June 14, 2012

Today was actually my best day so far. The weather has been so nice today. It has been the coolest temperature and we had a few sprinkles of rain. The previous days have been so hot, especially when we ride the bus and there are so many people crammed in there that you are sandwiched between sweaty bodies. My favorite is when we get a traffic jam of cows and goats. I’m talking a whole heard of goats and cows walking down the road (which is more like our alleys in the U.S.A.) and stopping traffic. I will get pictures sometime. Right now John has our camera and I have my Sony Cybershot, but I don’t have a charger for the battery. We were supposed to get one from the States but didn’t have time. I can’t tell you what a whirlwind of a time everything has been. All my days have run together and there isn’t enough time to sit and contemplate things. As soon as I lay down, I am so tired I can’t stay awake. 

My usual day so far consists of waking up in the morning around 6:30 or 7. I eat bread with butter and honey on it with my host family. My host mom (who is my age) butters my bread for me every morning. We drink coffee and don’t talk a lot because I know very little Romanian.

A wall with remnant character paintings

Then I get ready and walk with two binders and a purse probably about a mile to the school. (I will wear my pedometer tomorrow and find out really how far) The roads are all dirt and have rocks and bricks and spots of asphalt on them. They are very uneven and have ruts where the water runs down the hills. There are many piles of cow poo and other animal excrement on the road as the animals are everywhere. The animals are either roaming the village free or a cow or goat will be leashed to a stake in the ground somewhere random. There are many stray dogs that aren’t that bad. They don’t really bark or come near but more cower away while the pet dogs in yards are the mean ones that bark and would probably tear my face off if I got near.

Shelbi at Truşeni's Liceu (high school)

Once I get to school  I study or go over our Romanian language homework with someone. Then we start school to learn the Romanian language at 8:30. I have a packed lunch from my host mom that is usually lots of cucumbers, bread and anything from cabbage to eggs to some fried thing with cabbage in it. We didn’t have a fridge for a while so we would have our packed lunch sitting in the hot room for hours and then were expected to eat it. Yeah, I didn’t eat much those days. One day I had two boiled eggs, some bread, and some cucumbers for lunch. The two eggs accidentally cracked and were soft boiled not hard, so runny yellow yolk was all over my lunch. I ate just bread for lunch that day. Lol. 

With all the walking and not eating much I feel like I will get skinny, but then again bread, honey, and butter is not the most nutritious thing. I at least have had more cucumbers here than I have eaten in my entire life.

The wine is plentiful and isn’t awful. So far the wine I have had has all been red wine.  It kind of tastes like vodka with lots and lots of sugar with a grape juice taste. Reminds me of Manachevets (however you spell it). 

After lunch we have technical training teaching us what we will actually be doing once we actually learn the language. This part I have been a little disappointed in. I was excited about more of the community aspect of the teaching than the school aspect, but it sounds like this year is the year they are phasing out the community and going to only school. All those years I said I would never be a teacher, and here I am. In the technical training I feel like they have asked a lot of what do we want to accomplish and what are our goals. I have been saying I have no idea, because I don’t know enough about Moldova or what the needs are here. Today finally we talked about needing to know the needs of the people before pushing our agenda and our goals on them. Finally! This tech session made me feel so much better. 

After tech session we leave to go home. About every other day we have tech session in another village called Meleşti Mici (don’t know how to spell it sorry.) They are famous for their wine and huge wine cellars you can drive through (that’s on the to do list). So, we either get driven back to our village or leave from our school depending on the day. 

Improv wall

Today I walked home with some fellow volunteers to see where they live and Justin is not far from me. Justin is an interesting guy that reminds me of James Rucker so much. He is a mess and a big goofball, but an amazing person. 

Once I get home, I study, trying to talk to my family and maybe take a bath.

The Moldovan summer has been beautiful this week.

The bath situation is interesting. They have a shower, but there is never enough water pressure to use it, so we take baths in a bathtub with a bucket of water. Its not bad at all, and I think we save so much water. We get the water from the well. I can’t tell you how many times my host grandma has walked to get water and carried it back. That is one tough women. She even hoes the garden barefoot.

Everyone said nursing school was the hardest thing they ever had to do. This blows that out of the water. In a whole new country, whole new language, away from John, and many other little stresses on top of each other. It can be such a mind game at times. Sometimes I think I am doing so well in language class, and then I get back, and they are talking so fast and I don’t understand a word they are saying, and I feel completely alone and stupid. It's like a rollercoaster of emotions. I am thankful for the fellow volunteers here with me. They are such amazing people with rich diverse background that it blows my mind. These are some cool people. 

I appreciate your prayers so much and they are much needed.