December celebrations

Slummin' in Soroca
I took this last weekend to visit Soroca again and enjoyed a brief reunion with my other SED mates, Carol and Bonnie.  We joined several other PCVs for a spa break at a local hotel.  A “spa” here includes a sauna, steam room, cool rinse tub, showers, and a reception-gathering room where food and drinks can be brought in for the group.  In terms of sanitary standards, this spa was reasonably clean although I did not go into the cool tub but others who did were motivated to shower up afterwards.  The sauna was extremely hot, and the steam room was sufficiently steamy but had an interesting smell in the interior.  This spa is likely the only one in Soroca and because it’s attached to a higher grade hotel, it seems to cater to outside tourists.  Prices were inexpensive – about $2 per person per hour.  The only other service I would have loved would have been a masseuse on duty!

Ethan, John, and Sue

Bonnie & Carol

We supped at Briz, a very popular restaurant in Soroca, especially with the PCVs.  I was able to dine on sushi!!  I didn't order the kind with fresh fish, but the California roll (what else?) was very good!






John has been with PC Moldova into his 4th year, and prior to that he had spent 4 years in PC in Azerbaijan!  Ethan is also serving his 4th year in Moldova.  We have some truly die-hard volunteers who have made serious impacts to Moldovan society!

Illuminat

Sarah, Brian, & Julie - Soroca Hosts

My trip to Soroca this time afforded me a chance to hike to the Illuminati, a tower on the hill just at the entrance to the city.  It takes 650 steps upward to get to the hilltop - after hiking about 1-1/2 miles to the base.  The view there permits you to take a wide view of Soroca and the Nistru River.  Attached are some shots from the top of the hill.  We could enter the tower itself but it only houses a small room which is a shrine of sorts and photos were not allowed. 

                                                                                                                     16 December

Closin' in on Christmas
With a few of the Balti team mates getting ready to travel outside of Moldova, we got together for a send-off dinner at the Lodge where Matt and David cooked good ole American chili (was delicious!), and we accompanied that with corn bread, Mexican vegetable salad, and salmon salad. The travelers were Leah off to Spain, Robyn to the UK, and Matt headed to Germany.  We also had Omeed, the English language teacher from Seattle who was going to Denmark, and Asbjoern with wife Tanea also traveling to Germany.  David had already spent about a week in Ukraine primarily in the Crimea area, thankfully away from the ruckus up in Kiev during the tumultuous political protests.  As for me, I'm making plans to go to Rome for a few days after Jan 8th.  I specifically wanted to stick around town to experience all the holidays in Moldovan style.


We posed for a team holiday photo:

Christmas tree in Balti city center

Matt, David, me, Leah, and Robyn with adornments

                                                                                                        18 December

Celebratin' Christmas in Riscani

The masa 

Andrew, a PCV situated in Riscani, invited several PCVs to his host family’s residence for a big masa (party) on Christmas Day, and to celebrate his host father’s birthday as well.  About 12 of us showed up.  For me in Balti, it was about a 45-minute rutiera ride, but making many stops along the way to pick up and drop off passengers.  Once I arrived in town, I still had about a 25-minute walk to get to Andrew’s place.  His host family runs a hostel-type place so sufficient accommodations were available for all of us.  Andrew has a room right off the common kitchen where guests can cook for themselves.  Host mom Rodica and Andrew had been cooking from the previous day and guests brought other side dishes and appetizers, and of course, plenty of drinks. 

Warren, Ann, & Joe

Urarea pentru Craciun

Ann & me

Altogether we had about 20 people including partner teachers of Andrew’s (he’s an English language instructor in the local school) and two Catholic priests from the church.  Some of the PCVs had attended Christmas Eve mass the previous night and had made their acquaintance, at which time they invited the priests to join the masa the next day.  The priests were from the Franciscan order and spoke English quite well.  

