Goodbye, Moldova

Dear Moldova,

I don’t even know where to begin. I sit here in the PC lounge only a couple hours away from leaving what has been the past two years of my life, and I still can’t think of how to say goodbye.

Goodbyes have been going on for over a month now. Every time I leave someone, I think about how this might be the last time I see them, making this month very difficult. And how do you say goodbye to two years of your life?

When I came here, I thought I was an adult. I thought I had everything together. I had my master’s degree and I knew my professional goals. I thought I had an understanding my beliefs and ways of life. But Moldova, you challenge every part of me. You challenged my beliefs, my goals, my practices, my thoughts, and the list goes on.

Never before in my life have I had such an impactful and life-changing event. These past two years have been life-forming, and as an adult, I never thought I would have such an impactful time again. But my daily life and thoughts will forever be different because of you.

But my personal growth isn’t the only thing I walk away with. I walk away with some of the most meaningful and powerful relationships in my life. The bonds I formed with my teachers, host mom, community members, and fellow volunteers are indescribable. And many of these people have no idea how much they changed me.

And where do I begin with the memories? I look back at some of my most difficult moments, and it’s hard to believe how much I made through. But I’ve had some of the most incredible successes that still make me smile at just the thought of them.

So Moldova, thank you. I know I came here with the idea that I was going to change the world, but the truth is that you changed me. And I will forever remember the impression and be changed by the small Eastern Europe country that most Americans don’t even know exists. And as I leave to start the next chapter in my life, know that you will always have a place in my heart.

POTD 1: Partner Teacher

Last, but certainly not least, my partners. During my two years here, I worked and taught with five different English teachers in my school. These five women are the reason I’ve been here teaching English in Criuleni, and they were pretty much the most constant thing in my life here. These women probably have no idea how much they touched and changed my life.

POTD 2: Friends

Although they are not Moldovan, my friends, especially these three ladies (Maggie, Ashley, and Kerry), have made my two years here amazing. We have celebrated our successes together and cried over our failures. There is no way I could have made it through this without them.

POTD 3: Moldovan Legends

I love the patriotism here. Blue, yellow, and red are everywhere. There are all sorts of ways Moldovans celebrates their country. They have a day to celebrate the colors of the flag. At school, at any formal event, they wear a tricolor (a ribbon of the three colors of flag with a pin). The Moldova flag is everywhere. During my service, Criuleni constructed this flag pole and garden area for the Moldovan flag.

But one of my favorite parts is how there are stories behind the meaning of everything. There’s a legend of Criuleni and its name; there’s a legend of Moldova’s name; there’s a legend of the aurochs symbol on the coats of arms and flag. And the nerd I am, I love hearing/reading them. So here’s the legend of Moldova:

Dragos - The Sun of Maramures

There was a young man Dragos, a son of the local ruler in Maramurus. Having heard of Negru-Voda's success, Dragos longed to be just as brave and as great since early childhood. He grew up to become a strong and beautiful ambitious young man. His beauty was the reason why the people gave him the nickname "the Sun of Maramures". His dream was to become the Ruler of the Country of Romania. But with his father still feeling capable of carrying out his duty, Dragos couldn't even think of becoming the Ruler of Maramures in the near future.

Often he would gather a team of his mates and would go hunting throughout the lands of Maramures and other counties for days and even weeks. His real intent was to meet the people of these lands and make friends and connections in the nearby districts. But hunting was always a high priority too as he never came back without a good catch.

The Hunt

During one of such 'hunts', Dragos came across a doe, so beautiful that no one had ever seen anything like it before. Dragos decided to chase it. They raced like mad - many times they nearly caught it, but still it managed to get away. They could easily shoot and kill it, but Dragos wanted the doe alive and unharmed as it possessed a divine beauty.

At one point, the doe vanished into the thin air. Despite this, Dragos continued the pursuit in hope to find it. The hunt led them far away to the east from their home - to the other side of the Carpathian mountains, but Dragos didn't want to give up and carried on.

God's Messenger

During the chase they came across a glade that looked as if it was in heaven. On the glade, a beautiful young girl was picking flowers and singing a song. The sight of the girl made Dragos forget about the hunt, the doe, and everything else. He dismounted and approached the girl: “Who are you? Are you a mortal or an angel or a fairy?”

The girl replied: “You don't know who I am and never will, but I know that you are Dragos, The Sun of Maramures, and I'm here to advise you. Give up your hunt and the doe and go to the Valley of Siret (a river in Romania). There are Romanian domains there and God has chosen you to spare the people from the rage of the Tatars and be their master. But there is one thing you must do first”.

“What thing?” Dragos asked.

“You must kill the furious aurochs that is roaming these lands unpunished. Take its head and show it to the people. And then all Romanians will gladden, praise you and will say: 'Long live Dragos the Great and Strong!”

