Peace Corps Journals / Moldova / all updates

Signs of Spring!

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:02:00 +0800

(Moldova / Thoughts From Moldova)
It seems as if Winter is unwilling to give up its grasp on Moldova. A few weeks ago it seemed like Spring was actually upon us. All the snow had melted and there was that Spring scent in the air. Unf ...
10 reads

Patience is a ...

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:49:00 +0800

(Moldova / Buna Ziua!)
Well winter isn't giving up over here. It snowed last night---again. But as much as my host Mom and I laugh and lament about the drawn out winter there was a day last week where I succeeded to wash ...
13 reads

Over 6 550 hours in Moldova

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:46:00 +0800

(Moldova / I'm going to Moldova!!! Wait, where is that?)
This day 9 months ago (or as one volunteer put it-a pregnancy ago) I landed in Chisinau Moldova to begin my Peace Corps experience. Man has time flown. This also means I have completed 1/3 of my serv ...
9 reads

Mr. Mayor is not a vegan.

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:11:00 +0800

(Moldova / Dancing with Moldovans)
Three of us Peace Corps Volunteers (Sam Justin and I) were making rounds around Justin's village talking to the many families that he's friends with. As we were talking to an Eastern Orthodox priest ...
13 reads

March 9 2010—A Tangent

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:59:00 +0800

(Moldova / Moldova, Peace Corps & Aaron)
March 9 2010—A Tangent Life was good this weekend. I took an adventure to Balti the second-most populated city in Moldova sitting at a hefty 100 000 or give or take a few ten-thousand. The wh ...
11 reads

Unexpectedly

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:35:19 +0800

(Moldova / On My Way)
I’m engaged!!!!!!!!! I should probably have led up to that in some sort of sneaky fashion. But when I am so excited I’m out of bed at 6:45 in the morning I care nothing for sneaky and want to g ...
5 reads

"It is very … table. Yes. It is ...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:30:00 +0800

(Moldova / One Bloc East)
“It is very … table. Yes. It is verrrry table. Very beautiful.” - A tenth...
7 reads

My sitemates. I know the picture is blur ...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:19:02 +0800

(Moldova / Craig in Moldova)
My sitemates. I know the picture is blurry but it is the only one we’ve got. Erin leaves on Saturday for good and Sam will be heading to law school in June. I suspect after that I’ll be here on my own.
9 reads

Shakin' hands kissin' babies and kickin' ass

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:38:00 +0800

(Moldova / A Traveler's Soliloquy)
Remember what I said about the weather turning and spring on its way? Yeah well I lied. Several days ago winter showed it’s evil face again and dumped a foot of snow on the ground and temperatu ...
3 reads

Shakin' hands kissin' babies and kickin' ass

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:38:00 +0800

Even if you give a Mărţişor...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:26:00 +0800

(Moldova / Cote Ventures to Moldova)
A conversation between myself and a 2nd grade kid from my village:Me: "Hey what's up?"Him: "Nothing."Me: (While pointing to a Mărţişor pinned to his jacket) "Nothing? Who gave you that?"Him: While smiling "A girl."Me: "A pretty girl?"Him: Big pause thinking shrugging "...She works..."
2 reads

Sun Burnt Country

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:14:55 +0800

(Moldova / Here To There)
Evil Eye Cappadocia Day 1 pics up. Read and post comments | Send to a friend
19 reads

Love Wine and a Lil' Karaoke

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:28:00 +0800

(Moldova / 27 Months In a Land Far, Far Away)
Dragobete is a Romanian holiday similar to Valentine's Day. It is celebrated on February 24th. The older kids at my school put on a Dragobete Concert. The show began with a skit preformed by som ...
4 reads

Sometimes I know what I'm doing sometimes I don't

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:15:00 +0800

(Moldova / Buna Ziua!)
[+] On the last weekend in February we finally celebrated youth week in my district (it's actually in October but was cancelled because of H1N1 outbreaks). This ceremony honored the youth who have pr ...
1 reads

