Snowy Solstice
The shortest day of the year, already getting dark here at 3:40. Actually, the sun hasn't been out all week. Dreary, dreary weather. This morning I went out for a walk in the fog. By the time I got home, it had changed from misty fog, to freezing rain, and then into snow, with the snow being best of all. I think it has stopped now, without too much accumulation. At least there is not as much snow here as Maine is getting right now.
There has been "real" work to do everyday now, and that is such a welcome thing. I have gotten so good at being busy at created work, that there has been a little bit of an adjustment in finding enough time to do the real work! By Wednesday morning when I went to work there was finally both heat and hot water at the Center. The residents, both the girls and the women all seem to be adjusting well. I have been spending much more time with the little girls. It is much easier to communicate with them and they like to play (and so do I!). There is Maria, Julia, Luba, Vera, Luminita, and Sveta. Maria and Julia are sisters, as are Luba and Vera. They are all so cute, and I look forward to going to work to see them everyday. This week I am planning to spend more time with the older residents. It is harder for me, as they tend to prefer to speak Russian. I am learning some Russian phrases and the Cyrillic alphabet, but it is enough of a challenge to spend the whole day speaking Romanian. I keep working it, so it gets better, but it is still one of the hardest parts of this experience for me.
Yesterday I spent the day in Chisinau. There were two meetings that I attended: One for the Model United Nations program (MUN). My partner is hoping to coach a team to send to the regional competition. This is a program that past Peace Corps volunteers have spear-headed. They also have been involved in bringing Odyssey of the Mind (OM) to Moldova, along with sport teams, mostly basketball and baseball competitions; summer camps, and a whole bunch of other "secondary" activities, like the English clubs that I have been doing here in my village. The problem with secondary activities is figuring out how to make them sustainable after the volunteer leaves a community. The MUN program is in the process of moving from being a totally Peace Corps sponsored activity to one that includes more Moldovan people in the planning and implementation of this activity. The volunteers who are organizing the competition are working with the Ministry of Education to see that it has broader support within the existing educational programs. I am not an organizer, but am willing to help support this activity in my town, with my partner as a coach. We'll see how it goes. The other meeting that I attended was for the Peer Support Network (PSN). I think Peace Corps loves acronyms more than any other organization I have ever work for! Anyway, PSN is a group of volunteers who get together to figure out ways to support the larger PC community. Overall, I think its a nice idea, and although this group is a little loose in structure, it is well-intentioned and with some interesting discussions and interpretations of what constitutes support.
After these two meetings, the PSN group sponsored a little holiday gathering, which I did not stick around for. I gathered up my package, (thanks, Mom and Dad!) visited briefly with Rian and had some home-made chili, went to the piata for some oranges and hot chocolate and was on the bus home at 5. The difference in daylight between June and now is probably close to 8 hours. This summer it was light in the mornings when I got on the bus at 5 am, and was still light long after I would get home after 8 pm. Yesterday it was just getting light when I arrived in Chisinau after 8:30 am, and was dark before I got on the bus to come back to my village at 5 pm. Oh well. Now they are getting longer, and that's what I hold on to.
This week I will be working all week. No Christmas here until January, and no plans to do anything special, except open my packages. That will be special enough. I am thinking of you all, and hope that everyone has a really wonderful and special holiday. Miss you and will be with you all in spirit, XOXO Jami
There has been "real" work to do everyday now, and that is such a welcome thing. I have gotten so good at being busy at created work, that there has been a little bit of an adjustment in finding enough time to do the real work! By Wednesday morning when I went to work there was finally both heat and hot water at the Center. The residents, both the girls and the women all seem to be adjusting well. I have been spending much more time with the little girls. It is much easier to communicate with them and they like to play (and so do I!). There is Maria, Julia, Luba, Vera, Luminita, and Sveta. Maria and Julia are sisters, as are Luba and Vera. They are all so cute, and I look forward to going to work to see them everyday. This week I am planning to spend more time with the older residents. It is harder for me, as they tend to prefer to speak Russian. I am learning some Russian phrases and the Cyrillic alphabet, but it is enough of a challenge to spend the whole day speaking Romanian. I keep working it, so it gets better, but it is still one of the hardest parts of this experience for me.
Yesterday I spent the day in Chisinau. There were two meetings that I attended: One for the Model United Nations program (MUN). My partner is hoping to coach a team to send to the regional competition. This is a program that past Peace Corps volunteers have spear-headed. They also have been involved in bringing Odyssey of the Mind (OM) to Moldova, along with sport teams, mostly basketball and baseball competitions; summer camps, and a whole bunch of other "secondary" activities, like the English clubs that I have been doing here in my village. The problem with secondary activities is figuring out how to make them sustainable after the volunteer leaves a community. The MUN program is in the process of moving from being a totally Peace Corps sponsored activity to one that includes more Moldovan people in the planning and implementation of this activity. The volunteers who are organizing the competition are working with the Ministry of Education to see that it has broader support within the existing educational programs. I am not an organizer, but am willing to help support this activity in my town, with my partner as a coach. We'll see how it goes. The other meeting that I attended was for the Peer Support Network (PSN). I think Peace Corps loves acronyms more than any other organization I have ever work for! Anyway, PSN is a group of volunteers who get together to figure out ways to support the larger PC community. Overall, I think its a nice idea, and although this group is a little loose in structure, it is well-intentioned and with some interesting discussions and interpretations of what constitutes support.
After these two meetings, the PSN group sponsored a little holiday gathering, which I did not stick around for. I gathered up my package, (thanks, Mom and Dad!) visited briefly with Rian and had some home-made chili, went to the piata for some oranges and hot chocolate and was on the bus home at 5. The difference in daylight between June and now is probably close to 8 hours. This summer it was light in the mornings when I got on the bus at 5 am, and was still light long after I would get home after 8 pm. Yesterday it was just getting light when I arrived in Chisinau after 8:30 am, and was dark before I got on the bus to come back to my village at 5 pm. Oh well. Now they are getting longer, and that's what I hold on to.
This week I will be working all week. No Christmas here until January, and no plans to do anything special, except open my packages. That will be special enough. I am thinking of you all, and hope that everyone has a really wonderful and special holiday. Miss you and will be with you all in spirit, XOXO Jami
posted by Jami | 8:41 AM
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