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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in julesm's LiveJournal:

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    Wednesday, February 1st, 2006
    1:10 pm
    blog site
    Sorry guys looks like i typed my blogspot incorrectly! sorry! and thanks felix for letting me know! the correct site is jannematter06.blogspot.com thas 06 NOT 60!!
    Tuesday, January 10th, 2006
    1:27 pm
    Blog
    Ok, I'm joining the year 2006 in an attempt to get upto speed with all you in this century and starting a blog instead of this journal. There I can post pictures and basically thats the only major difference that i've found so far. Oh it looks better i think too. sooooo check it out jannematter60.blogspot.com
    Wednesday, December 28th, 2005
    11:51 pm
    Merry Christmas!
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    For those of you who haven't heard from me in a while I'm still in Moldova with the Peace Corps. With less than 7 months to go I can say I'm 98% adjusted to life here. What I once thought was unustual is now normal I must say living alone has probably influenced my adjustement since I do my own cooking and you will find no chicken fee in my soups! I have surprized myself with my language because I figured being away from a host family would cause it to suffer, but I'm still improving. At this point most of us are fluent and I have picked up things like cuss words in class which helps to keep things orderly. I think living alone has been a great thing all around. In addition to what I've mentioned I've lost almost all the weight I've gained here. The best part is that I haven't even been trying! (knock on wood) It helps to not have the stress of a host and someone constantly force feeding you. Yes, I was fat when I came home! A good thing about Moldovans is thaty they tell you straight what they think about things (most of the time), especially regarding physical appearance. They have no qualms about telling it how they see it or you! They told me straight up I was fat and now I'm thin, its nice to know they aren't lying to make you feel good. As Americans I think we cam be too afraid of insulting each other, being politically correct walking on eggshells when somethings just need to be said...I'm not just talking weight here.

    Without sitemates anymore I'm approached for more secondary projects by their old partners. Although I have a full schedule at the school I like working with adults especially since now I'm treated as one of them rather than an item of entertainment and faschination. I've even found an ecological committee that I'll begin working with in the spring. This happens to tie in perfectly with my post Peace Corps plan of attending graduate school for a masters in International Environmental Policy, focusing on developing countries of course! :) But first I need to get in so cross your fingers and say a little prayer for me. Hopefully I'll find out in February.

    So what soes someone in the Peace Corps do for Christmas and New Years away from home? Go to Budapest, Hungary and Prague, Czech Rep of course! This was my plan last year but things got complicated and I only made it as far as Romania. This time I'm going by myself but there will be volunteers everywhere and we've made plans to meet up. After going to Bulgaria and Turkey with 5 I think this is going to be more my speed. Of course I could always do with a friend or two from home if anyone needs a quick getaway! ;)

    A question I'm sure you're all wondering is have I found my Moldovan soulmate? FORTUNATELY I have not, I was recently informed that if I drink from the well in the center of town I'll marry a man from Gura Bicului and stay forever. Needless to say, although I am content and sometimes lontley in my cozy house, I haven't risked it. Sadder still few of the PCVs have managed to turn my head. You'd think the anthropology of the situation would lead me to lowering my standards to find a boyfriend, but no. Whats a girl to do?!

    I'm sorry if my emails have been less frequent this year. Its hard without my computer anymore. I have to do everything at the office or a cafe. Please keep me updated on your lives and events. I miss you all and can't wait till I get to see you again! If you need a vacation and want to see me before I reach the states think Greek Isles mid July. It'll be a blast!
    11:49 pm
    Budapest!
    So I've been having a great time in budapest, i could have left today but there were no buses out. I saw the sites in a few brief days and meet some american girls adn brushed up a bit on my spanish with the guy at the hostel (he's from argintina). Yesterday was snowy beyond belief and today was fairly rainy. sounds like bad weather but very eastern europe. Last night another pcv from moldova arrived so we've been hanging out just cruising the city and pretending we are civilized eating pizza at the mall and going to see harry potter 4 since he's been buying time till his girlfriend gets in tomorrow. (don't underestimate the value of a developed country!) :) Prague is gonna be crazy so i'm going to hit vienna for a day or so first, my bus ticket was only $16!

