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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Today, after my horrible experiences at the post office before, I got a notice that I had received 2 packages. I was excited, but also very stressed at the possibility of having to deal with the post office again. But, today I had a fabulous experience. The people there (at my local branch) felt so bad about my cookies and dvd "disappearing" that they let me cut the line and gave me my packages without charging me the 3 lei (equal to about 25 cents) they usually charge per package! Also, my two packages were filled with skittles from Texas! (woo hoo!) Maybe the post office has redeemed itself, but I'm not totally convinced. Anyway, some tips for dealing with Post Office Moldova. 1) if you put tape on the box or envelope, please sign over it or write something over it so that I know that it was you who put the tape there, and not someone tampering with the package. 2) do not write things like "dvd" or "cd" on the packing slip... those names are internationally recognized... instead write something like "work of art" or "music for listening" - something longer. 3) if you are putting many things in the package, it is okay to "disguise" some of them. Like for example, putting a cd inside a cookie box, for example. (just a thought-- i like cookies too!) 4) Whether you send it to Chisinau or here (my site) ... it will get here eventually, and its a gamble about whether or not it gets opened. 5) Volunteers have found that decorating the box with stickers or drawings keeps people out of them. So, in conclusion, don't be afraid to send me packages. Just keep the gold and diamonds until I return stateside. :)
Monday, January 29, 2007
(sorry this post is long overdue, not too funny, and kind of a downer. I blame the aggression in my writing for my lack of ability to run outside—it’s cold!!) Three tidbits to go along with this cheer: 1) I am now the official coach for a girl’s basketball team. That’s right. Although coach might be stretching it. Yes, I am running practices, but my practices end up looking a lot more like an open gym than like practices. As hard as it is to speak in Romanian, it is even harder to coach a sport in one (how do I say, for example, such complex sentences as “If she cuts through here, pass her the ball and then move towards the hoop—we haven’t learned all that conditional stuff yet). My girls are good though—they now all know the English word “stop.” I wonder how that happened. And also, I spend a lot of time doing other things besides coaching: refereeing (thank goodness for all those years with RV basketball association and for the fact that I may not be able to say “back court” but, I know the hand signal for it), and holding cell phones and jewelry while the girls play. The girls are a lot of fun, and our two practices a week are something I look forward to a lot. Kids in Moldova don’t always have the same organized recreational activities that kids in America have, especially not girls (for example, last week we had to cancel our practice because there was only one basketball at the school, and the boys were using it). While I won’t take Greg’s advice and “cut someone” from my team because they are all over the place in practice (he suggested it would be a good way to share American culture… always thinking my brother), I will spend my time trying to convince the girls to wear sweatpants and sneakers to practice (who can run up and down a court in skin tight jeans and boots? Not me, that’s for sure.) The girls are between 12 and 15 years old and are all really energetic. My only problem comes in the fact that every week different girls show up for practice… oh well, the more the merrier, but I find myself starting from square one again every week. I need to get more aggressive with them though. Just like middle school girls everywhere, they fight, they argue, and they can’t be on a team with so-and-so because of this-and-that. Somethings don’t change no matter where you are. 2) The Post Office! Oye, so this has been a continuing hassle of mine. When you get packages they don’t bring them to your house, they send you a piece of paper that says come to the post office and get your package. Okay, you think, that makes sense, considering the lack of cars etc, right? But what a headache. The post office is only open for package pick up between 9 and 10 in the morning on Tuesday and Friday (sounds like part of the work day to me). And everyone, EVERYONE, in the whole raion (region) who has a package needs to come during these two hours. I used to waste time waiting on the wrong lines, too, because I didn’t understand where to wait—at least now I know where I need to go, so I can stop people from cutting me (this is a common thing here). The people at the Post Office know me, and are nice to me, but when there is a huge crowd.. they can’t stop what they are doing and help me, and they are usually upset—as overworked, underpaid governmental employees everywhere can be. Especially when dealing with such a frustrating situation. So here are my two last blow-ups at the post office (last time I considered rioting, but then I