Well, another week has flown by, I don't mind at all, don't get me wrong. I find however, that as Friday night and the weekend approaches, I am in a quandary as to what to do. Life here in Moldova is very different than life at home in the US. For me, Friday meant the end of the week and going out with to a nice restaurant for any kind of food I felt like having. Again on Saturday night and sometimes Sunday.

Here in Moldova, that is sometimes an option - somewhat - as there are some limitations. However, it is not an option at all when you live in a village. Now, granted, I do live in the main town of my Raoin, and there are a few places to go here but, there is no place like home!!!

So, I just try and fill the days as best I can. Now that we can move about, I will be going to visit friends at their sites. This also helps me with familiarizing myself with Moldova and seeing as much of it as possible. Next weekend, I am going to Strachen, a town north of the capital Chisinau. A bunch of us are going to celebrate another PCV's birthday. Until then, I have tutoring tomorrow and that will be the end of this weekend.

Have a great weekend yourself.

Over the last two weeks we M24 Community and Organizational Development (COD) and Agri-Business (AGs) volunteers were back in our training villages for Phase III of PST. It ended last Friday with an informal dinner at a nice Italian restaurant in Chisnau with a visit from the US Ambassador to Moldova and a champagne toast. We are officially, officially volunteers!!!

Training was great, it was also very good to see all my program colleagues and the AGs as well. We always have fun when we get together. It was even greater for me since I was with the family that I consider to be my family here in Moldova. I was super spoilt for the last two weeks and miss them like crazy already! I absolutely love them all, each member, and will be visiting even when I am done with my assignment here in Moldova. They feel so honored to have hosted an American in their home and are genuinely very good people to the core.

Another milestone that we are approaching is our three month mark!!! November 8th to be exact! This may not seem like a big deal but it really is. PC has a policy that volunteers are to remain at site during the first three months of service. This is meant to help us with our integration into our new communities and to bond with new host family. Now that our three months are up we are free to leave our communities without asking permission; to sleep away from site and.... to leave the country on vacation. We are now free to move about the country and the world!!!! So, of course being a traveler, I will definitely be booking planes, trains and automobiles every opportunity I get, starting with a day trip to Romania in the very near future. Stay tuned!!!

It’s now been two weeks since we picked all the grapes. As I wrote before, according to my host father, the grapes, once the process of preparation is complete, need a few weeks to ferment and then, “aici” – here, there is wine. So after we picked all the grapes, they were squeezed through an old fashioned, hand cranked box made of wood to extract the first batch of juice into huge barrels. After this, they were placed in the barrels with the juice to settle down. This is the first part of the process done directly after picking.

At intervals, boiling hot water is mixed in with the juice to help the process along. Meanwhile the "must" the first settling of the juice is siphoned off and placed run through a hose into the barrels in the basement which is the final resting place of the juice where it will become wine. After a week, it is time for the final part of the process to wring every drop of juice from those grapes. This "machine" is another wooden piece of apparatus and is very interesting to behold. It is hand cranked in circles to extract all the juice and can be quite tiring. All the juice joins the rest in barrels in the basement where it will ferment. Home made wine is a extensive, long and much involved process and gives me a new appreciation for the labor that goes into it.

I shall let you all know how it turns out.

I picked grapes for the first time in my life today. I know it will not be the last since I will be here for two years. Each year around this time grape harvesting starts. As I mentioned in my last post Moldovans are very proud of their wine. Almost every household has vines in their front and back gardens. Often, to get to the front door one walks under a beautiful canopy of grape vines. So now, as I walk by neighbours' homes, I see them on ladders picking their grapes.

My host family has about a half a hectare of land "indeal" or in the hills and it is planted with grapes. This morning we set out early at 9 am. with buckets and enthusiasm for a day of picking grapes. Last night the huge barrels were put in the garage and prepared for the harvest.