    I hope you all had a great Christmas and enjoy the New Year celebrations!
    Saturday, December 17th, 2005
    3:33 pm
    Christmas
    Christmas is coming and I'm so glad to have nice long break from school and seminars! I'm headed to Budapest and Prague, maybe even Germany. I can't wait! Please let me how the holidays in the good 'ole US of A are. Happy Holidays! :)
    Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005
    9:14 am
    Thanksgiving is Coming!
    Yeah its almost Thanksgiving! Lately been holed up in my site with my puppy. He is adorable! His name is Butch, yes like Butch the Cougar. He's about 3 months old and finally housebroken-I think. School has been stressing me out since my kids don't leave me alone during the breaks which are 15min long, but I'm free for Thanksgiving so thats a nice break. I've just finished two of my grad school applications, to University of California, San Diego and American University in DC. Now I just have to wait. I'm also considering applying to George Washington Univ but we'll see. Anyways drop me a line via email anytime, I'd love to hear from you.
    Thursday, November 3rd, 2005
    5:59 pm
    Article
    I want to start putting articles about Moldova here. This is something that Jeff our country director sent to us and my thoughts on the article.
    Enjoy!
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subject: Peace Corps Article
    Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 08:09:04 +0200
    >Below is an article that just appeared in USA Today. I think you will find
    >it interesting because it takes a very different view of many of the issues
    >we deal with in our programs. I would be interested in hearing your comments
    >and responses.
    >
    >Note that Moldova alumnus Julia de la Torre is quoted, although whether she
    >expected to wind up in this venue I cannot say.
    >
    >
    >Peace Corps needs makeover
    >
    >By Laura Vanderkam
    >USA Today
    >October 25, 2005
    >
    >"How far would you go to help someone?" the Peace Corps commercial asks.
    >Rajeev Goyal, a recent Brown University graduate, traveled to a remote
    >mountain village in Nepal to teach. Upon arriving in Namje, though, he
    >learned his students had no time for schoolwork.
    >
    >The village lacked clean water, so children spent six hours a day lugging it
    >up the hillside. Goyal promised the villagers that if they would build a
    >water system, he would find the money and know-how to do so. He did, raising
    >funds mostly from fellow Indian-Americans. Because Goyal had to hike two
    >hours to the nearest phone every time he needed to contact engineers,
    >though, the project took a year and a half.
    >
    >On one hand, Namje's watering is a success story. It's the kind the Peace
    >Corps is celebrating as it commemorates the 45th anniversary this month of
    >John F. Kennedy's campaign speech on Oct. 14, 1960, calling for its
    >creation. Since then, thousands of volunteers have spent two years of their
    >lives bettering dozens of countries.
    >
    >But there's another side to the story. The budget for 7,700 volunteers is
    >more than $300 million a year. For the roughly $80,000 it costs to support a
    >volunteer for two years, a team of engineers could have visited Namje to
    >help lay pipes. But the Peace Corps doesn't work that way. Its primary focus
    >is building cross-cultural friendships. To encourage friendships, the bulk
    >of volunteers still serve in situations like Goyal's - remote, alone, living
    >at the locals' level, eking out progress by patience and wit.
    >
    >That's too bad. Technology and international politics have changed the world
    >since 1960 in ways that make the "roughing it" philosophy counterproductive.
    >The Peace Corps could better the world quicker by changing its focus.
    >
    >Longtime goals
    >
    >To understand the program's methods, you have to know its three goals:
    >
    >* "Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their needs for
    >trained men and women."
    >
    >* "Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the
    >peoples served."
    >
    >* "Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of
    >all Americans."
    >
    >While the Peace Corps commercials talk about development, only one of these
    >goals is about that version of helping. Says Mike Ward, former Peace Corps
    >associate director, "The value is more in cross-cultural exchange."
    >
    >Since the focus is exchange, not development, volunteers are encouraged to
    >live as their hosts do. "There is a funny volunteer competitive thing about
    >who has to 'rough it' more, and people without electricity, running water,
    >etc., seem to get the most bragging rights," says Sara Armstrong, who served
    >in the Philippines.
    >
    >Eschewing toilets is fine, but the roughing-it philosophy also means
    >limiting access to technology, even though it's sprouting all over the
    >developing world. It means having most volunteers, "except in a few cases,"
    >according to spokesman Nathan Arnold, serve by themselves. Because
    >friendship is primary, many find their projects vague or feature little
    >accountability.
    >
    >Josh Berger, a recent volunteer, arrived in Mali to learn that his hosts
    >weren't sure what his mission was. While overcoming these obstacles is a
    >character-building experience, isolation, lack of technology and vagueness
    >make service quite inefficient.
    >
    >That need not be the case. The world has changed since Kennedy's speech.
    >When John Coyne, who runs the website Peace Corps Writers, flew to Addis
    >Ababa in 1962, it was his second time on a plane. Few volunteers can say
    >that now.
    >
    >Our needs, likewise, have changed. Under Kennedy, we battled the USSR for
    >the developing world's soul. Now there may be a case for Arab world
    >friendship programs, but elsewhere, people need American friends less than
    >they need to stop carrying water six hours a day.
    >
    >Possible steps
    >
    >The Peace Corps, with its well-respected brand name, is uniquely positioned
    >to make that happen. Here's how:
    >
    >Choose sites where technology is accessible. Though it's great that Namje
    >has water, sites near cities can develop faster. Volunteers located near
    >cities could use the global cellphones the Peace Corps should issue them and
    >the Internet access they should be guaranteed, to contact other volunteers
    >or experts.
    >
    >Some volunteers are this wired. Julia de la Torre, while serving in Moldova,
    >emailed me that technology "has allowed me to create teaching materials and
    >work more effectively as a volunteer."
    >
    >Charge fees. If groups that request a volunteer must pay something per
    >project, they're more likely to set goals ahead of time.
    >
    >Staff volunteers in teams. Teams motivate each other and leverage each
    >other's skills.
    >
    >Hire volunteers with useful skills. Says Berger, "The bulk of us are
    >graduates of small liberal arts colleges. We didn't bring a lot that could
    >benefit subsistence farmers in rural Africa." The Peace Corps does well
    >recruiting IT professionals but needs more engineers, agriculture experts
    >and older, experienced volunteers.
    >
    >Build in accountability. Peace Corps service is a job, but few volunteers
    >are evaluated on specific metrics, such as how many adults passed a literacy
    >test. Tying the size of a volunteer's post-service transition award
    >(currently about $6,000) to achieving goals would boost efficiency.
    >
    >Some Peace Corps country programs already incorporate these elements. Most
    >volunteers in Mexico specialize in business development, so they have access
    >to technology. The South Africa program seeks out older volunteers (people
    >listen to elders when they talk about HIV prevention). That's two countries.
    >There are a whole lot more. After 45 years, the Peace Corps should step up
    >the pace.
    >
    >New York City-based writer Laura Vanderkam is a member of USA TODAY's board
    >of contributors.
    >
    >
    >
    >Jeff Kelley-Clarke
    >
    >U.S. Peace Corps Moldova
    >Country Director
    >>

