Stuff I'm Doing.

I want to tell about what I've been up to.

When I first got out here one of the woman from my organization, the psychologist, took the liberty to show me around town and introduce me to people. Actually, it was more like my counterparts passed me off to her because she’s the only one in our organization who doesn’t have a real job and thus, had time for me. As I spent each day with her, I started to get to know her better, and while I think she’s a decent lady and all, was starting to get worried that this connected-at-the-hip thing was going to affect my productivity and reputation. I had to be straight with my counterparts and told them I didn’t need her to escort me everywhere anymore. Plus, I think she got a little bored with me anyways, being that I wasn’t super pumped about her idea about creating a ‘style house’ for girls to teach them how to dress, do their hair, and learn what colors to wear, and I was always trying to force boring ‘equal rights’ and ‘abuse awareness’ boringness into our conversations. So, we haven’t really hung out lately,

But through her I met the director of the sport school, the sports zall. He and I hit it off right away and when I asked him about teaching aerobics at the gym he was extremely excited and supportive. I promised him I would come work out, and the minute I got my music my sister is sending from the states I’d start teaching. I had come to the gym once or twice after our first meeting, but sort of stopped going for a bit because I was getting sick of hearing myself say, “No, I haven’t gotten the music yet! I’m still waiting! I promise I’ll start teaching soon!” (and I’m still waiting on the CD’s.) But also I didn’t go a lot because I started going to the office daily and wouldn’t leave work until it was dark out, and by then I wouldn’t walk alone to the gym and would work out in my room instead.

The first time I went to the gym to work out on my own I met five students. I met three girls, who upon first impression seemed like gym-groupies, but later I found out were table tennis champions of the region and really talented at the sport. They only seemed like they hung out because they had to take turns at the table, and sometimes the boys would get in the way of practicing when they took over the table. But these girls have a trainer and everything, so they’re the real deal. I was in the weight-room that has extremely old, rusty equipment that still serves the purpose and works surprisingly well, squeaks and all, when one of the girls walked in and did a couple free weights. I suggested to her to straighten out her back, she did, thanked me, and after a couple more reps left the room. The two boys in there continued to do their chin-ups or whatever, but I can tell they were super-curious as to who I was. The girl came back a few minutes later and did a couple more sets. Noticing my weird running-in-place-jumping thing I was doing, she asked me who I was.

Later, after talking to her and her co-table tennis players, she invited me to play badminton with her in the other gym. There we found out more about each other and she’s learning English so I invited her to my English club. Then one of the boys came in, the shorter one with dark hair, and switched with her to play me. We started talking. I asked him the one question I ask all the kids when I meet them, “If there is one thing you’d like here in this town that would make it better for you, what would it be?” Most kids answer ‘something to do.’ His answer: “water everyday.” Immediately I liked him, but liked him even more when he told me he listens to metal. I invited him to English club too.

At the next English club, the girl, he, and the other boy, the blonde one, showed up. I discovered the blonde one knows English very well. They’ve been coming to almost every English club since. Once we played a game and the two boys were a team and called themselves “Brothers of Rock.” I always have my I-pod on at random during the club, and the two boys were sort of bobbing their heads to one of the songs. I asked them if they liked it, they said yes and hold on let them guess who it is. I told them they probably wouldn’t know (The Silver Jews) because it’s not a very popular band. The blonde boy said that he heard about how in America there are a lot of those bands that aren’t popular, like they’re all grungy bands, he said. Grunge, he said. I was like yea, kind of, and explained underground music, independent music, and even a little punk history maybe. They were into it, so was I. These are some of my kids.

My other kids are the ones who always come to English club. They are mostly the Russian-speakers from the Russian schools. They have an edge, an air, to them, as sole Russian-speakers tend to have out here, but they are all cool kids. My favorite is the brother-sister duo that always help each other, always participate, and brought me a present for New Years.

Then there is my solid group of kids from the village closest to town who’s idea it was to start a newspaper. These kids are all extremely intelligent, talented, and enthusiastic. With them I’ve been working to organize what will be a raion-wide newspaper for youth, by youth. Some of the kids come to my English club too, but I met most of them through my counterpart who is also their teacher. There is one girl who is so smart, but is a little reserved, who also brought me a present for New Year’s. She is in 9th grade, and has a lot of potential. I see her the most. Then recently I met a boy who’s in 12th grade who is also smart, and who met with me to read me his cheeky essay about faking studying that upset a lot of the teachers at his school. He got some American coins from me for his collection, and showed me his art. He even gave me one of his paintings of an elephant and a sunset and it hangs on my wall now.

At my last meeting with the newspaper kids I had my calendar with me for planning (a gift from Jackie last birthday.) I saw them noticing it and took the chance to tell them a little bit about the calendar’s artist, M.C. Escher. We flipped through the months and discussed what they saw, what they thought about the art, and I explained about Escher’s wood engraving technique. We talked about the years he was making his art and how it became very influential. It was small detail during the meeting, but the kids said they’ve never seen anything like it before, and had never heard of him, so it excited them. Just as when we first started (and are still starting) discussing this newspaper idea and planning for it, I explained a little bit about ‘zines in underground movements. I told them getting information across doesn’t necessarily have to be in the standard form we’re used to, this newspaper can be their chance to be creative and do/write/express whatever they wish. This is a project that could cover so much ground out here, and if successful, could be very self-sustainable, but now it’s still just an idea in the process of being (hopefully!) realized.

Right after the New Year, there was a concourse for the teachers of the raion at the sports school. I came and photographed the volleyball, basketball, and badminton tournaments to print the photos and hang them at our office, showing what our organization and the Teacher’s union (my other counterpart’s real job) contributes too. The gym director gave me shit about not coming anymore and asked if my music came yet. I apologized, giving some lame excuses, and told him that though my music hasn’t arrived yet, I’m sick of waiting and will start teaching this month, promising also to go to the gym more. In the last week I’ve been there three times, working out, and talking a lot to the gym director about liiifeee. We set a date for my first aerobics class (24th) and either I’ll compile a mix with the music I borrowed from the gym (Pussycat Dolls anyone?) or my music will arrive by then (I hope! I hope!)

Since the concourse, I’ve had three or four people ask me for copies of the photos, on the sly, including the gym director, the president of the raion, and a couple teachers. I have a Romanian tutor and we meet in her classroom at the Russian school. A couple days ago, the school director interrupted our lesson to ask me for photos of their school’s team of teachers who participated. So if all else fails, I guess I can always become the town photographer.

Today I woke up at noon, but to make up for it I went running and on a whim stopped at the gym just to see if the director was around. His car was there so I knocked on the windows until he let me in. He let me work out in the gym for a while, and then I had tea with him and a woman who is one of the mothers of the table tennis players. We talked shit about mutual acquaintances and compared Moldova to other countries, per usual conversation. From the gym I walked home past the feral dogs eating garbage from the overflowing dumpsters, past the tall trees marking Ukraine’s border, past the identical aligned apartment buildings dubbed “The Great Wall,” while skirting the mud-puddles in the concrete. I was sweaty and ready for a luxurious bucket bath, yet I couldn’t help smile gaily and think about how this year, in this new town, I will try to do everything, and I will be okay.