tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61581563168484477912024-02-18T21:02:09.002-05:00Dreams and schemesJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-78031348621491640862011-04-28T13:16:00.002-04:002011-04-28T13:27:10.147-04:00The end of AprilIn two days, April, 2011, will be over. When I updated this blog last month, I was wanting to make a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">stronger</span> commitment to regular writing. That has not come to pass. Instead, my days have been busy with work and family, struggling to figure out how to do the same things with continued enthusiasm. I am content most days, but there are parts of almost everyday that encompass some sort of struggle. Here are the big highlights of the past month, not one of which is really mine to own, but each highlight is listed because it is an accomplishment of someone that I care about. My daughter and son-in-law have moved out of my home and are moving into their own apartment. This was not really an easy decision for any of us, and it is now feeling more comfortable than it felt a few weeks ago. Moving out. My friend and her husband will be moving to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Azerbaijan</span>, where she will become a Country Director for Peace Corps. Moving up. My grandmother is now safely back in NY, and doing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">phenomenally</span> well once again, at 93, after another health scare in Mississippi. Moving on. My days are busy with work and worry, friends and fun. Just <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">keepin</span>' on, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">keepin</span>' on. Short and sweet, and I'll try to get back to you all sooner. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">xoxo</span>, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-64996096558872472052011-03-20T14:12:00.002-04:002011-03-20T14:36:24.410-04:00Spring!Last night there was an amazing full moon, and today is the first full day of Spring! The days are longer and the sun is warmer. Its all good, and very welcome. Last week was stressful for me, on a couple of levels, and the time to think and relax this weekend was so welcome and needed. I have moved back into a job at Sweetser that is very similar to the job that I had before I left, supervising case managers. I like my job, and I am always grateful to be working. That doesn't mean that it doesn't get stressful sometimes. I am spending more time in a vehicle than I have in probably close to three years, and I have to say, that as much as I have always loved driving, I really don't seem to like it as much as I used to. For so long, and the whole time I was in Moldova, I spent most of my time walking, or riding on public transportation. Maybe it would be a little less stressful if I had a vehicle that I loved to spend time in, but I am not convinced that it would even make much of a difference. Walking just seems to be my preferred way to get around now. Oh, it would be wonderful to have a job that I could walk to everyday!<br /><br />So, the past week was stressful. Driving, combined with the weather, which was not Spring-like at all, worry about the sorry state of affairs all over the world, worry about Japan and the feeling that Armegeddon is near, all contributed to a really stressed out kind of week. By Friday afternoon, after being tired and grumpy for a few days, I was ready to just collapse. I spent the evening totally alone in my own home....something that has not happened for over three years. It was heavenly!! It was an opportunity for me to remember how wonderful solitude is for my soul. I love my life, my family, my man. I need quiet to restore my energy. I had spent time being upset that I felt that I was not being included in an activity that I thought I wanted to participate in. My emotions had been feeling hurt. People at home were not treating me as I felt I needed to be treated...what I came to realize in my solitude is that what I needed was not to be with others, but to be good with myself. Its good when you get what you need for yourself. So now, the beginning of the first week of Spring. New growth, new life, warmer sunnier days on the horizon. All is good in the world, or at least in this little corner of the world. Hope all is well with you! xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-42482714894717904202011-03-06T14:19:00.002-05:002011-03-06T15:02:07.011-05:00Where to begin?It's a rainy Sunday afternoon, the first Sunday in March, 2011. This week it will mark a year since I have been home, a year of change back to my "normal" life, and a time of re-adjustment back to my familiar routines. I last wrote on here just about 10 months ago, in the middle of May. After coming home, I spent a little over two months living with Bob, and his family, on Bailey Island, before being able to move back into my own home. We went hiking, took long walks and spent an unseasonably warm Spring enjoying life along the Maine coast. By mid-June, I was back at work with my previous employer, this time as a per diem Assessment clinician. The Summer and Fall were punctuated by visits from my PCV friends, Macie and Craig in early July, and Renell in mid-September. Fall went by quickly, with LL Bean seasonal work, third shift as a "picker" to accompany my regular work, leading to the holiday season. The first Christmas home was poignantly sweet. It was everything I had missed over the previous two Christmases'. There was no special gift, either given or received, that could replace the happiness of being home.<br /><br />January and February have brought nothing special to write about. The days are getting longer, the sun is higher in the sky, and I am now a full-time, salaried employee, back doing the work I was doing for the same organization as I was when I left three years ago. The more things change, the more they stay the same. But, I have changed. I have been writing to the new volunteer who is placed in my old village in Moldova. I have a new friend who just left last week to start his Peace Corps service in Madagascar. I am proud of my service. I am even happier to be done with it and home than I had imagined I would be. I am wondering what the next adventures might look like. I am back to writing, and hope that I will be able to do this more consistently. Keep in touch. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-46459940904481242182010-05-16T08:13:00.002-04:002010-05-16T08:43:45.922-04:00Back again!It's hard to believe how time has flown by...I've been back in the US now for just over two months and the time has gone by so quickly. I have spent time with family and friends, visiting, hiking, and now it is time to get down to some serious job searching.<br /><br />The time visiting has been so wonderful. Being away from my family and friends was, by far, the most difficult part of being away for over two years. I've not done anything spectacular since being home, but just getting to spend time with the people that I love most in this world has been spectacular. I have spent some time in Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire and most of the time in Maine. This past week, my beloved Uncle and Godfather, Harold, died in New York state. I was not able to be with him at the very end, but I was glad to have been able to see him a few weeks ago. My grandmother is doing well, and continues to be such an inspiration to me. My father-in-law celebrated his 90th birthday this week, and the family is planning a party for later today in Pennsylvania. Even though I have not been present at some of these events, I do feel more connected by proximity than I have in the past few years. It does feel so good to be closer to the pleople that I love. Yesterday Linnea and I spent the day with my parents, and my sister and her youngest boy, Daniel. I was able to talk to my brother before he set sail this morning from St. Croix to Boston. It is priceless to me to be able to do that.