typical day

well.. I'm beginning to see some regimen in my days... I wake up by 8:00 when my family is just wrapping up their morning schedule and leaving for work and school. I usually wait until they're gone, because I just don't want to upset their morning schedule. I go to the stove first thing to heat up water for my favorite new drink....fresh raspberry and honey tea. I take a little square bench that is stored against the wall and carry it to the table so I have a place to sit. I cut a couple slices of bread (never seems to be fresh... rare to have fresh bread) and pop it in the toaster and when it's done, if I'm really lucky, I can melt some crunchy peanut butter on it.. if not I just have butter and cinnamon sugar with my tea!!! Sometimes I'll cut up an apple or if by chance last night's dinner was actually edible, I might heat a little up...While I eat, I play Soduko.. read.. plan lessons for English classes or just eat...

Usually step out on the veranda to find out the weather while I have my morning smokey treat.... then I put two or three layers of clothes on, make my bed... pick up my plastic bag purse and off I go... get to work about 10:30 or 11:00.. twice a week I teach English at ll:00 am and three times a week at 5:00 pm. There are kids coming in and out.. sometimes I pop in on a dance class... just met the teacher who teaches clothing design... guess she might join the English classes, too.... I usually help my partner by translating... helped her organize a seminar last weekend... brainstorm for ideas and try to understand her needs here...

On Wednesday's I meet the other volunteer in town.. Lee, for French Fries - homemade and delicious.. Lee is from Alabama and brings along picante ketchup and some awesome alabama creole spice that make them even better! I walk home generally in the dark... arrive home anywhere between 6:00 and 8:00. Eat dinner visit a bit and go to my room (where I LOVE to be!)

Speaking of reading.. I read "Aint got time to bleed" and I must say I missed listening to Ol Jesse's the Body's self grandizing stories when I was done... I actually liked it and it reminded me why I voted for him in the first place!!! I remember so clearly thinking the next day "OH NO - now what?" when I found out he had won. He infused alot of energy into Minnesota politics... changed things up a bit... I thank him for that! And of course the rebate check was nice too. I just finished "House of Sand and Fog" - really liked it... am enjoying reading books again!!! Wish I had even more time to do so!!! Between the knitting and the studying and the texting at night...

Just met a young kid (probably 9 yr old) named Vladislav. He speaks a little tiny bit of English... a little tiny bit of Romanian and alot of Russian...and he wants to talk to me... Earlier I played foosball with he and his friends in the after school center. So he is here talking to me and asking me what I'm doing on the computer... he keeps talking and pointing and says when you're done with the computer and says the word for games... so I have to tell him that kids cannot use this computer for games or anything else ever( of course remember he only knows a little English and a little Romanian) Finally he says.. NO!!! I want to play foosball when you're done! Dang it's hard to figure out what's going on around here!

Just a couple of thoughts...

I have a funny and typical story to share... Hope Vanny won't mind... but she went to church in her new town and afer church she was asked to leave because they had a meeting... so last week when she went to church they announced her name and she thought it meant she had to leave again... but really the whole church was waiting for her to get up and introduce herself... instead she just got up and left.. I just laugh to think of all of the people standing there anxiously waiting for her to get up and talk and she gets up and just walks straight out the door!!!!!

When I first arrived here and for quite a long time, I was really mixed up and using the word "I want" instead of " I like ". Countless times I told someone that I wanted something that belonged to them... I told my boss I wanted her jacket. One time I asked someone if they wanted the United States!!! Like it is for sale and I hold the purse strings!!! I'm wondering now how many of my personal belongings I gave away without knowing.. when someone complemented my jewelry or clothing I'd say "you want it?" What an idiot!!!!

I'm sure I said...I want your house... I want your car....I want your shoes, your husband your firstborn... who knows!!!! And what a demanding bitch... I want french fries, I want ice cream,I want raspberries... No wonder I haven't made friends!!! Ha! Life is like that here...

Gave my first English class today.. to some teachers from the school. It was really fun!! I'm looking forward to the next one when I get back from "holiday".

Holidays!!

Here in Moldova there is a new and old church calendar.. Most people celebrate Christmas (Craciun) on the 7th of January. Although it is said that it is celebrated a bit on the 25th of December, I've yet to meet anyone that does... I know my little brother Cristi will do the traditional American leave cookies out for Santa and Santa will leave a gift..He learned this tradition from the former volunteer that lived at his house... the difference is that he doesn't get to tell Santa what he wants or write a note of request. he gets whatever Santa leaves!! So this year will be the same!!

