The Double Whammy / Back to Codlea

That's right folks, yours truly is a millionaire - a million lei that is. Right now a million lei is about 35 bucks. It sure is some snazzy currency isn't it? It's similar to Australia's money in that it is synthetic, waterproof and has a little clear window in it. The moustachioed fellow adorning the bill is Mr. Ion luca Caragiale, a prized writer and the pioneer of satiric comedy here in Romania. He's big.

Anyway, my "friend" the math teacher and schedule maker has finally done it. He gave me the double whammy - British History and British Geography at 7am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, respectively. Multumesc domnule. Geo is tomorrow. I'm going to have to do a dance or something to get these kids going at 7. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can incorporate dance into a geography lesson I'd love to hear from you.

Today was weird. I woke up with my head in a haze (maybe it was that double shot of Tuica I had before bed?) and I felt like a zombie all day. As I walked down the street towards the library for Romanian language tutoring, the sound of some pseudo-pop-traditional-I don't know what the hell kind of music became louder and louder. Wondering where it was coming from, I looked across the street and saw a table set up with a big speaker and a few people sitting there. There were posters everywhere and the guy on the mike was enticing people to come buy a CD and get an autograph from the artist, who was sitting at the table trying his best to look Euro-cool (yes, this is a look). Turns out he is some old, washed up pop star (I talked to my tutor). Makes sense because he was hawking his CDs on a street corner in Piatra Neamt. Only in Romania.

After tutoring I walked down to the bus station to get my ticket for tomorrow's trip to Codlea and saw one of my students. I spoke to him briefly (in English) as we crossed the street then parted ways. Next thing I know this smiling drunk guy in a suit is trying to speak to me in English and insists on shaking my hand, a lot. All he could get out was "Hello" so I started speaking Romanian to him. This definitely threw him for a loop as he could hardly speak (Romanian). Could have been because he was piss drunk, but anyway....He starts to tell me that he's a lawyer and whips out his official Romanian lawyer ID book (yes, such a thing exists) and starts asking me if I need help getting home to America (he's a lawyer, so he does things like this all of the time right?). I then explained who I was and what I was doing here and he was, again, flabbergasted (and wasted). I smiled, wrenched my hand away from him and walked briskly away to get my ticket. Only in Romania.

So it's back to Sweet Home Codlea tomorrow for some good times and good food. A welcome respite from the daily grind and lonely feelings here in Moldova.

I need to rant

Why in the hell am I teaching British History to a bunch of Romanian kids at 7:00am? Will somebody please give me a good reason for this? AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting Comfortable

As usual, I've posted a picture for your viewing pleasure. This is Peles Castle in Sinaia. It was the summer residence of King Carol I and is now a museum. I visited the castle in July when group 20 wen to out counterpart conference. If you think that the exterior is impressive, well, you should see the interior. I've never seen such beautiful and ornate wood work in my life. Quite impressive and highly recommended for those of you who might one day come to Romania.

Anyway, back to the present. I've got two weeks of school under my belt now and have finally met all of my students. In total, I see about 270 students a week. Unfortunately, this means that I only get 50 min. a week with each kid. At first I thought that this was not enough time for me to be effective. However, I'm starting to change my mind because my classes are so drastically different from everything else that they do. As a result, I think that they will remember their experience with me no matter how much time we have together.

For the most part, these kids are great. Most of them are really eager to learn and I haven't had any problems yet. They really seem to enjoy my presence here. In fact, there has been some controversy due to the fact that some classes (the bilingual ones) are quite upset that they do not have me as a teacher. One class went so far as to file a formal complaint, signed by them and their parents, with the school director! While I'm very flattered by this, the last thing that I want is to be the impetus of tension between students, parents and the administration. I can't see everybody. So, I spoke to them yesterday on my day off and told them that they could talk to me anytime if they see me outside of class. I hope that they calm down a bit and just accept the situation.

I think that I'm starting to "turn the corner" in terms of my comfort level here. I've been in Piatra Neamt for about 6-7 weeks now and am getting used to the situation. Living alone, teaching, etc., it's all so different and I was having a bit of a rough time as recently as last week. But, after a long and productive talk with Sarah, things started to get better for me. Combine that with my comfort level at school, the beginning of formal Romanian language tutoring and just a general feeling of familiarity of my city and I think that I now know why I'm feeling better.

It's a gray and wet Saturday today here in Piatra. I think that last weekend was the end of summer as the weather has been getting progressively cooler here. I think that the fall and winter will be similar to Chicago. I think I'll be able to handle that, even though I may not like it. I'll be doing some shopping today for food and various other items. I also need to go to the autogara to find out bus and maxi-taxi schedules to Brasov. I'll be visiting Ica and Victor next weekend and we'll be going to a wedding. It will be my first Romanian wedding and should be quite the cross-cultural experience. I'd like to leave on Thusday after school, but I'm not sure about the schedules. Ideally, I'd like to take a maxi-taxi south to Bacau, change maxi-taxis and continue southwest to Brasov. I could save about two hours with this method. However, there's always the 7:30am Friday bus to Brasov. However, based on my previous experience, I'd like to avoid that option if possible.