That was all that the girl said. Dragos, glad that his dream was about to come true, wanted to hug the girl but she vanished just like the doe...

The Battle

So there he was, the Sun of Maramures, ready to face the bloodthirsty beast. He didn't have to go far to find the aurochs. The beast was as wild as a wolf, but much bigger and much more ferocious. It had a strong body and legs that could carry it with the speed of arrow and sharp horns as tough as steel.

As soon as the aurochs had spotted Dragos, it turned around to face the warrior and bowed its head showing the sharp horns. Dragos, not intimidated by the aurochs’ threatening position, squeezed his spiked cudgel harder, raised it above his head and, when the aurochs approached, hit it on the head between the horns with all his strength. The aurochs screamed so loud that, it seemed, the end of the world had come. Then, it turned around and started running away from Dragos, who immediately engaged in the chase to finish off the beast.

After an exhaustive chase, Dragos caught up with the animal and hit it again a couple of times until the beast dropped dead. Then, Dragos took out his war axe and cut the aurochs’ head off, which he took to the people of that land.

The people praised Dragos, just as the girl had predicted, and the rulers of that land decided to unite under his rule just like Romanian rulers united under the rule of Negru-Voda on the other side of the mountains.

Moldova’s Name

Dragos had many hunting dogs, but one he favoured the most - the smartest and the best at hunting, whose name was Molda. He had had the dog for a long time and it was very devoted to him. But it grew old by the time of Dragos' adventures. During the chase after the buffalo Molda jumped into a stream but didn't manage to get ashore and drowned. Dragos missed the dog a lot and, to give the animal the credit, decided to name the country after it - Moldova, or the Country of Moldova.

POTD 4: Piața

I’ve loved going to the local market to get my fresh fruits and vegetables. Although the market in Criuleni is really small compared to the one in Chișinău, it is there every day of the week, and there is always some fruits and veggies to choose from.

This is my favorite stand with the woman who owns it. She always has the best selection, and she’s so friendly. Her husband is sometimes there with her, and they like to talk to me about their son who is in America.

POTD 5: Churches

In addition to the crosses, the churches in Moldovan towns and village are constant reminders of the Eastern Orthodox presence. With the onion domes high above the trees and tall enough to spot in any town, the church is the heart of a Moldovan town.

This is the church in Onițcani, a village between Chișinău and Criuleni, which I pass every time I’m traveling between Chișinău and Criuleni. This church has been my favorite church here. I finally stopped in Onițcani to get my picture.

POTD 6: Ștefan cel Mare

My man, Ștefan cel Mare, or Stephen the Great. He was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504. During his reign, he strengthened Moldavia and maintained its independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and (most famed for resistance against) the Ottoman Empire. Basically, Moldova wouldn’t exist without this dude. And his presence is everywhere in Moldova. Every city, town, and village has at least one street named after him.

Yesterday I had a very tourist day of Chișinău, so I make sure to get a picture of the Monument of Ștefan cel Mare.

POTD 7: Last Rutiera Ride to Criuleni

Today I left Chișinău back to my site for the last time, a route that I have memorized over the past two years. The next time I go to Chișinău, I will be leaving it to start the next chapter of my life (with a quick stop in Romania and Greece first).

POTD 8: GLOW / TOBE

One of secondary project I was involved in was GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) and TOBE (Teaching Our Boys Excellence). I have loved working with this work initiative these past two years. Here’s a picture of us crazy directors after a workshop we lead.

POTD 9: Sunflowers

One of my favorite things here: sunflower fields. There are hundreds of them all over Moldova, and I never get tired of seeing them. Unfortunately last summer, because of the draught, they only bloomed a short while. And it happened to be during the two weeks I was home, so I didn’t get any good pictures. But this year, Maggie and I went to a nearby field and I got more pictures of sunflowers than I know what to do with!

POTD 10: Natasha

This is my buddy, Natasha. She’s been a good friend to me my two years here in Criuleni. Although I haven’t had her as a student, we spent lots of time together outside school. She invited me to a young youth group meeting here, which was lots of fun. And her English is incredible. I think she gets a kick out of my silliness. I will miss her a lot.

POTD 11: First Bell

I love the traditions of first bell here. My favorite part is when a 12^th former and a 5^th former walk around ringing a bell to start the new school year. This year, although I didn’t know him at the time of the ceremony, I taught the 5^th former participating. And he loved that I had this picture of him.

POTD 12: Artwork

Here’s an example of a wall hanging in my new apartment. It’s not uncommon. And to be honest, I’m still often surprised by the artwork I find here.

