Look for future updates on the Zorista-Lux Disco/Cafe/Cinema.
New Work- Ironically, with only 5 months left, I found the perfect NGO to work with. MicroInvest and the MicroFinance Alliance help small business owners obtain loans at reduced interest rates (see Mihai above) and also set up credit unions in rural communities. I'm going to be there (there being in the capital-a 50 lei there and back expense not picked up by Peace Corps thank you) one day a week to help with projects such as the annual report, client profiles, creating materials to send to potential donors (they need to get the money to give out loans from SOMEWHERE), and credit union management & internal control. I spent all day yesterday reading through their by-laws, mission, and financials - IN ROMANIAN. There was not enough Advil in my room to cut through that headache and I passed out, cross-eyed, at 8:30pm.
New Work 2- In the course of doing the Cimislia MicoUniversity Business Seminars I met a great guy named Mihai Motroi (different Mihai than the disco/cafe). He turned out to be the director of the Society for Disabled Individuals (although in Romanian the name translates, oh so politically correctly as 'Society for the Invalids') and, of course, had some ideas of how I could help the people he works with. He then introduced me to Vera, the director for the Hearing Impaired Society (again, sensitively, the org is called "Organization for the Deaf & Dumb") who explained that hearing impaired people don't work at ALL because society considers them less-intelligent and unable to function. Nice, right?
Together we realized that the biggest challenge to both constituencies is a lack of financial opportunities. Solution: create a workshop where both the hearing impaired and physically disabled could work as tailors and cobblers (shoe-repairers sounded wordy, but cobbler sounds a bit too Brothers Grimm). The Cimislia market would support such a venture - but now I'm charged with finding the start-up funds, in the form of a grant, to put this together. Remind me to be born exceptionally wealthy the next time I have a chance.
Mihai M. has a second idea to help out the physically challenged people he works with - teach them about bee-keeping. Yes, its sort of specific, but with the help of the local trade school, the local bee-keepers cooperative and (hopefully) Heifer Project International - we'll be on our way by the fall.
Misc. Moldovan stuff - The cat looks really pregnant. Remember how in 'Meet the Parents' Ben Stiller's character said he milked his sister's cat? Based on Dima's nipples - and the fact that I milked a pig - I seriously believe this to be possible. Gross but true. She has about 2 more weeks (per my kitty pregnancy calendar I found on the net). I'll let you know what comes out of her - IF she picks a reasonably accessible spot to have them.
My body is a constant topic of discussion here. Every Wednesday when I'm in Topala (the water is going great - the whole village looks like it was overrun by overly-precise moles as there are furrows and ruts everywhere to lay the pipes) one of the women in the Mayors office (Nina-the accountant, Nina-without the teeth or Dusea) grab my belly/waist and declare with alarming inaccuracy that I've either gained or lost weight. Each week it changes. Per my pants, which fit EXACTLY the same from week to week, I've maintained my mass -- but try telling that to the ladies.
I'm not sure what bugs me more - the announcements or the grabbing. Either way, there seems to be no way to discourage this behavior. Believe me, I've tried.
Today, while helping Laura pick out essentials at the store (Laura just got a house of her own to live in Topala while I'm still entombed in my 13-year-old controlled house) I found the most disturbing thing. Moldovans are all about canned 'pate'. Canned goose. Canned duck. Canned pig (with a picture of the sweetest pig on the front). But today's discovery, Canned Bunny, was too over the top. But reasonably priced.
On the Horizon - In college, I started new relationships or got involved in big fundraisers right around finals or mid-terms. I guess I try to manage stress by bringing on more stress. Work is BOOMING here - and yet I've decided to start the MBA application psychosis. First round aps for my #1 school are due on October 13, 2005 -- WHEN I'LL STILL BE HERE. Yay. And then there's the question of doing the Master of Public Policy/Administration - which would necessitate taking the GRE at some point. I'm twitchy just thinking about it - but not as twitchy as the Mayor of Topala when I told him he'd be writing 9 separate recommendations (5 schools but 9 total programs).
Health Expo is still tragically unfunded (as of today - $10 had been donated). If you have a really generous uncle or know your doctor/lawyer/manicurist is
looking for a tax writeoff - please check out the link to the right.
May 2005
