Thursday, September 27, 2012
Addendum to Previous Post
I think I'll take Mr. Fuzz over this. It was crouched waiting to leap into my house when I opened the door (it didn't do that but that's the image that ran through my head every time I stepped over it to leave/enter the house). Super rad Nokia phone with flashlight included for size comparison.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Lesson Learned in Moldova #3
I never actually posted the previous two lessons because I learned them way back when I was living in a different village without internet. In short they read something along these lines:
Lesson Learned in Moldova #1: Always, ALWAYS, carry toilet paper
Or something that can be used as toilet paper. This is very important. So much so that I have considered and frankly still might start, stuffing my bra on days when my outfits do not have pockets. As a friend of mine pointed out, stuffing my bra with vital TP is not only practical but also has the added bonus of giving me bigger boobs. I'm already the oddly dressed/styled American so there's really no downside to having someone catch me with hârtie igienică hanging out of my shirt.
Lesson Learned in Moldova #2: "Don't die stupid"
I heard this phrase several times over the summer from my first host "mom", usually to get me to eat something weird (see: cow tongue, mayonnaise and fish eggs on bread, salted raw fish, pickled pig fat etc.). My grandmother used to say something similar when I was a kid to get me to eat veggies, "you never know if you like it until you try it." Although both of these were used in reference to food the lesson I take away from them is that, what is the point of life if you don't at least try all there is out there? (I have a sneaking suspicion however, that both Gram and Silvia were more excited about seeing my reactions to the food than encouraging me to experience new things)
Thus, we come to the lesson I learned a few nights ago.
Lesson Learned in Moldova #3: Never leave your front door open at night
I've never been comfortable with the dark. As a kid, before bed I had a very stringent anti-monster protocol:
I've never really recovered my lost courage from these experiences and growing up in Montana where there are, in fact, things in the dark that will eat you has made me avoid hanging out alone in the woods after the sun goes down. However, in my current home where every dinner is accompanied by a few glasses of wine, avoiding leaving the house to make a trip to the outhouse is near impossible. Generally, these night walks here in Moldova do not have me jumping at rustling bushes or running back to the house in fear because the scariest thing you could encounter here would be a rabid dog or a drunk, both of which would have a hard time getting over our fence (every house in Moldova has a solid fence and a gate) and unnoticed by our guard dog.
With this new found confidence in taking night strolls through the garden, I left my house and because it was so nice out left my front door open. I should also mention that the way my house is set up, when I enter I immediately enter the first room on the right, the back rooms are ghost-townish containing old furniture and frozen memories. I try not to go back there and feel uneasy when I do have to cross the threshold from my space to the past's space. Anyway, I get back from my outing, enter my house and close the door. With my heightened ability to detect creepy things in the dark I instantly know I am not alone in the house. At the same instant I have frozen in terror a white blur of something fuzzy comes flying out of the corner and straight at me. I, of course, do nothing except step sideways and hope that somehow the door will magically reopen and provide an exit path for this spectral thing and, more importantly, away from me. No such luck. The thing crashes head first into the closed door, runs UP it, flips, hits the ground and tears across the floor...straight into my bedroom.
Once my heart started beating again I used my big human brain to figure out that there was a feral cat, not a ghost, in my house, somewhere in my dark bedroom. Have you ever tried to get a scared, wild cat to go somewhere with you? Yeah, now, instead of fearing for my soul all I can picture is being sent home via medical separation for being mauled by a cat. Fortunately, the cat was part deer and froze in my headlight's beam under my bed. Also fortunately for me, PC had given us all a box of colored pencils at swearing in and thus a tool that I could use to poke the fur ball in the bum until it barreled out of my room and through the open front door. Come to think of it, that closed door and the concussion it most likely inflicted on Mr. Fuzz probably saved me from a nasty case of cat scratch fever. Lesson learned, always close the front door.
Lesson Learned in Moldova #1: Always, ALWAYS, carry toilet paper
Or something that can be used as toilet paper. This is very important. So much so that I have considered and frankly still might start, stuffing my bra on days when my outfits do not have pockets. As a friend of mine pointed out, stuffing my bra with vital TP is not only practical but also has the added bonus of giving me bigger boobs. I'm already the oddly dressed/styled American so there's really no downside to having someone catch me with hârtie igienică hanging out of my shirt.
