It has been a while.

I was recently reminded that I have a blog. :) So much has happened. Life has gotten in the way of my writing here. I solemnly swear to get back to writing here this week.

Capturing late autumn light. Continuing to make wishes.

My Thanksgiving Weekend Part II

So Friday, I went to school in a semi food coma having eaten so much the night before. And Fridays tend to be a long day for me: 6 classes plus a separate session with an incredible student (Nick Mitiș) who is going to attend university in the U.S. and who is going to be a great writer (but I digress). In the meantime, Victor Croitor (see my previous post) called me and said, "My mother says you are coming over today to cook the turkey."

Uh... I was at a loss. "We need to cook it," he continued. "I hate to put you to work..., but..."
I explained that I had other plans, but he was insistent that his family could wait until later.

After all my lessons I headed home. I was so tired, I could barely keep my eyelids open, but I knew I was heading over to the Spataru family for a discussion about a large ecological project that Domnul Spataru is working on. What I didn't know is that they were going to prepare a large meal for us to enjoy while we were discussing said project.

Moldovan cooking is really tasty, and each house puts a little different spin on the various dishes. Doamna Spataru who works as the administrative secretary at our school rushed home and prepared some incredible chicken and rice pilaf, fresh marinated cabbage and other delights. It was impossible to say no, and this is a wonderful family with whom I like to spend time. Their son Lucian was a student in the 12th grade last year and is a gifted photographer. Their daughter Doina plays the sax and sings up a storm -- so I've written a couple of songs for her. And their son Mircea is a fascinating philosopher with the soul of a poet. Both Doamna and Domnul Spataru attend my evening classes for adults. Great conversations and wonderful foods were to be had.

As if I was Cinderella at the ball, however, at 7:30 Victor called me and I had to rush out because he was outside the Spataru gate to escort me to his house.

So, with a rucksack full of spices, brown sugar, freshly bought carrots and a chocolate bar for Doamna Croitor, I was off to cook a second Thanksgiving meal. Doamna Croitor had made potato placinte and a potato and mushroom soup. I contributed some incredible (if I do say so myself) turkey, gravy and sweet carrots (a modified recipe from my friend Sharon). The whole time I was cooking, Doamna Croitor was very skeptical. "This will have too much cholesterol," she said. "You put sugar in your carrots," she asked. "That's how you cook turkey," she wanted to know.

As we sat down to a very laden table and an incredible Croitor house wine, Doamna Croitor watched as her sons (Victor's younger brother Vlad is also a student) dove into the food with abandon. So she decided to try a little of everything and then began to dive into the food herself. For dessert there was cherry placinte.
All in all, except for the stretch marks on my stomach and the extreme pinching of my belt, I felt pretty satisfied with the work I had done. Not to mention that I had the opportunity to really enjoy being with two great families in Ialoveni and share the meaning of Thanksgiving.

So for those of you counting the tally is 4 huge meals for the weekend, and I'm only up to Friday.

More to come.

My Thanksgiving Weekend Part I

As I wrote in my last post, I thought Thanksgiving would be very quiet for me. It was anything but --

1. For some reason, I thought Thanksgiving fell on the 21st this year, and I was having a beer with my buddy Nick and he asked me what I was going to do, and I told him that I would probably be alone like last year, but that I was more ready for it this year. 

2. Then I found out that it was on the 28th and Cristi and Victor (my favorite students) asked me if they could help me celebrate. I said sure, but that it needed to be at Victor's house. He asked his mother and all was set up.

3. The search was on for turkey. I went to every butcher shop in Ialoveni and there was no turkey. They have a turkey factory in Moldova, but it seems that unless they raise their own turkeys, most people don't eat turkey meat. I have no idea why.

There are turkeys in Moldova!

4. My next door neighbor has a small neighborhood store across the street from us, and Valodya (my host father) suggested I ask him. Gheorghe was wonderful and said he would be happy to look for turkey for me in Chisinau as I was way too busy to stop and head into the city. He called a store and found the meat. Then, thinking I'd try my luck, I asked him about sweet potatoes. He was dumbfounded saying he'd never heard of such a thing. But, being a great guy he called his daughter in Romania who speaks English and let me chat with her. She said it would be impossible to find them in Moldova. This was confirmed.

5. The next day the turkey arrived. I paid for it and Gheorghe surprised me by saying that his daughter was sending via bus sweet potatoes from Romania for my Thanksgiving dinner! Woohoo!

