Dear Mr./Mrs. Anonymous,

Thank you.

Also many more big thank you's to all of you that donated toward my Hospice project here in Moldova.  Apparently in the last few days the last $2,146 was collected through my Peace Corps account.  Crazy how fast that last two thousand came but I am incredibly grateful for it.

If you happen to coming to this website wanting to donate to my project. Please consider donating to this other project:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=261-197

It is the project of a good friend of mine here in Moldova. His village may be located on the other of the country but that doesn't make it less important.

Anyhow, remember to check back here as I will be updating as to the progress of my project here.

Once again thank you one and all,

Aaron

October 11, 2010—Roughly $500, a good start

So as I have told many of you in emails and on my last blog post I am working with a hospice center here in Taraclia named Angelus Moldova.  I told you that I would update you on the progress of the organization over the coming months so that you understand the problems faced by them.

On Saturday we celebrated our one-year anniversary as an established organization in Moldova.  We marked this anniversary by holding a concert at the local House of Culture.  The House of Culture in most Moldovan cities and towns is where most cultural events take place, our HOC happens to have the local library and a few other uses whereas the smaller villages usually just have an area for dancing or important meetings.  It is a very useful service that the HOC provides, usage of the facilities is free and they even staff the event by providing MCs and sound system people—a huge plus when trying to keep the costs down for a benefit concert.

For the past two months we have been organizing the event which really has consisted of finding musical groups and dance groups to perform for free for our concert.  Overall I would say that the concert was a success, we raised roughly $500 which is not too shabby for a small town in Moldova.  The biggest problem that we had was the weather which was rather dismal. We practically sold all 500 seats in the auditorium for the concert, but since the weather was so bad only about 150-200 people showed up.  It is most important in the short-term to raise the money, but the long-term scenario is more important in getting out the message of hospice care in Moldova.  The local television station was there and interviewed a few of the relatives of former patients of the center.  This special should air on TV sometime soon.  Maybe if I can get an electronic copy of it I will post it on here with some subtitles.

Here is the link for donating to my project here as well:
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=261-204

Here are some pictures and videos of the event:

This is a short video of one of the singers from our last act Crystal:

This is the other singer from the Crystal group, this kid is the man:

A local dance group who danced too fast my little ol' camera:

An early act:

A younger dance team from a nearby city:

 Local Musicians:

October 7th, 2010--Hospice Care in Moldova and you...

Howdy folks,

It is time I finally let you in on a project that I am doing here in the Peace Corps.

One of the organizations that I have been working with here is named Angelus Taraclia. It is a local hospice care center that works as a non-profit here in my town of Taraclia.  I believe it is either the 4^th or 5^th organization of its kind in all of Moldova.  This particular center specializes in care for terminal cancer patients who are approaching the end of their time here.

Our focus as an organization is not only to care for patients but also to spread awareness of the service throughout Moldova.  Moldova, in general, has an interesting mentality when it comes to end-of-life care.  Hospice care is relatively new in Moldova and the current medical insurance industry doesn’t cover its cost.  This situation often leads people to hide their illnesses in order to save money for their families which they believe would be wasted on their remaining days in this world.  As you can guess, the result is the sick and elderly of Moldova not receiving medical care that significantly reduces the pain and heartbreak that accompanies death. 

Hospice care gives people and their families the opportunity to be with loved ones at the times they are needed most.  As many of you know being with an ailing parent, sibling or friend at the end of their lives can give closure to relationships that are important to us.

This organization has been around for one year and has reached the end of its funding through the Soros foundation.  At this time, I am raising money for the continuation of the services provided.  I feel like the work done so far has made a significant impact on the lives it has touched and it would be a disservice to the people of Taraclia to stop the effects of a great organization.  My goal is to raise $3,300 in order for Angelus Taraclia to remain open for another 6 months.  This will give us much needed time to develop a strategic plan for the coming years, organize awareness campaigns and help the organization raise the total percentage of community contributions by a significant amount.  Over the duration of the 6 months we will continue to raise local funds and seek out funding through other means.

The money you donate will be going to a very good cause and will give the organization the needed time to develop its autonomy in these rough economic times.

Please follow the link below and donate at:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=261-204

You can donate very easily by entering the amount you wish to donate on the lower right-hand side of the website.

Thank you much and please check back here often as I intend to update you on the continual progress of the organization.

Sincerely,

Aaron 

June 14th, 2010—Welcome Youngbloods

June 14th, 2010—Welcome Youngbloods

So yeah, too long. I know.  I trust that my most ardent supporters somehow got through the past couple months of my silence with all of their fingers and toes—congratulations.   Life has become life here in Moldova, maybe that is the reason that I haven’t written as much in the past few months. 

