Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Rough times...

And now for an update about life in Moldova. Oh boy, where do I begin.

Let's just say it's been a rough couple of weeks.

A couple of weekends ago I attended the annual Wine Festival held in Chisinau, which was a lot of fun. I got to spend time with some of the close friends I've made here in Moldova and celebrate a very special, cultural event (while getting a little tipsy in the process). Wine is VERY important to Moldovans, so drinking with thousands of them in the streets of the capital was a special moment.

These past couple weeks, teaching has been a bit of a challenge. I am team-teaching here in Moldova, which is something I did not know would be happening coming into this. Many times, I feel like a substitute teacher or a student teacher, as the Moldovans have their own unique way of teaching and it has been difficult to make myself heard. I will continue to try, but up until this point, my primary assignment as an English teacher has felt like a big demotion, especially considering I already have experience in this field.

The highlights of my experience so far have been my village and the students. My village is fantastic. It is beautiful and the crisp autumn weather has really helped to improve my mood. This past weekend I went on a hike in the forest near my village and caught some great views, while reading some John Steinbeck. I told my school director about this and she then proceeded to tell me that I shouldn't do that alone anymore as I might get eaten by a wild boar.

The students are fantastic and are very eager to learn. It is difficult at times with the language barrier, but any good teacher knows that body language and confidence can overcome that. Teaching the 2nd graders and the 12th graders are my highlight every week. I get to start from the beginning with my 2nd graders, and then with my 12th grade class, we get to have serious discussions about politics and gender roles.

This experience, all in all, has been full of highs and lows. There are some days when all I want to do is go back to America, and other days when I feel like I should be here. I think that is probably typical for a Peace Corps volunteer. The differences in how I live here are drastic to how I live my life in America. Here, in Moldova, I chop firewood, hitchhike without worry and only bathe once or twice a week. And surprisingly, those are the things that are easiest to deal with.

I do have one great thing to look forward to. For Winter Break, I am going to Hungary (Budapest and Romania (Bucharest, Brasov and Sibiu) for a vacation. Should be great.

Here's to hoping the next few weeks will look a little brighter. Miss everyone back home.

2 comments:

Calisa Hildebrand said...

Wow, I'm so amazed and impressed. I would really like to join the Peace Corps but am struggling with making the commitment. High five to you!! I'm so excited for you, even if sometimes it does get difficult. You are becoming a stronger person every day that you are there, and are making such a difference in your student's lives. Keep it up! But watch out for the wild boars. omg. If you ever need a good laugh, just say, "Price check on celery, price check on celery!" haha :) Glad I found your facebook and your blog as well!

Anonymous said...

Hi Michael,
Tis Aunt Johan and Shani!! Finally I have your info and am so excited to be able to say hi!
I am incredibly proud of what you are doing. I cannot imagine how very trying the days and nights are for you but I do think that you will always look back on this with nothing but pride. You are doing what few of us ever will do.
Wow! I will email you on your reg email but for now just wanted you to know we love you so much and hope to be able to communicate with often. also looking forward to sending you a care package. I wonder how long it takes for a package to get to you.
No more potential encounters with the Boars!!
Love, Aunt Johan and Shani