Lesson Learned in Moldova #2: "Don't die stupid"
I heard this phrase several times over the summer from my first host "mom", usually to get me to eat something weird (see: cow tongue, mayonnaise and fish eggs on bread, salted raw fish, pickled pig fat etc.). My grandmother used to say something similar when I was a kid to get me to eat veggies, "you never know if you like it until you try it." Although both of these were used in reference to food the lesson I take away from them is that, what is the point of life if you don't at least try all there is out there? (I have a sneaking suspicion however, that both Gram and Silvia were more excited about seeing my reactions to the food than encouraging me to experience new things)
Thus, we come to the lesson I learned a few nights ago.
Lesson Learned in Moldova #3: Never leave your front door open at night
I've never been comfortable with the dark. As a kid, before bed I had a very stringent anti-monster protocol:
- Cram as many stuffed animals as possible into the crack between my bed and wall
- Prepare bed sheets so that there was no time wasted scrambling to get under the protective covers once the lights went out.
- Do a final check that there was nothing lurking under the bed or in the dark corners
- Hit light switch and run like hell towards bed, three feet away take a flying leap into the pre-arranged covers.
I've never really recovered my lost courage from these experiences and growing up in Montana where there are, in fact, things in the dark that will eat you has made me avoid hanging out alone in the woods after the sun goes down. However, in my current home where every dinner is accompanied by a few glasses of wine, avoiding leaving the house to make a trip to the outhouse is near impossible. Generally, these night walks here in Moldova do not have me jumping at rustling bushes or running back to the house in fear because the scariest thing you could encounter here would be a rabid dog or a drunk, both of which would have a hard time getting over our fence (every house in Moldova has a solid fence and a gate) and unnoticed by our guard dog.
With this new found confidence in taking night strolls through the garden, I left my house and because it was so nice out left my front door open. I should also mention that the way my house is set up, when I enter I immediately enter the first room on the right, the back rooms are ghost-townish containing old furniture and frozen memories. I try not to go back there and feel uneasy when I do have to cross the threshold from my space to the past's space. Anyway, I get back from my outing, enter my house and close the door. With my heightened ability to detect creepy things in the dark I instantly know I am not alone in the house. At the same instant I have frozen in terror a white blur of something fuzzy comes flying out of the corner and straight at me. I, of course, do nothing except step sideways and hope that somehow the door will magically reopen and provide an exit path for this spectral thing and, more importantly, away from me. No such luck. The thing crashes head first into the closed door, runs UP it, flips, hits the ground and tears across the floor...straight into my bedroom.
Once my heart started beating again I used my big human brain to figure out that there was a feral cat, not a ghost, in my house, somewhere in my dark bedroom. Have you ever tried to get a scared, wild cat to go somewhere with you? Yeah, now, instead of fearing for my soul all I can picture is being sent home via medical separation for being mauled by a cat. Fortunately, the cat was part deer and froze in my headlight's beam under my bed. Also fortunately for me, PC had given us all a box of colored pencils at swearing in and thus a tool that I could use to poke the fur ball in the bum until it barreled out of my room and through the open front door. Come to think of it, that closed door and the concussion it most likely inflicted on Mr. Fuzz probably saved me from a nasty case of cat scratch fever. Lesson learned, always close the front door.
 |
| Mr. Fuzz, the night terror |
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Moldova and discrimination
I have two teaching partners. One I teach two classes with, granted they are the two 3rd grade classes so are my favorite - there is nothing cuter than seeing a kid spell their name with a backwards S - the other I teach 7 classes with. On Friday, the latter's father-in-law died and, rightfully so, she did not come to work. The point of me writing this to you is that Friday was supposed to be our day of work when we write the second semester long term plans (LTPs) for the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Due to life happening I am now trying to finish the LTPs before tomorrow and do not have time to write a blog entry. Thus, I give you this article about one of Moldova's major problems: discrimination.
A quick story before the article, one of the M27s told me that before she left the states she coincidentally met a Moldovan woman living in the US and asked this woman to lunch. During their meal my friend asked the woman what Moldovans do for fun. Her reply was given with a laugh as she said, "we beat the gays."
As terrible as this is it is a statement that could be heard from someone from the states as well. Not every Moldovan is homophobic or racist or sexist but the country and culture has quite a lot of work to do before this country becomes safe for all people to live their lives openly. Hopefully, I and my fellow PCVs can have some impact on how the future Moldovan generations view diversity.
