Food, glorious food!

One of the most common questions I get is 'what is the food like?' A valid question. 
So, the best food that I have had here is шашлик (Sha-sh-leek) which is basically grilled pork on a skewer with onions and peppers. There is a specific marinade that just makes it very Moldovan that I haven't quite understood yet.

Another favorite I have learned to love, Mama Liga which is like a hard cornmeal side dish usually smothered in sour cream and shredded local cheese. Delicious. 
BUT, I did want to learn to make a few things. So I did what any sane person would do and asked some locals to teach me. 

Lesson #1 - Борш! (Borscht)

I grew up with a Polish style borscht which contained a lot of kielbasa and hot dogs and boiled eggs. That is what we had (and still have) for every holiday. When I moved here, it was a Russian style borscht which has a beet base. I know what you're thinking...you don't eat vegetables! Well...when in Cahul... I do eat a lot more vegetables now than I ever have, but still not nearly as much as I should.
Our dear friend Natasha came over and gave us a borscht making lesson. So Borscht is a soup made of cabbage, beets, carrots, onions, potatoes and meet with some spices. It is delicious. It took me about a year to really appreciate it but now I love it and am so happy that now I know how to make it.

Boiling a head of shredded cabbage.

Shredded beets and cabbage.

Putting it all together to simmer.

Finally, can't have a bowl of soup in Eastern Europe without a gob of sour cream. Delicious.

Lesson #2 - Фаршированный перец и голубцы (Stuffed Peppers and Grape Leaves)

Our dear friend Sasha's mother offered to teach us how to make these from scratch and it took a long day (with a lot of wine) to do them all. 

Diced onions, carrots, peppers, giblets and fatty pork.

Fresh Grape Leaves.

Throwing it all together.

Cored peppers.

Adding the rice to the mixture.

Sasha enjoying the knife sharpening process...a little too much.

Stuffed and ready to cook. 

Packed the pot tightly so there are no gaps.

Covering it with extra grape leaves.

Looked through one of their old Soviet photo albums.

 They were delicious. And this family is wonderful. I'm so happy to be able to spend the day with them and speak Russian and exchange cultural recipes and stories. They have opened their homes and their hearts to us. It will be very difficult to say goodbye to them.

Vlad (Sasha's brother), Me, Gheorge (Sasha's Dad), Nelya (Sasha's Mom), Jesse and Holly.
(Sasha is taking the photo.)

Human Trafficking Awareness Festival 2013

In Romanian it was called: Festivalul Libertății
In Russian it was called: Фестиваль Свободы
In English we would call it the Liberty Festival. My organization along with the town of Cahul that I live in, was awarded a democracy grant from the U.S. Embassy. This grant was to fund a 10 month awareness campaign of human trafficking issues here in Moldova and the rest of the EU, Middle East and Asia. The Liberty Festival is a week of events to promote this awareness. It is the second annual such festival as we try and promote the dangers of human trafficking.
The week kicked off with a concert by Indian guitarist, Benny Prasad. www.bennyprasad.com
Benny is in the Guiness book of world records for traveling to all of the countries in the world in the shortest amount of time. He also plays his self-invented instrument which is a combination guitar/harp and bongo. 

Benny's one-of-a-kind guitar.

Benny has also traveled the world in promoting human trafficking awareness. 

Ross and I after the concert with Benny.

On Wednesday, visiting Psychiatrist Dr. Steve Critchlow of Belfast came to give a seminar discussing anxiety and PTSD in returned victims of human trafficking. Many social workers, psychologists and school nurses attended the seminar.

Dr. Steve Critchlow

Participants in the Anxiety/PTSD seminar.

Wednesday and Thursday, a local social theatre troupe called "Trust" traveled to local villages to perform a piece on Human Trafficking. 

My work partner, Vica, introduces the theatre troupe.

Typical Moldovan lunch break.

Some of the organizers with "Trust."

"Trust."

The theatre group was great. I will be sitting down with them later this week and interviewing them. Stay tuned...

Friday morning, we had a round table discussion with local NGO leaders, border patrol guards, local police, local politicians as well as the Peace Corps Director from Moldova and a representative from the U.S. Embassy.

Nicholae Dandish leads the discussion.