People here actually exchange gifts on New Years.. My Americanized 22 year old sister told me after a big meal and exchange of gifts on New Years Eve..many people then go to a bar in town and party until 6 or 8 in the morning...

My family in Milestii Mici has invited me for the traditional January 7th celebration and that is what I intend to do. All of the relatives that I got to know will be there and it will be a wonderful reunion!!! I have a few nice options with friends for December 24th/25th so I won't be alone, but it will not be the same as being HOME!!! So here is wishing you all that makes you feel warm and wonderful during this SPECIAL time of year!!!! My love and thoughts are with you!!!

My package!!

On Friday I received a message that the package my parents sent had finally arrived.. My dad was told it would arrive in 3-5 days which seemed pretty impossible, but it actually only took about 9 days!!! Of course when I looked at the postage today when I picked it up... I knew why!! It was a $76.00 shipping bill!!! Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

The document said that I could only pick the package up Monday between 2 and 3 pm and Wednesday between 9 and 10 am. So today I was there exactly at 2:00. I tried the door and it was locked...so I stood outside for about ten minutes when an old lady walked by me pulled on the door really hard and it opened... of course!!!!

I showed the lady behing the window my new official Moldovan ID and she said something about a passport, which led me to believe that I needed my passport to pick up the package... it took a little while to figure it out, but turns out she merely was telling me that I didn't need my passport I only need this little green ID card... so I picked up the 10 kilogram package which translates to a little more than 20 pounds, I think... and had no choice but to walk home with it..

It is a pretty good jaunt on foot from the Posta!!!!! I think about how ludicrous it would seem if my Dad had to take this package to a post office somewhere in Mountain Iron on foot to get it sent!! I think he'd have done it, though!!! I switched it from my shoulder to my back to my left arm to my right arm with every long block...

It was a bit cumbersome but I was determined because I knew I would have my own private party on my bed when I got home with it!!! And I did!

My fave of course was the hometown beef jerky... I immediately cut it up in little pieces so it would last longer and vowed to ration it... (after I devoured 1/4 of it right there on my bed)!!! A couple of spoonfuls of crunchy peanut butter and I was beginning to feel satisfied!!! I looked at each gift one at a time.. reading all of the words in English ate tootsie rolls and licorice for dessert and read the letter from my mom over and over when I realized I had left work two hours ago to pick up this package... I walked 1/2 hour across town once more and here I am back at my desk!

Miscellaneous ramblings

I have a really nice house... it is almost like an American house definitely 50's style! (And they have no idea what decorating retro style means!!!) It will be a long two years, but I am enjoying the time for me to really do the things that I've always wanted to do read, write,reflect, think and was always too busy to do. It is interesting to, for example, hang my clothes on the line and to watch them dance in the breeze and it reminds me of summers when I was young and how I would go out in the backyard and talk to my mom while she hung clothes... The smell takes me back and it gives me impetus to reflect upon my life. A life that seems full of stumbles, but it's mine nonetheless!

I've had what I would consider a few small successes at "work". I'm still just trying to find out what the work means.. Organizational development is a pretty broad job description, so I'm hoping to learn more about the politics, the community, the culture and of course the language here so I can begin to narrow it down.

I really don't like the food here... although I am beginning to find some favorites. It will be better in summer when the gardens are overflowing with fresh vegetables. They say anything will grow in Moldova... If you plant a shoe you will grow a shoe tree!!! Apple trees, pear trees are plentiful and watermelons, too!

Here they have two church calendars the old celebrates on January 7th and the new on December 25th. Funny thing, I was in Chisinau this weekend.. just hanging out with a few of my volunteer friends... There was a big professionally lettered sign on the street that said
Marry Christmas. Ha! Chisinau is the capital and I love it so much. Unfortunatley for me I am a two hour bus ride away and the last bus home is at 5:00 pm. It is expensive on my "salary" to stay in a hotel and currently (a rule with Peace Corps) we are on lockdown for the first three months... which means we cannot be out of our site overnight until February 15th.

So for Christmas, my first family in my training village has invited me to come and celebrate with them. I guess its the biserica (church) and then a big meal (masa) which goes on for hours and hours and probably alot of wine and cognac and dancing late into the night. They put Christmas trees up I think and they exchange gifts but not until New Year's Eve. The traditional food that they always prepare for parties are my LEAST favorite of all food! One dish is chicken parts - feet, wings, maybe even heads... I never look.. it is put in a chicken gelatin substance and served cold... they just lap it up!!!! EEEUUUUUU!!!!!

