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!

Paște Fericit - Happy Easter

Normally, the Orthodox Easter is exactly 1 week after the Roman Catholic Easter, but this year it ended up being a whole month later and no one was able to explain this. As Moldova is 98% Orthodox, Easter is a very important holiday in the country.

Post - or lent - lasts 40 days and is extremely strict, especially for the last week. There is to be no meat, dairy, fish, eggs or fat (in short - no animal products whatsoever) eaten. Alcohol is out except for a wee bit of wine. Needless to say, the countdown is in full swing just before the holiday. Lunch at the school cafeteria got down to tea, bread and some boiled potatoes. But, on the bright side, Easter marks a second spring vacation for a week.

My friend Oleg Saracuta invited me to Easter services, and so we headed to the far side of Ialoveni to a tiny church that was packed at 11pm on a Saturday evening. We bought candles and purchased prayers for friends and relatives who are living (Easter is not a time for buying prayers for the deceased), and headed into the main sanctuary where we stood in one spot for over 4 hours. The service was very beautiful and was mostly sung with call and response from the priest and the choir. There was an oil anointing, a confession of sorts, a form of communion and many, many sung prayers and repetitions that "Christ is risen, truly he is risen."

Everyone's feet were pretty sore, legs were stiff and faces looked weary until the final blessing of the Easter bread and colored eggs (and anything else that required blessing. The priest walked by with a bunch of sweet basil and holy water and drenched everyone. Oleg told the priest to bless us with some "soul" and we were pretty wet afterward. It was nice to see the priest smile as he pelted us with water in the wee hours of the morning.

The altar area separate from the people.

Ziua Drapelului - Flag Day

Last Saturday was a special day among many in Moldova: it was a celebration of their national identity through their flag. Very much like the flag of Romania, the Moldovan flag is tri-colored with blue, yellow and red. The blue symbolizes the blue sky and hope of future generations; the yellow represents the sun and the color of grains ready for harvest, and therefore the work Moldovans undertake every day; and the red speaks of the blood shed by numerous generations to reach an independent and democratic nation.

Ceremony at the Lyceum - the 12th grade boys were honor guards.

Students in Moldovan costumes proudly recited poetry about their flag and their country.

The school had a couple of ceremonies and the flags were flown everywhere. I was especially moved by the drapes behind the monument to Stefan cel mare (the patron saint of Moldova).

As an outsider, I was struck by a couple of things: 1) How passionately proud Moldovans are of their flag and country; 2) How much like Americans they are in their ambivalence - one minute defensive and patriotic, and the next ready to list the problems they face. With some of my students, when they complain that they have no options, or that they don't like the way their country is run, I tell them to create the change that they want to see; to be the change they want to implement. With other students who try to compare how things are in the United States with how they are in Moldova, I point out that the U.S. had many problems when it was only 21 years old.

And, as an outsider, perhaps I have the distance in this country to see so many beautiful things here, and how quickly Moldovan society is developing and changing. Of course, many of my students see what is available in the U.S. or in the major countries of Europe and they want that for themselves, NOW. But, it is happening, pas cu pas (step by step)

The side effect of watching Moldova develop and grow is that I make my own comparisons with the U.S. and I question many of our own policies while also contemplating the direction that our country is heading. Of course, the only news about the U.S. that registers here is the negative news, but I am often asked why we are such a violent society, if it is true that all Americans carry guns, why we don't take better care of our sick and poor, why so many Americans are fat and eat fast food. Then, the shoe is on the other foot. I tell them how proud I am of my country and how much I respect it's people and liberties. But I'm also able to say that while all countries have problems, like Moldova, one of the most beautiful things about being a citizen of the United States is that we are able to freely voice our opinions, to point out the weaknesses and celebrate the strengths, and for this ability alone we must be proud of our countries.

God bless Moldova and God bless the United States.

Welcome Spring

Hello everyone keeping track of my journey. I'm sorry that I haven't posted for some time. I've been extremely busy teaching, working with other teachers, attending in-service trainings for the Peace Corps, working on some major Peace Corps projects that should sustainably promote the learning of English here in Moldova long after I'm gone, and continuing my work integrating into the community at large.