Cute recitation by little girl in traditional costume

The table was laden with numerous dishes – turkey, sausages, roasted spare ribs as main dishes, along with salads, cooked vegetables, bread, cheese, cold cuts, assorted pickled vegetables, twice-baked potatoes, and much more.  We also had ample supply of desserts from hot fudge pudding to a very special torta baked by Rodica which had Craciun Fericit spelled out in citrus slices.  An abundance of wine, beer, mead, eggnog with cognac, vodka, etc. was also on hand for everyone.  We ate, and ate, but we didn’t seem to make a dent in the food!  Lots of leftovers for the coming day. 

Host mother Rodica
cutting holiday cake

We also had a gift exchange as many in America do – choosing anonymous gifts in sequence and then having the opportunity to steal a gift from someone else.  I picked a home-made dinner from Lindsey who is one of the PCV “foodies” in the M27 group.  She’s known for her cooking and I’m eagerly anticipating her special meal for me!

                                                                                                  
                                                       25 December

                                            


My business partner Tatiana staged an impromptu party at the office on Dec 30 when she summoned all of us to gather there ostensibly to work.  Prepared foods were purchased from Fourchette, a large supermarket, and sparkling wine was drunk in many toasts to the New Year.  This is a great group of people!

Olga, Dragos, Elena, Tatiana 

Preppin' for New Year's

Pickled watermelon & tomatoes

New Year’s is a decidedly big celebration in Moldova, a much more public display of gaiety and pomp.  People stock up with food and drinks and families spend days cooking up a storm in order to present guests the best of their traditional dishes like sarmale, racitor (cooked rooster in gelatin), Olivia salad (diced potatoes, carrots, beets, peas, herring in mayonnaise dressing), lots of pickled vegetables (had pickled watermelon!), cheese, placinta with brinza, and other delectables.  The variety of drinks flows in abundance too.

Stuffed roasted chicken 

Racitor in jellied
chicken stock

I helped Emilia with her preparation of a variety of the above dishes,  Plus, she made two huge torte – magnificent napoleon with four layers and very buttery, creamy filling in between each.  We will be eating this torta for days:

Assembling the layers

Ultimate Napoleon torta

We celebrated New Year’s Eve at Nina’s apartment which is on the 5^th floor in the same building as Emilia’s.  Nina’s Emilia’s aunt, and Emilia’s cousin Carolina (Nina’s daughter) also lives in the building (a family compound).  We didn’t start the party until 10 PM whereupon much eating and drinking were the main activity, once in a while watching the TV as a gala performance had been staged in Moscow (Balti residents still connect closely to Russia).  Moscow is 2 time zones ahead of Balti but we toasted the midnight hour there after Putin gave his speech.  Then two hours later, the President of Moldova came on the air and expressed his salutations and hopes for 2014, and we toasted again.  Carolina’s daughter Mica arrived about 10:45 with her friend Olga – they are both medical students in Chisinau.  Mica spoke English!

Nina, me, Emilia, "Teddy", Carolina

Of course, the fireworks and firecrackers had already started outside hours before.  These are readily available to anyone, and they can be ignited just about anywhere as well.  From our apartment window, we could catch a few of these displays from the warmth of our kitchen!  Another plus for our central location!

Colinde are carols sung by groups of children, starting around New Year’s and lasting through to Moldova’s Christmas, or Craciun.  It is celebrated on January 7^th.  In the villages, it is still the tradition for children to go from house to house, singing special carols for the New Year.  Sometimes the children recite new poems to wish the families prosperity and success in the coming year.  The families typically invite the children into their homes and serve them refreshments, bestowing candies, cookies, and even money to the singers. While Craciun is also a big family affair, it is not as ostentatious as New Year’s, and certainly not like Christmas is observed in the US.  I am looking forward to seeing how Craciun unfolds on the 7^th. 

That's all for now ....   Sarbatori Fericite!                                 1 January 2014

THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE MINE PERSONALLY AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY POSITION OF THE US GOVERNMENT NOR THE PEACE CORPS.

Cultural adjustments, etc.