From Amnesty International. The original page can be seen here.
Urgent changes are needed to Moldovan laws to combat high levels of discrimination.
Urgent changes are needed to Moldovan laws to combat high
levels of discrimination faced by ethnic and religious minorities,
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex (LGBTI) people, the
disabled and HIV-positive people, Amnesty International said in a report
published today.
Towards equality: Discrimination in Moldova proposes amendments to the Law on Ensuring Equality due to come into force on 1 January 2013 that would prohibit discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation, sexual identity and state of health.
The organization also calls for hate crimes motivated sexual orientation and identity, as well as disabilities to be added to Moldova’s Criminal Code.
“There is an urgent need for these changes as Moldova’s present climate of prejudice and stereotyping breeds violence and abuse against disadvantaged groups – crimes that are committed with impunity,” said Heather McGill, Amnesty International’s expert on Moldova.
“International standards – not the prevalent prejudices in society as a whole – should be the guiding principles for Moldova’s laws.”
According to a sociological study conducted in 2011 by the Soros Foundation in Moldova, 63 per cent of respondents thought that children with disabilities should be educated in separate schools, 46 per cent expressed support for curtailing the rights of lesbian and gay people, and more than 70 per cent thought that Roma are beggars and pickpockets, liars and cheats.
Such perceptions are reinforced when Moldova’s political and religious leaders make discriminatory statements towards ethnic minorities and LGBTI individuals.
This exposes them to further discrimination and deprives them of basic rights – including the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, the right to education and health protection.
Racism
In one case from September 2011 in the Moldovan capital Chisinau, four men shouted abuse and manhandled Johnbull Ugbo, a Nigerian citizen, as he was leaving a chemist’s shop. The victim managed to call the police but as they escorted him out of the shop, the men attacked him again in the police car.
A month later, one of Ugbo’s attackers was fined 200 Lei (13 Euros) for minor hooliganism. The court rejected Ugbo’s lawyer’s request to reinvestigate the case as a criminal offence with the aggravating factor of racism.
Homophobia
The deliberate exclusion of LGBTI people as a protected group under the Law on Ensuring Equality and the deficiencies in the Criminal Code which allow hate crimes to be treated as “hooliganism” only further perpetuates these negative attitudes. Worse still, they prevent the victims of such crimes to get redress.
Corrupt policemen frequently blackmail gay men in Moldova, exploiting the wider society’s stigmatization of homosexuality and acceptance of discrimination against LGBTI people.
On 6 December 2010 Ion committed suicide after police in Chisinau detained him and threatened to disclose his sexual orientation him to his family. In his suicide note he wrote: “Forgive me mum. I am gay.”
Discrimination against people with disabilities
Lack of access to education is one of the gravest types of discrimination faced by children with disabilities. Although there are as many as 15,321 such children in Moldova, only around a fifth of them – 3,148 – were receiving education of any kind in 2010 – 2011.
Cornel Baran, aged 19, is being taught at home because he cannot access the school building in his wheelchair. He told Amnesty International that he would much rather attend school because then he would have friends, but “architectural barriers” kept him away. There are 10 steps to enter his local school building and the classrooms are spread over four floors.
HIV/AIDS and prejudice
There were 5,290 cases of HIV/AIDS registered in Moldova in 2009. A 2007 law prohibits discrimination on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
Despite this HIV-positive people continue to face stigma and discrimination in the workplace, in society, and in accessing health care.
I.H., a 48-year-old HIV-positive woman, suffers from severe deterioration of a hip joint and is only able to walk with crutches. In May 2011, she was put on a waiting list for a hip replacement operation at the Traumatology and Orthopedics Hospital in Chisinau. However, on 21 November 2011, doctors refused to carry out the operation, claiming that the surgery was too risky for somebody with her health problems.
“Moldova can prove its democratic credentials by taking care of the most vulnerable in its society, by viewing diversity not as a threat, but as a source of enrichment,” Heather McGill said.
“To this end, the Moldovan government must take measures to prevent the use of negative stereotypes in public discourse, raise awareness of discrimination and build tolerance through education and public information. It must ensure that victims of discrimination are provided with redress.”
