Heat followed by rain just equals jungle. And I thought I told Peace Corps I didn't want Africa. . . Well, Moldova is uncomfortably cold in winter and definately channels Minneapolis' humidity and heat in summer. Ugh. Or maybe its just so bad because I'm so used to airconditioning everywhere -- and it doesn't exist here. Currently its pouring and steamy outside - with very little breeze. Everything - me, kids on the rutieras, the computer desk - are all sticky. New challenges that have popped up with the heat wave are: 1)Trying to find air pockets/air streams of fresh oxygen not polluted by raging B.O. when I'm on the packed rutieras. 2)Avoiding all foods/condiments that normally should be refrigerated after opening -- because I know they haven't been. 3)Washing all clothes after 1 wear because although deoterant protected my pits - sitting for an hour in a cooking bus with no open windows pretty much renders all clothing fairly toxic. 4)Trying not to frighten my host grandpa by forgetting to shut the door to the outdoor shower - he accidentally peeped once and flipped out more than I did - mostly because if I'm not wearing my glasses, the world is much harder to take seriously.
Right now, I'm in Soroca (Sore-oak-uh). Soroca is a pretty town on the Nistru river which divides Moldova from Ukraine. I can't go to the Ukraine without a visa, but I can wave. Soroca's biggest claim is a 400 year old castle - and more restaurants than Cimislia). I'm here because I'm teaching accounting again at business camp and beaned a little girl today with a bag of Skittles (she was able to differentiate current and long term assets after my lecture. This is camp #4 - we've already done 2 in the center of the country (Orhei and Anenii-Noi) and one in the west on the Romanian border - Ungheni (oon-gen). Did I mention, to get the grand prize (a Super Size Snickers) at the end of my lecture - you need to know the name of my rabbit which I mention 2 minutes into the 1st day.
Speaking of April (aforementioned rabbit) - have I mentioned that she's become aggressive with a criminal bent? I'm talking I may have permanent scarring on my forearms from her flip outs (claws) and she escaped her cusca (koosh-cuh) twice last week. First time, she was only gone for a few hours until we found her hanging out with the dog. The second time, she took off for 2 days - and again resurfaced in the backyard. Pretty uppity for a rodent.
I'm currently battling the Russian Embassy to get my visa for my upcoming trip to Moscow & St. Petersburg. Bureaucracy at its finest - but I'm doing better than Jen - at least my bureaucracy is cheap.
Work. Finished my water grant for Topala and built a website to publicize it: www.geocities.com/topalawater. Funding will come from people who donate money over the internet via the PC main (and secure) webpage. I love spending time in Topala and really feel like a part of their lives. The mayors wife gave me another kilo of sheep cheese and a loaf of fresh-baked bread. I love my bunica - but the mayor's wife makes much better bread.
Social. All of the Moldova 10s left. They arrived in the summer of 2002 and just took off this past week. It was sad to see them go - Stacey, Jasmine, Mary blonde, Hurt, Mark, and Jessica (there were more but I'm just listing friends) - and they were sent off in style (think Vegas-like). Jerry and I are no longer together but everything seems to be ok - as I initiated it, I'm of course ok, but he seems to be doing well too. Also, the new bunch of volunteers swear in on Monday, August 15, which will officially make us (my group of Moldova 12's) not the freshmen anymore. And of course, Jen is coming in less than a month now - which excites me to no end.
The internet cafe I'm in is hot, slow, and full of teenage boys polluting the air with their adolescent scent that's only 1/2 masked by copious amounts of cheap cologne and - so "�n sf?r?it" I've got to run.
Lots more in August.
S