Michael Ball from the U.S. Embassy describes the current projects combating trafficking the Embassy is sponsoring.

The U.S. Peace Corps Country Director for Moldova, Janet Utecht with Marta Dunas, organizer and translator.

Ross and I with Janet, the country director.

And finally, after a long week, we ended with a concert from local band, AKORD and singer Cristina Croitoru.

Moldovan Band "Akord"

Singer Cristina Croitoru. (Check out her heels, she danced around like they were sneakers)

So, it was a long week, a lot of work and we are all exhausted. But it was successful. Lots of work still to do to combat this plague but at least there's a jumping off point.

Our T-Shirts. Stop human trafficking.

The organizers with the band Akord and singer Cristina Croitoru.

A lesson in human trafficking.

Yes, it's time for some education. Tomorrow kicks off our second annual Anti-Human Trafficking festival here in Cahul. It will be a week long series of events to kick off a 10 month awareness campaign funded by the U.S. Embassy. So, I will do my part by conveying some facts you may or may not know. I know...some of you don't want to think about it or feel like reading technical jargon, but please, do me a favor and read through this (I'll keep it succinct) and understand this problem because I have news for you...it's happening in the U.S. too...
So when you hear the phrase 'human trafficking' I'm sure your mind goes to the movie 'Taken' or that type of scenario with rich men from the Middle East kidnapping girls against their will, drugging them beyond comprehension and engaging visiting rich men to have sex with them. Yes, that is one scenario, but unfortunately, it is one of many.

How - Recruitment. There is a program called "Work and Travel" in which they award students here the chance to travel to the U.S. and live and work there for 3 months during the summer. It is pretty competitive so not everyone is accepted. Many 'copycat' programs have crept up throughout the years that pose as legitimate work and travel opportunities but are really recruitment for trafficking. It is not just 'work and travel' but just employment opportunities abroad in general are the biggest form of recruitment. Many transactions take place through social media, online or on the phone with no real 'legitimate' proof of employment.

Where - From 2005-2010 here were the locations for the biggest percentages of trafficking victims obtained from European countries:

• Turkey - 29%
• Russia - 28%
• Moldova - 12%
• Cyprus - 5%
• United Arab Emirates - 4%
• Israel - 4%
• Romania - 4%
• Lituania - 3%
• Czech Republic - 3%
• Kosovo - 2%
• Austria - 2%
• Spain - 2%
• Ukraine - 1%
• Other (Italy, Jordan, Pakistan, China, etc.) - 1%

What - So I say there are other types besides sex trafficking. Here are the major categories for human trafficking:

• Sexual Exploitation 
• Forced Labor
• Begging
• Sexual and Labor Exploitation
• Organ Transplant
• Criminal Activities

How do they maintain control over these victims? Physical violence isn't as common as it tends to attract the local authorities. Most of it is documentation. The trafficker will keep the victim's documentation and hold it for 'ransom' until the victim 'works off the cost' and can then reclaim their documentation to leave.

Who - The average age is 18-25. The average age for exploited child labor is 14-17. One of the most disturbing facts I have learned is that most times, victims are not aware they are victims. They are just led to believe that this is 'how it is' living and working abroad so why would they choose to go home. It's not going to be better there. At least 'here' they are making money, right?

So this is just a brief overview of the goings on. We are trying to bring awareness so that kids can recognize the signs and be aware of what is going on. Education is the best form of prevention. 

I have actually seen this happen in person. It wasn't as extreme of a case as many but it was alarming to see it on a personal level. I met a guy in my town. He was 19 years old. He told me he received an opportunity to work in Russia for 3 months and he would make a lot of money and would return when the summer was over. I gave him all of this information and he assured me that it was all legitimate. Months later, in chatting with him online, I asked about his work. He informed me that he worked daily (no days off) from 6am to midnight. He shared a one-room apartment with 7 other boys his age. They had no days off. They had to pay their own rent and buy their own food. The money they were given was 1/3 of what he had been promised and it barely covered his rent and food, therefore he could not afford to save anything, including to buy a ticket to come home. His 'bosses' were 'holding' his documentation for safekeeping and he had to pay them a 'processing' fee to regain his papers. After being injured on the job, he received minimal medical care and was forced back to work even though he had not completely healed. After many long conversations, he understood that this was not normal. His sister wound up wiring him enough money to pay his rent for the month, to pay for his documentation, his ticket home and enough to keep his roommates from reporting that he was leaving. Upon obtaining his documentation, he packed his bag and got on the next bus back to Moldova. He had no money, just his ticket. As awful as this all sounds, he is very lucky to have been able to escape as quickly and as relatively unharmed as he was. And to this day, he does not believe he was a victim.
Europe and Asia are crazy, right? Bad news...it happens in the U.S. too. I won't bore you with more statistics but it does happen. 
So when you ask me what I've been doing here...this is it. I've been getting an 'in your face' education about this practice and trying to educate people about how this is not normal and they are worth more than this. But it's not just my fight, it's world wide and it's horrifying. Keep educated, educate your children, educate your friends. No one is immune from the dangers. 
Off my soapbox.