I was at a family party the other night and tried so hard to find something to eat so as not to offend them and they finally brought out these sausage looking things and told me it was ground pork... although they started describing that the casing was made from the lining of the stomach and lucky for me I knew that that is normal for sausage and I'll just peel that part off... well my plan almost worked!!! I peeled and began to eat the ground pork and guess what it was!!!! Pork liver. so I hid it under my leftover cabbage and drank another glass of wine with them... they are more offended if I refuse wine I think.

so... I am only allowed one exception from the lockdown rule and that would be to visit my family in Milestii Mici... but it looks like the volunteers will rent an apartment for the night in Chisinau for New years...sounds like it is a fun place to beto ring in the new, as they have the countdown on the main town square... If I got caught taking more than one celebration, I could be separated from PC. Really I'd just be happier if I let the dates slip right by... I'll be glad when they're over.. it is just too sad to think about being away for the holidays. But the good news is that once this one is past I only have one more to do and then I'll be home!!!

On Thanksgiving we had a talent show after the dinner (which was scrumptious, by the way) and one of the volunteers played his guitar and sang a beautiful rendition of "I'll be home for Christmas"...I cried and cried while he sang. later, I talked to another volunteer who is in second year and she is going home for Christmas until January 7th... I started thinking that maybe that might work for me too... although I swore I was going to see Italy and Greece and Istanbul as long as I was so close! So we'll see... it may be really difficult to come back to Moldova once I'm home.

Right now I am feeling challenged with the language and just the general adaptations of life. Everything takes so long... Clothes.. luckily for me - Nadia "mom" has an automatic wash machine.. it doesn't spin very dry, though, so I still have to take my clothes to the bathroom and wring them out in the tubbie... then haul them outside and hang them on the line for a couple of days.. (in this weather)... They freeze dry, I think. We don't have any snow yet and today I walked to work (25 minutes) with just a sweater and my light gortex jacket... I think it will get cold January/February for sure.

On my way to work

I thought this might help you formulate a bit of an idea of my life here... these are the some of the things that I'm likely to see on my 25 minute walk to work in the morning:

We seem to have a lot of fog here... in fact the first two weeks here I'm not sure I ever saw the sun!! The air is so wet and heavy that the trees drip with moisture as you walk under them. recently the sun has begun to shine and I often walk home toward the sunset... the sky here is beautiful.. In fact... Orion's Belt is hard to find because the clusters of stars around him are so bright!!!

Every tree trunk in the country is painted white... Here is a picture of a street in Stefan Voda supposedly it is for reasons of tree health, but mostly they feel it pretty and I think its a little like making sure the paint is not chipping on your fence or house... - to show you care about your place...

I'm likely to see a whole lotta old guys on beater bicycles. A large flock of turkeys just hanging out on the street corner... sad part is my mouth waters when I see them!!!

Someone burning a pile of leaves on the street... an old rusted out bus with no wheels parked in front of someone's house.

Everyone carrying a plastic shopping bag - including me... because when you walk everywhere you have to have something to carry the stuff you need! (It isn't just sittin there next to you in the passengers seat.)

Tons of black crows in the treetops... seems to be a bit of a nuisance even for the residents here... one day while Lee (another volunteer at my site) and I walked through the park... overhead were many of these crows and sure enough.. we both got hit at the same time... I hope it is not a sign of things to come!

It is normal to see a horse drawn cart with an older couple driving and some kind of produce in the back... its my understanding is that they are coming from the outerlying villages.. probably to buy and sell their wares! yesterday I saw a two horse team pulling a cart and beside them was a little pony trotting along so bravely!!!! obviously he was just learning the ropes... cute.

The public buildings were fortunately built really strong, but currently they are in different stages of crumble. I walk each day by the Soviet built stadium.. it is huge and was once very beautiful I am sure.. but today I watched a guy lead a cow on a leash through a big hole in the fence. I guess it is used as a pasture now.

Most people are on bicycles or on foot, but every so often comes one of these tiny little square soviet cars putzin down the road.. there are a few bmws - but mostly things are pretty simple.

I occasionally strike up a simple conversation if I find someone friendly walking my way.. for the most part... people aren't that friendly! Unless it's a group of guys drinking in the street! I usually talk to the old folks... often they speak Russian. Most people, though know both languages here. I may have to pick up at least a working knowledge of Russian.. first things first... Romanian!

Well that's it for now...