I may be in another commercial, this time for the Peace Corps!  Two PC staff members from Washington DC were on an official tour of Moldova, visiting with selected PCVs to build a portfolio of videos and photos capturing their stories about their experiences.  The duo were Sarah and Juan Carlos of the communications department, the former a writer/reporter and the latter a graphics designer/photographer.  Their charge was to interview the group of PCVs who represented the diverse spectrum of volunteers serving throughout the world.  Other teams were going to South/Central America, and to Africa.  Sarah and Juan Carlos were visiting Moldova and Ukraine.  I was asked to participate because I’m an older, Asian-American volunteer.  The episode reminded me of the other promotional article that appeared in ActiveOver50 in which I was featured.  (Hey Larry!).

They asked to meet me at my new apartment after work, and only gave me a few hours notice.  I notified Emilia to make sure their visit to the apartment would be OK, and she assented but was concerned about the look of the place and raced through the rooms cleaning up.  Fortunately, I left work early and was able to help her with tidying up (although her home is pretty spotless to begin with).  Because the crew would be filming, and adequate lighting would be essential since it was now darker at night, we also put higher wattage bulbs in the living room (my bedroom) to ensure good illumination.  Emilia also hurried outside to the market because as the perfect hostess that she is, she insisted on serving the guests tea, cookies, small cakes, and bomboane (candies).  I tried to get her not to fuss, that the Americans wouldn’t expect anything like that.  However, this is a Moldovan custom to always serve refreshments to guests.  Emilia was so thoughtful – she got out the good tea set and chinaware.  I made sure that Sarah and Juan Carlos gave Emilia her due because she had gone to so much effort to demonstrate her hospitality.  And they were heartily pleased that they took lots of photos of the beautifully set table along with those of Emilia and me.  Needless to say, Emilia was delighted!  Now I think she thinks I’m important!

Now back to the interview…..  After tea, I was interviewed for almost two hours sitting in a stiff chair with the camera focused on me.  Juan Carlos had very heavy, professional level equipment much like TV road crews have.  Sarah barraged me with questions sitting off-camera.  I can’t say that I was particularly witty or insightful, but just gave them candid responses on the spot. 

This morning, they met me at the office early to take some short videos and photos of me with my co-workers.  Originally they had wanted to take videos around certain scenic spots around Balti which would likely be areas around the piata and main square.  However, they had changed their minds the previous night and asked if we could all come in around 8 AM for the shoot.  I really didn’t think that Olga and Dragos would be able to make it that early but after I called them, they voiced willingness to do so.  Perhaps the chance of having your photos used for Peace Corps publicity intrigued them.  The crew shot a lot of photos with the three of us around the office and outside.  Tatiana unfortunately was working in Chisinau (and has been for several weeks), and wasn’t a part of the experience.  She had however wanted to make sure that the office was tidied up and clean!

                                                                                     5 November

Anna, school mistress

I've been giving a hand to Anna who started a language school funded by an NGO as it targets people who cannot attend regular language schools because they have to work or they lack the money.  I volunteer to help her students practice English, and she in turn helps me practice my Romanian.  They're enjoyable students, and are curious about me and why I'm here in Moldova.  I've just started to teach a few of the classes on my own - using my TESOL certification at last!

Me with the intermediate English class

   

 









HR Workshop

After much anticipation and preparation, I led a 5-hour workshop on human resources management for several beneficiaries of AFA.  They had been budding entrepreneurs when AFA gave them the resources, training, and support they needed to launch their businesses along with small grants for equipment purchases from a funding foundation.  These sole proprietors have become reasonable successful, and now they employ people (from 1 to 8 were represented).  Along with managing customers, they had to likewise manage employees, which they lack some basic knowledge and tools to effectively execute.  I was there to help them!

After this training experience, however, I truly learned what attitudes and norms the locals subscribe to when dealing with meetings.  Notices were not sent out by AFA; instead calls are made to the beneficiaries to announce the training and solicit their participation.  The training is free but information was pushed out to only a small group of beneficiaries.  About 12-15 people said they would come, and I even pushed the start time back from 9 to 10 AM which would allow folks from villages adequate time to get to Balti.  (Villages are close distance-wise, but the roads are terrible and traffic can easily build up.  Nonetheless, people should still plan better when they know they need to be somewhere by a certain time.)  The overall duration of the training was from 10 AM to about 4:30 PM. 