6. The next morning, as I was getting dressed for school, Gheorghe called, and the potatoes had arrived. They were so beautiful, and no one had ever seen anything like them around here.

7. That was Wednesday the 27th, and after my lessons, Victor called me and said that his mother was upset and that she had canceled the party at her house. 

8. I told Doamna Ecaterina about the situation, and she told me to stop talking because she was happy to have it here, but she would not help me cook because the ingredients were too different. I assured her that was fine. I called Victor and Cristi and got everything set up again, and then called Dumitru and invited him. Phew!

9. Wednesday evening I prepared the turkey (which was in small pieces), made Waldorf salad, a modified stuffing, a big bowl of sweet potatoes (!) and mashed potatoes. Doamna watched the whole process and told me that her role was of mother-in-law to disparage how I cooked and to ask questions. Despite her skepticism, I made her try everything, and she was glowing with compliments. She said, A) she was going to make turkey for Christmas -- it was too good and too easy to prepare; B) She was really pleased to find out that Americans eat a variety of foods; C) She said I will make some woman a quite a catch some day. :) This made my heart feel good.

10. I had a long day teaching on Thursday. At about 3pm Victor called and said, "My mother wants to talk to you," and handed her the phone. She said, "We're waiting for you tonight, when will you be over?" I was blown away and explained that Victor was very clear that she had canceled. I also told her that I was concerned that somehow I had done something to upset her. She assured me that was not the case, but rather she was upset with Victor because he had been skipping classes and she felt he shouldn't be rewarded with a party. "So," she continued, "I bought turkey and you need to come over and cook it. When will you be here?" I was at a loss, apologized and said, "I am having the meal at my house because I have now prepared too much to carry clear across town." She apologized again and hung up.

11. At 5pm I finished with my last class and was walking to the hospital to pick up pumpkin placinte (kind of like hand made tarts with pumpkin stuffing) that one of my adult students very kindly made for me. That is when my buddy Nick called and asked me casually what I was doing. (Keep in mind that I hadn't seen him since we had the beer about two weeks before.) I told him I was heading home to finish up dinner for a couple of students. And he got really mad suddenly and told me that I ruined his plans. I was at a complete loss. He said he planned a surprise for me, but that it was completely ruined now and hung up.

12. I picked up the placinte feeling like "what the hell am I doing wrong?" Marina was very gracious and her son was as well. They made a lot of placinte!

13. Nick called me back with a kinder voice re-explained that he had gone to lengths to plan a special dinner for me, and I had ruined his plans. I apologized, but said that I had no idea. He said, "But you said you would be alone." I replied that that was about the week before, and that things had changed. So, he asked me to please have my guests leave by 9pm and call him to have him pick me up and come to his house.

14. I got home and finished cooking sweet corn, gravy, made a fresh salad, and set the table and heated up everything. The house smelled fantastic. Doamna reported that she was heading to the sauna for the evening with her friends, and Domnul looked a little lost, so I insisted he join us.

15. The boys showed up and Cristi brought a tort that his mother had baked for the occasion and Dumitru brought juice for Victor and Cristi and beer for us. Domnul replenished my wine, and all was right with the world. The boys said the nicest things about why they were grateful (most of them about me) and I had to try very hard not to get emotional. We translated everything for Domnul so he wouldn't feel out of place in his own house. In short, it was a wonderful meal with students I care deeply for, and Domnul Valodya.

A thankful Tim

Victor, Cristi, Dumitru - All great guys and terrific students.

16. Oddly, only Dumitru really liked the sweet potatoes; everyone else thought they were too sweet. But the turkey... they all said was amazing, and the stuffing and the corn and the gravy, and the salad, and the Waldorf salad... all of this was new to them, and they loved it. Victor and Cristi both said they could not remember ever eating turkey in their lives. They ate a lot, but there was a lot on the table. I also bought a cake for dessert. Domnul, Cristi and Victor all complained how full they were afterward. I was happy.

17. Then Nick called again, hurrying me along. I explained I was just making tea for my guests. 

18. More dessert and tea and it was 9:30. I sent the boys home by taxi and invited Dumitru to join me at Nick's. He brought his guitar and several songs I wrote that he put music to.

