Corpul Pacii: Moldova

Joyeuses Pâques! Happy Easter! I just returned from my spring break which, in this lovely country, is two weeks long. First I went to Moldova and then to Turkey. I'm going to have to write about them separately in order to not be overwhelmed with wonderfulness. 

So to commence: Moldova. You may ask why I chose to visit this small Eastern European country, especially when I have not yet been to many of the European destination spots, like Italy, London or Prague. Hopefully I will someday make it to those wonderful places. But currently I have two dear friends, Jess and Vin Noth living in Cahul, Moldova as they serve in the Peace Corps. And in my experience, visiting 'locals' always trumps simply being a solo tourist, no matter what locale. Here we are in their kitchen:

  Vin and Jess have been in Moldova for almost 21 months now, with about 3 remaining. Jess was my youth group pastor in Middle School, and Vin led my High School youth group. Additionally, they're the bomb. Talk about every Eastbrook Church youth's dream: to hang out with them exclusively for four days. In Moldova. While in the Peace Corps. !

I flew into Chisinau, the capital city and we spent the first night and day there. There are about 2 million people in the city, if I remember correctly. My initial impression was that it looked just as I imagined Russia looking. It was, in fact a Soviet state until the early 90's. Apparently much of the upper class remains nostalgic for the Soviet era and a bunch of Lenin statues remain around the city. While I was there, we visited the Piazza (the central market where you can buy everything), the city center and took a routiera (mini bus: the Moldovan form of public transportation) to Orhei Vechi, a monastery in the side of some clifs. 

In the meat market. Every and all parts of the pig sold here.  I had a little Lord of the Flies episode at this stall. 

Attacked by a tiger in the city center. In the background is the plaza which has a bell tower, a beautiful Orthodox cathedral and an Arc de Triomphe (to the left of the frame).

The inside the cathedral.

Me and Jess near Orhei Vechi (the monastery/monk coves). Jess can talk with those horses in the background. 

Cliff in which the monk coves are found. 

Inside a monk cove. Women have to cover their heads and wear a skirt.

Next we drove three hours south to their city, Cahul. Although most of my time was spent in the cities, Moldova actually remains a rural country full of small villages. We drove through several of them, each with an abundance of vineyards, cattle and small brightly painted houses. Moldova is a Peace Corps country because it is still very much a developing nation. With it's turbulent history between various empires and powers, it was in the end spit out as independent but not well equipped.

    My time in Cahul was great because I got to see a bit of what their lives in the Peace Corps looks like. I saw much of the city through tagging along with them as they carried out their jobs and projects. Jess is in the 'health' category and Vin is in 'development,' and it seems like they both have, over time, found several areas in the city where they can pour energy and make an impact. Some photos: 

Vin posing in front of the muddy street. It rained pretty faithfully throughout my two and a half days making the roads a bit difficult. Here we were on our way to meet with the YWAM Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Cahul where Vin has led and taught on worship a few times. It's Cahul's first DTS, consisting of three Moldovan girls. Praise God.  

Jess in front of the High School where she teaches health. She teaches three 11th and a 7th grade classes, which I visited. In each class she interviewed me on my experiences in Haiti and Egypt and how it's shaped my goals for the future. It was super fun. 

A crowded routiera. 

Here's Vin with some of the kids in the after school civics club called "The Village" where the kids have to invent, create and run a mini society to learn about civil responsibility. 

 There were tons of other events I saw and people I met while in Moldova. Did I mention that Jess and Vin speak fluent Romanian?  I was planning to leave on Thursday but ended up staying until Friday because when you're with people who totally love their country, it makes you really love it too and not want to leave (at least that's what happens to me). I could tell that it will be difficult for Vin and Jess to up and leave Moldova in a few months, but it will be great to have them back in Milwaukee. Peace Corps + Eastern Europe: A+.