Surprisingly, it was easy to pick the grapes, but they were so many that our fingers are now stained and sore from picking so many. I will try to upload pics. The grapes are "frumos" or beautiful. They are also very sweet "dulce", just right for wine. The experience was great and I bonded more with most favorite host sister.

We brought the grapes back, transferred them to the barrels where they were crushed and will now be left to ferment for three or four days. The fermented juice will then be placed in the basement. More on the process later. I still have to learn more and want to chronicle each step.

In addition to each Moldovan household boasting about their wine. Moldova as a country boast of their famous wineries at Milestii Mici and Cricova. I plan to visit Milestii Mici next month and will blog about that. Basically it is a huge underground winery with thousands of bottles of wine ranging in prices up to $3,000.00. It is expensive for Moldovans to visit as the cost of tours start at 250 Moldovan Lei. Cricova is way more expensive and the majority of Moldovans can only dream touring this winery. I will visit Cricova next spring and blog about it so look out for it.

Each day life starts early here in Moldova. The roosters start to crow as early as 4:00 in the morning, the dogs start to bark just as early. Sometimes they never stop barking at night as many a Volunteer will tell you. The sun rises around 6:00 am, sometimes earlier. That's when a lot of Moldovans rise too. Many of them head to the fields for the day in their horse carts to tend whatever crops they are growing. This is, for some families a family event so mom, dad and the kids would work alongside each other. During the summer it was wheat, corn, sunflowers, watermelons and all manner of fruits and vegetables. In the gardens at home the same ritual would play out. My mama gazda in my training village is among those who work in the garden in the morning and evening when it is cooler. Weeding and picking what has ripened takes up a good chunk of time. This is not easy work, especially when the days are as hot as they were this past summer.

Since Moldova is going through a very serious drought now, many people have to water the gardens from reservoirs or fetch water from the wells. Gardens and fields in Moldova are very important since it is the produce from these that feed the population during the winter time. Now is the time when food is preserved in jars big and small and placed in the cellars for winter consumption. Everything from pickled watermelon (yes, you read right) to tomato in every form, any fruit or vegetable you can think of is preserved and consumed during the winter. This is partly because these fruits and veggies are extremely expensive during the winter, since they are imported.

The next big thing that will be harvested are the grapes. This is huge in Moldova since every other household grows grapes and makes house wine. Moldovans are proud of their house wine and every household believes theirs is the best. They all boast of how "natural" their wine is without preservatives, and guarantees you that theirs is the most gustos (tasty). This is not always the case, of course!!!! I must admit our house wine is pretty good as house wines go. Believe me, I've had some that, despite the guarantees that it is the most gustos, it wasn't. Though, of course, one has to praise said wine none the less.

So my tata gazda announced to me this morning that he will harvest our grapes on Saturday. I will definitely post about the experience since I want to be front and center. So, stay tuned for my post.

Last Thursday, August 27th was Ziua Independentie or Independence day in Modova. This year the country marked eighteen years since the country gained Independence from Russia on August 27, 1991. In my city, the day was marked with celebrations starting with a procession from the Primarie (Mayor's Office) to the bust of Stefan Cel Mare (Stephen the Great). Stephan Cel Mare is a national hero and led Moldova in the 15th century. During his reign he defended Moldova against many armies and is thought to have been vicious against all enemies of Moldova. He also built many, many churches throughout the land and is believed to be the champion of the Christian faith in Moldova.

The procession consisted of the mayoral staff, teachers and students from various schools in the city and other distinguished guests. Each group laid flowers at the base of the bust and the proceeded to the square where the celebration was marked with speeches and traditional songs, instrument playing and dances. The entire spectrum of the population of the city as represented from youth to adults.

Today, August 31st is Limba Noastra, National Language Day in Moldova. Moldovans are fiercely proud of their language and this is evidenced in their National anthem Limba Nostra. Here are some of the words:

A treasure is our language that surges
From deep shadows of the past,
Chain of precious stones that scattered
All over our ancient land.