This last weekend, my fellow M24s and I became veterans in Moldova.  We now have a group of M25s below us in the grand pecking order of Peace Corps Moldova.  Something like 65 volunteers just came and had pretty much the exact same 3-day training course in Chisinau that we did.  It was interesting to be on the other side of the first encounter with Moldova.  Not to say that, I abruptly look like a hardened veteran, but I do think that my group in general has lost the initial wide-eyed look that comes with living in a foreign country.   The new volunteers will at the very least live in constant surrealism for the next few months, it never seems to go away completely, but it definitely becomes less over the course of a volunteer’s time here.   I still love Moldova and the randomness of being on the other side of the planet, the strange regiment has simply been incorporated into my daily routine. 

The proper way to welcome someone to Moldova--with a mustache:

A few days with the new volunteers, yielded exactly what was expected—a lot of half nervous questions about life here as a whole.  I loved seeing the enthusiasm of the new group and their appreciation of it all.  It is hard to create the thousand-word picture, so when you can show someone exactly what you mean when you are talking about living in another country it is all the more fulfilling.

Not only did the last weekend constitute the new M25 group, it also marked the year marker of me being in volunteer.  It is absolutely crazy to think that I have already been here that long.  I feel as though I have accomplished a quite few things since I have been here, but not nearly as much as I probably could have.  I may have graduated to 1^st grade (by 1^st grade, I mean the level above kindergarten not to be confused with a superior or top-rate form of understanding) Russian by this point but that still may be pushing it.  I think I must sound like a pretentious little child when I talk because I can barely understand a conversation sometimes or talk for that matter but then I will drop a big word on someone that they weren’t expecting me to know.  It like listening to a child babble on about what he did that day in practically incomprehensible language and then drop a famous Winston Churchill quote perfectly.  I keep them on their toes.

One year here has produced a real feeling of home in Moldova, Peace Corps friendships that will most likely last a lifetime, a decent modicum of Russian language, and a respect of culture that goes far beyond merely celebrating St. Paddy’s day or Cinco de Mayo.

IronBeard out.    

May 5, 2010—A Successful Weekend

May 5, 2010—A Successful Weekend

This last weekend I had quite a bit to do:  I had a Small Project Assistance (known as the SPA) presentation to give, as well as a meeting with a couple from the states that live in Chisinau and fund small projects.  Both meetings and presentations couldn’t have gone any better really.  For the SPA presentation I was just told today that I had won funding for my agribusiness project, which consists of setting up a demonstration plot in the south of Moldova displaying a few modern techniques used in agriculture.  Hopefully we can spread the application of these sorts of greenhouse projects, because the profits that are associated with them really do make a huge difference in the monthly paycheck for farmers around here. 

The other project that I had a meeting for was for a small grant for a refrigerator, computer, stovetop and kitchen supplies in one of the kindergartens/ preschools in my village.  I came with 2 projects at two different kindergartens but I am happy to see at least one of them get closer to being funded.   I will have to find another way to do the other one… all is due time I suppose.

Forgive the short blog today but I have to get ready for tomorrow, I am off to the Carpathian Mountains in Romania to get some fresh air.

Cheers folks,

Эрон

March 29, 2010—Orthodox Easter/everything is just a little more hardcore.

March 29, 2010—Orthodox Easter/everything is just a little more hardcore.               

 

Tomorrow is Easter here and after tonight “Lent” or «Пост» is technically over.  Back in the states I remember people saying they gave up fast food or coffee for Lent, I personally never really cared to give up anything.  My opinion is that if you truly think something is that bad for you that you will give it up for 40 days, you should probably just quit it all together and not beat around the bush.  For some within the orthodox religion the act of fasting can been taken to a much higher level than what I have seen in the states.  I may be experiencing that stark difference because of the Lutheran upbringing that I experienced just wasn’t quite as gung-ho about giving up their precious bacon-wrapped steaks.   For some in the Orthodox religion it means no kissin’ or lovin’ or even kebabs (both literally and figuratively).  I observed my babooshka truly fast as the beginning for three days where she only drank water and yet still worked all day, while I took to taking overeating-induced comatose naps by the handful.  Even with my protest of not wanting to eat meat during the 40 days of Great Lent, she still insisted that I meet my daily quota of kielbasa consumption—she is a stubborn brute that I very much respect.  Especially the more I come to understand just what it is she is saying, I have realized that half the time that she talks, she is talking in metaphor or quoting a passage from the Great Farce.  It is funny because I believe she tells me the same ones all the time, but it just takes me forever to figure out what exactly they mean.  So, from what I have observed she has made it all the way to the day before Easter and now she has to walk to church with all the sweet bread that she has been slaving over the last few days (which she also can’t eat—eggs (true vegetarians if you ask me, contrary to mainstream vegetarians)) at midnight and stand for 5-6 hours straight (not falling asleep). At the end of the 6 hours stand, everyone exits the church and circles it displaying their respective baskets of multi-colored eggs, sweet bread and whatever else they decide to furbish the basket with, only to have the Father fling holy water over the crowd using a basil plant dipped holy water.  Only at that point does everyone get to eat and drink as they please again. Amen.  I have about 8 hours to decide if I want to go to church tonight with her or not… We shall see.