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Julie Matter
    Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 1:24 PM
    To:
    Subject: RE: Peace Corps Article


    Well according to the author it does sound like Peace Corps should make some changes to "step up development," but developing the whole world instantaniously is not the way I see the PC.═ We wanted to experience someone else's challenges and daily life to get a better understanding of the world outside of America. Also, we are here for development, but to lend a hand to the country, not to do it for them. If they had sent in engineers and experts to build that water system in Nepal, would the locals know how to use it? or how to maintain it? If they didn't have any involvement or in-put into the project they might just let it be idle and neglect it altoghether. So, yes I think it would be easier if we were all experts, had internet 24/7, but thats not why we came or what we expected. We came to learn from the locals while teaching them═as well═while═sustaining the development that we help to build not just change═a═culture═over night.

    Those are my thoughts! :)

    Julie M

    Good points. I don't believe they could fly in some engineers to Nepal to get a water system installed for $80,000--I have paid engineering contracts before, and they are expensive. And you are on target: involving the community in the project is as important as the project itself.
    ═
    Jeff Kelley-Clarke

    U.S. Peace Corps Moldova
    Country Director
    Wednesday, October 5th, 2005
    4:39 pm
    This crazy country
    The other day I was walking home from school and was abducted by a crazy drunken man named Simion, who wanted to give me a "beautiful apple and a pear." Well by the time I escaped he had given me roughtly 3 kilos of apples (+6 lbs.) a few pears, some hot peppers, some eggplant, and a gutoie (a retarded looking apple that I don't know the word for in English, its quince or something). On my way out-I insisted I had a lot of work to do at home-he told me that once he made his wine my husband and I are more than welcome to come have some with him! At least he thought I was married, maybe I should get on that ;) if only I had some prospects!
    Sunday, September 18th, 2005
    6:08 pm
    Picking Grapes
    Fall is begining to settle in here. Yesterday I went out to Jill's site in Ermoclia, just south of where I am. We relaxed a bit last night, but then today we picked grapes all day! We, plus about 6 moldovans, picked enough grapes to fill 4 big barrels! I wore gloves but my hands are still kind of purple. We got some good pictures too, all the babas were laying up on the dirt kicking back eating watermelon off of cabbage leaves. Jill definately is more Moldovan than I am since her host family is not afraid to make her work, plus the last volunteer they had married a moldovan and brought him back with her! We still don't know how thats possible, but we're going to a Moldovan-American wedding next friday. Hope all is good state-side!
    Sunday, September 11th, 2005
    11:45 am
    Life is Going
    Sorry I've been so busy since I've gotten back to Moldova. It seems like I was home so long ago. School started the 1st of September and I can already tell that this year will go a lot smoother than last year did. I'm not a sucker for cultural stuff anymore, as in I know when my students are feeding me a bunch of bull. I did have time to can some salsa and spaghetti sauce now that all the veggies are out. I'm also counting down the days until I get to move into my own house, with a fridge and gas heat! I can't wait!!
    Saturday, June 11th, 2005
    11:20 am
    Where am I?
    It doesn't feel like Europe, Asia, or Africa but a collage of each of these continents. Winter is long and brutal especially for those without heat. It feels like waht it would have been like during soviet times. Now its June and a cool spring became a hot summer literally over night. The mosquitos are getting worse. The vast fields of green onions look like rice paddies with workers bent over them in headscarves rather than straw hats. The cherries are ripe and so are the strawberries. There are lizards and frogs in this land where goats graze and cattle mingle. Where am I? The people are poor, but they try not to look it. Superstition is like a religion here, its the one thing they all believe in. Running water is rare. A root