I hope that all is well with you loyal blog readers. Please send me an e-mail or post a comment, as hearing from people back home always makes my day! Pa! (bye)

A Day in the Life

First of all, let's talk about this picture. Do not be fooled, this is par for the course here in Romania. The horse-drawn cart or "Caruţa" (ca-root-za) is frequently seen sharing the road with mechanized vehicles. Many even have license plates! This picture was taken on the road which lies on top of the giant Bicaz dam, part of Romania's hydroelectric power system.

Anyway, a friend of mine asked if I might be able to do a "day in the life" post, however mundane it might be. So, I'll indulge you all. However, remember that I still haven't established a firm routine yet, so this will change. Maybe I'll do another one next month or something. Anyway, here goes:

7:00am - Wake up to the sounds of chattering students and the dreaded school bell that sounds something like a high-pitched version of the typical European police car siren (think of any action movie set in Europe with a car chase). Ouch.

8:30am - Go into school and sign the "condica" in the teachers' room. The condica is this big book that lists every class for the day and who is teaching each class. For each of your classes, you must give a brief description of the day's lesson and sign your name. Also, please note that teachers here don't have their own rooms, so we have one big room with a big table for everybody. Very different.

9:00am - this is usually when I start classes. Let the fun begin!

1:00 or 2:00pm - this is usually when I finish classes. Let the nap begin!

After class, I try to recap what happened in each class and record information in each individual class folder. I also have to record absences, daily grades (participation for Eng. conversation), etc. I also run errands, get some lunch, blah, blah, blah.

In the evening I plan for the next day's classes. If I'm lucky, I'll get to watch a good soccer game before I go to bed. I'm digggin' the Spanish League. Barcelona is my team. Ronaldinho from Brazil is the man.

Oh yeah, another thing that I'm going to be doing on Tuesday and Thursday nights is teaching English at Gabby's organization. It'll be about 20 adults. I'm going to try to keep it loose and fun, as I don't see how I'll really have any time to devote to planning.

Many changes to come though.....I'll keep you all posted.

Monastery Marathon!

Nice pic huh? That's inside of Secu Monastery near Targu Neamt. I went on a little vacation this weekend with Victor and Ica. It turned out to be more than I bargained for. We started a monastery tour at 7am and didn't get back until 9pm. At least 9 of those 14 hours were spent riding around in a little micro bus with a drunk tour guide (he wasn't driving, he was on the mic) and 17 Romanians. 6 or 7 Monasteries were visited. I'm not sure of the exact number because I was about done after the 3rd one. I slept in the grass outside of number 5 or 6 because I just couldn't take it anymore. The ride was bumpy, the conversation was loud and in Romanian and, for those of you who've been reading the blog since summer, the dreaded "curent" was in full effect.

At about 4pm, after sweating my ass off inside of this bus all day, I finally announced (in Romanian) that the curent is not true, just like Dracula. As a result, the bunica in front of me cracked her window a bit for me so I could get a whiff of fresh air. Immediately thereafter, the woman sitting next to her proceeded to wrap her sweater around her head. It was 80 degrees outside. This curent thing is out of control. 15 minutes later I saw a woman walking down the street with a scarf and wool hat on her head. Crazy.

So, today was the first day of school and my first classes are tomorrow. Wish me luck.....

Cool Hats

If you come to Romania, you too can model fabulous hats! First, we have yours truly modeling what I like to call the "Hungarian Cone", which is featured prominently in Harghita County (the site of the photo) and other predominatly Hungarian areas in Romania. Next, we have Gabby (my site mate) featuring the "Romanian Hunter", a fine cap made from pure animal skin, au natural. These photos were taken a few weeks back when I went on a trip with Gabby's organization to Lacu Rosu (Red Lake) and the Bicaz Gorges, two of Romania's natural tourist attractions and located in a national park. Cool.

Anyway, today is Tuesday and I still haven't done much as far as school is concerned. This system is soooo different than the American system. We've got 5 days to go before the first day and the friggin' schedules aren't even set yet. With the exception of two brand new English teachers, Oana and Brindusa, nobody talks to me or gives me any advice. At this point, the only thing the three of us have done is bitch and moan about the current situation and how there's only one friendly veteran English teacher. My counterpart is always too busy for me, so I guess this is just going to be the way it is. I'm going to do my thing and I hope they approve. If not, then they better actually COMMUNICATE with me. Don't get me wrong, most of the young people are pretty open; it's the older generation that's been conditioned not to talk too much.

Sooo, since nothing is happening here this week and everyone who CAN help me either doesn't talk to me or doesn't have time for me, I'm going to go to see Victor & Ica in Vatra Dornei on Thursday night and do some monastery hopping. A little vacation for me before classes start on Monday. I'm not worried about it too much because the first week's going to be a wash. And maybe the second, third, fourth.....

More pics to come now that I'm all hooked up here in the apt.

Salut,
Mr. Flexible

Fotbal Ceahlaul!

Victor and I went to the soccer game in Piatra Neamt yesterday. The team is called F.C. Ceahlaul (named after the big mountain in the area). F.C. Ceahlaul is in orange and F.C. Botosani is in blue. The mountain you see in the background is Pietricica, which is located in the center of Piatra Neamt (note the big TV antenna/tower). We had a lot of fun! Ica and Victor are visiting me this weekend and will be off to the resort town of Vatra Dornei today. I'll be joining them on Friday for the weekend!

