Today we had the second of two "micro-teaching" activities during PST. The first was just two weeks ago, and in English. Today, was a different story. Just last week, we were given our assignments and partners. Since then, my partner and I have worked on preparing the lesson and translating into Romanian. Today each group presented, and did a fantastic job. I am so proud of our little group of five in Colonita!!
Today, I also helped my host parents in the garden by filling 100 small plastic bags with dirt. Due to the language barrier, the only thing I understood was that it was for cucumbers; other than that I have no idea what the purpose was. Its all part of the experience, and for some reason I'm enjoying it.
All of the 53ish volunteers that came in my large group on June 8, 2011 are split up into four sections: Health Education, English Education, Agricultural Development, and Community Development. Beyond these divisions, each section is split up into different villages each with around 7-9 trainees. In just a few weeks, we will all spread out throughout Moldova to our permanent villages. I am excited, but nervous to be the only weird American in the entire village. I say weird American because in the villages (especially with a population of about 4,000) we certainly stand out. I get many, many strange looks while jogging through the village in the evening, and I'm positive the people think that I must be running from something.
After finishing my first lesson in Romanian today I felt relieved... maybe I can actually do this. Maybe I can actually learn the language AND teach health to the children and community of Tipala. Well, I guess I will find out. For now, I am optimistic.
Next week, we will provide a seminar for adults in our current community of Colonita. I am quite nervous for this! We will be speaking in Romanian, for an hour, about hypertension. It should certainly be interesting :)
Finally, beginning on August 1st and lasting for two weeks is "Practice School" where we will work, for the first time, with our future partners. Supposedly, during this time I will be the busiest that I will be during my whole Peace Corps service. A bit scary, but I have done so many things here that I never, in a million years, dreamed I could do. I have surprised myself everyday. So, bring it on practice school!
So proud of you! And I hope you can keep up on the blog. It's great to read about the details of your experiences. You're painting a great picture. I KNOW you can do this! They're so blessed to have you.
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