This week I hit the 9-month mark in Moldova and still I find it hard to believe that a) it has been so little time - the weeks last three or four months here; and b) it has been so much time - it's going too fast! I know it's a contradiction, but it's true.

As beloved as winter is in Moldova (if it snows), still the people celebrate spring with a passion as well. The first day of March is the unofficial first day of spring and it is welcomed fully. Marțișor (martsi-shor) - or little March is a big celebration here in Moldova. Everyone gives a special someone a little handmade or store-bought artificial boutainnere that contains some red and white. Tradition holds that the beautiful maiden of spring fought against a winter witch and was cut. Where her drop of blood fell, snowdrops (the flower) sprang up and thus, winter was defeated.

I'm proud to report that I received about 20 of these little gifts from various students and one of my partner teachers. The result was a lapel full of small artificial flowers, red and white hearts, tassles, and braided strings. I felt very blessed and loved. The Moldovans continue to wear their marțișors through March and on the 31st, they hang them from blooming trees. Great way to bring in spring, eh?

Sample Marțișor - These get very creative!

Vacanță - Winter Fun

As I've said before, and will continue to delight in saying, I have some of the best students in the world. Two of my coolest are Victor and Cristi who have taken it upon themselves to make sure that Mr. Tim stays healthy and fit. How else will they find me a wife so that I can stay in Moldova the rest of my days? :o) So, they make sure that I get lots of exercise by inviting me running or to introduce me to winter fun in Moldova.

Victor, who is in the 10th grade, and Cristi, in the 11th grade, are both the kind of students any teacher would dream of having. They are extremely kind, inquisitive, respectful and attentive. "Mr. Tim, Mr. Tim, be attentive, there is a car coming," they often comment, or are quick to try and support me if I slip while running on the ice. (Which only serves to make me feel that they think I am ancient :o) )They assist me with my Romanian with gentle corrections and ask for corrections with their English. We discuss topics as deep as Moldovan political structure, the possibility of Moldova integrating with the E.U., and core values to becoming a good human being. Then again, we'll also talk about their favorite topics: girls, movies, martial arts and having fun. They are very curious about the weather in the U.S. as well as topics such as gun control, Presidental politics and what life is like in the major cities in the U.S. In short, between trying to catch my breath while running, we are never at a lack for conversation. Plus, they're just a lot of fun to be around. Like normal teens in the U.S. they wrestle with each other, try out new martial arts moves, and generally laugh a lot.

So, the other day, we were running down a long steep road that was completely covered with ice and packed snow. I was trying to think about how to retain my dignity and not break something sliding down this hill, when we stumbled upon some trashbags. Well, that stopped everything. We now had sleds. After several runs down this hill, we headed to the nut orchard hill and met up with some other students from my school who happened to pull their impromptu sleds out of their back pockets, and everyone joined in the fun. After several runs, a serious snowball war erupted, and I was very glad of the aforementioned respect. No one tried to bean Mr. Tim!

A hearty thank you to both Cristi and Victor for being such great students, but also for renewing my faith in the upcoming generation. Some of these kids are going to change the world in ways we never dreamed, and I think for the better.

Vacanță - Crăciun - Christmas

While more and more people in Moldova are recognizing the 25th of December as Christmas Day, it is still vastly considered here to be the "new Christmas". Nonetheless, there was celebration and it was a great day. First I met up with James Tiger and several other volunteers at the Catholic church in Chișinau, were we attended services in Romanian. As the Romanian language is so Latin centric, it felt and sounded like what my parents described as Mass in Latin.

I was struck by a couple of powerful thoughts: 1) The Mass was beautifully done with Romanian carols, and lots of singing; 2) Aside from the sung parts, I was able to keep up with about 65% of the service, and the homily was really wonderful in a foreign language. The church was tastefully decorated with simple trees and a beautiful manger scene.

Afterward, I found a small supermarket that was open (basically all the businesses were open because of the difference in dates -- kind of handy), and bought oranges, then found a stand with some tangerines and bought a half kilogram of those as well, and headed to Trușeni to spend the day with my first host family.