I arrived early at the training room, and we got ourselves set up, ready to go.  One participant Svetlana showed up a little early.  As for the rest, we waited ….. waited…..  waited.  Two people came about 10:30, another man came 10 minutes later.  I finally said we would start at 10:45 because the one woman who had been waiting for almost an hour deserved to get trained!  One man arrived after 2 PM!  It is odd that Moldovans believe they can pop in at any time and feel they got trained. I know Dragos had been calling the no-shows starting around 10 and they either gave an excuse that they couldn’t make it, or they said they would be there as soon as they could get away.  Granted they were at their businesses and being the owners, they have some reluctance to leave their business exposed, so to speak.  But we do these trainings for their benefit.  If the issues they are having with their employees are of paramount importance, the knowledge and tools they would gain in the training will improve their work environment and possibly their productivity, which enhances their business.  Small business owners continue to think and operate for the short-term and not strategically. 

The other issue is a universal one – people are very tied to their cell phones.  I expressly stated that cell phones were to be turned off and if they needed to talk on the phone in an emergency situation, to take the call outside of the room.  One latecomer who wasn’t present during my instructions took a phone call and I pointed to the door when she started talking.  She left.  During class, she proceeded to text quite often, clearly not engaged with the workshop content. 

                                                                                                           8 November

REGIONAL FORUM FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

Sofia, Excutive Director of Winrock, and Tatiana, President of AFA

 

 

Participants at the Regional Forum of Young Entrepreneurs

I attended my first regional forum organized by my business partner Asociatia Femeilor de Afaceri.  They hold these events twice a year as a way to provide highlights to the sponsoring partner Winrock International of the accomplishments of AFA’s beneficiaries, the young entrepreneurs who have successfully launched their small businesses.  

We held the forum at one of the fanciest restaurants in Balti – the President.  Actually, it is more of a banquet hall where wedding receptions and other municipal affairs are held.  The place was well appointed and stately, with high-quality technical arrangements for the presentation and slideshow.  Olga and Dragos were the key staff who coordinated the logistics and other arrangements for the event.  Over 60 people attended throughout the northern region, including leaders from a couple of raion centers, the head of the city’s employment bureau, and the Director of Winrock International.  The affair was even covered by the mass media as at least 4 journalists attended and took photos and videos.  The key notes were given by various dignitaries but the main speakers were the entrepreneurs themselves – about 12 of them who talked about the importance of the training that was provided to them by AFA, the associations they made with their fellow business owners from whom they exchanged ideas, and the integration with the community along with the educational institutions in order to keep themselves sustained. 

Add caption

I'm usually by the food!

Each beneficiary who attended represented a business, and each put up an apple on the tree to signify growth and prosperity for their future. 



The most delicious array of refreshments were brought out for the attendees from Fourchette, and served by the President Restaurant's staff.  So much food was left over that AFA and Winrock took lots of doggie bags back to their offices!
                                                                                               15 November

EcoSan Waterless Toilets

Yes, the subject switches back to outhouses.  I'm thankful that I have an indoor toilet especially in the colder months.  But even indoor toilets may not be very well maintained - for example, the one at our office doesn't have a seat and requires constant cleaning.  But in the villages, conditions can be quite horrendous.  

Here’s a very worthwhile project in a rural area of Moldova.  The school site in this small village of Tintareni has sanitation problems because of decaying toilet facilities and they’re trying to raise money to replace them with an eco-style toilet.  The story is compelling and if it tugs at your heart strings (and your purse strings), please consider a donation so this school can achieve their modest goal.  You’ll be helping children reach a healthier situation allowing them to concentrate on their education.

https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=13-261-014

Having a functioning, sanitary toilet is something we take for granted but never so in Moldova as you might guess from the above.  I saw this video about thanking your toilet, and honestly, I certainly do here in my Balti apartment, compared to the outhouse I had been using in Ciorescu.  http://now.msn.com/world-toilet-day-explained-by-singing-toilet

Salut Balti!

