Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, my Grandmother, to all of my friends (you know who you are), and especially to my daughter, who has made me the mother I am today. Here in Moldova, they celebrate the Day of Women in the beginning of March. The holiday here is mostly focused on mothers' as well, but is a carry-over from the Soviet era and is a much more general holiday to celebrate all women . Here the men mostly buy flowers and visit their female relatives, and there are concerts that celebrate all things feminine. I don't think that there are a lot of gifts bought, and from my observations, the women still did all of the meal preparations on that day.
Some of the questions that I have gotten from family, friends and other interested people I will try to answer now:
How did I decide on which host family to live with? Well, it was pretty easy for me. The first family that I stayed with were close in age to me, a little older, children grown and living in Chisinau, they had hosted a volunteer in the past and were familiar with Peace Corps. The other family was also very nice. They had three young children, ages 5, 11, and 17, and cows and goats. There was much greater activity at that home and everyone was nice. I know myself and my need for quiet time. I felt that it would be easier for me to live in the quieter home. All the volunteers that I have spoken with have suggested that it is more important to follow your "gut" than to look for amenities, or any particular "thing", when choosing a family. The original living arrangement is for a minimum of six months, but many volunteers stay in the same arrangement for the full two years of service. It is always possible to move if you are truly unhappy, but I don't see that happening in my case.
What is some of the history of Moldova? I am certainly not an expert in this area, so please read the following with caution, knowing that I have already put out the disclaimer that I am sort of an idiot about this, and clearly not the best person to talk to about this, but here goes: When you look at the map of Eastern Europe, it is easy to see how Moldova has been a pawn of Kings and rulers throughout history. It is in the center of many things in some ways, but far from the centers of power over time. For example, long, long ago, Moldova was invaded by the Romans, hence the strong Romanian/Latin language base. Moldova is far from Rome. After that, it was a part of the Ottoman Empire. Moldova is far from Istanbul/Constantinople. Then there was a long period of time where it was closely aligned with Romania, with sovereignty. It is not that close to Bucharest, although we are getting warmer. At the close of World War 2, Moldova was a part of the Warsaw Pact, and was turned over to the Soviet Union as part of that treaty to end the war. Moscow is far from Moldova. During this time, many of the Moldovan people were caught in the middle of political decisions in which they had little input. There are strong feelings here about language as a symbol of national pride and identity. It is part of the reason that it is so important for volunteers to learn Romanian. In the village where I am living, I believe that almost everyone over the age of 5 or 6 is at least bi-lingual, in Romanian and Russian, and most everyone also knows at least conversational Ukrainian before they are out of school. It is amazing to me, as I struggle to learn just the Romanian. I find that I am able to say a very few words in Russian, but I am not sure I will learn the Cyrillic alphabet in the 2 years I am here.
How poor is Moldova? It is very poor financially, but the people are rich in spirit and their generosity. "If you have no money you are poor financially, if you have no dreams, you are truly poor". If that is a true saying, then Moldova is not poor. Everyone here has dreams for a better life, for themselves, their families, and for the country. The average annual income for a Moldovan worker is about $2000. The average pension for an elderly person is about $40/mo. The greatest source of income for most families is from someone in the family who is working abroad. Almost everyone I have met has someone in their family who has traveled to another country, Italy, Portugal, Russia being the more common countries, and is sending money home. I have been really amazed at the number of teenagers who are living independently of their parents, and who get money sent to them from abroad. They manage to pay the bills and take care of themselves and the family home. Most teens that I have met here are extremely polite, mature, and respectful. I am constantly impressed by them.
Right now, I am not aware of any English clubs in Chisinau. I did put a notice up on the bulletin board in the Peace Corps office, and asked that if anyone is aware of any of these clubs that they email you directly.
Keep your questions coming. Now that I have finished my formal training I have more time to communicate with other, both from home and here in my village. Enjoy the rest of this Sunday, and know that miss you all. XOXO, Jami
Some of the questions that I have gotten from family, friends and other interested people I will try to answer now:
How did I decide on which host family to live with? Well, it was pretty easy for me. The first family that I stayed with were close in age to me, a little older, children grown and living in Chisinau, they had hosted a volunteer in the past and were familiar with Peace Corps. The other family was also very nice. They had three young children, ages 5, 11, and 17, and cows and goats. There was much greater activity at that home and everyone was nice. I know myself and my need for quiet time. I felt that it would be easier for me to live in the quieter home. All the volunteers that I have spoken with have suggested that it is more important to follow your "gut" than to look for amenities, or any particular "thing", when choosing a family. The original living arrangement is for a minimum of six months, but many volunteers stay in the same arrangement for the full two years of service. It is always possible to move if you are truly unhappy, but I don't see that happening in my case.
What is some of the history of Moldova? I am certainly not an expert in this area, so please read the following with caution, knowing that I have already put out the disclaimer that I am sort of an idiot about this, and clearly not the best person to talk to about this, but here goes: When you look at the map of Eastern Europe, it is easy to see how Moldova has been a pawn of Kings and rulers throughout history. It is in the center of many things in some ways, but far from the centers of power over time. For example, long, long ago, Moldova was invaded by the Romans, hence the strong Romanian/Latin language base. Moldova is far from Rome. After that, it was a part of the Ottoman Empire. Moldova is far from Istanbul/Constantinople. Then there was a long period of time where it was closely aligned with Romania, with sovereignty. It is not that close to Bucharest, although we are getting warmer. At the close of World War 2, Moldova was a part of the Warsaw Pact, and was turned over to the Soviet Union as part of that treaty to end the war. Moscow is far from Moldova. During this time, many of the Moldovan people were caught in the middle of political decisions in which they had little input. There are strong feelings here about language as a symbol of national pride and identity. It is part of the reason that it is so important for volunteers to learn Romanian. In the village where I am living, I believe that almost everyone over the age of 5 or 6 is at least bi-lingual, in Romanian and Russian, and most everyone also knows at least conversational Ukrainian before they are out of school. It is amazing to me, as I struggle to learn just the Romanian. I find that I am able to say a very few words in Russian, but I am not sure I will learn the Cyrillic alphabet in the 2 years I am here.
How poor is Moldova? It is very poor financially, but the people are rich in spirit and their generosity. "If you have no money you are poor financially, if you have no dreams, you are truly poor". If that is a true saying, then Moldova is not poor. Everyone here has dreams for a better life, for themselves, their families, and for the country. The average annual income for a Moldovan worker is about $2000. The average pension for an elderly person is about $40/mo. The greatest source of income for most families is from someone in the family who is working abroad. Almost everyone I have met has someone in their family who has traveled to another country, Italy, Portugal, Russia being the more common countries, and is sending money home. I have been really amazed at the number of teenagers who are living independently of their parents, and who get money sent to them from abroad. They manage to pay the bills and take care of themselves and the family home. Most teens that I have met here are extremely polite, mature, and respectful. I am constantly impressed by them.
Right now, I am not aware of any English clubs in Chisinau. I did put a notice up on the bulletin board in the Peace Corps office, and asked that if anyone is aware of any of these clubs that they email you directly.
Keep your questions coming. Now that I have finished my formal training I have more time to communicate with other, both from home and here in my village. Enjoy the rest of this Sunday, and know that miss you all. XOXO, Jami
posted by Jami | 1:02 PM
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