) experience. I think by living so long overseas, you in a sense lose some of your “American-ness” and are more easily able to see from another perspective. And if you can do that, then you’re much better equipped to overcome the obstacles that present themselves in the field of international development.
Ps – Favorite quote of the evening: A diplomat is someone who can tell people to go to Hell in such a way that they enjoy the trip.
Turns out he’s a political junky like me, so we spent most of the first half of our 3 hours together talking about the election returns from America. He was a little more up-to-date than the rest of us (It’s good to be the king…) and told us that Mark Allen (R) of Virginia had, in fact, conceded the Senate race there and that Donald Rumsfeld, long a lightning-rod for the administration, had finally stepped down. As I write this, I know that both the House and Senate are not controlled by the Dems, but at the time of our meeting it was still unclear and fun to speculate.
[As a side-note, I should mention that I’m thrilled the Dems took over Congress for two reasons. First, it means that there’s a better chance my country will start moving in the right direction. Second, it means I was not responsible for keeping the Senate in Republican hands. You see, I requested an absentee ballot from my home state of NJ. It arrived a bit late. The Peace Corps office here in Moldova offered to collect all absentee ballots and overnight them to the PCHQ in DC, and from there they would be mailed to PCVs’ respective states. Unfortunately, I live 3.5 hours south of the capital and wasn’t heading in until the day after they were to be collected. I tried to find others who were going, but couldn’t. So I didn’t vote. The race between Bob Menendez and Tom Kean, Jr. in NJ was one place that the Republicans really felt they could make a last-minute surge, and if my one vote turned out to be the deciding factor in that race, and thereby the majority of the Senate – well, let’s just say it would have been a very bad day. So special thanks to all those voters in the great state of New Jersey who cast their ballots and rendered mine unnecessary. And yes, I know, it’s terrible that I didn’t vote. Cut me some slack – first time I’ve ever missed an opportunity to do so and I think my present situation qualifies as somewhat “extenuating circumstances.”]
All this sets up a very interesting 2008 presidential race 2008. Some points made by James Carville in a recent Newsweek interview:
-This is the first time since 1952 that neither a vice-president nor an incumbant president will run
-This is the first time since 1940 that we don’t know who the Republican nominee will be.
But getting back to Ambassador Kirby… The thing I liked about the meeting was speaking (at length and in a small group) with someone who has spent most of his life overseas – even before becoming a FSO – and getting his take on the events in Moldova and the world. One of the biggest difficulties in this work is to remove our American biases and world-view and truly see a situation through the eyes of a host-country national. Essentially, it’s like trying to have an out-of-body (or out of your mind?) experience. I think by living so long overseas, you in a sense lose some of your “American-ness” and are more easily able to see from another perspective. And if you can do that, then you’re much better equipped to overcome the obstacles that present themselves in the field of international development.
Ps – Favorite quote of the evening: A diplomat is someone who can tell people to go to Hell in such a way that they enjoy the trip.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Visual Update
It's been a while since I wrote, so I'll try to squeeze it all in here, mostly through photos.
Biznit:
This past weekend, Amy, Bryan, and I held one of our Poosk business seminars. Fifteen students attended, and I think they had a great time and learned some important lessons - particuarly about marketing. [Pictured below: one of the "commercials" to tout the effectiveness of the black, padded folder on the right over the difficult, plastic folder on the left.] There's nothing like teaching in a foreign language to give you a little bit of confidence. At the end of the seminar, we organized a "haunted house" to celebrate Halloween, complete with bobbing for apples and boxes containing a (macaroni) brain, eyes plucked from bad students (wet grapes), and severed ears (dough shaped into an ear). Always nice to toss in a bit of American culture along with the lessons. Afterall, we did hold the seminar in the newly minted American Corner in Ceadir-Lunga. And the kids baked us a cake!
Corn:
The corn collecting is done. This was the big work of the village the past few weeks. Unlike in America, where we think of corn as being harvested and eaten while the stalks are still green and the corn is fresh - or at least that's how I personally thought of it - corn here is allowed to brown and dry out in the fields. Then the husks are cut by hand with tomahawks, placed in piles in the field, then loaded onto tractors and carted off throughout the village and deposited on the road in front of someone's house. Most people have certain rows of corn for which they are responsible during the year. Then people sit for days shucking the corn, which will be used to feed animals during the winter. The dried leaves will also serve as feed and the husks serve as fuel for the "sobas" (like the old-fashioned coal furnaces) to warm houses. Here's me working for a little in one of my neighbor's rows.
Wine:
Corn wasn't the only thing being collected. Grapes were harvested a few weeks ago and I helped my brother gather ours from our small (by Moldovan standards) garden out back. Then we carried the buckets and deposited them into the contraption you see below. There's a hand-crank that turns two grooved cylinders, which squish the grapes as they're pulled through. The juice collects in a large wooden container. When all the grapes are done, buckets of the juice are carried into the basement and poured into large wooden casks. Sometimes sugar is added, sometimes not. In a week, you've got wine to last the whole year through.
Biznit:
This past weekend, Amy, Bryan, and I held one of our Poosk business seminars. Fifteen students attended, and I think they had a great time and learned some important lessons - particuarly about marketing. [Pictured below: one of the "commercials" to tout the effectiveness of the black, padded folder on the right over the difficult, plastic folder on the left.] There's nothing like teaching in a foreign language to give you a little bit of confidence. At the end of the seminar, we organized a "haunted house" to celebrate Halloween, complete with bobbing for apples and boxes containing a (macaroni) brain, eyes plucked from bad students (wet grapes), and severed ears (dough shaped into an ear). Always nice to toss in a bit of American culture along with the lessons. Afterall, we did hold the seminar in the newly minted American Corner in Ceadir-Lunga. And the kids baked us a cake!Corn:
The corn collecting is done. This was the big work of the village the past few weeks. Unlike in America, where we think of corn as being harvested and eaten while the stalks are still green and the corn is fresh - or at least that's how I personally thought of it - corn here is allowed to brown and dry out in the fields. Then the husks are cut by hand with tomahawks, placed in piles in the field, then loaded onto tractors and carted off throughout the village and deposited on the road in front of someone's house. Most people have certain rows of corn for which they are responsible during the year. Then people sit for days shucking the corn, which will be used to feed animals during the winter. The dried leaves will also serve as feed and the husks serve as fuel for the "sobas" (like the old-fashioned coal furnaces) to warm houses. Here's me working for a little in one of my neighbor's rows.
Wine:
Corn wasn't the only thing being collected. Grapes were harvested a few weeks ago and I helped my brother gather ours from our small (by Moldovan standards) garden out back. Then we carried the buckets and deposited them into the contraption you see below. There's a hand-crank that turns two grooved cylinders, which squish the grapes as they're pulled through. The juice collects in a large wooden container. When all the grapes are done, buckets of the juice are carried into the basement and poured into large wooden casks. Sometimes sugar is added, sometimes not. In a week, you've got wine to last the whole year through.
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