thought it wouldn’t be in line with the PC goals). So, Aunt Maryanne (bless her heart) sent me a box of Chocolate Chip cookies (home baked) as well as the ingredients to bake them again, when I had time (you can’t find chocolate chips or brown sugar here). I knew what was in the package because she told me. So when I got the little card that says “You have a package”, but in Romanian of course, and on it was written the texas address, I knew my cookies had arrived. After waiting 2 hours at the post office, (until 11 am), the guy with the packages—who is supposed to come between 9 and 10, finally arrived. By this time I just want to get my cookies and eat them. After waiting in line, the guy tells me that I don’t have a package and I got the card by mistake. So I take this as fact, and walk out of the post office. Then I run into the cleaning lady from the school where I coach basketball. She asks me what is wrong (clearly I am wearing a disappointed face). I tell her about my box not being there, but as I’m saying this, and I whip out the slip to show her (the slip I think I got by accident, at this point), I realize that they couldn’t have given me this slip by accident because how would they know Aunt Mim’s address. She gets really mad at them and says they are lying to me and that they have no culture (a common way to refer to people who are making you mad in Moldova). She marches me back into the post office and to the front of the line and demands that they give me my box. So, they do. And it is open. So I say, “It’s open.” And they say, “do you want it, or not”. So, of course I say yes… and everything is in it (all the ingredients to make cookies) but not the cookies themselves. What a bummer. And of course, there is no recourse. (although the funny part of this story is that when I showed my host brother the picture of Megan, Tobie and Ivy... he said that Megan is what he thinks Americans look like. He said.. if she walked down teh street people would know she was an American. Maybe its the beautiful curly blond hair... as for me, people sometimes say.. Sharon we know you said you were from America, but we thought South America... its the darker curly hair I think?) And I know that…
the next week, I got a package from Shannon, who (bless her heart also), tried to send me Pirates of the Caribbean 2. When I opened the package (you have to open all foreign packages in front of them.. you know, to make sure you aren’t receiving anything really illegal or really valuable), there was no DVD in it, at all. I told them that the DVD was missing, and they told me “my friend forgot to put it in there when she sent it.” And considered the case closed. And there you have it, an example of the Moldovan post office! 3) I don’t even know what to do at this point with my counterpart. She is never around, but, when she is around, she doesn’t listen to me. I say one thing and she changes it and then goes off on a tidbit of sorts. For example, (this never happened but things LIKE this do happen), I would say. Hello I haven’t seen you in a long time, how are you? Then Counterpart would say, I’m good. Where have you been? Then I would say. I have been at the center. Why haven’t you been at the center? Then she would say… I’m sorry you haven’t been at the center. Yes, circular and tricky our conversations are. I was hoping it was just a language thing, but I’m not sure it is. I’m trying to find a balance with her though. I made a schedule so she would know where I was going to be everyday, hoping that she would reciprocate with a schedule of her own… it never happens. I never know where she is. And when I do see her, she is twisting my words or trying to get me to babysit or teach her daughters (who are lovely, by the way) how to use the computer. While I don’t mind doing either of those things occasionally, she pushes them on me to an unenjoyable level, AND I don’t think she understands that I’m here for the whole community and not just her family. So I have tried to become independent of her, but I’m really frustrated in that she doesn’t even try to include me in anything at the organization. For example, they had a meeting about the upcoming year and she didn’t tell me about it. Why not? Because she knew I had lessons (Romanian) on Monday. Well that is great, I told her, but if she told me about the meeting ahead of time I could have moved my lessons to another day. Oye! I’m trying to find a fine line between being independent and being included… although it is hard for me to be included if there is no one at my center to include me!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Greetings again from Moldova. I am happy/sad/glad to report that the holiday "season" in Moldova is close to finished. After this Saturday and Sunday (Orthodox New Years-- also called, New Years old style) we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming. Not that I didn't enjoy the season-- it definitely was a fabulous way to meet my neighbors, members of the community and learn about some pretty cool traditions. Here's a good opportunity to share some insights, stories and pictures (I'm at the PC headquarters for a meeting, and have some fast internet service).