The Return

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:49:00 +0800

(Moldova / Times of Moldova)
For most Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) the purpose of a blog is to keep their family and friends informed of the unique experiences in their life as a PCV. For me it was the first opportunity to go ...
22 reads

Busy

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:48:00 +0800

(Moldova / Dreams and schemes)
As 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 b ...
4 reads

A Mini Vacation

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:32:00 +0800

(Moldova / Tales From Moldova)
I yet again find myself relieved to be back at site where I am able to relax and not feel like I am rushing eveywhere. The last few days have been a few of the better ones in a long while. Mainly b ...
18 reads

Spring Break #1 2010

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0800

(Moldova / Peace Corps, Moldova)
I decided to spend my second to last school break in country traveling around and taking in all of this little country. Needless to say the week generally involved lots of food and drinking - as any ...
22 reads

37.

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:03:00 +0800

(Moldova / One Bloc East)
Below you can see a baba in her natural habitat; there are few things as ubiquitous or conspicuous...
8 reads

Hai La Hora

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:32:00 +0800

(Moldova / Notes from Moldova)
The inspiration for this post comes from my friend Alicia a fellow PC volunteer who recently showed me the music video for the song "Hora Din Moldova." I have heard this song dozens of times over the ...
1 reads

A Reporter at Large: The Countertraffickers

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:36:44 +0800

(Moldova / One Bloc East)
A Reporter at Large: The Countertraffickers: This is an old article that some of you may have read...
13 reads

An Introduction to Moldovan Home Economics

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:09:00 +0800

(Moldova / One Bloc East)
One loaf of bread: 40 cents One bottle of local wine: 70 cents One beer at the neighborhood store:...
11 reads

Chip In! Odyssey of the Mind EuroFest 2010

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:15:00 +0800

(Moldova / One Bloc East)
Chip In! Odyssey of the Mind EuroFest 2010: Although my OM team wasn’t picked to go to the...
10 reads

What the Hell is That?

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:57:00 +0800

(Moldova / Moldova, Peace Corps & Aaron)
March 2 2010—What the hell is that? That would be the sun and the broad and overwhelming-welcome changes in the weather life and most of all (in this humble bloggers opinions) in the ...
20 reads

Still Here

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:42:00 +0800

(Moldova / Here To There)
Why Isn't It Called Grey Mosque? I had time to kill b ...
14 reads

Birth and Death in Seconds

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:38:31 +0800

(Moldova / Here To There)
I was trying to kill time today during lunch and I remembered that there was an arcade around the corner. To my surprise and delight I found a Taco Bell while walking there. Then I crossed ...
12 reads

The third Martişor

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:38:00 +0800

(Moldova / Dreams and schemes)
This 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 pa ...
16 reads

Spring..??

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:48:00 +0800

(Moldova / Tales From Moldova)
Well knowing that I have not written in a while I was planning until after today to report on all the Happenings here in Moldova. Well to get started today was the 1st of March which means only o ...
17 reads

In this photo: a table and table cloth ...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:06:57 +0800

(Moldova / Craig in Moldova)
In this photo: a table and table cloth instant coffee my camera case drying cups some marbles in a dish a sewing machine my computer and my cell phone; in short it’s my office.
15 reads

Virgin Instructor

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:23:44 +0800

(Moldova / Here To There)
Pipe Bed Woohoo finally my first instructable:Hybrid ...
20 reads

Thinking Like a Moldovan

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:01:00 +0800

(Moldova / Notes from Moldova)
There are many things I love about Moldovan culture. One of my favorites is their propensity to share food. When Moldovans have anything edible or drinkable even gum they will never fail to offer a ...
24 reads

I tried to come up with a good way to wo ...

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:53:00 +0800

(Moldova / Craig in Moldova)
I tried to come up with a good way to work with my partner on creating a strategic plan mission etc. This is what I came up with a bulletin board that depicts the connections among resources theor ...
7 reads

I'm a hot mess on a hot streak and other ...

