The Next Two Years

I started my Peace Corps application in June of last year (actually in January of 2007, but that is a different story); by September I knew I had been nominated for service; by February I knew I had been cleared medically and legally and from February to April I learned to say the phrase “No, I don’t know where I’m going or what I’ll be doing yet” in my sleep. My experience deviates a bit from the majority of trainees I’ve talked with because my placement was linked to my grad studies; most everyone else knew a region of the world they would be going to when they were nominated…and then had that changed at least once before we left the country. In fact most people thought they were going to Africa and some even began studying languages only to have PC be like, “Jokes! You’re going to Moldova.” I want to be clear that while this sounds, and in all honesty is, frustrating everything Peace Corps does has a purpose, including being placed in the center of these seemingly ever expanding clouds of mystery. In fact, I really believe that the first challenge of Peace Corps service is finding a way to remain calm and positive in the fog of unknown. Luckily for me, I had already acquired a pair of glasses with a +5 clarity and flexibility rating so I had some advantages going in (ugg, I feel sick after that joke but couldn’t resist. These are the sacrifices I make for my beloved nerd friends). Anyway…

Last week the final veil was lifted on the next two years of my life; I found out where my permanent site will be. Yay! It was actually really cool how they did it. We found out on Thursday so pretty much Monday through Thursday afternoon whenever we were asked by our LTI’s or mentors if we had any questions the response was always, “yes, do you know where we are going?” This was always met with a smile and sometimes a ridiculously tantalizing clue. When the time actually came, the staff had drawn a huge chalk map of Moldova on the parking lot and one-by-one our Country Director called our names, did the big reveal and we were lead to our spot on the map by grinning mentors, bathed in applause and genuine excitement from those watching. I can’t say enough about how supportive the staff, current volunteers and fellow trainees are here. It is really incredible knowing that you are in a community who automatically has your back, regardless of differing beliefs, personalities and values. Enough with the mush, here are the facts which come from our packet of information and the two day site visit we had last weekend:

• My village (please note that we are advised not to reveal specific locations on public forums but if you want to know the name so you can google map it, email or facebook me) 
• Centrally located and is only a 30 minute bus ride from the capital 
• Population is around 3600 
• Close to my PST site so I can visit my current host family :)
• Close to a river, although it is small but the village is in a small valley so is lush and beautiful 
• My new house and host family 
• My “parents” are both 58 and it will just be the three of us, although they have three grown boys who all live in Italy 
• My host mom is probably the hardest working woman in the world. She is a house wife but the entire time I was there she was running around working in the garden, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the animals etc. She is definitely a strong woman who has been through difficult times. 
• My host dad works in a mill that produces chicken and other animal feed. He is a jokester (although, I have no idea what his jokes were about, I just laughed when he did – he has this great belly laugh). He also makes the strongest wine I’ve ever had, which was offered at EVERY meal. They also tried to give me cognac during lunch one day, that was new. 
• They have the most incredible flower garden I have ever seen. The entire time I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera. Next spring you will be flooded with pictures. Maybe by next spring there will be a way for me to put the smell on the internet too, it was wonderful, sweet and spicy. 
• I have my own house. It is called a casa mica (small house), although I think it is actually the casa mare (big house) because it has more rooms than my host parents’. I have a greeting room, a small kitchen with dining area by the window, a bedroom, a living room with couches, TV and DVD player, a dining room and then another room that is also called a casa mare. When the term refers to the room in a house it means a room where you greet guests and always contains a big display cabinet with traditional dishes and other symbolic items. 
• My house does not have everything though. There is no running water, no stove/oven and no bathroom. There is a shower in my host parents’ house and a toilet, as well as an outhouse. 
• They have a cow. I am so excited about this I almost cried when I found out. I am going to milk the crap out of that thing. 
• Also, my house is about a 3 minute walk to the school I will be working in – major bonus.
• My Job 
• As a HE I will be teaching eight health classes a week and will lead one hour of health club a week, in Romanian – yikes. 
• I have two teaching partners right now and they both seem amazing. One is mid thirties and the other is mid forties. Both have lived abroad. Both have kids. Both have taught for many years. One is a Russian language and literature teacher, the other teaches biology. I had dinner with the Russian teacher and her 16 year old daughter and it was like eating with family. I am pretty excited about her. The other one seems to really love young people and kept saying something about fostering love (my interpretation of her making a heart sign a lot) so I am obviously stoked about that too. 
• Right now I have two each of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grade classes and my club will be a mix of 7th and 8th graders. 
• Next week I have my first mirco-teaching lesson in Romanian and in a few weeks we start practice school where we develop 45 minute lessons and give them to real-live Moldovan students. 

The host site visit was one meeting after another. I met teachers, school directors, the mayor, community members, students etc. Fortunately, the week prior we had been developing interview questions for these people. Unfortunately, I understood maybe five words the entire two days. It was like being doused in ice water. My little happy bubble of being surrounded by Americans and English speaking Moldovans in my PST site was burst, and burst violently, at my permanent site. I cannot wait for the day when I don’t have to pause for a full minute before saying something like “I like potatoes” or “That dog is dirty.”

On a side note, it only took me four weeks to become a dog owner in Moldova. This is longer than I’m sure anyone was expecting. In my defense the thing legitimately followed me home. She is adorable and I named her Jose. She’s a tiny odd looking thing and is severely emaciated. The good news is my host family in my PST site is fine with the addition to the family. I will try and take her to my new site but if I am not allowed she will stay here and become the new tiny doorbell.

I hope everything is going well for you in your respective parts of the world. Feel free to ask questions in the comment section below or just say ‘hi’, those little words mean a lot to me.