cellar necessary. The gypsies are despised, but to me they look and act the same as everyone else. Girls gress in short skirts and gaudy pointy toed shoes. The roads are dirt and covered in animal droppings. Boys wear tight pants and similar pointy shoes. This is outside of home. At home they change and their poverty is apparent. They look like the field workers that they are. Children obey their parents and talk back to teachers. Cheating is accepted, encouraged. Roosters crow all day long. I thought they only did that at sunrise. After a winter without fresh fruit the first strawberries taste like a foreign delicacy, soft and sweet, awakening my mouth to a familiar taste they once knew. The kids carry cell phones, but can't afford to buy time. Most don't know how to sit on a toilet, but they've seen the latest movies (in russian). They don't brush their teeth or bathe often. Their hair is dyed, bleached, cut "fashionably." To them I am different, plain, casual. Where am I and why did I come here?
    11:16 am
    One Whole Year!
    Yes, I am now officially one year older and have been here for 365 days!! Crazy isn't it?! Summer was off to a good start, then it got rainy, now its looking better again and it looks like I am going to be busy even withouth school this summer. Baseball camp is done, and next up is GLOW, I'm just glad I get a week off to rest up for it. Oh and if anyone is bored this summer, come on out to Moldova, its 100 times better in the summer!
    Tuesday, April 26th, 2005
    4:17 pm
    Yup, I'm still here
    Well, things are starting to get crazy around here again. Spring has sprung and it seems as though everyone is coming out of hibernation, including myself. This weekend started off rough since Friday I finally got the courage up to talk to my host mom about my eating situation. I’ve gained a few pounds here and the other teachers have no hesitation in telling me so. Ya, that sucks, but that is the least of my issues. Currently she makes me dinner, so I pay 25 lei a day for her to cook that, however much of the money was not going to my food; most of the winter 3 out of 5 meals were potatoes, just potatoes, fried, baked, mashed, you get the picture and the other 2 were pasta and maybe some chicken if I was lucky. (25 lei is almost $2, but that goes along way here, I could go to a decent restaurant in Chisinau for 25 lei) She is really obsessive with me too, if I leave the house to go for a walk, she calls half the village looking for me, and has yelled at other volunteers because their call interrupted her soap opera! Anyways, Friday I talked to her about cooking on my own, so that I could have more freedom to come and go as I please, not have to worry about being home at a certain time, or getting fed when I’m not hungry, not to mention I won’t even be in my village half the summer. Well, she didn’t even respond to me, just stormed out of the house. Later that night, she came to my room and told me that it wasn’t worth it to have me there if I’m only paying for the room! (We pay 300 lei a month/rent which is more than several salaries here, the school nurse gets 250, most teachers average 500, it depends on their hours.) I was shocked and she only gave me until the 30th to move out! I was stressed all weekend that I’m sick again because of it, but I did find a place. I had thought of moving out before, so I kind of suggested the idea with friend of mine here in the village a week or so ago, her parents are out of the country so it will just be her and I. It will be sooo nice! She’s only 18, and graduating high school this May, but I figure I’ve got some experience with the big sister thing and maybe her and her friends will learn a few things from me and vice versa. It’s so funny, all Moldovans think that I look 18-20 yrs old, but then they find out that I’m 24 and not married and they go into shock; because I am truly an “old maid” here. There are a few of the older teachers and several younger girls who think there might be benefits to waiting until you are older than 21 to getting married or actually finishing high school before doing so*, but most of the village thinks 16-18 is the prime marrying age. (*most of my 9th graders won’t be going on to 10th grade, by choice to either get hitched or work in the fields…note: they don’t usually get married as a way to get out of the house because most of them have to live with their parents indefinitely.)