Our language is made of songs
From our soul's deepest desires,
Flash of lighting striking swiftly
Through dark clouds and blue horizons.

Our language is the language of bread
When the winds blow through the summer,
Uttered by our forefathers who
Blessed the country through their labour.

Indeed, in Romanian, the words are as hauntingly beautiful now as when they were written as a poem by Alexei Mateevici (1888-1917).

The Romanian language is beautiful, musical and very pleasing to the ears. It rolls off one's tongue smoothly and beautifully and does indeed live up to it's Latin roots. It is a joy to know it and to be able to speak it.

Today I was officially sworn in by our CD as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The first phase of Training is over and now it is time to get to work. I also got the results of my first official Language Proficiency Exam and I scored a whopping Intermediate High. Intermediate Mid is the required level so I am pretty darned proud of myself. Eu pot sa vorbesc limba romana - I can speak Romanian.

I also moved to my host community that I will be working in for the next two years and it is awesome. My host family is great though it was sad leaving my host family in my training village. Moldovans are kind, hospitable people and I feel the love here as I did in my other village.

On Friday we had our farewell party and my group got dressed up in Moldovan national costumes and danced Moldovan dances and sang Moldovan songs in Romanian. It was so great. I even sang a duet with a fellow trainee, in Romanian! It was awesome. Imi place Moldova!!! I love Moldova.

This journey has been great so far and I look forward to all the wonderful experiences I will have here. I will share each and everyone of them with you all.

Once again thanks for all your prayers and well wishes.

Hi all, apologies all round for the long break in blogging. A few reasons: training is very intense, at present I only have dial up which is inherently unreliable and add to that the phones don't always work.

Anyway, it's coming down to the wire now. This is our last week of training, COD anyway then swearing-in next Saturday then off to our new sites. My new site is one hundred kilometres south of Chisinau the capital. We had our site visits to meet with our partners whom we will be working with for the next two years. Also to meet our new host families.

Both mine are awesome. I love my new host family and especially fell totally in love with one of their granddaughters. She is seven and just such a sweet child. I felt very welcome and my Romanian was truly put to the test since none of them speak English. I did well though and was really proud of myself. Speaking of Romanian, we had two language assessments and I aced both of them. I was a little apprehensive about having to learn a new language but I have picked it up quite well. To the point when my present mama gazda speaks English I always say to her "nu inteleg" which means I don't understand, I tell her, in Romanian, that I don't know English, I only know Romanian. It's a laugh for us all.

So, coming down the the wire here in my host village is bitter-sweet. Things I will miss are my familia gazda, they have all been so very kind to me that I will never, ever forget them and will continue to visit when I leave and even when my service is up. The hills and valleys and fields; the calm and quiet of village life; the cows, sheep, goats, the gaggles of geese that always have something to say when you pass them, the horses that occasionally fart while you are passing. I will miss having to negotiate the various piles of poop from all the animal mentioned above; running in the fields with my new running buddy; hanging out with the other trainees, we have become so close and look out for each other; my teachers, they are all so very cool, awesome teachers and very kind too; and so much more that I can't mention in one session.

I am also looking forward to starting to work, getting down and accomplishing my personal goals that I set when I came here. It will be so great.

Anyway, more on these later, for now, I am going to hang out with my fellow trainees on our last Saturday here in our host village. More to come later.

Thanks again for all your prayers and well wishes. It encourages me greatly, keep the comments coming.

First I want to say a big ‘thank you’ those of you who follow this blog. Thanks also for being patient with me. It’s been a while, but here I am. Training continues to be grueling with language classes five hours a day and very long days as well. It is going well though, we have our first language assessment next week and our teachers are convinced that I will do very well. I, on the other hand, am really hard on myself so sometimes I think I know nothing. We have to pass our final language assessment at Intermediate-Mid based on a scoring system developed by the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages. If by Swearing In we test at Int. Low we can ask to be on plan to improve. So pray that I make it.

