Third Goal

Computer Class

This is Doamnă Tanya practicing her typing skills during our center's 1st Computer Skills Seminar in Tudora, Moldova.  

Nistru River

This is the Nistru River that boarders Moldova and Ukraine.  The river lies right behind my host family's home in Southeastern Moldova.  This picture was taken in July 2009 on my first visit to my new site.  The man in the picture is sitting with his cow while it grazes. 

Winter in the Moldovan forest

The second snowfall in my village, which is enveloped in a centuries-old forest

Sleigh Ride

In my village of Gordineşti, Moldova, it is not an uncommon sight to see cows, herds of goats, or horse drawn carts.  I love in the winter time, though, when the horse sleighs come out!

1st Friend

My first Moldovan friend when I moved to site was my 6 year old host nephew. He not only wanted to hangout with me playing UNO and throwing the frisbee but also proved to be an excellent tutor!

Hilltop Views

This photograph was taken on a hike in my training village of Milestii Mici, Moldova.  It was a beautiful sunny day and a welcome break from our Romanian lessons. 

Just Kiddin' Around

Goats are a major part of the agricultural industry in Moldova as a source for meat, milk and clothing.  Most families own their own small herd consisting of a couple Nannies and a few kids.  This little guy was just hanging around one day while I was walking through my pre-service training village.

From skim to whole

Each night my host mother milks Meatsa the goat. We use the milk for drinking, cooking, and making cheese. Here you see my host mom teaching me to milk the goat for the very first time. 

Going back to my roots...

So I decided today that I needed to get my hair back to its natural color.  Although I was born with white/blonde hair it turned dirty blonde and then a sort of mousey brown in my late teens.  So in Moldova I have decided to attempt using a box of hair dye (with directions in Russian) to change my hair back to the color of my roots.  Because I cannot read Russian, I have enlisted the help of my host mom to help me dye my hair. So apparently, I thought my host mom was going to help me ...

Duck herding

Here in Moldova ducks are a common food source and learning to herd them can be a tricky process.  Luckily, my neighbor was a great teacher and I quickly learned the important techniques of keeping my quacking friends in line.

Cross-Country Skiing

When you think of Moldova you do not think of skiing. Life here is always full of suprises! 

Dinner time!

This is a picture of what a traditional Moldovan table looks like for a party. This particular photo is of the welcoming lunch for the PCV's in our training town.

Bunny fun

Spring is without a doubt my favorite time of the year in Moldova. Living with a host family I am able to see what it's like to grow your own food in the garden, make your own cheese from your goat, and how to raise farm animals. With Spring comes all of the babies! This picture is of a very fat bunny that my host dad thought was so funny looking that one day he brought him in the house and put him on my bed so a friend of mine and I could play with him. The bunny got comfortable!

Cotton Candy

Katea's first bite of cotton candy.

Rough Rider

In Moldova it is common to see old cars, motorcycles, tractors, trucks and jeeps.  Many of which are still around from WWII which is pretty amazing that they are still running.  The men and women of Moldova take very good care of their machines and it is a small miracle that they are so well maintained especially if you look at the road infrastructure.

Happy Memorial Easter!

In Moldova we celebrate not only Eastern Orthodox Easter but one week later we also go to the cemetery for Memorial Easter.  We bring with us sweets, breads, chocolates, colored eggs and wine to be blessed and eaten in honor of the souls of the deceased.

Gender Roles

The Romanian language is split into genders, just like French or Spanish. For example, masă, or table, is feminine while scaun, or chair, is masculine. I introduce myself as a profesoară, not a profesor, because I am a woman. This makes teaching gender roles to my 5th-7th grades this week difficult, as the very words I speak have an assigned gender. Usually, the masculine and feminine versions of a word have the same meaning. I may be an americancă and you may be an american, but we are ...

Cross-cultural Shopping: A Goal Two Story?

Last Sunday, I went to the supermarket in my neighborhood to pick up staples for the week. I buy certain things every day, because some products don’t last very long and the stores are on my way, but I need food for the animals, cleaning products and certain Moldovan foods that I’ve come to depend on, as well as lunch food for the week. I bought a large container of a salad I enjoy, some beer and cheese and meat and all the beverages I need for a week or so. This trip I had remembered to bri...

Cutting a pig

Apple Juice, Moldovan Style

Spread Hope

One of the greatest challenges Moldova faces is the high number of Moldovans leaving home to support their families. Through film Peace Corps volunteers and the children of Hincesti and Rezina have begun to discuss this issue in order to reinspire their community. This film was created as a message to all the children of Moldova who have someone aboard to be strong and happy and above all to spread hope. 

April 5, 2011: Teaching volunteerism through bottle cap collection

January 18, 2011 marked the inception of my local English Club. Building up to my English Club I posted announcements on the bulletin board outside the mayor's office, at the kindergarten, outside my office, at the school and even the discoteca. My announcement advertised a fun way to learn English in a less formal setting. The first class included 13 participants with an age range from 8 - 55 and professions from student and librarian to NGO director and farmer. There was definite...

Jewelry Club

My Jewelry Club helping celebrate 365 days of Peace and Friendship.

Folkloric Group Rehearsal

Folkloric song and dance is a rich part of Moldovan culture and in my town I am very fortunate to have an active folkloric choir. The director, Natalia, is a music teacher at the local school and most of the members of the group are in some way connected to me (my host mom, my work partner, the director of the NGO for physically handicapped children, teachers, librarians, etc.). This group of women not only enjoys to sing, dance and overall have a great time but they also have become...