Yesterday, Romania beat Czech Republic 2-0 in a world cup qualifier to keep their hopes alive for a spot in World Cup 2006. It was a very important game and it's all over the news today. The World Cup is in Germany next year and I hope that I'll be able to visit and catch a game.......I'm watching a lot of soccer these days and am enjoying it very much. The fans are so passionate about the game! It's fun to watch games from different countries and learn the different styles of play. Aside from all of the World Cup qualifiers this summer, I've seen games from the Spanish league, the English league, and of course, the Romanian league. Tonight is Brazil vs. Chile. I'm definitely going to check that out....

September is Here

Hello all. Sorry I've been so incommunicado lately. Just trying to get my life in order. So I showed up to school today for day one all primed and ready to go. Not surprisingly, nothing really happened. Aside from meeting a couple English teachers, I did nothing but sit at a table in the teacher's room (it's kind of like a big boardroom), make notes to myself and read PC materials on teaching. After about an hour and a half Florin (my professional counterpart and Vice Director of the school) came in and told me I should go becuse there's nothing going on today. Okay then. So, I wait. Fine with me. I'm friggin' Mr. Flexibilty at this point. When I come back home you're all going to call me Gumby.

After I left school I responded to some emails, including Ica's, which takes a long time because I need to translate and then respond in Romanian. Ica and Victor are going to come visit me tomorrow. Their daughter Delia (my new sister) was kind enough to send them some money from NYC for a vacation. This will be Ica & Victor's first time in Moldova. I believe that, aside from visiting Piatra Neamt with me, they will go to the painted monasteries and visit a resort with hot springs or something. I think its called Vatra Dornei.

I just got back from the gym (yes, I have a gym to go to) and fixed myself the usual lunch of a piece of fruit, bread, telemea cheese (it's kind of like feta but not as salty), and piept de pui (chicken lunchmeat). Now I have to clean the apartment and continue proofreading Florin's son's doctoral dissertation on postmodern Canadian literature. That's not a joke by the way. Big favor for Florin. Big favor.

My Friend John Helm

A week ago I found out that a good friend of mine passed away. His name was John Helm. He had an acute cancerous brain tumor that had gone undetected. He died suddenly and did not suffer, thank god. He was just about to turn 29 years old. Needless to say, I was shocked and upset to hear the news. I cried a lot. I called my Dad and Sarah. I called John's wife Jessica. I felt helpless. I was thousands of miles away and couldn't do anything about it. What a terrible feeling it was.

Last Monday I recieved an email from Jessica informing me of his death on July 29. She felt bad that I had to find out this way, but she did not know how to contact me earlier. Initially, I felt so guilty that I wasn't at the funeral to pay my respects. I felt so bad that I wasn't able to be there and offer my support to Jessica. I felt awol. Talking to Jessica helped a lot, as much of my initial anxiety was rooted in concern for her. She informed me that she was taking things one day at a time and was very happy that John's organs were donated. Apparently, his liver and heart went to two people; I assume this generous act saved their lives. Amazing stuff.

I met Helm in Wright Hall at ISU when I was a sophomore. He lived on the infamous 5th floor with his roommate and best friend from Decatur, Eric Veech. A lot of the guys from the football team who were my friends were living on 5, so naturally I got to know Helm & Veech. Initially, our relationship consisted of sharing information and talking about all of the crazy footballers on the 5th floor, especially Scramuzzo. We didn't really hang out too much until a couple of years later when Marc Hirschman, a friend of mine from Bolingbrook befriended Helm and became his roomate at the house on Kingsley Street, across from Spanky's in Normal.

Some of my fondest memories from college involve that house, and of course, Mr. Helm (as I liked to call him). We partied, bands would play in the basement, we'd hang out and listen to music, etc. Helm always made feel like an honorary member of the Kingsley St. house and I would go over there any chance I would get. The summer of 1997 (my only summer at ISU) was particulary fun and there was always a barbeque or something going on. It was during this time that I got to know his girlfriend and future wife, Jessica.

Other memories include going to Pub II when Helm was bartending, making crazy films with his video camera, and his graduation party at Rosie's (I think that's what the bar was called) in Bloomington. After he graduated, we saw each other every so often. He and Jessica would come up to Chicago for the Buddy Guy shows. It was great fun. I remember their engagement party at Alive One in Chicago, going to visit them in Aurora after Helm got his first job with Boise, helping them move into their first home, drinking the fine ale from Walter Payton's out of the kegerator in the garage, etc.

Helm and Jessica's wedding and the time leading up to it was especially joyous. I took a bunch of photos of them as a couple before the wedding, one of which was used in the gigantic picture frame that everyone signed at the wedding. They looked hot I must say. I'm proud of that pic! I also put together a jazz program for the dinner hour at the reception. Their wedding was special because so many friends got involved in one way or another to make it the perfect wedding. I remember unveiling the Buddy Guy photo I had blown up and framed for them as a wedding gift. Helm loved it. I'll never forget the look on his face. Priceless stuff. Their wedding will always be clear in my mind and makes me feel so good when I think about it.