POTD 13: Failed Adventures

Today, I met up with some friends to try to get some pictures of Chișinău. Unfortunately, due to the rain, we weren’t able to get any. But we wandered to the airport for some Sbarro’s, and then walked a path we found in a forest. So although we weren’t able to get what we intended, we still had a good time. I’ve come to love days like these.

POTD 14: UNIT youth center

This is the youth center in Criuleni, UNIT. Last year, I volunteered there for a semester teaching English to an adult class and leading an English club for youth. Both groups were small, but I had a lot of fun working with them. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fulfill my responsibilities at my school and lead these classes the next year. And since my primary project is with my school, I had to stop volunteering at the UNIT.

I really missed working there this year. I was able to teach in my style with my techniques. I used games, texts, dialogues, group work, pair work, etc. Basically, I could teacher however I wanted. I was able to do a lot the thing I missed and wasn’t always able to do with my partners in school.

Today, when I was in Chișinău, I ran into one of my adult students, Rodica. She introduced herself to the person accompanying me, and told her how I was her English teacher and how much she loved having me. I could hardly believe what I was hearing; it was so incredible hear. Sometimes I’m upset that I didn’t do enough or a good job, but hearing these compliments from someone I had only worked with for a short while was uplifting.

POTD 15: Summer Storms

This summer has been so rainy, and I’ve been loving it. It’s kept the temperature lower, the fruits and vegetables look so much better, and the sunflowers are blooming longer. This is way better than the draught last year. I love these afternoon summer storms.

POTD 16: Moldovan Gingerbread cookies

Candies and sweets are quite different here. While you will find your Snicker bar and M&Ms at most stores, the desserts that Moldovans prefer are ones you’ll find more easily. This gingerbread-like cookie is my favorite kind of Moldovan cookie.

A couple weeks ago, my friend Maggie set up a tour of a bread and beer factory in her town. We were able to see the whole process of everything made by this company, which included breads, cookies, sodas, beers, and cvas (a non-alcoholic beer that isn’t bad). We also were able to try some cookies fresh from the oven. And they had additional flavors of their gingerbread cookies (honey and peanut butter) So good!

POTD 17: Students’ Art

I found the art made by the students here unique. I can’t quite describe how it is different than the art I see made by children in the States, but here are some examples of poster students made for Teacher’s Day last year.

POTD 18: Gates and Fences

Moldovans take great pride in their gates and fences. I think it’s because they are the first things you see when visiting someone’s home.

There’s even a tradition of stealing gates on Saint Andrei’s day (Dec 14th). Traditionally, on the eve of the 14th, unmarried girls cast spells to find the man of their dreams, and it is said that they will see him in their dream that night. And boys steal the gates of the girls they like. Nowadays, everyone just steals from everyone, and they hide the gate. The next day, you have to look for your gate. Sometimes it takes awhile to find it, up to weeks.

POTD 19: Houses

I think the way Moldovan houses are set up is unique. Every room is separate, including the living room and dining room. They are closed off with separate doors (although you can’t tell from this picture). And in a lot of houses, there are multiple rooms that can only be accessed through another room. So often, you might have to walk through someone else’s bedroom to get to another bedroom. Luckily, the door to my bedroom lead only to my room.

POTD 20: Turul Moldovei

This year, we are celebrating Peace Corps being in Moldova for 20 years. And one of the many celebrations we’re doing is Turul Moldovei, a walking tour across Moldova. There is a group of volunteers starting in the south and another group starting in the north. Each group will walk for two weeks towards Chișinău, where both groups meet in the end for a big celebration.

Each day, the groups visit a different town or village. And today, the north group stopped in Criuleni. Over the past couple months, I helped organize their stop here. I worked with UNIT, the youth center here. We had a tour of Criuleni’s culture center as well as the town’s museum. Then we had a round table discussion, where we talked to town members about volunteering. Afterwards, we had dinner at a local café before heading down to the Nistru river for singing songs and playing games. We ended the night back at the youth center with more games. The next morning, we had breakfast at the café before the volunteers started on their walk to the next town.

POTD 21: Wells

Another common Moldovan structure is wells. They seem to be on every street. And like the crosses, despite the quantity of them throughout Moldova, each has its own unique look. Lots of people have their own personal one in their yard, and there are many publics ones as well. My host family’s house has indoor plumbing, and somehow the pipes never froze in the winter. So I’ve been lucky to not need to make daily trips to get my water from the well.

POTD 22: Crosses

One thing I noticed right away in Moldova is the presence of the Eastern Orthodox Church. It’s easy to see just walking around a Moldovan town with these cross icons everywhere. And even though there are probably thousands of them all over Moldova, each one has its own uniqueness. Many Moldovans make the sign of the cross whenever they pass one.

Although I may not share the same denomination, it is nice to see these icons as daily reminders of who inspires me to live a volunteer’s life.