A quick story before the article, one of the M27s told me that before she left the states she coincidentally met a Moldovan woman living in the US and asked this woman to lunch. During their meal my friend asked the woman what Moldovans do for fun. Her reply was given with a laugh as she said, "we beat the gays."
As terrible as this is it is a statement that could be heard from someone from the states as well. Not every Moldovan is homophobic or racist or sexist but the country and culture has quite a lot of work to do before this country becomes safe for all people to live their lives openly. Hopefully, I and my fellow PCVs can have some impact on how the future Moldovan generations view diversity.
From Amnesty International. The original page can be seen here.
Moldova: Amend laws to tackle rampant discrimination
Urgent changes are needed to Moldovan laws to combat high levels of discrimination.
© VADIM DENISOV/AFP/Getty Images
Towards equality: Discrimination in Moldova proposes amendments to the Law on Ensuring Equality due to come into force on 1 January 2013 that would prohibit discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation, sexual identity and state of health.
The organization also calls for hate crimes motivated sexual orientation and identity, as well as disabilities to be added to Moldova’s Criminal Code.
“There is an urgent need for these changes as Moldova’s present climate of prejudice and stereotyping breeds violence and abuse against disadvantaged groups – crimes that are committed with impunity,” said Heather McGill, Amnesty International’s expert on Moldova.
“International standards – not the prevalent prejudices in society as a whole – should be the guiding principles for Moldova’s laws.”
According to a sociological study conducted in 2011 by the Soros Foundation in Moldova, 63 per cent of respondents thought that children with disabilities should be educated in separate schools, 46 per cent expressed support for curtailing the rights of lesbian and gay people, and more than 70 per cent thought that Roma are beggars and pickpockets, liars and cheats.
Such perceptions are reinforced when Moldova’s political and religious leaders make discriminatory statements towards ethnic minorities and LGBTI individuals.
This exposes them to further discrimination and deprives them of basic rights – including the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, the right to education and health protection.
Racism
In one case from September 2011 in the Moldovan capital Chisinau, four men shouted abuse and manhandled Johnbull Ugbo, a Nigerian citizen, as he was leaving a chemist’s shop. The victim managed to call the police but as they escorted him out of the shop, the men attacked him again in the police car.
A month later, one of Ugbo’s attackers was fined 200 Lei (13 Euros) for minor hooliganism. The court rejected Ugbo’s lawyer’s request to reinvestigate the case as a criminal offence with the aggravating factor of racism.
Homophobia
The deliberate exclusion of LGBTI people as a protected group under the Law on Ensuring Equality and the deficiencies in the Criminal Code which allow hate crimes to be treated as “hooliganism” only further perpetuates these negative attitudes. Worse still, they prevent the victims of such crimes to get redress.
Corrupt policemen frequently blackmail gay men in Moldova, exploiting the wider society’s stigmatization of homosexuality and acceptance of discrimination against LGBTI people.
On 6 December 2010 Ion committed suicide after police in Chisinau detained him and threatened to disclose his sexual orientation him to his family. In his suicide note he wrote: “Forgive me mum. I am gay.”
Discrimination against people with disabilities
Lack of access to education is one of the gravest types of discrimination faced by children with disabilities. Although there are as many as 15,321 such children in Moldova, only around a fifth of them – 3,148 – were receiving education of any kind in 2010 – 2011.
Cornel Baran, aged 19, is being taught at home because he cannot access the school building in his wheelchair. He told Amnesty International that he would much rather attend school because then he would have friends, but “architectural barriers” kept him away. There are 10 steps to enter his local school building and the classrooms are spread over four floors.
HIV/AIDS and prejudice
There were 5,290 cases of HIV/AIDS registered in Moldova in 2009. A 2007 law prohibits discrimination on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
Despite this HIV-positive people continue to face stigma and discrimination in the workplace, in society, and in accessing health care.
I.H., a 48-year-old HIV-positive woman, suffers from severe deterioration of a hip joint and is only able to walk with crutches. In May 2011, she was put on a waiting list for a hip replacement operation at the Traumatology and Orthopedics Hospital in Chisinau. However, on 21 November 2011, doctors refused to carry out the operation, claiming that the surgery was too risky for somebody with her health problems.