Shortly after their wedding, Helm and Jessica moved to St. Louis. Sarah and I visited them in September of 2003. We went to a Cardinals game, grilled out, had beers, etc. It was a great time. That was the last time I saw him in person. We'd email and speak on the phone every now and then in the following months. I remember thinking how much I wanted to keep the friendship going and hoped that I could see more of him in the future. He sent me an email 5 days before he passed away and told me how much he enjoyed reading my blog. I'm glad I had this contact with him. It makes me feel closer to him now.

John Helm was one of the best people I have ever known. He was always smiling, always positive and upbeat. I never heard him complain about anything. I never heard him say anything negative about anyone. He had a magnetic personality and people, including myself, loved to be around him. I think of him often now and always see that smiling face and hear that distinctive Helm laugh.

Although I never considered myself part of his inner circle of friends (he had many), I always considered him to be a good friend of mine. I believe that he considered me to be one as well. As I write this tribute to him from a place very far away from home, I take solace in the fact that he is at peace now. He was a special person and I will never forget him. He's gone now, but his soul will live on inside all of us who loved him and cherished his friendship. We love you Helm.

Scott

Want to see my new apartment?

go to my yahoo photo album at:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rsfenwick/album?.dir=/3478&.src=ph&.tok=phq_EiDB7qLC2wQB

Copy and paste the address into your address bar & hit enter for maximum viewing pleasure.......

Me and Mama Ica

Hey! It's me and Gazda Mama Ica outside the "Casa Cultural" on Swear-in day, Aug. 5th.

Laundry Day

I'm doing my first batch of laundry today. Killing some time in the tavernet cafe right now waiting to switch to spin! Man, I feel so lucky to have a washing machine. I'd be sucking right now if I had to hand wash everything. I know, I know, it's the Peace Corps, right? I should be sucking right now, right? Well hey, sucking sucks. It's hard enough just being here. I'll take any creature comforts I can get. However, I do have a big plastic wash tub I can use if I start to feel guilty.....Ha! Let's just hope the washer doesn't break down on me. And it's not like I have a dryer anyway.

It's been awhile since the last real post. As Sarah, the Barr Family, my Dad and Mindy know, I was having a tough time at the end of last week. I was ready to ET and come home. Luckily, after many conversations and sleeping on it, I changed my mind. I guess I just kind of freaked out, albeit a little early. I think that this happens at some point or another to all PCVs. I think that I'll feel better once school starts, at which point I won't have so much time to sit around and think about how much I miss home and everybody there, especiallly Sarah.

Anyway, I'm running out of time. More later.

Love,
Scott

My new address

This is my permanent address:

R.S. Fenwick
Colegiul National "Calistrat Hogas"
Str. Alexandru cel Bun, Nr. 19
Cod 610120
Piatra Neamt
Romania

Let the care package sending begin! :)

Buna Piatra Neamt part 2

I've only got 10 minutes left at the internet cafe so I'll make this short:

Tuesday: Found a nice place to get some exercise. It's a cobblestone path up a big hill. There's two restaurants and a bar up there in case you get hungry or thirsty :) Walked around town a bit with Gabby and had dinner with her and a colleague of hers. Her colleague's sister, husband and daughter were there as well, so it was a good opportunity for a language exercise.

Wednesday: More hiking up the hill and walking around town. Gabby and I went to a Turkish restaurant for lunch (SCORE) and did some shopping at the main Piata. I bought some bread, fruit & veggies. We also stopped by the foreign languages library and had a shot of Tuica for Cristina's birthday. I met Cristina on my site visit in July. She introduced me to her colleague Nicolae, who will be taking over for her as she takes her two year (that's correct, two year) state mandated maternity leave. I hope that I will be able to see her again though. She's very nice. Got home and watched some fotbal with gazda bro Stephan. It was Steaua Bucharest (Stefan's fav team) vs. Rosenborg (Norway) in the 3rd round (I think) of the UEFA Champions Cup. It wound up being a 1-1 tie, so needless to say, Stephan was not a happy camper.

Today: I'll tell you tomorrow.....

Buna Piatra Neamt!

I boarded the bus at the station in Brasov yesterday morning at 7:30, fighting back tears as I had to say goodbye to Ica & Victor. It was an emotional moment for me, sitting on that bus all alone and watching them wave goodbye. Seriously, it hurts just thinking about it. I think that's understanbable at this point though, given the fact that I've only been in town for just over 24 hours.

It was a cloudy and rainy day yesterday as the bus headed north out of Brasov. We passed through Harghita County, which is the Hungarian zone bordering the Eastern Carpathians. I saw the towns of Sfantu Gheorghe, Miercurea Ciuc and Gheorgeni, all of which are nothing to write home about. The ride ot interesting when we began to climb in elevation and made the trip into Moldavia. After many a switchback, the bus headed through the awesome Bicaz Gorge and past the intimidating Ceahlau Massif, which is one big, bad looking mountain.

