No-to-Low Expectations

No-to-Low Expectations

July 5, 2009

So tomorrow is a big day. We have it very easy right now as trainees; we live in villages with multiple volunteers that we can socialize with at almost any given time. After one more month here I move to another area where there is a good chance I will be the only volunteer. Tomorrow I find out where I will be living and what it is exactly that I will be doing for the next two years.

Apparently the older volunteers draw a large map of Moldova behind the school and we all stand where our cities/towns/villages are. The feeling is definitely surreal. I’ve been told that the Russian assignments typically are in cities rather than villages. So there is a good chance that I will be in a city rather than a village. I don’t have strong feelings as to where I go, but my only real hope is that I end up with a good business partner and host family.

In regard to what I will be doing I’m pretty certain I will be working in an extension center. I believe that means that I talking to numerous people on a daily basis about problems that they are having with growing agricultural products and seeking out good candidates for projects. I feel pretty good about the job especially after talking to more than a few Ag volunteers about their experiences in extension centers.

Oh yeah, about the 4^th of July party. It was great. It was made up of socializing, dancing, taking two types of pictures: American style and Moldovan style. The American style means to smile in the over-the-top fashion that we are accustomed to in the US. Moldovans tend to smile a lot but as soon as the camera lens points in their general direction any indication of a previous smile disappears and a stern, serious expression is formed. It is difficult to give such a serious pose. The pictures posted are evidence our futile attempts.