POTD 23: Nistru River

I have loved living next to the River Nistru; it’s one of my favorite sites during the walks I take around Criuleni. On the opposite shore we can see Transnistria.

And today, Kerry and I decided to go swimming in it, and we found a beach area to hang out at. When we swam out to the middle of the river, we apparently went out farther than the Moldovan felt comfortable. Everyone on the shore gathered around to watch as a man wordlessly boated out to towards us, and followed us until we were in safe waters. And then, after we returned to the shore, another man came over to tell us that we shouldn’t swim that far out because it’s dangerous. Never mind the fact that we were swimming well, and for several hours earlier, multiple boys had gone swimming out in the middle as river as well, yet no the other Moldovans sent a boat out to them. It gave Kerry and me a good laugh for the rest of the day.

POTD 24: Color Festival

I love that Chișinău is easy to get to from my site. So when I need a break from my Moldova life, I can travel down to Chișinău and meet my friends for a good time. And Chișinău is really become a happenin’ place. Once the weather is warmer, all sorts of events are going on, and you never know what you’ll find. Today, an electronics store, Darwin, celebrated its grand opening with a color festival. It was so much fun, but I’ve taken two showers since then, and my skin is still stained while I keep finding paint everywhere.

POTD 25: Orhei Vechi

Orhei Vechi (“Old Orhei”) is a must see if you’re visiting Moldova. It’s an ancient monastery on the Răut River. The monks lived in rooms carved into the side of the rocks. I’m glad that I was able to see it before I left.

POTD 26: Căruță

One common site in Moldova, especially the rural areas, is the căruță, which is a horse-drawn cart. I can say that I have gotten to ride one. And bonus, it was driven by a man who served in Fidel Castro's army. It was fun riding around the village and stopping to talk (and drink wine, of course) with the neighbors.

POTD 27: National Costume

This is the best picture I have that shows an example of the Moldovan national costume. No celebration is complete without a group of Moldovan dress in costume doing the hora.

POTD 28: Balul Bobocilor

One of my favorite school concerts is called “Balul Bobocilor”, or the Freshmen Ball. This is a concert featuring either the 5th or 10th form, which are the youngest class of each school (middle and high school). The theme is ducklings. The class is split into two, and there is a cute competition between two groups. There’s usually a main couple (girl and boy) that represent each group, and each group presents a dance number, a singing number, and a skit, usually comedic. It’s actually pretty similar to most of the other concerts, but there’s the competition aspect and it’s usually a little funnier. At the end, the judges (usually 3 teachers) pick the winners.

POTD 29: School Concerts

At the beginning of each season or before a vacation or for a holiday, the students put on a concert. Usually, each concert just involves a few participating classes, not the whole school. But each concert is pretty similar; there are several dance routines, a few singers, and some comedic skits that usually involve boys dressing as women or lip-syncing. My favorite is usually the dance routine.

POTD 30: Swearing-In

On August 17, 2011, I officially became a Peace Corps volunteer. The ten weeks previous, I was technically a Peace Corps Trainee. It wasn’t until I swore-in that I was a full-blown volunteer. And right after swearing-in, I took all my things and moved to Criuleni to begin my two years as an English Education volunteer.

POTD 31: Homeworkopoly

This was one of my favorite classroom moments here: introducing Homeworkopoly to encourage completing homework in the 5^th form class. The students were so excited about the game and couldn’t wait to play. And when they saw that I wanted to take pictures, they couldn’t wait to get their picture taken with the game. And as long as my partner teacher and I kept up with using the game, a lot more students completed their homework this year.

POTD 32: Paștele Blajiniilor

Paștele Blajiniilor was my favorite Moldovan holiday that I got to celebrate here, from the priest blessing the graves to the raising of the alms to the heavens. I’ll never forget this holiday to honor deceased loved ones.

POTD 33: Cemeteries

I remember the first time I saw/visited a Moldovan cemetery. I couldn’t get over how different it looked with the cast iron cross or marble gravestones with craved pictures of the deceased or the picnic tables everywhere. I loved seeing something similar to our culture (burying the dead) being practiced so differently.

POTD 34: Moldovan Winter

I can’t reflect on my time here in Moldova without thinking about the winter. Black ice everywhere, snow up to your knees, tucking towels and rags in the cracks of doors and window to keep the cold out, the water tower freezing. I have never experienced winter like I have here. And it wouldn’t be so bad if houses and building were warmer. It’s just a fact; you will be cold all the time during a Moldovan winter.

POTD 35: The Roads

I don’t think I’ll miss the roads here; the roads after a rain are no fun. There are often frequent and large puddles and lots of mud. I feel like I’m playing a live version of frogger every time I have to walk through them.