The sun came out as I entered Piatra and my counterpart Florin was there to greet me in his spiffy outfit, equipped with a euro man-purse. We got into his Passat (quite a change from the Dacia) and headed to my new gazda. I unloaded all of my crap and had a nice lunch with Georgiana and her son Stephan. Georgiana is a 36 year-old overworked, underpaid doctor and her son is a 14 year-old hunchback computer geek. Stephan's never had a dad, doesn't get out much and hardly sees his mom. It's kind of sad acutally. Grandpa George (retired physics teacher) and Grandma Rodica (retired dentist) live there too, but they'll be leaving for Canada to stay with their other daughter in a week. They'll be gone for 2-3 months, so I'll be in my apt. by the time they return. So, it's going to be the three of us for most of the stay. Oy.

I'm running out of time here at the Tavernet internet cafe in beautiful downtown Piatra Neamt, so I'll have to cut this short. More later.

I'm official now and I have to go....

Hello there. Well, last Friday PC group 20 took the oath to defend the constitution and all that good stuff. As a result, the charge d' affairs from the US embassy bestowed upon all 66 of us the title of PC Volunteer (PCV). That has a nice ring to it I must say. Being a trainee kind of sucks. It's like being in boot camp, I think.

The ceremony was held in the "Casa de Cultura" in Brasov and was attended by quite a few people. Many gazda families showed up, the mayor of Brasov, the media, etc. A couple of my friends were on the Friday night news. A paper in Brasov also published an article about us. Good stuff. After all of the hand-shaking at the buffet, quite a few of us headed out to the bars for some beers. It wasn't really goodbye because we're all going to see each other in December for an in-service training seminar to be held for a few days at a location TBD. Although, you never know who'll Early Terminate (ET) or be medivac'd. I hope that's not the case for anyone in Group 20. The average ET rate for PC Romania is about 6%, compared to the 12% PC worldwide average. I have no idea what the medivac rate is. I'd venture to say that it's pretty low as well.

Soooo, it's my last day in Codlea. Pretty sad stuff as my family and I really don't want to part. Most of the other PCVs agree that I won the "Gazda Lottery", i.e., I've had the best home stay experience. I couldn't agree more. Ica and Victor treat me like the son they never had and I've been truly touched by their kindness and generosity. I will be visiting them often.

I finished packing this morning and we'll be having a barbeque tonight. A few of my friends are still in town, so it'll be nice to hang out with them once more before we part ways. Ica and Victor are going to drive me to the bus station in Brasov tomorrow morning. I'll be leaving at 8 and should arrive in Piatra Neamt around 3. Time to start all over again......

BTW -

Roz: I'll get back to you on the amt. of capital needed for the cotton balls.....
Also, you'll be pleased to know that I'm in an FFL league for PCVs! The Soldiers are coming out of retirement for some international competition....

Rob: Please accept my belated congrats to you and Sandy! Nice work on the links! I'm glad that you got a chance to read the blog. Please keep logging on and stay in touch.

BTW part 2:

The following is an article on the Peace Corps and the Military that you may find interesting......

Peace Corps Option for Military Recruits Sparks Concerns

By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post
August 2, 2005

The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is offering
to
allow recruits to meet part of their military obligations by serving in
the
Peace Corps, which has resisted any ties to the Defense Department or
U.S.
intelligence agencies since its founding in 1961.

The recruitment program has sparked debate and rising opposition among
current and former Peace Corps officials. Some welcome it as a way to
expand
the cadre of idealistic volunteers created by President John F.
Kennedy. But
many say it could lead to suspicions abroad that the Peace Corps, which
has
7,733 workers in 73 countries, is working together with the U.S. armed
forces.

"Does this raise red flags for the Peace Corps community? I'd say yes
--
emphatically so," said Kevin Quigley, president of the National Peace
Corps
Association, an organization of returned volunteers, staff and
supporters.
"We think a real or perceived linkage between the Peace Corps and
military
service could damage the Peace Corps and potentially put the safety of
Peace
Corps volunteers at risk."

Congress authorized the recruitment program three years ago in
legislation
that drew little attention at the time but is stirring controversy now,
for
two reasons: The military has begun to promote it, and the day is
drawing
closer when the first batch of about 4,300 recruits will be eligible to
apply to the Peace Corps, after having spent 3 1/2 years in the armed
forces. That could happen as early as 2007.

Two longtime proponents of national service programs, Sens. John McCain
(R-Ariz.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), devised the legislation "to provide
Americans with more opportunities to serve their country," said Bayh's
spokeswoman, Meghan Keck. When it stalled as a separate bill, aides to
the
senators said, they folded it into a 306-page defense budget bill,
where it
did not attract opposition.

Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez, who was appointed in 2002 by
President Bush, said in a recent interview that the Peace Corps was
unaware
of the provision until after it became law. Vasquez declined to say
whether
he would have opposed the legislation, had he known about it in time.

"There might have been a discussion, there could have been some
dialogue on
this, but obviously that didn't happen," he said.

Several former Peace Corps leaders said they hope that Congress and the
Bush
administration will reverse course and scuttle the program. They
include
former senator Harris Wofford (D-Pa.), who helped found the Peace Corps
as a
young aide in the Kennedy White House; Carol Bellamy, the former New
York
City Council president who headed the Peace Corps from 1993 to 1995;
and
Mark L. Schneider, who was a volunteer in El Salvador in the late 1960s
and
headed the Peace Corps during the last two years of the Clinton
administration.