19. We arrived at Nick's to find that his wife Cristina (also one of my students) had cooked a 12lb turkey and made a full table of Moldovan food. My good friends Andrei,Sergiu, Olea and Diana were there, and they all yelled surprise when we walked in. It was really beautiful, and thankfully they didn't wait dinner. But, they did force me to eat more! We had some of Nick's wonderful house wine (that I helped him process in early October) and sat and joked and talked. It was lovely! Dumitru played the guitar and we both sang my songs and our audience seemed to really appreciate it, although Andrei suggested that I write about more meaty subjects than birds and butterflies. One of my songs mentioned a swallow fluttering. :)

Cristina, Olea and Diana around the remains of the second meal of the evening!

All is well that ends well, and I had two lovely Thanksgiving dinners with some of the finest people on the planet. How could I not be grateful?

Here ends only part A of my Thanksgiving weekend!

Grateful

For some reason, this year's Thanksgiving in the States is weighing heavily on me here in Moldova. This very important holiday will be this Thursday in the U.S., but it doesn't exist here. So, like the rest of the teachers, I will be working. In fact, I will be helping to give a seminar to teachers within my raion (county) about the benefits of using technology in teaching English.

But, back to Thanksgiving... Perhaps it is the death of my father in September, or the call of my memories as November turns its cold, gray shoulders heads toward winter, but I feel somehow a bit maudlin for shared turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and all the fixins. But, most of all, I feel compelled to share in my family's tradition to tell what I am most grateful for. Each year, around my family's holiday table, we would each take our turn and list those things that were special in our lives.

This year, I will celebrate the holiday alone, but it doesn't mean that I am not grateful for so much: first, I am grateful to God for my health and well being, and that I am strong enough to be able to experience this incredible country and to teach so many wonderful children; second, I am grateful for so many supportive family members (especially my mother and younger brother Steven, my aunts Mary and Aimee and uncle Jim) and friends in the U.S. and Canada (Kelvin, Judy and Derek Cohea, Kate, Deena, Char, Jeannie, Keith, Karen, Campbell, Sarah and the list goes on and on and includes Sharon who edits my poetry and offers advice of all sorts) who encourage me in my efforts; third, I am grateful for my many and amazing Moldovan friends who have reached into my heart and sculpted a special chamber where they dance and sing and celebrate a world free of barriers and language gaps. Andrei and Olea, Gray and Diana, Nicu and Cristina, Andrei, Sergiu, Alina, Oleg and Irina, Vadim and Tatiana, Veronica and Victor, the whole Spataru family, the Croitor family, the Ducal family, the Diaconu family and so many, many more. I am sooo grateful to my wonderful host families both in Trușeni (Maya, my superlative little brother Gelu, and Bunica) and Ialoveni (the incomparable Ecaterina and Velodya) for taking me into their lives and sharing the joy and bounty that Moldova has to offer.

I am most grateful for the students who have entered my life and who have become so very dear to me -- like my own children. I'm so thankful to be surrounded by loving and wonderful minds that waken to new ideas and try on new thoughts like trying on clothes. I thank God for Dumitru, Cristi, Victor, Nick, Nicu, Dan, Veronica, Lexie, Getta, Cristina, Alina, the entire 2nd form classes, 4A, 6A, 6B, 11A, 12A and my special 6 students in 12B; they light up my life and make every day an adventure. I believe that they are the future of the world, and they will make the world a very special place.

The thing is, I could go on for pages with names, people and hearts that have touched mine and made this an experience beyond anything I could imagine.

And so, living up to the traditions of my family, I bow my head before the giving universe and I say, "Thank You and Mulțumesc Frumos to anyone who cares to listen. Happiest of Thanksgivings to all of you. May your lives be as blessed as mine is.

What Nick Wrote - Taking the Wheel

Apologies to my very few readers - that I took most of the summer off from writing in this blog. I've been working hard on a number of projects and posting pics and updates on my Facebook Page.

As school is getting ready to start again next Monday, I thought it appropriate to post an essay written by an incredible student: Nicolai Mitiș (Meeteesh) - who will be starting the 11th grade next week. Nick wrote this essay as part of the work I regularly give him. He won a Peace Corps writing competition in the 9th grade and last year took 3rd place in the Moldovan Olympiada for the English Language for the 10th grade. This kid is ON FIRE and is currently writing a short story - Cat on the Edge of the Universe - in English based on a photo I sent him, and a novel-length prequel of Silent Hill in Romanian. Look for him to be the next great writer on the world stage.

The amazing Nick Mitiș.