<br /><br />My home in Maine has been rented to some Bowdoin students who are ending the semester this week, and it will feel so good to feel settled back in my own space. It has been a bit of a challenge to have been "floating" from place to place for an additional two months, but the end of the nomadic life is within sight. I know I am feeling the pull to get back to the routine of home, job, family, and regular daily responsibilities.<br /><br />Some of the time these past two months have been spent hiking on the Appalachian Trail in Maine with my good friend, Bob. It has been a time of exploration of some of the most beautiful and challenging landscape in the the country. We have hiked through snow, ice, and thawing mountains. We have seen the earliest signs of Spring in the hills, and spent quiet times by the fire. It has been the adventure that I imagined it could be, and I am so grateful that we have been able to do this. It is much more abbreviated than I had originally hoped, or even planned for, but even the best of times exist within the reality of expense and time constraints.<br /><br />So, now it is time for the return to my "normal" life. I can't wait to see what comes next. I will continue to write here, perhaps more sporadically. There are still observations and musings that I imagine that I might want to share with all of you. See you soon. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-34991213341765103582010-03-08T06:48:00.002-05:002010-03-08T07:18:36.980-05:00BusyAs I am winding down, ending this part of my life here in Moldova, I have found myself to be very busy this past week. Its not been anything major, just a lot of little details and long trips on the bus which have filled my days. Last Sunday I was in Chisinau, returning in the afternoon. Monday I was here in the village and updated this blog. Tuesday and Wednesday brought a trip back into Chisinau for medical appointments, and a last night with Macie and Craig. Wednesday afternoon it was back to the village, work on Thursday, return to Chisinau on Friday morning for the weekend, returning last night to have a pizza party with my co-worker at the Center, Nadea. Nothing major, but a lots of running around.<br /><br />The events of this past weekend included a wine tour on Friday afternoon, a visit to my training village on Friday night with Toumil and Veronica, and a party with Teresa and about ten other volunteers on Saturday night. It was good to go back to my training village. Maria and her daughters, whom I lived with during my training time, have moved to Italy and were not around, so it was a little sad not to see them to say good-bye. Veronica's host family hosted the three of us for the night, and we had so much fun! We woke up to about 6" of wet, Spring snow on the ground. It was pretty, but I am ready for Spring! It has been cold since the weekend, so the warm weather of last week was a tease.<br /><br />For those of you who remember the pre-service journey and time it took to get medically cleared for this service, it should come as no surprise that I am once again having some trouble with getting my medical stuff in-line to go home. As it was then, there is not a big problem, just lots of little things, and an ongoing requirement for more information before all the signatures will be given. This is not a huge thing, as I am healthy now as I was healthy then, but it does require more attention than I thought it would, and in this case, might require some follow-up once I am home. Just some details that need to be attended to when I thought an easy sign-off might be forthcoming. I'll still be home on Friday!<br /><br />So now I am in the process of letting go, saying good-bye, moving on and back to my more familiar life and options. It is a contemplative process for me, as many things are. It is not as much about the packing, or the worry about what is next. I am mostly packed, and have been for a while. I don't worry too much about what is next. This experience has reinforced my existing values and taught me in new ways to be grateful for all that I have and not to worry about the details of my existence so much. I can't wait to be home with all of you, and I am trusting in my own self-perseverance that I will be happy and busy where I need to be. This has been a great experience, I am so fortunate to have been able to do this, meet the people that I have met, and pushed myself out of a comfort zone into a new experience. While I haven't loved every minute of it, that has had much more to do with missing people from home than not being useful and productive here. I am glad that I have done it, and I guess more importantly, I am proud of myself that I have stuck with the difficult things when I wanted to quit. I am leaving here with a sense of satisfaction. That feels good.<br /><br />This week is shaping up to be busier than last week, and the next post here will be from home. I can't wait to see all of you! See you soon...FOUR DAYS!!!!!!!!! xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-71441761292460541712010-03-01T11:38:00.002-05:002010-03-01T12:23:09.747-05:00The third MartişorThis week marks the beginning of the third year, or better stated, the anniversary of two full years here in Moldova. It has mostly been a good time, and now I am ready to come home. So ready. This past week I approached the Country Director, Jeffrey, about an earlier date to come home. There was a sense that the time that I have had here, while fulfilling and positive, will never replace my need to be with my family. It is the piece which has been hardest for me over the past two years, and the thing which was actually most surprising to me. I expected to miss my family, but not really as much as I have. There have been times, and events which have happened without my being home, without my supporting the people who mean the most in the world to me, and I have struggled with my absence from them.<br /><br />Fortunately, my request was met with understanding and support. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Yay</span>! What that means, is that I will be coming home NEXT Friday evening, instead of the middle of April! Portland, Maine, here I come!!! I'm not sure exactly what is next for me after landing, but I will land on my feet somewhere. I will be home, closer to my family and loved ones, and that is what matters most.<br /><br />That is the big news for the week. The past few days have been busy, busier than I have been in quite a while, as I pack, tie up loose ends, and prepare to finish all of the tasks that I thought I would have six weeks to do, and are now condensed into two weeks. Now, less than two weeks. I did a flurry of paperwork last week before even speaking with Jeffrey, so the majority of the paperwork is done, but there are still so many last minute bureaucratic things that must be put into place...<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">t's</span> crossed, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">i's</span> dotted, all of it. It will get done, for sure, but it does involve regular trips between the village and the capital to see that it all falls into place. Which is time-consuming in its own way, given the buses here.<br /><br />This past week-end I had a planned week-end visit to Jen, who lives in the village two villages away from me. She is my closest volunteer neighbor, and we had planned this weekend a while ago, long before I knew of my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">expedited</span> trip home. It was a blast. First, it was really nice weather on Friday. It felt like Spring. I packed up my backpack and walked to her village, about seventeen kilometers. A nice walk. A nice day. Teresa and Sarah came down from Chisinau to join us. California rolls, tempura veggies and sweet and sour sauce. Yummy. Oh, and lots of house wine. Saturday was much colder, and another gray day. We mostly just sat around, talked, giggled, watched movies, and then a traditional Moldovan <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">masa</span> at the end of the day. Yesterday it was warmer than Saturday, but not nearly as nice as Friday, and I walked back to my village. A great diversion. A great time. I will miss the friends I have made here.