Cristian

So I live with a father, mother and a 6 year old boy named Cristian. He seems like a pretty nice boy. He always remembers to turn the light off (and sometimes reminds me, too!) - He has impeccable manners... and always a big smile on his face.

One of the first days I was here I sat in his room and we were drawing pictures together. I drew a pig and a turtle and then thought I'd get fancy and draw a chicken, since being in the village I viewed them most every day... I was pretty proud when I got the body and the wings and the tail just right.. the neck wasn't exactly right but then I finished it all of with just the perfect chicken feet... Cristy looked up at me like with a big grin on his face and said in words i understood.... "Renell chickens don't have four feet!!!" Duh!!! I don't know what I was thinking, but he still thinks I'm a little stupid!!! Can you blame him? We usually just play games that don't require alot of language, since its hard for him to speak slowly and more clearly so that I can understand.

Last week I asked him one day over dinner.. "So Cristy.. how was school today?" Well... forgive me for trying his mom jumped in to remind me that he doesn't go to SCHOOL he goes to the GRADINITA... which is Kindergarten... I think it is equivalent to asking him how was college today? So... the next day I was ready... I said ... "So, Cristy.. how was the Gradinita today?" He looked at me with that blank stare and looked at him mom and she promptly told me that I'd said Gradina which is garden NOT Kindergarten... DUH once more... anyway.. I tried it one more time.. getting it right this time and he didn't answer me... his mom prompted him to answer and he said... "why do I have to answer.. she doesn't understand" That was a perhaps my lowest moment.

so... I've figured out that this little 6 year old doesn't understand it is a language barrier.. he actually thinks that I am totally incompetent!! It makes sense I guess! He was sooo shocked the other night.. He was having me solve really difficult math problems.. Okay Renell... try this one... it's difficult!!! 10 minus 3!!! The shock on his face was priceless when I answered 7 without a thought... He kept trying to stump me... his toughest test was I think 8 minus 6...

He and I were home alone last Sunday and I washed clothes... operating the automatic washer and wringing everything out in the bathtub and then hanging it all on the line... His mom later reported to me that he had told her... Bravo for Renell... she washed her clothes by herself!!!

So it goes.. his sister Aliona who is 23 just came back from a 5 month stay in the States. After the Holiday break she will move to Chisinau to finish her studies at the University. She brought him a Hummer Remote Control Vehicle back from the States... and some PEANUT BUTTER!!!

My life in Stefan Voda

Out with the old... my backyard and toilet in Milesti Mici

and in with the new... My new family in the kitchen at home....

I feel compelled to get this entry done because it is really the close of the first phase of my service here... really once the Thanksgiving weekend was done I physically began to call my new home "home". I live a 25 minute walk away from work. Near as I can tell I live on the southern side of town. Again, I view the moon out my bedroom window.. I am thankful for that! I live with Nadia and Ion I think they are in their forties... they have a daughter age 24 and a son 20 ish and little Cristian who is the only child to live there currently. He is six and attends the Gradinita (Kindergarten). Nadia works all day 6 or 7 days a week at a frigid hardware store and Ion is a retired police officer and now works as a chauffer nearly full time. It takes many sources of income to keep a household rolling here. Salaries are very low, jobs are hard to come by and basics are expensive considering their salaries. A large number of the young and able people although highly educated, are living abroad making money for their families. It is a huge problem... I think about what that means to a society when the best and brightest members have limited opportunities for which to stay. Anyway... My accomodations are very nice... Nadia keeps the house extremely clean... she is careful about food preparation and purchase... she likes sweets just like me. My bedroom is very comfortable and pretty! Here is a pix

MY VILLAGE IN THE GUINNESS BOOK!!

We toured this place with a vehicle!!! and it went on and on and on for miles...

The qualified wine manufacturer will acquaint you with underground gallery, where the huge barrels of wine are established. The special tasting hall is arranged in medieval style with tables and benches made from tree in order you to have a good time with your friends at a glass of old Moldavian wine, the pleasant feeling of this air smothered by the aroma of wine will embrace you.

