June 12, 2012

OK it finally hit, I am in Moldova: a foreign country. It has been a roller coaster of a ride. One minute I think I am doing great at learning the language and the next I am feeling so dumb words can't explain.  

Moldovan produce field: corn and fruit trees surrounding

I am lying in a field on a blanket trying not to fall asleep. It seems I am always tired. I just finished doing my homework of studying Romanian and writing 5 questions using the Romanian word "to have." My host family is in the field hoeing. My view is of rolling hills planted with fruit trees and corn. My family's old Russian model car is sitting on the dirt road playing Moldovan rap in Romanian. I don't understand a single word but I am getting used to that. My host family knows very little English and I know very little Romanian. It seems so impossible to learn the language fully right now. 

My host dad (tata gazdă): Vitalie with wine

My host dad just came to the car and picked up a bottle of wine and thumped his neck. (thumping the neck is a Moldovan sign to drink alcohol with it meaning somewhat drunk). 

Yesterday was a very hard day for me. It was John's and my anniversary. Two years we have been married. I know it is just a day, but being away from him on top of all the added stress is very hard. This is probably the hardest thing we will ever do. I cried a lot yesterday and my host grandmother was there and didn't know what to do. I was trying to tell here through tears that I was ok and just missing John. 

The Peace corps has many goals. One being improve the understanding of the Moldovans of Americans and another being improving the understanding of Americans of Moldovans. These two goals I like and want to reach and enjoy doing and see how they can be accomplished. Another goal for my part is to improve the health education system in schools. Right now it is so hard to see how I am going to do that when I don't even know the language. I have such respect for those that are bilingual and for those that don't speak English in the US and are stuck in situations like this. It is a hard place to be. 

John got to tower over Mariana's lively father Vicilie

John was able to spend the night Saturday night and we spent the day together with my host family on Sunday. That was amazing. Between the two of us we could decipher so much more of what people were saying in Romanian than when I am by myself. This past weekend was a holiday. It was the cleaning of the wells. The whole neighborhood gets together to empty the well and clean it out. 
John spent time with the guys as they sent the bucket down to fetch water and then hauled it back up to dump it down the street and empty all the water. Then my skinny host grandfather (perhaps we'll provide family tree diagrams soon) is sent down inside to scrub the sides of the well.

And John helped set the table

The plates were all splendid. It is typical to reproduce the same tray down the table.

Olives, peas, fish, and a cabbage salad

I meanwhile was inside with the women helping prepare food. There was so much food!!! The table was covered. We had pork, fish, fried chicken (my favorite), some rice thing stuffed in grape leaves (traditional dish), cabbage salad, lots of cucumbers and tomatoes. Oh and wine, you can't forget the Moldovan wine. Not everybody gets a cup. They have a couple of about a 3-4 ounce glasses they pass around and take shots of the wine. The wine I have had is a red wine and very sweet. I didn't think it tasted that alcoholic but after two Moldovan shots of the wine, I could already feel the effects. It was neat that we were with my host family which are mine and John's age. We four and another couple our age were at the end of the table all trying to talk in very broken Romanian and English with the the dictionary between us. It was kind of fun. I can't wait to really speak Romanian so I can tell these people how much I appreciate them for all they have done for us. Here are the visual spoils:

Mama gazdă mea şi mama ei şi vichena ei (My host mom (in green) and her mom (standing) and her neighbor)

 

Rice wrapped in boiled grape vine leaves

I guess I feel so much more excited about the friend-making and learning-the-culture part of being here and not so excited about the technical teaching health education part, because I still don't really know what I will be teaching. It's all very vague. 

A truly relaxing afternoon feast

We haven't had much time to email and I only have internet at "hub-site days" (days all 66 people in our Peace Corps "class" meet near the Peace Corps office/lounge in Chişinau for training) which are once a week. I will try to get more organized, but we are so busy! I don't have time to even unpack my clothes.

Anyways, I will type more later. I get to spend Saturday night and Sunday with John in his village and he has internet.

Love ya'll. Keep us in your prayers. This is harder than nursing school.