un weekend à Normandie

Last weekend my program center brought us to Caen, Normandie, in the northwest of France. Caen is really pronounced more like 'caw' than 'can', just so you know.  I don't want to speak to soon, but I think I'll remember it as one of my favorite weekends of semester. Basically, Caen took a beating during World War Two during the Allied invasion of France of 1944. So, while touring castles and cathedrals like one normally does in France, we saw hugely devastated walls, bomb craters and shattered towers. On Saturday we took a bus to the Atlantic coast a few dozen kilometers away for a day full of D-day (or jour-j) history. In the morning we visited le Mémorial de Caen, a museum that follows European political history from after WWI through the cold war, but has and emphasis on WWII and D-Day. The museum is really well put together; it was especially interesting to follow the cause-and-effects of almost an entire century. There was also a short film made using military footage from air force planes and whoever else had a camera on the ground during the invasion. On the left side of the screen rolled footage of Allied preparation while simultaneously the German response played on the right. Then it reduced to a single picture of footage between battles, the recoup and burials. Très émouvant. I don't know if the goal was to evoke sadness or reverie or admiration, but I certainly left with a distaste for the human capacity to destroy each other. The memorial is called 'un musée pour la paix' (a museum for peace). Yeah. It'd be hard not to be for peace after making a museum about wars. 

A sculpture outside the museum: a gun (rifle?) with the barrel tied in a knot, with the words NON VIOLENCE engraved underneath. 

Next we drove to Omaha beach, one of the landing points on D-day. It is really long. And there were, like, five other beaches on D-day. 

Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach

Me, Emma and Emily.

 Next stop, American cemetery. The U.S. is renting the land from France from now until infinity, so we were technically in America (on American soil) for about an hour. And it really felt like the US-like Arlington. We planned to go to the German cemetery also but we ran out of time.

Soldier gravestones. There are around 10,000. 

Really interesting mosaic on the ceiling of a little chapel in the center of the graveyard. On the left is Lady Liberty sending off her American boys to war. On the right is Marianne, the symbol of the Republic of France, holding the deceased soldier. The airplane brings him across to France and the angel brings his spirit back to the US. 

 Our last stop was Pont d'Hoc, another invasion point. This site has German bunkers and trenches remaining, as well as tons of bomb craters. The whole day was pretty overcast but when we got here the sky dropped about a kilometer and it started to rain. It felt like one of the more desolate places on earth.

Craters at Pont d'Hoc.

Clif. Imagine trying to climb up that (while being shot at). 

Pont d'Hoc.

Alex at Pont d'Hoc. 

We also had a lot of fun in Normandy. They fed really well at Norman restaurants, we stayed in a Hotel and there was a great market right outside. Plus, the region was really beautiful (apple trees + cows) and it was nice to be in the country. Overall, two thumbs up, CIEE (my program).

I leave for Moldova and then Turkey tomorrow! A la rentrée!

Mahns and Normans.

Last week I had another set of visitors-my family! Mom, Dad, Andrew and Carolyn made the trip over during the High School's Spring break for a long week à Paris. They rented an apartment in the 7th arrondissement across from Invalides-an old military hospital that now serves as a war museum and the resting place for Napoleon III's body. The 7th is also where the Tour is found and is quite clean and proper and classical Parisian. Needless to say I very much enjoyed sleeping on their couch and buying all my favorite groceries to stock their fridge (and of course bakery every morning) and hanging out in the St. Germain-des-Près quarter up the block. Together, we had a grand old time walking to the sites along the Seine during the day and watching movies about the site planned for the next day at night (Les Mis, Ratatouille, etc).

On their second day, we went out to the Versailles castle

Pelouse in front of Invalides, which is full of footballers on the weekends despite the signs forbidding it. Their apartment was to the right hand side of the frame.

Dad in the apartment checking the weather. He had never been to France,  nor does he speak any french.  Thus he benefitted from a break as family tour guide and got to simply enjoy the ride. However, he quickly became savvy to the ways of the Metro, the grocery store, ordering soup in restaurants and other survival skills.  He also saved my life by bringing Microsoft Word for my new hard drive and taking care of my taxes. Thanks:)

Carol's french hairdo. :) She's in French II in High School and it was her first time to France. She pretty much held the trip together as photographer and shopping connaisseur. Extra credit for bringing French candy back to class!

Momma in the Sacre Coeur basilica. She visited Paris with her Mom and sister in college and also retains some important French vocabulary from high school, like bibliotheque (library), couverts (cutlery), and 'quelle heure est-t-il?' (what time is it?).  

Andrew in Montmartre. High school French dropout and second time to France. He and my dad went to the France v Croatia soccer game one night. Although the score was nul, the fans were not. Even more enthusiastic than Packer fans, my dad said. 

A bright, sunny day for a visit to Notre Dame and the two petites îles in the Seine where Paris was founded.  

Andrew almost posing with la Tour Eiffel. 

Playing in Place Vendôme. 

Drew and Lyna in front of Opéra on their last night. 

Selfy in front of the apartment. 

The 'Norman' part to come next. :)