    Part of my weekend craze was meeting to plan summer sessions for the new trainees we have coming in this June. It’ll be fun to see the new kids come in, to see what we were like when we got here.

    Sunday I made it to a baseball game my village had that a few volunteers joined; I’m the designated 3rd base coach since it’s a men’s league or you can bet I’d be playing. It is fun just to play catch and get a kick out of the stares when they see that I can throw better than half the Moldovans.

    After that I went to Costeşti to see my summer host family. They had the traditional 40-day masa for Ion, my host dad that passed away. It was rough, but people were smiling again (you can’t smile, dance, or engage in anything entertaining for 40 days after a family member dies, according to the Orthodox church) and it was good to see everyone there. I feel bad, I’m kind of negative about Moldova, but when I go back to Costeşti, I could almost call it home. The people are sooooo great, I can understand everyone**, the conversation topics are interesting and engaging, plus they all like to practice their English with me. If I had been placed there I would seriously consider extending my service for a year, but as it is I’ll be back in 2…or rather a few months for a visit and then again in a year for good. (**Clear, correct Romanian. I think the way people talk in the village could be compared to back woods in the south or something, grammatically incorrect, a heavy accent and a lot of Russian words are used. I’ve come back to our language classes and used words that my tutor told me sounded awful, it’d be like “ain’t” and “nutin,” so apparently I adapt well, but my language went down slightly.)
    Friday, February 25th, 2005
    6:25 pm
    Oh the sweet smells of life
    February 21, 2005
    I must say I have been re-inspired to relay life in Moldova as I see it. Why you ask? Well, I just read Dear Exile, a book of letters written by a volunteer in Africa and her corresponding friend back in New York. She definitely had a different experience than mine, but some things I can still relate to.