Goat Herdin'

After a weekend filled with gorging ourselves at Easter celebrations, Emily and I decided to take a walk around her village of Peresecina for some exercise. We eventually found ourselves walking along a path discussing very important matters, such as the name of the strange bugs that kept buzzing around our heads, when we stumbled upon a herd of goats and their very enthusiastic shepherd. The shepherd was in a very festive mood and happy to meet the two of us and our camera. It was a f...

Learning Business Skills

This video is of a entrepreneurship seminar I held in my town for youth. 

Making Cheese!

Making homemade goat cheese with my host mother Galina.

Our teacher

My seven year old host nephew teaching my host mom and I how to say our R's.

Peace Corps Moldova 50th Anniversary Tribute

Song by Tim Hornsby, Brandon McKeel, and Jeremy Taglieri Video and all footage taken by Yoel Malashock

GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Seminars in Moldova

This video is part 1 in a series of GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) videos taking place in Moldova and made possible by hard working Peace Corps Volunteers."GLOW or Girls Leading Our World is a program utilized and adapted in many Peace Corps countries by volunteers who believe that the impact of female empowerment can truly transform the development process. Here in Moldova we not only hold week-long GLOW Camps throughout the summer but we also have GLOW day seminars on weekends ...

Summer Camp

One week in July I hosted a summer camp for the local kids in my town. We played games, learned a little English, did arts and crafts and had a good time!

Breakfast with Maria

One of my good friends in my village is the hairdresser who has an office or salon in the same building where my office is. She is the cutest lady and I enjoy our frequent conversations and moments giggling over a cup of tea and a few biscuits or cookies. She is always asking me questions, inquiring about my family, life in the USA and how to use a computer better. I even taught her to play "Heart and Soul" on the piano. Maria has really helped me to get through my service...

Transportation in Moldova: Rutiera

My friend Sarah and I traveling from the town of Floresti to Balti for jewelry club supplies on the Monday before International Women's Day, March 7, 2011.

Transporation in Moldova: Trolleybus

This is yet another video in my transportation in Moldova series. Riding the trolleybus certainly is cheap (only 2 lei) and definitely a greener way of getting around the three biggest cities in Moldova (Chisinau, Balti and Cahul) it still isn't entirely carbon free but we can always hope for that day.

When the USA visits Moldova

This is the utter excitement that occurs when our family and friends come to visit us Peace Corps Volunteers in Moldova. So friends and family: when are you coming?

Kids in Peresecina, Orhei, Moldova

My host partner's goat had babies in Peresecina, Moldova! I was given the honor of naming the new babies and so the little brown girl is named Cinnamon and the boy is Billy Bob. Apparently you are not supposed to give animals human names because it is not a good omen. The animals are typically named for the day they are born on. However, I convinced my partner and her neighbor that it was okay to use American pet names and that in fact this might be a really good omen.

Transporation in Moldova: Riding and elevator

Transportation can be quirky and creepy here in Moldova. One of the scariest parts of Moldovan transportation infrastructure is the Elevator or Lift. Enjoy our ride from the 1st to the 14th floor.

Bird Brain

Today, March 14, 2011 a bird flew into my office and stayed for about an hour flying back and forth between the agricultural pamphlets and the plant that sits over my partner's desk. My partner just laughed at me when I stood in the corner and waited for him to leave. When he finally flew out she called after him "Mai intrati" meaning... "Come again!"

Team Xtreme in Rezina, Moldova

While visiting my friend in Rezina, Moldova we were invited to attend a seminar/performance at one of the local high schools. This was a REALLY great organization that works throughout the world to spread the positive messages of love, tolerance, patience and kindness through Xtreme sports. It really had an impact on the young men in the audience that is for sure!!! The man who organized the competition asked me to translate for them but instead we asked one of my friend's best stude...

Caruta Ride

After completing one day of our weekend seminar in Socola, Soldanesti our host offered to take us up to "the hill" where her farm is. She then informed us we would be taking a Caruta or horse and cart to our destination. We were overjoyed with the opportunity to take our first caruta ride in Moldova!!!

Folkloric Competition Orhei: Bastina

This is the video of the local Folkloric group competition in the municipality center of Orhei. This video is of the Folkloric Group, Bastina from my village and their performance at the competition. The word Bastina (Bah-shti-na) means motherland or homeland.

March 2011: Folkloric Competition Orhei

Hello my name is Emily Getty and I am an Agriculture and Rural Business Development Volunteer in the Republic of Moldova. Moldovan folkloric music is an integral part of the culture here. I not only have the amazing opportunity to attend and watch folkloric competitions in my municipality center (raion or Orhei) but there is also a very talented and active women's folkloric choir in my town called Bastina. My host mom and host work partner are both members and recently I was asked to...

Happy Easter!

Peresecina, Orhei, Moldova after a delicious Easter Dinner I decided to play on the farm.

GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Seminars in Socola, Soldanesti, Moldova

GLOW was contacted by the director of the local school in Socola, Soldanesti to come and conduct a seminar on a variety of topics. The first day we worked with the younger women (who ended up returning the second day as well) and the second day we worked with the older women. Our topics ranged from how to plan a seminar and future planning to nutrition, health and self esteem. This seminar has probably been one of the most memorable for me because our host was amazing and opened not ...

Peace Corps Panel for FLEX Participants in Moldova

Future Leaders Exchange program is a US Government sponsored program which offers the opportunity to spend one academic year in the US studying in an American high school living with an American host family. Recipients of FLEX scholarships are selected by an independent panel of experienced educators in the United States of the basis of merit demonstrated in application materials. (http://www.americancouncils.md/news/279)A group of Peace Corps Volunteers attended the FLEX preparation su...