Taking the Wheel – Student Responsibility

Recently I was travelling by trolleybus in Moldova’s capital city of Chişinău. As a Moldovan I take our public transportation very seriously and it takes me wherever I want to go in our small country. Ignoring the scrimmage of rush hour, I gazed at the driver - - he was smoking while driving his enormous machine and also talking on his cell phone. I grew resentful, then angry. How could one be so unconcerned about his responsibilities? What if we had crashed because of his mumbling on the cell phone?! My fears vanished however as I got off, and faced my own responsibilities - - I was heading to school.

 Frankly, my school is a mess. It was built in the Soviet Union’s glory days, somewhere between 1950-’60, and by now it has almost collapsed. Unfortunately, many schools in Moldova are in such a plight. But you should see with what exuberance our parents try to redress the situation! They  invest a great deal of money (money which in Moldova is not so easy to come by, as Moldova is the poorest country in Eastern Europe) in order to ensure the most comfortable conditions for studying. There are schools which were fully rebuilt from parents’ foundation money. So, you see how important education is for our parents. But what about us? Do we – the students - care?

            The budget of our country is considered to be one of the poorest in the world. Still, every year, it assigns 6,300 lei (equal to 500 USD) per student. Considering the fact that in the Republic of Moldova we have 412,000 students, it may be some money to spend. Do we care? For many students – it’s merely numbers, vain endeavors that just don’t matter.

 Isn’t our duty to meet the expectations of those who assured us our high-quality education? Meeting expectations doesn’t have to mean blindly following another’s dogma, but it does mean owning up to our responsibilities toward what we are doing, toward our status and toward those who have raised us to our current position.

 In order to reduce the unawareness of responsibilities here in Moldova, we have special classes in which the teacher speaks about the rights and responsibilities of a student and of a citizen. The purpose of such classes is “to raise a conscientious generation,” as stated by the Ministry of Education.  But, what about you, America? I must confess to you that the educational system in the USA is often stereotyped in the minds of our teenagers. Due to the influence of the media, high school is viewed as a time of continuous partying and easy classes. Is this true, America? What responsibilities do your students have in the creation of their own education?

            To Moldovan students, American schools are viewed as an archetype of wealth and prosperity. You would consider it odd, but a well-equipped biology class is a rarity in Moldova. Many schools aren’t properly heated in winter and so are closed for the season. There are no school buses and the kids are obligated to walk miles in order to reach their schools. Poverty isn’t actually an issue, our people say, it is the normal order of things here in Moldova. But you have all of this, you have school buses, your schools are properly heated, you have well-equipped classes! What do you do with all these amenities?

 As most of our teachers were born and raised in the Soviet Union with all its obscure beliefs and credos, each of them remodels their behaviors and methods to ensure a modern education. The generation gap is the issue, some may say, but you should see with what perseverance the Soviet Union’s progeny shifts into the new, democratic system. We also have teachers from abroad (some from the Peace Corps) who dedicate their lives to the tough job of modeling a strong, responsible personality of the 21st century.

 Bottom line it, students have the ultimate responsibility for their own education, regardless of how many teachers, dollars, buses or textbooks are thrown into the mix. So the question is, when do we, as students (Moldovan or US), own up to our responsibilities? When do we decide whether to drive the trolleybus of our education with a clear view of the future, rather than driving with a proverbial cigarette in one hand, while talking on a cell phone with the other? 

- Nicolai Mitiș - Ialoveni, Moldova

Ultimul Sunet - The Last Bell

How is it possible? How can a year of service have disappeared so quickly? Yet... in that year, I have lived a lifetime. So much was packed into every day. So many experiences that I shared with others or contemplated alone, and the end result is a very different person from the Tim who left the United States 12 months ago.

Here are a people with soul. Here are people who live every day with issues and challenges and overcome them as best they can and still manage to toast to every one's health and welfare with a glass (or two) of house wine. Here are people who take the time to get together with friends and family on a regular basis, laugh and cry (but mostly laugh) together. Moldova is a country ready to break out of its shell and truly make a name for itself.

Nowhere is this more true than in the faces and souls of the young people. Truly, I've fallen deeply in love with the students. Are there no bad (obraznici - oh-brahz-neech - literally "cheeky") students here? Sure, but the students who want to learn, who care deeply about their surroundings, who want to make a world of difference both on the global stage and here in Moldova outshine the others greatly. This year, I have worked with some of the best of the best. I have worked with students here in Ialoveni, university students in Chișinau, students in other towns and in other raions (counties or districts). And, they glow with learning. They gleam with aspirations. They beam with understanding. Sorry, to be superlative, but there it is.