“Moldova can prove its democratic credentials by taking care of the most vulnerable in its society, by viewing diversity not as a threat, but as a source of enrichment,” Heather McGill said.
“To this end, the Moldovan government must take measures to prevent the use of negative stereotypes in public discourse, raise awareness of discrimination and build tolerance through education and public information. It must ensure that victims of discrimination are provided with redress.”
Sunday, September 9, 2012
școală: prima săptămână (school: the first week)
Moldova has a lot of beautiful traditions. The wonderful thing about these traditions is that they are not just for show, or some act that is repeated but has lost its meaning; Moldovans believe in the message, lesson and/or value that the tradition stems from. One of my favorite traditions, hands-down, is that the first day of school is treated as a sort of working holiday. This day is also a day where the value of education is reiterated year to year to the ongoing students while establishing the idea that obtaining an education is something to be proud of to the newest students.
The value of having an education and taking pride in your school was overwhelmingly evident last Friday. Just so we are all clear on this, last Friday was the last day of summer vacation before school started. The last day of freedom. The weather was perfect. The last day to just hang out with your friends. I'm sure any American who has been through any number of years in education will agree with me when I say that there is no way in hell I would spend my last day of summer vacation helping my teachers decorate our homeroom. Yet, that is exactly what I found last Friday, my school's halls full of students who were excitedly working with their homeroom teachers deciding where posters should be hung, how the tables should be arranged and where the fake flowers should reside (Moldovans are big on fake flowers and lace as decorations and surprisingly they do this is a way that is not tacky, for the most part).
Monday was the oddest first day of school I have ever had. Universally, I think, the first day of school is not a real day of school. Classes usually are just filled with teachers going over the syllabus for the year and maybe there is an assembly of some sort. Moldova is no different, Monday morning at 8 AM (ugg, although it is better than having to wake up at 6 to catch the bus, right Connor?), I walked the block and a half to school and saw that the school grounds were swarming with excited kids while their parents clicked away on cameras. I always loved the first day of school because everyone dressed in the clothes that made the biggest statement about who they are and whatever style they chose made them feel good about how they looked. The outfits here are a little different; the kids obviously all felt very good about the way they looked because they all looked like they were going to a fancy wedding. The boys were in three piece suits with ties and the girls were in black and white dresses in various styles along with makeup, huge bows and/or luffa-like poofs in their hair and heels, there are always heels in Moldova. While dodging these very well dressed students I made my way to my "office" that I share with my partner. In the back of the chemistry class there is a walk-in-closet sized storage room, that is our office. Fortunately, there are many windows in our storage room and my partner has made it very homey with flowers (of course) and a full tea set, meaning several cups, sugar, different kinds of tea and instant coffee. Our school runs from 8AM to 2-3PM and during that time there is no lunch offered to the students. There is a store within walking distance but the food offered there is akin to gas station fare and many students do not have money to buy anything. My partner created this tea/coffee nook for any student who needs a little something in their stomachs during the day. My partner is awesome.
Back to the school day...I followed my partner around for about an hour and then the entire school gathered on the front grounds to celebrate and commence the coming year. There were speeches by the Director, two adjunct directors, the head of the health center (who gave me a shout-out), someone from the Ministry of Education and the local Priest. The latter was interesting to me as this would never happen at a public school in the states. Much of Moldovan culture and day to day life revolves around the Eastern Orthodox religion and while there are still varying degrees of devoutness 90% of the population would say that they are Easter Orthodox Christian. The priest blessed the school and gave the director a special icon for the school along with a smaller icon of a specific saint for each of the teachers. This was followed by music, the raising of the flag to the national anthem and then came my favorite part, the celebration of the graduating class and the welcoming of the new first graders.
Each of the grades were grouped together and the student body as a whole formed a corridor in the front of the school. The incoming first graders were then marched up the corridor to raucous applause wearing special sashes to the place of honor, in front of the 12th grade class. There was then a little speech about the successes of the 12th grade class and more applause for their accomplishments then each of the "seniors" presented the first graders with their welcoming presents - their first school books. It was really touching to see such emphasis put on education and I definitely had to hold back some tears. Of course, Moldova's educational system still has some imperfections; for example, just as in the states, teachers are paid a ridiculously low salary which leads to the huge issues of burnout, low motivation and indifference that creates poor learning environments for students and negative work environments for educators.