<br /><br />So that was the week that was. Big news, big plans to come home! Happy birthday tomorrow to my nephew, Nathaniel! Ten days!!!!!!!!!! Love and miss you all. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">xoxo</span>, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-87809589783283469782010-02-22T00:40:00.003-05:002010-02-22T09:52:53.366-05:00Close of ServiceMost of this past week was spent together with the wonderful group that is Moldova 22. The Peace Corps staff here did a fantastic job finding a really nice resort for our three day Close of Service (COS) conference. Comfortable beds, hot showers, lots of food and drink...and the best group of colleagues in the whole world! It was a couple of days filled with memories, planning for the future, and just enjoying the satisfaction of a job well done. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Yay</span> for us!! There are 22 of us out of the 29 who left Philadelphia, and it was so amazing to spend time with these great people and also to remember those who didn't quite make it to the end. Aaron, Cameron, Rose, Andrea, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rian</span>, John, and Justin were missed and remembered this week. They are still a part of our group, and we wish that they had been able to join us at this event. The rest of us toasted them, and our success in making it to this point. There are so many friendships that have developed over this time, and so much professional respect for the commitment that this group has provided to the Republic of Moldova over the past two years. I am so thankful to have stuck with this when I didn't want to, proud of this group, and ready for whatever is next!<br /><br />And, of course, there are a ton of reports, administrative things, medical things, all sorts of things that need to be completed and checked off the list before we can leave. I'll be busy. There are things that I need to finish here in the village, and now find time to fit in all of the other required things in the next 45 days. The pace will probably be closer to what I was used to at home, but its been a while since then and it will be good practice to get back into that pace again!<br /><br />So, back to the paperwork, on with another week of work, focus on the work at hand, and dream about being home and all that the future holds...another week starting. A safe journey this week as my parents return to the cold of New Hampshire, and loving thoughts to Linnea and Joe this week as they are going through a bit of a rough time. I love and miss you all. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">xoxo</span>, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-3525847387600750832010-02-14T13:11:00.003-05:002010-02-14T13:32:44.150-05:00Knitting weekendThis was the weekend for the re-scheduled knitting group. It had been scheduled for two or three weekends ago, and then several people were sick, so it was re-scheduled for this past weekend. It was lots of fun. There were about ten of us, all working on various projects. Almost everyone was knitting, and there were a few of us cross-stitchers in the crowd. I am currently working on a cross-stitch throw for Lidia, and I am now almost done. It is among the things I need to get done before I leave, so it was nice to have this concentrated time for handiwork. It was a nice group of women, and a lot of work was accomplished by all. There were two first time knitters, so it was fun to see them learn. Everyone knits in a different way, so it was a little confusing for the new learners, but they did really well. One of the knitters has learned to knit since coming here, taught by her host mother, so her style is so different! It was fun to visit, and connect with friends. I will never be the knitter that my grandmother and mother are, but it is a very relaxing hobby, for sure. I did start a small scarf, just to break-up my cross-stitching work. I know that is something I can finish and leave here before I come home.<br /><br />Other than the weekend activities, there is not too much going on. Work has been busy, and the weather still mostly gray and very icy. There has been a lot of freezing rain this past week, and today the sun was finally out, and it was warmer. A nice day for a change! I have seen lots and lots of pictures from Pennsylvania this past week, and they have gotten pounded with snow over the past few days, and more is predicted for tomorrow. Yikes!<br /><br />There's not too much else to write about. Happy Valentine's Day! The days are getting longer! Stay warm! I love and miss you all. 53 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-31711325026019978192010-02-07T08:31:00.003-05:002010-02-14T13:11:09.585-05:00What I will missYesterday I was in Chisinau for the day. It was the second to the last VAC meeting, and while the agenda was fairly brief, there were home-made brownies and fresh coffee courtesy of Jeffrey. Just before the meeting I was talking with one of the newer volunteers about our end of service. He asked me what I will miss about Moldova, and I had no hesitation in coming up with several things that I will miss about this country.<br /><br />I will miss living close to my food. Okay, maybe not so close that I know the name of the chicken that we are eating tonight for dinner, but I think you know what I mean. Besides that, they don't name the chickens here at this house. I know it is now an idea that has gained some momentum in the US, but here in my village, people survive on the crops that they plant, and the food that they preserve. It has been a healthy and tasty couple of years for me. Along the same lines, I will miss the time that I have had to walk everyday, and the way that it always makes me feel better, physically and mentally, after a good long walk. I have the best of intentions of continuing with both of these things, and I am hopeful that some of this will stick with me throughout my life.<br /><br />Another thing that I will miss is the crazy efficiency of the public transportation system here in Moldova. I do not care if I never ride on another <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">ruteria</span> again in my life, but it is an amazingly complicated and supportive network of moving people, household items, small animals, and whatever needs to be moved. Wherever you need to go, and whatever you need to take with you, you can probably figure out some public transportation means to move it. It make not be comfortable, or particularly time efficient, but it is effective. We don't really have system of public transportation outside of the bigger cities in the US, except for inter-and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">intra</span>-city travel. If you live in Durham, or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rifton</span>, or Bowers, how do you get to Portland or Kingston or to Reading if you don't have a car? That is the biggest benefit of the system here. There are <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">rutieras</span> that go to every little village in the country. They may only go through once a day, but everyone knows when they need to be outside waiting. The other thing that they do here which is pretty amazing, is they will go out of their way to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">accommodate</span> a special request or to drop someone off in front of their home. If someone needs to go to the train station, for example, the driver will alternate his route to take a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">passenger</span> close to where they need to go. For the most part the drivers are helpful, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">accommodating</span> and well-respected members of the communities in which they live. They often will just carry goods, and/or money from the villages into the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">raion</span> center or to Chisinau. I have seen someone give my driver just a cell phone with a $20 (US dollar bill) to take to someone in the city. No note to sign, nothing. Incredible. Sometimes they do have someone sign a note, but I think that is for when the driver doesn't know the person who is supposed to pick up the item, so he doesn't forget who it goes to.