    The smells in Moldova are something. Mostly the smell of people is something to take note of here. My host mom is at a “sanatorium” for 3 wks (a place to relax because she has diabetes among other health issues) so its just Dima, my host dad, and I. Last week he was laid up with the “gripa” (flu) and now he’s better so today there were 5+ guys in and out of the house while I was here. I must say that Dima and my direct male neighbors are fairly clean and don’t have the stench that was so prominently carried into our house by these guys. They bathe regularly and keep the wine to a minimum.
    First, imagine if you will the smell of dirt, fresh dirt. Add to it a bit of car engine smell, then some of that manly sweaty smell, with lots of stale b.o and add a dash of onion. Lastly, think of a bum, or some hung-over person, that has concentrated alcohol seeping from their pores and you have your self the smell of an average village man. The worst part is you can smell this guy, or group, before you’ve seen them or after they’ve left. It happens at the store, on the bus, on the street and tonight it was in my house and I had to choke down my food because it was so prevalent.
    The second worst smell is that of the “veceu” (outhouse). I’m sure you don’t need any help thinking up this one. Its pretty bad, but usually only if you have to go to use it, but my school built a new one in the year before I got here and its right next to the most used exit of the school, the one I use, so I have to hold my breath for the 30 seconds that it takes me to go from approaching to passing the site of the waste. The janitors clean it too, with their hands!! I should mention that mopping here consists of 2 pieces of wood fastened into a T with an old shirt, sweater, or random piece of fabric. You wet the rag in a bucket of soapy-ish water, lay it over the wood parallel to the floor and go to town. When the rag needs a ringing or more water you dunk it back in the bucket wring it out and keep going. How they put their hands in that I don’t know. Of course by Moldovan mentality you have just washed something so why wash your hands after a chore like this?! I’m serious.
    Other notable smells here include:
    Burning garbage that you can smell w/o seeing the smoke
    Dirty kids
    Your own B.O.
    Clean volunteers
    Chickens; alive and dead-the burnt hair smell they get when you have to put them over the fire to make sure you got all the feathers taken care of
    Unfiltered sunflower oil
    Bus exhaust
    Dill-which I am never eating again when I get back to the states, I am sooo sick of it!!!
    Tuesday, February 8th, 2005
    5:09 pm
    Long Time...
    Sorry its been soooo long since I've updated! Life is busy, not too exciting just busy with school, workshops and volunteer bday parties. Hope its not as cold as it is here! :)
    Sunday, January 16th, 2005
    11:58 am
    Back to School
    Today is Tuesday, but I won’t be in Chisinau till this weekend to post this, so as of right now I still have time to be lazy during my vacation. It has been a good one. Thank you soooo much to everyone who sent candy canes, hot chocolate, and stockings!! I’ll be giving them to the kids on Monday since almost everything came over break.
    Romania was incredible from what we saw in the mountains and I’m sure I’ll be back at some point in the next year and a half. After Romania, I came back to GB and spent New Years with my host parents, it wasn’t as bad as I expected, but next year will defiantly be spent elsewhere. My host sister who has been living in Italy for 3 yrs came home for a few weeks (she is still here), she brought some amazing parmesan cheese!! Stacia and Knowles went to Romania after New Years and asked me to housesit and check out how I like staying there by myself, since I will be moving in there when they leave; that’s not till October, but its something to look forward to. Staying at their place was almost a mini-vacation in itself, being able to escape my host fam and cook for myself. After that I went back to Costesti-my training village-for 2 days. Now I’m back to lesson planning and enjoying the last few days of sleeping in.
    Being in Costesti was great! You can see the differences as clear as night and day between the “suburbs” of Chisinau and the rural village life. Not only did I get to see everyone I ate tons of good food and there are young people there! It was really good to see educated Moldovans, Moldovans being happy and enjoying themselves. Everyone here likes to make sure that we, Americans, know how difficult their lives are and how hard it is to be a farmer and be poor, which can really wear you out after a while. I told them how I had milked the goats over here and they thought that was a riot cause my host mom in Costesti has never milked a goat or a cow in her life! You can even tell the difference in their language; they speak clearer and more like Romanians in Costesti, there is so much Russian mixed in here sometimes I use Russian words and don’t even know it. Not too mention they were shocked and how far my language has come, considering they were the ones who had to figure out how to communicate with me from day 1.