After the ceremony I thought we would have normal classes and was preparing myself for a day of work. However, at about noon all of the students were sent home so the teachers could have a party in the conference room. This was a new work experience for me. The tables were full of food in the typical Moldovan fashion, not so new-this happens in the states too, but there were also bottles of beer and cognac everywhere. Alcohol at special meals (masa) is not uncommon at all but drinking while at work, in your place of work with the entire staff including your boss was, to say the least, new. Then one of the teachers brought out his accordion and we all sang together, this was also new. I proudly sang along with the one song I knew and drank every glass of cognac poured for me (this was a mistake, who knew cognac was so strong!).
Monday was great and, in general, the rest of the week was fine too. However, this week I have felt the loneliest I have felt since I arrived in Moldova. I think most of this melancholy comes from the never ending stream of dreams about home that I've had this week. Oh, and the fact that I have no idea what's going on or what people are saying to me, that makes it tough too. My language is alright but students don't really understand the fact that my brain can't translate as fast as they talk. Another challenge for me this week is our ever-changing schedule. The schedules for classes are not really finalized here until the second week of school. Our school went through an administration change the Friday before classes started and the person in charge of creating the schedule kind of got thrown into it. This meant that all week my partner would randomly come into our office, hurriedly saying, "Kindle! We have to teach now!" I'm glad I learned flexibility early in life but the tangible stress and chaos that existed in the school this last week was difficult.
The best part of the week, by far, was the students. They were so excited to meet me and ask me questions about life in the states. My two favorite moments though were the standing ovation I got from one of the 6th grade classes when they saw me come in to teach while yelling "THE AMERICAN!!" and the reaction I got when I answered their questions. For instance, when the 9th graders asked what other countries I have traveled to I answered like I would in the states, "Oh, just Canada and Mexico" and tried to wave it off, but the reaction I got was, "oooooo!!! Can-ah-da!!" I mean I get it that for them Canada and Mexico are exotic but it is just so bizarre to hear someone be envious of me for going to Vancouver. It was fantastic to see that perspective. I think we, in the states, forget all that Canada and Mexico have to offer. My other success for the week was when I made a joke and they got it even with my broken Romanian-this was really important to me as humor is such a gigantic part, if not the main part, of my personality and how I interact and connect with people.
All of this being said, school is still school and students are still students. School gets boring and students can be obranici (difficult/smart-asses) from time to time. Hopefully though my partners and I will be able to keep our health classes interesting enough that they keep coming back for more.
Happy September everyone, I'll post again soon but in the meantime please enjoy this bit of traditional Moldovan music:
The value of having an education and taking pride in your school was overwhelmingly evident last Friday. Just so we are all clear on this, last Friday was the last day of summer vacation before school started. The last day of freedom. The weather was perfect. The last day to just hang out with your friends. I'm sure any American who has been through any number of years in education will agree with me when I say that there is no way in hell I would spend my last day of summer vacation helping my teachers decorate our homeroom. Yet, that is exactly what I found last Friday, my school's halls full of students who were excitedly working with their homeroom teachers deciding where posters should be hung, how the tables should be arranged and where the fake flowers should reside (Moldovans are big on fake flowers and lace as decorations and surprisingly they do this is a way that is not tacky, for the most part).
Monday was the oddest first day of school I have ever had. Universally, I think, the first day of school is not a real day of school. Classes usually are just filled with teachers going over the syllabus for the year and maybe there is an assembly of some sort. Moldova is no different, Monday morning at 8 AM (ugg, although it is better than having to wake up at 6 to catch the bus, right Connor?), I walked the block and a half to school and saw that the school grounds were swarming with excited kids while their parents clicked away on cameras. I always loved the first day of school because everyone dressed in the clothes that made the biggest statement about who they are and whatever style they chose made them feel good about how they looked. The outfits here are a little different; the kids obviously all felt very good about the way they looked because they all looked like they were going to a fancy wedding. The boys were in three piece suits with ties and the girls were in black and white dresses in various styles along with makeup, huge bows and/or luffa-like poofs in their hair and heels, there are always heels in Moldova. While dodging these very well dressed students I made my way to my "office" that I share with my partner. In the back of the chemistry class there is a walk-in-closet sized storage room, that is our office. Fortunately, there are many windows in our storage room and my partner has made it very homey with flowers (of course) and a full tea set, meaning several cups, sugar, different kinds of tea and instant coffee. Our school runs from 8AM to 2-3PM and during that time there is no lunch offered to the students. There is a store within walking distance but the food offered there is akin to gas station fare and many students do not have money to buy anything. My partner created this tea/coffee nook for any student who needs a little something in their stomachs during the day. My partner is awesome.