The sweet bread:

Peace out folks 

March 29, 2010—A little about some other parts of the world—Poland/Ukraine Version

March 29, 2010—A little about some other parts of the world—Poland/Ukraine Version     

In case you wondering what i looked like when I think about what to write on my blog entries:

And this is what I look like when I actually write them:

So the last post I mentioned that I had managed to get myself into a spontaneous trip to Poland and Ukraine, both of which we amazing and exactly the vacation that I/we all need more often in our lives. 

This particular vacation began with a pleasurable overnight bus ride (13 hours, originally thought to be 20—relief), pleasurable because it is ok to drink on public transportation otherwise I would have not been a happy camper.  The first day was spent in L’Viv in a sleepless delirium which seems to be the cool thing for me to do on every vacation as of late.  I believe you must see both the day/nightlife of a city to truly enjoy it, so if you are on a budget and must package your vacations into short excursions, sleep simply put is the first thing to go. 

Tons of cool architecture: 

and more:

L’Viv is a gorgeous city with all the things to love about Eastern Europe with the additional flair of a Western Europe feel to it.  Something that nearly always makes an impression on me in a new country or city is how as foreigner or at least someone with the all too familiar look of being lost is treated by the yokels.  My personal favorite experience like this was in Vancouver BC when I was helped by a slew of people when my car broke down and still made it to one of the greatest concerts I have seen in my life.  The first 5 minutes in L’Viv brought back this memory.  I asked for directions from one person and was immediately approached by a young woman who told us she was headed in the same direction and could show us exactly where to go.  After talking for a bit, we found out she knew people at the hostel we were staying at and that progressed to her and her sister kindly showing us the lay of the land in L’Viv a city they are proud of for good reason.  We managed to make it to scenic lookout locations, markets that were perfect for buying ex-soviet awesomeness, a shooting range, and a variety of clubs that can only be described as unique and requisite on a trip to Ukraine.

Hostile takeover of the hostel:

Neal being cliche:

As for the rest of the journey, we continued on to Krakow where there is plethora of gorgeous architecture and a very cool city square with plenty of opportunities for whatever kinds of mischief/adventure you want to delve into.  It was a little bit more expensive than L’Viv but we made due, by subjecting ourselves to mass of amounts of cheap and amazing kebabs, something that Washington really needs to realize the beauty of—probably the best late night snack ever.  Would you honestly ever get late-night hot dog or McDonalds again, if there was a kebab stand in town? The answer is only yes if you are dumb or crazy J.

A very alert taxi cab driver:

View of Krakow from a castle:

Something I must say in general about traveling is how great staying in hostels can be.  It is amazing how many like-minded individuals you can meet on a vacation.  Staying at a hostel is much like your first day in college or at a job where everyone is new.  It provides an incredibly comfortable atmosphere where it is not acceptable to talk to everyone, it is encouraged and you end up making some of the best sorts of friends even if it may only be for a day or two. Something about a hotel reminds me gated community, trying to avoid the contact that needs to be made with the outside world.

For all the smiling and good times had throughout the trip, we definitely toned it down for one day in particular, the day we visited Auschwitz.  On the way to the concentration camp, I believe I did what I do nearly every time there is a serious event that I am actually a little nervous about in my future--we laughed and told jokes in an effort to not have to deal with the reality of it.  The mood turned to somber and serious the second that we arrived in the town.  It is weird to me to think of growing up in a city of town that possesses one of the darker histories of humanity. I wonder how it would change your perspective on things being so close.  I am sure for some people it would strike pretty deeply into their character, but I could also see how some might choose to repress the thought of it. 

Much like the most beautiful and most ugly things in the world, words do little to describe the experience of being there.  I think one of the things that affected me the most was the familiarity of it all.  The wooden buildings, the dull-color painted walls, the dirt roads connecting it all.  We have all seen these basics before, but what sets these particular things apart is simply the fact that countless atrocities on humanity that were committed there.   It reminds us of the frailties of humanity and the decency of humanity that is sometimes swept aside in cruel times.  Seeing a child’s shoe can bring a tear to your eye for many reasons, whereas a room full of children’s shoes that were all of their last pairs brings a different sort of weight to your mind where you can find yourself floundering in your emotions.  

The last impression of Auschwitz as we walked away.

Entrance to Auschwitz "Work Sets You Free"