Today, Nov 17, I spent most of the day assisting other PCVs and community leaders training about 30 high schoolers who are launching into volunteerism in Balti.  It’s a city initiative (Salut Balti) to promote volunteering especially among young people.  Volunteerism isn’t something that’s part of the Moldovan culture – they don’t quite understand why people would help others and not get something back.  With the stream of PCVs that have flowed through Moldova, people have begun to see what volunteering can accomplish and that it has its own rewards.  Balti wants to get young people involved early so they can realize the fruits of volunteering and carry it on throughout their lives.  Not surprisingly, more girls were involved than boys but quite a few of the boys showed leadership capabilities.

This particular day was spent on team building through various games to build up trust and confidence, identifying what attributes good teams have, and what bad teams have as shortcomings.  It was a grand OD exercise in group behavior. 

The MBTI team and David

 Another session focused on the students' different personality styles - yes, they took the MBTI questionnaire, and then we went through the interpretations of their ratings with them.  Most of these teenagers were extroverts for sure, most also intuitive.  They were very engaged in uncovering what traits they had, and of course, what others had.  They learned a lot about how to deal with different personality types so that both they and others can collaborate and win. 

David and Leah (to the right), along with Matt were the key PCVs who organized the full program. 

                        23 November

 

Curious factoid:  Why do the vast majority of female names in Moldova end in “a”???  Practically all the females I’ve met have names that conform --- Tatiana, Liliana, Ina, Olga, Svetlana, Diana, Ana, Iuliana, Iulia, Viktoria, Zina, Elena, Angela, Emilia, Irina, Sofia, Valentina, Tanea (Tanya, Tania), Natasha, Nadia, Natalya, Alexandra, Tereza, Ludmila, Liuba, Magdalena, Carolina, Olesea, Aurelia, Georgeta, Viorica, Vera, Elvira, Lucia, Violeta, Cristina, Felicia, Nina (all of the local women who work at the PC office are on this list).  All names end in “a”.  From Google searches, men’s names by and large end in consonants, never in “a”.  

National Forum of Young Entrepreneurs

Nov 26-27 featured this forum with over 80 guests including some of the best of the young beneficiaries along with leaders and representatives of NGOs, funding organizations, academic institutions, national and regional agencies and ministries, and me!  I was the only American there.  They came from Cahul, Soroca, Telenesti, Hincesti, as well as Balti and Soroca.  Our Association’s contingent from the northern regions numbered about 20, the largest representation, and seemingly the most successful thus far.  We were very proud of how far our beneficiaries have progressed, and they had a voice at the meeting.  

Four of Balti region's successful entrepreneurs

The event was well arranged in the Hotel Codru’s large ballroom, lots of PowerPoint decks, few handouts (nice!), and outstanding refreshments and meals (Moldovans always have plenty of this).  The format was primarily a lot of speakers presenting their information to the sponsors, and the meeting structure was not conducive to in-depth discussions and debates.  Most of the speakers spoke Romanian but there were a handful that only spoke Russian and their slides reflected that.  I obviously could not understand any of their materials but I was able to follow along for a good part of the Romanian presentations.  I am still far away from being able to converse in the language let alone having an intelligent discussion on a business topic, but slowly there has been improvement in my understanding and speech.  

                                                                                            28 November 

Thanksgiving in Balti

Thanksgiving at Matt and David's

David and Matt frying the turkeys

About 22 PCVs and other local Moldovans feasted on turkey and the fixings on Saturday, Nov 30, to celebrate our version of Thanksgiving.  Some of us worked on the actual holiday (me!).  Two turkeys were deep fried in an outdoor pit (which might have been against the law).  Cooking had gone on for two whole days at least.  There was so much food!!  Of course, loads to drink with many home-brewed (ginger ale, cherry mead, ginger beer, host families' wines, cognac, etc.).  It was a stuffin' evening!

                                                                                         30 November

Stay tuned to the next narrative of my Moldovan adventure.....  Barbara