"Democratic and Republican administrations alike have kept a bright
line
separating the Peace Corps from short-term foreign and security
policies,"
Schneider said. "Blurring that sharp line is a bad idea, particularly
now,
given the unfortunate rise in anti-American sentiment following the
Iraq
war."

After the law went into effect in 2003, the Defense Department was slow
to
promote the option of combining military and Peace Corps service, but
it is
now energetically flogging the "National Call to Service" program,
recruiters said. The Army, which began a pilot project in 10 of its 41
recruiting districts in October 2003, expanded it into a nationwide
effort
this year. The Air Force, Navy and Marines offer identical programs,
said
Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

In all of the services, recruits are eligible for a $5,000 cash bonus
or
repayment of $18,000 in student loans if they agree to spend three
months in
boot camp, 15 months on active duty and two years in the Reserves or
National Guard.

After that, they can fulfill the remainder of their eight-year military
obligation in the Individual Ready Reserves -- available for call-up,
but
without regular drilling duties -- or by serving in the Peace Corps or
Americorps, the domestic national service program created in 1993.

Vasquez emphasized that recruits have no guarantee that they will be
accepted into the Peace Corps. Once they complete their active duty and
Reserve or National Guard service, they can apply to the Corps. But
they
will not receive any preferential treatment, and the Peace Corps is not
changing its admission standards, he said.

"Ultimately, the impact to Peace Corps in terms of how we recruit, who
we
accept into service, remains very much intact and consistent with what
we've
done for 40-plus years," the Peace Corps director said. "I am an
individual
who embraces a very important facet of Peace Corps, and that is the
Peace
Corps' independence as an agency within the executive branch."

Wofford, who worked in the White House with Sargent Shriver, the
Kennedy
brother-in-law who became the Peace Corps' first director, said the
Corps
historically has shown "passionate determination" to maintain that
independence. At the outset in 1961, Shriver appealed to Kennedy to
keep the
Peace Corps from being placed under the Agency for International
Development. Later, the Corps fought to uphold rules barring
intelligence
officers from joining the Peace Corps and prohibiting former Peace
Corps
volunteers from working for U.S. intelligence agencies.

Several current Peace Corps volunteers said they opposed the military
recruitment option but were reluctant to speak out publicly, because
the
Peace Corps forbids volunteers from talking to the media without
permission.

"We are already accused on a daily basis of being CIA agents so I don't
see
how this [link to the U.S. military] could help," a volunteer in
Burkina
Faso said by e-mail.

"It is hard enough trying to integrate yourself into a completely
different
culture, convincing people that . . . Americans are not these
gun-toting sex
maniacs . . . without having a connection to the U.S. military,"
another
volunteer in Africa wrote.

Former volunteers expressed a variety of reservations. Pat Reilly, a
former
chairwoman of the National Peace Corps Association who served in
Liberia
from 1972 to 1975 and spent several years as a full-time Peace Corps
recruiter, said she worries about the motivation of people who enter
the
Peace Corps to fulfill a military service obligation.

"The magic that makes the Peace Corps work is motivation, and when you
tinker with that, then it won't work for the applicant and it won't
work for
the people it serves," she said.

John Coyne, who served in Ethiopia during the 1960s and was a regional
director in the Corps' New York office from 1996 to 2001, said numerous
military veterans have joined the Peace Corps and been superb
volunteers.
But he said there has always been a "clear separation" between the two
kinds
of service. The new recruitment program "eats away at the purity of the
Peace Corps as designed by Kennedy, which is that it was not going to
be
military," he said.

So far, the number of enlistees is tiny compared with the 1.4 million
men
and women serving in the military, but large compared with the Peace
Corps,
which receives about 12,000 applications to fill about 4,000 openings
each
year.

In 2004 and the first five months of this year, 4,301 people entered
the
armed services under the National Call to Service program. Of those,
2,935
enlisted in the Navy, 614 in the Air Force, 444 in the Army and 308 in
the
Marines. Pentagon and Peace Corps officials said they have no way of
knowing
how many will apply to the Peace Corps when they become eligible to do
so in
2007 or 2008.

In his 2002 State of the Union address, Bush called for doubling the
size of
the Peace Corps, from 7,000 to 14,000 volunteers, within five years.
That
same year, the administration named a career Navy officer with 12 years
of
experience in military recruiting to head the Peace Corps' recruitment
and
selection office.

Since then, however, the Corps has grown by little more than 10
percent.
Barbara Daly, a spokeswoman for the Corps, said that tight budgets --
rather
than a shortage of qualified candidates -- were the reason.

"The president has been very supportive of the Peace Corps and has
requested
budget increases each fiscal year that would allow for this" gradual
doubling, she said. "Congress has not approved our budget at the levels
requested by the president."

The PST Daily Grind

It seems as if the days are getting longer. We're all dragging a bit now, as our minds are set on our sites and jobs. Everyone's just simply ready to go. Lethargic is the perfect word to describe the atmosphere nowadays. People are starting to skip sessions, leave early, show up late, etc. The technical training sessions are beginning to become tiresome and repetitive.

However, on a positive note, we had the political officer from the embassy some in and talk to us for about 90 minutes yesterday during HUB training in Brasov. He gave about a 45 minute talk and then opened it up for questions. I think that we all found this particular session quite valuable.

