Sook-Chess!!!

I've had a great week. I'm starting to understand bits and pieces of the language and can put together a disjointed sentence that is somewhat understandable. Success!!! (which in Romanian is "Sook-chess!!!" - one of my favorite words at this point) Here are some highlights this week:
    • I attended a FETE (Future Empowerment through Experience) Conference. FETE is a program sponsored by the State Department that aims to provide young, rural Moldovan women the resources and skills necessary to become community leaders through service and civic engagement. It was inspiring to see young high school girls doing so much in their Moldovan communities. Examples: cleaning up parks or rivers, building community spaces, creating a library of books on leadership and civic participation, and all types of activities to bring the community together for better. Two Peace Corps volunteers worked hard all year on this successful project.
    • I spoke Portuguese one evening with a fellow classmate's host dad. It was so refreshing to be able to talk with a Moldovan through a language I can actually speak and understand (as of now!). Not to mention the conversation was over a glass of excellent "vindecasa". House wine. Moldovans are known for it. You may ask why the man spoke Portuguese- pretty standard case- like many Moldovans, he spent time abroad making money to send back to his family in Moldova. In his case, he was in Portugal for 5 years. (My Portuguese background is from Brazil- accents a bit different certainly!)
    • I indulged in some live classical music in Chișinau. A few of us volunteers were given the opportunity to attend a concert at a music hall and hear a few classical pianists play along with a small orchestra. It was fantastic and also refreshing.  (and for the price of 15 lei = $1.20 maybe)
    • I had fun attempting to speak Romanian. Learning a language can be tough. But one can choose to make it fun. And thankfully, my class of 6 trainees chooses daily to make language class more fun than not. Laughter is a part of every morning language session. Words you may like to know: Success! (sook-chess!); Mulțumesc! (mult-soo-mesk! - Thanks!); Eu glumesc! (I joke!); Da, de sigur (yes, of course); nu ințeleg (pronounced "New Intseleg," meaning I don't understand).
    • I learned that these things that some call "irrigation districts" in western Nebraska are actually a revolutionary idea based on the principle of self-governance. (Fyi: Irrigation is how farmers water their plants beyond precipitation from the atmosphere) During the Soviet time of Moldova's history, there was no such thing as self-governance. People were generally told how it was and what to do and felt secure in that. When Moldova broke from the Soviet Union, paid government positions- such as guarding or maintaining an irrigation pump station - disappeared. Irrigation governance essentially disappeared. Salaries, security, stability in some ways disappeared. A project called Irrigation Sector Reform Project funded by the Millenium Challenge Corporation is working to renovate 11 existing irrigation systems and additionally provide Moldovans the tools to organize and govern their irrigation association (district) by themselves. This involves more than you might imagine: technical training on how to use/maintain an irrigation pump/pipe; how to run an effective meeting; how to adhere to the association's election procedure and statutes; how to manage people/board of directors; how to read and utilize the association's balance statements and income statements; and so on.

So it's been a good, sook-chessful, busy week. I will find out officially my site placement for the next two years this week! I realize that the 4th of July is almost here. I will celebrate from afar with pride and a new perspective on the freedoms we've been granted as Americans! Perhaps learning a patriotic tune on my ukele would be appropriate.  God Bless America!