Some resources for domestic trafficking:
http://www.polarisproject.org/
http://www.safehorizon.org/index.php
http://www.safehorizon.org/index.php

International Resources:
http://www.tinyhandsinternational.org/human-trafficking
http://lastradainternational.org/
http://www.iom.int/cms/en/sites/iom/home.html

The above statistics were provided by "New Face of Human Trafficking" by Vlademir Ubeivolc and Veniamin Sazonov associated with The Beginning of Life organization in Chisinau, Moldova.
ISBN 978-9975-4359-2-5
http://www.bol.md/?q=node/59 

COScon

Oh Peace Corps, you and your acronyms, I so will miss you. What is Coscon? It is another way of saying COS (Close of Service) Conference. Yes, it was time to gather us all together one last time and tell us all of the stuff we need to do to get out of here. And it was a doozy!
So, COS...it's been on my calendar for about a year now. It's been no secret that 2013 has already had its share of challenges. I have gone back and forth between dreading and looking forward to the COS Conference. I mean yes, I would get to see all the original M26's one last time and we would be away from everyone else in a secluded location in Moldova with no supervision but also there was nowhere to hide and I would have to be in rooms with people I had basically written off. As usual, I created 1000 scenarios in my head not knowing in reality what it was going to be like.
So I arrived at the Peace Corps Headquarters in the center of Chisinau and met up with all my 'classmates'. We all piled onto a fancy bus and they shipped us off to a secluded 'resort' called Vada Lui Voda. (It pretty much sounds like it looks). It was SO quiet and so green and no I wasn't high. We had the place entirely to ourselves. We all checked into our rooms, ate lunch and walked around to enjoy the solitude. The afternoon began with some 'sessions' like the ones I had hated back in PST (Pre-service training) where the administrative staff encourages us to share and write on flipchart paper. The problem is, we're not in PST anymore and we're not all strangers, so this evolves into a lot of inside jokes and private and side conversations. I never realized JUST how much side conversations annoy me and I again long for my mother's ability to just stare down the room until they are silent. We got through the afternoon. We had a dinner, the food was okay but my dear friend, Chris had thought ahead and brought a lot of meat as well as his grill. And the barbecue was on. There we were a mere two years later, all sitting around like we were old friends. Where had the time gone? I know it's cliche, but seriously, how did this happen? 
We learned that 64 people were invited to serve in the M26 group in Moldova. 55 arrived here. And guess how many of us were at the COS Conference? 32!!! Yes. I was one of an elite group that had survived. So I looked around at these people. There were a bunch of them I really didn't know, there were a few that I genuinely didn't like, there were a few who I adored and there were a few who I honestly can't remember life without them. But one thing we all had in common was that we were all still here. It just made me smile, it was so weird. I never finish anything. I get bored so easily and I was one of 32 people who had finished this. Crazy.
After a good night's sleep, we had to report in the morning at 7am for breakfast. (Ugh!) Then a full day of 'sessions.' Some were interesting, surprisingly and some could have been summed up in a quick email. I decided to combat my boredom and ADD with movie making. My friend, Dahnika, lent me her video camera so I spent my day shooting footage of people to compile into a movie at a later date. (Coming soon).
At the end of the day, we had a 'roast.' We had all previously drawn each other's name at random (supposedly) and had to sit in a 'hot seat' while a fellow volunteer 'roasted' us for 2 minutes. Most of the education volunteers were sentimental and wound up crying. Our group was total dicks to each other...and that's all right. It's how we roll. After dinner, everyone was heading down to hang out by the river. I saw it as an opportunity for some alone time. I went to the room and showered and sat on a swing outside my room and read for a while. It was a good moment. People started filtering back in after dark. I hung out with a few people for a while but still made it an early night. The next morning it was another early one as we were filled with information about post service insurance, readjustment allowance, post-service traveling, job workshops and in the midst of all that we had our language skills tested one last time. It was a lot of information. I've never been more grateful for my Starbucks Vias and my Dunkin' Donuts tumbler that keeps my coffee hot. (Thanks again, Mom). 
As the day came to a close, they threw us a big celebratory lunch with lots of meat and well, who am I kidding, there was a lot of meat. We packed up our stuff and waited for the bus. And I was sitting in this outdoor amphitheatre waiting for the bus with my three friends, Dahnika, Jen and Lindsay. When I arrived at PST, I thought Dahnika was this snotty little girl who had no time for anyone but herself and her bitchy best friend, Lindsay was this athletic, blonde, gorgeous, super positive motivated girl who I was determined to hate and Jen (Kitsy) was this super nerdy, studious serious student who had no desire to socialize or have fun and got under my skin at every turn. And now...they were three of my best friends that i have made here. So strange how things change.
We piled on the bus and it was done. The last time we would all be together. We all leave in July on separate days so we definitely won't be a big group again and it's probable that I won't see the majority of them. And that was that. 
So I, of course, was thinking about to my arrival here back in June, 2011. It was an all night flight. When I got off the plane it was hot as balls without A/C in site. I was tired, I was way fatter so I was SUPER hot, I was dressed in 'business casual' because things like that mattered back then, I was surrounded by strangers. When I got to my village, I was shoved into a house with strangers who spoke no English, didn't know what food I liked and they lived at the top of a steep, steep hill that I had to walk up every day. When I got into 'my room' I had discovered my passport and all of my money was gone. I fell asleep and hoped it was all a dream. When I woke up, I almost didn't get out of bed. I honestly don't know why I did. But I did. How did I do that? Why?
So 2 years later, I am 85 pounds lighter, I now speak 3 languages, the lessons I've learned are way too valuable to merely be written and the things I have to look forward to are immeasurable. As I sit here under this pile of paperwork that I have to complete in the next 75 days, there are no regrets. 