<br /><br />Of course there are other things that I will miss, and there are people for sure that I will miss. I have been humbled by the generosity of those with so little to give. I have been lucky to have done this thing, and I have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">persevered</span>. Now, I just want it to get warmer and to come home! I love and miss you all. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">xoxo</span>, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-81529734676409474192010-01-31T11:53:00.003-05:002010-01-31T12:30:40.387-05:00Another one bites the mud....Even things that seem endless do eventually come to an end, and January is almost over! Since coming back to Moldova at the beginning of December, this was the milestone that I knew I would need to reach to stay until the end of my service. I have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">persevered</span>, and tomorrow it will be February. In past years, I have always had such a difficult time through the fall months, as the days get shorter, anniversaries are painful, whatever...I did some good planning, and had a great trip home in November, just as I needed. Even though it went nothing as I had planned, it was the respite I craved. Those of you who have communicated with me, or read this, know that I have struggled more than usual since coming back. Unless there is an emergency, I do now believe that I will make it until the end of my service, and that is a good feeling. There was nothing in particular this past week that made feel more confident of that, just the passage of days, the crossing off of time on the calendar, the little bit more of sunlight with each day. Yippee!<br /><br />Last week was a typical work week, nothing unusual, other than the bitter, bitter cold. Last Sunday night it was so cold here in Moldova, that there were several reports of people freezing to death in villages around the country, and I saw two frozen animals here in my village. Sad. Schools were on an abbreviated schedule until Wednesday because it was too cold for children to walk to school. I'm sure its not the last of the cold weather for this winter, but I hope it doesn't get that cold again here before I leave! Now it is warmer, and VERY muddy in my village, hence the title of today's posting.<br /><br />On Friday, I was planning to go into Chisinau for a knitting weekend with some of the other volunteers. Unfortunately, that was postponed because so many of the people who were planning to attend had bronchitis, or some other sickness. I went in anyway, and had a great time. I stayed in the capital with a new friend, a woman who teaches at the International School, along with another volunteer. I had stayed in her apartment with a different volunteer a few weeks ago, while the teacher was visiting in the US, so it was nice to finally meet her and enjoy being in her great apartment again. She is very generous with her space, and it was good to end the month in such a positive way. The knitting weekend has been postponed until the middle of this month, so I still have that to look forward to! I had three showers in three days, four letters and a package, so all is right in the world! Now I am back in the village, getting ready for another week at work. It was still pretty light out when I got off the bus at 5:30, so the days are getting <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">noticeably</span> longer. That is a good thing, too.<br /><br />Safe travels this week to my parents as they head to St. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Croix</span>! Happy birthday this past week to my friends Ed and Kirsten, and this coming week to my sister-in-law, Brenda, and my sweet younger brother, David. And special thoughts to my friends Betsy and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Momen</span> this week, as <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Momen's</span> brothers are visiting from Uzbekistan. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Momen</span> had not seen anyone from his family for over 27 years! I can't even imagine that, as I have had the hardest time here and couldn't even make it one year without seeing all of you. Wherever you are, hold those you love a little closer this week. I love and miss you all. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">xoxo</span>, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-73592721732305399022010-01-24T05:11:00.003-05:002010-01-24T09:30:24.997-05:00EndlessThis month of January feels endless today. There is still a week before its over, and it feels like its been January for weeks, and weeks, and weeks, almost since I got back here. This week there was more to do at work, and the week was punctuated by a mid-week trip into the capital so in theory it should have felt like it was passing more quickly. That theory being the one that espouses that the busier I am, the more quickly the time seems to pass. Not really true, but the days are passing, no matter how slowly it feels that way sometimes. You know the saying about molasses in January, well it would be frozen here today!<br /><br />Right now there are 7 kids at the Center, along with the 5 elderly residents. Some of this increase is due to the very frigid weather we have been having this week. Yesterday and today the temperature has not gone above -15C. That was the warm number, and converts to about 5F. Without a calculation for wind chill, which has been considerable, that's the coldest I think it's been in the almost two years I've been here. It's been that cold for the past three days. Yesterday I was more aware of the lack of sun over the past few weeks, only one day and a few hours so far this month. Today we have sun, hooray!, but it is too cold to be out for very long. The wind has been fierce, which is really makes the cold penetrating. I've had two days without my usual walking, and I think my mental health is suffering for lack of walking! Last year was so much milder, less snowy, and almost pleasant in comparison. I took my heavy coat home in November and left it there, not anticipating how much I would miss it this month. Still, I know I will be glad not to have to carry the heavier coat home in April, and that is what I am still focused on.<br /><br />The kids are good, and fun to spend time with, as always. They like playing dress-up, building houses with blocks, doing puzzles, reading, coloring, learning poems to recite, and working on writing and simple math problems. School doesn't begin for kids until they are at least seven years old here. All of the children currently living at the Center are between four and eight years old. The oldest, Lenuta, goes to school everyday, but everyone else follows a schedule of activities everyday. This week, even in the bitter cold, there was a lot of time outside sledding. It feels good to have good work to do everyday. Even when I am frustrated with other things, I have always loved going to work, and this is no exception.<br /><br />My trip into Chisinau was a good one and a welcome break. I went in to get my B12 shot, had an awesome 4 hour lunch with a group of volunteers, visited with Teresa for a bit, watched the movie <em>Sherlock, </em>which I really enjoyed, had a very productive meeting with the acting Program Manager, and safely made it back to the village before the bitter cold hit in full force. Not a bad week, just one that is part of the seemingly endless countdown. Even when I try not to be aware of it, not one day passes that I don't think about all of you and wish I was home. It's close, but not quite close enough. Oh well. Nothing is ever endless, and this too shall pass. Spring is just around the corner! 75 days. I love and miss you all. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-72278858860496762452010-01-17T05:35:00.002-05:002010-01-17T05:51:44.944-05:00TeaserThis week started out as a "teaser". It was warm enough to feel like Spring was just around the corner. On Tuesday it was probably close to 50 degrees, and the sun was out for almost an hour! HA! Wrong!! It's cold, and today it is icy. January. There is no getting around it. Spring will come, I will be home to enjoy it, and for now, I am in the village routine. As always when I am here, there isn't too much to talk about.