on the job: the best kind of surprise
This is a story about Edi. He’s one of the beneficiaries at my foundation. Edi is a big guy who walks quickly and with purpose. He smiles beautifully and sometimes I catch him laughing to himself about some secret. But most of the time he looks blank and almost emotionless. He’ll do anything he’s asked, […]
on the job: sometimes you feel like a nut. . .
Sometimes you don’t…. And some days I feel like a Peace Corps Volunteers and some days I don’t. I’m counting my blessings because today was a very Peace Corps day. I went to work and on the way, called dear Gretel to vent about something and then later to Tedros who called to check in […]
on the job: the internets and anniversaries
January 24, 2011 was the 20th anniversary of Peace Corps in Romania. In 1991, the Romanian government and the Peace Corps officially signed paperwork to bring Volunteers here. Twenty years later, here we are. . . To celebrate this milestone and the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps worldwide, David and I redesigned Peace Corps Romania’s […]
on the job: hand turkeys
Today at Clubul Copiilor, I wowed them with hand turkeys. So cute! For more hand turkeys… photos are here.
on the job: head, shoulders, knees, & toes
Today with my little monsters, we did some work. Our theme was red — what’s red, writing sentences about red things, etc. Then we went outside and played for a bit. To transition back to the classroom and to warm us up, we sang some “Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes” in the courtyard. Here are […]
in the kitchen, on the job: Thanksgiving
So we’re to that time of year again when David and I alone keep the town’s dairy economy going. During Advent (and Lent), the Romanian Orthodox in our community fast. And their fast makes Catholic fasting seem easy peasy. In essence everyone becomes vegan for a month in preparation for the big pig kill and […]
on the job: my little monsters
I mentioned awhile ago that I had found/developed a secondary project here in town. It’s not like I don’t have other irons in the fire,but while each Peace Corps volunteer has a primary assignment (organization or school), we’re really community volunteers. And secondary projects get you more IN the community. A few weeks ago, I […]
on the job, on the road: Halloween 2010
I never was one to really celebrate Halloween at home. It’s not like I hid from trick-or-treaters with the lights off, but I never quite got into the costume thing, especially as an adult. But being an American abroad, Halloween is something cultural to share. Last year, at my primary assignment we carved a few […]
on the job: radu makes a fular
This is Radu. He’s one of my beneficiaries. Radu loves weaving and making rag rugs, really anything that uses a gherghef (a loom). He talks and talks and talks all about his dreams of having really big gherghefs and really little gherghefs for any project he can think of. There’s even a dream of a […]
on the job: what’s been on my plate lately
the main course: Foundation for Local Development Well, post-vacation, I was rather aimless workwise. And that’s been topped off by an extended funk of a mood. But now that we’re really into September, life is picking up the pace whether I like it or not. Remember the roses of Fall, 2009? Well there was a […]