Questions and answers
Here are some more questions about Moldova, and my time here, along with my answers. Again, as the disclaimer states at the top of this page, these are my reflections and do not reflect the Peace Corps in any way, except that I am here because of my volunteer status.
1. What kinds of cars do people drive? I have seen mostly Volkswagen's, Lada's (a Russian car), Skoda's (another Russian car), Mercedes and Volvo's. Also, many, many more people seem to have horses and wagons for field work although there doesn't seem to be a problem driving any car into any field. Most of the cars here are well used, and the majority have at least one broken windshield, and many have shattered glass in both the front and back windows. This is also true for almost all of the buses I have ridden in as well. I don't believe that there can be an inspection process in Moldova based upon what I see driving on the roads here.
2. What do people eat there? How is the food? Cabbage is a daily staple here. I have had it almost everyday since arriving, prepared in more ways than I thought possible. Cabbage is followed closely in popularity by potatoes. The food here is generally pretty good. This time of year the eating is easier, as all produce is organic and healthy all the time. There is a homemade cheese called Brinza, made from cow, goat or sheep milk that is pretty good, and offered up daily. This week I have been eating fresh peas and raspberries from the garden, along with cabbage and potatoes. Moldovans in the village typically eat their big (hot)meal in the middle of the day. Today it was roasted potatoes and a chicken leg. The chicken was running around in the hen house last week.
3. Is there television? What do people watch? Yes, there is television everywhere. There are satellite dishes and antennas everywhere in the village. If people use an antenna, as they do here at this house, the best reception in this part of Moldova is exclusively Russian speaking, with sub-titles into Ukrainian. The programming here is coming out of Odessa for the most part. Where I was living before there was much more Romanian television available. I don't watch television much at home, so I don't miss it here. I did watch some parts of "Freaky Friday" and "Home Alone" in Russian.
4. What kinds of trees/flowers/plants do people grow? The gardens here are amazing, and every family has a house garden where they grow both flowers and vegetables. There are fruit trees in every yard. Here at this house there are several variations of cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, and of course grapes everywhere. In addition to the house garden, many people also have a field garden out of town, where they grow corn, melons, pumpkins and other vegetables. Every household preserves fruits and vegetables to eat year round. I am told that winter eating is a lot of pickled food. Almost every house has a "betch", or root cellar, and things are kept there. The trees and flowers are very similar to the US. The catalpa trees are flowering now. In addition to the fruit trees there are walnut and chestnut trees. Flowers are everywhere, and everyone here loves to give and receive flowers. The children are not discouraged from picking public flowers and flowers are offered up at most public events.
5. What do you like best? I like eating healthy food all the time. I like when the sun shines. I like practicing a new language. I like meeting new people. I like walking everywhere.
6. What are you going to do after the Peace Corps? Too soon to know for sure.
7. Have you been to the Church? I was in the church in Magdacesti at Orthodox Easter, but have not attended a full length service. The Orthodox service last several hours on a Sunday and there are no pews. People stand for hours. I am not that curious about it.
8. Will you be able to vote? Yes. I participated in the Maine caucus before I left home, and I plan to vote.
9. Are you taking care of yourself? Yes, of course I am. My physical health is better than it has been in many, many years. My emotional health is not as solid, but I am strong enough to figure out what I need to do to maintain that as well. No one need worry about me.
10. What do you miss most? Family, friends, familiar routines, soaking in a hot tub, getting my hair and nails done!
11. What have you been reading? Lots and lots of stuff. The Peace Corps library has a good selection. I will try to add a listing of books read to this blog sometime soon, along with uploading all my picture. I still have a long list of things to do here, both professionally and personally!
12. What are people like there? The people here are like people everywhere. Mostly hardworking, dedicated family folks. There are some very traditional roles that are played out within this village. Men do not usually acknowledge women in public, and many more men than women are outside of the house. Women are pretty closely tied to the home and house work. Men seem to be out and about with much more freedom, but that also might be true everywhere.
So that is it for the questions that I have gotten recently. I wanted to acknowledge that today is John's birthday. He would have been 54 today, matching the year of his birth. Even after all these years there is an void left by his decision that can never be filled. I now wear his loneliness like a crown of thorns; A martyr to the emptiness that he left. It is hard for both Linnea and for me to figure out ways to fill that loss. I know that given the choice a few months ago, I listened to my head and not my heart. I ran, when every emotional cell in my body wanted to stay in Maine and see what the journey there might bring. My favorite defense mechanisms have always been escapism and rationalization, and it was easy enough to rationalize this Peace Corps decision as a thoughtful one. I had thought about it for years, that is a fact. What I was never prepared for was to rationalize was the way that decision has allowed my loneliness to fester. John taught me that it is easier in many ways to be the one leaving, rather than the one left behind; to be the one who pushes away, rather than face any inevitable rejection. I'm the one who left, against what my emotions wanted, believing that my brain was stronger than my heart. Today I am not so sure that is true. I hope that someone goes and puts flowers on his grave and remembers what a good man he was.