The 'season started out with the Feast of St. Nicholas, on December 19th. This is the day when children leave their shoes out for St. Nick to fill with candy. Needless to say, the children at the center this day were overly hyper. Also in Moldova, what's fair is fair-- if you have small feet, you get less candy, live with it. I thought that was an entertaining tidbit I got from one of my coworkers, who was explaining to me that her daughter was upset that her brother has received more candy than she had. Her advice to her daughter-- grow up. Mike (my sitemate) and I celebrated this day by going to a masa. A masa is like a family party or celebration, if that celebration would be focused only on eating and sitting around the table. (Seriously, Moldovan holidays kick even thanksgiving's ass). The masa was at the gym teacher's house (we know him because we are both coaching basketball teams this winter, Mike with the boys and me with the girls). Anyway, th  is teacher's name is Nicolaie, so not only was it an important celebration, but also his namesake's feastday-- extra special. These things are always fun to go to, except for the experience of Moldovan's insistence. I dont know whetehr they think we don't know how to take care of ourselves, don't know how to eat correctly, are shy or maybe a combination of all the above-- however, it gets really annoying having food and drink shoved down your throat all the time. If people would just relax, I would have a better time. Beleive me, if I am hungry, I will eat (the food is good, but it is cooked with a lot of oil and I can only eat so much before my stomach starts hurting. Some of the food isn't so good. Pictured above is the "chicken jelly" I have mentioned before. Yummy. It is fun to go to these dinners because they provide you a chacne to get to know Moldovan culture, and to meet with people on a more intimate level-- people here are very hospitabile, this family took Mike and I into their homes no holds bar. We finished the wonderful celebration by trying to explain a particular American holiday that they had never heard of-- Groundhog's Day. It was very amusing with our limited vocabulary, although we did communicate the idea of the shadow through handpuppets and a small ad-libbed skit. Then came the Christmas concert at my Children's center. It was really fun, the kids recited poems and songs. I played "O Christmas Tree" ... or in Romanian, "O Brad Fru  mos" on a keyboard we borrowed. And the kids were surprised by "gifts" collected for them from other, older children of the village. Yes these gifts were used, but lovingly. And it was just a really nice gesture. My problem with this concert was that the kids who didn't have good voices (we are talking about 7 - 14 year olds), were told not to sing because it wouldn't sound "frumos"). No joke. Oye. Santa, or Mos Craciun also came to our party which was a big suprise. I like Santa here, he carries a walking stick with him-- which I  was confused about at first, but it is because Santa is really old... really really old. Why didn't I think of that? It just makes sense. (Although Santa here can be a questionable character  . While in Chisinau for American Christmas, I walked through the "christmas village"-- a block of Santas, Christmas songs etc-- it was really nice, except never before in my life have I seen people dressed like Santa smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. My childhood ached). I actually had a funny misunderstanding about Christmas. Santa, like I said, is Mos Craciun, which I thought literally translated into Santa Claus. It does not. Mos means old man, and  Craciun means Christmas, obviously.  Anyway, I heard the kids at my center, both in their conversations and in their play, mention someone called Mos Neag. (Neagru in Romanian is black-- and we all know the historical literary pairings of black with evil for fictional characters, I don't need to explain that). Anyway, knowing this, I was under the impression that this "Mos Neag" fellow was like a bad santa. I imagined that he had dressed in black instead of red, and took away gifts-- maybe like a kind of grinch. In our play games, I told the kids to "look out! Mos Neag is coming!" and they stared at me blankly. When I finially understood the meaning of the word-- Mos Neag is just a polite/or not so polite way to say old man... everything came into clarity. But it was an interesting confusion. (In the pictures above are me and my two co-workers, teachers at the school-- not my partner, me and a few kids -- they had to get super dressed up for the concert, I guess it was fun though, santa or mos craciun, and the kids getting ready for the concert) For Moldovan Christmas, our family did not really celebrate because it was the 3 year anniversary of the father's death. Instead, they had a big feast called praznic. In Moldova, for the first 7 years after someone dies, on the day that that person died, you get together with family and friends and have a huge meal in their honor. You talk about them, laugh, drink. The tone is very upbeat (I was expecting something sad). There is also a church ceremony and a graveyard ceremony-- but I didn't go to them, I was too busy helping out in the kitchen with the rest o  f the women. Seriously, people had been cooking for 3 straight days to make food for one. Well actually there were two meals on the anniversary, one for guests and then a second for family, somehow I ended up eating at both. Here is a picture of the table, so you can see it really was a feast (this is even without all the hot dishes yet!). Anyway, besides the feast, east guest leaves with what one would call a "goodie bag" full of bread (circular bread is a tradition), candy, candles, matches and a towel. I haven't gotten a good answer to this, but I am told  they are gifts for the soul of the dead