And now, after one year, I have the melancholy duty to encourage many of my favorites (especially from 12A) to fly high and chase their dreams. Students like Dima, Sanda, Ilie, Andrei Rudoi, Constanța, Lucian, Nick, Renata, Ștefan, Alina, Victoria, Virginia, Eugenia, Mihaela, Ghenadie, Irina and Valentin all have the power and the will to transform Moldova. Others such as Vlad, Carolina, Nastea, Andrei Constantinov, Adrian, Constantin and Iacob may not be as dramatic, but will quietly encourage others and make a new world for themselves here at home. I especially want to thank Dumitru, Sanda, Ilie and Andrei Rudoi for thinking outside the box and being such incredibly wonderful human beings. Go, fly and don't let anyone tell you what you can't do.

To quote Willy Wonka - "You are the makers of the music. You are the dreamers of the dream."

And I'll close this post with a poem that I wrote for clasa a XII-a A -

Leavings

 

You and I, my friend
like golden leaves
upon the river,
bob and weave
a current
of meetings and leavings.


We eddy into the calm times
laughing and remembering when
and charge rapids of adversity head on.
We spin in icy ripples
keeping each other strong,
and part again
to reflect on sun dappled moments.

Upon these clear waters I send you

warm thoughts,
joyous
in the knowledge that the river
will decide if and when
we meet again.

But know this, my friend

as you sail forth:
the river is always sure
of its direction,
and I am certain
that my heart
is forever changed
for having encountered yours.

Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a înviat!

Christ is risen! Truly, he is risen.

This will be the greeting for everyone night or day on the streets, in homes, or on the phone for the next 40 days.

Following about 3 hours sleep, I woke to the final preparations of Easter Masa that my host mother had been preparing for the last week without being able to sample or taste anything. Nonetheless, all was delicious! Domnul Valodya served vodka at our Easter breakfast and Domna made everything from Pasca (easter bread that is semi sweet) to pork, fish, chicken filets, salads (and one special for me with lettuce - Yum!) vegetables, and lots more on a little table. We had a delightful celebration just the three of us.

Domnul and Doamna la masa - Easter Breakfast.

Everything was so tasty, and Doamna said it was probably because lent was over and everyone could actually eat. These moments here, when I'm able to take my time and talk to wonderful people like Valodya and Ecaterina, I truly feel blessed and integrated in the society.

The whole day was wonderful!

After breakfast in Ialoveni, I was invited to masa with my host family from the summer in Truseni. So, feeling a little buzzed from the vodka and only 3 hours of sleep, I hoofed it up my ginormous hill to the bus stop and was whisked off to Chisinau. Unfortunately, transport to the outer villages was lacking because of the National holiday. I waited over an hour for a maxi-taxi to Truseni. When none came, I started walking. It took me a couple of hours and the day was very hot, but I made it to Truseni around 3:30 pm and we had another lovely meal. This time with Bunica, Mariana, Gelu and their other guests, Doamna Elena, her sons Christi and Eduard and Eduard's wife Valentina.

Spring was in full swing and the lilacs smelled heavenly as light spring winds gently chilled the hot afternoon. Because I was concerned about a lack of transport, I left the masa at about 6:30 and headed down the enormous hill that I hiked all last summer. I waited an hour for a maxi-taxi to Chisinau and when one finally arrived, it had over 50 people jammed in it. I rode on the dashboard.

I got back to Ialoveni, breathed a heavy sigh of relief and thought, "Now for a little rest and to catch up on my sleep..." No sooner was I settled in my PJs then the phone rang and my friend Andrei said, "Mr. Tim, Hristos a înviat. Hai la masa. Come to dinner" in 5 minutes. So, off I went to a third meal and I was sooo glad I did. The friends I've met and made in Ialoveni are worth their weight in gold. They are the best.

We had a barbecue of pork, mushrooms, salad with beer and great (and I do mean GREAT) house wine to wash it down. Amazing conversations, fun, laughter and I got to meet the wonderful maker of the house wine, a friend of the family and father of one of my students. We had such a great conversation that I barely realized it was after midnight and definitely time to head home.

Walked with my buddy Vadim Saracuta to the house and shared yet another intense conversation completely in Romanian - because Vadim pretends not to know English so he can help me practice - until close to 1am.

What an amazing and full Easter day!

Mulțumesc frumos to everyone who made me feel so welcome and loved. No one can say that Moldova doesn't have soul! Cu adevărat a înviat!