1. What kinds of cars do people drive? I have seen mostly Volkswagen's, Lada's (a Russian car), Skoda's (another Russian car), Mercedes and Volvo's. Also, many, many more people seem to have horses and wagons for field work although there doesn't seem to be a problem driving any car into any field. Most of the cars here are well used, and the majority have at least one broken windshield, and many have shattered glass in both the front and back windows. This is also true for almost all of the buses I have ridden in as well. I don't believe that there can be an inspection process in Moldova based upon what I see driving on the roads here.
2. What do people eat there? How is the food? Cabbage is a daily staple here. I have had it almost everyday since arriving, prepared in more ways than I thought possible. Cabbage is followed closely in popularity by potatoes. The food here is generally pretty good. This time of year the eating is easier, as all produce is organic and healthy all the time. There is a homemade cheese called Brinza, made from cow, goat or sheep milk that is pretty good, and offered up daily. This week I have been eating fresh peas and raspberries from the garden, along with cabbage and potatoes. Moldovans in the village typically eat their big (hot)meal in the middle of the day. Today it was roasted potatoes and a chicken leg. The chicken was running around in the hen house last week.
3. Is there television? What do people watch? Yes, there is television everywhere. There are satellite dishes and antennas everywhere in the village. If people use an antenna, as they do here at this house, the best reception in this part of Moldova is exclusively Russian speaking, with sub-titles into Ukrainian. The programming here is coming out of Odessa for the most part. Where I was living before there was much more Romanian television available. I don't watch television much at home, so I don't miss it here. I did watch some parts of "Freaky Friday" and "Home Alone" in Russian.
4. What kinds of trees/flowers/plants do people grow? The gardens here are amazing, and every family has a house garden where they grow both flowers and vegetables. There are fruit trees in every yard. Here at this house there are several variations of cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, and of course grapes everywhere. In addition to the house garden, many people also have a field garden out of town, where they grow corn, melons, pumpkins and other vegetables. Every household preserves fruits and vegetables to eat year round. I am told that winter eating is a lot of pickled food. Almost every house has a "betch", or root cellar, and things are kept there. The trees and flowers are very similar to the US. The catalpa trees are flowering now. In addition to the fruit trees there are walnut and chestnut trees. Flowers are everywhere, and everyone here loves to give and receive flowers. The children are not discouraged from picking public flowers and flowers are offered up at most public events.
5. What do you like best? I like eating healthy food all the time. I like when the sun shines. I like practicing a new language. I like meeting new people. I like walking everywhere.
6. What are you going to do after the Peace Corps? Too soon to know for sure.
7. Have you been to the Church? I was in the church in Magdacesti at Orthodox Easter, but have not attended a full length service. The Orthodox service last several hours on a Sunday and there are no pews. People stand for hours. I am not that curious about it.
8. Will you be able to vote? Yes. I participated in the Maine caucus before I left home, and I plan to vote.
9. Are you taking care of yourself? Yes, of course I am. My physical health is better than it has been in many, many years. My emotional health is not as solid, but I am strong enough to figure out what I need to do to maintain that as well. No one need worry about me.
10. What do you miss most? Family, friends, familiar routines, soaking in a hot tub, getting my hair and nails done!
11. What have you been reading? Lots and lots of stuff. The Peace Corps library has a good selection. I will try to add a listing of books read to this blog sometime soon, along with uploading all my picture. I still have a long list of things to do here, both professionally and personally!
12. What are people like there? The people here are like people everywhere. Mostly hardworking, dedicated family folks. There are some very traditional roles that are played out within this village. Men do not usually acknowledge women in public, and many more men than women are outside of the house. Women are pretty closely tied to the home and house work. Men seem to be out and about with much more freedom, but that also might be true everywhere.
So that is it for the questions that I have gotten recently. I wanted to acknowledge that today is John's birthday. He would have been 54 today, matching the year of his birth. Even after all these years there is an void left by his decision that can never be filled. I now wear his loneliness like a crown of thorns; A martyr to the emptiness that he left. It is hard for both Linnea and for me to figure out ways to fill that loss. I know that given the choice a few months ago, I listened to my head and not my heart. I ran, when every emotional cell in my body wanted to stay in Maine and see what the journey there might bring. My favorite defense mechanisms have always been escapism and rationalization, and it was easy enough to rationalize this Peace Corps decision as a thoughtful one. I had thought about it for years, that is a fact. What I was never prepared for was to rationalize was the way that decision has allowed my loneliness to fester. John taught me that it is easier in many ways to be the one leaving, rather than the one left behind; to be the one who pushes away, rather than face any inevitable rejection. I'm the one who left, against what my emotions wanted, believing that my brain was stronger than my heart. Today I am not so sure that is true. I hope that someone goes and puts flowers on his grave and remembers what a good man he was.
posted by Jami | 6:24 AM
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