wet hot American summer day
I'm not sure how it works in other Peace Corps countries, but with the program in Moldova, volunteers arrive 2 times a year. One group in the summer of around 40, and one in the fall of around 40. It's set up so at any moment there should be 4 separate groups of volunteers in Moldova, groups in the meaning that it identifies when the volunteer came to Moldova. This July, the group before our group (we came in September, they came in June) will be leaving Moldova. For us, this is a strange event- as these volunteers have always been here with us, sharing the experience, and trading stories.
Last weekend we gathered (about a third of the Peace Corps community) to give them a send-off, to play some frisbee, and to bbq. We met up in a small city, and had a beautiful weather for the first half. I had been debating whether or not to go - it was a long way to travel to just have to turn around and come back the same day, and I don't normally love large group functions - but I ended up going. I'm glad I did. While I see a few Peace Corps Volunteers who don't live far away on a monthly basis, and others I see in passing when we are in the Peace Corps headquarters, but I kind of forgot what it was like to be in a group of Americans - I hadn't been with that large of a group of us since we gathered at Thanksgiving. There is energy in our group. Reinvigorating energy. It's a great resource to have.
A girl in my group had brown sugar and baked us wonderful cookies. And I went paddle boating on a lake (first time in a paddle boat, I have to admit, and I liked it). We had just finished the frisbee and started in on the bbq-ing when we were hit by a torrential downpour (Not an exageration). We grabbed our bags and waited for it to pass. It didn't. Mind you, earlier in the day the temperature had been 85 degrees, and now, it was hailing. Of course, ruining our hamburgers. : (
Anyway, it was a fun day - I got to see many of the volunteers - with whom I have lived not so far from in Moldova for the last time before they left, had some good food, some fun, and a story to tell as well. I wish I had pictures, (or pictures of the Moldovans laughing at the mud covered, soaked Americans walking down the street -- it must be weird for them, in this small city, to have such an influx of foreigners all of a sudden), but my camera was too busy being wrapped in plastic bags and tucked under my shirt, trying to hide from the rain.
Surprisingly enough, on my way home - soaked and dirty - a bus stopped for me right away. I guess the driver had pity on me. And I readily accepted it.
Last weekend we gathered (about a third of the Peace Corps community) to give them a send-off, to play some frisbee, and to bbq. We met up in a small city, and had a beautiful weather for the first half. I had been debating whether or not to go - it was a long way to travel to just have to turn around and come back the same day, and I don't normally love large group functions - but I ended up going. I'm glad I did. While I see a few Peace Corps Volunteers who don't live far away on a monthly basis, and others I see in passing when we are in the Peace Corps headquarters, but I kind of forgot what it was like to be in a group of Americans - I hadn't been with that large of a group of us since we gathered at Thanksgiving. There is energy in our group. Reinvigorating energy. It's a great resource to have.
A girl in my group had brown sugar and baked us wonderful cookies. And I went paddle boating on a lake (first time in a paddle boat, I have to admit, and I liked it). We had just finished the frisbee and started in on the bbq-ing when we were hit by a torrential downpour (Not an exageration). We grabbed our bags and waited for it to pass. It didn't. Mind you, earlier in the day the temperature had been 85 degrees, and now, it was hailing. Of course, ruining our hamburgers. : (
Anyway, it was a fun day - I got to see many of the volunteers - with whom I have lived not so far from in Moldova for the last time before they left, had some good food, some fun, and a story to tell as well. I wish I had pictures, (or pictures of the Moldovans laughing at the mud covered, soaked Americans walking down the street -- it must be weird for them, in this small city, to have such an influx of foreigners all of a sudden), but my camera was too busy being wrapped in plastic bags and tucked under my shirt, trying to hide from the rain.
Surprisingly enough, on my way home - soaked and dirty - a bus stopped for me right away. I guess the driver had pity on me. And I readily accepted it.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 9:53 AM.