The surviving M26's

The COD Group July, 2011
Jen, Lindsay, Andrea, Maria, Tom, Christina, Me, Jessica, Jamie
Conrad, Michael, Courtney, Jesse and Rozzi (not pictured...she was chasing a butterfly or something...)

The COD Group, April, 2013
Jen, Me, Lindsay, Violeta (our Program Manager), Michael, Conrad, Tom and Jesse

Movie, coming soon! :)))

Oh that's right, I'm a grown up...

Being constantly surrounded by post-grads, I tend to forget that. But I was incredibly fortunate on Saturday night to be invited to dinner at the Deputy British Ambassador's home. My friend, Lindsay, is friends with her and I tagged along to a dinner party. An actual, grown up dinner party. There were matching dishes, actual wine glasses, courses, classical music, it was very unsettling. And by unsettling, I mean amazing. I really miss this. I miss this whole scenario. It was so nice to have an evening not talking about where to go to Grad school, or maybe having to move back in with your parents or people constantly trying to prove that they are the smartest in the room and that their degrees aren't worthless. All those topics that I have become accustomed to and able to tune out as I can't relate or care less about them. I was at a dinner party with people who were successful in their careers, who wanted to talk about world politics and world issues, not in a challenging way as if to say "I know more than you" but an actual exchange of opinions. It was refreshing and exhilarating  We danced, we sang along to 80's songs, we laughed, talk about a much needed reminder of what I am and what I want. Exhale.

Lindsay and I.

Lindsay and I and our friend, John, from Scotland.

John and I enjoying the dance floor.

We are REALLY good dancers.

Me and my friend, Bill, from um...yeah I don't remember.