Back to the school day...I followed my partner around for about an hour and then the entire school gathered on the front grounds to celebrate and commence the coming year. There were speeches by the Director, two adjunct directors, the head of the health center (who gave me a shout-out), someone from the Ministry of Education and the local Priest. The latter was interesting to me as this would never happen at a public school in the states. Much of Moldovan culture and day to day life revolves around the Eastern Orthodox religion and while there are still varying degrees of devoutness 90% of the population would say that they are Easter Orthodox Christian. The priest blessed the school and gave the director a special icon for the school along with a smaller icon of a specific saint for each of the teachers. This was followed by music, the raising of the flag to the national anthem and then came my favorite part, the celebration of the graduating class and the welcoming of the new first graders.
Each of the grades were grouped together and the student body as a whole formed a corridor in the front of the school. The incoming first graders were then marched up the corridor to raucous applause wearing special sashes to the place of honor, in front of the 12th grade class. There was then a little speech about the successes of the 12th grade class and more applause for their accomplishments then each of the "seniors" presented the first graders with their welcoming presents - their first school books. It was really touching to see such emphasis put on education and I definitely had to hold back some tears. Of course, Moldova's educational system still has some imperfections; for example, just as in the states, teachers are paid a ridiculously low salary which leads to the huge issues of burnout, low motivation and indifference that creates poor learning environments for students and negative work environments for educators.
After the ceremony I thought we would have normal classes and was preparing myself for a day of work. However, at about noon all of the students were sent home so the teachers could have a party in the conference room. This was a new work experience for me. The tables were full of food in the typical Moldovan fashion, not so new-this happens in the states too, but there were also bottles of beer and cognac everywhere. Alcohol at special meals (masa) is not uncommon at all but drinking while at work, in your place of work with the entire staff including your boss was, to say the least, new. Then one of the teachers brought out his accordion and we all sang together, this was also new. I proudly sang along with the one song I knew and drank every glass of cognac poured for me (this was a mistake, who knew cognac was so strong!).
Monday was great and, in general, the rest of the week was fine too. However, this week I have felt the loneliest I have felt since I arrived in Moldova. I think most of this melancholy comes from the never ending stream of dreams about home that I've had this week. Oh, and the fact that I have no idea what's going on or what people are saying to me, that makes it tough too. My language is alright but students don't really understand the fact that my brain can't translate as fast as they talk. Another challenge for me this week is our ever-changing schedule. The schedules for classes are not really finalized here until the second week of school. Our school went through an administration change the Friday before classes started and the person in charge of creating the schedule kind of got thrown into it. This meant that all week my partner would randomly come into our office, hurriedly saying, "Kindle! We have to teach now!" I'm glad I learned flexibility early in life but the tangible stress and chaos that existed in the school this last week was difficult.
The best part of the week, by far, was the students. They were so excited to meet me and ask me questions about life in the states. My two favorite moments though were the standing ovation I got from one of the 6th grade classes when they saw me come in to teach while yelling "THE AMERICAN!!" and the reaction I got when I answered their questions. For instance, when the 9th graders asked what other countries I have traveled to I answered like I would in the states, "Oh, just Canada and Mexico" and tried to wave it off, but the reaction I got was, "oooooo!!! Can-ah-da!!" I mean I get it that for them Canada and Mexico are exotic but it is just so bizarre to hear someone be envious of me for going to Vancouver. It was fantastic to see that perspective. I think we, in the states, forget all that Canada and Mexico have to offer. My other success for the week was when I made a joke and they got it even with my broken Romanian-this was really important to me as humor is such a gigantic part, if not the main part, of my personality and how I interact and connect with people.
All of this being said, school is still school and students are still students. School gets boring and students can be obranici (difficult/smart-asses) from time to time. Hopefully though my partners and I will be able to keep our health classes interesting enough that they keep coming back for more.
Happy September everyone, I'll post again soon but in the meantime please enjoy this bit of traditional Moldovan music:
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