Mariana made traditional Christmas fare (not) of pizza and a roast chicken. It was delightful and later, some of Gelu and Mariana's friends came over from their church group and had a small prayer gathering and sang traditional colindas -- carols. It was fun to spend the day with my adopted family, bring them some gifts and receive the gift of inclusion.

After a full day, I headed back to Ialoveni, met up with some of my new friends and current adult students who showered me with gifts of food and alcohol, and lots of hugs all around. Then I got back to my room about 10pm to Skype with my family who had all gathered at my older brother's house for the holiday. This was a marathon bout of Skyping as the family is large and I still didn't get to chat with my nieces and nephews.

So, on this second Christmas -- the 7th of January, I wish all the world, but especially Moldova, a very happy holiday and much joy and light in the new year!

Vacanță - Christmas Eve

The first semester ended last Friday, and as I posted in Facebook, it was a semester that I will remember for a very long time. It's very hard to believe that I've been in Moldova a little over 6 months now. It seems like at least 3 or 4 years have passed. Each day zips by, but continues to be packed to the hilt.

And now, while the students are on vacation, I get a brief respite to gather my energy for the next semester. Yet, there is still so much to do. I am planning classes for the next semester, trying to decide which play to perform for English week in April, making plans for an upcoming training for the Peace Corps which will take place the middle of January, and even in my dreams I am teaching English.

Still, I'm making time to relax as well:
Christmas Eve was spent at Jennifer's apartment. Jennifer and her boyfriend Kit (both volunteers as well) hosted an incredible dinner for a number of other volunteers to celebrate the holidays. For volunteers faced with the potential of being alone on Christmas Eve (in Moldova, Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January by most people), this was so incredibly wonderful. And it was made even more wonderful with the terrific company and great food! A heartfelt thank you to Jennifer, Kit, James, Richard, Darnell, Matt, Laura, Natashia, Andy and Alexandra for a lovely celebration!

Jennifer assists while Andy carves



Kit carves the roast beast

There was roast duck, the requisite mashed potatoes, salads, stuffed mushrooms, shrimp scampi and other goodies that we don't often get to eat here in Moldova. For dessert, Jennifer made fudge and Christmas cookies!

Then, we had a magical surprise with three children knocking on the door to come in and sing us colindas or Christmas carols. All in all a magical night.

E Iarna

The seasons are much more sensible in Moldova. There's no waiting for the solstice, no breaking the month of December as being Autumn until the 21st and then Winter. Instead, Winter starts promptly on the 1st of December. "Vine iarna" (Winter comes) is a common phrase when the first snow falls, or the ground is frosty in the morning. While the average Moldovan seems to need - but despise - rain, the feeling about snow is quite the opposite; it's not needed, but it is loved.

Many of my lyceum-aged students had teze (themes - semester tests) last week in English and several other subjects, and as I read the essays from the 11th form, the idea that was repeated many times was that one can find Heaven on Earth if one only looks to the beauty of snow.

Snowball fights during the breaks.
Some of them thought it was fun to throw at Mr. Tim.

From the seemingly endless questions in Romanian about whether I have ever seen snow before, or if there is snow in the United States, to the literal banshee cries of NINGE!!!!!! of the students if it happens to be snowing during a break, to the nearly manic descriptions of what it will be like when there is over a meter of snow on the ground, it is easy to tell that there is a love affair with snow in this country -- at least from the young people. But, even my host parents seem to act a little more spry when they see the snow.



Snow in the schoolyard.

Today, I went running in the snow with one of my students, and it was like running with an extremely playful otter. He was doing flips to land in the snow. We met up with some younger students out with their sleds on the nearby hill and Cristi borrowed one sled to show them how to do it. "Mr. Tim," he said afterward - out of breath, "that was the first time this year that I sledded. Oh, it was so fun!"

Naturally, I can't help but make comparisons with snow falls in the U.S. Here it is a matter of course that the snow will climb above a meter, and that many roads will close, but since a significant percent of the population walks, their is no concern. As long as the main road into town is plowed so supplies can get to the stores, there will be food and water. Even the old folks take the snow in stride, careful in their steps and hunkering down when they can.

