I am doing something!

If you don’t count grant writing of course.

My Public Achievement group started this week. 9 9th graders (a little over half the 9th graders in my village). So far, my moldovan partner for the project has taken control and is doing an excellent job, the kids seem interested, and I think it may be one of the better projects I do.

We teach the kids about being active citizens, and attempt to empower them to learn how to fix their own community. Through a series of games and activities we will teach them about democracy and citizenship and participating in their community, and they will select a problem they think is important to them that will improve the community, and try to solve that problem.

They are great kids and I will post some pictures soon.

Also, I met some germans in my village! A couple of days ago, I saw two people walking down the street who I could immediately tell were not Moldovan. Turns out, there is a german guy here with his girlfriend doing some anthropological research throughout Moldova, going around and staying with different families relying on the kindness of strangers. He is staying with an awesome family in my village. Of course this led to drinking wine in a cellar and eating the freshest goat cheese that is humanly possible.

This is example A, of how the peace corps can change you. Maybe some people are born with the ability to meet strangers and instantly go hang out with them. I wasn’t one of those people. I am more of a silent head nod kinda guy when I pass someone on the street. Here, I have to be a HELLO! kinda guy with a big smile. Often it is meet with silence, and occasional muffled hello, but sometimes you end up in a basement of a really cool family drinking wine and making friends.