25 years old, thank you. An incredible year that started in the Chi, took me to Istanbul & Paris, and allowed me to set up shop with the Peace Corps in Moldova. Thank you for teaching me how to feel like a minority, to experience incredible lows get crushed by incredible highs, to develop a…
I have a very strong need to communicate with others, more than most. I enjoy hearing people’s voices, seeing faces, learning from others, and getting my point across. Admittedly I can be a pest, though I have acknowledged that many of my colleagues and friends are alike. Over time I have realized that many people…
– I heard news that another Peace Corps volunteer sprained her ankle after returning from vacation and I instantly got sick to my stomach. I would rather break a bone severely than sprain my left ankle again. It has become a mental injury more than a physical one at this point. – Signed up to…
– Taking a shower every three days is not as bad as I once thought it to be. It makes you feel like you’ve really earned it. – Macklemore does not know crap about being thrift. Bought a 2kg bag of apples today for 15 lei out of the trailer of a rusty fruit truck.…
– Rise in chicken feed prices will lead to 60% of the Moldovan poultry industry to go bankrupt in 2013. An estimated 15,000 jobs will be lost and $20 million dollar monthly losses will hit the agricultural industry. Reports say that the existing 40% of producers will dominate the domestic market along with increased poultry…
“The difference between the individuals that leave a footprint on this world and those who simply walk in those steps is that there is no unattainable goal. There are simply adverse avenues to greatness and smooth roads to mediocrity.” – A pack of cigarettes costs 6.5 lei (approximately $.50). – I spoke with the grandfather…
12-26-12 Dear Pat, I dug out these old Christmas cards I bought in 1994, thought you’d get a kick out of it. You were 7 years old when I bought them. Boy have you come a long way. This Skype technology is wonderful. I think I would have a much harder time with you so…
One thing that has really tested my patience here in Moldova is the differing norms on privacy and relationship building. At home and in Mexico locked doors are not uncommon. You would not offend someone if you did lock yourself in somewhere. It is simply a sign that you want to be left alone, are…
As evidenced by the picture I posted, I made a visit to the doctor’s office. I was not a patient but an invite. My new roommate Eugen is a general practitioner and offered to let me job shadow him for a few hours after lunch. He dressed me in a laboratory jacket and gave me…
– Translated a 7 page business document into the best Romanian I could muster. It was extremely dry to begin with so going through it in another language made me feel like a zombie upon completion. The funniest part is that I am not finished yet. I now have to find a native proofreader to…
– Welcome to the first day of Spring and Mărțișor (pronounced Mart-see-shore)! I walked into my business partner’s office only to be greeted with a gift. I was handed a pin-charm with two threaded snowflakes, one white, one red, and a woven leaf dangling from a metal pin. It is believed that the red string…
– Just 11 more days until I will not feel guilty about missing another day. As you can see I am really motivated with sticking to my word here. I think by missing a post on three occasions I further prove to myself and peers that motivation and content are two things I desperately need.…
I finally had the highly anticipated glass of soy milk made by the aforementioned hair stylist. It was a cold wet evening and I came inside the nearby salon to give it a try. She took my jacket and told me to have a seat at the table in the back room. I asked her…
– Yet again, I could not stick to writing a post daily but for good reason. – Last night was my friend Slon’s birthday. We began the night by going over to the office building behind our friend Alex’s hardware store. There we had a giant feast with pork chops, sausages, homemade pizza, egg casserole, three…
On a Friday, I am writing my 13th post… ironic but I dig. The American: My partner did me a favor and called a local hotel owner in order to get a price check on rooms. He told the guy over the phone that someone was simply trying to receive information, not book anything. The…
– Lost out on the apartment. My Peace Corps manager, who handles contract discussions with property owners, informed me that the landlord was charging at minimum 1,500 lei per month for rent alone. My rent is fixed at 700 lei. Not to mention utilities would add anywhere between 500-1,900 lei to the monthly billing throughout…
– Sign, sealed, delivered. Best bud Christian all in for Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria this summer. It is going to be an amazing trip as he will join my cousin Brigid and I. We plan on doing a lot of Couchsurfing, visiting old friends, canyoning, checking out the Alps, camping at the Openair Frauenfeld…
– My friend Sasha and I are heading to Odessa, Ukraine for April Fool’s Day weekend. He says the celebration attracts a ton of foreigners so it should be one crazy time over there. We plan to stay with a Couchsurfing host. What I am imagining now is that I would speak to the host…
– I was really proud of the students in our English club today. We had 6 participants and watched Apocalypto. If you are not familiar with the story it is about one Mayan tribesman named Jaguar Paw who escapes from being sacrificed in order to save his life and those of his abandoned family. The…
Southeast Dispatch 