90 days

Can you believe it? I am down to 90 days. Here are 90 things on my mind:

30 Things I will miss:

1. Sasha
2. Certain volunteers...not all of them.
3. Randomly being asked to pose for photos like a celebrity.
4. Pizza for $5
5. Stocked medical kit/free medical care.
6. Borscht
7. Bitching in English knowing no one around you can understand you. (That may get me in trouble at some point)
8. Sour Cream on Everything!
9. Fresh vegetable markets. (I know...)
10. A completely un-'processed' diet.
11. 25 hour work weeks.
12. Cursing in Russian...although that may continue.
13. Mamaliga.
14. Bus rides for a quarter. ($0.25)
15. Dead People's Easter. 
16. Farm fresh eggs.
17. Adjika
18. Mamma Mia (The restaurant and also the people from 'Wednesdays.')
19. The 'slow clap' to stop people from talking.
20. The inner circle.
21. Socially acceptable to wear the same outfit 3 weeks in a row.
22. Socially acceptable to showering once a week.
23. My hairdresser. :(
24. Random people saying "hello" because they hear me speaking English.
25. The Kebab House.
26. Arguing about 'the current.'
27. People staring at my shoes wondering what I'm thinking. (They are converse...)
28. Tucano Coffee.
29. Weekend trips to Romania or the Ukraine.
30. Being reminded every day to be grateful for where I had the privilege to grow up.

30 Things I'm excited to see on my post-service trip:

1. Victor!
2. Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg, Austria.
3. Reuniting with a HS friend in Munich, Germany.
4. Revisiting Paris for a second time in a year.
5. The Dewar's factory in Scotland as I know my Dad would love that.
6. Fulfilling my promise to myself to go back to London and see another show at the Globe within a year.
7. Jameson and Guinness factories in Dublin.
8. Seeing where 'The Quiet Man' was filmed in Cong, Ireland.
9. Visiting Liverpool, England and see where The Beatles originated.
10. The White Cliffs of Dover.
11. Seeing Mozart's birthplace in Salzburg, Austria.
12. Swimming in the English Channel off the North Coast of France.
13. The Cliffs of Moher on the West Coast of Ireland.
14. Laduree Macarons.
15. Having a beer at McHughs Pub in Belfast.
16. Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.
17. Seeing where my Irish ancestors originated in County Mayo, Ireland.
18. A trip back to the Meat Liquor...best burgers in London!
19. Visiting the Titanic museum in Belfast and seeing where it sailed.
20. Taking a train ride through the countrysides of Germany and France.
21. The Book of Mormon in London!
22. Spinning on top of a mountain in Austria...oh you bet your ass, I will.
23. Aligot - French Mashed potatoes. Google it...
24. Standing in the Trinity College library in Dublin.
25. Hot crepes in Paris.
26. Green...everything is so GREEN!
27. Exploring castles in both Ireland and Scotland.
28. Avoiding 'weeping angels'. (Doctor Who shout out)
29. Borough Market, London.
30. Boarding that plane...destination: U.S.A.!!!

30 Things in the US I cannot wait for:

1. I could dedicate an entire list to food, but just to name a few; Cheesesteaks, sandwiches, cheese, bacon, breakfast foods, steak, burgers, Chipotle, maple syrup, Thai food, sushi...I gotta stop my mouth is watering.
2. Pedicures (Get ready Jena...Haley...Mom...Jill...)
3. Drive-Throughs
4. Driving!
5. Baseball games.
6. Sleeping on a mattress.
7. Water pressure/hot water/lit bathrooms.
8. Bottomless coffee.
9. Washers and dryers.
10. Cold cuts.
11. Magazines...actual, tangible periodicals.
12. Movie theatres.
13. Concerts.
14. Game nights.
15. Disneyland.
16. Fountain drinks.
17. Remote controls.
18. Shampoo selections.
19. Department stores.
20. Online Bill pay.
21. Live theatre starring my friends.
22. Target.
23. Smartphones.
24. Meals at Nana's Pasta House.
25. Oscar parties.
26. In-n-Out!!!
27. Vacuum cleaners.
28. Homemade pastries.
29. Huge hugs from family and friends. 2 years worth.
30. Trying to remember every day what a privilege it is to grow up where I did.

90 days...and counting.

до свидания, Ukraine.

