I actually work here!

I start out with a good morning or good evening and then ask them the questions.... what day is today? What day was yesterday and what day will be tomorrow... they scan the posters I've put up on the wall for any relevant information and come up with the answers in a style all of their own!
Here I am with my lessons on the whiteboard... and a pix of a few of my students. Yesterday during class and mind you, we've been working on questions for awhile.... I asked them to pose a few questions and we'd have a little answer session... so the first question they constructed was "who put the pen on the table?" Sasha answered..."I put the pen on the table" and he promptly dropped it on the floor only to say... "Why is the pen under the table?" "You put the pen under the table" of course was the obvious and correct response from Liuda. I was thinking things were really going well until the next question came... from Aliona... who happens to be my counterpart at work... Her question just made me laugh... MAYBE someone reading this knows the answer... "When is red old?" Think about it!!!!

MUZA - which is the organization with which I work, is having a "get out and vote" campaign in March, which I'm so happy to hear!!! Sounds like it is a well organized program by a large donor organization with posters, slogan, contests, eventual winners to be printed on calendars and distributed throughout the country... We will be hosting a seminar on business development and entrepreneurship for the kids here in March, I will travel to Chisinau with the teachers from the school here to attend a Symphony Concerto - I guess someone famous will be there!!!! I have been invited to a town to help another volunteer and his organization learn more about Photoshop... I have a couple of language and technical sessions for PC in Chisinau, a full day seminar in Romanian, a meeting with a large donor organization in Chisinau and some oratory and art competitions to attend here in Stefan Voda. so... as you can see I'm certainly busy enough and I'm really ramping up the hours I'm spending on Romanian, as I just haven't made the grade yet!

...speaking of the democratic process and the right and privilege to vote..... I've now heard from several Moldovan citizens, that the last time there were elections, it just so happened that the rutieras (the ONLY method of transportation for most people) just happened to not be running that day, making it impossible for the people in the villages to come into Chisinau to vote... Furthermore... it was held during the time the university students were out of school and it sounds like it doesn't matter much, because there are accusations that votes were just changed anyway... so... how bout that? Rivals the 2000 Hand Counted ballots fiasco!!!!