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:53:00 +0800

(Moldova / Craig in Moldova)
I’ll leave this unedited try not to be offended. My eyes are burning today. I hate to say it ...
24 reads

Yep I think Spring might have just happened

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:36:00 +0800

(Moldova / Cote Ventures to Moldova)
Today I went to work at around 12 o'clock to find that it was locked and didn't really know what to do. I looked in my wallet to find about 28 lei and figured I would go for a walk and get a haircut ...
19 reads

Back to the Future

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:05:00 +0800

(Moldova / A Traveler's Soliloquy)
Today I was hitchhiking back home from a lesson with my new Romanian tutor when I was starting to really curse myself for not zipping my rain hoody on my jacket before I left. It wasn’t pouring do ...
7 reads

Back to the Future

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:05:00 +0800

Omatul se duce ne vedem iarna viatoare. Paka.

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:55:00 +0800

(Moldova / Dancing with Moldovans)
Yo what's up? I couldn't be more happier to type that the snow is finally melting. It's been a few months of a tough winter and I'm coming out of hibernation with some speed. I don't know where I'm ...
7 reads

Allow me to introduce myself

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:17:00 +0800

(Moldova / Craig in Moldova)
I’m the guy with the oversized sunglasses and the shaved head wearing a waterproof vest and...
22 reads

LOST is makes me happy

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:43:02 +0800

(Moldova / On My Way)
Other things that make me happy:Cooking a Hawaiian themed meal at Gilbert's apartment and then watching LOST with him.Getting an "awesome" on my mid-term. (Yes there was a number grade as ...
17 reads

36.

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:38:00 +0800

(Moldova / One Bloc East)
For a brief self-conscious moment here I would like to say that I have been very busy the last three...
14 reads

Am I full of it?

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0800

(Moldova / Peace Corps, Moldova)
February 23 2010 Today is the national Russian army day which in other words translates into national mens' day. While we are not in Russia and I am not a Moldovan or Russian citizen I was still g ...
8 reads

M22s' Thoughts Anxiety and Excitement N ...

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:40:00 +0800

(Moldova / Dezvoltare Erena)
0 reads

Before and After

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:25:00 +0800

(Moldova / Dezvoltare Erena)
Recently we had our COS (close & continuation of service) conference. Afterwards we got together for a group picture and the other night I realized how much fun it is to compare that picture to the on ...
59 reads

The End of A Journey

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:06:09 +0800

(Moldova / Here To There)
Meditation The beginning of my trip home from living ...
22 reads

Uno Hip Hop & Marţişor

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:26:00 +0800

(Moldova / 27 Months In a Land Far, Far Away)
2 day Language Training was earlier last week in Balti about an hour south of my town. It was fun to catch up with some volunteers who I don't normally get to see plus I got to see the boyfrie ...
18 reads

Village Photos

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:53:00 +0800

(Moldova / Cote Ventures to Moldova)
Here I got to visit the wonderful village of Lozova where Matt (another rad volunteer) and I hit up Loz Vegas and got crazy.During our language training Neal explained to us why Louisiana 'should' be ...
19 reads

Spring and stuff

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:59:00 +0800

(Moldova / Cote Ventures to Moldova)
A good Monday. It's sunny out which means there is no snow now the next challenge is mud. But still it is beautiful out and I almost forgot what everything looks like in my village when it is not ...
10 reads

Close of Service

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:40:00 +0800

(Moldova / Dreams and schemes)
Most 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 (C ...
18 reads

COS Conference...the aftermath

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:10:00 +0800

(Moldova / Peace Corps and everything with it)
Last week was my COS Conference. It was really cool. The first thing we did when we arrived was check into our rooms. I stayed with Naima and Cristine. When we were in our room Naima and I were l ...
17 reads

CNY

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:01:22 +0800

(Moldova / Here To There)
Chinese New Year is great because I get free leftovers to take home and money from family. I offered to give this year but my sisters didn't want me to. Do you know what that means? ...
0 reads