In addition to intense training, PC organizes cultural events for us to get to know more about Moldovan culture. One such event was an exhibition of traditional Moldovan dances and also a presentation about the Roma people who live in Moldova. The Roma people are often castigated in Moldovan society and are likened to gypsies who will steal from you and do you harm. We were presented with the history of Roma people and how they are trying to get more information out on themselves. They are also trying to integrate into Moldovan society by selecting professions such as medicine to be more visible to other Moldovans as well as their own community. One thing I was reminded of after the presentation is that one should not generalize.

We were also fed the Moldovan traditional dish known as mamaliga – corn meal made with butter and other ingredients that is foarte delicios – very delicious!!!!! There was brinza –home made cheese that is very much like feta cheese, placinte – pastry that can be filled with vegetables, cheese, or cherries and is sooo very delicious. Moldovan food is very good and very tasty. My host mother also cooks all of these dishes so I get the full menu.

Life in Moldova has been really good so far. My village is absolutely beautiful and I enjoy being here very much. It’s a simple life where you breathe clean air and eat fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Where I am awakened by a good amount of roosters each morning and even attached by a rooster - yes attacked- I had to show him who was boss though and now, when he sees me he makes a speedy escape!!!

Not all Moldovans share this feeling about life in Moldova or village life though, as Moldova has a long way to go as a country. Twenty-five percent of Moldovans of working age leave in search of jobs in other countries. Most times working illegally to send money home for their families. Those of us who are here to make a difference, even if it is a small one, are grateful to be here and pledge to do the best job we can. That is why I hope to be placed where I can work with youth. I believe that change can occur and it starts with the youth of Moldova, who have so much to offer their country. They are very intelligent and creative and the more of them who see that they can make a great life here in Moldova for themselves and their families, the quicker this sentiment will spread so that they can realize the vision of a better Moldova.

That’s all, I promise to post more often.

O zi buna. Have a nice day!!!

June 17, 2009
It will be a week tomorrow since we first landed in Moldova, though it seems like much more time has passed. Internet has been limited but I will post every chance I get. My host family is the best!!! My mama gazda is soooo great. She is kind and keeps telling me how very happy she is that I am in her home. She makes me feel like a part of the family and wants to do everything for me, won’t let me help with dishes or to even clear my plate; she even did my laundry yesterday. Yes, I am spoilt. She likes to feed me a lot of food and I have to tell her that I can’t each so much in one sitting, she just wants to make sure that I am full. I love spending time with her because she tells me all about the history of the village and it’s great hearing her stories.
My house is great and I am going to be really sad to leave when it comes time to go to my site for the start of my assignment. Our garden is filled with apple, apricot, peach and pear trees, strawberries raspberries, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and grapevines. There are cherry trees everywhere, those cherries that cost an arm and a leg in American grocery stores, I can go outside and pick right off the tree.
Our village is small, just over four thousand people. The air is fresh and the views from everywhere are stunning. There is corn, wheat, grapes, apples, cherries growing everywhere. There is a big hill right by my house and one of my colleagues and I have walked/run up it for our exercise twice already this week. It’s great since so much food is put in front of us. I can’t wait to go running in other parts of the village to explore more. The air here is clean and I must say that I realize now how stressed in was back in the US and now it’s all gone. I can sure get used to this.