<br /><br />The census is down at work. This week there are three children and three older women, and one older man. Two of the three children have been living at the Center, on and off, for much of the past year. Their mother comes to visit them sometimes, but isn't able to have them at home. There is no heat and no glass in the windows at their apartment. These two little girls, Iulia and Maria, are funny and spunky kids, in spite of living apart from their mother. They came to live at the Center with shaved heads, due to a terrible problem with head lice. This week I was reminded of a story that my friend, Robin, shared with me years ago, as these two little girls paraded around with their tights on their heads, pretending that they had long, beautiful hair! Bittersweet little lives. Speaking of head lice, it is a terrible problem here, and I guess it is worse in the winter. It is cold and hard to bathe. It is a pain to wash clothing and hair. So far, I've avoided any bug-jumping, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Yuck! It makes me itch just to think about it. On that happy and cheerful note, know that I love and miss you all. 81 days! xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-79964652825226313002010-01-10T05:39:00.003-05:002010-01-10T06:07:42.142-05:00Another week in ChisinauThis week, on January 7th, was the Orthodox Christmas holiday. There have only been two children at the Center, and it has still been vacation week from school, so most of the past week I spent in Chisinau with other volunteers. I had gotten a call from Pan, one of the other older, single women in our training group. She has a friend who teaches at the International School who has a very nice apartment in downtown Chisinau. Her friend was going to be out of the country and offered us the use of her apartment while she was away. We were there from Tuesday through yesterday, with a brief stay in Orhei with Macie and Craig on Wednesday night. We had all sorts of plans to do some "touristy" things, but actually spent a lot of time visiting other volunteers and relaxing. It was a good week, busy and fun, but not overwhelmingly so. <br /><br />Yesterday, in downtown Chisinau, when I was walking to the bus I saw a car accident on the sidewalk. On the main street in the down town area, people consistently park on the sidewalk. Again, its not too safe here in many ways. I sent a message out to a few of the other volunteers who responded with concern that the driver had hit a pedestrian, which would be a logical response, knowing not to be surprised about the car on the sidewalk. No, I explained, this was one driver backing up into the main thoroughfare of the sidewalk, while the second driver continued to move forward to take the parking space that was being vacated! It is a thinking that is sort of consistent with how people push to get on to the buses, and all public transportation, before letting exiting travelers get off. I'm not sure if this is a "survival of the fittest" mentality, or just plain rudeness, but it is frustrating and exhausting to deal with. There is no orderliness when there is room for aggression. So, yesterday there was a fender-bender. On the sidewalk. Oh my. Other than that, not too much new to write about. It was a good week, and now I am back to the slower pace of village life. There isn't much time left, and still some stuff I want to work on. I do know that the busier I stay, the faster the time goes. Its under 90 days, and I can't wait! I love and miss you all. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-56862042571607320332010-01-02T12:20:00.002-05:002010-01-02T12:46:06.047-05:00Twenty tenA new year, a new decade, a full, blue moon, and time out of the village! Not a bad week at all! This is the year that I finish my service and come home, and the count is now under one hundred days, so all is looking good today.<br /><br />The weather outside is frightful, but it isn't going to bring me down. It was warm most of the week, and even though it is colder now, and it will probably snow, it is, after all, January, and its doing what it is supposed to be doing outside. On Wednesday this week we had our holiday program at work. Like last year, there were poems recited, music sung, games played, and treats for all the residents. It isn't really like Christmas at home, but it was a good party for everyone, and people seemed to have a nice time.<br /><br />This year things seemed a bit more organized, which shows planning and progress. It was a smaller crowd, and there was more time to prepare this year than last year, when everything was so new. There was a funny skit about the difference between village life and city life, and it was funny to watch people laugh at their own cultural idiosyncrasies. I tried not to laugh louder than anyone else, but it was pretty amusing! I did leave before the dinner was served as I didn't want to deal with the serving of wine to children, and feel my frustration rise with how hard it is to change a cultural norm like that. I have addressed my concerns about this with my co-workers more than once, and I have been told that it is not only okay, but expected, that young children drink at celebrations. When I saw the wine being poured early in the day, I decided that I wanted to leave at the end of the program before the meal. I am living here, in this culture, and I have given information to the staff that talks about the dangers of alcohol for children specifically, beyond that I just don't know what to do. So, except for leaving early, and not fully voicing my concerns yet again, it was a good holiday party at the Center.<br /><br />New Year's Eve I travelled to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Orhei</span>, to stay with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Macie</span> and Craig, Teresa and Paul for two days, returning earlier today. It was a low key couple of days. There were fireworks on and off all night on Thursday night, last night was spent watching movies and relaxing before heading back to the village today. It was a quiet and mostly uneventful celebration, but I expect that there will be more celebrating for me over the next few months as I come home and get to see all of you! I hope that 2010 brings us all health, happiness, and hopes for peace and love. I miss you all. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">xoxo</span>, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-71077577763667565672009-12-26T11:34:00.005-05:002009-12-26T13:02:50.078-05:00Merry Christmas!I hope that you all had a great Christmas, filled with lots of fun with your loved ones, everything that you wanted, and happy and peaceful times. My holiday was sort of like that, more or less. I just got back to my village after spending the last three days with about fifteen fellow volunteers. Fun, not really relaxing, but happy, fun times nonetheless. It goes without saying that I would rather have been home. It was a decent substitute, and definitely better than sitting here in the village feeling sorry for myself. There isn't much to write about this week. Lots of fellow volunteers are heading out of Moldova over the next few days for vacations: Berlin, Prague, London, Italy. You all know that I am happy that I was able to come home twice this past year, and I am counting the days until my time here is done. I am now just about over 104 days, and the days are getting longer, a little bit every single day! I love and miss you all. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-82682760739444535742009-12-19T07:42:00.003-05:002009-12-19T08:02:03.976-05:00Blizzard!It snowed all week. Everyday. Today the sun is finally out, but too quickly headed for the horizon at a little before 3 pm. There was a little snow on Tuesday, a lot on Wednesday, more on Thursday and Friday, and this morning there was another foot or two that had fallen overnight. Overall, there is probably close to four feet on the ground. Pretty, but a big, cold, pain in the patoot. Especially on the trips to the outhouse. The days will start getting longer this week, and even though I won't be able to tell for a few weeks, Spring cannot come soon enough! <br /><br />Weather is the only real news this week. Work is work, my walking is pretty limited by the weather, there is no transportation out of the village for the foreseeable future, and so I am spending my free time reading, working on projects, and trying to stay warm. I'm trying hard not to think too much of all the fun, and people, I am missing, with somewhat limited success. If I can get out of the village, I am hoping to get to spend some time with other volunteers this Christmas. Last year I spent the day working, as it isn't a celebrated holiday here. This year, if the weather allows, I want to be around some celebrating Americans if I can. It might mean that I don't actually get to Skype until after Christmas, but I can't wait to hear what the holiday was like at home, so as soon as I can, I'll be in touch! Happy birthday today to my friend, Robin, and have a great week preparing for Christmas! I love and miss you all. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-69946670226265475032009-12-13T10:32:00.002-05:002009-12-13T10:58:16.901-05:00Gray and BrownGray and brown were not only the colors of the Moldovan landscape this past week, but it was a pretty accurate description for my mood earlier this past week. Everyday this week it tried to flurry, but mostly just stayed gray, drizzly, and miserable. The mud is disgusting! It was hard to come back, and for the first few days, it was hard to be here. Oh, what a difference a weekend can make!<br /><br />I got back to my village on Monday afternoon, and went to work Tuesday morning. The staff had posted signs that said Welcome Back Djemi (Close enough!), and everyone seemed so happy to have me back. The kids were happy to see me, for sure. I saw Natalia on Wednesday morning, and she let me know that she would be in Stefan Voda all day Wednesday, and in Chisinau on Thursday. I let her know that I was planning to go to Chisinau on Friday. That was the extent of our exchange, and so I still don't have a clear sense of how she is feeling. I am guessing that like me, perhaps her emotions are all over the place about this lost opportunity. Just a guess, though. So, work is back to the same routine. Overall, that is a good thing.<br /><br />Friday morning I was up early and in at Peace Corps first thing in the morning. I love a Peace Corps shower when there is lots and lots of hot water! I like them okay even when there is not unlimited hot water, but getting there first is great. Later in the day I met briefly with Jeffrey, our Country Director. He had read my blog from last week, so he had a better idea of where things fell apart. It was helpful for me to process the whole thing with him, and I really appreciate his support. I felt more at peace and happier about being back here after speaking with him.<br /><br />The rest of the week-end was spent at a "Dirty South Party in a Northern Village". Several volunteers serving in the North: Toumil, Veronica, Neal, and some others, prepared a weekend long southern eating marathon, along with lots of fun and games. Friday evening was Tex-Mex all the way: queso, quesadillas, onion rings, fried jalapenos, fried pickles(!), all sorts of good eating. Neal, who comes to Moldova from Louisiana, prepared the Jambalaya for Saturday night. Lots of good times, laughter, and a very grateful reminder for me that it is my colleagues who understand this journey like no one else can. Thanks, guys!<br /><br />Now I am back, ready for another week at work. I still don't like the gray and the mud brown, but I am in a better space. In only eight days it will be the Winter Solstice, and the days will slowly start getting longer again. YAY!! Happy birthdays this week to my niece, Adena, Michele's grandson, Ryan, my sister-in-law, Aleece, my friend, Martha, and to my niece, Emile. I love and miss you all. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-14590607200026740242009-12-07T12:47:00.002-05:002009-12-07T13:37:58.865-05:00The StoryToday it is almost a month since I've written, and so much has happened. I'll start at the beginning, the start of the journey home. For those of you who have heard all of this, sorry about the repeat, for everyone else, its a long story, so skip around as you want. As I've been writing for months, I have been working for months to bring my Moldovan work partner to the US for a 'field trip'. I have struggled on how to explain the vision of how services might look, what administrative practices could, or should, be put into place in the Center in the village. My language skills are not that strong, but I realized a while ago that even when I had the vocabulary to describe policies and procedures that we often take for granted, I was not always believed. There are other Residential Centers in Moldova, and most of them are learning from each other on how to improve in areas of administration, documentation, services in general. But beyond what is done here, there is little vision of how things might look with a little more structure and organization. It was, and is, a great idea. I was so excited to be able to show her how we do things. So....<br /><br />Shortly after my vacation home last Spring, I began to work toward bringing Natalia to the United States. I started with finding a very reasonably priced ticket from Frankfurt, Germany, to Boston. Check. We made application and she received her visa to the United States in mid-August. Check. Around that time I began to look at ways to get to Frankfurt from Moldova, and realized that Air Moldova did not fly to Frankfurt on the day that I had the tickets from Frankfurt to Boston. We talked about options. I asked her to follow-up with the German embassy to find out about transit visas. No check. I bought the tickets from Chisinau to Frankfurt. Natalia waited until November 2 to contact the German embassy, and then felt that the application was too difficult to complete. I did not hold her hand and assure that this was completed. In hindsight, it is the place where the whole thing fell apart, and I probably should have taken control of the whole thing...We got to the airport at 3 am on the morning of 11/11 and she was denied access to the flight to Frankfurt because we were going to be there for more that 24 hours. There was an actual lay-over time of 28 hours. We went to the ticket counter and I purchased an alternate ticket for her to fly from Chisinau to Bucharest, and then from Bucharest to Frankfurt. She was scheduled to arrive at Frankfurt on 11/12 at 10:50 in the morning. Our flight was to leave Frankfurt at 12:15pm that same day. Check. Whoops....the flight from Bucharest to Frankfurt was delayed on the morning of 11/12, and was scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt at 12:30. The authorities in Bucharest denied her access to the flight to Frankfurt because she would be unable to make the connecting flight. They decided to fly her back to Chisinau. At the time, I knew none of this, except that the flight was delayed. I tried to exchange the tickets that I did have for some later the same day. Lufthansa was willing to let me purchase new tickets (at $1500 a piece!!) to fly into JFK later on 11/12. I had already paid out a lot, and to be honest, I wasn't sure where Natalia was at this point. Thank goodness I didn't go ahead and buy more tickets that would have been wasted. I flew on to Boston alone, not sure where in the world Natalia was...Bucharest, Frankfurt, Moldova???<br /><br />I got home to Boston on Thursday afternoon, met by my parents, but without my Moldovan co-worker, and lots of time to try to figure out what had happened. I have had so many conflicting emotions about this whole thing. I was so excited in planning and thinking about this trip, and I think Natalia was also. I feel like I dropped the ball by not hand-holding and taking more control at every single point. I feel like Natalia didn't do the one and only thing that she needed to do to ensure that she could have this experience. I go back and forth between knowing that things happen the way that they are supposed to, and just being so disappointed that this didn't happen the way it was planned. It is hard for me to be back here now. It was a thousand times harder to leave this time, and I just want to be done. I feel like I have failed to do the good thing that I had planned, and I am frustrated in so many ways right now to be back here.