    I went out with Natasha and Sergiu (my first host brother and sister) and hung out with 18-28yr olds-that NEVER happens here, everyone is either one of my students, their parents, or elderly. And all the kids wanted to speak English with me, and they are great! Its like pulling teeth to get my students to speak English freely. Plus I figured out why I did eat so much this summer, the food is waaaayyyy better! My host mom here uses the same dill and Moldovan spice for everything, there it all tasted different and I got real meat. The only bummer there is that the rain and early frost killed the grapes over there so instead of wine they served vodka and brandy. The problem with serving hard alcohol over wine is that you have to drink it. With wine you can get away with sipping your drink and regulating how much you have, not with alcohol cause if you don’t take your shot when everyone makes a toast-which is about every ten minutes at a masa-its considered an insult to your host. Luckily Moldovans generally drink when eating so in 2 days I was at 4 masas and drank too much. Over all I am really glad I made that trip, it restored some of my hope that has been faltering regarding my work over here.
    Sunday, December 26th, 2004
    11:41 am
    Merry Christmas
    Merry Christmas!! My first Christmas overseas wasn't too bad. I escaped to Brasov, Romania and it is incredibly beautiful. I wanted to skiing today, but the snow is bad, maybe next year. Its a little mountain resort town kind of like McCall, Idaho. Everyone is so nice and it was a great break from Moldova. Its amazing how 2 countries right next to each other can be so extremly different, and you notice it from the second you cross the border, everything from the roads, bathrooms, and the look on people's faces. Romania has plans to join the EU in 2007 and Moldova, well they just need to get their residents to stay in country, maybe 20 yrs from now they can think about the EU. I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season...and let me know if it is worth me continuing to post messages here cause i have no clue if anyone actually reads this!! :)
    Sunday, December 19th, 2004
    10:43 am
    Sittin' in the Sat
    Tuesday December 14, 2004
    Hmmmm…I haven’t written about life here in awhile and I suppose its time. I’ve been extra busy with wrapping up school, beginning secondary projects, prepping for Christmas and vacation plans that I’ve hardly even been home to experience anything unusual; however I did tell someone the other day that things that should probably be unusual are seeming more and more normal. Today was the first day in about 3 weeks that I got to stay home and sleep in until it was light outside. I should have done laundry but it took enough energy to clean up my disastrous room. Vacation planning is back and forth and back again to the point where I decided I’m done coordinating with 20 other people and I’m just going to do my own thing and meet up with Pat! Yeah! (For those of you that don’t know him, Pat is definitely my best-guy friend and has been for what seems like forever-5-6yrs.) Anyways today was just a day in Gura Bicului hanging out. My neighbor, Ghiorge a PE teacher in his mid-late 50s, brought over some pork fat for my host mom to use in the “coptura” we just ate and stayed for some soup and glass of wine before noon. After that I was bumming around the house and had to use the out-house and on my way there I had to scare away a cat that was trying to steal the fresh rabbit skin/fur from the rabbit my host dad had to “take care of” this morning. (He hates to do the rabbits, but it was early so the neighbor that does it was still sleeping and it was getting too fat so he had to and has been in a bad mood all day.) Then after bumming around some more Ghiorge came back over for the “coptura”-a bread filled with sheep cheese and pork fat-and brought some of his good wine over. Mind you its not even 5pm yet. I actually drink a lot less than I did in the states and alcohol is much cheaper here, and much more accessible. On average I’d say that I drink about one glass of wine or a beer every week and a half-yes there are times like Thanksgiving when a few glasses were consumed, but on average its not much at all. I think it has to do with the fact that you can really see the effect alcohol has on a society when it is abused so much, and that can be really sad and depressing.

