Sunday, July 31, 2016



Life in Moldova as a trainee has been difficult.  If anyone is thinking of joining and you are accepted for a country of your choice start practicing or learning the language you will be speaking. Especially if you have never studied language.  After 6 weeks of training and being a pain to my instructors I figured out that to say a sentence about myself I have to use a form for a word and the form is different for who ever you are speaking to or about. So, I am 6 weeks behind in language. But knowing this has helped me make sense of how to speak and given me more confidence to speak. When talking it sounds like I just got off the boat but people are gracious and google helps with the words I am stuck on.  
Two other health volunteers I taught with Katie and Jessica
 In the Health program I am in we stay in school 2 extra weeks to practice teach and have more language classes since we have to teach in Romanian.  Last week was the first week of practice school.  My partner is the English language teacher in Cosauți.  We taught about microbes, which is a concept never heard of by most but the biology teachers...It was exciting and pretty easy once we found each others strengths. She talks and I ask questions and do the activityțs with the kids.  The kids correct my bad Romanian and we had fun. This week we do it again with our other partner teacher.  This one does not speak English or understand it so I will be stretched more.  
One of our 3 classes
We had Swearing In when we officially become volunteers and go from $8/week to $112 and promise to be strong courageous and responsible to/for the people of Moldova. Tom and I were in a dance together but he got sick 2 weeks into the practice and I had to have another partner.  For Swearing In we preformed in Moldovan costumes. It was 88 humid degrees out and the dance troop had on linen undergarments with wool wrap skirts and belts on.  We sat through speeches in Romanian and then danced. It was hot! But the food served after was reviving. These are some pictures from the day. 




Tom went to Cosauți with our host family and his partners and most of our junk.  I am still here working away at language and continuing to learn more about teaching. And it is still hot humid Mediterranean weather... But I have a fan and the house is made out of concrete so it is cool most of the time I am home. My school day is 8-5:30 with ½ hour walk to and from school M-Fri Then supper and 3 more hours to make sense of the language again.. Sat. Is a short day only language till 12:30. Life is not boring but it is dull. 





Today my mamma gazda (host mom who gets paid to feed me and give me a bed) had a day of remembrance for her husbands sister who died a year ago today. Liuba cooked for 2 days and invited the neighbor, her sister and best friend, son his wife and me.  We had Masa, which means table but is understood to be much food in celebration. It was lovely and I understood a bit of the conversation.  I showed pictures from home and they loved the ones of us in the Jeske garden. Since they all have gardens they wondered what was grown that was different and why there was no cock for the hens.  Since there is a cock that wakes me and the stray dogs up every morning at 5 and then the dogs bark I explained we like to sleep and so do the hens and they do not need a cock either.  No one bought the idea. Especially the neighbor with the rooster...
That.s all I know today.  Keep the prayers coming language test is next week Monday.  Tom did well on his so he does not need to have a tutor but we both do not feel like we can carry a conversation so we will have tutors for at least 3 more months.  I am sure I will have one until I come back to America...Love you all, miss you much, and keep you in my prayers.... Marc