In comparison, I'll never forget the panicked calls I would get at my stores in the Seattle area if there was a threat of snow (even a centimeter high) for two days in future. People would storm in to stock up on pet food, "just in case!" Here, there is no run on the stores; no stressful faces. There is only studied concentration of footsteps and the oft spoken, "frumos" (beautiful).

First Snow

unexpected

delicate
crystals wash
the cynicism
from the city

turn pavement

to playgrounds
roads to slides
and we are all young

the calendars are now correct

winter has come
and cast its spell

look, over there

he must be 50
and yet caught
catching the odd flake
on his playful
pink tongue

Sunt Profesor de Limbă Engleză

No way! It's official. I've been in Moldova for six months, and what a ride it has been -- both disappearing too rapidly and seeming like it has been at least 5 years.

Sunset over Ialoveni.

I still speak Romanian poorly, but I can definitely hold my own with my host mother while we have so much fun discussing politics, history, traditions and religion. Of course, her favorite subject is trying to find a suitable wife for me.

I'm digging deeper into Russian, but finding it a very confusing language to pronounce, let alone to understand.

_________________

More importantly, I am teaching English!

I'm hip deep into teaching the 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th forms (grades) on a wide variety of subjects in English, and truly adore the students. I even adore them when they are obraznici (literally cheeky) or they just stare at me as if to say, "what ARE you talking about?" And, there are lots of those days. :o) I've walked up to several students and asked calmly and slowly, "Do you understand anything that I am saying." They just smile and say, "Nu înțeleg." (I don't understand.)

The manuals (textbooks) are very challenging for these students. When I say a variety of subjects, I mean a variety. For the fifth grade, we just finished talking about school and what you do after school. The sixth form is discussing having dinner guests and which side of the plate to put a butter knife (something that is not often used in Moldova). The eighth grade is discussing leisure time, films, sports, and music. Currently the ninth is discussing animal rights and health hazards. The first page in their textbook was about The Big Bang theory! The tenth grade is  discussing life choices, while the eleventh grade wrapped up "The Seeing See Very Little" by Helen Keller. And, finally, the twelfth form is discussing etiquette at a museum. As you can see, the English teachers in Moldova must be versed in a variety of subjects and their vocabulary must be huge. This is a difficult task if you are not a native speaker -- and sometimes when you are.

Words like calisthenics, gnarled, ample, albinism, inquisitive, connoisseur, entertaining, misbehave, bustle, rustle, ecology and cultural values, quiver, countenance, thistle, nosegay and hoarfrost are a part of their necessary vocabulary.

Then add to that 4 tenses, 26 aspects of verbs, sentence structure, the gender of nouns, the plural of nouns, articles, the negative form of sentences and the interrogative form of sentences, adjective order, adverbial clauses, reflexive pronouns, possessives, etc., and you begin to get a sense of how difficult this is for these students. All of them know Russian and Romanian, and several are taking other language classes such as French, German, and a couple are learning Japanese on their own. This is on top of required classes such as history, biology, chemistry, math, etc.

Truly, some of these students are BRILLIANT! My job is to keep reminding them of that fact and encourage their progress in English, which is required by the Ministry of Education now for the 2nd grade through the 12th.

But, my joy is după lecții (after lessons) when I have the students who really WANT to learn English. I had a talk with the principal at the school the other day, and she asked me how things are going. I told her I love it all, but my true heart was after lessons. Those kids shine like a galaxy of hot suns. They are each so talented and so willing to open up their minds to soak up the ideas. And they are learning English at an extremely accelerated rate. Two months ago, several of them could barely say "hello" and now they are discussing the present progressive and translating. What's more amazing is how oblivious they are to their progress.

I have Grammar Club on Tuesdays. Yes... a grammar club! Can you imagine, students in the United States asking to have a separate hour once a week to discuss grammar? Believe it or not, it's well attended, and they seem to really enjoy it. Nothing is more fulfilling than to have one of my students who attends Grammar Club come up to me after a test and say, "Wow, Mr. Tim, it was just like we talked about in Grammar Club!" This followed by ever climbing grades.

Debate Club is a constant surprise. I don't know if these students will ever actually debate, and I doubt that they really want to debate, but it is pure magic to watch them get so caught up in arguing a subject that they completely forget they are speaking in English. And they soar! Sure they use the wrong tense, and pronounce things incorrectly, but to listen to them give their opinions on various subjects is a joy.