Language classes continue to be intense but I am doing great. I really enjoy classes and our teachers are great. Our schedule for training is pretty full as our group (COD) have only eight weeks of training now and the remaining two at a later time, while the others –Agribusiness, Health and Education have their ten weeks all at once.
Well, gotta go do my homework for language class tomorrow.
O ziua buna. (Have a nice day)

June 12, 2009

Moldova is absolutely beautiful.
We got here and it rained on us a little as we walked from the plane to the arrival hall. I would like to think of them as showers of blessing. As I got on the Turkish Air flight from Istanbul and took my seat, I had this feeling of “OMG, what am I getting myself into?” This was my first time feeling overwhelmed and the first time it really hit me that I was officially a Peace Corp Trainee (PCT) and that I was going to a place that a lot of people I knew did not know was on the map. I soon fell asleep, however, and it passed.
Getting thorough Moldova passport control was painless and we were greeted warmly by our Country Director (CD). We then got our bags and as the first few PCTs walked through the doors, there was this loud cheer from Volunteers who were our designated Mentors. I exhaled and knew at that moment that I was going to be fine. That helped more than words can explain. They were all so very nice and welcoming and all of us PCTs had great big smiles on our faces.
From there it was on to the hotel where we were to stay for the first two nights then off to our training sites in our respective groups. Those first two days were hectic to say the least. We were introduced to PC Staff and addressed by our CD. We got to explore Chisinau, the capital of Moldova a little and talk to other Volunteers. They all love it here and had adapted quite well. I will write more about Chisinau when I have more of an opportunity to explore.
We started Language Classes immediately, they are intense but I am going to enjoy them since our teachers are great and this method of teaching with complete immersion is very effective. We are scheduled to have classes every day except Sunday, which we have off.
I’ll write more again soon. I am not sure when, since we are going to our training village and I am not sure of the availability of the internet at my host home. Until then,
Pe curind (see you later)

June 14, 2009.
This evening we were dropped off at our host families in our training village. Wow – when I was alone in my room I again had this overwhelming feeling of “OMG what did I do? Why did I leave my home and come here where I know less than fifty words of the language?” I even got a little teary eyed, but composed myself and went out to join my host family for dinner. I needn’t have worried, my family is great. My host mother or mama gazda speaks a little English, though my tata gazda speaks none. Nevertheless, they were so very warm and welcoming on that first night that I knew that everything would be fine.

Off to Philadelphia for Staging...One long afternoon of registration where we officially became Peace Corp Trainees. June 10th is now here and I am sitting at JFK airport with my PC peers waiting for 4:30 pm to board our flight. We are a group of 65 from different walks of life, different age groups all super excited to get to Moldova and start training.

Training will be for six weeks and will be very hectic. We hit the ground running when we get to Chisinau with long days and lots and lots of information. It will be great though and we are all up for the task at hand.

So... off we go. Next post will be from Moldova.

In five days I will be embarking on the experience of my life. I have wanted to join the Peace Corps for a long time and I am finally realizing that dream. I have come a long way to this point. I was born in Barbados and moved to Toronto, Canada where I lived for twelve years. Last July I finally did it, I applied to join the Peace Corps and now, in five days, I leave for my training and assignment in Moldova. Having moved countries a few times, this is not such a big deal for me, I adapt well and quick.

The Peace Corps has three simple goals:
1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

These I will do my utmost to achieve. I also have my individual goals that I would like to accomplish during my service:

1. Learn about Moldova from Moldovans
2. Approach my assignment from the perspective of Moldovans and try not to change what works for them.
3. Empower my Moldovan community by attaining sustainability on the projects that we work on so that long after I am gone, they can still function according to their ways.
4. Do something extraordinary for my Moldovan community.

I am sure that I will have more when I get there, but those are my goals for now.

In a time when we have a new President who stresses giving back and community service and has pledged more money in the Budget for the Peace Corps, I feel honored to have been invited to represent my country in Moldova. I can't wait to meet my fellow volunteers who will be joining me in the group. We have connected on Face Book and I know that they are amazing people already, from all walks of life. Each one of us are energized by what we are about to experience and all aspire to come out on the other end of our service more enlightened, wiser and enriched by having served.

Family, friends near and far and my Slow Travel community have supported me, and to all of you, Thank you. Please continue to keep me in your thoughts.