    Ghiorge (almost like Jorje in Spanish) and his wife Liuba are close to being my favorite teachers at the school. I don’t see them that much, but they are the greatest people. They are my neighbors and their kids are in their 30s off in Romania, and are the nicest people. The first day I met Liuba she did the sign of the cross and blessed me about 10 times since they really needed an English teacher. They just slaughtered a pig this weekend and brought us over the best white meat for a frigurii (bbq) and it was sooo good!! I felt so bad ‘cause I was in Chisinau and got back late and they had been waiting for me for a while. The chicken I get is crap, but lately we’ve been having more and more rabbit which can be great, depending on how it’s cooked.

    So that’s a typical day here and now its time for me to work on some lesson plans and my work report for big brother.
    10:42 am
    Sittin
    Tuesday December 14, 2004
    Hmmmm…I haven’t written about life here in awhile and I suppose its time. I’ve been extra busy with wrapping up school, beginning secondary projects, prepping for Christmas and vacation plans that I’ve hardly even been home to experience anything unusual; however I did tell someone the other day that things that should probably be unusual are seeming more and more normal. Today was the first day in about 3 weeks that I got to stay home and sleep in until it was light outside. I should have done laundry but it took enough energy to clean up my disastrous room. Vacation planning is back and forth and back again to the point where I decided I’m done coordinating with 20 other people and I’m just going to do my own thing and meet up with Pat! Yeah! (For those of you that don’t know him, Pat is definitely my best-guy friend and has been for what seems like forever-5-6yrs.) Anyways today was just a day in Gura Bicului hanging out. My neighbor, Ghiorge a PE teacher in his mid-late 50s, brought over some pork fat for my host mom to use in the “coptura” we just ate and stayed for some soup and glass of wine before noon. After that I was bumming around the house and had to use the out-house and on my way there I had to scare away a cat that was trying to steal the fresh rabbit skin/fur from the rabbit my host dad had to “take care of” this morning. (He hates to do the rabbits, but it was early so the neighbor that does it was still sleeping and it was getting too fat so he had to and has been in a bad mood all day.) Then after bumming around some more Ghiorge came back over for the “coptura”-a bread filled with sheep cheese and pork fat-and brought some of his good wine over. Mind you its not even 5pm yet. I actually drink a lot less than I did in the states and alcohol is much cheaper here, and much more accessible. On average I’d say that I drink about one glass of wine or a beer every week and a half-yes there are times like Thanksgiving when a few glasses were consumed, but on average its not much at all. I think it has to do with the fact that you can really see the effect alcohol has on a society when it is abused so much, and that can be really sad and depressing.

    Ghiorge (almost like Jorje in Spanish) and his wife Liuba are close to being my favorite teachers at the school. I don’t see them that much, but they are the greatest people. They are my neighbors and their kids are in their 30s off in Romania, and are the nicest people. The first day I met Liuba she did the sign of the cross and blessed me about 10 times since they really needed an English teacher. They just slaughtered a pig this weekend and brought us over the best white meat for a frigurii (bbq) and it was sooo good!! I felt so bad ‘cause I was in Chisinau and got back late and they had been waiting for me for a while. The chicken I get is crap, but lately we’ve been having more and more rabbit which can be great, depending on how it’s cooked.

    So that’s a typical day here and now its time for me to work on some lesson plans and my work report for big brother.
    Saturday, December 4th, 2004
    2:13 am
    Christmas is coming!
    Yeah, its almost Christmas time! They celebrate Christmas in Moldova on the old calander so its January 7, so the kids have 3 weeks off for vacation and we get 4!! Since we teach the kids an extra hour a week we get to skip school so my vacation will start the 20/21st of December and last until January 16. I'm planning to go w/some other volunteers to the mountains in Romania (Brasov, and Bran to see Draculas Castle) then to Hugary to check out Budapest and hopefully be in Prague for New Years! It should be a fairly cheap trip (about $250), so if you want a Christmas vacation next year...please consider Europe...or Turkey.
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