Then there's my two adult classes a week. We started with 5 students, and are now up to 16, and each week there are more. These are true beginners and they laugh so hard at their mistakes and revel when I tell them in Romanian that they sound just like an American. "Er, ir, ur" sounds, along with "th" sounds are the most difficult for them, but they keep trying. I told them that the way they say "hamburger" is just not right, and so each week we keep practicing with that word, and they WANT to say it with conviction for Domnul Tim. These are my dance lessons. I get to waltz through pronunciations and sing sibilants. The students give and take and we hardly notice that an hour disappears so quickly.

On top of these classes, I teach a group of 5th graders separately twice a week, and work with some 9th graders and the niece of my host father (a 4th grader) on Sundays. In between all the teaching, I plan for classes with each of my 5 partner teachers.

I've been very blessed to have some incredible partners. We really do have some fun classes, and the students respond. One of my partners is an official of the Ministry of Education, so she has decided that we will teach teachers and once a month we have a large meeting with other English teachers to discuss various topics. The first meeting, in September, was for new English teachers to help them learn the ropes. The second was geared toward me and was about grading and reading essays. Next week, I'll have a third one about working with groups. As volunteers, we are required to have three open lessons or seminars during our two years service. I'll have 2 open lessons and 3 seminars in the first 4 months of teaching.

My school is awesome, and I'm slowly integrating further into the community there. Because I speak in English all day, my Romanian is not as advanced as I would like, and this serves as a barrier to getting to know some of the teachers, but somehow I can understand my principal very well, and she is one of my adult students. She is amazing! Strong and direct, Doamna Balan is a terrific ally, and we are working together to increase the technology in the school, and improve the learning of English. She wants to put Lyceul Petre Ștefanucă on the map.

Evidently, my workload is a little heavier than many of the other English Education (EE) volunteers.
We are required to teach a minimum of 18 hours and most have 2 or 3 partner teachers. I also have 24 regular hours of classes, 14 hours after regular hours, the two adult classes, my Sunday lessons, the two after-school clubs, and am working on Skype with several students to improve their English-speaking abilities. I find a book in English for these students, and then I listen to them read for about 15 - 20 minutes.

My day starts typically at 5am and I roll into bed, barely able to keep my eyes open, at 11:30pm. But, I'm not complaining. I have always loved staying busy. There is something extremely spiritual in staying in the moment. And I love being a teacher!

School Reporter Gets the Scoop

One of my many gifted students interviewed me for the school newspaper (of which he is the editor), and the principal of the school liked the interview so well, that she reposted it in the local internet news about Ialoveni. Here it is for your reading pleasure... in Romanian.

(INTERVIU) Tim Schneider: „Sunt străin în ţară, dar vin cu pace!” - I am an alien in this country, but I come in peace.

http://ialovenionline.md/index.php/opinii/2257-interviu-tim-schneider-sunt-strin-in-ar-dar-vin-cu-pace

Thanks for making me sound so good, Nick.

The Language of Crows

There are crows everywhere here in Ialoveni. They circle every evening and night, and they make me think of magical things. When I was young in Japan I read a story about a little boy that turned into a crow. I have a children's book now in both Romanian and English called, "The Crow King." They have always been birds of mystery, and they are more so here in Moldova. Sometimes I think I'm the only one who can see them as the rest of the people around me seem to ignore them completely.

By the way, Moldovans have a saying, "Don't be a white crow."

The Language of Crows

Crows gather

in the white-barked birch --

strange dark leaves

that absorb the last rays of

November sun.

My mind is cloudy

with crows.

They fly in clusters

dotting the sky

like the musical notes

to some half-forgotten tune.

 

A Moldovan Moon

They grumble and curse --

old men discontented

with life,

raucously calling each other

crude names.

I keep listening,

wondering when

I will begin to understand

their cryptic code

of used-to-bes

and might-have-beens

 

Theirs is a language of vagary

and head bobbing;

their vocabulary

is of the vernacular.

 

Only their piercing

black-pearl eyes

describe how they really feel

as the light dies

and they sing the birth of the

waxy November moon.