Over 50 km of the underground galleries are transformed into wine warehouses in the Milestii Mici Village (almost 20 km south Chisinau). Now, as many years ago, the underground kingdom still excites the visitors. The lucky guests who get into it have the rare opportunity to travel the darkened avenues and streets with rows and niches, where precious bottles are carefully laid down, where barrels are placed. Covered with the attributes of antiquity – spider web and grey dust – they attract all looks, just like a magnet. In order to make the time travel even more exciting, all those who wish are given the map of the wine depository, sealed with wax. The same map is present on the labels.
The constant annual temperature of +12 ... +14 oC and the high moisture level offers favourable conditions to store the high quality wine. The wine collection consists of over 2 million bottles. The grapes collected on the vineyards around Milestii Mici village are of special quality. The wine made out of these grapes has a rich and noble taste, which is stored then in the stone subways for many years. Cabernet", "Cahor", "Muscat" or "Aligote" – each of them bears the mark of the creator, his soul, energy and inspiration, though all of them are perceived as a part of the universal history of winemaking, as a part of the Moldovan culture.

Thanksgiving

Well Thanksgiving was all that we hoped it would be...after only a few days in our new site, we were able to assemble in Chisinau for the All Volunteer Conference and Thanksgiving Dinner. I left Stefan Voda by bus ( 3 hour ride) on Wednesday arriving at the hotel to find lots of friends. We had some sessions each day, but still had time to spend together in the evenings. Thursday night came the feast - complete with cranberries, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green been casserole, pumpkin pie, pecan pie all made by volunteers and it was delicious... I wished my stomach had no bottom that day! We had a riveting bird flu seminar on Saturday and departed on Sunday..

Here Anastasia dressed as Poke a Hot Ass poses for a pix with Angela, Chris and I.

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A look across the restaurant where 250 were fed and we even had leftovers for sandwiches the next day! In the morning I started thinking about what time it was at home... and that my mom would probably just be putting in the turkey about now...and the kids would arrive....and I started to get very very sad... but I quickly decided to enjoy the moment in front of me and realized that I will only miss ONE more Thanksgiving at "home".

Simira, me Ryan and my site mate, Lee (wearing a wig trying to look like me - ha!) doing the traditional relaxation after dinner... although there was no football on TV!

It's Official!

On the 16th of November I walked across the stage in Chisinau,

shook hands with the Country Director and the Ambassador, took the oath of service and I'm officially now a Peace Corps Volunteer. (as opposed to a PCT - Trainee!!) the distinction is foarte important!

It was a pretty uneventful ceremony, other than our traditional hora dance of course...that we'd been practicing for a month. It didn't look good at dress rehearsal, but when the show began, we danced splendidly and had a blast doing so!!














Here is the Millesti Mici gang posing one more time before we split into all areas of the country to start our service.
Sharon, Chris, Me, Vanny, Drea, Becca and Angela..


After a nice reception, I have a very tearful good bye with my family but we remind each other that Viata Merge Inainte! (Life moves forward)! I've been invited to spend Christmas with them in Millesti Mici and I plan to do that! Below is Rodica, Stefan, Me, Elena and Sergiu. Within minutes I am on my way with my new family to Stefan Voda! VIATA MERGE INAINTE!

Fall In Moldova

This is a pretty typical scene in my village as I meandered through the village to my language school classroom. These goats were just stopping for a snack, I guess... this fall I learned that the best time to search the streets for walnuts was after a rain and I learned who had the pear trees in the village... straight off the tree... heavenly! There are alot of ways to crack a nut and we've tried them all... during our pouzas from classes, we'd find Chris up in the tree shaking walnuts for us... I am now looking forward to next fall so I can enjoy them again.

Just a scene from Moldova...


Here's me during a family party winning the ironing race! I must say Chris gave me a good run for the money and his mama gazda was trying to distract me to help him to win. It is a rarity here.. a boy with an iron and he actually knows how to use it!

Ioanna - Mother of my "mother" Rodica in Milesti Mici making wine.

Halloween in Moldova

Here we are all dressed up and ready to go to the school for Halloween... On the left is our girl Peace and Love and lots of hugs... Drea... then comes DreamyExotica Vanny... then me... perfect... Becca Lady Liberty, Angela skin and bones, Chris in toilet paper and of course Sharon our favorite superhero!!! We took off in our costumes through the village turning heads all of the way, of course. We stopped at my friend Valiere's magazin and told him trick or treat... he really didn't know what was going on so we just held out our hands and said bomboane and sure enough, he brought us a handful of candy!
We soon found out that the kids at the school knew more about Halloween than we did! We bobbed for apples, played pin the nose on the pumpkin and were asked to judge the halloween art contest.... and then the music started and it was a mini disco in the school!!! This picture shows the kids doing their skit about the harvest... everything was in English! We tucked into the backroom with the teachers at the school and had snacks and wine by candlelight after it was all over.