<br /><br />I am staying focused on the things that I am thankful for, the family and friends who have supported me in so many ways over this journey. It was a wonderful gift to be able to spend time with everyone without the time and energy that translating and entertaining would have expended. Even though I feel like I have let so many people down by not seeing this to the point of fruition, I know I gave it my best shot. The good news is that Natalia still has a good amount of time left on her US visa, and I am still interested in hosting her at some point in the future. At this point, it will be up to her to see if it happens.<br /><br />So that's the story of the past month. It is disappointing, and a little sad, but it was a wonderful vacation. One hundred and twenty-three days to go....I love and miss you all. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-25746065109922120912009-11-08T05:36:00.002-05:002009-11-08T06:05:06.046-05:00I Can NOT wait!!!!I had a fun week, and still I cannot wait to be home. This past week Lidia was at a conference away from the village. She asked me if I would stay here and cook for Ion, and I politely declined. The women that I work with could not understand why I wouldn't want to do this, and how he would be able to survive without a woman cooking for him all week. I do miss cooking and baking sometimes, but really, I don't want to get into doing that while she is away. I have known about her not being here for a month or so, and I had made plans to visit other volunteers. This was the week to visit, and I really did have a good time. I met with my English club students last Monday afternoon, and headed out at 5 am on Tuesday morning.<br /><br />My first stop, after stopping in at the Peace Corps office for a nice hot shower, was to the city of Balti, in the north. I was there for two days, visiting with Cristine, Marilyn and David. It is a really nice city, much smaller and more accessible than Chisinau, but with everything within an easy walking distance of the downtown area. I spent both nights with Cristine. She has a great little apartment in the center of town, and she is a really great hostess. Wednesday morning there was a dusting of snow on the ground, and it was pretty cold outside most of the time that I was there. I did walk around the piata and went into some shops, and just visited and had a great time. Thursday morning I took a rutiera back to Chisinau, and in the late afternoon I headed to Orhei to stay with Craig and Macie. Good food, good beer, good conversation...fun times! Friday it was on to Teresa's for the night, and then last night back to the village for my final few days before we leave! A lot of running around, and a good time to visit with other volunteers and hear about what all they are doing in their communities.<br /><br />This week has also brought about serious concerns about the swine flu around Moldova. When I left my village on Tuesday morning, I had not heard much about it locally. When I arrived back in Chisinau from Balti on Thursday afternoon there were people all over town wearing masks! The schools are closed next week, and when I arrived back in the village last night, Lidia told me that she had been home since Thursday because her seminar was cancelled at that time due to concerns about the flu. I have not heard of any quarantines, and this scare had better not interfere with my plans to come home!! I am a little worried about it, since there does seem to be a fair amount of panic, at least in the capitol, about it. The Ukraine apparently is limiting land travel in and out of the country, but I don't believe they have limited air traffic, and I have not heard of Moldova instituting anything yet...I'm keeping my fingers crossed. <br /><br />This morning I went to work, and not long after arriving there, I was told that there is no gas service to the village right now. This just happened this morning, and apparently there will be no gas for about a week. It is inconvenient, but not not too bad, really. The house is heated with wood, there is still electric service so I can use the computer, and the electric tea kettle. All is good in the world! I am now down to counting the hours!! I love and miss you all. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-19747455886441394662009-11-01T10:36:00.002-05:002009-11-01T10:51:59.285-05:00The first of NovemberToday is the first day of November. Yay!! I'll be home in less than two weeks for a visit!! Today there were flurries in the air, and it is cold and damp. The days are shorter than ever. Having moved the clocks back last weekend, this week the days have seemed to be over almost before they begin. This week seemed even shorter, and the time went by quickly, as there was a training in Chisinau on Thursday and Friday, and I just returned back to the village a few hours ago. It is dark here already at 5:30.<br /><br />The training brought together all of the volunteers from our group, the 22's, along with volunteers from the most recent group, the 24's. Coincidentally, there are 22 of us still here from our group, and we have not all been in the same place at the same time since last January, at an earlier training. It was nice to connect with so many great people. Even though we all split into our usual peer groups for evening activities, the daytime training time was shared time, and lots of fun. It was good to hear of all the good work that people are doing, and a pretty inspiring couple of days.<br /><br />There isn't much time left before I come home, and I am so, so ready. I have been packed for weeks, and now there is just the waiting. This week it is school vacation week in Moldova, so I am planning a trip to the city of Balti, in the northern part of Moldova for a few days. It will help to pass the time as I am now down to counting the hours until I am home. Happy birthday yesterday to my son-in-law, Joe, and happy first anniversary this week to Linnea and Joe. May you have many happy years together. I miss you all! xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-219344865000084172009-10-24T11:24:00.002-04:002009-10-24T11:47:14.693-04:00To ChişinăuYesterday I took a day off and went into the capitol. It was nice to get out of the village, and it had been almost a month since I have been in the "big city." It was a good day. Sort of low key, since there weren't a lot of people around, but it felt good to be out of the village for at least a little while. I spent the night last night with Teresa and Jenna, eating enchiladas and watching this weeks <em>Grey's Anatomy</em>. Fun!<br /><br />The week has been like most others, a little slow in the day to day routine, but busy enough in the everyday routine that I have become accustomed to. On Tuesday we had some visitors to the Center from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Smaland</span>, in the south part of Sweden. They were visiting to look at projects to fund in Moldova. My brain was working over-time to think in Romanian, try to remember my Swedish, all while translating in my head what was being said into English. Whew! Other than that, and the big countdown, there isn't much to write about.<br /><br />It is a big birthday week, and best wishes go out to my nephews, Daniel and James, my friends Adrienne and Helen. Have great celebrations! It was nice to talk to my parents and my grandmother this week. I'll be home in less that three weeks! I can't wait to see you all! <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">xoxo</span>, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-24082411771530765882009-10-18T08:21:00.002-04:002009-10-18T08:35:55.375-04:00Bored and coldThat's what I am: bored and cold. Its been a rainy, damp week here in the village. I am anxious to be home. There is nothing new, except that I am cold....since early last week we have finally gotten into some colder weather. That is to be expected for mid-October, but the rain that has accompanied the colder weather has made it damp and really sort of miserable.