person. Also, for a few days our small family turned really really big. Everyone came from all over Moldova-- and slept there. So there were some tight conditions for a while, but I am glad to have met so many people. Again, I must say, Moldovan Hospitality is amazing. Also, instead of cooking a lot-- we know I'm not that great in the kitchen, one of my jobs instead  of working in the kitchen was to entertain my three year old host neice. She was adorable and her favorite thigns do to were play with my hair (seriously curly h  air here is not that common), and pretend to be talking on a cell phone using my alarm clock. The day was long, and I could tell a taxing process for my host mothe, but it was definitely an experieince. Other than that, things for Christmas went pretty smoothly. It wasn't that big of a public celebration, more of a family one-- and I did enjoy missing the commercialism of presents. No gifts were exchanged in my family, except I gave my host mother a scarf I knit, and my host brother gave my mother a candle. My host nephew and his friend were overjoyed by the advent calander I gave them (thanks to Ms. Katie D'Aco). I tried to explain that they could only eat o  ne chocolate a day, but that concept didn't go over well because by the time we got it, we were two weeks away from Orthodox Christmas, so we did some catch up eating... and after that I couldn't get them to go one day at a time  . Also, pictured here is our primaria, or mayor's office, decorated for Christmas. Pretty classy if you ask me (Note to Mike's Mom: This is where Mike works). I liked it a lot, wheras, I didn't like how gaudy the lights in Chisinau around the Christmas village were. I think my favorite Moldovan holiday tradation so far has been the caroling. All of the kids carol both on Christmas eve and on both new years eves. There are actually different words for the type of caroling you do for christmas and the type you do for new years (and of course, different songs). But it's interesting that the verbs are different too. Anyway for new years, the kids visit on new year's eve and sing, but they have hoes and tools for the field with them. The songs are about working, etc. And they do little dance things etc to mimic getting the fields ready for the year (note: clearly this comes from Moldova's strong agriculture backgroudn). On New years day they come once again, but with seed. and they throw it! So that you will have good crops in the new year. Fun huh? I liked it. Anyway, I will be away from site for a week or so starting now-- we have a week more of technical and language training. It will be good to see everyone, but it is weird that we are being taken from site right when I feel like I am starting to get productive. I promise that after I get back to site I will take some pictures and write about life at my new "home". Until then.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Clearly if you know me, you know I'm not a schedule person. But, as Aunt Jo pointed out, I am getting stressed by the lack of schedules. Well, to clarrify... it's just that I don't know really what is expected of me, and when. I have a lot of people to answer to-- my host mom, my counterpart (whom I never see, but is very possessive), two professors of limba, a lady at the mayor's office and peace corps itself. I am just wishing for some semblance of order (which I think will come after the holidays-- and after one more PC training week coming up in January-- yeah I know, we are on "lockdown" but we keep leaving our sites!) so that I can stop apologizing to people when I miss things, get lost, or confused. Until then, I'm fine with drifting... :) and about the ketchup. It's okay. I can accept double ketchup next year! how's that for peace corps flexible...
I don’t even need to ask if this happens, because I know it does. Mass media is the biggest venue for this cross-cultural exchange, but it can be seen in stores through products and signs, and on clothes as well. I’ve experienced it so many times. You are watching a movie or television show when you realize a song on in the background is in another language—but it doesn’t matter that much, it is, after all, background music. Or you walk by someone on the street who is wearing a shirt with a Chinese symbol on it, but you pass it off as a “style.” Or you realize, that a particular store is playing international music on their in store loop… but it just blurs into the atmosphere of the store. It happens. But here, I’m experiencing quite the opposite of it. I will be watching a telenovela in Russian with my host mother, and not understanding a work of it, but then I perk up when I hear an English song in the background. Or I smile when someone walks down the street with an article of clothing that has some English saying on it… like “born to be bad,” most recently. Or when I walk by a building and see graffiti of “Eminem.” But my absolute favorite is the radio—because it is all over—at the piata, at home and at work, especially “Radio Iasi” from Romania, that we get in Singerei, because they play a lot of English songs (and they are on average 5-9 years behind on what pop is popular). I will be struggling to find out from a Russian speaker how much money fruit is…, or squeezing into an overcrowded and hot rutiera trying to explain to the driver where I am attempting to go, or sitting at the table, eating my mamaliga, freezing my buns off when “ghetto superstar” or “I just called to say I love you” comes on the radio. You gotta laugh. The situation, everything.