A few of us sat in the piata in Brasov yesterday during our lunch break, ate gigantic schnitzel sandwiches and did some people watching. We saw a camera crew following around some family, an old lady with blue hair, Korean tourists, and lots of skin. It was a hot one in Brasov. It's amazing the pictures you can get just by sitting in a public place for awhile. I'll be posting some of them one of these days.

After training, a bunch of us piled into the maxi-taxi for the ride home to Codlea. We had a bit of a run-in with some older people on the MT who insisted on keeping the windows closed due to fear of the dreaded "curent". We tried to negotiate with them as we stewed in our own juices, but could not convince them that a bit of fresh air would not cause them bodily harm.

At this point you may be wondering just what in the hell "curent" is? In a nutshell, the older generation in Romania believes that a breeze of any sort will make you ill, give you a toothache, etc. There's also some superstition about evil spirits in the air or something. As a result, and particularly during summer, any mode of public transport inevitably turns into a trip to the hot box. Ocassionaly, you may get lucky and not have any crazy bunicas on the bus/maxi-taxi, thus gaining a reprieve from the madness. It doesn't happen very often though, as public transport is dominated by pensioners.

The "curent" can also come into the home, so you'd better not leave the windows open godforbid. Quite frequently you'll see people walking the streets with cotton balls in their ears, most of them being bunicas. My friend joked that he was going to have an orthodox priest bless bags of cotton balls, sell them on the street and make tons of bani (cash). Sounds like an ideal economic development project to me! :)

Although one may encounter the ocassional exception, most people under 30 do not buy into the "curent" phenomenon. So, like many things in Romania, the "curent" will pass in a couple of generations. Until then however, we'll have to keep fighting the myth while we sweat our balls off.......



Yesterday was Victor's birthday. He turned 49 and we all wished him La Multi Ani while chowing down on grilled pork, mici and Polish Sausage. The concept of grilled Polish is new to them, as they usually boil it. After some hard lobbying by yours truly, Ica and Victor tried it and found out that grilled beats boiled any day of the week. After the consumption of mult (a lot) tuica and beer, Victor revealed his hidden talent for singing. He was belting out traditional Romanian favorites for about an hour! Ica and I enjoyed the serenade!

My response to Dan's questions...

Please refer to the previous post before reading this......

Great to hear from you! Sorry that the blog updates are a bit infrequent. I'll have easier and faster acess to the internet once I get to my site in the second week of August. In fact, when I move into my apartment in October, I'll have a cable internet hook-up. So, the blog updates will be more frequent, I'll be able to post more pics, and you can contact me for free via Skype if you want.

You're right, the gamut of emotions runs quite frequently, especially lately. We've only got three weeks of training left and we're all gearing up to go to our respective sites. I've made a lot of frends in these past two months and it's going to be hard to say goodbye to many of them. We've all grown accustomed to seeing each other almost everyday, training together, partying together, and confiding in one another. August 5th will be a bittersweet day when we get sworn in as volunteers in Bucharest.

How am I feeling? My mental state is extremely fluid. The highs are high and the lows are low. Some days I wake up (like today) feeling discombobulated, lonely and upset and I don't really know why. The language barrier has something to do with it I think. It is tiring to be in a place where you hardly understand what people are saying all of the time. It's even more difficult when you actually have to open your mouth and talk to them. However, don't let me give you the impression that it's always like this. Some days really are quite good.

What do I enjoy the most? The food is great. The beer is cheap. The landscape is stunning. I enjoy having conversations with my gazda family, neighbors, etc.; which can be quite tiring mentally but gives me a great deal of satisfaction. I like Brasov very much. Walking around and taking photos here is quite enjoyable. If you come to Romania, I'll take you there. I think that you'd like it because it's like a little Prague. I also LOVE my gazda mama and dad and will be visiting them quite frequently.

What am I enjoying least? Missing Sarah, Chicago, my friends. Language barrier, pessimistic Romanians, pollution, trash everywhere, chauvenistic & pig-headed Romanian men, hearing about the rampant corruption in all facets of Romanian society, racism, ignorance, Boring PC training sessions designed for people with zero common sense, bad weather, funky smelling maxi-taxis, long lines and the people who cut into them, etc., etc, etc. However, don't let this deter you from wanting to visit. This place will blow your mind out and you will have a great time if you come!

Changing perspectives? I can tell you this: I love America. You don't know what you've got until it's gone my friend. It's the little things man. It's one thing to visit a place like this, but to actually live there is an entirely different issue. Let me say it again. I love America and I can't wait to come back. This experience has solidified my love for my country and my desire to make it a better place. We have all of the tools, we just need some perspective. PC punches you in the face with perspective, then kicks you in the stomach with it for good measure. I don't have the words to explain PC. It's just something one has to experience.

Damn, I miss baseball. I saw all-star game highlights the other day on BBC World and lost it. I said, "Baseball! Omigod, baseball highlights!" It was a bit sad really given that it was just the all-star game. Screw those guys who bombed London. These people will never accomplish anything with violence. As far as the care packages go, I'll have to wait until October. Thanks for the offer and I'll let you know when the time is right!