Yes, the inevitable 'lasts' are starting. This past weekend was my last trip to Odessa. I can't believe I have now visited there 4 times. Never would I have thought I would spend so much time in the Ukraine which up until this experience had just been a major conquest in a heated game of Risk, but I have grown to love that country. True it is huge and I saw barely a speck of it, but it is great. I have visited Odessa at various times of the year and it has always been great. This time it was a quick turnaround trip for my roommate, Holly's birthday. But we all know what it was really about, food. That's what all vacations are about. We lovingly called it our day of 'sushi and dudes.' Holly, me and our friends Natasha and Dahnika left on a midnight bus out of Moldova. It is about a 4 hour ride to the Ukraine border, there is always some time spent there especially when there are Americans involved, and then another hour into the city of Odessa. We got into town just as dawn was breaking. The driver was pretty crazy and the ride itself turned into somewhat of an amusement ride. Thankfully we were all a little too tired to worry.
When we arrived there was NOTHING open so at 6:00am we were forced to walk around the city for a while. Not ideal, but thankfully the weather had warmed up just enough to not make it uncomfortable. We were basically just looking for some place to sit and have coffee. The only place we found to sit was in the train station and you had to pay to sit there. Ugh. Finally at around 8, places started to open. When I had visited last year with John and Jeremy, we had discovered this delightful restaurant called "Kompot." We found it and I assured my traveling companions that they would not be disappointed. I was correct. I got a giant homemade croissant covered in bacon, cheese lettuce, tomato and a garlic aioli dressing that all melted in my mouth. I can't remember the last time I had a fresh sandwich. It was served with a steaming glass of hot cocoa. It was seriously the best thing I have eaten in a very long time. Completely satisfied, we walked over to our hostel which was just around the corner. We had all (at different times) stayed there before so when 'Shekhar' opened the door to let us in, his face lit up as he was happy to see us. The hostel is owned by an American named John, who married a Ukrainian named Masha. Shekhar and two other students run the hostel in exchange for living there while they attend medical school. Shekhar is from Agra, India and speaks 6 languages. And he's adorable. We couldn't technically 'check in' until 2, and it was now 9am, but he saw we were tired and since our beds were free, he let us nap. It was just what we needed. We woke up by 1:00 and were ready for the day. He recommended a good Indian food place in town. I had never had Indian food and neither had Natasha, but Holly really wanted it so we went. Good LORD I don't think I have ever experienced such flavor. It was amazing. I couldn't even tell you what the hell we ordered but it was amazing and I will most definitely be exploring this ethnicity of food again in my future. 
It had started to rain which was unfortunate. We ducked into a coffee shop and had some coffee until the rain stopped. From there we walked around the historic district, shopped, took some photos, people watched, just relaxed.
As it headed toward evening, we found an Irish Pub to relax at for a bit until we were ready for dinner. Seriously, this trip was all about eating. Next door was the sushi restaurant I had been at twice before. I was very excited. And it didn't disappoint. We were so, so happy at such a successful day of eating and relaxing.

4 satisfied girls - Me, Natasha, Holly and Dahnika

There were a group of students at the next table who heard us speaking English. They too were medical students and were so delighted to speak English as they were used to speaking Russian all the time. We spoke to them for a while but we were all pretty exhausted. The best part of the evening was our waiter кириелле. (Kee-ree-yell). He was beautiful and he enjoyed us. He asked us to please come back. Oh, how I wish we could, кириелле.

Me and кириелле. 

We had planned to go out to Karaoke but in reality, we were all just really wiped. We went back to the hostel and our host, Shekhar and the other guy who worked there were still up so we hung out with them for a while before we all crashed. 
Unfortunately, this was the night of Daylight Savings in Eastern Europe so we lost an hour of sleep. We woke up later than planned as we did want to get back to Kompot for one final delicious croissandwich. We quickly packed and got ready and said our goodbyes to Shekhar and the glorious hostel that is the Babushka Grand. (Seriously, the best hostel I have ever stayed at.) We got to Kompot just in time and enjoyed our breakfast. 
From there we walked to the bus station but had a few more hours to kill before our bus left. The weather was absolutely beautiful (finally) so we could walk around without coats on. We found a coffee shop and had some dessert while we waited. 
The bus ride back was simple and it was so nice out so I could see the scenery. Started to feel a cold coming on which is so rare to me that it worried me. 
And now, it's the full-blown flu. Blech! All is well though. Only 95 more days to go. But who's counting?