Trăiște Clipa!

We have quite quickly made it to the eighth and final week of training.  After seven weeks of intensive language class, my fellow trainees and I took our final exam that tests our language skills today.  On Friday, we are to be sworn in as volunteers.  Woohoo!  We will all depart ways and move to our permanent locations for our two years of service.  I am very excited for the move.  My colleagues agree, it's time to get to work!  (...that is, I hear from the Moldovans, after everyone returns from their yearly vacation that spans the month of August…)  Nevertheless, the time has come to put our knowledge and language skills to work.   

I will miss my training site, current host family, and the town of Cricova.  Most of all, I will miss my training site mates.  Not one day (truly) has gone by where I haven't giggled at something and enjoyed a few moments with my classmates.  Ordinary activities are a wonder and a cause for humor, whether it is our lack of ability to communicate; the idiosyncrasies of Moldovan lifestyle; or the views we estimate Moldovans to have of us- the offbeat pack of foreigners with backpacks.  I hope to share more on this later.

I hear the Olympics are happening.  Although much interest is sparked amongst Americans here in Moldova, I haven't heard any Moldovans talk about the Olympics.  It doesn't seem to be nearly as exciting to them as it is to us.  Mainstream television doesn't seem to have quite the same coverage as we receive in the U.S.  Feel free to fill me in on what I am missing! 

Today during our last language class, we put on a concert of sorts for our teacher, Angela.  2 ukeles, 1 guitar, and a shaker (brought from Brazil!) made for some lively noise attempting to sound like a medley of La Bamba, Twist & Shout, and a verse I made up about our teacher.  Our excellent profesoara is headed to America on a 1 year scholarship.  The verse we sang went like this: "Nu te ingrijora, Nu te ingrijora!  Trăiște clipa, Trăiște clipa in America!" (which meant, Don't worry, don't worry!  Live the moment, live the moment in America!") "Trăiște clipa" is like saying the Latin phrase, "Carpe Diem," which means to Seize the Day.  In Portuguese, they have a verb for this:  Aproveitar.  To make the most of it.  To take full advantage of something.  It's probably one of my favorite words in Portuguese.  So that's the attitude we encouraged our teacher to continue to have, knowing that many of the Americans she will meet will appreciate this attitude in her.  It's the frame of mind I hope to hold as I move to my new permanent site as well.