Doua saptaman apoi gata

Two more weeks of training to go as of yesterday. Last time I mentioned that we will not be going to Bucharest for swear-in. It turns out that this is a good thing for a few reasons: 1) PC was not going to pay for an overnight stay, 2) Our gazdas are now invited to the ceremony in Brasov and 3) It's hot as hell in Bucharest. So, the charge d'affairs from the embassy will come up here and swear us in on Friday, August 5th. We don't have an ambassador in Romania at the moment, so the the cda will preside over the ceremony.

I scored an "intermediate high" on my oral language exam. It was a simulation, thus the result is not official. However, my skills can only improve over the next ten days, so I'm confident that I'll at least get the same score. The next level is advanced low. I'm going to try to shoot for that. I was a bit concerned with my progess a few weeks ago, but lately thing have been clicking and I'm feeling more comfortable with the language. Eu sunt ferecit cu aceasta (I'm happy with this)!

A volunteer from group 17 is having a party at the apartment in Brasov tonight. I'm not going because I'm not to keen on being in a bloc apt. with 30-50 volunteers and random Romanians. It's going to be hot, sweaty and crowded; not my idea of a good time. So, I think that Victor's going to chop up some wood and fire up the 'ol gratar (grill) tonight and we'll have some pui (chicken), porc (pork), and mici (salty sausage). I'm going to buy the beer tonight because I'm not too fond of Victor's beer of choice - Ciucas Brasov. It's cheap and it stinks. I prefer Bergenbier, Ursus, Ciuc, or Timisoareana.

I'll be leaving Codlea on Monday, August 8th for site. It's about a 6-7 hour bus ride to Piatra Neamt from Brasov. Teachers report to school on September 1st and students report on the 15th. I'm hoping that I'll be able to start planning asap upon arrival. I've got some ideas for thematic plans and it will be interesting to see how receptive my counterpart is to them. During the first few weeks at site I'll be wakling around a lot and trying to get to know people in my city. I also hope to do a bit of sight-seeing in the area and get together with volunteers in the area. I'm also planning on returning to Codlea a couple of weeks after I go to site. This will be a nice opportunity to see Victor and Ica and pick up the printer I bought.

That's about it for now. For those of you who actually read this thing, let me know if you have any questions. I'd be happy to answer them. In fact, it helps me understand my own situation better when I answer people's questions. I'd like to post my responses on the blog. In fact, I think I'll do just that with the next post. Durkin sent me an e-mail recently with some questions that I was glad to answer, so I think that I'll post the e-mail.....

The future is now

Well, we're in the middle of week 8 of training and things are starting to move fast. I just finished a language test simulation with my teacher and am waiting for a few friends to finish while I type away here at the internet cafe. We're going to have a couple beers and discuss group 20s state of affairs. The latest news is that we won't be traveling to Bucharest for swear-in. Apparently, there's some "administrative issue" that is preventing us from having the ceremony at the ambassador's residence. PC - tops on the U.S. Govt's priority list.

Anyway, I know that a huge gap in time currently exists in this here blog. Let me try to get you all caught up.

About 2 weeks ago group 20 traveled to the ski resort town of Sinaia for our Counterpart Conference. It is here that we met our professional counterparts and found out where we'll be living and working. Oh yeah, so you probably would like to know that information, yes?

On or about August 8th, I'll be traveling for 7 hours by bus to beautiful Piatra Neamt in Moldavia. Piatra is a city of approximately 110,000 and is located at the foothills of the eastern Carpathian Mountains. It is a very green and clean city and reminds me of the Pacific Northwest.

I will be teaching 9-12th graders at Calistrat Hogas National Arts and Sciences High School. Hogas is recognized as one of the top two high schools in Neamt county and requires its students to be bilingual. Most of the students' second language is English and I'm pretty sure that I'll be teaching them content most of the time, if not exclusively. So, I got what I wanted; I think. Due to the fact that the school has a lot of money and resources, I was initially a bit puzzled as to why they requested a volunteer. However, I've had some time to think about it and believe that I can do a lot with these students. Most, if not all of them will go to university and I think that a have an opportunity to tackle some important issues with them. I'm looking forward to it.

While I was on my site visit in Piatra I was fortunate enough to spend a couple of days with my predecessor. His name is Mike Richard and he'll be leaving Romania a a couple of weeks. Mike's a really sharp guy and he apparently did a great job at Hogas. I've got big shoes to fill. I'll be inheriting his apartment and was able to buy most of his possessions second hand. All I need is a vacuum cleaner and an iron and I'm set. I've got a washing machine (a huge luxury in Romania), cable TV, microwave, cable internet, etc. The apartment is newly remodeled and is in a separate building on the campus of the school. No commute for this guy. Foarte fine!

The only thing that kind of sucks is that I have to live with a second gazda family for 8 weeks. I stayed with them for a couple of days and I'm not very thrilled with the situation. They're nice people, but the fact that I have a fully furnished, fully equipped apartment just sitting there waiting for me is going to be a hard pill to swallow. PC policy dictates that we have a second gazda, but I'm going to try to see if my counterpart and I can "work something out" with regards to the, let me say it again for emphasis, fully-furnished & fully-equipped apartment. My counterpart, Florin Irimia, is vice-director of the school, so he's got the keys.

So, pretty soon, eu sunt din Moldova..............