<br /><br />I have finished some projects in good time for coming home, and I am not interested in starting on new projects so close to leaving for almost a month. I'm glad that I have tied up these loose ends, and I am ready to head out of here. I am thinking that coming back this time will probably be a lot harder for me than when I was home in the Spring. At least there will only be a few (cold) months left to serve. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....<br /><br />It was great to speak with my parents this week, and I just talked to my nephew, Stephen, who will be flying home from Chicago on Monday. I can't wait to see him, and everyone! Safe travels this week to Linnea and Joe, Kim and Mike and all others out there on the roads...see you all in less than a month!! I miss you all. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">xoxo</span>, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-43980192002820532002009-10-11T05:39:00.003-04:002009-10-11T05:50:22.138-04:00Counting down the days...Here it is, another week-end, and another week closer to home! This past week has been typically quiet, with not much going on. Yesterday was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Winefest</span> in Chisinau, but I am saving money for the trip home, and decided that this trip was not in my budget. I think this is an event that most of the volunteers try to attend, so I was a little sad not to see everyone and spend some time together. I know it won't matter in the long run, and the weather was not great, so it is just as well that I stayed in the village for another week-end.<br /><br />I forgot to write about it last Sunday, but last Saturday another one of the volunteers from this part of the country hosted a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">raion</span> (county) party. There were four of us women: Alex, the hostess, me, Jen, and Janie. Jon joined us for dinner, but only the females spent the night at Alex's. Italian food was on the menu: gnocchi, garlic bread, spaghetti. It was a nice time, and the highlight of the week. Other than that little jaunt last week-end, not much else to write about.<br /><br />I was so glad to talk with my grandmother on Thursday for her birthday, and birthday wishes go out this week to Betsy. Thirty-two days until I land in Boston!!! I miss you all. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">xoxo</span>, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-35447357268035926092009-10-04T12:00:00.002-04:002009-10-04T12:22:56.451-04:00OctoberThis past week has been a busy one. Last weekend my friend Na'Ima came for a visit. We had a great time, and it was really nice to show her around. She was here until first thing Monday morning, leaving on the 5 am bus to Chisinau. On Sunday evening we were sitting in my room, and there seemed to be an awful lot of activity at the house. We were mostly in my room, so I was only peripherally aware of this, but there seemed to be something different going on. Early Monday morning, just after Na'Ima left, Lidia was up and told me that Sunday evening her 21 year old nephew, the brother to the bride of a few weeks ago, had died the night before in an accident in the village. His head hit a tree. That was all she was able to say about it, and I didn't feel comfortable asking for more information. It was too personal, and she was too sad. She spent all evening on Monday helping her sister-in-law prepare the body, and prepare food for the services which took place on Tuesday. It was very sad around here all week.<br /><br />Tuesday I had already planned to go into Chisinau for a birthday celebration for Teresa's 30th birthday. There were five of us who gathered for this celebration, me, Teresa, Jen, Jenna, and Veronica. We had a very nice lunch, and it was great to see everyone. I had just purchased the tickets for the flight from Chisinau to Frankfurt, and I was feeling so good that this was finally taken care of. The economy is stronger, the dollar and Euro are stronger, and the exchange rate was not as favorable for me as it was last Spring. The price in Euros was the same, but the heightened exchange rate made it a pricier purchase than I was hoping to have to deal with. Still, they are purchased and we will be on our way in less than forty days!!! When I got back to the village on Tuesday afternoon the funeral services and gathering was going on at the home of Lidia's sister and brother-in-law. I had some quiet time at the house, called my parents and told them that the tickets are all purchased, sent some emails, enjoyed the time alone.<br /><br />The rest of the week was back to the routine: work, walk, read...not much else new this week. It was still a sad week for the family here, and a happy week for me, knowing that everything is now in place for my visit home. Happy birthday this Thursday to my Grandmother, whom I love and miss soooo much. Best of luck to my friend Kim as she gathers support for her petition to keep her community Post Office open on Bailey Island. I miss you all. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158156316848447791.post-90202876603073654922009-09-26T06:03:00.002-04:002009-09-26T06:27:57.397-04:00Grapes and WalnutsThis has been the week for gathering walnuts and grapes, making wine, and preparing the last of the produce for Winter eating. Along all of the major roads, the ones that I travel between here and Chisinau at least, are walnut trees. In this village, many people go out along the road and gather walnuts for the winter. They carry long sticks to hit the branches, and then open the green shell and take the nuts, place them in very large bags, and load their bikes with a bag or two. There was one family who showed up with their car to load, but it has been my observation that most people only gather as much as they can manage to carry back home. They can, however, carry a lot. I am surprised that there are any nuts left at all, but I just came back from my walk, and there were still some people out there. Lots and lots of walnuts.<br /><br />As many walnuts as there are, there are surely more grapes here. Last week and this week has been grape harvest, and wine-making in earnest. At every home there are wooden barrels, thousands of bees, and lots and lots and lots of wine. Unfortunately, there are also more than the usual number of inebriated men in the village. Apparently, tasting is the best part of wine making, and the more you taste the better it is! It is a source of familial competition, but after a pahar (glass) or two, everyone here agrees that it is all good, and that Moldovan wine is the best in the world. No comment. I did try the musty juice, just before it is fermented, and its got some funky taste going on. Its hard to describe, and not really bad, but very different.<br /><br />That's the news on the home front. Work has been good, with the exception of all the kids, and now me, getting sick. The changing temperatures, cool in the mornings and evenings, and warm in the afternoon is part of it, but I don't believe that upper respiratory infections are caused by changes in the weather. Yesterday I took a day at home, did wash, and then slept most of the afternoon. I feel so much better today. I did talk to the doctor, and will see her next week when I go into Chisinau to buy the plane tickets to Frankfurt. Yippee! It will be good to have that task done and paid for. Safe travels this week for Linnea and Joe as they travel to Maine and New Hampshire, and thank you to whomever has sent me a package! I love getting packages! I received an email from Peace Corps that I have a package, but they don't tell you from whom, so thank you in advance. I really can't wait for Tuesday, and my trip to the capitol...all sorts of good things await me there! Anyway, that's all folks! I miss you all. xoxo, JamiJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801942206085118187noreply@blogger.com0