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Happy New Year! Or as we say in Moldova, “La Multi Ani.” That’s right, you read it correctly, I wrote “how we say” not “how they say.” Maybe it is a sign of progress for my integration into this culture. Well I know I’m pretty late (maybe 3 days or so) with saying this, but I hope everyone has a healthy and happy 2007. (and belated Happy Birthday, which we also say in Romanian as “La Multi Ani” to Dan and Dad). It’s weird, because I have never started a calendar year not knowing whether or not I would be home in that year. The thought gives me the shivers, but it is also exciting to think about a whole year in the Peace Corps! My holidays went surprisingly well. I was too busy to think about being homesick, which is a great thing. According to Peace Corps Policy, for the first three months you are at your site you are not allowed to leave it for any reasons, except when authorized by Peace Corps. This is to promote community integration and to force you, or make it easier for you, to become a real part of your community. For example, if you need socks, instead of going to the city for them, you can find someone who makes or sells them in your community—it might take longer, but this is where you are going to live, so you need to get used to it. I’m a fan of this plan, except for the fact that everyone wants to be with someone that reminds them of “home” for the holidays. So Peace Corps gave us an exception and allowed us to stay one night away from sight, Christmas or New Years. Since Moldovans celebrate Christmas on another day, I chose our Christmas—it would have been sad passing the 25th of December without any celebration at all. For Christmas, a few of us got together in the capital and attempted to bake some Christmas cookies. We had a bit of a problem with the oven (it wouldn’t work), so we decided to suck it up and eat the raw cookie dough. Worse things have happened. I found a Catholic church to go to in Chisinau for Christmas Eve mass (all the Orthodox Churches don’t celebrate until the 7th of January—and Catholic churches in Moldova are slim and few between—so this was actually more of a feat than it sounds). Even though it was in Russian, it still made me feel at home—and at the end they said “Merry Christmas” in many languages, and it made me smile. Also thank God for latin Christmas carols. J Also the next day we had a Christmas dinner made up of random American food that people had been craving. Well not really American as much as international—salsa, fried rice, quesadillas, bananna bread. It was scrumptious and topped off with hot fudge brownie Sundays, and some Christmas movies (clearly I was doing more cleaning and prepping than cooking—but I am thankful for my peers who can cook, and very well!) I also liked the fact that I had no idea what the “top selling toys” were this Christmas, and never stepped foot anywhere near a crowded mall. Although, it was my first Christmas ever, not only away from home, but without ketchup. SAD! Also, while we didn’t do any gift exchanging, I did get my one Christmas wish. SNOW! Yes, it snowed for about 7 minutes on Christmas day (I have pictures to prove it). While it is cold here, it has been unseasonably warm for December—and while we had some snow in October and November, none had stuck—and we hadn’t seen any snow in December. So while it was far from a “What Christmas” – we did have enough snow to scavenge some for a quick snowball fight. On that note, a little bit with the language. I tried wishing people a “White Christmas” in Romanian and they just stared at me. So I caved in and asked my tutor if it made sense and if I was saying it correctly, and she said yes, grammatically it makes sense, but what are you trying to say? I explained the idea of a white Christmas to her, and she laughed. I need to wish it to people a “Christmas with a lot of Snow”, to get that idea across, apparently. I had been wishing people an “old Christmas.” Oh well, that explains some of the looks I was getting. I guess even when I know the right vocabulary, some of the sayings don’t translate. A boy at my center ran through the room the other day and I asked him where the fire was. He looked at me like I was crazy. New Years eve was relatively quite, but good. Here I think New Years is almost as big, if not bigger, than Christmas. I’m not sure why though. They have a tradition to “stay at the table” until the new year comes. So we started eating around 6 o’clock and concluded with an after-midnight meal. Seriously, these Moldovan Holidays kick even thanksgivings’ ass. Fullness, very very full. They have the saying, very similar to our own, about how you greet the new year will be how your new year is spent—with who and how. So people like to stay home and be healthy! Also, people here were going a little bit crazy because of Romania becoming a part of the EU—everyone here knows at least someone or has some family there. This poses a very interesting position for Moldova, but more on that another day. Also another Moldovan tradition is to welcome the new year with fireworks. Very cool, although I have learned to respect the reasoning behind why, say for example, in the US, 8 year olds cannot buy fireworks. Other than that things aren’t quite settling down at site. Because everyone here is Moldovan. And Moldovans celebrate “double” holidays. Both Christmas and New Years. The Old Calendar and the New. So one set of holidays is done, and we are gearing up for one more- Christmas the 7th of December and New Years the 14th! Double your pleasure, double your fun right? (I think the most popular ones to celebrate are 31st being New Years Eve and the Old Christmas... way to mix and match right?) I am excited to celebrate these holidays Moldovan style, but I am also ready to actually take some time to get down to the “day to day.” My one stressor since I have been here has been not being able to have a constant schedule, or any semblance of a schedule because things keep changing. But I guess that’s life… until then… you can only wish you celebrated double holidays!
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