Glod si ceata

Pictures from our first and only snowfall in early November

So, I feel like I am living in 1500s London. The past week or so has been nothing but mud and fog. This is how fall in Moldova is, and perhaps I will be looking back on this time wistfully once the deep cold of winter sets in, but for now the impending frostiness sounds great because all the mud will freeze. I have gotten great use out of my pair of brown dress pants this week.

This is one of the great things about teaching a non-traditional subject in the schools. I only have each group of kids once a week, so if I wear the same thing it doesn't really matter. Some of the other teachers seem to do the same thing. Our Russian language teacher is known for wearing the same sweater all week, and the I have never seen the Physics teacher without his signature suit coat. It sure saves a lot of time doing laundry.

The kids do it too, based on their class schedule for the day at least. I am sitting in on Russian lessons with the fifth graders and I know exactly what each and every one of them will be wearing for Monday morning classes. They have gym class that day so they all show up in track suits., all perfectly clean and pressed, but always the same.

This is part of the winter ritual it seems. Rotating though a different sets of clothes, many of which you use every day. I have my school set, which is the most formal, though I do at least pick a different dress shirt every day. Then there are my sports clothes, which I use for bball practice in the afternoons, or when I go running. Then there are the “house clothes”, which I use once I get my wood gathered for the evening fire, and my bucket of water to heat up for my “bath”.

Basket ball practice with my 8th grade team, and an AIDS lesson in school.
Thanksgiving having just passed with all its associated craziness, it is kind of nice to have settled back into the routine of things. We did Turkey day in the capitol, with a grand gathering of all the volunteers. We rented out the ball room of one of the hotels, and borrowed their kitchens to whip up a traditional feast. With ex-pat guests from the Embassy, Moldovan PC staff, family and friends, we had quite a group. Nearly 300 this year.

I happily distracted myself in the kitchen for the day, and with a gang of others, successfully roasted up fifteen, twenty+ pound birds with all the necessary trimmings. I can still smell the garlic and cranberries in the clothes that I haven't managed to wash yet.

Other than all that excitement, things have been plugging along here like normal. We are still doing health classes in my school, and I am working on convincing my partner teacher that yes indeed she will be ready next year to go it alone. Hopefully they will keep the subject once I leave.

I am coaching basketball again as well. The program has spread to three teams this year, and hopefully will continue to grow once I manage to get some local teachers involved. We got a grant from the Embassy last year to buy some sports equipment, so the kids are much more excited about things this time around. They also finally fixed the gym floor so we don't have to worry about falling through all the time.

It really is sad to see all that they used to have here, and the condition it all is in after years of being neglected due to lack of funding. They hadn't bought new sports equipment in 6 years. It is just crazy. They don't even teach half of what is in the curriculum for many subjects, mostly because they don't have the books or the materials.

I am trying to help with all that as well, and am working with various groups to try and teach them about grant writing. It is slow going though, as most just want a hand out, and don't realize that all the villages that get funding for major projects have done so by meticulously planning and searching for aid. They are also picky about who they put in charge of things and keep an eye on where all the money goes. Corruption is a major problem, and frequently a set of text books turns into a new car for a school director or a house addition for a mayor.

Our soon to be roasted birds practice their synchronized "brining".

There was a flame written in a major publication last year about the “incredible waste” that Peace Corps represents. It stated that most of our communities would be better off just receiving the money that it costs to support a volunteer for two years. I of course was livid when I read it back then, but now see the truth in an even stronger light. Hand outs just breed dependence, and don't really teach folks how to pull themselves up from the mire. Especially here, in a post soviet country where there almost seems to be a continuing backlash against communism which prevents folks from taking part in civic projects. I really feel they do need a catalyst for the outside to spur them on to do more than complain. Plus, if a group of folks have trouble getting a grant proposal together, how are they going to get major infrastructure projects accomplished. There are certainly folks in the villages capable of the work, but on a grass roots level things are a bit lacking. Thus an organization like PC comes in to help fill in the gaps, not just in funds, but in knowledge. I can't say that we are all perfect, or that we are even successful in achieving our goals, but I feel it is a darn sight better than just throwing money at the problem.

Moldova is indeed a poor country, GDP $880.00 (the extreme poverty line is $876.00). While things are certainly better here than in Africa, rural China, and the war torn middle east, they still aren't making much progress. The sad thing is that this country isn't ahead of where it was 20 years ago. It is behind. I get ticked at Moldovans all the time for complaining about how poor they are, especially taking a look at all the things they have access to and comparing in to conditions in third world countries. I have to realize their perspective though. Twenty years ago they had street lights, paved roads, functioning hospitals, state sponsored vacations, solid educational systems, and typically a personal monthly financial excess (granted, this was partly because there was nothing to buy). Thus, it is indeed depressing to look at their crumbling infrastructure and realize what this place used to be. It wasn't perfect, but where on this planet do you really find perfection.

This point was really driven home when I went to visit a former student at his boarding school last week. His mom is a colleague of mine, and they invited me along for the trip. His school is still impressive, but not nearly what it used to be. The dorms are 1/3 full, where they used to be overflowing with international students. The “great” conditions they touted for the students wouldn't even pass health code in the states. Not a single toilet has a seat in the bathrooms, and most of the water and electrical systems looked on the verge of collapse. Everything was neat and tidy as could be, and painted over to hide the years of neglect, but a sense of sadness and loss surrounds the faculty and facilities. I'm sure he will receive a good education there, but it makes me wonder what would be possible if they had the money to really do right by their students.

Thus, I am rapidly closing in on the end of my service, and just now realizing what it is that can be done to help people find their bootstraps. Too bad we can't all realize all the truths and realities when we first arrive in country. The time remaining feels too short.