OK, I've got my plane ticket to Staging in Philadelphia on June 9th also my one way ticket to Moldova on June 10th. The dates changed and that means we get there two days earlier than before. T minus 18 days!!. Packing is proving to be stressful as we have, of course, very strict guidelines to follow regarding baggage.

I want to mail my winter clothing so that also presents a great deal of angst. It's expensive to ship these days since the PO has eliminated surface mail and air mail is more expensive. I sorted those things out the other day and alas, it's too much, I have to scale down. I'm trying to tell myself that I don't need everything that I have put out, but then I contradict that with "I might be sorry I did not pack it" Oh the stress!!!!

I have also started saying goodbyes. It is proving to be more difficult than I thought, more emotion mixed in with the excitement. I won't say any more. All in all the preparation process is going well. Last week was the last week of work so I gave myself a lot of time to deal with anything that comes up. I am allergic to shell fish and Ibuprofen for which I needed to get an Epipen and Medic bracelets - check!! Those were my main concerns, therefore everything else will be smooth sailing.

Until next time.

As June 10th looms closer, reality sets in more and more - forty-two days to go!! On June 10th I go to Philadelphia for Staging then fly out, me and the other Volunteers, to Moldova to begin our twenty seven month long adventure living and Volunteering in the Peace Corps.

Staging is where we get all kinds of additional information about the Peace Corps and what is expected of us, our host Country - Moldova and finish up any paperwork, get more shots and get to know each other before we head out. Then on June 12th we board our flight to Moldova. We will have ten weeks of Pre-service Training (PST). This includes language training, Romanian in my case and cultural training. After PST we are sworn in as official Volunteers and go off to our Site where we will work for the next two years. During our time there we live with host families. This helps us with our language skills as well as integrating into our communities.

I am in the process of scaling down my stuff. Donating, throwing out, giving to friends and generally reducing my things to whatever can fit into two suitcases and a carry on. I have been joking that I will be like a turtle for the next 27 months, carrying all my house on my back as it were. It's mentally exhausting to try to remember everything. Of course I have lists, mental and those that I have managed to write down, it's important for me not to forget anything, but, who knows. I have done this twice now - moved to different countries, so I am have some experience. It's still daunting though.

I have not told everyone yet, either because I am a procrastinator or I don't want to be too emotional, but I will, eventually... I still have two more weeks at my current job and am counting down the days. I like countdowns... that's the kid in me.

There are some things I will miss; food, places I go, things I do now and take for granted. Here are some examples of food I will miss.

Plan B hamburgers with sweet potato fries and a nice cold IPA
Sally's Pizza in New Haven
Tinkers Fish and Chips
Morton's Steaks
Ginza Sushi
Feng Sushi
Chinese Food
Flan

Those are just a few.. Those who know me know that I love food, yes, they know that I have tunnel vision when I am hungry and turn into a bear if not fed... it is a source of comic relief for them and I am not ashamed.

On the other hand, I do look forward to the food in Moldova. From what I have been reading, I am going to enjoy it very much. So, as I experience it, I will keep you all posted.

I also find myself thinking in "lasts", as in "this is the last time I will...." at least for a while. It's too soon to have to many of these lasts, but at those moments, the reality comes even more and I find myself getting emotional. This, I know, is inevitable so I just go with the flow and embrace the "grief".

All things considered though, I am so very, very excited about this new experience I am about to have. I have been in contact with Volunteers already serving in Moldova and some whose service is done. I am told that I am in for a great time. I look forward to serving my Moldovan community and also getting to know them and socializing with them. It is going to be great.

I am a Social Worker and traveler who wants to take my social work skills to a higher level. I have volunteered for the Peace Corps and am posted to Moldova, Eastern Europe. I will also be traveling around Eastern Europe on vacation. The views expressed in this blog are mine solely and do not in any way reflect the opinions of the Peace Corps or the US Government.

"There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled.
There is a void in your soul;ready to be filled.
You feel it, don't you?"